AFCON
AFCON 2019 IN ALPHABETS
An A to Z of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, which concluded in Cairo Friday with Algeria defeating Senegal 1-0 in a final decided by a Baghdad Bounedjah goal after only two minutes:
A
ALGERIA were crowned African champions a second time after a tournament in which many rival coaches picked them out from early on as the best of the 24 title challengers.
B
BENIN stunned Morocco in the round of 16, winning 4-1 on penalties after playing most of extra time with 10 men following the red-carding of Khaled Adenon.
C
CAMEROON, the defending were eliminated by Nigeria in a second round match that was among the most exciting in the tournament and the loss cost coach Clarence Seedorf his job.
D
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO achieved the biggest win of the tournament by thrashing Zimbabwe 4-0 in Group A with Cedric Bakambu bagging a brace.
E
EGYPT, inspired by Mohamed Salah were shock last-16 casualties, conceding five minutes from time to lose 1-0 against South Africa, and coach Javier Aguirre was sacked almost immediately.
F
FOUR lucky qualifiers made it to the Round of 16 in the new 24-team format.
G
GHANA Black Stars were eliminated after a previous run of six consecutive top-four finishes.
H
Heat ruled the tournament. Temperature was 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), when some mid-afternoon matches kicked off and that affected the pace of most matches.
I
IGHALO, the Nigerian striker, completed a double by finishing as the leading scorer at the finals with five goals having topped the qualifying scoring chart with seven.
J
JUNE and July had the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time instead of January and February meant hundreds of African stars avoided having to choose between their country and European club.
K
KENYA came back at the Africa Cup of Nations after 15 years. Kenya had the satisfaction of defeating east African neighbours Tanzania in a thriller, but were outclassed by Algeria and Senegal.
L
LORCH Thembinkosi of South Africa, starting for the first time in the tournament, scored the goal that shattered Egyptian dreams of a record-extending eighth title.
M
MADAGASCAR the pre-tournament outsiders shocked Nigeria to top Group B, then won a penalty shootout against DR Congo before a jaded side fell to Tunisia in the quarter-finals.
N
NIGERIA finished third for the eighth time to satisfy coach Gernot Rohr, but not some supporters who criticised the selections and tactics of the German.
O
OWN-GOALS were many in the tournament. There were four own goals in the 52 matches with Tunisians Rami Bedoui and Dylan Bronn, Namibian Itamunua Keimuine and Nigerian William Troost-Ekong the unfortunate quartet.
P
PENALTIES, especially in regulation time proved a problem for Senegal with Liverpool star Sadio Mane fluffing two before voluntarily relinquishing the role to Henri Saivet, who missed his lone spot-kick. At the final match, they were denied a penalty by VAR.
Q
QUALITY of the football at the showpiece of African football was often pedestrian with far fewer memorable matches than forgettable ones.
R
RUN of winning every other Cup of Nations from 2012 ended for French coach, Herve Renard when Benin stunned Morocco, whose squad had seemed among the strongest.
S
SADIO Mane-inspired Senegal reached a second final and once again experienced the bitterness of defeat having lost a penalty shootout against Cameroon 17 years ago.
T
TUNISIA finished fourth despite winning only one of seven matches, a 3-0 last-eight drubbing of Madagascar. They drew their first four games and lost the last two.
U
UGANDA did best of the east African qualifiers, finishing second behind Egypt in Group A before stretching Senegal, then they lost coach Sebastien Desabre to Egyptian club Pyramids.
V
VAR (Video Assistant Referee) made its Cup of Nations debut from the last-eight stage and was used mainly to judge handballs with the chief complaint being slow decision making.
W
WEATHER, with 30-plus celsius (86 fahrenheit) temperatures even for night matches, was among the reasons given by the organisers for the many low attendances.
X
X factor was lacking for many of the 24 teams in Egypt. They lacked players with the x factor as coaches emphasised teamwork and organisation over individual brilliance.
Y
YELLOW card given to Senegalese defender, Kalidou Koulibaly proved costly for Senegal in the final match.
Z
ZIMBABWE captain and forward Knowledge Musona was guilty of the miss of the tournament, failing to score from in front of an open goal during a Group A draw with Uganda.
AFCON
Nigerians, other nationals can apply, as CAF and Morocco Launch Volunteer Programme for AFCON 2025
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Morocco have launched the official Volunteer Programme for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025, billed to run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
According to CAF, more than 4,000 volunteers will be recruited to play a central role in ensuring the success of Africa’s most prestigious football tournament, which will be staged across six cities and nine stadiums in Morocco.
