AFCON
CAF fines Nigeria and Algeria for match-fixing –
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
On this day, 40 years ago Nigeria and Algeria played their last Group B match in the Africa Cup of Nations in Bouake, Cote d’Ivoire. It remains one of the most controversial matches in the tournament’s history.
Nigeria won just one match in the series and yet came back with a silver medal.
Nigeria and Algeria played spinelessly to end tie at 0-0 fuelling allegations that both teams had agreed on an accord to eliminate defending champions, Ghana.
With players just knocking the ball about in the midfield and strikers even refusing to aim at goal, opting to kick the ball back into their territory, no one was left in doubt about the intentions of the 22 players on the pitch.
The ticket holding spectators were enraged.
So dismaying was the play that the Guinean referee, Karim Camara issued a yellow card to skippers Stephen Keshi of Nigeria and Ali Feghani of Algeria. The gesture was actually a general caution to both teams for ‘unsporting’ behaviour.
After three hours of deliberation, CAF fined Algeria and Nigeria $6,000. At the time, it was initially a subject of speculations on whether both team conspired. Sports Village Square can confirm that there were strong elements indicating match fixing.
A member of the squad, now deceased during a social gathering actually confessed to be at the centre of the deal after a chance meeting with Algeria’s captain, Ali Feghani whom he had known before.
The deal: “Nigeria-Algeria play 0-0; Ghana, Malawi go home”. Weeks later, Henry Nwosu, a member of the Nigerian squad granted an interview to the evening newspaper of The Guardian, Guardian Express, confirming the conspiracy.
From Algeria later came another confirmation.
A former Algeria midfielder Mohammed Shoaib revealed there was a connivance to get the defending champions, Ghana eliminated.
Going into the last match, Ghana, defeated in the opening match by Nigeria, needed to beat Malawi in their last group match in addition to expecting Nigeria to be beaten by Algeria.
Nigeria needed a draw to advance to the semi-final along with Algeria.
The Algerians recalled their own fate in the World Cup two years earlier in what was globally called the ‘Gijon Swindle’. At the time, West Germany and Austria, neighbours conspired to eliminate Algeria in a Spain ‘82 duel at Gijon.
Owing to the the tiebreaker rules in the group stage, a West German win by one or two goals would ensure that both Austria and West Germany advanced to the next round. West Germany scored the only goal in the first 10 minutes of the match, which progressively deteriorated to a virtual standstill in the second half.
Despite widespread condemnation and a formal complaint lodged by Algeria who bore the consequences, FIFA did not take any action.
Later, an Austrian player Reinhold Hintermaier admitted the match was fixed. That is the reason why group stage now ensures that the final two games in each group would be played simultaneously.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Figuratively, Nigerians will have a feel of Morocco when the Super Eagles play their last Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification match in 20 days. Moroccan quartet of Samir Guezzaz, Zakaria Brinsi, Abdessamad Abertoune and Kech Chaf Mustapha have been assigned as officials for the Match Day 6 of the qualifying series in which Nigeria will engage Rwanda.
Samir Guezzaz will be the centre referee. He officiated Nigeria’s 2-0 loss to Mali earlier this year at the Stade de Marrakech in Morocco.
His compatriots Zakaria Brinsi, Abdessamad Abertoune and Kech Chaf Mustapha will serve as assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and fourth official respectively.
The match slated for 5pm will hold at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo.
Prosper Harrison Addo from Ghana will be the commissioner while Somalian Ali Mohamed Ahmed will be in the role of referee assessor.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
The Libyan national football team still received a reprieve when CAF announced its decision to cancel the Libya versus Nigeria Africa Cup of Nations qualifying duel that was to have been held on 15 October.
According to a Libyan outlet, Libya Akhba, the CAF Disciplinary Board recommended banning Libya from hosting three of their next home matches.
But CAF decided to cancel that penalty. Had the penalty not been cancelled, Libya would have to play their next three home matches on neutral ground.
The matches to be affected would have been their last 2025 Africa Cup qualifiers against Benin Republic on 18 November and their Group D match days 5 and 8 World Cup qualifiers against Angola on 17 March 2025 and Eswatini on 7 September 2025 respectively.
According to Libyan News Agency, WAL, the decision not to impose the three-match ban at home came after the intervention of Libya’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in the Libyan government, Abdel Hadi Al-Huwaij.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Senegalese referee Issa Sy has been handed the task of officiating next month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between Group D table toppers and second-placed Benin Republic at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan.
It is the second time that the 40-year-old will handle an African Cup qualifier that pitched the two countries.
He had earlier handled Nigeria’s 2-1 win over Benin in a 2021 AFCON qualifying game decided at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo in November 2019.
Last February he also handled Nigeria’s defeat of Angola at the semi-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations played at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan.
Incidentally, Sy will be returning with the same set of on-field officials of that AFCON duel. He is being supported by compatriots Djibril Camara and Nouha Bangoura as assistant referee 1 and assistant referee 2 respectively.
The fourth referee for the 14 November match is El Hadji Amadou Sy.
Rene Williams Sere of Cote d’Ivoire will be the match commissioner while Inacio Manuel Candido of Angola will be the referee assessor.
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