AFCON
Dark clouds envelop Libya-Nigeria AFCON qualifying match
Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match of Libya and Nigeria may not hold as the Libyan authorities still hold the Nigerian contingent to the match hostage.
As at the time of this report, the Super Eagles of Nigeria are still up at the Al Abaq Airport in Libya where their flight was diverted to on Sunday night.
They were initially to land at Benghazi before the flight was diverted and the players and officials held hostage.
The players have remarked on their social media handles that they are not going to play the match.
CAF, the organisers of the games, have yet to make any comments. It was in a similar vein that the Moroccan club, RS Berkane were held up at the Algerian airport ahead of their scheduled 2023/24 Confederation Cup match with Algeria’s USM Alger.
CAF promptly intervened and made the Algerians to forfeit the match.
It was followed with a public statement: “CAF apologized for any inconvenience caused to their sponsors, TV partners and supporters”
At the time of this report, the Nigerian delegation has spent over 13 hours at the Libyan airport. It is further gathered that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is working on emergency plans to fly the team back to Nigeria as soon as possible.
The Nigerian football body cited concerns over player health and well-being.
This means that Tuesday’s match may not hold. Besides, the Nigerian team will not have enough time to freshen up and mentally as well as physically prepare for the match.
Libya, with just a point after three matches, have little to lose in Tuesday’s match as loss arithmetically knocks them out of contention.
But analysts believe they are up to a spoiler’s game. It is only recently that CAF permitted international matches to be held in Libya.
Kenya goalkeeper Patrick Matasi has been provisionally suspended from all football activity in the country for 90 days amid an investigation into allegations of match manipulation.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) took the decision on Thursday evening, hours after the governing body announced it had launched an investigation into the 37-year-old.
The case arose after a video posted online appeared to show the keeper agreeing to a deal to influence the outcome of a game.
The BBC has not been able to verify the video, which is undated.
Matasi plays for Kenyan Premier League club Kakamega Homeboyz and has won over 30 international caps.
He has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
The owner of Kakamega Homeboyz, Cleophas Shimanyula, said that Matasi denied the allegations.
“He was shocked at what he was seeing in the video and he told me he doesn’t know about match-fixing,” Shimanyula told BBC Sport Africa.
“Kakamega Homeboyz is against any form of match manipulation.”
Matasi’s most recent appearance for Kenya came in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Cameroon last October.
The Harambee Stars lost the game 4-1.
The FKF said it would work with world governing body FIFA, the Confederation of African Football and other “relevant authorities” during its investigation.
-BBC
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The Kenya Football Federation (KFF) has decided to investigate suspicions of match-fixing by the national team against Cameroon in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers
The FKF has confirmed that it is aware of videos circulating online involving Kenyan goalkeeper Patrick Matasi, raising suspicions of possible match manipulation.
Prime suspect, Patrick Matasi, the Kenyan goalkeeper.
This amateur video, filmed in secret and viewed by AFP, shows a man discussing with Matasi a plan to fix a match in exchange for money.
Press statement by Football Kenya Federation.
” The FKF defends the integrity of football and has launched an official investigation, in collaboration with FIFA, CAF and other relevant authorities,” the federation said in a statement.
” We reaffirm our policy of tolerance regarding match manipulation and we are committed to preserving the credibility of our competition,” she insisted.
The match in question was lost 4-1 by Kenya to Cameroon in Yaoundé last October, destroying the Harambee Stars’ chances of qualifying for the finals in Morocco next December-January and leading to the resignation of the then coach, Engin Firat.
Matasi has since been omitted from the squad by new coach Benni McCarthy for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Gambia and Gabon in Group F on March 20 and 23.
-Le360 / AFP
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It is 45 years since Nigeria first tasted victory in the Africa Cup of Nations in Lagos.
That was March 22, 1980, when Nigeria beat Algeria 3-0 in the final match to lift an Organization of African Unity (OAU)-donated trophy which was the replacement of the original trophy that Ghana had won for keeps after three victories.
The new trophy was tagged the ‘Unity Cup’. Christian Chukwu, Nigeria’s skipper, later voted as the best player of the tournament, became the first footballer to lift the trophy.
It was Nigeria’s biggest achievement in football at the time.
The feat of the 1980 class of Nigeria’s national football team opened a new chapter for Nigerian football and inspired generations of younger players to excel on the field of play.
It was the first time Nigeria featured in the title match. Nigeria went on to play seven more final matches and succeeded in two of such in 1994 and 2013.
Sadly, some of the heroes of 1980 are no more. Those who have passed on include Best Ogedegbe who was in goal, Muda Lawal, the scorer of the final goal, Okey Isima, Tunde Bamidele, Aloysius Atuegbu and Martin Eyo.
Thus only 14 of the 20 heroes of 1980 are alive. Even the coach, Brazil’s Professor Otto Gloria, has passed on.
That probably prompted one of the heroes, Felix Owolabi, whose solitary goal against Morocco in the semi-final launched Nigeria into the title match, to express gratitude to God for keeping him alive.
In a message to Sports Village Square, Owolabi who clocked 70 last September 24, remarked: “Today is exactly 45 years since Nigeria won the African Cup of Nations for the first time.
“The National Team at that time “Green Eagles” made Nigeria proud. Thank God today I am celebrating this day with a special prayer because I belong to that historic team.
“Kindly help me thank God.1980, became the real tonic for my football career as also an undergraduate at the University of Lagos
They not only arrested the attention of world football, but they also opened opportunities for others to pursue professional football.
“A big congratulations to all members of that great team for winning the Nations Cup for the first time on home soil. Their achievement brings fond memories to us about the never-say-die Nigerian spirit.”
The 22-man squad of 1980 are: Best Ogedegbe, David Adiele, Okey Isima, Muda Lawal, Christian Chukwu, Tunde Bamidele, Segun Odegbami, Aloysius Atuegbu, Ifeanyi Onyeadika, John Orlando, Felix Owolabi, Adokie Amiesimaka, Godwin Odiye, Sylvanus Okpala, Emmanuel Okala, Martins Eyo, Moses Effiong, Sheffiu Mohammed, Charles Bassey, Frank Onwuachi, Henry Nwosu and Kadiri Ikhana.
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