Facts ahead of Tunisia v Mauritania AFCON clash this Sunday

Published

3 years ago

January 16, 2022

As both meet this afternoon in Limbe, they are aware that there is no room for error. Both Tunisia and Mauritania lost their opening matches, 1-0 to Mali and The Gambia respectively.

This is Tunisia’s 77^th Africa Cup of Nations match since upstaging Nigeria to make a maiden appearance at the 1962 edition.

This is Mauritania’s fifth match in Africa Cup of Nations’ history.

Tunisia are ranked number 30 in the world in the current FIFA ranking .

Mauritania are number 103 ranked in the December ranking released by FIFA.

Tunisia and Mauritania’s only previous encounter in the Africa Cup of Nations produced a goalless draw – it was in the group phase of the 2019 tournament.

Tunisia have lost three consecutive matches at the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since March 1994. They lost their semi-final match to Senegal in 2019 as well as the bronze medal match to Nigeria in the same edition. Those two losses are followed up with the 1-0 loss to Mali in the current tournament. However, Tunisia have never lost four in a row in their history in the competition.

Mauritania are still searching for their first ever win at the Africa Cup of Nations, failing to do so in their four matches to date (Draw 2; Lost 2), while they haven’t scored a single goal in their last three games in the competition.

Tunisia are winless in their last four group stage games at the Africa Cup of Nations (Draw 3; Lost 1), their longest such run without a victory since January 1996 (eight games, Draw 4; Lost 4).

Tunisia have missed their last two penalties taken in the Africa Cup of Nations, coming into the second round of matches only Ghana (10) have taken more in the competition since 2010 than the Eagles of Carthage (7), while no team has failed to score more than Tunisia in this time (3, level with Senegal).

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