AFCON
EVALUATING SUPER EAGLES’ POTENTIAL OPPONENTS AHEAD OF AFCON DRAW
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Except the Super Eagles are pitched against Senegal or Tunisia in the Pot 1 of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations draw ceremony holding on Friday, the team will certainly face a former champion of the competition.
The seeds for the draw were released at the weekend and Nigeria is on the second tier of the seeding.
The seedings were based on performances of qualified teams at the 2013, 2015 and 2017 finals as well as the in the qualifying tournaments for 2015, 2017 and 2019 and the March 2019 FIFA rankings.
There are six teams in each pot. Nigeria along with Morocco, Nigeria, DR Congo, Algeria, Mali and Guinea belongs to the second pot. It means that these teams will not be in the same group for the final competition.
Nigeria, like the other teams, will draw one opponent from each of the remaining three pots. In Pot 1 are Egypt, Ghana, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Senegal.
The Super Eagles will certainly face one of those six teams. Only Tunisia is strange to the Super Eagles in previous groupings of the competition. Both Nigeria and Egypt were in the same groups in 1963, 1980, 1988, 1990, 1994 and 2010.
Sports Village Square recalls that in most cases that Nigeria fall into the same group with Egypt, the Nigeria side got to the semi-final or even won the trophy as it happened in 1980 and 1994.
It was only in 1963, the ancient past of the tournament that Nigeria failed to get beyond the group stage after drawing Egypt.
The www.sportsvillagesquare.com recalls that in all other instances, Nigeria got within the medal zone as it happened in 1988 and 1990 – runners-up positions and 2010 – second runners up.
In fact, when Egypt beat Nigeria 3-1 in Benguela at the
opening match of Group C of Angola 2010, it was the first time 48 years that
the Pharaohs had beaten Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Another possible opponent of Nigeria in Pot 1 is Ghana. Both are traditional rivals and had fallen in the same groups in 1978, 1984 and 2006. Sports Village Square recalls that Ghana has never beaten Nigeria in any group stage of the competition, even the one hosted by Ghana in 1978.
Tunisia is the only team in Pot 1 that Nigeria has never faced in an Africa Cup of Nations’ group stage. The three duels of both teams in the Africa Cup of Nations’ history were at the knockout stages.
Sports Village Square recalls that both met in the classification match of Ghana 1978. Tunisia walked out of the encounter after a goal by Baba Otu Mohammed, which put score lines at 1-1. The match was eventually awarded to Nigeria by a 2-0 score line.
They met again in the semi finals of Tunisia 2004 and quarter-finals of 2006. Both encounters were drawn. Tunisia excelled in the ensuing penalty shoot-out in 2004 while Nigeria came from two-penalty missed to win 6-5 at Egypt 2006.
Cote d’Ivoire was in the same group with Nigeria in 1980 and 2008 in Ghana. The 1980 encounter ended 0-0 while Cote d’Ivoire won 1-0 the encounter at Ghana 2008.
Cameroon fell in the same Group B with Nigeria at Maroc ’88. The game in which Nigeria scored their fastest goal at the Africa Cup of Nations ended 1-1. Both met again in the final match.
Senegal hosted the 1982 edition in which the Teranga Lions fell 1-2 to Nigeria in the opening match of Group A.
The Super Eagles will not draw any opposition from Pot 2 which also have Morocco, DR Congo, Algeria, Mali and Guinea.
Pot 3 has Uganda, South Africa, Guinea-Bissau, Zimbabwe, Angola and Burundi. The Super Eagles may be separated from South Africa as both emerged from the same qualifying group. The hard-playing Uganda may be a hard nut to crack. The only Africa Cup of Nations’ clash of both was in 1978 when a Philip Omondi-inspired Cranes of Uganda shocked Nigeria with a 2-1 defeat in the semi-finals.
Even then, encounters with Uganda have always been tough. The Cranes beat Nigeria 1-0 in a friendly match in 1981 and inflicted another 2-1 defeat in a 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying encounter in 2007.
Even though Nigeria won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1994, qualification was almost aborted for Nigeria as Uganda put up tough resistance in a return encounter played in Kampala on July 17, 1993.
Nigeria conceded a last minute penalty kick, which the Ugandans lost. Had that penalty been converted, the Super Eagles would not have qualified for the 1994 finals let alone winning the tournament.
In 2015, the Uganda spoiled the celebration for Vincent Enyeama, beating Nigeria 1-0 in a match that marked the 100th cap of the Nigerian goalkeeper. Last year, the Ugandans forced Nigeria to a goalless draw in Asaba.
Guinea-Bissau, Angola and Burundi in Pot 3 have never faced Nigeria in any group encounter of the Africa Cup of Nations. Burundi however in Abeokuta, lost 0-2 to the Super Eagles in the qualifying encounter for Afcon 2000, originally to hold in Zimbabwe. That was before Nigeria and Ghana were redesignated as joint hosts.
Angola was in the same qualifying groups with Nigeria in the qualification for 2004 and 2006. Nigeria’s only encounter with Guinea-Bissau was on October 2, 1960 in the Kwame Nkrumah Cup tournament. Guinea-Bissau at the time was called Portuguese Guinea. Nigeria won 4-1.
Zimbabwe, the other team in Pot 3, was in the same group with Nigeria in 2006. Nigeria won the match 2-0.
Pot 4 has Mauritania, Namibia, Benin, Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar. Two teams in the Pot are debutants and had therefore never been drawn in the same group with Nigeria.
These are Mauritania and Madagascar. Tanzania, Kenya and Benin had been in Nigeria’s group before. Kenya shared the same group with Nigeria in 1988 and 1992.
