AFCON

BAFANA BAFANA PICK MUSA, IWOBI AS SUPER EAGLES’ PLAYERS TO MARK

Published

6 years ago

November 15, 2018

When the potentially explosive South Africa versus Nigeria Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match gets underway on Saturday, Ahmed Musa and Alex Iwobi of the Super Eagles will be marked men.

According to SowetanLIVE of South Africa, the two players along with the trio of Oghenekaro Etebo, Leon Balogun and Samuel Chukwueze are men to watch in the Super Eagles.

The publication reports that Bafana Bafana who are seeking for a in that would take them to the finals in Cameroon next year will be up against a Super Eagles side bent on revenge after a 2-0 loss last year.

The publication described the Super Eagles as a team packed with players from Europe’s elite leagues. It then picked out five players who have the potential to be match winners for Nigeria at the weekend.

LEON BALOGUN

Centre-back Balogun has barely played for his English Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion this season but remains a rock at the back for Nigeria. Experienced and a good leader, he will be the one tasked with marshalling the Nigeria defence and it sets up an intriguing battle with his quasi-club mate Percy Tau.

Tau is on the books of Brighton as well, but has been sent on loan to Belgian second-tier side Royal Union St Gilloise. They will have no doubt been training together at some point in pre-season though.

Balogun was born in Berlin to a Nigerian father and a German mother, and previously played for a number of Bundesliga clubs, most notably Mainz.

He made his Nigeria debut against Mexico in 2014 but later missed out on the World Cup that year through an injury he picked up in that game. He did feature in Russia this year and will provide an imposing wall for Bafana to get through.

Perhaps tellingly, he was missing when Bafana beat Nigeria 2-0 in Uyo last year, a game in which they carved open the home defence almost at will.

ALEX IWOBI

Iwobi has been a part of the rejuvenation of Arsenal this season under new coach Unai Emery, having been used sparingly in the World Cup in Russia. He will likely play behind the main striker, pulling the strings as a link between the midfield and the forward line. His intelligence on the ball will be a real worry for Bafana.

One thing he would like to improve is his goal-scoring ratio and Bafana will hope he does not start on Saturday. His does tend to save his goals for the big matches, with three of his five international strikes coming in the last year against Argentina and England.

The 22-year-old was born in Lagos but was an England international junior after moving to that country at the age of four. He is the nephew of former Super Eagles star Jay-Jay Okocha.

He made his Arsenal debut in 2015 and has made 113 appearances in the three-and-a-bit seasons since, showing that he has played a significant role for The Gunners.

AHMED MUSA

Musa is a player who has had limited success against Bafana before, and his great pace and rocket shot will be a weapon for Nigeria, as it was at the World Cup in Russia, where he was arguably the Super Eagles’ biggest attacking threat. He has carried on that form with goals against Seychelles and Libya in the Nations Cup qualifiers, and will be a massive handful for Bafana on Saturday.

He is likely to feature on the left side of an attacking three, which will mean a tough afternoon for expected Bafana right-back Ramahlwe Mphahlele, who is prone to bombing forward and leaving space at the back. Musa is currently with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr but played most notably previously for CSKA Moscow, and later much less successfully with Leicester City.

He has played Bafana on five previous occasions, managing just a single goal in a 1-1 draw in 2015.

PETER ETEBO

With Wilfred Ndidi ruled out through suspension, Etebo will be a key figure as a defensive midfielder to shield the back four from South Africa’s slick passing game.

Although he made his debut five years ago in 2013, he has just 19 international caps, but has seen something of a rejuvenation of his Super Eagles career in 2018.

He started every game at the World Cup and has played in all three Nations Cup qualifiers following a move to English Championship side Stoke City.

He began his career with Warri Wolves in his homeland before signing for Feirense in Portugal. He was sent on loan for the second half of last season to Las Palmas in Spain’s La Liga, and then made the commitment to sign for Stoke for £6.35m (around R120m).

SAMUEL CHUKWUEZE

Chukwueze is an uncapped teenager but all the signs are there that he could play some role against Bafana Bafana after recently making his debut for La Liga side Villarreal. With lead striker Odion Ighalo out with injury, the 19-year-old could earn a shock start or come off the bench, as coach Gernot Rohr has spoken highly of him in recent weeks.

Able to play as a winger or a forward, he would bring an element of the unknown, and with the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho, Henry Onyekuru and Isaac Success in mediocre form this season, it could be a masterstroke.

And, what’s more, he would come into the side with form, having netted his second goal in three matches at the weekend in a 2-2 draw with Rayo Vallecano.

AFCON

Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 fixtures almost in same pattern with World Cup qualifiers

Published

2 weeks ago

July 12, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Confederation of African Football (CAF) has now released the full fixtures of the qualifying series for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The fixtures for the Nigerian team is almost in the same pattern with that of the 2026 World Cup qualification which has seen the Super Eagles wobbling.

Like that of the World Cup, the Super Eagles will begin their quest for qualifcation for AFCON with a home game in Uyo as they will host Benin Republic.

