AFCON
Faé who piloted Cote d’Ivoire to beat Super Eagles at 2023 Afcon final is set to decide Nigeria’s path in 2025 qualifiers
Emerse Faé again! He was part of the French team that beat Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets at the 2001 U-17 World Cup final match. He master-minded the Super Eagles defeat at the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 final match.
He is set to hunt the Super Eagles again. He has been handed the role of Draw Assistant in Thursday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations’ qualifying competition draw. Figuratively, the Super Eagles’ fate is in his hands.
He is expected to arrive in South Africa on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s Draw for the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Qualifiers Draw.
He will be one of the Draw Assistants for the draw. Nigeria Super Eagles go into the draw pots without any coach, or even one in view.
The Qualifiers Draw will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa on Thursday 4 July 2024 at 14h30 local time and 1.30 pm in Nigeria)
Faé etched his name in the history books of Ivorian football in February, when he guided the Elephants to continental glory after an initial set back, which saw him take over the reins in an interim position from the knockout stages to the final.
The 40-year-old masterminded one of football’s most dramatic turnaround stories, guiding Cote d’Ivoire to their third African title through series of nail-biting encounters, which culminated in the final against Nigeria, which they won.
He was subsequently named substantive coach, allowing him to chart a new path in a career that barely took off months ago.
Faé is living the dream he’s always wanted. As a professional player, his career was cut short by injuries. He played at French club Nantes, where he spent the majority of his career between 2003 and 2007.
From 2007 to 2009, he played for Reading FC before finishing his career at OGC Nice, where he stayed between 2009 and 2012. He retired on February 1, 2012, at just 28 years old.
Faé’s coaching career started with the U19 team at French club Nice in 2012, where he learnt the ropes until 2021 before taking charge of the reserve team at Clermont Foot 63.
In 2022, he became Jean-Louis Gasset’s assistant for the Elephants, only to replace him after the latter was given the sack in the middle of a tumultuous AFCON start.
The Qualifiers draw will herald what promises to be another exciting start to a successful AFCON after the historic one in Cote d’Ivoire, which got the world talking.
The Qualified Nations for the Qualifiers Draw:
Morocco (hosts), Cote d’Ivoire, Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, DR Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Ticket sales for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 will officially open on Monday, 13 October 2025, with an exclusive 48-hour pre-sale window reserved for Visa cardholders, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced.
Fans across Africa and around the world will be able to secure their seats for what promises to be the continent’s biggest football spectacle, which will run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
The special Visa pre-sale period will run from Monday, 13 October at 09:00 Moroccan time (08:00 GMT) until Wednesday, 15 October at 08:00 GMT, before general ticket sales open to all fans using other payment methods.
To streamline ticket purchases and enhance security, the Local Organizing Committee has launched the YALLA App, an integrated digital platform for fans to obtain their Fan ID — a mandatory requirement for buying tickets — and apply for E-Visas (AEVM) where necessary.
According to organizers, each registered Fan ID allows supporters to buy only one ticket per match, ensuring wider access and transparency in ticket distribution.
The process for obtaining tickets is straightforward:
- Download the YALLA App, available on Google Play and the App Store.
- Apply for a Fan ID and E-Visa (if required) through the app.
- Once approved, Visa cardholders can visit tickets.cafonline.com starting from Monday, 13 October at 09:00 Moroccan time (08:00 GMT) to purchase their AFCON 2025 tickets.
The 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco is expected to deliver a festival of football and culture, with fans urged to complete their Fan ID registration early to avoid last-minute rushes.
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Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Coach Augustine Eguavoen, has strongly condemned media reports suggesting that he is being considered to take over as Super Eagles Head Coach ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) should current handler Eric Chelle fail to secure qualification for next year’s FIFA World Cup.
Speaking on Wednesday, the former Super Eagles captain described the reports as false, misleading, and damaging, insisting that he maintains a cordial and professional relationship with Coach Chelle.
“I feel very hurt by these baseless rumours because I really have no idea where they are coming from,” Eguavoen said. “I have a very good working relationship with Coach Eric Chelle, and I have absolutely no interest in taking over the squad. I am praying for him to succeed.”
Eguavoen, who has previously served as interim head coach of the national team, expressed frustration that such speculation was resurfacing, warning that it could undermine team unity ahead of major assignments.
“This was how the same speculators created schism and disaffection between myself and Gernot Rohr, and later José Peseiro, when they coached the Super Eagles at different periods,” he recalled. “It is uncalled-for. We all need to work together to see the Super Eagles qualify for the World Cup and win the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.”
The NFF Technical Director reiterated his commitment to supporting the technical crew and fostering a collaborative atmosphere that will enable Nigeria’s senior team to achieve its set goals.
“Our collective focus should be on progress, not distractions,” he added. “Everyone in the system is working towards one goal — success for Nigeria.”
The Super Eagles are currently deep in preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, while their FIFA World Cup qualification campaign resumes later this year.
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AFCON
Nigerians, other nationals can apply, as CAF and Morocco Launch Volunteer Programme for AFCON 2025
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Morocco have launched the official Volunteer Programme for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025, billed to run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
According to CAF, more than 4,000 volunteers will be recruited to play a central role in ensuring the success of Africa’s most prestigious football tournament, which will be staged across six cities and nine stadiums in Morocco.
Applications are now open at volunteers.cafonline.com and will close on 8 October 2025. The opportunity is open to anyone above the age of 18.
Volunteers will be deployed across multiple functional areas, including media operations, spectator services, accreditation, hospitality, and fan engagement. Selected individuals will receive professional training ahead of the competition and work behind the scenes to deliver a memorable AFCON.
CAF stated that the programme is designed not only to support tournament operations but also to create an alumni network of skilled Africans who can contribute to future sporting events across the continent. Successful applicants will benefit from:
- Training and skill development.
- Official uniforms and certificates of participation.
- Networking opportunities with peers and professionals.
- The chance to contribute to Africa’s football legacy.
Volunteer registration opened on 17 September 2025. Selection and training will take place in October and November, with operations commencing in mid-December through to the tournament’s conclusion on 18 January 2026.
CAF described the initiative as an “exciting opportunity” for Africans to contribute to the growth of the continent’s flagship sporting event, which is expected to draw millions of visitors to Morocco.
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