AFCON
TALES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT OVERSHADOWS EGYPT’S LAST GROUP MATCH
There have been more of off the field incidents more that the actual team preparations as Egypt play their last group match this Sunday against Uganda.
At the centre of it is winger, Amr Warda who has been accused on social media platforms of sexual harassment by different women.
That prompted the Egyptian FA to drop him from its 23-man squad.
According to an Egyptian publication, ahram, the Greece-based Warda is no stranger to controversy.
He was under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, having released a video to offer his apologies after appearing to admit to sending inappropriate messages via Whatsapp to an Egyptian fashion model.
A Mexican woman also published a video which she said was sent to her by Warda, purportedly showing him naked. The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) acted swiftly, sending him packing and saying he would no longer represent the team at the Nations Cup.
However, the governing body has seemingly buckled under pressure from some leading players, including skipper Ahmed Elmohamady and Mohamed Salah, with the Liverpool talisman calling for Warda to be given another chance despite acknowledging that his teammate had made a mistake.
“We need to believe in second chances… we need to guide and educate. Shunning is not the answer,” he wrote in a tweet that went viral.
Elmohamady held up two fingers on each hand to refer to Warda’s number 22 shirt after scoring in Egypt’s 2-0 win over DR Congo on Wednesday, which lifted the hosts to the last 16, before saying the entire squad had given its backing to the 25-year-old.
His statements and Salah’s comments caused a social media outcry, which was further fuelled by the EFA’s decision to pardon Warda.
Despite sealing smooth progress to the knockout stage with maximum six points from two games, Egypt will be under even more pressure to lift a record-extending eighth trophy, with any failure likely to be attributed to the off-field problems that have cast a cloud over the team’s campaign.
Egypt found no difficulty brushing aside Zimbabwe and DR Congo but have hardly produced any attacking flair despite coach Javier Aguirre’s vow to reverse their dependence on defence, which was a hallmark of Hector Cuper’s era when they reached the Nations Cup final in 2017 and qualified for the World Cup last year.
They will be eager to defeat Uganda and ensure their progress as Group A leaders. The Cranes are likely to provide a stiffer test than what the other teams had offered, having collected four points from two matches.
“We achieved a very important thing; winning six points from the two matches and ensuring qualification for the next round while keeping a clean sheet, and that is a good thing,” Aguirre told a news conference in Cairo.
“Uganda is a strong and well organised team who play with a fighting spirit … I think it will be a stiff confrontation.”
Egypt will play their remaining games at the Nations Cup with only two goalkeepers after third-choice goalie Mahmoud Gennesh ruptured an Achilles tendon during a training session on Friday.
Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe has praised Morocco’s King Mohammed VI for what he described as a powerful gesture of unity and reconciliation following the royal pardon granted to Senegalese supporters convicted over offences linked to the final match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
In a statement released on Saturday, Motsepe expressed deep appreciation on behalf of CAF’s 54 member associations, hailing the Moroccan monarch’s decision as a demonstration of football’s ability to foster peace and solidarity across the continent.
“I would like to express our deep gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, for granting His Royal Pardon to the Senegalese supporters convicted of offences relating to the final match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025,” Motsepe stated.
The CAF president said the pardon reflected Morocco’s enduring commitment to African unity and highlighted football’s growing role as a bridge between nations and cultures.
“CAF has consistently emphasised its commitment to utilise football to contribute to uniting our people from different racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds,” he said.
“The pardon by His Majesty King Mohammed VI is an uplifting and motivating illustration of the power of football to unite and bring our people together in Africa and worldwide.”
Motsepe also revealed that during recent visits to both Morocco and Senegal, he had been struck by the deep historical and cultural bonds shared by the two countries.
“I was amazed and impressed when I was briefed about the historic and extensive ties between the people of Senegal and Morocco,” he added.
The statement further reinforced Morocco’s rising influence within African football, especially after successfully hosting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and positioning itself as one of Africa’s leading football destinations ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
Motsepe also extended CAF’s best wishes to Africa’s representatives at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, expressing confidence that the continent’s teams would perform strongly on the global stage.
Among the African nations mentioned were Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Ghana, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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By Kunle Solaja.
Former African champions Algeria and Zambia are set for an early showdown after the release of the Group I fixtures for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Algeria host Zambia on Matchday One on September 21, 2026, in what is expected to be one of the headline fixtures of the qualifying campaign, while Togo entertain Burundi in the group’s other opening tie.
The Desert Foxes are favourites to qualify, but Zambia’s growing consistency and Togo’s unpredictability could make the race highly competitive.
Algeria travel to Burundi on Matchday Two before facing Togo in back-to-back encounters across Matchdays Three and Four. Zambia also meet Burundi home and away during the same period.
The potentially decisive fixture comes on March 22, 2027, when Zambia host Algeria in a clash that could determine the final standings.
Group I Fixtures
Matchday 1 — September 21, 2026
- Algeria vs Zambia
- Togo vs Burundi
Matchday 2 — October 6, 2026
- Zambia vs Togo
- Burundi vs Algeria
Matchday 3 — October 2026
- Algeria vs Togo
- Zambia vs Burundi
Matchday 4 — November 17, 2026
- Togo vs Algeria
- Burundi vs Zambia
Matchday 5 — March 22, 2027
- Zambia vs Algeria
- Burundi vs Togo
Matchday 6 — March 30, 2027
- Togo vs Zambia
- Algeria vs Burundi
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By Kunle Solaja.
African heavyweights Senegal will launch their quest for another Africa Cup of Nations appearance with a home clash against Mozambique in Group J of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
The Lions of Teranga, among the continent’s strongest teams in recent years, headline a group that also includes Sudan and Ethiopia.
Senegal host Mozambique on Matchday One on September 21, 2026, while Sudan tackle Ethiopia in the other opening encounter.
Senegal are strong favourites to dominate the group, but Sudan and Mozambique are expected to battle fiercely for qualification points.
The key fixtures may emerge in the double-header between Senegal and Sudan across Matchdays Three and Four, while Mozambique and Ethiopia also face each other home and away.
Senegal travel to Mozambique on Matchday Five before ending their campaign at home against Ethiopia on March 30, 2027.
Group J Fixtures
Matchday 1 — September 21, 2026
- Senegal vs Mozambique
- Sudan vs Ethiopia
Matchday 2 — October 6, 2026
- Mozambique vs Sudan
- Ethiopia vs Senegal
Matchday 3 — October 2026
- Senegal vs Sudan
- Mozambique vs Ethiopia
Matchday 4 — November 17, 2026
- Sudan vs Senegal
- Ethiopia vs Mozambique
Matchday 5 — March 22, 2027
- Mozambique vs Senegal
- Ethiopia vs Sudan
Matchday 6 — March 30, 2027
- Sudan vs Mozambique
- Senegal vs Ethiopia
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