AFCON
Burkina Faso back in contention after Cape Verde defeat
The Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon has recorded its 10th 1-0 scoreline as Burkina Faso on Thursday night at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde beat Cape Verde.
Hassane Bande scored the only goal of the match for Burkina Faso.
With the scoreline, Burkina Faso are back in contention after their 2-1 loss to hosts, Cameroon on the opening day of the competition.
Cape Verde had hoped for another victory after their opening match defeat of Ethiopia. A win by any margin would have seen them joining Cameroon in the qualification for the knock-out stage.
Instead, they are pushed down the ladder to the third position on account of inferior goal difference with Burkina Faso.
Cameroon lead Group A after beating Ethiopia, while Burkina Faso and Cape Verde stand level on three points each.
The Burkinabe were without Bertrand Traore after his positive Covid test.
While the Aston Villa may have been absent in Yaounde, coach Kamou Malo managed to lead the team for the first time after returning from his own Covid case.
In the opening half hour, the Stallions – who were the stronger team throughout – called Cape Verde keeper Vozinha into action a number of times.
The veteran 35-year-old, back in the team after also recovering from Covid, made a smart save from Edmond Tapsoba’s low free-kick in the 12th minute.
Ten minutes later, he stood his ground well as Bande, in the Burkina side to replace Traore, failed to finish off Tapsoba’s fine run from deep.
Shortly before half-time, Bande finally got the better of Vozinha, chesting home Isa Kabore’s fine cross to give the Burkinabe the lead.
Cape Verde’s best chance came around the half-hour mark, when Julio Tavares forced Burkinabe keeper Herve Koffi into action for the first time, but the Burkinabe keeper tipped the shot round the post when a firmer strike may have beaten him.
In the second half, the Blue Sharks tried to be more positive – with Garry Rodrigues, Julio Tavares and captain Stopira all having opportunities.
Yet they were unable to convert them and coach Bubista, still missing because of yet another Covid infection, will have been a frustrated viewer as his team failed to capitalise on their opening win against Ethiopia.
Burkina Faso’s improved performance gives them every chance of claiming a spot in the last 16, and victory against pointless Ethiopia on Monday will see them finish second in the group should Cape Verde fail to beat Cameroon.
Cameroon lead the group with two wins from two, and have qualified for the next round already as one of the best third-placed runners-up at the very least.
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.
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.
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
Anthony Joshua seeks world title and redemption against Dubois
Beckenbauer to have street named after him near Munich’s Allianz Arena
Diamond League raise 2025 prize money to over $9 million
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
AIU releases its report on Tobi Amusan
-
AFCON1 week agoAustin Eguavoen remains the ‘Big Boss’, says NFF
-
AFCON1 week agoRwanda newspaper gives 5 lessons gleaned from Rwanda-Nigeria clash
-
AFCON1 week agoPresent and Past as CAF Coaches Symposium unites Rohr, Peseiro and Eguavoen
-
CAF Confederation Cup1 week agoEnyimba continues unbeaten run against Burkina Faso clubs
-
AFCON4 days agoLibya sacks coach ahead of AFCON qualifying back-to-back matches with Nigeria
-
CAF Champions League1 week agoEnugu Rangers in slim CAF Champions League win over Angola’s Sagrada Esperanca
-
WOMEN'S FOOTBALL1 week agoFalconets crash out from U-20 Women’s World Cup
-
Governing Bodies6 days agoStorm in CAF over proposed statutes amendments