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Cote D’Ivoire Suffer The Most Humiliating Defeat By Any Afcon Host –

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Cote D’Ivoire Suffer The Most Humiliating Defeat By Any Afcon Host -

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Never in the 67 year history of the Africa Cup of Nation had a host team been so mercilessly beaten. Cote d’Ivoire as hosts were hoping to recover from their 1-0 loss to Nigeria when they face Equatorial Guinea.

They were annihilated by Equatorial Guinea who inflicted a crushing 4-0 defeat at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe. Emilio Nsue’s early lead for the Guineans, coupled with a classic free kick from Pablo Ganet and a fourth goal from Jannick Bulya, only intensified the embarrassment for the hosting team.

They now had to resort to  the use of ‘calculators’ and rely on other results to hope to remain in contention.

Some Ivorian players were in tears at the final whistle as they were loudly booed off by an angry partisan crowd at Alassane Ouattara Stadium after one of the biggest surprises in Afcon history.

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The Equatorial Guinea will face a third-placed side from Group C, D, or E in the last 16 on Sunday.

Their best performance at an Afcon tournament was reaching the semi-finals as hosts in 2015 but they finished above three-time champions Nigeria and the Ivorians, two-time winners, in an unexpected twist.

Ivory Coast will have to wait for the rest of the groups to finish to see if their three points and a goal difference of -3 is enough to sneak through to the knockout stages.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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AFCON

Remo Stars’ Franck Mawuena gets Togo’s call-up for AFCON

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Franck Mawuena who recently renewed his contract with Remo Stars has received a call-up to the Togolese squad for this week’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match.  He had previously featured in the Belgian League.

He was part of the Remo Stars squad that finished second in the Nigeria Premier league last season. He scored six goals.

Togo will be away to Algeria on Thursday before hosting the reversed fixture on 14 October.

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AFCON

Malawi’s Nkhakananga to referee Nigeria – Libya AFCON clash

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Referee Godfrey Philip Nkhakananga, of Malawian nationality, will be at the centre during Friday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and the Mediterranean Knights of Libya, at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo.

The Confederation of African Football has also appointed Nkhakananga’s compatriots, Clemence Kanduku and Joseph Nyauti as assistant referees 1 ad 2 respectively, while Botswanan Keabetswe Dintwa will serve as fourth official for the Matchday 3 clash starting at 5pm.

Munkaila Nassam Adam from Ghana will be the commissioner, while Issaka Boubacar from Niger and Mayowa Akingbemisilu will be in the roles of referee assessor and broadcast venue manager respectively.

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AFCON

Eguavoen unfolds Super Eagles’ squad for back-to-back duel with Libya

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Head Coach Augustine Eguavoen has called Captain William Ekong, rave-of-the-moment Ademola Lookman, in-form winger Moses Simon and 20 other players for this month’s home-and-away 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying battle with the Mediterranean Knights of Libya.

Wing-backs Olaoluwa Aina and Bruno Onyemaechi are included, as well as goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali and Maduka Okoya, defenders Oluwasemilogo Ajayi and Calvin Bassey, midfielders Wilfred Ndidi, Raphael Onyedika and Alex Iwobi, and forwards Taiwo Awoniyi, Victor Boniface and Samuel Chukwueze.

Reigning Africa Player of the Year Victor Osimhen is excluded on grounds of injury, just as South Africa-based centre-back Olisa Ndah, but defender Bright Osayi-Samuel makes his way back after missing the duels with Benin Republic and Rwanda last month, and in-form playmaker Chidera Ejuke returns to the fold after many moons.

Veteran forward Kelechi Iheanacho is also listed, as well as midfielders Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi and Frank Onyeka.

The Super Eagles will host the Mediterranean Knights at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday, 11th October, before flying to Benghazi to take on the Knights at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium, 19 kilometres away from Benghazi on Tuesday, 15th October.

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All the players are expected to report in Uyo on Monday, 7th October.

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Amas Obasogie (Fasil Kenema SC, Ethiopia)

Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Benjamin Tanimu (Crawley Town, England)

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio FC. Italy); Frank Onyeka (Augsburg FC, Germany); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)

Forwards: Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla FC, Spain); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Sevilla FC, Spain); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest, England)  

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