As it was in the World Cup, they will then head to Rwanda. Last November, their second match was played in Rwanda which hosted Zimbabwe home match. This time the Super Eagles will be facing Rwanda, the same team they will meet when the World Cup qualification series resume in March next year.

On Match Day 3, the Super Eagles will host Libya and will have the reverse fixture immediately after that of Match Day 3.

Later they travel to Benin for Match Day 5 before hosting Rwanda on the last match day.

The Fixtures

September 2 – Nigeria vs Benin Republic; Libya vs Rwanda

September 6 – Rwanda vs Nigeria; Benin Republic vs Libya

October 11 – Nigeria vs Libya; Benin Republic vs Rwanda

October 16 – Libya vs Nigeria; Rwanda vs Benin Republic

November 11 – Benin Republic vs Nigeria; Rwanda vs Libya

November 15 – Nigeria vs Rwanda; Libya vs Benin Republic

The top two teams qualify for AFCON 2025

AFCON

Rohr roars warning to Benin; Nigeria, Rwanda will not be easy

Published

3 weeks ago

July 5, 2024

Kunle Solaja

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Former Nigeria manager, Gernot Rohr now handling Benin Republic has warned The Cheetahs of Benin not to expect an easy match when the team meet Rwanda and Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers later this month.

Last month, he led his team to defeat both Rwanda and Nigeria in World Cup qualifying duels in Abidjan, where Benin Republic are compelled to play their home matches following inadequate facilities at home.

Benin’s 1-0 defeat of Rwanda was Rohr’s first victory with the team. Days later, he followed up with a 2-1 defeat of Nigeria, the first Benin Republic victory in over 65 years.

Those wins have put Benin in the frame of possible qualification for the World Cup. They are now to meet Nigeria and Rwanda again in World Cup qualifiers.

It won’t be easy, remarked Rohr. Hear the Franco-German as he spoke in French but translated into English for the Sports Village Square: “From September we will play against Nigeria before facing Libya and Rwanda.

“These are three difficult opponents. We had already played Rwanda and Nigeria but be careful, it’s not because we won Rwanda and Nigeria that it will be easy matches.

“ We know that it is possible to achieve good performances again. We know that Nigeria with its great players will want to take revenge against us.

“ I think it will probably be an interesting match in Uyo before continuing against Libya. I suppose in Abidjan because in September the Mathieu Kerekou friendship stadium will not be ready.

“Everything will be decided in three months in September, October and November. It’s a difficult group but it’s playable.

“You have to finish in the top two. We had a team that is becoming solid, where the players are like brothers, accomplices. I hope we will recover the players who were absent. We are confident.”

AFCON

Coaches react after intriguing Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers Draw

Published

3 weeks ago

July 5, 2024

Kunle Solaja

The journey towards qualification to the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 shifted a gear higher on Thursday, after CAF officially conducted the draw of the qualifiers in Johannesburg South Africa.

A total of 48 nations will vie for the 24 places that will contests the 35th edition of Africa’s most prestigious competition.

This is what some of the coaches has to say in reaction to the draw outcomes.

Emerse Fae, Cote d’Ivoire coach

“I am satisfied because we are going to play against Zambia, a team that we know very well. In our last qualifying campaign, we lost against them. We know what mistakes to avoid.

“I am also satisfied because I did not want to have countries geographically far from Cote d’Ivoire which will lessen the travel load. That said, in Africa, there are no longer small teams. All the teams will want to challenge us because we are the reigning champions”

Leslie Notši

“The draw is very interesting because when you have the host in your group, it means they qualify automatically for the tournament, and you have to double your efforts to secure the remaining qualification spot which will be contested by the three other teams in the group.

“We will work very hard to see to it that we are competitive side and try as much as we can to get maximum points in matches against countries that are with us in our group. It will be very important to do well in our home games and I know all eyes will be on “Morocco as the hosts and a powerhouse in our group. We will draw inspiration from recent games where we played the likes of Nigeria as well as Cote d’voire and were able to frustrate them”

Amir Abdou, Mauritania Coach

“Quite a complicated draw. Egypt will be the big contender for qualification. They have a good track record that speaks volumes.

“Seven times African champions – that’s no small thing. We also have Cape Verde who eliminated us during the last AFCON.

“This team is made up of many quality players. We have Botswana, they are having a good qualifying campaign for the World Cup. We have a pretty strong group. It’s up to us to believe in ourselves. We will do everything we can to achieve our fourth participation in the AFCON”.

Kévin Nicaise, Chad coach

“We are already having the reigning African champions facing the last qualified team in the FIFA rankings. These will definitely be very difficult matches played at high intensity. We will fight to defend our nation’s pride. The group remains relatively open, and we will approach these qualifications with humility and ambition”.

Badou Zaki, Niger coach

“We have every chance of qualifying. For me, Ghana is a football country with a team that is blessed with great professionals. But this is not the team of 5 or 6 years ago. Even at home, they can lose.

“Angola had a good showing at the last AFCON with their beautiful, modern and fast football. It’s a team that shook up the big teams in Cote d’Ivoire.

“I know Sudan very well. They are first in their World Cup qualifying group. They are going to be dangerous, but we know our strengths and we know we can go far”

-CAF