AFCON
South Africa’s Match is Nigeria’s 100th Afcon Qualifier
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
If the five annulled Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches involving Nigeria are excluded, the Saturday fixture with the Bafana Bafana will be Nigeria’s 100th qualifying match in the history of the competition, Sports Village Square can assert.
The figure could have been higher as the encounter with Chad on June 13, 2015 in Kaduna could have been the milestone 100th Africa Cup of Nations match involving Nigeria, but CAF technically annulled the match owing to later withdrawal of Chad from the competition.
The same principle is therefore applied to other matches which results were later annulled by CAF. These were the qualifying matches Nigeria played in the quest for 2000 Africa Cup of Nations that was originally slated for Zimbabwe.
Sports Village Square recalls that before the revocation of the hosting rights that were later jointly given to Nigeria and Ghana, the Super Eagles had played away matches with Burkina Faso and Senegal as well as a home game against Burundi in Abeokuta.
The results were cancelled just like the 1961 away qualifying match with Tunisia. The later match was awarded to Tunisia on account of Nigeria’s walkout for poor officiating. Score line at the time stood at 2-2 with Nigeria leading 4-3 on aggregate.
Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying Matches
1962, Africa Cup of Nations, Ethiopia
- April 8, 1961, Lagos: Nigeria 0-0 Ghana
- April 30, 1961, Accra: Ghana 2-2 Nigeria [Nigeria won on lots*]
- November 25, 1951, Lagos: Nigeria 2-1 Tunisia
- December 10, 1961, Tunis: Tunisia 2-2 Nigeria (Match annulled, awarded to Tunisia)
1963 Africa Cup of Nations, Ghana
- July 27, 1963, Lagos: Nigeria 2-2 Guinea
- October 6, 1963, Conakry: Guinea 1-0 Nigeria * Guinea disqualified, Nigeria qualified
1965 Africa Cup of Nations, Tunisia
Nigeria withdrew from prelims
1968 Africa Cup of Nations, Ethiopia
- March 12, 1967, Lagos: Nigeria 0-0 Cote d’Ivoire
- April 2, 1967, Lomé: Togo 1-0 Nigeria
- April 15, 1967, Lagos: Nigeria 4-2 Togo
- May 7, 1967, Abidjan: Cote d’Ivoire 2-0 Nigeria
1970 Africa Cup of Nations, Sudan
Niger w/o Nigeria
1972 Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon
- November 8, 1970, Ibadan: Nigeria 0-0 Congo
- November, 22, 1970, Brazzaville: Congo 2-1 Nigeria
1974 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt
- September 16, 1973, Khartoum: Sudan 1-1 Nigeria
- September 30, 1973, Lagos: Nigeria 2-1 Sudan
- October 28, 1973, Lusaka: Zambia 5-1 Nigeria
- November 11, 1973, Lagos: Nigeria 3-2 Zambia [Zambia qualify]
1976 Africa Cup of Nations, Ethiopia
- October 26, 1975, Brazzaville: Congo 0-1 Nigeria
- November 9, 1975, Lagos: Nigeria 2-1 Congo [Nigeria qualify]
1978 Africa Cup of Nations, Ghana
- June 12, 1977, Dakar: Senegal 3-1 Nigeria
- June 25, 1977, Lagos: Nigeria 3-0 Senegal [Nigeria qualify]
1980 Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeria
*Automatic as hosts
- Africa Cup of Nations, Libya
*Automatic as defending champions
1984 Africa Cup of Nations, Cote d’Ivoire
- April 9, 1983, Lagos: Nigeria 2-0 Angola
- April 24, 1983, Luanda: Angola 1-0 Nigeria
- August 14, 1983, Benin: Nigeria 0-0 Morocco
- August 28, 1983, Rabat: Morocco 0-0 Nigeria [Nigeria qualify 4-3 on pen.]
