AFCON
SOUTH AFRICA BANKS ON BENEFIT OF NEUTRAL GROUND TO ESCAPE AFCON OUSTER
It promises to be the fiercest battle that the South Africa’s Bafana Bafana will fight in recent time. The initial trail blazers in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Group E qualifiers suddenly found themselves struggling for survival on the last match day.
The South Africans were off to a good start getting all points in their away duel with Nigeria which also translated to their first ever competitive victory over the domineering Super Eagles.
Bafana Bafana soon went into coma, turning into a laborious outfit and escaped with a goalless draw against Libya on match day two. The Super Eagles on the other hand bounced back with an away 3-0 defeat of Seychelles, the same team that South Africa could only manage a goalless draw with.
South Africa’s lifeline in Sunday’s encounter with Libya was the annulment of goals scored by the Super Eagles in their encounter last November.
It is the encounter that gave a point advantage over Libya. But the Libyans are handicapped. They play their home matches in Tunisia. This is what South Africa hope to exploit.
Sunday’s African Nations Cup showdown against Libya marks the third time Bafana Bafana have had the good fortune of playing a key away qualifier on a neutral venue.
Bafana were successful on the two previous occasions. The last Group E qualifier for South Africa in the 2019 African Nations Cup preliminaries is being played in Sfax‚ Tunisia‚ because of the tenuous security situation in Libya‚ who have not been allowed to play any internationals at home for more than a decade.
Libya need to win the match and ordinarily would look to use home advantage in Tripoli to maximum benefit‚ with an intimidating and hostile crowd to shake up the visitors.
But Sunday’s match at the Stade Taieb El Mniri is likely to have a modest crowd with almost all the edge taken off from the stands.
It was also the case in April‚ 1997 when Bafana happily skipped a trip to Kinshasa and again in 2013 when the conflict in the Central African Republic also sent South Africa to a neutral venue.
In the 1998 World Cup qualifiers‚ Bafana were tenuously placed with a win‚ draw and loss after their first three Group C qualifiers against Zaire‚ Zambia and Congo-Brazzaville.
The game against the Congolese was the infamous battle of Pointe Noire when guns were stuck in the ribs of South African officials and the players kicked to bits in a game that was lost 2-0.
Clive Barker’s team then faced having to go to an even more hostile environment to Kinshasa to meet Zaire‚ who were also desperately looking for points.
But in Zaire‚ Laurent Kabila’s rebel army had made significant advances in their bid to oust the Mobutu Sese Seko regime and were marching towards Kinshasa‚ with an imminent battle for the capital forcing FIFA to change the venue of the game.
It was moved to Lome in Togo where Barker famously dropped Neil Tovey as skipper and installed Lucas Radebe and South Africa won the game with Doctor Khumalo at his best‚ scoring first and then providing the cross for Phil Masinga to head home the winner in a 2-1 victory.
It was the last game for Zaire‚ after which Kabila overthrew Mobutu and changed the name of the country to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Bafana would go on to beat Zambia and Congo Brazzaville at Soccer City‚ winning their last three qualifiers to book their place at the World Cup in France.
In 2013‚ South Africa’s World Cup hopes were already in peril after draws against Ethiopia‚ after which Pitso Mosimane was fired‚ and then Botswana.
New coach Gordon Igesund won the home qualifier against the Central African Republic in Cape Town but had to keep winning the rest.
The reverse fixture against the Central African Republic in June 2013 was moved from Bangui‚ because of rebel fighting and the massacre of SANDF troops‚ who were in the country in a peacekeeping role in the country‚ saw the match moved by FIFA to Yaounde in Cameroon.
There South Africa won 3-0 to keep alive their hoops‚ only to lose the next game in Addis Ababa to Ethiopia and be embarrassingly eliminated from the race for the 2014 finals in Brazil‚ having just hosted the previous World Cup.
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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