AFCON
‘Let’s do it again’ – Super Eagles on cusp of AFCON glory
BY DANLADI BAKO
The African Cup of Nations is upon us again, this time Cote d’Ivoire, two time winners are the hosts. Nigeria is gearing up to browbeat it’s was into the final and probably win the trophy not because of the strength of its preparation, quality friendly matches, pedigree of coaching crew but more because of the providence nature bestowed on us as a country by having a few top class players in the mould of Victor Osimhen and the rave of the German League Victor Boniface of Bayer Leverkusen.
But winning the African Cup of Nations or indeed major football tournaments go beyond the quality of players and coaches, it also tasks each country’s football administration cascading from the Sports Minister, his drive, personality, charisma, and his hold at the presidents office down to the aura of the Football Federation President to the tactical depth of the coaching crew and very importantly the commitment, passion, grit, energy technical ability and discipline of the players individually and collectively.
Another major factor in winning tournaments is the quality of the opposition. Today in Africa, the reigning champions are Senegal and also FIFA rankings put them ahead of Nigeria. Morocco is another country tipped to excel due to the sterling performance at Qatar 2022 World Cup where they got to the semi-final.
The host country Cote d’Ivoire is a contender simply because they have a legendary youth football culture spewing up such great legends of the past like Didier Drogba , Yaya Toure Omar Ben Sallah and Abdullahi Traore.
Among the contenders for every edition are six time winners Egypt. Not only have they entrenched a solid home-based club football culture, they have the best club-sides on the continent in Al Ahli, former Ahli National and Zamalek football club.
They have midwifed generations of legends like goalkeeper Ekramy Ahmad El-Shahat, Hossam Hussain and today One of Africa’s greatest export to the English Premier league, Mohamed Salah of Liverpool.
One cannot but also mention Algeria and Riyad Mahrez, South Africa and Percy Tau, three time winners Cameroon and Andre Onana along with Chuppa-Mouting of Bayern Munich.
Even with all these great players , no country is guaranteed of excelling without the tactical prowess of it’s coaches.
Here we are talking about the formation and style of play of the team. Gehnot Rohr when he was Eagles gaffer was accused of not being offensive enough in the teams play.
Peseiro has also been criticized for a weak defence and choice of sloppy, error-prone goalkeepers like Uzoho.
But with the abundance of talent we have today , how do we evolve a team that defends well , enforce a good defensive midfield wall and even without the mercurial skills of Jay Jay Okocha create defense splitting passes to feed Osimhen and Boniface.
For want of designing a winning team and strategy together with the coaching crew, I might suggest Nwabili of Chippa United in goal because the South African league tests you enough especially as a first team goalkeeper.
African Cup of Nations football is gritty, rough, and rigorous. Not sure Uzoho is that tough and rugged or if he can maintain optimal concentration throughout ninety minutes of African weather.
Ola Aina, Trust Ekong , Semi Ajayi and Zaid Sanusi hopefully are experienced and will do a good back four for me. Ndidi sits in front of the back four while Iwobi and Kelechi play as 8 and 10.
Of course the three attackers will be Chukwueze of AC Milan , Boniface of Leverkusen and African Footballer of the year Victor Osimhen leads the attack.
Tactically, the definitive transition from defence to attack is not only extremely key it is imperative and on the field of play, Ndidi and “senior man” Iheanacho must assume leadership on the pitch and service the attackers.
Having attended 12 AFCON tournaments and six FIFA World Cups between Spain ’82 and South Africa 2010, I guess one have acquired an intuition and sixth sense that guides one towards who are likely winners , contenders and the pretenders to the title.
I dare say countries like Cameroon , Cape Verde and Ghana might likely be surprise packages of the tournament despite not being top notch during qualifiers.
As a note of caution, I was in Cote d’Ivoire in 1984 when Super Eagles boasted of the likes of Stephen Keshi, Patrick Okala, Muda Lawal, Henry Nwosu and Cameroon knocked us out in the final with a star -studded team of Thomas Nkono, Stephen Tawtaw, Djonkep Bonaventure and Doumbe Lea.
We were overpowered by their stars. The reverse is the case today. We have the stars like Victor Osimhen and Wilfred Ndidi.
Can we overwhelm Morocco, Egypt, Senegal and the hosts Cote d’ Ivoire?
Are dollar issues and greed of officials going to affect and distract the team?
Is there luck associated with Presidents and Sports Ministers in our favour during tournaments?
In less than 14 days the games will begin in Abidjan then the real challenge will start. I dare say the success or failure of the Super Eagles will depend on not only the technical and tactical strategies on the pitch but the diplomacy, the politics, the administration and the positivity of all Nigerians to the team.
As we move to battle I love the new jerseys but the players must know that wearing that jersey means they carry the hopes, dreams and pride of 200 million Nigerians. One can only admonish them and say to them “Fly Super Eagles, fly”.
Dr Danladi Bako attended six FIFA World Cup and 12 AFCON Tournaments and was Chairman Sokoto State Football Association 2000 – 2003.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially opened the bidding process for countries interested in hosting the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2028, 2032 and 2036, with several member associations already submitting proposals.
CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe disclosed that the bidding exercise is progressing smoothly and described the level of interest from prospective hosts as encouraging.
“The bidding process is progressing very well, and numerous exciting bids have been submitted by potential host countries,” CAF said, adding that announcements on successful hosts will be made in due course.
Meanwhile, CAF confirmed that its 48th Ordinary General Assembly will be held in Abuja, Nigeria, on November 21, 2026.
The continental governing body expressed appreciation to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for their cooperation in preparations for the event.
CAF said the General Assembly is expected to attract football leaders from across the continent and will play a significant role in shaping policies aimed at accelerating the development and growth of African football.
The organisation added that the Abuja gathering is expected to be one of its most significant assemblies in recent years as CAF continues implementing reforms across competitions, infrastructure development, youth football and governance.
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By Kunle Solaja
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have taken the first step towards jointly hosting the 2032 Africa Cup of Nations after submitting an expression of interest to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The Nigerien Football Federation announced that CAF had accepted the joint declaration submitted by the three West African nations, marking the opening phase of the bidding process.
However, the acceptance of the expression of interest does not amount to an award of the hosting rights, as the countries must still undergo CAF’s comprehensive evaluation process before a final decision is made.
The three football federations unveiled their joint project following a meeting with CAF President Patrice Motsepe in the United States during the closing stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The proposed bid brings together the three members of the Alliance of Sahel States, reflecting their ambition to co-host one of Africa’s biggest sporting events and strengthen regional cooperation through football.
Earlier this month, CAF officially opened the bidding process for the 2028, 2032 and 2036 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, inviting all 54 member associations to submit expressions of interest. The continental governing body said all bids would be assessed based on strict technical, financial and legal criteria.
As the next stage of the process, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso must prepare a comprehensive bid dossier outlining the proposed host cities, stadiums, training facilities, transport infrastructure, accommodation capacity and security arrangements.
CAF has yet to announce the timetable for selecting the 2032 host nation(s) or reveal the full list of countries expected to compete for the hosting rights.
Should the joint bid eventually succeed, the tournament would return to Mali for the first time since it staged the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations. It would also mark a historic first for both Niger and Burkina Faso, neither of which has previously hosted the continent’s flagship football championship.
The bid underscores the growing trend of joint hosting arrangements for major football tournaments, allowing neighbouring countries to pool infrastructure and resources while expanding the reach of the competition across multiple nations.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, Brooklyn, NY
A document circulating widely on social media claiming that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has stripped Morocco of its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and declared Senegal champions appears to be fabricated, with official CAS records showing no evidence that a final ruling has been issued.
The claim emerged months after the Senegalese Football Federation appealed a decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to award Morocco a 3-0 victory in the controversial AFCON final. While Senegal’s appeal is genuine, the latest official information indicates that the case remains unresolved.
One of the clearest indications that the viral document is not authentic is its case number. The circulating image bears the reference CAS 2026/A/10857, whereas CAS officially confirmed that Senegal’s appeal was registered under CAS 2026/A/12295. Such a discrepancy would not be expected in a genuine final award.
The document also incorrectly identifies the dispute as being solely between the Senegalese Football Federation and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. CAS has officially stated that the appeal was lodged against both CAF and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, since the challenged decision originated from CAF’s Appeals Board.
The purported ruling further claims that CAS issued its verdict on June 10, 2026, accepting Senegal’s appeal, overturning CAF’s decision and restoring the result achieved on the field, effectively awarding the continental title to Senegal.
However, a review of CAS’s official communications reveals no statement, judgment or announcement issued on that date regarding the AFCON final dispute.
The latest public update from CAS remains the statement released on March 25, 2026, in which the court confirmed only that Senegal’s appeal had been registered and that an arbitration panel had been appointed. CAS also stated that it was too early to determine a hearing date or indicate when a final decision might be delivered.
In the same communication, CAS disclosed that Senegal had requested an extension to file its appeal brief until it received the full written reasons behind CAF’s ruling. The court also reiterated that arbitration proceedings remain confidential while ongoing.
That timeline directly contradicts the claims contained in the viral document.
Further doubts about the document’s authenticity stem from the fact that it does not appear in CAS’s official database of published decisions. The image circulating online also excludes CAF from the list of respondents and exists only as a low-quality graphic featuring signatures, stamps and an Arabic translation without any verifiable official source.
CAS typically publishes non-confidential rulings through its official database or recent decisions section. No ruling relating to the AFCON final dispute has been published.
Until CAS announces otherwise, CAF’s Appeals Board decision remains the only valid and enforceable ruling in the matter.
On March 17, 2026, CAF’s Appeals Board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the AFCON final after its players left the field during the match. Invoking Articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations, the board awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory, overturned an earlier disciplinary decision and upheld Morocco’s protest.
Senegal subsequently challenged that ruling before CAS, but the appeal has yet to produce a publicly announced outcome.
As things stand, there is no official evidence that CAS has revoked Morocco’s AFCON 2025 title or declared Senegal champions. Unless and until the Lausanne-based court issues a formal decision, CAF’s ruling remains in force, making the viral document misleading and highly likely to be fake.
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