1986 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt
- August 10, 1985, Lagos: Nigeria 0-0 Zambia
- August 18, 1985, Lusaka: Zambia 1-0 Nigeria [Zambia qualify]
1988 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco
- March 28, 1987, Ibadan: Nigeria 2-0 Togo
- April 2, 1987, Lomé: Togo 1-1 Nigeria
- July 4, 1987, Ibadan: Nigeria 3-0 Sierra Leone
- July 18, 1987, Freetown: Sierra Leone 2-0 Nigeria [Nigeria qualify]
1990 Africa Cup of Nations, Algeria
- April 9, 1989, Conakry: Guinea 1-1 Nigeria
- April 22, 1989, Ibadan: Nigeria 3-0 Guinea
- July 15, 1989, Ibadan: Nigeria 3-0 Zimbabwe
- July 29, 1989, Harare: Zimbabwe 1-1 Nigeria [Nigeria qualify]
1992 Africa Cup of Nations, Senegal
- August 19, 1990, Lagos: Nigeria 3-0 Togo
- September 1, 1990, Accra: Ghana 1-0 Nigeria
- September 30, 1990, Cotonou: Benin 0-1 Nigeria
- January 13, 1991, Ouagadougou: Burkina Faso 1-1 Nigeria
- January 27, 1991, Lomé: Togo 0-0 Nigeria
- April 13, 1991, Lagos: Nigeria 0-0 Ghana
- April 27, 1991, Lagos: Nigeria 3-0 Benin
- July 27, 1991, Lagos: Nigeria 7-1 Burkina Faso
1994 Africa Cup of Nations, Tunisia
- August 16, 1992, Khartoum: Sudan 0-0 Nigeria
- August 29, 1992, Lagos: Nigeria 2-0 Uganda
- April 11, 1993, Addis Ababa: Ethiopia 1-0 Nigeria
- April 24, 1993, Lagos: Nigeria 4-0 Sudan
- July 17, 1993, Kampala: Uganda 0-0 Nigeria
- July 24, 1993, Lagos: Nigeria 6-0 Ethiopia
- October 4, 1998, Ouagadougou: Burkina Faso 0-0 Nigeria [annulled]
- January 23, 1999, Abeokuta: Nigeria 2-0 Burundi [annulled]
- February 28, 1999, Dakar Senegal 1-1 Nigeria [annulled)
- Africa Cup of Nations, South Africa
*Automatic as defending champions, but withdrew
1998 Africa Cup of Nations, Burkina Faso
*Banned
2002 Africa Cup of Nations, Mali
- September 2, 2000, Lagos: Nigeria 4-0 Namibia
- October 7, 2000 Antananarivo: Madagascar 0-0 Nigeria
- January 13, 2001, Lagos: Nigeria 1-0 Zambia
- March 24, 2001, Chingola: Zambia 1-1 Nigeria
- June 2, 2001, Benin: Nigeria 1-0 Madagascar
- June 16, 2001, Windhoek: Namibia 0-2 Nigeria
2004 Africa Cup of Nations, Tunisia
- September 8, 2002, Luanda: Angola 0-0 Nigeria
- March 29, 2003, Blantyre: Malawi 0-1 Nigeria
- June 7, 2003, Abuja: Nigeria 4-1 Malawi
- June 21, 2003 Benin: Nigeria 2-2 Angola
2006 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt
- June 5, 2004, Abuja: Nigeria 2-0 Rwanda
- June 20, 2004, Luanda: Angola 1-0 Nigeria
- July 3, 2004, Abuja: Nigeria 1-0 Algeria
- September 5, 2004, Harare: Zimbabwe 0-3 Nigeria
- October 9, 2004 Libreville: Gabon 1-1 Nigeria
- March 26, 2005, Port Harcourt: Nigeria 2-0 Gabon
- June 5, 2005, Kigali: Rwanda 1-1 Nigeria
- June 18, 2005 Kano: Nigeria 1-1 Angola
- September 4, 2005, Oran: Algeria 2-5 Nigeria
- October 8, 2005, Lagos: Nigeria 5-1 Zimbabwe
2008 Africa Cup of Nations, Ghana
- September 6, 2006, Abuja: Nigeria 2-0 Niger
- October 8, 2006, Maseru: Lesotho 0-1 Nigeria
- March 24, 2007, Abeokuta: Nigeria 1-0 Uganda
- June 2, 2007, Kampala: Uganda 2-1 Nigeria
- June 17, 2007, Niamey: Niger 1-3 Nigeria
- September 8, 2007, Warri: Nigeria 2-0 Lesotho
2010 Africa Cup of Nations, Angola
- June 1, 2008, Abuja: Nigeria 2-0 South Africa
- June 7, 2008, Freetown: Sierra Leone 0-1 Nigeria
- June 15, 2008, Malabo: Equat. Guinea 0-1 Nigeria
- June 21, 2008, Abuja: Nigeria 2-0 Equat. Guinea
- September 6, 2008, Port Elizabeth: South Africa 0-1 Nigeria
- October 11, 2008, Abuja: Nigeria 4-1 Sierra Leone
2012 Africa Cup of Nations, Equatorial Guinea/Gabon
- September 5, 2010, Calabar: Nigeria 2–0 Madagascar
- October 10, 2010, Conakry: Guinea 1–0 Nigeria
- March 27, 2011, Abuja: Nigeria 4–0 Ethiopia
- June 5, 2011, Addis Ababa: Ethiopia 2–2 Nigeria
- September 4, 2011, Antananarivo: Madagascar 0–2 Nigeria
- October 8, 2011, Abuja: Nigeria 2–2 Guinea
2013 Africa Cup of Nations, South Africa
- February 29, 2012, Kigali: Rwanda 0-0 Nigeria
- June 16, 2012, Calabar: Nigeria 2-0 Rwanda
- September 8, 2012. Monrovia: Liberia 2-2 Nigeria
- October 13, 2012, Calabar: Nigeria 6-1 Liberia
2015 Africa Cup of Nations, Gabon
- September 6, 2014, Calabar: Nigeria 2-3 Congo-Brazzaville
- September 10, 2014, Cape Town: South Africa 0-0 Nigeria
- October 11, 2014, Khartoum: Sudan 1-0 Nigeria
- October 15, 2014, Abuja: Nigeria 3-1 Sudan
- November 15, 2014. Pointe-Noire: Congo-Brazzaville 0-2 Nigeria
- November 19, 2014, Uyo: Nigeria 2-2 South Africa
2015 Africa Cup of Nations, Equatorial Guinea
- June 13, 2015, Kaduna: Nigeria 2-0 Chad (annulled)
- September 5, 2015, Dar es Salaam: Tanzania 0-0 Nigeria
- March 25, 2016, Kaduna: Nigeria 1-1 Egypt
- March 29, 2016, Alexandria: Egypt 1-0 Nigeria
- September 3, 2016, Uyo: Nigeria 1-0 Tanzania
2017 Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon
- June 10, 2017, Uyo: Nigeria vs South Africa
Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe would welcome an investigation into corruption at the organisation, saying they have nothing to hide following a meeting with Senegalese officials in Dakar on Wednesday.
