AFCON
JOE ARIBO’S BRACE SOUNDS WARNINGS TO SIERRA LEONE
As the Super Eagles rev their engine for this week’s Africa Cup of Nations’ qualifying match against Sierra Leone in Benin on Friday, one of Nigeria’s invited midfielders, Joseph Ayodele-Aribo has given an indication of what the visitors should expect as his brace on Sunday propelled his Scottish side, Glasgow Rangers to a 8-0 mauling of Hamilton last on Sunday at Ibrox stadium in Glasgow.
On a day that Rangers were ruthless and recorded their biggest win under Steven Gerrard against Hamilton to stay nine points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Aribo, who is among the 23-man invited players for Friday’s match against Sierra Leone scored twice but it was James Tavernier that was voted as the ‘Man of the Match,
Scott Arfield struck the opener, Kemar Roofe headed the second and Joe Aribo’s deflected shot made it three.
Aribo’s second of the night also took a nick off a defender as bottom side Accies toiled.
Roofe tapped in after the break before substitute Brandon Barker slotted in and James Tavernier contributed a penalty and another strike.
Gerrard’s side have played two games more than nearest challengers Celtic and are yet to concede a league goal at Ibrox this season.
The margin of victory makes it the biggest win since the top flight was rebranded as the Scottish Premiership in 2013, which was also the last year Rangers won a match 8-0 against Stenhousemuir.
The hosts showed attacking intent from the outset and Connor Goldson, Ryan Kent and Tavernier were all denied by goalkeeper Ryan Fulton early on.
The pressure told on 16 minutes when Jermain Defoe stole possession just inside the Accies half and released Kent with a reverse pass – the winger squaring for Arfield to apply the finish.
Tavernier then crossed for Roofe to head his fourth goal of the season. And it got worse for Hamilton when Aribo worked the space to get a shot away, with the ball spinning off Scott McMann and Hakeem Odoffin into the net.
There was no let-up from the home side and Roofe set up Aribo again, the midfielder’s shot diverted over Fulton by Will Collar.
Arfield fancied another and drew a save from Fulton in added time and the keeper was called into action again early in the second period when Tavernier struck.
McMann almost scored an own goal when preventing Arfield’s cross reaching Defoe, the ball hitting the post and presenting Roofe with an easy chance for his second goal of the afternoon.
Defoe set up Kent’s replacement Barker to slide home and the striker was then fouled by Odoffin to give top scorer Tavernier the chance to score his 11th goal of the season.
And Tavernier soon made it 12 for the campaign, reacting quickest in the box after Fulton had blocked Roofe’s effort.
Rangers had let a two-goal lead slip in Thursday’s 3-3 Europa League draw with Benfica and they showed a hunger to make amends for the late lapses in Lisbon.
The movement of their front players consistently stretched Hamilton and, but for Fulton, the rout could have made it into double figures, while Bongani Zungu made his debut as a second-half substitute.
For Hamilton it was a far cry from March’s 1-0 win at Ibrox as their run of league defeats stretched to four, during which they have conceded 20 goals.
Their lengthy injury list prompted head coach Brian Rice to add Aaron Martin and Nathan Thomas to his squad in recent days and captain Brian Easton returned after a nine-month absence to get 90 minutes under his belt on a difficult afternoon.
Hamilton continue their League Cup group campaign away to Stranraer on Wednesday evening and at home to Albion Rovers next Saturday.
Rangers return from the international break against Premiership visitors Aberdeen on 22 November, the day after Accies visit Dundee United in the league.
Eritrea marked their long-awaited return to continental football with a 2-0 victory over Eswatini in the first leg of their preliminary round clash in the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers on Wednesday.
Playing in Meknes, Morocco, the Eritreans secured a late win to take a strong advantage into the return leg next week.
After a closely contested encounter, Eritrea broke the deadlock in the 81st minute through Siem Eyob-Abraha, whose corner kick evaded everyone in the box and went straight into the net.
The victory was sealed deep into stoppage time when talisman Ali Suleiman produced a moment of brilliance. The forward embarked on a dazzling run down the left before unleashing a powerful shot into the roof of the net to double Eritrea’s lead.
Despite their win, Eritrea could have extended their advantage earlier, but Suleiman missed from the penalty spot after Eswatini goalkeeper Mlamuli Makhanya dived low to his right to make a crucial save.
The match marked Eritrea’s first appearance in AFCON qualification in nearly two decades, with their last outing coming against Eswatini in 2007, where they finished second in their qualification group.
The two sides will meet again in Eswatini for the second leg on Tuesday, where Eritrea will aim to protect their lead and advance to the next stage.
The winner of the tie will progress from the preliminary round to join 42 other teams in the group phase of qualification.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, marking the tournament’s return to East Africa for the first time in over 50 years.
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The journey to the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 begins this week as 12 nations battle for six available spots in the preliminary round of qualifiers.
The opening phase of the race for AFCON PAMOJA 2027, set to be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, will see the continent’s lowest-ranked teams, based on FIFA rankings at the time of the draw, compete over two legs for a place in the group stage qualifiers.
Race for Six Places
Following the success of the 2025 tournament in Morocco, a new qualification cycle gets underway with fixtures spread across Southern, Eastern and Central Africa.
The preliminary round promises closely contested encounters, with teams aiming to gain an early advantage before decisive return legs.
Among the standout fixtures:
- Eritrea face Eswatini in Meknes before the return leg in Lobamba
- Lesotho and Seychelles meet twice in Bloemfontein
- Djibouti and South Sudan clash in back-to-back matches in Juba
- Somalia take on Mauritius across two legs in Mozambique and Saint Pierre
- Chad battle Burundi between N’Djamena and Bujumbura
- São Tomé and Príncipe face Ethiopia, with matches in El Jadida and Dire Dawa
The six winners from these ties will advance to join 42 other teams in the group stage qualifiers.
Some ties present unusual dynamics, notably Djibouti versus South Sudan, where both legs will be played in Juba, giving South Sudan a potential home advantage in both fixtures.
Similarly, Lesotho and Seychelles will contest both legs in Bloemfontein, adding another interesting twist to the qualification format.
Qualification Format and Timeline
The next phase will feature a group stage involving 13 groups of three or four teams. The 13 group winners qualify automatically. They will be joined by three best runners-up. The remaining 10 runners-up compete in a playoff round for the final qualifying spots
Key qualification windows are scheduled for:
- September 21–30, 2026: Match Day 1 and 2
- October 1–6, 2026: Match Day 3 and 4
- November 9–17, 2026: Match Day 5 and 6.
The finals, scheduled from June 19 to July 18, 2027, will mark a historic moment as the first Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted by three countries. It will also be the last to hold under the two-year cycle.
As the preliminary round kicks off, smaller footballing nations have a rare opportunity to build momentum and dream of reaching the continent’s biggest stage.
For the 12 teams involved, the message is clear: the road to AFCON 2027 starts now—and only half will take the next step.
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By Kunle Solaja.
The CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb has stated that the tribunal is prepared to handle the Senegal case against CAF and Morocco efficiently.
“CAS is perfectly equipped to resolve this type of dispute, with the assistance of expert and independent arbitrators,” he said.
“We understand that teams and fans are eager to know the final decision, and we will ensure that arbitration proceedings are conducted as swiftly as possible, while respecting the right of all parties to a fair hearing.”
CAS noted that proceedings will remain confidential while ongoing, with further updates to be provided only when key milestones, such as a hearing date, are confirmed.
The case now sets the stage for a potentially landmark legal battle over the outcome of one of Africa’s biggest football competitions, with the final status of the AFCON 2025 title hanging in the balance.
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