AFCON

Gambia and Mali in top of the table clash at AFCON’s Group F

Published

4 years ago

January 16, 2022

It is a big football irony that in a group where Tunisia, one of the powerhouses of African football are domiciled, The Gambia and Mali are the teams struggling to top the table.

The situation arose as favourites and seeded side, Tunisia lost their opening match to Mali while The Gambia who are debutants got the better part of Mauritania in their very first Africa Cup of Nations match last week, winning 1-0.

Today’s duel is The Gambia’s second Africa Cup of Nations match. After two identical 1-0 victories in the opening match day, Gambia and Mali enter the second round of Group F matches with high hopes of another win that could see them paving the way towards the next round in style.

Both Group F teams meet at the Limbe Stadium to decide which side, at least momentarily, takes the top spot. Time: 14:00 local time (13:00 GMT)

For The Gambia, it could be a continuation of a fairytale as they are still celebrating an opening win in their AFCON debut. Ablie Jallow strike gave the Scorpions a 1-0 win over Mauritania to start their first Africa Cup of Nations appearance on high skies.

Another positive result today will mean that Tom Saintfiet men are on their way not just for a historic debut but also for a fairytale second round appearance.

Their Belgian coach, Tom Saintfiet who handled Namibia against Nigeria in the race for Brazil 2014 World Cup is optimistic of a good result.

“We had a party to celebrate the country’s first victory. Now we are going to prepare the match against a big Malian team. We have 3 points, it’s already fantastic, but we have to continue. We will do everything to advance to the second round, and to give more light and promotion to The Gambia, the smallest country in Africa.”

So also is Gambia player, Omar Colley highly expectant. “Proud to be in this group, I play in Italy, but this is something else, it is indescribable to live what we are living. With the offensive armada that we have, we will seek points against Mali and Tunisia to bring joy to the Gambian people. Our goal is to win, match by match.”

Mali Eagles defeated Tunisia 1-0 in what was one of the opening match day surprises. Mohamed Magassouba men secured a famous victory over Carthage Eagles to boast their hopes of a historic AFCON campaign this year.

Another win over fellow West African side Gambia might see The Eagles through, but they have to beware the Scorpions’ sting this time.

Hear the coach’s timely warning: “We have started a construction phase and we are preparing for the future. Collective value is important to me, we aim to shine tomorrow against this ambitious Gambian.”, remarked Mali’s coach, Mohamed Magassouba.

Continuing, he remarked: “This generation can write its story, a happy story, I hope. Mali is on the quest for the supreme title. We are responsible for producing the show and winning, the rest does not concern us.”

His player, Diadie Samassekou a midfielder added his voice: “The morale of the team is at its highest, it’s very important to win your first game. we give everything with an irreproachable state of mind. We don’t play according to the opponent; we have a game philosophy. Our only objective is to do everything to win, our people deserve a consecration.”

AFCON

Nigeria Target Strong AFCON Start Against Winless Tanzania in Fez

Published

10 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Kunle Solaja

By Kunle Solaja

Tanzania have never won an AFCON match
Nigeria hardly lose an opening match having avoided a loss in 17 of 20 instances

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will begin their campaign at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a Group C clash against Tanzania in Fez, Morocco, aiming to set a strong tone in their 20th appearance at Africa’s flagship football tournament.

Although meetings between both sides have been few and far between, history strongly favours Nigeria. In 10 previous encounters, the Super Eagles have never lost to Tanzania, recording six wins and four draws, with a superior goals record of 14–5.

For Tanzania, the Morocco 2025 finals represent just their fourth appearance in 35 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, underlining the contrasting pedigree of both teams on the continental stage. The Taifa Stars are also yet to taste victory in an AFCON opening match. Their previous opening-day defeats include a 3–1 loss to Nigeria in Lagos in 1980, a 2–0 reverse against Senegal in 2019, and a 3–0 defeat to hosts Morocco at the 2023 tournament.

Overall, Tanzania have played nine AFCON matches since their debut in 1980 without recording a single win, a statistic they will be desperate to overturn in Fez.

Nigeria, by contrast, have traditionally started strongly at the Nations Cup. In 20 tournament appearances, the Super Eagles have lost just three opening matches — a 6–3 defeat to Egypt in 1963, a 5–1 loss to Algeria in 1990, and a 3–1 reverse against Egypt in 2010.

Their head-to-head record with Tanzania further underlines Nigeria’s dominance. The first meeting between both sides ended in a goalless draw in Dar es Salaam in July 1972, but Nigeria went on to win three successive encounters later that year and in early 1973. The Super Eagles also defeated Tanzania 3–1 in their only previous AFCON meeting in 1980 and completed a double over them in the 1980 World Cup qualifiers.

More recent competitive meetings also went Nigeria’s way, including a 1–0 home win in Uyo during the 2017 AFCON qualifiers, following a goalless draw in Dar es Salaam.

As the Super Eagles look to navigate a competitive Group C, a positive start against familiar opponents could prove crucial. With history, pedigree and experience firmly on their side, Nigeria will be targeting maximum points against a Tanzania side eager to rewrite the script and announce their presence on the continental stage.

