AFCON
AS SUPER EAGLES CLOCK 70; 20 AMAZING FACTS AHEAD OF NIGERIA-GUINEA AFCON MATCH
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Both Nigeria and Guinea meet in Alexandria on Wednesday in continuation of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
As usual, www.sportsvillagesquare.com takes an insightful look at the match and comes out with the following 20 points of interest.
- The match marks the 70th year since the Nigeria national team was first composed on June 26, 1949 when the names of 17 of the eventual 18 national team players were announced. The 18th player, Okoronkwo Kanu (anglicized as Kanoo) was added on July 2, 1949. The announcement was made by the national team selection committee after four trial matches involving selected sides from the Northern Nigeria, East, West and Lagos.
- The encounter with Guinea will be Nigeria’s 88th Africa Cup of Nations’ match in 18 out of 32 editions. The Super Eagles have won 46 of the preceding 87 matches; lost 19 drew 22 and had scored 121 goals, conceding 84.
- The encounter will be Guinea’s 41st Africa Cup of Nations’ match in 13 of 32 editions winning 11 drew 15, lost 13 and scoring 55 goals while conceding 57.
- The match will be the second time both Nigeria and Guinea will in the Africa Cup of Nations finals. Both played in the second round of the 1976 edition in Ethiopia.
Ali Bangoura at the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Guinea’s coach, Paul Put from Belgium will be lining up a team against Nigeria for the third time. In 2013, he guided Burkina Faso to two matches against Nigeria. The first at the group stage ended 1-1, while Nigeria won the second match, the final game of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. He will therefore be on a vengeance mission on Wednesday.
- Guinea was the stepping stone for Nigeria’s first participation at the Africa Cup of Nations in 1963.
- Guinea was the team that denied Nigeria qualification for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, the last to be held on an even-numbered year.
- Guinea was the last team the Super Eagles played against at the Abuja arena, now renamed MKO Abiola National Stadium.
- Guinea was the team Nigeria beat to get first continental honours, the gold medal of the 2nd All Africa Games football event, the only gold medal Nigeria won in the 54-year old sports fiesta.
- Some Nigeria-Guinea matches had dramatic endings featuring last minute goals. There are three of such instances.
- In 1976 both met at the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations in Ethiopia. Final score line was 1-1 following Muda Lawal’s goal in the 52nd minute and Papa Camara’s equaliser at the dot of 90 minutes.
- On April 25, 1981, both teams met in A World Cup qualifier in Lagos. Scores were even in the first leg in Conakry, making the Lagos match the ultimate decider. Henry Nwosu scored in the last minute to give Nigeria the edge.
- On October 8, 2011, both played a 2-2 draw as Guinea’s Ibrahim Diallo scored a last minute goal that denied Nigeria, the qualification for 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
- Mikel Obi, if fielded, will be the only member of the 2011 squad of the Super Eagles that will be in the line-up when Nigeria faces Guinea again on Wednesday.
- Both Nigeria and Guinea maintained rivalries in the 1963 with the introduction of the Tafawa Balewa Cup, a trophy donated for bilateral competition by the first Nigerian Prime Minister. In the first leg of the only edition of the competition, Guinea beat Nigeria 3-0 in Conakry while the return leg ended 1-1 in Lagos.
- Former Nigerian striker, Daniel Amokachi last scored for the Super Eagles in an encounter with Guinea on April 5, 1997.
- Former Nigerian skipper, Muda Lawal scored the first of his 11 goals for Nigeria in the March 9, 1976 match against at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ethiopia.
- Super Eagles have three victories in the Africa Cup of Nations and placed runners up five times and seven third placed positions while Guinea’s best outing is the runners up position in 1976.
- Both Nigeria and Guinea maintained rivalries in the 1963 with the introduction of the Tafawa Balewa Cup, a trophy donated for bilateral competition by the first Nigerian Prime Minister. In the first leg of the only edition of the competition, Guinea beat Nigeria 3-0 in Conakry while the return leg ended 1-1 in Lagos
- A win for Nigeria on Wednesday secures a Round of 16 ticket, even with a match to spare.
- Wednesday’s match will be the 15th confrontation of the Super Eagles and Syli Nationale of Guinea. Honours are evenly shared with both teams winning four matches and losing the same number of games. They drew six times. This Africa Cup of Nations’ confrontation will therefore be a “tie-breaker”.
NIGERIA-GUINEA HEAD-TO-HEAD
P W D L GF GA
Nigeria 14 4 6 4 17 14
Guinea 14 4 6 4 14 17
- 27 Jul. 1963 (Afconq) Nigeria 2-2 Guinea
- 6 Oct. 1963 (Afconq) Guinea 1-0 Nigeria * match awarded to Nigeria on technical ground
- 1 Dec. 1971(Balewa Cup) Guinea 3-0 Nigeria
- 30 Jan. 1972(Balewa Cup) Nigeria 1-1 Guinea
- 18 Jan. 1973 (2AAG) Nigeria 2-0 Guinea
- 9 March 1976 (Afcon) Guinea 1-1 Nigeria
- 12 Apr. 1981 (WCq) Guinea 1-1 Nigeria
- 25 Apr. 1981 (WCq) Nigeria 1-0 Guinea
- 9 Apr. 1989(Afconq) Guinea 1-1 Nigeria
- 22 Apr. 1989 (Afconq) Nigeria 3-0 Guinea
- 5 Apr. 1997 (WCq) Nigeria 2-1 Guinea
- 17 Aug. 1997 (WCq) Guinea 1-0 Nigeria
- 10 Oct. 2010 (Afconq) Guinea 1-0 Nigeria
- 8 Oct. 2011 (Afconq) Nigeria 2-2 Guinea
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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