Applications are now open at volunteers.cafonline.com and will close on 8 October 2025. The opportunity is open to anyone above the age of 18.
Volunteers will be deployed across multiple functional areas, including media operations, spectator services, accreditation, hospitality, and fan engagement. Selected individuals will receive professional training ahead of the competition and work behind the scenes to deliver a memorable AFCON.
CAF stated that the programme is designed not only to support tournament operations but also to create an alumni network of skilled Africans who can contribute to future sporting events across the continent. Successful applicants will benefit from:
- Training and skill development.
- Official uniforms and certificates of participation.
- Networking opportunities with peers and professionals.
- The chance to contribute to Africa’s football legacy.
Volunteer registration opened on 17 September 2025. Selection and training will take place in October and November, with operations commencing in mid-December through to the tournament’s conclusion on 18 January 2026.
CAF described the initiative as an “exciting opportunity” for Africans to contribute to the growth of the continent’s flagship sporting event, which is expected to draw millions of visitors to Morocco.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
AFCON
CAF Security Chief, Nigeria’s Emeruwa, Leads Inspection of Tangier Stadium Ahead of Major Tournaments
Nigeria’s Dr. Christian Emeruwa, President of the Security and Safety Division of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), on Thursday, September 18, led an inspection visit to the Grand Stade de Tangier as preparations intensify for upcoming continental and global football events.
Emeruwa, who heads CAF’s continental security architecture, was joined by CAF Secretary General Véron Mosengo-Omba, senior Moroccan officials, and executives of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF).
The delegation also included managers of operational companies at the Grand Stade and SONARGES executives.
According to Le 360, the Nigerian official expressed satisfaction with the stadium’s facilities after touring key operational areas, including the main control room with its giant surveillance screen, as well as spectator, player, and VIP access zones.
The inspection was bolstered by the presence of Morocco’s top security and administrative officers—the regional commander of the Royal Gendarmerie, officials of the Auxiliary Forces and Civil Protection, the Wali of Security, the governor in charge of Internal Affairs, and representatives of the National Agency for Public Equipment (ANEP).
A technical meeting followed the tour, where engineers presented recent safety and security upgrades. Among the highlights was the planned installation of a FIFA-standard tarpaulin roof to enhance the venue’s compliance with global hosting requirements.
For Nigeria, the spotlight on Dr. Emeruwa underscores the country’s growing influence in African football administration, particularly in the critical areas of safety and security management for CAF competitions.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Morocco has received 723 high-end buses from Chinese manufacturer Yutong as part of preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which kicks off on December 21.
Yutong said on social media that the fleet “has officially rolled off the production line” and will provide “comprehensive transport services and reliable operational support” during the tournament.
An official handover ceremony was held on Friday at the company’s facility in Zhengzhou, Henan province, attended by Moroccan representatives and Yutong executives.
The buses were designed to cope with Morocco’s terrain and climate, including steep slopes, heat and sandstorms. They feature an independent front axle suspension to navigate narrow city streets and Yutong’s in-house “Blue Core System” for fuel efficiency.
The delivery is the largest single order of Chinese buses in Africa. Yutong will station more than 100 technicians in Morocco to provide training, maintenance and round-the-clock support during AFCON.
The deal is part of Morocco’s broader transport strategy, which includes plans to purchase 7,000 new buses by 2030—half of them electric—as the country prepares to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- World Cup1 week ago
BREAKING: At last FIFA’s Axe falls on South Africa!
- World Cup1 week ago
South Africa to Appeal FIFA Ruling Over Mokoena Eligibility Case
- Nigerian Football1 week ago
Super Eagles Set for Double Friendly Showdown with Venezuela and Colombia in USA
- World Cup1 week ago
Sport Minister Orders Probe into SAFA over Bafana’s Costly Points Deduction
- World Cup6 days ago
FIFA Sanction on South Africa Offers Super Eagles a Lifeline — But a Lesson from History Looms
- CAF Confederation Cup1 week ago
Asante Kotoko End Kwara United’s Confederation Cup Campaign in Abeokuta
- U-20 FOOTBALL1 week ago
Two penalty appeal lost as Flying Eagles stumble at first hurdle
- World Cup4 days ago
Super Eagles Walk Tightrope as Nine Key Players Risk Suspension in World Cup Qualifiers