AFCON
Super Eagles to host Leone Stars, await CAF’s decision on São Tomé/Mauritius
Following Tuesday night’s draw for the qualification series of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, three –time champions Nigeria must await the decision of the CAF Disciplinary Board for which of São Tomé & Príncipe and Mauritius would be the fourth team in their Group A of the series.
The Super Eagles already have a home game lined up for the first week of June against the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone, who were also in their qualifying pool for the last AFCON tournament in Cameroon. Nigeria and Sierra Leone made it out of that pool, leaving the Squirrels of Benin Republic and the Crocodiles of Lesotho biting their fingers.
This time, the Eagles must negotiate a Group A that has the Leone Stars as well as the Wild Dogs of Guinea-Bissau, whom the Eagles defeated 2-0 in the group stage of the last finals in Cameroon, thanks to goals by Sadiq Umar and William Ekong.
Thenff.com learnt from the CAF headquarters on Wednesday that Mauritius have a pending protest against São Tomé and Príncipe, who won their preliminary qualifying fixture, insisting that one São Tomé player had tested positive for covid-19. São Tomé & Príncipe continue to dispute this assertion.
“The matter became somewhat more interesting because the player at the centre of the controversy is the one that scored the only goal of the match,” said our source.
This means that after hosting Sierra Leone in Nigeria, the Super Eagles would have to fly to either São Tomé or Port Louis for their Matchday 2 encounter. The window for these two matches is 30th May – 14th June.
In September, with the window for Matchdays 3 & 4 being 19th – 27th September, the Eagles will tango home and away with the Wild Dogs of Guinea-Bissau. The Matchdays 5 & 6 are within the period 20th – 28th March 2023, and will see the Eagles go away to Freetown before returning home to square up to either São Tomé and Príncipe or Mauritius.
The two top-placed teams in each of the twelve groups at the end of the qualifying campaign will qualify for the 34th Africa Cup of Nations finals taking place in Cote d’Ivoire next year summer. However, hosts Cote d’Ivoire are definite qualifiers from Group H, meaning only one of Zambia, Comoros Islands and Lesotho will make it to the finals no matter the results garnered by the Ivorians in the race.
ALL THE GROUPS
Group A: Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe/Mauritius
Group B: Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Togo, e-Swatini
Group C: Cameroon, Kenya, Namibia, Burundi
Group D: Egypt, Guinea, Malawi, Ethiopia
Group E: Ghana, Madagascar, Angola, Central African Republic
Group F: Algeria, Uganda, Niger Republic, Tanzania
Group G: Mali, Congo Republic, The Gambia, South Sudan
Group H: Cote d’Ivoire, Zambia, Comoros Islands, Lesotho
Group I: DR Congo, Gabon, Mauritania, Sudan
Group J: Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Botswana
Group K: Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Liberia
Group L: Senegal, Benin Republic, Mozambique, Rwanda
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the Super Eagles for their impressive performance in the 4–0 victory over Benin Republic, praising the team for keeping Nigeria’s qualification hopes for the 2026 FIFA World Cup alive.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Adebayo Onanuga, the President lauded the players for their “hunger, passion, and determination” during the crucial qualifier in Uyo, describing their display as one that has “reignited Nigerians’ football pride.”
“While the job is not yet complete, I join millions of Nigerian football fans in wishing our team every success in the playoffs,” Tinubu said. “The mood across the country reflects a shared belief that Nigeria deserves a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Canada, Mexico, and the United States will host.”
Reaffirming the government’s backing, President Tinubu assured the players and coaching crew of full Federal Government support as they prepare for the decisive play-off stage.
“Nigerians everywhere believe in you, and I do too,” he said. “We look forward to seeing you fly our flag proudly on the world stage.”
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The Organizing Committee of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 has announced a strong start to ticket sales, confirming that 58,000 tickets had been sold as of Tuesday at 5:00 p.m.
According to an official update, the enthusiasm for the continental showpiece has also been reflected on the Yalla App, where 145,731 applications have been received so far. In addition, a total of 121,924 FAN IDs have been issued, including 31,058 belonging to foreign nationals representing 108 countries around the world.
In response to the overwhelming demand, the committee disclosed that technical teams are working round the clock to enhance the ticketing and FAN ID systems to ensure smooth processing for fans.
To assist applicants and ensure better communication, the organizers have provided a dedicated customer service line: +212 5 30 30 20 30. The hotline operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in Arabic, English, and French, and is staffed by over 600 agents trained to respond to inquiries and provide user support.
Fans can also reach the support team via email at info@yallamorocco.ma.
The Organizing Committee expressed gratitude to supporters, media representatives, delegations, and partners for their enthusiasm and reaffirmed its commitment to delivering a seamless and memorable experience for all stakeholders during AFCON Morocco 2025.
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Ticket sales for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 will officially open on Monday, 13 October 2025, with an exclusive 48-hour pre-sale window reserved for Visa cardholders, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced.
Fans across Africa and around the world will be able to secure their seats for what promises to be the continent’s biggest football spectacle, which will run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
The special Visa pre-sale period will run from Monday, 13 October at 09:00 Moroccan time (08:00 GMT) until Wednesday, 15 October at 08:00 GMT, before general ticket sales open to all fans using other payment methods.
To streamline ticket purchases and enhance security, the Local Organizing Committee has launched the YALLA App, an integrated digital platform for fans to obtain their Fan ID — a mandatory requirement for buying tickets — and apply for E-Visas (AEVM) where necessary.
According to organizers, each registered Fan ID allows supporters to buy only one ticket per match, ensuring wider access and transparency in ticket distribution.
The process for obtaining tickets is straightforward:
- Download the YALLA App, available on Google Play and the App Store.
- Apply for a Fan ID and E-Visa (if required) through the app.
- Once approved, Visa cardholders can visit tickets.cafonline.com starting from Monday, 13 October at 09:00 Moroccan time (08:00 GMT) to purchase their AFCON 2025 tickets.
The 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco is expected to deliver a festival of football and culture, with fans urged to complete their Fan ID registration early to avoid last-minute rushes.
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