AFCON
BAFANA BAFANA PICK MUSA, IWOBI AS SUPER EAGLES’ PLAYERS TO MARK
When the potentially explosive South Africa versus Nigeria Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match gets underway on Saturday, Ahmed Musa and Alex Iwobi of the Super Eagles will be marked men.
According to SowetanLIVE of South Africa, the two players along with the trio of Oghenekaro Etebo, Leon Balogun and Samuel Chukwueze are men to watch in the Super Eagles.
The publication reports that Bafana Bafana who are seeking for a in that would take them to the finals in Cameroon next year will be up against a Super Eagles side bent on revenge after a 2-0 loss last year.
The publication described the Super Eagles as a team packed with players from Europe’s elite leagues. It then picked out five players who have the potential to be match winners for Nigeria at the weekend.
LEON BALOGUN
Centre-back Balogun has barely played for his English Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion this season but remains a rock at the back for Nigeria. Experienced and a good leader, he will be the one tasked with marshalling the Nigeria defence and it sets up an intriguing battle with his quasi-club mate Percy Tau.
Tau is on the books of Brighton as well, but has been sent on loan to Belgian second-tier side Royal Union St Gilloise. They will have no doubt been training together at some point in pre-season though.
Balogun was born in Berlin to a Nigerian father and a German mother, and previously played for a number of Bundesliga clubs, most notably Mainz.
He made his Nigeria debut against Mexico in 2014 but later missed out on the World Cup that year through an injury he picked up in that game. He did feature in Russia this year and will provide an imposing wall for Bafana to get through.
Perhaps tellingly, he was missing when Bafana beat Nigeria 2-0 in Uyo last year, a game in which they carved open the home defence almost at will.
ALEX IWOBI
Iwobi has been a part of the rejuvenation of Arsenal this season under new coach Unai Emery, having been used sparingly in the World Cup in Russia. He will likely play behind the main striker, pulling the strings as a link between the midfield and the forward line. His intelligence on the ball will be a real worry for Bafana.
One thing he would like to improve is his goal-scoring ratio and Bafana will hope he does not start on Saturday. His does tend to save his goals for the big matches, with three of his five international strikes coming in the last year against Argentina and England.
The 22-year-old was born in Lagos but was an England international junior after moving to that country at the age of four. He is the nephew of former Super Eagles star Jay-Jay Okocha.
He made his Arsenal debut in 2015 and has made 113 appearances in the three-and-a-bit seasons since, showing that he has played a significant role for The Gunners.
AHMED MUSA
Musa is a player who has had limited success against Bafana before, and his great pace and rocket shot will be a weapon for Nigeria, as it was at the World Cup in Russia, where he was arguably the Super Eagles’ biggest attacking threat. He has carried on that form with goals against Seychelles and Libya in the Nations Cup qualifiers, and will be a massive handful for Bafana on Saturday.
He is likely to feature on the left side of an attacking three, which will mean a tough afternoon for expected Bafana right-back Ramahlwe Mphahlele, who is prone to bombing forward and leaving space at the back. Musa is currently with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr but played most notably previously for CSKA Moscow, and later much less successfully with Leicester City.
He has played Bafana on five previous occasions, managing just a single goal in a 1-1 draw in 2015.
PETER ETEBO
With Wilfred Ndidi ruled out through suspension, Etebo will be a key figure as a defensive midfielder to shield the back four from South Africa’s slick passing game.
Although he made his debut five years ago in 2013, he has just 19 international caps, but has seen something of a rejuvenation of his Super Eagles career in 2018.
He started every game at the World Cup and has played in all three Nations Cup qualifiers following a move to English Championship side Stoke City.
He began his career with Warri Wolves in his homeland before signing for Feirense in Portugal. He was sent on loan for the second half of last season to Las Palmas in Spain’s La Liga, and then made the commitment to sign for Stoke for £6.35m (around R120m).
SAMUEL CHUKWUEZE
Chukwueze is an uncapped teenager but all the signs are there that he could play some role against Bafana Bafana after recently making his debut for La Liga side Villarreal. With lead striker Odion Ighalo out with injury, the 19-year-old could earn a shock start or come off the bench, as coach Gernot Rohr has spoken highly of him in recent weeks.
Able to play as a winger or a forward, he would bring an element of the unknown, and with the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho, Henry Onyekuru and Isaac Success in mediocre form this season, it could be a masterstroke.
And, what’s more, he would come into the side with form, having netted his second goal in three matches at the weekend in a 2-2 draw with Rayo Vallecano.
Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe would welcome an investigation into corruption at the organisation, saying they have nothing to hide following a meeting with Senegalese officials in Dakar on Wednesday.
Senegal’s government last month demanded an investigation into corruption after the country was stripped of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title by the CAF Appeal Board, and the trophy was awarded to the final opponents, Morocco.
It follows unruly scenes in the January 18 decider in Rabat that Senegal won 1-0, but during which they left the field for several minutes in protest at a late refereeing decision.
Motsepe met with officials from the Senegalese Football Federation and Senegal president Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Wednesday, where he urged unity following the fallout from the final. He will be in Morocco on Thursday for a similar set of meetings.
“I would welcome any investigation into corruption at CAF, be it by a government or any institution,” Motsepe told reporters. “In fact, I would encourage it. We will give them our full cooperation.
“I have been told there were problems in the past and we intervened. It is not just in football, but in business and politics too. We cannot give our children the perception that if you want to succeed in life, be corrupt. There has to be zero tolerance (for corruption).
“That’s the best gift we can give football in Africa. Not just talking about corruption, but intervene, put the necessary laws in place) and implement them.”
Motsepe would not be drawn on the matter between Senegal and Morocco, which is now before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“There is nothing I can tell you that I haven’t said already 10, 15, 20 times. You can ask me the same question 100 times, I’ll give you the same answer 100 times. I have an obligation to respect that the matter is now in front of the highest (sports) court in the world.”
Motsepe quashed any suggestion that Morocco had been treated favourably in the appeal process.
“Under no circumstances will any single country in Africa be treated more preferentially or more favourably than any other. That will never happen,” he said.
“We are confident we will come out of these challenges more united amongst the 54 nations in Africa.”
-Reuters
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By Kunle Solaja.
Patrice Motsepe has intensified his diplomatic shuttle across African football corridors with a crucial visit to Morocco scheduled for Thursday, as the fallout from the controversial AFCON 2025 Final continues to reverberate across the continent.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed that Motsepe will meet with Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF), alongside other key stakeholders within Morocco’s football ecosystem.
Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF)
The high-level engagement in Rabat comes barely 24 hours after Motsepe’s crisis-management visit to Senegal, underlining CAF’s urgency in addressing the tensions and conflicting reports that have trailed the AFCON final.
Thursday’s meeting is expected to focus on fact-finding, reconciliation, and institutional alignment following the chaotic circumstances that marred the tournament’s climax. The Moroccan FA has been central to the unfolding controversy, with administrative and refereeing decisions from the final still under scrutiny.
CAF disclosed that the visit will conclude with a press conference in Rabat at 17:00 local time (16:00 GMT), where Motsepe is expected to address the media and possibly provide updates on CAF’s ongoing review of the final.
While details of the agenda remain closely guarded, the visit signals a continuation of Motsepe’s hands-on approach to crisis resolution, engaging directly with national federations in a bid to preserve the integrity of African football competitions.
CAF and the FRMF have indicated that further details regarding the outcomes of the visit will be communicated in due course, as stakeholders across the continent await clarity on one of the most contentious finals in recent AFCON history.
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CAF President Patrice Motsepe is set to visit Senegal on Wednesday for high-level talks with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and the leadership of the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football, in what is widely seen as a crucial diplomatic move amid lingering controversy over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Final.
The visit comes against the backdrop of the chaotic and disputed AFCON 2025 final in Rabat, a match marred by heavy rainfall, administrative confusion, and conflicting official reports from within CAF and its committees.
The uncertainty surrounding the outcome of that final has cast a shadow over African football governance, prompting urgent calls for clarity and institutional accountability.
Sources indicate that Motsepe’s meeting with President Faye will extend beyond routine courtesy, touching on broader issues of football governance, tournament integrity, and the role of national associations in safeguarding the credibility of continental competitions.
Senegal, a major stakeholder in African football and one of the continent’s most influential football nations, is expected to play a key role in shaping the narrative going forward.
Motsepe will also hold discussions with Abdoulaye Fall, focusing on collaboration between CAF and its member associations, as well as mechanisms to prevent a recurrence of the controversies that plagued the AFCON final.
While CAF has yet to officially outline the agenda, observers believe the visit signals an attempt by the continental body to consolidate support among key football nations and manage the fallout from the final’s unresolved issues.
The optics of engaging directly with political leadership further underline the seriousness of the situation.
CAF and the Senegalese Football Federation have both stated that more details regarding the visit will be released in due course, leaving stakeholders across the continent watching closely for signals on how African football’s governing body intends to restore confidence in its competitions.
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