AFCON
Senegal in party mode after Africa Cup of Nations victory over Egypt
Senegal erupted in celebration on Sunday night (Feb 6) after its football team overcame Egypt to win the Africa Cup of Nations, giving the West African country its first tournament win after decades of heartbreaking near-misses.
Cheers, car horns and fireworks greeted the final whistle in the seaside capital Dakar after a hard-won victory in a penalty shoot-out that in an instant erased Senegal’s reputation as one of Africa’s underachieving footballing nations.
Thousands took to the streets. People waved flags from the sunroofs of speeding cars. Onlookers hugged and cried. Dozens ran onto a beach in a northern suburb, screaming to the night sky.
“Senegal has lost so many trophies in the final. This is a relief. Finally, we have it!” said Pape Malick Diba, a 31-year-old trader who danced with friends at a fan zone in Dakar, where supporters struggled to see the screens through the crowds.
These were rare scenes of collective rapture for Senegalese football fans, who have seen their fair share of sporting heartache, and who in the last two years have suffered the restrictions and economic hardship caused by the pandemic.
Senegal lost to Algeria in the final of the last tournament in 2019, but entered this year’s competition as favourites.
Their squad is full of stars from some of Europe’s top clubs, most famously Liverpool striker Sadio Mane, who scored the winning penalty in Sunday’s shoot-out in Cameroon’s capital Yaounde after missing a chance from the spot in regulation.
On Sunday, Mane had seen Mohamed Abou Gabal save his seventh-minute penalty at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde but seven-time champions Egypt could not capitalise as they went to extra time for the fourth consecutive game at this Cup of Nations.
Mohamed Salah was due to step up to take Egypt’s fifth penalty but with Mohamed Abdelmonem hitting the post and Mohanad Lasheen having his kick saved by Edouard Mendy, the Liverpool star did not get his chance and was already on the verge of tears as his club team-mate Mane prepared to strike the decisive blow.
Senegal’s victory ends a storied history of tough losses. In 2002, Senegal narrowly missed the opportunity to become the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final, losing to Turkey in extra time. That year, they also lost in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations.
In the 2018 World Cup, they were eliminated at the group stage under a new rule that penalised them for receiving more yellow cards than group rivals Japan.
On Sunday, those old memories were forgotten.
“Joy, tears, because it is a historic victory,” said Senegal President Macky Sall when asked for his reaction on national television.
“For 60 years our country has been seeking this. Well, we have done it today.”
“It just shows that if you work hard, if you persevere, you will get what you want,” Senegal coach Aliou Cisse told broadcaster beIN Sports. “I am very emotional because the people of Senegal have wanted this trophy for 60 years.”
Egypt goalkeeper Abou Gabal, who was named man of the match, summed up the losing side’s mood, saying: “We are really disappointed but that’s football, either you win or you lose.”
The final was the fifth in the last 11 editions of the tournament to be decided in a shoot-out after a goalless draw.
AFP/Reuters
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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