AFCON
Nigeria’s soft underbelly exposed ahead of AFCON
There are worrying signs for Jose Peseiro and his band of Super Eagles looking to claim a fourth Africa Cup of Nations title — after Nigeria Football Federation had announced that ambitious objective in a national campaign with the tag line “Let’s Do It Again”.
Months ago, the Super Eagles drew 2-2 with Saudi Arabia, when the goals conceded both resulted from goalkeeping mistakes, and one is left to ask how much longer the team can afford errors in the defensive third.
“Let’s Do It Again”, according to an NFF statement, was adopted before the 6-0 deconstruction of São Tomé e Principe in the last game of Nigeria’s 2023 AFCON qualifying campaign.
The players all wore T-shirts with the inscription in their warm ups ahead of the fixtures vs. Saudi Arabia and Mozambique, and the team’s social media handles have used it as a hashtag.
This is a SMART goal for a team like Nigeria, not only because they have won the continental trophy three times — in 1980, 1994 and 2013 — but also because they possess some of Africa’s most fearsome attacking talent in Victor Osimhen, Victor Boniface, Taiwo Awoniyi, Moffi, Gift Orban, and others.
Having that firepower is only part of the equation, however; supplying the ammunition is another, and keeping the rearguard safe and secure is a different conversation entirely. At the end of this international break, it is clear that, for all the talent the Super Eagles have, the holes in the team bear comparison with Challenger Deep.
Let’s start with the obvious.
Since Vincent Enyeama’s departure, and the short-lived tenure of Carl Ikeme, Nigeria have struggled to find a goalkeeper to fill his shoes.
To illustrate the extent of the problem, Nigeria selected just three major goalkeepers between 2002, when Enyeama made his debut, and 2015, when he was unceremoniously forced to retire; Austin Ejide and Dele Aiyenugba were the other goalkeepers with significant playing minutes in that 13-year span.
Enyeama was the undisputed first choice, and he kept goal the majority of the time. Ejide was the clear deputy, except for a short time during the 2008 Nations Cup, when Enyeama fell out with then coach Berti Vogts for non-football reasons and was relegated to third choice, with Aiyenugba promoted.
In the past eight years however, Nigeria have fielded Ikeme, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Daniel Akpeyi, Dele Alampasu, Uzoho, Dele Ajiboye, Maduka Okoye and Adebayo Adeleye in goal.
Where the Super Eagles had essentially one goalkeeper for 13 years, they now average one every year. Still the problems persist. Uzoho’s mistake during 2021 AFCON qualifying saw him lose the spot to Okoye, who then proceeded to make the howler that saw highly fancied Nigeria eliminated by Tunisia in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Uzoho was reinstated, only to make the error that cost Nigeria the World Cup ticket against rivals Ghana.
Reinstated again after a brief interlude when Adeleye was selected, Uzoho returned for the AFCON qualifiers and these friendlies, and all hell broke loose. Of the four goals conceded by the Super Eagles in the friendlies, three resulted from Uzoho’s mistakes. A particularly egregious mistake resulted in the opening goal by Saudi Arabia, as he redirected a routine free kick into his own net.
He conceded the other goal by Saudi from another weak free kick; that took a slight deflection but still it could have been saved.
Former defender Mobi Oparaku, who won Olympic gold with Nigeria and played at the 1998 World Cup, said the Super Eagles could not win the Nations Cup with Uzoho in goal
“You can’t rely on a goalkeeper who makes basic errors to win a tournament like the AFCON,” Oparaku told OwnGoalNigeria.
“Uzoho hasn’t improved from 2018 when he made his debut. Goalkeepers get better with more games and exposure but his case is different. He is regressing… with him in goal, it will be hard if not impossible for Nigeria to win the AFCON next year.”
Peseiro’s first act after taking up as Nigeria coach in 2022 was to defend Uzoho’s World Cup qualifying mistake, and he was forced to back his goalkeepers again after a torrent of backlash following the game against Saudi Arabia.
“When I arrived here, I remember I was told to change the goalkeeper,” Peseiro said in his post-match remarks.
“I spoke with all of [the goalkeepers], and no one feels comfortable because everybody attacks them.
“I like our players. When they make mistakes, it is my responsibility. The goalkeepers never play freely or calmly because of the people. I don’t know why they attack the goalkeepers every time.
“Why don’t they attack the strikers when they lose the ball or miss a goal, why? They could make mistakes. It is my responsibility. Next time, I need to train him better.”
