AFCON
Super Eagles’ On-field Skipper, Ekong Calls For Total Support Ahead Of Crunchy Encounter With Cote D’Ivoire –
Nigeria’s playing body has long concluded a diagnosis of Sunday’s 1-1 draw with neighbours Equatorial Guinea and looking very much forward to what they believe will be an ‘interesting encounter’ with host nation Cote d’Ivoire at the 34th Africa Cup of Nations on Thursday.
The table-topping Elephants, two-time champions of the continental competition, will look to book an early Round of 16 ticket by defeating Nigeria at the newly-built Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Ebimpe, while three-time champions and podium appearance-leaders Nigeria, joint-second on the group A log, are determined to wrestle all the points and enhance their prospects of a slot in the knockout rounds.
Defender William Ekong, who led out the squad on Sunday, has appealed to Nigerians from all walks of life to keep supporting the team as they seek for all three points against the hosts on their own turf on Thursday evening.
“We went all out to pick the three points against Equatorial Guinea, but it didn’t happen. We live to fight another day. From our side, we are appealing to Nigerians from all over the world to keep supporting and believing in the team. Our objective is to first reach the knockout rounds and then we push strongly from there.”
Nigeria created opportunity after opportunity against the Thunder, but poor finishing ensured a 1-1 draw and share of the spoils on Sunday afternoon.
Coach José Peseiro has been provided with options in the fore with the arrivals of Kelechi Iheanacho and Terem Moffi, and the camp believes strongly that the team that scored 22 goals in qualifying (more than any other team in the series) could start firing better on Sunday.
“We expect a tough game because the Ivorians are the hosts and they are also top of our group. But we have our aspirations as well and we believe in ourselves,” defender Kenneth Omeruo said on Monday.
Half of the squad spent Monday morning in the gym before the evening training session, which was open to the media.
The stature of Thursday’s encounter has been enhanced by current realities around the two teams, but it was always going to be a game to behold since the draw was made, as matches between both countries at senior level have been furious and feisty on the terrain, and even outside it.
Both countries first clashed at the Africa Cup of Nations when Nigeria hosted in 1980. The encounter at the National Stadium, Surulere ended scoreless, and it was Nigeria’s second game (as it will be on Thursday) of the tournament. The Eagles had to defeat Egypt in their third match to qualify for the semi finals (in which they pipped Morocco 1-0) to make progress, and eventually win the trophy for the first time.
Ten years later, both countries again clashed in the group phase, with Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory) scoring the match’s only goal after just three minutes in Annaba. The Eagles eventually made it to the Final, losing 0-1 to the host nation, Algeria.
In 1994, both teams clashed in the semi-finals at the Stade El Menzah in Tunis.
It ended in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw, with petite Michel Bassole scoring for the Ivorians and Yekini and Benedict Iroha netting for Nigeria.
Yekini scored the winning penalty for the Eagles, and Nigeria notched her second crown by defeating Zambia 2-1 in the Final
In 2006, both teams met in the semi-finals in Alexandria, with the Ivorians running away 1-0 winners. Two years later, the Ivorians were again 1-0 winners after Salomon Kalou scored the only goal in a group phase encounter in the Ghanaian city of Sekondi.
In 2013, on their way to a third triumph, the Eagles edged the Elephants 2-1 in a quarter-final like no other at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg. Emmanuel Emenike and Sunday Mba scored for Nigeria.
In-between, there have been FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures, the most memorable of which remain the two matches between both teams in the race to USA 1994.
In Abidjan on 2nd May, 1993, Yekini scored after only five minutes, but Abdoulaye Traore and Ibrahim Ouattara got the goals that gave the Elephants victory at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny. In Lagos four months later, goals by Yekini (a brace), Daniel Amokachi and Thompson Oliha handed Nigeria a 4-1 win. The Eagles went ahead to qualify for their first-ever FIFA World Cup finals.
Confederation of African Football (CAF) has now released the full fixtures of the qualifying series for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The fixtures for the Nigerian team is almost in the same pattern with that of the 2026 World Cup qualification which has seen the Super Eagles wobbling.
Like that of the World Cup, the Super Eagles will begin their quest for qualifcation for AFCON with a home game in Uyo as they will host Benin Republic.
As it was in the World Cup, they will then head to Rwanda. Last November, their second match was played in Rwanda which hosted Zimbabwe home match. This time the Super Eagles will be facing Rwanda, the same team they will meet when the World Cup qualification series resume in March next year.
On Match Day 3, the Super Eagles will host Libya and will have the reverse fixture immediately after that of Match Day 3.
