AFCON
Afcon 2021 draw renews Egypt -Nigeria rivalry
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
If there was any team Nigeria had wished to avoid in the pre draw Pot 2, it is Egypt, the most successful team in the Africa Cup of Nations history.
Egypt have played the final matches eight times and have won seven times, losing the final match only ones, to Cameroon in 2017.
Nigeria too have impressive record at the competition, playing the final matches seven times, but winning thrice and losing four times.
Three of the final match loses were to Cameroon in 1984, 1988 and 2000. The fourth loss was to Algeria in 1990.
The Nigeria and Egypt clash in Garoua will be star match of the Group D and could be destiny shaping regarding the leadership of the group.
Sports Village Square recalls that the Egyptians are the first team to ever beat Nigeria on home soil.
That was in the qualifying match for the football event of Rome 1960 Olympics. A combined force of Egypt and Syria named as United Arab Republic beat Nigeria 6-2 at the then Lagos City Stadium, Onikan which is today’s Mobolaji Johnson Arena.
It is also the heaviest home defeat Nigeria ever suffered as well as heaviest number of goals conceded at home. The nearest to it is the four Sierra Leone scored last year in Benin City in the 4-4 draw.
Even though Godwin Odiye is famously known to have scored an own goal against Nigeria, yet he was not the first culprit.
The first own goal by Nigeria was scored for Egypt by John Onyeador in the 6-2 loss at home in 1959.
The game was barely two minutes old when an Egyptian corner kick by Hamdi Mohammed was head into Nigeria’s net by Onyeador while he was being challenged by Raffat Attia.
Traditionally, Nigeria’s home colour is green, an adoption from the national flag. But Egypt played a role in adoption of green as Nigeria’s home colour.
In the return leg match of the 6-2 home loss by Nigeria played in Cairo on 1 January 1960, Nigeria (then known as Red Devils) were obliged to wear green instead of their customary red.
It was the first time Nigeria put on green shirt for an international match and moved towards substituting the sobriquet “Red Devils” with “Green Eagles” and since 29 March 1988 “Super Eagles”.
Nigeria too have dealt heavy blows on Egyptian football. Nigeria’s first podium appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations was at the expense of Egypt in 1976.
In the third place match, Nigeria won 3-2 to win the bronze medal. Of note is the thrid goal by Nigeria, a Muda Lawal performance that could go for a television exhibition even in the present age.
It was a magnificent solo effort and back-breaking exploit in the battle for the third place position.
In the 85th minute of the game, score-line stood at 2-2 and there was intense Egyptian pressure on Nigeria for a possible winning goal.
Apparently to douse tension on his defence, Joseph Eric, the Nigerian goalkeeper, sent a long kick to Muda Lawal who was lurking half way near the left line.
Like lightening, the wing half –turned attacker tapped the ball over a challenging Egypt’s Ibrahim Youssef and raced away.
Exhibiting superb ball control, coolness and magnificent footwork, Muda set the on-rushing Egyptian goalkeeper, El-Sharet Sharaf, to the wrong way, and not losing a step, he outwitted the left half-back, Ali Hassan and finally slotted the ball beyond the desperate stretched legs of right back, Sallah Sallah who was then guarding the goal mouth.
Another great win by Nigeria over Egypt was a 1978 World Cup qualifier in Lagos. Nigeria won 4-0. It remained Egypt’s biggest loss in a World Cup qualifying duel till the last stage of Brazil 2014 qualifiers.
When Nigeria and Egypt meet on 11 January, it will be the teams’ 22nd clash. Egypt have the edge having won eight times and lost to Nigeria six times.
Nigeria won the last encounter played two years ago in Asaba when a Paul Onuachu’s record setting eight-second goal was the decider. It was Nigeria’s first defeat of Egypt in 19 years.
Nigeria – Egypt Head-to-Head
P W D L F A
Egypt 21 8 7 6 36 29
Nigeria 21 6 7 8 29 36
13 Dec. 1959 (OQ.) Nigeria 2-6 Egypt
1 Jan. 1960 (OQ.) Egypt 3-0 Nigeria
29 Nov. 1960 (F) Nigeria 1-2 Egypt
24 Nov. 1963 (ACN) Egypt 6-3 Nigeria
14 Jan. 1973 (2AAG) Nigeria 4-2 Egypt
14 Mar. 1976 (ACN) Nigeria 3-2 Egypt
8 Oct. 1977 (WCq) Nigeria 4-0 Egypt
21 Oct. 1977 (WCq) Egypt 3-1 Nigeria
15 Mar. 1980 (ACN) Nigeria 1-0 Egypt
18 Feb. 1983 (F) Nigeria 0-0 Egypt
20 Feb. 1983 (F) Nigeria 1-1 Egypt
14 Mar. 1984 (ACN) Egypt 2-2 Nigeria
*(7 – 8 penalty shoot-out).
20 Mar. 1988 (ACN) Egypt 0-0 Nigeria
5 Mar. 1990 (ACN) Egypt 0-1 Nigeria
30 Mar. 1994 (ACN) Egypt 0-0 Nigeria
25 Nov. 2002 (F) Nigeria 1- 1 Egypt
12 Jan. 2010(ACN) Egypt 3-1 Nigeria
12 Apr. 2012 (F) Egypt 3-2 Nigeria
25 Mar. 2016 (Afconq) Nigeria 1-1 Egypt
29 Mar. 2016 (Afconq) Egypt 1-0 Nigeria
26 Mar. 2019 (F) Nigeria 1-0 Egypt
The Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT) has kicked off a European promotional tour themed “Morocco, Land of Football” to boost the country’s visibility ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The roadshow, which began on June 16 and runs through June 23, is making stops in five key European cities: Madrid, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Milan.