Senegal’s government last month demanded an investigation into corruption after the country was stripped of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title by the CAF Appeal Board, and the trophy was awarded to the final opponents, Morocco.
It follows unruly scenes in the January 18 decider in Rabat that Senegal won 1-0, but during which they left the field for several minutes in protest at a late refereeing decision.
Motsepe met with officials from the Senegalese Football Federation and Senegal president Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Wednesday, where he urged unity following the fallout from the final. He will be in Morocco on Thursday for a similar set of meetings.
“I would welcome any investigation into corruption at CAF, be it by a government or any institution,” Motsepe told reporters. “In fact, I would encourage it. We will give them our full cooperation.
“I have been told there were problems in the past and we intervened. It is not just in football, but in business and politics too. We cannot give our children the perception that if you want to succeed in life, be corrupt. There has to be zero tolerance (for corruption).
“That’s the best gift we can give football in Africa. Not just talking about corruption, but intervene, put the necessary laws in place) and implement them.”
Motsepe would not be drawn on the matter between Senegal and Morocco, which is now before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“There is nothing I can tell you that I haven’t said already 10, 15, 20 times. You can ask me the same question 100 times, I’ll give you the same answer 100 times. I have an obligation to respect that the matter is now in front of the highest (sports) court in the world.”
Motsepe quashed any suggestion that Morocco had been treated favourably in the appeal process.
“Under no circumstances will any single country in Africa be treated more preferentially or more favourably than any other. That will never happen,” he said.
“We are confident we will come out of these challenges more united amongst the 54 nations in Africa.”
-Reuters
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By Kunle Solaja.
Patrice Motsepe has intensified his diplomatic shuttle across African football corridors with a crucial visit to Morocco scheduled for Thursday, as the fallout from the controversial AFCON 2025 Final continues to reverberate across the continent.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed that Motsepe will meet with Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF), alongside other key stakeholders within Morocco’s football ecosystem.
Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF)
The high-level engagement in Rabat comes barely 24 hours after Motsepe’s crisis-management visit to Senegal, underlining CAF’s urgency in addressing the tensions and conflicting reports that have trailed the AFCON final.
Thursday’s meeting is expected to focus on fact-finding, reconciliation, and institutional alignment following the chaotic circumstances that marred the tournament’s climax. The Moroccan FA has been central to the unfolding controversy, with administrative and refereeing decisions from the final still under scrutiny.
CAF disclosed that the visit will conclude with a press conference in Rabat at 17:00 local time (16:00 GMT), where Motsepe is expected to address the media and possibly provide updates on CAF’s ongoing review of the final.
While details of the agenda remain closely guarded, the visit signals a continuation of Motsepe’s hands-on approach to crisis resolution, engaging directly with national federations in a bid to preserve the integrity of African football competitions.
CAF and the FRMF have indicated that further details regarding the outcomes of the visit will be communicated in due course, as stakeholders across the continent await clarity on one of the most contentious finals in recent AFCON history.
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CAF President Patrice Motsepe is set to visit Senegal on Wednesday for high-level talks with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and the leadership of the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football, in what is widely seen as a crucial diplomatic move amid lingering controversy over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Final.
The visit comes against the backdrop of the chaotic and disputed AFCON 2025 final in Rabat, a match marred by heavy rainfall, administrative confusion, and conflicting official reports from within CAF and its committees.
The uncertainty surrounding the outcome of that final has cast a shadow over African football governance, prompting urgent calls for clarity and institutional accountability.
Sources indicate that Motsepe’s meeting with President Faye will extend beyond routine courtesy, touching on broader issues of football governance, tournament integrity, and the role of national associations in safeguarding the credibility of continental competitions.
Senegal, a major stakeholder in African football and one of the continent’s most influential football nations, is expected to play a key role in shaping the narrative going forward.
Motsepe will also hold discussions with Abdoulaye Fall, focusing on collaboration between CAF and its member associations, as well as mechanisms to prevent a recurrence of the controversies that plagued the AFCON final.
While CAF has yet to officially outline the agenda, observers believe the visit signals an attempt by the continental body to consolidate support among key football nations and manage the fallout from the final’s unresolved issues.
The optics of engaging directly with political leadership further underline the seriousness of the situation.
CAF and the Senegalese Football Federation have both stated that more details regarding the visit will be released in due course, leaving stakeholders across the continent watching closely for signals on how African football’s governing body intends to restore confidence in its competitions.
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