AFCON
Cape Verde Beat Ghana To Continue Day Of Shocks At Cup Of Nations –
Garry Rodrigues scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner as the Cape Verde Islands beat four-time champions Ghana 2-1 in Group B to continue Sunday’s sequence of surprise results at the Africa Cup of Nations finals.
It was the third match of the day in Abidjan and followed Nigeria’s draw with Equatorial Guinea in Group A while Egypt needed a last-gasp penalty to draw with Mozambique in the opening Group B match at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium.
Cape Verde went ahead in the 17th minute when Dutch-born Rodrigues’s shot was parried by Ghana goalkeeper Richard Ofori, falling for Jamiro Monteiro to tuck away from close range.
Ghana thought they had equalised 10 minutes before halftime when Majeed Ashimeru struck a powerful shot into the net from outside Cape Verde’s penalty area.
But after a VAR check it was disallowed because Ransford Konigsdorffer, in an offside position, was deemed to be interfering by being in the goalkeeper’s line of sight.
Konigsdorffer was making his way back after inadvertently striking the upright when a punched clearance from Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha hit him flush on and cannoned back towards goal.
Ghana did find parity 11 minutes into the second half with Alexander Djiku heading home from Jordan Ayew’s corner, bending down to get his head to the ball as the islanders’ defence failed to clear an innocuous delivery.
The Black Stars might well have gone ahead with Joseph Paintsil narrowly missing out at the back post after being teed up by Antoine Semenyo.
But after that chances repeatedly fell Cape Verde’s way.
Djiku made a goal-line clearance to deny Bebe 20 minutes from time while Rodrigues was twice denied in the last 10 minutes.
The breakthrough came in stoppage time after Mohammed Salisu failed to clear and a clever touch from debutant substitute Gilson Benchimol took it past Ofori and into Rodrigues’s path.
Ghana veteran Dede Ayew came on with 28 minutes left to mark his participation in his eighth Cup of Nations tournament, equalling the record held by Cameroon’s Rigobert Song and Egyptian Ahmed Hassan.
The earlier Group B game saw Mohamed Salah convert a stoppage-time penalty to spare Egypt’s blushes in a 2-2 draw with Mozambique, playing at their first finals since 2010.
Ghana meet Egypt next on Thursday while Cape Verde take on Mozambique on Friday, both at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium.
-Reuter
Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe would welcome an investigation into corruption at the organisation, saying they have nothing to hide following a meeting with Senegalese officials in Dakar on Wednesday.
Senegal’s government last month demanded an investigation into corruption after the country was stripped of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title by the CAF Appeal Board, and the trophy was awarded to the final opponents, Morocco.
It follows unruly scenes in the January 18 decider in Rabat that Senegal won 1-0, but during which they left the field for several minutes in protest at a late refereeing decision.
Motsepe met with officials from the Senegalese Football Federation and Senegal president Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Wednesday, where he urged unity following the fallout from the final. He will be in Morocco on Thursday for a similar set of meetings.
“I would welcome any investigation into corruption at CAF, be it by a government or any institution,” Motsepe told reporters. “In fact, I would encourage it. We will give them our full cooperation.
“I have been told there were problems in the past and we intervened. It is not just in football, but in business and politics too. We cannot give our children the perception that if you want to succeed in life, be corrupt. There has to be zero tolerance (for corruption).
“That’s the best gift we can give football in Africa. Not just talking about corruption, but intervene, put the necessary laws in place) and implement them.”
Motsepe would not be drawn on the matter between Senegal and Morocco, which is now before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“There is nothing I can tell you that I haven’t said already 10, 15, 20 times. You can ask me the same question 100 times, I’ll give you the same answer 100 times. I have an obligation to respect that the matter is now in front of the highest (sports) court in the world.”
Motsepe quashed any suggestion that Morocco had been treated favourably in the appeal process.
“Under no circumstances will any single country in Africa be treated more preferentially or more favourably than any other. That will never happen,” he said.
“We are confident we will come out of these challenges more united amongst the 54 nations in Africa.”
-Reuters
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By Kunle Solaja.
Patrice Motsepe has intensified his diplomatic shuttle across African football corridors with a crucial visit to Morocco scheduled for Thursday, as the fallout from the controversial AFCON 2025 Final continues to reverberate across the continent.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed that Motsepe will meet with Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF), alongside other key stakeholders within Morocco’s football ecosystem.
Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF)
The high-level engagement in Rabat comes barely 24 hours after Motsepe’s crisis-management visit to Senegal, underlining CAF’s urgency in addressing the tensions and conflicting reports that have trailed the AFCON final.
Thursday’s meeting is expected to focus on fact-finding, reconciliation, and institutional alignment following the chaotic circumstances that marred the tournament’s climax. The Moroccan FA has been central to the unfolding controversy, with administrative and refereeing decisions from the final still under scrutiny.
CAF disclosed that the visit will conclude with a press conference in Rabat at 17:00 local time (16:00 GMT), where Motsepe is expected to address the media and possibly provide updates on CAF’s ongoing review of the final.
While details of the agenda remain closely guarded, the visit signals a continuation of Motsepe’s hands-on approach to crisis resolution, engaging directly with national federations in a bid to preserve the integrity of African football competitions.
CAF and the FRMF have indicated that further details regarding the outcomes of the visit will be communicated in due course, as stakeholders across the continent await clarity on one of the most contentious finals in recent AFCON history.
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CAF President Patrice Motsepe is set to visit Senegal on Wednesday for high-level talks with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and the leadership of the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football, in what is widely seen as a crucial diplomatic move amid lingering controversy over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Final.
The visit comes against the backdrop of the chaotic and disputed AFCON 2025 final in Rabat, a match marred by heavy rainfall, administrative confusion, and conflicting official reports from within CAF and its committees.
The uncertainty surrounding the outcome of that final has cast a shadow over African football governance, prompting urgent calls for clarity and institutional accountability.
Sources indicate that Motsepe’s meeting with President Faye will extend beyond routine courtesy, touching on broader issues of football governance, tournament integrity, and the role of national associations in safeguarding the credibility of continental competitions.
Senegal, a major stakeholder in African football and one of the continent’s most influential football nations, is expected to play a key role in shaping the narrative going forward.
Motsepe will also hold discussions with Abdoulaye Fall, focusing on collaboration between CAF and its member associations, as well as mechanisms to prevent a recurrence of the controversies that plagued the AFCON final.
While CAF has yet to officially outline the agenda, observers believe the visit signals an attempt by the continental body to consolidate support among key football nations and manage the fallout from the final’s unresolved issues.
The optics of engaging directly with political leadership further underline the seriousness of the situation.
CAF and the Senegalese Football Federation have both stated that more details regarding the visit will be released in due course, leaving stakeholders across the continent watching closely for signals on how African football’s governing body intends to restore confidence in its competitions.
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