AFCON

THREE YEARS ON THE SADDLE, ROHR SAYS HIS TEAM IS STILL YOUNG

Published

7 years ago

July 16, 2019

Just as he said after the Super Eagles under performed at the Russia 2018 World Cup, Nigeria’s manager, Gernot Rohr is still singing the same song, claiming his team will learn and later mature.

According to CAF publication, Rohr, though hugely disappointed that the Super Eagles could not get into the final of the Africa Cup of Nations he has chosen to look at the positives, believing his young side will learn from their experiences and misgivings.

The Super Eagles lost 2-1 to Algeria in a tightly contested semi-final in Cairo on Sunday night, conceding a late Riyad Mahrez masterpiece of a freekick.

“I think this team has come a long way after making a good world cup. We can be proud of our performances,” said Rohr who led the Eagles to an AFCON return for the first time since they won the title in 2013.

The tactician stated that the main difference between them and Algeria in the semis was the experience.

“We have to work more and we have to learn with this young team. I think sometimes a little bit of experience cost us in the game especially because our midfielders Etebo and Ndidi are very young,”

“They need to learn better in terms of communicating and pressing the game. These are lessons that we take home and I am sure we will be better. I started this journey when I was appointed to rebuild with young players and we have come from a long way,” the German tactician further stated.

Looking back at the tie, Rohr was dejected that they could not respond to Algeria’s tactical pressing, saying they made a better second half but were unlucky not to see the game go into extra time.

“It was a great fight until the last minute. Algeria had a better first half than us but we came back in the second half. We thought Algeria could be tired in extra time and we could win it.

“We are sad that we lost of course, but congratulations to Algeria. We won the last game against South Africa late and today we lost late. That is football,” the tactician further added.

Nigeria will now shift their focus to Wednesday evening’s third and fourth place play-off match against Tunisia at Al Salam Stadium and Rohr hopes in the least, his players will go back home with a medal around their necks.

AFCON

Super Eagles’ Flight Path to Last Biennial Cycle AFCON To Emerge This Tuesday

Published

5 hours ago

January 13, 2026

Kunle Solaja

By Kunle Solaja, Casablanca enroute Tangier

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will this Tuesday discover the roadmap to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations when the Confederation of African Football conducts the draw for the qualifying series of the continent’s flagship tournament.

The draw marks the formal start of the qualification race for the 2027 finals, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. It will be the first time three nations co-host the Africa Cup of Nations and also the last edition to be staged on a biennial cycle before the competition switches to a four-year format.

According to the Confederation of African Football, the qualification process will begin with preliminary rounds involving the lowest-ranked teams on the continent.

The six winners from those preliminary ties will advance to join 42 other nations already assured of a place in the main qualification phase.

Nigeria, ranked among Africa’s top sides, are expected to enter directly into the group stage of the qualifiers, avoiding the preliminary hurdle. Once the full list of 48 teams is confirmed, CAF is widely expected to place them into 12 groups, with each group producing two qualifiers.

That format would see 24 teams secure tickets to the finals, known as the “Pamoja” tournament — a Swahili word meaning “together”, symbolising the joint-hosting arrangement by the three East African nations.

For the Super Eagles, the draw will offer early clues about the difficulty of their qualification campaign, including potential long-haul travel challenges, regional rivalries and scheduling demands. Nigeria have qualified for 20 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and will be targeting a smooth passage to the 2027 finals as they continue rebuilding after recent continental campaigns.

CAF is yet to publish the full calendar and match windows for the qualifiers, but the process is expected to align with FIFA international windows, allowing European-based stars to feature regularly for their national teams.

As Nigeria await Tuesday’s draw, attention will be firmly fixed on which opponents stand between the Super Eagles and a place at what promises to be a historic Africa Cup of Nations in East Africa — and the closing chapter of AFCON’s long-running biennial era.

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AFCON

AFCON Promise Turns Sour as Self-Styled Marabout Arrested for Fraud in Mali

Published

5 hours ago

January 13, 2026

Kunle Solaja

A man who styled himself as a marabout on social media and boldly promised Mali victory at the Africa Cup of Nations has been arrested for fraud after collecting more than 22 million CFA francs (about €33,500), local sources told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The man, identified only as Sinayogo, had solicited donations online in exchange for spiritual assurances that the Eagles of Mali would lift the continental trophy. His claims collapsed dramatically on Friday night when Mali were knocked out of the tournament at the quarter-final stage by Senegal, losing 1–0.

According to one of his associates, Sinayogo had raised more than 22 million CFA francs during Mali’s run at the Africa Cup of Nations. But following the elimination, anger spilt onto the streets. An irate crowd reportedly gathered at his residence, forcing police to intervene and remove him for his own safety.

Sinayogo was arrested on Saturday and placed in detention at the cybercrime unit, according to two videographers who previously worked with him and later visited him in custody. Authorities confirmed he is being held on suspicion of fraud linked to online deception.

“Charlatanism is punishable by law in Mali,” an official from the cybercrime unit told AFP. The official added that taking action earlier would have been difficult while the national team remained in the competition, describing the period as “the heat of the Africa Cup of Nations.”

Further details have since emerged about Sinayogo’s rise. A social media content creator close to him said the man was previously known as a political activist before “proclaiming himself a marabout overnight and making a fortune.”

The case has ignited debate in Mali over superstition, social media influence and the emotional pull of football, as hopes of continental glory once again gave way to disappointment — and, this time, a police investigation.

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AFCON

Once Teammates, Now Rivals, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane Clash Again At AFCON Bottom of Form

Published

5 hours ago

January 13, 2026

Kunle Solaja

By Kunle Solaja, Casablanca enroute Tangier

Former Liverpool teammates Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah will face each other on opposing sides for the first time in three years on Wednesday when Senegal will meet Egypt in the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations.

The last-four clash, scheduled for the Moroccan city of Tangier, marks the first occasion Mané and Salah have shared the same pitch since Liverpool lost to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final in May 2022.

Soon after that defeat, Mané departed Liverpool for Bayern Munich, before moving on to Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League a year later. Salah, meanwhile, has remained at Liverpool despite persistent links with a switch to Saudi Arabia and a challenging period under new coach Arne Slot before the Cup of Nations.

The Egypt captain has been in outstanding form in Morocco, scoring four goals in four matches to drive the Pharaohs’ run to the semi-finals. The tournament represents another chance for Salah to secure his first Africa Cup of Nations title, a prize that has so far eluded him.

With his 34th birthday approaching in June, time is becoming a factor for Salah, who has twice tasted final heartbreak.

He was part of the Egypt side beaten by Cameroon in the 2017 final in Gabon, and then captained the team that lost on penalties to Senegal in the 2022 final in Yaoundé.

Wednesday’s showdown adds another chapter to the Mané–Salah rivalry, with a place in the Africa Cup of Nations final at stake and both stars seeking to tilt the balance of recent history in their favour

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