AFCON
SPORTS MASTER, GOV OKOWA BOOSTS SUPER EAGLES WITH $60,000
Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa of Delta State has again bountifully rewarded the Super Eagles following victories in their 2019 AFCON qualifying match against Seychelles and the prestige friendly against seven –time African champions Egypt, as he presented a gift of $10,000 to Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr and another $50,000 to the team on Tuesday.
Thenff.com recalls that Governor Okowa similarly rewarded the team following their qualification for the 2019 AFCON with the 1-1 draw against South Africa in Johannesburg in November 2018, which they followed up with a friendly against Uganda in Asaba three days later.
Captain Ahmed Musa, who on his part received rave reviews for promptly fulfilling his promise of N1million-a-goal to the Olympic Eagles by sending the team N4million on Monday evening immediately after their 4-0 win over Libya, thanked Governor Okowa for his kind gestures and support to the team, other National Teams and Nigerian Football generally.
At its meeting on Monday, the NFF Executive Committee had hailed Delta State’s number one citizen and his administration for full sponsorship of the Super Eagles’ two matches, as well as augmenting for the U23 AFCON qualifier between Nigeria and Libya.
Nigeria’s Odion Ighalo emerged top scorer of the 2019 AFCON qualifying campaign with seven goals, and the 1-0 victory over Africa’s number one –ranked side Egypt was brilliantly executed and must have positive implications for Africa’s fourth –ranked team Nigeria’s position in the next FIFA ranking activation.
The Stephen Keshi Stadium is fast turning to a positive hunting ground for the National Teams, with the Super Eagles banishing a 19 –year demon by defeating the Pharaohs, and the Olympic Eagles overturning a 0-2 deficit against Libya in the first leg to reach the final round of the qualifying series for this year’s Africa U23 Cup of Nations.
The football feast in Delta State was hugely rewarding for Nigeria, as the teams won all the matches, scoring eight goals in all and conceding only one.
At its Monday meeting, the NFF Executive Committee also approved that the Super Eagles play two more friendly matches during the FIFA window in June as part of the preparations for the 32nd Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt this summer.
The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has sacked its Serbian coach, Milutin Sredojević who is popularly known as Micho.
This is coming ahead of Libya’s back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations clashes with Nigeria next month.
Paradoxically, Sports Village Square gathered that the coach’s contract was only recently renewed for six months before the axe fell on the Serbian.
His sack was precipitated by the results obtained in their teo matches of the AFCON qualifiers.
Libya drew 1-1 with Rwanda at home and lost 2-1 away to Benin Republic despite beig a goal up at half time.
The Libyan side, Mediterranean Knights are due to play against the Nigeria Super Eagles in Uyo on 6 October while the return leg holds on 14 October at the 11 July Stadium in Tripoli.
According to information Sports Village Square gathered from Tripoli, the Mediterranean Knights’ coach, Micho led the Libyan national team to win nine matches since taking over in October of last year, he failed to build a strong team due to his poor choices.
He also took a risk with the footballers chosen in the AFCON qualifiers, and the result was shocking to the Libyan sports audience.
According to sources close to the Libyan Football Federation, there is a strong tendency to sign a national coach to lead the Libyan team during the remaining qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe has lashed out at Ghana and some other African countries whose home grounds were recently banned from hosting CAF matches owing to inadequate facilities. He made the remarks in Nairobi, Kenya during a press conference,
After the MatchDay 2 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, CAF ruled Ghana’s Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi as being inadequate to host international matches. Being the only approved ground in the country, Ghana will now look towards either Cote d’Ivoire or Togo for their remaining home matches of the Afcon qualifiers.
Other African countries without approved home grounds are: Djibouti, Chad, Niger, Eritrea, Gabon, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, São Tomé and Burundi.
Motsepe voiced his frustration over the recurring issue of nations being unable to host home games.
“Nothing frustrates me more than a national team or club side having to play home matches outside,” he stated.
He stressed the significance of playing in front of home fans, adding, “You can’t grow football if the national teams or club sides aren’t playing in front of their home fans.”
Motsepe reiterated CAF’s commitment to working with countries to ensure they have at least one suitable stadium to host international fixtures.
“Our conversations in every country are to make sure there is at least one stadium capable of hosting a CAF category C game,” he emphasized.
The on-going CAF AFCON Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Coaches Symposium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire has brought together, the last three coaches that handled the Nigeria national football team.
Gernot Rohr, Jose Peseiro and Austin Eguavoen are part of the the elite coaches currently gathered in Abidjan.
Gernot Rohr whose tenure of 5 years and 55 matches is the longest ever by any coach in Nigeria, is currently handling Nigeria’s Africa Cupof Nations and World Cup qualifying rivals, Benin Republic. He was succeeded in the interim by Austin Eguavoen who is currently having another interim stint.
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