AFCON
AFCON QUALIFIERS: TUNISIA, EGYPT BATTLE TO WIN GROUP
BY APESIN ADEMOLA.
The Matchday 5 of the final round qualifiers for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, to be hosted by Cameroon, kicks off this Friday with three matches in different groups and centres.
Four teams – Tunisia and Egypt, who clash this Friday in Egypt, as well as Senegal and Madagascar, who will engage their respective opponents on Saturday and Sunday – have booked their places to join Cameroon in next year’s finals, leaving 19 slots to be contested in the last two rounds of the group stage.
For the first time, 24 teams will feature in the 32nd edition of the continent’s flagship competition from June 15 to July 13 next year.
Tunisia and Egypt in Group J will go head-to-head in a classification match at the Borg El Arab Stadium, located in the Mediterranean Sea resort that shares the same name with the stadium.
The Eagles of Carthage, who have lifted the trophy only once when they hosted in 2004, need to avoid defeat to confirm their status as the group winners.
Record seven-time winners of the title, Egypt missed out of three consecutive editions but returned two years ago, and almost won the competition but Cameroon stopped their run 2-1 in the showpiece match.
In the first leg of the 2019 AFCON qualifiers, the Pharaohs were beaten by a lone goal. So they require a two-goal cushion to displace Tunisia at the top of the table.
eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) and Niger Republic, the other teams in Group J who are already eliminated, play on Sunday.
In Cameroon’s group, Morocco may qualify along with the hosts this penultimate match of the group phase. Cameroon had prevailed 1-0 in Yaounde in the first leg but the Atlas Lions will go on top of the table, in place of the Indomitable Lions, if they achieve revenge.
That outcome will leave Malawi needing to win at Comoros Islands on Saturday to stay in contending for the group’s sole ticket, Cameroon having automatically qualified for the finals.
At the moment, Malawi are three points behind Morocco and will be at home to the north Africans in their final group fixtures.
Comoros Islands, on their part, remain hopeful that Cameroon 2019 will see them feature in the finals for the first time. That will however require Morocco losing their last two group games and Malawi not having more than three additional points. Even then, Comoros Islands must triumph in their remaining two fixtures.
In Group C, eliminated South Sudan, fight for pride as they welcome Burundi, who had the edge 3-0 in the first leg. Four straight losses have left South Sudan with no point and at the foot of the table in this section.
Burundi will go on top of the table – above Gabon and current leaders Mali – if they achieve a double over the group’s whipping side.
Gabon will host Mali on Saturday with the latter a point ahead.
Friday’s fixtures…
Group B: Morocco v Cameroon (first leg Cameroon 1-0) (8pm)
Group C: South Sudan v Burundi (first leg Burundi 3-0) (2pm)
Group J: Egypt v Tunisia (first leg Tunisia 1-0) (5pm)
Saturday’s fixtures…
Group A: Equatorial Guinea v Senegal (first leg Senegal 3-0) (4pm)
Group B: Comoros Islands v Malawi (first leg Malawi 1-0) (1pm)
Group C: Gabon v Mali (first leg Mali 2-1) (4pm)
Group D: Gambia v Benin Republic (first leg Benin Republic 1-0) (5:30pm)
Group E: South Africa v Nigeria (first leg South Africa 2-0) (2pm), Seychelles v Libya (first leg Libya 5-1) (1:30pm)
Group K: Namibia v Guinea-Bissau (first leg Guinea-Bissau 1-0) (3pm)
Group L: Uganda v Cape Verde Islands (first leg Uganda 1-0) (2pm)
Sunday’s fixtures…
Group A: Madagascar v Sudan (first leg Madagascar 3-1) (12:30pm)
Group D: Togo v Algeria (first leg Algeria 1-0) (5pm)
Group F: Ethiopia v Ghana (first leg Ghana 5-0), Kenya v Sierra Leone (first leg Sierra Leone 2-1) (both 2pm)
Group G: Congo Republic v DR Congo (first leg DR Congo 3-1) (3:30pm), Liberia v Zimbabwe (first leg Zimbabwe 3-0) (5pm)
Group H: Rwanda v Central Africa Republic (first leg Central Africa Republic 2-1) (2:30pm), Guinea v Côte d’Ivoire (first leg Guinea 3-2) (6pm)
Group I: Angola v Burkina Faso (first leg Burkina Faso 3-1) (4pm), Mauritania v Botswana (first leg Mauritania 1-0) (6pm)
Group J: eSwatini v Niger Republic (first leg 0-0) (2:30pm)
Group K: Mozambique v Zambia (first leg Mozambique 1-0) (2:30pm)
Group L: Lesotho v Tanzania (first leg 1-1) (3pm)
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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