Tanzania opened their Group A account with Nigeria in 1980. Should Nigeria draw the same group with Tanzania, it will be the first time a Nigerian coach will have his team pitched against Nigeria in the 62-year history of the tournament.
Benin Republic was in the same groups with Nigeria in 2008 and 2010.
THE AFCON TEAMS’ SEEDING:
POT 1: Egypt, Ghana, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Senegal
POT 2: Morocco, Nigeria, DR Congo, Algeria, Mali and Guinea
POT 3: Uganda, South Africa, Guinea-Bissau, Zimbabwe, Angola and Burundi
POT 4: Mauritania, Namibia, Benin, Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar
The Confederation of African Football has announced a major overhaul of its flagship competition, with the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) set to expand from 24 to 28 teams.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe disclosed the decision on Sunday following an executive committee meeting, describing it as part of the body’s commitment to elevating African football to global standards.
Motsepe said the expansion would create more opportunities for countries across the continent while ensuring that top African players worldwide return home to compete at the highest level.
“This is about our commitment to world-class football, bringing together the best African players from across the globe to compete on the continent,” he stated.
However, the CAF boss did not provide details on how the new 28-team format would be structured or when the expansion would take effect, leaving questions over qualification pathways and tournament scheduling.
Continuity for 2027, New Cycle from 2028
Motsepe confirmed that the 2027 AFCON will proceed as planned with co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, maintaining the current 24-team format for that edition.
In a significant shift, CAF also announced that another AFCON tournament will be staged in 2028, after which the competition will move to a four-year cycle—aligning more closely with other major international tournaments.
CAF Nations League Introduced
In addition to AFCON reforms, CAF revealed plans to introduce an African Nations League starting from 2029. The new competition will be held annually, with a 16-team final tournament staged every two years.
The initiative is aimed at improving the competitiveness, structure and commercial value of the African national team football.
“We have to stop this situation where African fixtures are not predictable, consistent and reliable,” Motsepe said. “We must also focus on developing football in regions like East Africa, which has enormous potential.”
A New Era for African Football
The proposed changes mark one of the most ambitious restructurings of African football competitions in recent years, with CAF seeking to expand participation, enhance organisation and create a more predictable football calendar.
While details are still emerging, the decisions are expected to have far-reaching implications for national teams, qualification formats and the overall growth of the game across the continent.
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The Confederation of African Football said it would implement changes and improvements to its statutes and regulations that would ensure that the farcical scenes at January’s Africa Cup of Nations final do not happen again.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe said the changes would strengthen trust and confidence in its referees, VAR operators and judicial bodies, but did not give concrete details.
The announcement followed a meeting of CAF’s executive committee in Cairo on Sunday and came on a tumultuous day for the organisation as its general secretary resigned.
African football’s governing body has been battling a crisis of confidence after its Appeal Board stripped Senegal of the Cup of Nations title in a decision that has been met with widespread derision.
Senegal were ruled to have forfeited the final in Rabat on January 18 after walking off the pitch in protest at a potentially decisive penalty awarded to Morocco. They returned and scored a goal in extra time to win the game 1-0.
The decision is being challenged at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and if Senegal win back their title it will be a further blow to CAF’s credibility.
“CAF has taken extensive legal advice from top African and international football lawyers and experts, to ensure that the CAF statutes and regulations adhere to and implement global football best practices, on and off the field,” Motsepe said in a statement on Sunday.
“This is important for the respect, integrity and credibility of African referees, VAR operators and the CAF Disciplinary Board and Appeal Board.
“CAF is working with FIFA for the ongoing training of African referees, VAR operators and match commissioners so that they are as good as the best in the world… CAF has made significant progress over the past five years in implementing governance, ethics, transparency and managerial best practices,” the CAF president added.
More precise details on the changes and how they would avoid a repeat of the Cup of Nations final controversy were not given by Motsepe, who earlier this month admitted his organisation was struggling with perceptions about its integrity.
-Reuters
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By Kunle Solaja
The Confederation of African Football may be considering possible disciplinary measures against Senegal following reports that the country’s national team has continued to parade the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy despite being stripped of the title.
The development has triggered fresh debate within African football circles, with CAF understood to be treating the matter as a potential breach of its statutes and disciplinary code.
Sources close to the continental body indicate that Senegal’s actions could be interpreted as defiance of an official ruling, raising concerns about respect for regulatory authority and the precedent such conduct may set for other member associations.
CAF is believed to be weighing a range of sanctions, which could include financial penalties, formal reprimands, or restrictions on the country’s participation in certain CAF programmes and competitions.
While no final decision has been announced, insiders suggest that the governing body is keen to send a strong message on compliance and institutional discipline.
There are also indications that CAF’s disciplinary committee may be tasked with reviewing the circumstances surrounding the continued public display of the trophy, including whether the act constitutes misconduct under its regulations.
The issue is seen as more than a symbolic dispute over silverware. Analysts argue that how CAF handles the situation will reflect its ability to enforce decisions and maintain order among its 54 member associations.
“CAF cannot afford to appear weak on matters of discipline,” a source familiar with the situation said. “If a federation openly disregards a ruling, it undermines the entire governance structure.”
CAF is expected to provide clarity on the issue during an upcoming press engagement, where its president may outline the organisation’s position and any disciplinary steps to be taken.
For Senegal, the situation presents a delicate balancing act between national pride and compliance with continental football authority. For CAF, it represents a critical test of leadership and regulatory enforcement at a time when the credibility of African football governance remains under close watch.
The coming days are likely to determine whether the matter escalates into a full disciplinary case or is resolved through diplomatic engagement behind the scenes.
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