According to a press release, the initiative is designed to enhance Morocco’s international profile through a blend of sports and cultural promotion, as the kingdom prepares to host the continent’s premier football tournament.
“Morocco is preparing to welcome Africa. Through this roadshow, we aim to tell a collective story of a country oriented towards the future, proud of its roots, and passionate about football,” said Achraf Fayda, Director General of ONMT.
The roadshow stems from a strategic partnership signed in April between the ONMT and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), with the shared goal of positioning Morocco as a leading global destination for both football and tourism by 2030.
At each stop, the tour is expected to engage over 100 travel agents, tour operators, media professionals, and African tourism experts. Participants are treated to immersive, multisensory experiences that highlight Morocco’s tourism offerings, while also facilitating networking with sports personalities.
The campaign targets travel professionals, sports industry stakeholders, and digital content creators as part of ONMT’s broader strategy to leverage AFCON 2025 for tourism development and international branding.
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The African Football Confederation (CAF) and Royal Air Maroc (RAM) have sealed a historic strategic partnership that grants Morocco’s national airline the status of “Official Global Partner” for upcoming major African football competitions.
The agreement was signed Saturday morning in Casablanca, in the presence of Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) President Fouzi Lekjaâ.
This partnership encompasses several prestigious tournaments, including the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (AFCON) 2025 (December 21, 2025 – January 18, 2026) and CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (WAFCON) 2024 (July 5-26, 2025).
The agreement also covers CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF Champions League 2024/2025 Finals, CAF Confederation Cup 2024/2025 Finals, and the CAF Women’s Champions League 2025.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe voiced enthusiasm about the collaboration.
“We are excited about the partnership between CAF and Royal Air Maroc, a world-class airline that will provide comfort and fly NationalTeams participating in the CAF competitions,” he said.
“We are confident that the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 will be the most successful AFCON in the history of this competition.”
The agreement strengthens RAM’s footprint across Africa and globally, solidifying its role as a strategic gateway between Africa and the rest of the world. It also aligns with Morocco’s emergence as an international sports hub, with the country preparing to host AFCON 2025 and co-host the FIFA World Cup 2030.
RAM’s Chairman and CEO Hamid Addou stated: “This historic partnership with CAF aligns fully with our strategic vision as an airline deeply rooted in Africa and committed to its development.”
“Royal Air Maroc doesn’t just connect destinations; it builds bridges between cultures and passions. By supporting the continent’s biggest football competitions, we reaffirm our role as a facilitator of human and sporting exchanges,” he continued.
500,000 supporters expected
Beyond its partnership role, RAM will implement an exceptional operational system to meet increased demand during CAF competitions. The airline plans to welcome over 500,000 supporters for AFCON 2025.
“We believe we will surpass this figure by far,” revealed Addou. “We will be ready to accommodate these supporters across Royal Air Maroc’s entire network.”
The airline intends to double seat capacity from qualified countries already served by RAM, such as Dakar, Abidjan, Cairo, Tunis, Bamako, Lagos, and Douala.
RAM will also intensify flight frequencies from European cities with large African communities, including Paris, Brussels, Milan, London, Marseille, Lyon, Madrid, and Barcelona.
Additionally, the airline will establish a dedicated program for domestic air transport of national teams, shuttling them between their base camps and host cities.
This positioning establishes RAM as the primary connector between Africa and Europe through its Casablanca hub. FRMF President Fouzi Lekjaâ noted that the contract “reinforces Royal Air Maroc’s first-rate leadership role in Africa.”
“Royal Air Maroc is no stranger to football,” Lekjaâ added. “It has always supported generations of our athletes and footballers here in Morocco.”
“With this expertise and experience, they will contribute significantly to making AFCON 2025 Morocco exceptional, a historic turning point in African football, cultural coexistence and African cultural exchange,” he concluded.
Addou stressed RAM’s commitment to African unity: “We are all extremely proud to be African, and in every corner of this vast and magnificent continent, we share the same ambition—to actively contribute to Africa’s development and influence.”
The RAM CEO concluded by inviting everyone to upcoming CAF calendar events: “We’ll see you very soon for the great moments ahead in the CAF calendar, particularly the Women’s AFCON starting in July and, of course, the men’s AFCON, which kicks off on December 25.”
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The presidents of the regional councils concerned by the hosting of the matches of the Africa Cup of Nations (Morocco-2025) unanimously affirmed that the implementation of infrastructure projects in anticipation of this continental event “is progressing at a sustained pace”, declaring themselves “fully mobilized” to crown with success the major sporting events scheduled in the Kingdom.
They specified, in statements to the press in Rabat following a meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior devoted to the assessment of the progress of the construction and rehabilitation works of the stadiums, that major sports infrastructure projects are underway in the six host cities: Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Fez, Marrakech and Agadir.
The President of the Casablanca-Settat Regional Council, Abdellatif Maâzouz, announced that the projects planned for upcoming international sporting events, in particular the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup, “are proceeding under good conditions.”
The projects related to the organisation of the AFCON will be ready by next July at the latest, he assured, specifying that there is a clear vision regarding the preparations underway for the AFCON and the 2030 World Cup, both in terms of equipment and organisational arrangements related to human resources and animation.
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