That training either did not happen, was not enough, or just did effect improvement against Mozambique, and the nerves that Peseiro detailed were on display as Uzoho conceded two more avoidable goals.
It is hard to see Uzoho getting another opportunity, but the alternatives, barely three months ahead of the tournament, are bottom-of-the-barrel thin.
Okoye has not kept goal at all this season, since joining Udinese from Watford, where he endured a similar fate, and his confidence appears even more shot than Uzoho’s.
Adebayo appears to be the only other option. And he has his limitations, playing in Israel where he has let in nine goals and failed to keep a clean sheet in five appearances for Hapoel Jerusalem; additionally, he has made only one international appearance.
Goalkeeping is clearly Nigeria’s soft underbelly, one that opponents will look to exploit.
But that is not all.
Peseiro still has not found a settled centre-back partnership, and he started two combinations in the latest internationals. Jordan Torunarigha made his debut against Mozambique and looked like he could be a good prospect in future partnership with Calvin Bassey, but that is not exactly world class.
Nigeria’s defending of free kicks, and even delivery of their own set pieces, had Peseiro vey unhappy after the game against Mozambique, who scored their second goal after having a player sent off.
“We played better than this team,” he said in his post-match remarks. “But our players were thinking it was easy playing against 10. Our corners, nothing. We didn’t win one ball in the corner kicks. My players need to understand, I am not happy with this result.”
Nigeria scored five goals in two games, but Peseiro was also unhappy about their inability to convert the majority of their opportunities.
“I think we deserved much more. We cannot allow this team with 10 [players] to score. Our team is better than this team. We managed the ball well but we need concentration for good finishing, for good passes, good crosses. I didnt like that. Today, we could have scored three, five, seven, eight goals. We created many opportunities.”
The good news is that Nigeria have quality and depth among their full backs: Bright Osayi-Samuel continues to be a gem at right back, and Bruno Onyemaechi performed well in the friendlies.
Further cause for joy for Peseiro can be found in midfield, where Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi give reason for optimism: Ndidi has been encouraged to explore his offensive talents at Leicester City this season, while Iwobi has had his defensive edges honed at Everton; combined, their new skills make them a much tougher and effective proposition. The addition of Onyeka’s steel and long-range shooting, with back up from Joe Aribo and Raphael Onyedika, should be music to Peseiro’s ears.
Nigeria’s five goals in this international break, added to the six they put past São Tomé e Principe, proves the Super Eagles firepower, and opponents in Cote d’Ivoire next year will do well to be wary of them.
Boniface was the clear revelation of this international break. His power, strength and excellent foot skills place him as a highly effective counterfoil to Osimhen, and exactly the kind of striker defenders hate to face.
But in the end, as the saying goes, attack wins games but defense wins championships; and Nigeria’s defence is far from being championship quality at this time.
The silver lining is that they have a little more time to work on it; the dark cloud is that even that may not be quite enough.
-Colin Udoh, ESPN
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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Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe has praised Morocco’s King Mohammed VI for what he described as a powerful gesture of unity and reconciliation following the royal pardon granted to Senegalese supporters convicted over offences linked to the final match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
In a statement released on Saturday, Motsepe expressed deep appreciation on behalf of CAF’s 54 member associations, hailing the Moroccan monarch’s decision as a demonstration of football’s ability to foster peace and solidarity across the continent.
“I would like to express our deep gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, for granting His Royal Pardon to the Senegalese supporters convicted of offences relating to the final match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025,” Motsepe stated.
The CAF president said the pardon reflected Morocco’s enduring commitment to African unity and highlighted football’s growing role as a bridge between nations and cultures.
“CAF has consistently emphasised its commitment to utilise football to contribute to uniting our people from different racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds,” he said.
“The pardon by His Majesty King Mohammed VI is an uplifting and motivating illustration of the power of football to unite and bring our people together in Africa and worldwide.”
Motsepe also revealed that during recent visits to both Morocco and Senegal, he had been struck by the deep historical and cultural bonds shared by the two countries.
“I was amazed and impressed when I was briefed about the historic and extensive ties between the people of Senegal and Morocco,” he added.
The statement further reinforced Morocco’s rising influence within African football, especially after successfully hosting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and positioning itself as one of Africa’s leading football destinations ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
Motsepe also extended CAF’s best wishes to Africa’s representatives at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, expressing confidence that the continent’s teams would perform strongly on the global stage.
Among the African nations mentioned were Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Ghana, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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