AFCON
Moroccans can host CAN 2025
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Coupe d’Afrique des nations (CAN) is what the Moroccans call the Africa Cup of Nations.
The kingdom has put up more interest in hosting the competition than any other bidding country has done, even as CAF has indefinitely and quietly shifted the announcement of the host for the competition that is expected to return to the original odd year calendar.
In terms of facility and infrastructure as well as generation of public interest in the continental prime sports competition, no bidding nation has done as much as Morocco have done.
The North African kingdom has been the ultimate destination for the hosting of top-notch sporting events, especially football. Most African countries without approved arenas have found the kingdom the ultimate destination as there are facilities are always on ready mode.
Within few weeks last December of being designated as hosts of the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup, Morocco hosted one of the seamless tournaments in which all participating clubs felt at home.
Carlo Ancelotti, the Real Madrid coach also commended the atmosphere occasioned in Morocco.
“We have had a fantastic atmosphere. The people and the fans have respected us. We are delighted to be here. We leave very happy”, remarked the famous Italian coach who achieved his ninth title with Real Madrid.
It was the third time that Morocco played host to the elite club competition. In the period of the last Club World Cup, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) also played hosts to over 150 journalists across Africa.
They stayed for 10 days.
“We saw how the Club World Cup was perfectly organised, while Morocco only had a month to prepare. If the Kingdom managed all that in such a short time, it means that they can still do more if allowed to organize a CAN in 2025”, declared Wahany Johnson Sambou, a Senegalese journalist correspondent for Africanews in Senegal.
He adds that “everyone was amazed by what we saw here. We were able to see the six stadiums approved by CAF and FIFA.
Another Senegalese journalist, Mouhamed Coulibaly, living in Morocco as a freelance since 2019 spoke in similar vein.
“I had the chance to visit several sports facilities in Morocco in the cities of Tangier, Casablanca, Maâmora (Salé), Rabat, Marrakech, El Jadida, Agadir, among others. From what I have seen, Morocco is even capable of organizing a World Cup”, he remarked.
He sees as an advantage, the fact that Morocco has been a home to many teams outside the kingdom.
Next month, Guinea Bissau will host Nigeria in Agadir in one of the qualifiers for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. It was at the same Grand Stade d’Agadir that the Nigeria Super Eagles last year had their famous 10-0 defeat of Sao Tome and Principe.
Within the same March 2023, a near feast of African football will be holding in Morocco. Six countries will converge in Morocco for part of the qualifiers of the 2023 edition
It is the biggest assembly for the qualifiers. Those to play in Morocco are Guinea Bissau, Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso, Gambia and Mali.
Information from the Morocco’s Royal Football Federation (FRMF) has it that the federation has approved African football federations’ request to host AFCON 2024 qualifying matches in Morocco.
“In response to a request from a number of African football federations, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation agreed to host three matches in Morocco in March” as a part of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, the FRMF said in a statement
This is in addition to Morocco playing a friendly match with Brazil in Tangier as their original Africa Cup of Nations’ qualifying fixture with Zimbabwe has been cancelled owing to the disqualification of the latter occasioned by FIFA ban.
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
The goalless outing of Rwanda and Nigeria in Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations’ qualifying match has thrown up some lessons, according to New Times, the leading newspaper in Rwanda.
New Times reckons that both teams put up a great show as Amavubi showed their pedigree against one of the giants in African football. It then pointed out the five elements that shaped the game.
Amavubi played with total confidence
No African country comes close to Nigeria in terms of “big players” country. Almost all their players are playing for top clubs in Europe’s top leagues but that did not deter Frank Spittler’s men.
They played with total confidence and self-belief. At a point in the game, Rwanda and APR FC left-back Claude Niyomugabo was mesmerizing former Chelsea and Lazio player Ola Aina who is now with Nottingham forest to the point that he was booked his jersey when he couldn’t match his pace.
Confidence among Rwandan players was high and it helped them to get goalless draw results.
Bizimana, the midfield controller
The Amavubi skipper pocketed Nigerian midfield led by Wilfred Ndidi. He run a one-man show in the middle of the pitch as he was unplayable.
His passes and tackles were superb. He track-backed several times as deep as his own penalty box to win balls.
Lookman’s danger left Rwandan defense shaking
Victor Osimhen is arguably Nigeria’s star man but it is clear that Ademola Lookman is the most dangerous player in the team.
He could hold on the ball, dribble, shoot and pass. The Atalanta winger was the best player for the visitors as he gave Amavubi a tough time before being substituted in the 89th minute for Taiwo Awoniyi.
Amavubi’s attacking problem
“The only problem with my team is in attack. You could see the difference between my attackers and the Nigerian attackers but that is what we have now. Maybe it is the Nigerian attackers who should have played against the Nigerian defenders. We created some chances but couldn’t score.”
These were some of the comments made by Amavubi head coach Torsten Spittler in the post-match press conference.
Rwanda looked solid both at the back and in midfield but the likes of Innocent Nshuti and Gilbert Mugisha weren’t up to the task in attack.
They wasted three good chances that could have resulted in goals.
Goal scoring is a problem for Amavubi and Spittler is ready to find an antidote. The German gaffer was, however, happy that his team was able to create chances which is a sign of improvement.
Fiacre Ntwari’s heroics
The Amavubi shot stopper was the hero of the day for Rwanda, and he has showed why he is among the best goalkeepers in Africa now.
Against a rampaging Nigerian attack of Victor Boniface, Osimhen, Lookman, Awoniyi and Samuel Chukwueze among others, Ntwari pulled as many as nine superb saves to keep his side in the game.
The Kaizer Chiefs shot stopper was very cool in the posts as he prevented the Nigerian attackers from scoring.
Ntwari, is gradually carving a niche for himself and he is proving to be a key component of the Amavubi set up.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has clarified the position of interim manager of the Super Eagles, Austin Eguavoen. “He is still in charge”, the NFF Head of Communications, Ademola Olajire told Sports Village Square, this Wednesday.
Austin Eguavoen who is the Technical Director at the NFF was drafted to handle the Super Eagles when the negotiation with Germany’s Bruno Labbadia broke down. Eguavoen, a former Super Eagles player and later coach was drafted to rescue the situation.
It was claimed that having executed the Super Eagles’ immediate assignments, his job was done. But the NFF spokesman has clarified that nothing has changed from the initial announcement concerning Eguavoen.
“He remains with the team and his is an employee of the NFF which has drafted him to the Super Eagles. He remains there until the federation takes another decision.
“He was surprised when we landed from our Kigali trip and I showed the trending news on the social media.”
The Super Eagles’ next assignment will be on MatchDay 3 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers next month when the team hosts Libya in Uyo.
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