AFCON

Ahead of Nigeria –Egypt Afcon showdown, Iconic keeper Hadary says Egypt should fear no one

Published

3 years ago

January 5, 2022

File photo dated June 25, 2018, Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary deflects a penalty during the group A match between Saudi Arabia and Egypt at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Volgograd Arena in Volgograd, Russia (AP

Egypt will begin their quest for a record extending ninth victory at the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday with a titanic clash with three time winners and 10 time finalists, Nigeria.

The match in Garoua may set the tone for what the two teams may achieve as the competition enters its 33^rd edition.

According to an Egyptian publication, Ahram, Egypt’s goalkeeping coach and iconic shot-stopper Essam El-Hadary said the team should fear no one if they are to win the African Cup of Nations for the first time in 12 years.

He was in goal in 2010 when Egypt and Nigeria last met at the Africa Cup of Nations. Egypt won the match 3-1 and went ahead to win the cup.

The Pharaohs have not won the coveted title since they clinched the last of their record seven crowns in 2010. They came close in 2017, only to surrender their lead and lose 2-1 to Cameroon in the final.

Four years ago, El-Hadary produced heroics at the age of 44 to steer Egypt to the final but he is now tasked with guiding younger keepers, who would dream of following in his footsteps.

“For a team that wants to win the African Cup of Nations, it should not matter who they face.

“There is no such thing as small teams in Africa, ” El-Hadary said in a video interview carried on the Egyptian Football Association’s Twitter account.

“To go far, you need to have a specific target in your mind. For us, this means winning the tournament.”

Egypt, who were drawn in Group D of the Nations Cup, open their campaign against Nigeria on 11 January before Guinea-Bissau and Sudan.

“We need to be careful and take it one game at a time. It’s a step by step process,” El-Hadary, who won four Nations Cup titles with Egypt, added.

AFCON

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

Published

4 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

4 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