AFCON
Cash prizes, real estate, and highest honours as Senegal celebrates Nations Cup heroes
President Macky Sall of Senegal awarded a special cash prize, prime real estate, and the country’s highest order to the men’s soccer team as the country continued to celebrate their victory in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final against Egypt.
Senegal’s first win of the coveted trophy it has been chasing for 60 years has led to an outpouring of joy and celebrations since the 4-2 triumph in a penalty kick shootout.
Tens of thousands lined the streets of the capital Dakar from early in the morning on Monday to await the arrival of the victorious team. A ticker-tape parade through the streets went into the early hours of Tuesday.
Senegal came close to winning the trophy twice, losing to Algeria in the 2019 final and to Cameroon in the 2002 final.
Hundreds lined the surrounding avenues and streets of the presidential palace in downtown Dakar on Tuesday evening for a reception to thank the players.
Senegal fans celebrate and welcome the Senegal National Soccer Team as they arrive in a bus after their Africa Cup win, in Dakar, Senegal February 7, 2022. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra
Sall awarded the players Senegal’s highest order, making them Grand Officers of the National Order of the Lion.
“In addition, as a token of gratitude, and on behalf of the nation, the players and other members of the official delegation will each receive a special bonus of 50 million franc CFA ($87,412) and a 200 square metre plot of land in Dakar,” Sall said.
He added that they would also receive a 500 square metre plot for a commemorative estate in Diamniadio, a new futuristic economic and industrial hub around 45 km from Dakar where a new national soccer stadium will be inaugurated on Feb. 22.
-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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