AFCON
13 AMAZING FACTS AHEAD OF NIGERIA-EGYPT FRIENDLY MATCH
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Both Nigeria and Egypt meet in Asaba on Tuesday after both played their
respective last matches for the qualifying series of the 2019 Africa Cup of
Nations at the weekend. Both secured qualification before the last match days
with their encounters merely serving as build-up to the final competition in
June.
As usual, www.sportsvillagesquare.com takes
an insightful look at the match and comes out with the following points of
interest.
- The match will be the third match that the Super Eagles will play at the arena that serves as eternal memorial to the former skipper and coach, Stephen Keshi.
- Egypt is the first country that inflicted a home defeat on Nigeria when the then United Arab Republic beat Nigeria’s ‘Red Devils’ 6-2 in Lagos in a Rome 1960 Olympic qualifying tournament.
- Egypt was the team that made Nigeria to switch from red shirts to the now familiar green. It was at the occasion of the return leg match of the Rome Olympic Games’ qualifying tournament played in Cairo on January 1, 1960. The Nigerian team had to change to green since the home country played in red. It was a step towards becoming ‘Green Eagles’ in the months that followed. Nigeria lost the match 0-3.
- Nigeria’s first own goal was scored in the match with Egypt (UAR) on December 13,1959 when John Onyeador turned the ball into his team’s net after two minutes of kick-off in an eventual 2-6 home loss.
- It was against Egypt that Asuquo Ekpe scored Nigeria’s first Africa Cup of Nations’ goal in a 6-3 loss on November 24, 1963 in Kumasi, Ghana.
- It was in Egypt that Obinna Nsofor scored Nigeria’s 100th Africa Cup of Nations goal when he found the net in a 1-1 draw with Tunisia on February 4, 2006 in Port Said.
- Until Ghana beat Egypt in the qualifying series for Brazil 2014, Nigeria’s 4-0 defeat of Egypt on October 8, 1977, was the country’s heaviest defeat in a World Cup qualifying match.
- Until Egypt beat Nigeria 3-1 in Benguela, Angola, Nigeria successively had the upper hand in all Africa Cup of Nations’ matches involving both countries from 1976 to 2010.
- Former Nigerian skipper, Stephen Keshi scored the first of his 10 goals for Nigeria when he converted a penalty kick against Egypt in a friendly match on February 20, 1983 in Kaduna to bring scoreline to 1-1.
- The doyen of football coaches in Nigeria, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde made his national debut as Nigeria’s coach in a February 18, 1983 friendly match with Egypt in Lagos. The match ended goalless.
- Egypt with seven victories won most titles of the Africa Cup of Nations. Nigeria with seven third placed positions has the record of most bronze medals.
- Nigeria and Egypt are the only countries to have personalities who won the African titles as players and coaches. Egypt’s Mahmoud El-Gohary won the African Cup as player in 1959 and then as a coach in 1998. Nigeria’s Stephen Keshi won the cup as a player in 1994 and then as a coach in 2013.
- In head-to-head confrontations, Egypt has a slight edge over Nigeria having won eight of 20 encounters while Nigeria won five.
P W D L F A
Egypt 20 8 7 5 36 28
Nigeria 20 5 7 8 28 36
- 13 Dec. 1959 (Oq, Lagos) Nigeria 2-6 Egypt
- 1 Jan. 1960 (Oq, Cairo) Egypt 3-0 Nigeria
- 29 Nov. 1960 (F. Lagos) Nigeria 1-2 Egypt
- 24 Nov. 1963 (Afcon, Kumasi) Egypt 6-3 Nigeria
- 14 Jan 1973 (AAG, Lagos) Nigeria 4-2 Egypt
- 14 Mar 1976 (Afcon Dire Dawa) Egypt 2-3 Nigeria
- 8 Oct. 1977 (WCq, Lagos) Nigeria 4-0 Egypt
- 21 Oct. 1977 (WCq, Cairo) Egypt 3-1 Nigeria
- 15 Mar. 1980 (Afcon, Lagos) Nigeria 1-0 Egypt
- 18 Feb. 1983 (F. Lagos) Nigeria 0-0 Egypt
- 20 Feb. 1983 (F. Kaduna) Nigeria 1-1 Egypt
- 14 Mar. 1984 (Afcon, Bouake) Egypt 2-2 Nigeria (7-8 pso)
- 20 Mar. 1988 (Afcon, Rabat) Egypt 0-0 Nigeria
- 5. Mar. 1990 (Afcon, Algiers) Egypt 0-1 Nigeria
- 30 Mar. 1994 (Afcon, Tunis) Egypt 0-0 Nigeria
- 25 Nov 2002 (F. Lagos) Nigeria 1-1 Egypt
- 12 Jan 2010 (Afcon. Benguela) Egypt 3-1 Nigeria
- 12 Apr 2012 (F-Dubai) Egypt 3-2 Nigeria
- 25 Mar 2016 (Afconq, Kaduna) Nigeria 1-1 Egypt
- 29 Mar, 2016 (Afconq, Alexandria) Egypt 1-0 Nigeria
AFCON
Nigerians, other nationals can apply, as CAF and Morocco Launch Volunteer Programme for AFCON 2025
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Morocco have launched the official Volunteer Programme for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025, billed to run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
According to CAF, more than 4,000 volunteers will be recruited to play a central role in ensuring the success of Africa’s most prestigious football tournament, which will be staged across six cities and nine stadiums in Morocco.
