AFCON
REMEMBERING RECORD-MAKER, STEPHEN KESHI
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
It is four years today since Nigerian football legend, Stephen Keshi died in Benin.
The former Super Eagles’ skipper who was also one of the pioneers of the Under-21 side when it was called ‘Greater Tomorrow’ was Nigeria’s national team manager for 1,342 days, leading the side to win the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 and also leading them to both the FIFA Confederations Cup that same year and the World Cup the following year.
When he qualified Nigeria for the 2014 World Cup on 16 November 2013, he became the first African to qualify two different teams to the World Cup having in 2005 qualified Togo for the 2006 World Cup.
In 2013 when Nigeria won the Africa Cup of Nations for the third time, Keshi became the second person to win the premier African football title as a player and as a coach, following the path of Egypt’s Mahmoud El Gohary.
Along with Amodu Shuaibu who sadly also died three after Keshi, the late skipper/coach qualified Nigeria for the 2002 World Cup, even though both were later relieved of their posts.
He could have been a holder of three Africa Cup of Nations’ gold medal, but he narrowly missed the cut when the final selection of the 1980 Green Eagles’ squad was made.
But he eventually made the team in succession to retired skipper and central defender, Christian Chukwu when he made his debut with the national team in a July 18 friendly match with Burkina Faso (then Upper Volta).
Before then, Keshi had featured for the Flying Eagles that failed to qualify for the 1981 World Youth Tournament (now U-20 World Cup).
By then, his skills had attracted interests from Lagos ACB, the offspring of Zik Athletics Club of the 1940s and 1950s. Keshi had commanding stature right from his days at ACB and later he joined New Nigerian Bank, Benin when Willy Bazuaye was the coach.
He led the Benin outfit to WAFU Cup victories in 1983 and 1984. He later moved to Cote d’Ivoire after he was sanctioned along with other Benin based players who reported late to the national camp.
From Cote d’Ivoire, he moved to Belgium, sparking off what later became the Belgian trek.
Senegal’s appeal against being stripped of their African Cup of Nations title will be heard on October 8, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Friday.
Senegal were ruled to have forfeited the game in Rabat on January 18 because they walked off the pitch in protest at a potentially decisive penalty awarded to opponents Morocco.
They returned after 14 minutes to win the match 1-0, but the appeal board of African soccer’s governing body (CAF) replaced that result with a 3-0 victory for Morocco in March.
The Senegalese government called for an inquiry into the removal of the title, and the country’s soccer federation (FSF) appealed to CAS.
A CAS panel will hold the hearing behind closed doors at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, CAS said in a statement.
“After the hearing, the panel will start its deliberations. At this stage, CAS cannot state when a final decision will be rendered but it will not be on the day of the hearing,” CAS added.
-Reuters
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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially opened the bidding process for countries interested in hosting the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2028, 2032 and 2036, with several member associations already submitting proposals.
CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe disclosed that the bidding exercise is progressing smoothly and described the level of interest from prospective hosts as encouraging.
“The bidding process is progressing very well, and numerous exciting bids have been submitted by potential host countries,” CAF said, adding that announcements on successful hosts will be made in due course.
Meanwhile, CAF confirmed that its 48th Ordinary General Assembly will be held in Abuja, Nigeria, on November 21, 2026.
The continental governing body expressed appreciation to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for their cooperation in preparations for the event.
CAF said the General Assembly is expected to attract football leaders from across the continent and will play a significant role in shaping policies aimed at accelerating the development and growth of African football.
The organisation added that the Abuja gathering is expected to be one of its most significant assemblies in recent years as CAF continues implementing reforms across competitions, infrastructure development, youth football and governance.
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By Kunle Solaja
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have taken the first step towards jointly hosting the 2032 Africa Cup of Nations after submitting an expression of interest to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The Nigerien Football Federation announced that CAF had accepted the joint declaration submitted by the three West African nations, marking the opening phase of the bidding process.
However, the acceptance of the expression of interest does not amount to an award of the hosting rights, as the countries must still undergo CAF’s comprehensive evaluation process before a final decision is made.
The three football federations unveiled their joint project following a meeting with CAF President Patrice Motsepe in the United States during the closing stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The proposed bid brings together the three members of the Alliance of Sahel States, reflecting their ambition to co-host one of Africa’s biggest sporting events and strengthen regional cooperation through football.
Earlier this month, CAF officially opened the bidding process for the 2028, 2032 and 2036 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, inviting all 54 member associations to submit expressions of interest. The continental governing body said all bids would be assessed based on strict technical, financial and legal criteria.
As the next stage of the process, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso must prepare a comprehensive bid dossier outlining the proposed host cities, stadiums, training facilities, transport infrastructure, accommodation capacity and security arrangements.
CAF has yet to announce the timetable for selecting the 2032 host nation(s) or reveal the full list of countries expected to compete for the hosting rights.
Should the joint bid eventually succeed, the tournament would return to Mali for the first time since it staged the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations. It would also mark a historic first for both Niger and Burkina Faso, neither of which has previously hosted the continent’s flagship football championship.
The bid underscores the growing trend of joint hosting arrangements for major football tournaments, allowing neighbouring countries to pool infrastructure and resources while expanding the reach of the competition across multiple nations.
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