AFCON

Super Eagles to face formidable opposition from Pot 2 of Africa Cup of Nations draw

Published

3 years ago

August 16, 2021

Kunle Solaja

BY KUNLE SOLAJA

Nigeria Super Eagles fortuitously made it into the seeded sides courtesy of Algeria’s double qualification for seeding.

Only top four teams in the current rankings are seeded. Nigeria are currently number five in the continent.

But Algeria, ranked number three have additional seeding benefit as Africa Cup holders, thus enabling the fifth-placed Nigeria to get into Pot 1.

Nigeria have therefore averted a group clash with Cameroon, Algeria, Senegal, Tunisia and Morocco.

But a clash with anyone among Egypt, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire or Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea is in the offing.

Nigeria last met Egypt in 2010, beating Nigeria 3-1 in a group game opener. Egypt are the most successful team in the Africa Cup history having won a record seven times.

Ghana Black Stars in Pot 2 are also possible of giving Nigeria dreadful problems if drawn with the Super Eagles.

They are Nigeria’s arch-rivals and have won the Africa Cup on four occassions. A fixture with Ghana always raise tension.

Cote d’Ivoire are the third possible team Nigeria may have to face among the Pot 2 sides.

They rank among the super powers of African football especially in their golden era when they paraded the likes of Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, Kolo Toure and Yaya Toure among others.

They are two-time Africa Cup holders who were pre tournament’s favourites in 2013 before the Super Eagles upstaged them in the quarter-finals. It was the match that was the turning point for the Super Eagles and raised their morale, leading to eventual cup victory.

Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea are the other possible candidates to be drawn against Nigeria from Pot 2.

Nigeria beat Mali 4-1 in the 2013 semi-finals and Burkina Faso, 1-0 in the final. A likely fixture with any of the two is likely to evoke vengeance.

It was against Guinea that Nigeria became the first team to book a knock-out stage in 2019. Coincidentally, the match was played on 26 June, the 70^th anniversary of the first call-up of players for the Nigerian national team in 1949.

AFCON

Libya sacks coach ahead of AFCON qualifying back-to-back matches with Nigeria

Published

2 days ago

September 17, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Milutin Sredojević

The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has sacked its Serbian coach, Milutin Sredojević who is popularly known as Micho.

This is coming ahead of Libya’s back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations clashes with Nigeria next month.

Paradoxically, Sports Village Square gathered that the coach’s contract was only recently renewed for six months before the axe fell on the Serbian.

His sack was precipitated by the results obtained in their teo matches of the AFCON qualifiers.

Libya drew 1-1 with Rwanda at home and lost 2-1 away to Benin Republic despite beig a goal up at half time.

The Libyan side, Mediterranean Knights are due to play against the Nigeria Super Eagles in Uyo on 6 October while the return leg holds on 14 October at the 11 July Stadium in Tripoli.

According to information Sports Village Square gathered from Tripoli, the Mediterranean Knights’ coach, Micho led the Libyan national team to win nine matches since taking over in October of last year, he failed to build a strong team due to his poor choices.

He also took a risk with the footballers chosen in the AFCON qualifiers, and the result was shocking to the Libyan sports audience.

According to sources close to the Libyan Football Federation, there is a strong tendency to sign a national coach to lead the Libyan team during the remaining qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations.

AFCON

CAF president blasts Ghana, others over stadium ban

Published

2 days ago

September 17, 2024

Kunle Solaja

CAF President Patrice Motsepe has lashed out at Ghana and some other African countries whose home grounds were recently banned from hosting CAF matches owing to inadequate facilities. He made the remarks in Nairobi, Kenya during a press conference,

After the MatchDay 2 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, CAF ruled Ghana’s Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi as being inadequate to host international matches. Being the only approved ground in the country, Ghana will now look towards either Cote d’Ivoire or Togo for their remaining home matches of the Afcon qualifiers.

Other African countries without approved home grounds are: Djibouti, Chad, Niger, Eritrea, Gabon, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, São Tomé and Burundi.

Motsepe voiced his frustration over the recurring issue of nations being unable to host home games.

“Nothing frustrates me more than a national team or club side having to play home matches outside,” he stated.

He stressed the significance of playing in front of home fans, adding, “You can’t grow football if the national teams or club sides aren’t playing in front of their home fans.”

Motsepe reiterated CAF’s commitment to working with countries to ensure they have at least one suitable stadium to host international fixtures.

“Our conversations in every country are to make sure there is at least one stadium capable of hosting a CAF category C game,” he emphasized.

AFCON

Present and Past as CAF Coaches Symposium unites Rohr, Peseiro and Eguavoen

Published

1 week ago

September 12, 2024

Kunle Solaja

The on-going CAF AFCON Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Coaches Symposium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire has brought together, the last three coaches that handled the Nigeria national football team.

Gernot Rohr, Jose Peseiro and Austin Eguavoen are part of the the elite coaches currently gathered in Abidjan.

Gernot Rohr whose tenure of 5 years and 55 matches is the longest ever by any coach in Nigeria, is currently handling Nigeria’s Africa Cupof Nations and World Cup qualifying rivals, Benin Republic. He was succeeded in the interim by Austin Eguavoen who is currently having another interim stint.

Peseiro left his position after the Africa Cup of Nations