Applications are now open at volunteers.cafonline.com and will close on 8 October 2025. The opportunity is open to anyone above the age of 18.
Volunteers will be deployed across multiple functional areas, including media operations, spectator services, accreditation, hospitality, and fan engagement. Selected individuals will receive professional training ahead of the competition and work behind the scenes to deliver a memorable AFCON.
CAF stated that the programme is designed not only to support tournament operations but also to create an alumni network of skilled Africans who can contribute to future sporting events across the continent. Successful applicants will benefit from:
- Training and skill development.
- Official uniforms and certificates of participation.
- Networking opportunities with peers and professionals.
- The chance to contribute to Africa’s football legacy.
Volunteer registration opened on 17 September 2025. Selection and training will take place in October and November, with operations commencing in mid-December through to the tournament’s conclusion on 18 January 2026.
CAF described the initiative as an “exciting opportunity” for Africans to contribute to the growth of the continent’s flagship sporting event, which is expected to draw millions of visitors to Morocco.
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AFCON
CAF Security Chief, Nigeria’s Emeruwa, Leads Inspection of Tangier Stadium Ahead of Major Tournaments
Nigeria’s Dr. Christian Emeruwa, President of the Security and Safety Division of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), on Thursday, September 18, led an inspection visit to the Grand Stade de Tangier as preparations intensify for upcoming continental and global football events.
Emeruwa, who heads CAF’s continental security architecture, was joined by CAF Secretary General Véron Mosengo-Omba, senior Moroccan officials, and executives of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF).
The delegation also included managers of operational companies at the Grand Stade and SONARGES executives.
According to Le 360, the Nigerian official expressed satisfaction with the stadium’s facilities after touring key operational areas, including the main control room with its giant surveillance screen, as well as spectator, player, and VIP access zones.
The inspection was bolstered by the presence of Morocco’s top security and administrative officers—the regional commander of the Royal Gendarmerie, officials of the Auxiliary Forces and Civil Protection, the Wali of Security, the governor in charge of Internal Affairs, and representatives of the National Agency for Public Equipment (ANEP).
A technical meeting followed the tour, where engineers presented recent safety and security upgrades. Among the highlights was the planned installation of a FIFA-standard tarpaulin roof to enhance the venue’s compliance with global hosting requirements.
For Nigeria, the spotlight on Dr. Emeruwa underscores the country’s growing influence in African football administration, particularly in the critical areas of safety and security management for CAF competitions.
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Morocco has received 723 high-end buses from Chinese manufacturer Yutong as part of preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which kicks off on December 21.
Yutong said on social media that the fleet “has officially rolled off the production line” and will provide “comprehensive transport services and reliable operational support” during the tournament.
An official handover ceremony was held on Friday at the company’s facility in Zhengzhou, Henan province, attended by Moroccan representatives and Yutong executives.
The buses were designed to cope with Morocco’s terrain and climate, including steep slopes, heat and sandstorms. They feature an independent front axle suspension to navigate narrow city streets and Yutong’s in-house “Blue Core System” for fuel efficiency.
The delivery is the largest single order of Chinese buses in Africa. Yutong will station more than 100 technicians in Morocco to provide training, maintenance and round-the-clock support during AFCON.
The deal is part of Morocco’s broader transport strategy, which includes plans to purchase 7,000 new buses by 2030—half of them electric—as the country prepares to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal.
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