AFCON
FLASHBACK: SUPER EAGLES SET FASHION TREND
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Football sometimes offers more than players’ skills and overall teams’ results. It is left for imagination if a fashion show or catwalk were to be organised for teams.
Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions once came up with the unorthodox sleeveless attire at the Mali 2002 Africa Cup of Nations and carried it over to the World Cup before FIFA blacklisted the unconventional shirts.
Not done yet, two years later, they came up with shirt and shorts sewn together. FIFA nearly deduct points from their qualifying matches for 2006 World Cup.
But the Super Eagles had topped in eccentricity in fashion trend. On this date, 27 July 1991, the Nigerian side inadvertently set a new fashion trend playing the first half of the their Africa Cup of Nations’ qualifying match in make-shift shorts cut out from track-suit trousers after it was discovered that NFA officials did not provide shorts for the match.
It had been discovered that the NFA officials did not bring the team’s complete set of attire to the stadium. There were white warm-up vests and tracksuit trousers – no jersey and no shorts!
Later, after a frantic search at the NFA offices some two kilometres from the National Stadium venue of the match in Lagos, a set of green shirts, which was the agreed colour for the home side at the pre-match meeting, was found. But still no shorts!
With the referee of the match, Karim Camara of Guinea threatening to blow off the match and award a walkover against the home side that had held the match up for over 30 minutes, the players, at the prompting of Rashidi Yekini, turned the dressing room into a fashion design class as they used scissors to cut their trousers to shorts!
The crowd, which included the nation’s number two citizen, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, was astonished seeing their national team in trouser-like shorts, cutting the picture of 18th Century footballers.
It was after the first half that proper shorts were eventually brought for the players. Nigeria eventually won the match 7-1, the widest margin victory ever since.
Investigation revealed that the missing kits were left at the Obasanjo Farm camp of the team by the staff in charge of kits. The lapses led to the sacking of the chairman of the NFA, Alhaji Yusuf Ali who was the Managing Director of Unipetro as well as the NFA General Secretary Momodu Kadiri.
The result of the match did not only guarantee qualification for Senegal ’92 Africa Cup of Nations, it enabled Nigeria keep 34 consecutive home matches without a loss since 18 February 1983 when Chief Adegboye Onigbinde debuted as Nigeria’s coach in a friendly match against Egypt in Lagos.
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.
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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.
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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.
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