AFCON
GOLDEN EAGLETS TARGET THIRD CONTINENTAL TITLE IN EMMANUEL AMUNEKE’S DOMAIN
Nigeria’s U-17 team, Golden Eaglets will begin their quest for gold again on Sunday, facing the team of their former manager and mentor, Emmanuel Amuneke’s Tanzania. Amuneke, the Nigerian golden boy was the last successful coach of the Golden Eaglets, guiding the side to win the FIFA U17 World Cup for a record extending fifth time.
Since last year, Amuneke has been engaged by Tanzania to turn around the football fortunes of the country. He is in charge of all the Tanzanian national team and will no doubt hurry back from Cairo’s Africa Cup of Nations draw to guide his team in Sunday’s opener of the CAF u17 championship.
It will probably be the second time a Nigerian will guide a national team against his country. Iffy Onuora who has a Nigerian nationality did the same on March 27, 2011 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Abuja. The Ethiopians fell 0-4. Will Tanzania fall in similar way on Sunday?
While the Golden Eaglets have dominance at the world level, even becoming the first winners in 1985, such strength had not been reflected in the continent. This edition is the ninth, but Nigeria only won twice as against the five world titles under the Golden Eaglets’ belt.
The two victories are in 2001 and 2007. Even when they won the world title in 2015, they were runners-up in the continent. They could not even qualify for the continental championship in 2017.
But the team looks stable under Manu Garba who has been the manager for some time. He was an assistant to the late Yemi Tella who guided the team to win in 2007.
He sees Tanzania 2019 as a chance to establish himself further.“Every tournament is hard to win,” the 55-year-old Garba who guided Nigeria yet to World Cup glory in 2013 told CAFOnline.com.
“No matter how good a team is, sometimes you need elements of luck to win the trophy.” By and by, the Eaglets have in the past failed five times to qualify for the U-17 AFCON and were eliminated three times at the group stages in their previous eight appearances.
But Garba’s right-hand, Nduka Ugbade, who incidentally captained the Eaglets to win the maiden FIFA U-16 World Cup in 1985, is upbeat about the potentialities of the current lads, adding that Nigeria remains the team to beat in Tanzania.
“The truth is that the U-17 AFCON is very competitive because of the amount of effort that is concentrated upon it by most countries,” Ugbade who was also an assistant to Garba when Nigeria won the U-20 AFCON four years ago in Senegal told CAFOnline.com.
“Teams from Africa can compete favourably well at the FIFA World Cup because the intensity of the game at this level on the continent is very high and that is why the Nigerian team over the years is difficult to beat, due to strength, skills and mental speed.”
Speaking further, Ugbade was of the opinion that CAF has raised the bar for the U-17 AFCON with recently introduced regional tournaments to determine eventual qualifiers for the biennial continental competition.
“I think the U-17 AFCON has taken a new dimension because you must have competed at the highest level to earn the zonal ticket and it makes the competition tougher,” he explained.
“How I wish CAF can allow two teams from each zone to qualify for the main championship in future because some of the traditional teams like Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and even South Africa would not be in Tanzania.”
The Eaglets were lucky to make the trip to Tanzania since Ghana nearly upstaged their applecart in the regional WAFU Zone B final match in Niger last September where they triumphed 3-1 on penalties after they both tied 1-1 in regulation time.
Ugbade continued: “I want to believe our zonal tournament in Niger was the toughest but I think it has also toughened our mental strength ahead of the trip to Tanzania.
“I so much believe in this team we are taking to Tanzania and I will be the happiest because I have not won the U-17 AFCON before and the last time we were beaten in the final on penalties by Cote d’Ivoire in 2013.”
The present lads showed their readiness for the 2019 AFCON at the recently held UEFA-organised U-17 Turkey Invitational Tournament where despite losing 2-0 in their opener against Senegal. They beat Montenegro (4-2) and their Group A rivals in Tanzania, Angola (3-1).
“There won’t be any margin for errors for us in Tanzania because we will have the best teams from all the regions of Africa,” noted Ugbade who was part of the Super Eagles’ 1994 AFCON-winning team in Tunisia. “Apart from Senegal that defeated us in Turkey, we will also have Cameroon and Guinea. “Our objective first and foremost would be qualification for the World Cup by reaching the semi-finals and, thereafter, we can focus our attention on winning the trophy for the third time for Nigeria,” he noted.
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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