Nigeria-Tanzania Tale of the Tape

TEAMS	P	W	D	L	F	A
Nigeria	10	6	4	0	14	5
Tanzania	10	0	4	6	5	14

DATE	COMPETITION/VENUE	SCORELINE
6 July 1972	Friendly, Dar Es Salaam	Tanzania 0-0 Nigeria
6 November 1972	Friendly, Benin City	Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania
11 November 1972	Friendly, Lagos	Nigeria 3-2 Tanzania
12 January 1973	2^nd All Africa Games, Lagos	Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania
20 February 1976	Friendly, Dar Es Salaam	Tanzania 0-0 Nigeria
8 March 1980	AFCON, Lagos	Nigeria 3-1 Tanzania
6 December 1980	World Cup qualifier, Lagos	Nigeria 1-1 Tanzania
20 December 1980	World Cup qualifier, Dar Es Salaam	Tanzania 0-2 Nigeria
5 September 2015	AFCON qualifier, Dar es Salaam	Tanzania 0-0 Nigeria
3 September 2016	AFCON qualifier, Uyo	Nigeria 1-0 Tanzania

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AFCON

One Goal Against Tunisia in 63 years, Uganda seeks to rewrite the story in Rabat

Published

10 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Kunle Solaja

By Kunle Solaja.

Head-to-Head

Teams	P	W	D	L	F	A
Tunisia	5	5	0	0	16	1
Uganda	5	0	0	5	1	16

Date	Contest/Venue	Score line
20 January 1962	AFCON, Addis Ababa	Tunisia 3-0 Uganda
9 March 1976	AFCON, Kumasi	Uganda 1-3 Tunisia
27 February 1999	AFCON q Tunis	Tunisia 6-0 Uganda
10 April 1999	AFCON q Kampala	Uganda 0-2 Tunisia
4 January 2017	Friendly, Tunis	Tunisia 2-0 Uganda

Under the Rabat night sky, where expectation often weighs heavier than history, Tunisia and Uganda will step onto the pitch at the Stade Annexe Olympique, Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah on Tuesday, each carrying a different story but sharing the same ambition — to matter in Group C of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Numbers, History and Pride are key elements as both strive to take vital points in the duel scheduled to begin at 9 pm local time and also by Nigerian time.

The numbers underline the scale of the task facing Uganda. In five previous meetings spanning 63 years, Tunisia have won all five, scoring 16 goals and conceding just once. Uganda’s lone goal against the North Africans came as far back as 1976, a statistic that sets the backdrop for tonight’s contest.

This will be the third time the sides meet at the Africa Cup of Nations. Their first encounter came in 1962 in Addis Ababa, when Tunisia went on to claim bronze after a 3–0 victory.

They crossed paths again in the 1978 group stage in Kumasi, with Tunisia prevailing 3–1. The most emphatic result overall arrived in 1999, when Tunisia recorded a commanding 6–0 win in Tunis during the qualifiers.

More than two decades later, Tunisia returned to the continental stage under head coach Samy Trabelsi, carrying both expectation and responsibility. The Carthage Eagles are making their 22nd AFCON appearance and their 17th in succession, a record that reflects consistency at the highest level of African football.

Speaking ahead of the match, Trabelsi praised the organisation and facilities in Morocco, noting similarities in weather and conditions to Tunisia. He also warned against complacency. “African football has evolved. Every team is competitive and can make things difficult,” he said.

On the pitch, Tunisia will look to experienced figures such as midfielder Elyes Skhiri to dictate the tempo. Skhiri stressed the importance of starting strongly after disappointments in recent editions. “We must compete to win and not take any team for granted,” he said. “Uganda are no pushovers.”

Uganda, meanwhile, arrive in Rabat determined to challenge the narrative. The Cranes are making their eighth AFCON appearance and their first since 2019, and head coach Paul Put believes his side is ready to compete on the big stage. “We are proud to be here and focused on the game,” Put said. “The team is gradually gelling into a strong side.”

Midfielder Khalid Aucho echoed that confidence, insisting Uganda are motivated by outside doubts. “Many people have not given us a chance, but we are focused on making our nation proud,” he said.

As Group C takes shape, Tunisia’s flawless head-to-head record contrasts sharply with Uganda’s ambition to rewrite history. Under the Rabat lights, past statistics will count for little once the whistle blows, as both sides chase a strong start to their AFCON campaign.

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AFCON

Chelle Calls for Mental Reset as Nigeria Begin AFCON Campaign

Published

10 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Kunle Solaja

Nigeria need to disregard outside noise and stay focused on their Africa Cup of Nations campaign after missing out on qualifying for next year’s World Cup, coach Eric Chelle said on Monday.

The Super Eagles face Tanzania in their opening Group C game on Tuesday, and the Malian coach urged his players to put behind them the disappointment of failing to reach the World Cup playoffs following defeat by the Democratic Republic of Congo in November.

“We prefer to stay focused at all times. I told the players to concentrate on themselves and on our development project. This is the most important thing we have,” Chelle told a press conference.

“We are our first opponent, we need to focus on ourselves and take out outside noise. Of course, the World Cup miss is painful”.

“We are here to win this first game. We have a tournament to play and we are here to be ambitious. I don’t have time to think about what happened before. I prefer to stay focused on what is happening right now,” he added.

Nigeria are struggling in defence due to injuries and the retirement of veteran William Troost-Ekong before the AFCON, but the 48-year-old coach expressed full confidence in his squad. The 2023 Nations Cup runners-up will also play Tunisia on December 27 and Uganda three days later in the group stage

-Reuters

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