AFCON
Two-goal in four-matches Pharaohs, fly to the quarterfinals
With just two goas in four matches, Egypt have qualified to the quarter finals of the Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon 2021 following a 5-4 penalties shootouts victory over Cote d’Ivoire after a baren draw at full time and extra time.
The Egyptians have managed just two goals in open play in all their four matches so far having nly beaten Sudan and Guinea Bissau 1-0.
In Wednesday’s Round of 16 match, the record champions kept their cool in the nerve-racking penalties to beat Cote d’Ivoire with substitute goalkeeper Mohamed Daader saving Eric Bailly’s spot kick.
The match was watched by an enthusiastic crowd at the Japoma Stadium.
The Elephants started brightly at the Japoma Stadium with their midfield three of Franck Kessie, Jean Michael Seri and Ibrahim Sangare controlling their play.
Franck Yannick Kessie had the first effort of the much talked about match when his long-range effort from distance agonizingly missed El Shenawy’s goal.
The Pharaohs weathered the early Elephants storm and they were denied by the woodwork, when Omar Khalid Marmoush’s curled effort smashed the frame of Badra Ali Sangare’s goal with 16 minutes on the clock.
Badra Ali tipped over Mohamed Salah’s dipping strike for a corner, the Egyptian captain had turned away from his marker before firing at Sangare.
With an electric atmosphere inside the stadium the two teams cancelled each other in midfield while they continue to create openings.
Cote d’Ivoire played on the wide areas with Nicolas Pepe and veteran Max Alain Gradel providing an outlet. The Arsenal winger latched on to a long ball over the top cutting in infield to strike straight at the impressive El Shenawy.
The 2015 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations champions were forced to make an early substitution when Kessie pulled out on the half hour mark.
Elephants’ goalkeeper Badra Ali went down low to his left to turn away Mohamed Mostafa’s first time strike before tipping over Salah’s half volley.
The Ivorians responded 8 minutes before halftime with Sangare from the back post. The midfielder’s acrobatic volley was forced an instinctive save from El Shenawy.
El Shenawy kept the score goalless with another brilliant save on the stroke of halftime, the Al Ahly keeper stooped Sebastien Haller’s goal bound effort.
The second half was a more open contest as the two African giants battle for a place in the quarter finals of the tournament.
The Pharaohs continued to push forward with man of the match Mohamed Elneny coming close seven minutes after the restart.
The marauding midfielder’s shot on the edge of the box was deflected towards Ali Badra’s near post but the Ivorian keeper had a finger tip to it.
The two keepers were kept busy as the match opened up with the two coaches reshuffling their tactics. Pepe had a shot saved by El Shenawy on 75 minutes before Mostafa Mohamed curled an effort wide.
Substitute Wilfred Zaha was denied by El Shenawy on 85 minutes following a brilliant move by another substitute Jeremie Boga.
With nothing separating the two side in 90 minutes extra time was couldn’t either.
Ibrahim Sangare came close in extra time with a brilliant effort for Cote d’Ivoire before Mahmoud Hassan missed a great opportunity from Mohamed Salah’s cut back on the stroke of full-time.
The victory sends Egypt to the quarter finals to play Morocco for a place in the semis.
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
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