Later they travel to Benin for Match Day 5 before hosting Rwanda on the last match day.
The Fixtures
- September 2 – Nigeria vs Benin Republic; Libya vs Rwanda
- September 6 – Rwanda vs Nigeria; Benin Republic vs Libya
- October 11 – Nigeria vs Libya; Benin Republic vs Rwanda
- October 16 – Libya vs Nigeria; Rwanda vs Benin Republic
- November 11 – Benin Republic vs Nigeria; Rwanda vs Libya
- November 15 – Nigeria vs Rwanda; Libya vs Benin Republic
The top two teams qualify for AFCON 2025
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Former Nigeria manager, Gernot Rohr now handling Benin Republic has warned The Cheetahs of Benin not to expect an easy match when the team meet Rwanda and Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers later this month.
Last month, he led his team to defeat both Rwanda and Nigeria in World Cup qualifying duels in Abidjan, where Benin Republic are compelled to play their home matches following inadequate facilities at home.
Benin’s 1-0 defeat of Rwanda was Rohr’s first victory with the team. Days later, he followed up with a 2-1 defeat of Nigeria, the first Benin Republic victory in over 65 years.
Those wins have put Benin in the frame of possible qualification for the World Cup. They are now to meet Nigeria and Rwanda again in World Cup qualifiers.
It won’t be easy, remarked Rohr. Hear the Franco-German as he spoke in French but translated into English for the Sports Village Square: “From September we will play against Nigeria before facing Libya and Rwanda.
“These are three difficult opponents. We had already played Rwanda and Nigeria but be careful, it’s not because we won Rwanda and Nigeria that it will be easy matches.
“ We know that it is possible to achieve good performances again. We know that Nigeria with its great players will want to take revenge against us.
“ I think it will probably be an interesting match in Uyo before continuing against Libya. I suppose in Abidjan because in September the Mathieu Kerekou friendship stadium will not be ready.
“Everything will be decided in three months in September, October and November. It’s a difficult group but it’s playable.
“You have to finish in the top two. We had a team that is becoming solid, where the players are like brothers, accomplices. I hope we will recover the players who were absent. We are confident.”
The journey towards qualification to the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 shifted a gear higher on Thursday, after CAF officially conducted the draw of the qualifiers in Johannesburg South Africa.
A total of 48 nations will vie for the 24 places that will contests the 35th edition of Africa’s most prestigious competition.
This is what some of the coaches has to say in reaction to the draw outcomes.
Emerse Fae, Cote d’Ivoire coach
“I am satisfied because we are going to play against Zambia, a team that we know very well. In our last qualifying campaign, we lost against them. We know what mistakes to avoid.
“I am also satisfied because I did not want to have countries geographically far from Cote d’Ivoire which will lessen the travel load. That said, in Africa, there are no longer small teams. All the teams will want to challenge us because we are the reigning champions”
Leslie Notši
“The draw is very interesting because when you have the host in your group, it means they qualify automatically for the tournament, and you have to double your efforts to secure the remaining qualification spot which will be contested by the three other teams in the group.
“We will work very hard to see to it that we are competitive side and try as much as we can to get maximum points in matches against countries that are with us in our group. It will be very important to do well in our home games and I know all eyes will be on “Morocco as the hosts and a powerhouse in our group. We will draw inspiration from recent games where we played the likes of Nigeria as well as Cote d’voire and were able to frustrate them”
Amir Abdou, Mauritania Coach
“Quite a complicated draw. Egypt will be the big contender for qualification. They have a good track record that speaks volumes.
“Seven times African champions – that’s no small thing. We also have Cape Verde who eliminated us during the last AFCON.
“This team is made up of many quality players. We have Botswana, they are having a good qualifying campaign for the World Cup. We have a pretty strong group. It’s up to us to believe in ourselves. We will do everything we can to achieve our fourth participation in the AFCON”.
Kévin Nicaise, Chad coach
“We are already having the reigning African champions facing the last qualified team in the FIFA rankings. These will definitely be very difficult matches played at high intensity. We will fight to defend our nation’s pride. The group remains relatively open, and we will approach these qualifications with humility and ambition”.
Badou Zaki, Niger coach
“We have every chance of qualifying. For me, Ghana is a football country with a team that is blessed with great professionals. But this is not the team of 5 or 6 years ago. Even at home, they can lose.
“Angola had a good showing at the last AFCON with their beautiful, modern and fast football. It’s a team that shook up the big teams in Cote d’Ivoire.
“I know Sudan very well. They are first in their World Cup qualifying group. They are going to be dangerous, but we know our strengths and we know we can go far”
-CAF
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