AFCON
“No Stopping Here,” Says Interim Coach Of ‘born-again’ Cote D’Ivoire –
Cote d’Ivoire caretaker coach Emerse Fae says his team “must not stop here” after their monumental penalty shootout victory over Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations last 16.
The tournament hosts eliminated the reigning champions 5-4 on penalties on Monday following a 1-1 draw after extra time to book their spot in the quarter-finals.
In front of a raucous home crowd at the Stade Charles Konan Banny in Yamoussoukro, Senegal made a blistering start and took the lead just four minutes in.
A superb cross from Sadio Mane found Habib Diallo, who calmly chested the ball down before firing a rocket into the top corner.
Cote d’Ivoire were unfazed and continued pressing and when the game turned on a pivotal 86th minute moment when the host nation was awarded a penalty as Pepe was clumsily brought down by Edouard Mendy.
After VAR reviewed the incident, Franck Kessie coolly sent Mendy the wrong way from the spot to equalize.
In the shootout, Kessie stepped up to smash home the winning kick and send the home crowd into ecstasy.
It capped a remarkable turnaround for the Elephants after a disastrous group stage saw them suffer two defeats, including a humiliating 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea.
“We had a difficult start, conceding an early goal, but I told the players at halftime to keep playing the same way, not get confused,” said Fae.
Unlike under previous coach Jean-Louis Gasset, Fae took full responsibility for tactical decisions during the match.
“It was my decision on what needed to be done. With Gasset, I would give an opinion and he would make the decision,” Fae explained.
The interim boss admitted he was under intense pressure before the Senegal showdown.
“There was a lot of pressure before the match, and match day was too long for me. I couldn’t nap as usual, thinking about all scenarios. If I said there was no pressure, I would be lying,” Fae confessed.
But scraping through the group stage boosted belief before facing the champions.
“Qualifying after Morocco’s win gave us confidence. We beat Senegal and eliminated them; morale is good,” said Fae.
With a place now booked in the quarter-finals, Fae stressed the team cannot get carried away by this result as tougher tests lie ahead.
“We must not stop here; we must continue working, maintain this morale, and keep playing match by match,” the coach asserted.
After inspiring a remarkable reversal in fortunes, Fae seems determined to ensure this giant-killing act is just the start as the Elephants seek further AFCON glory.
-CAF
What a turn-around! After four previous competitive matches without a win, the Super Eagles have regained their winning mentality after a 3-0 defeat of Benin Republic in their opening 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series.
The win also put the Super Eagles at the top of the Group D after both Libya and Rwanda played 1-1 draw last Thursday.
It is also the biggest win by the Super Eagles since their 2023 6-0 win over Sao Tome & Principe last year September.
Great man Ademola Lookman, he put in two goals straightening the possibility of his emerging as 2024 African Footballer of the Year.
The current title holder, Victor Osimhen proved his mettle coming off the bench in the second half to double Nigeria’s lead after Lookman’s late first half goal.
The Super Eagles will now honour their next fixture against Rwanda on Tuesday with the hope of consolidating their lead.
Benin Republic with no points and a deficit of three goals are rooted at the bottom of the log.
BY JOSEPH ODOEKWU
The National Chairman of the Nigerian Football Supporters Club (NFSC), Rev. Samuel Ikpea has called on all Nigerians to rally round and pray for the Super Eagles ahead of Saturday’s Morocco 2025 AFCON qualifier against Benin Republic in Uyo.
Ikpea who is mobilizing support for the Super Eagles ahead of the clash in Uyo said that whatever Benin Republic come with both spiritually and physically in the game, we will surely overcome them.
“In the NFSC we have Christians, Muslims as well as those who believe in traditional worship and we respect the rights of freedom of worship of every member and all Nigerians.
“When we are faced with this kind of crucial game, we call on everyone to pray through their various believes because we foresee that Benin Republic are most likely coming to fall back on ‘black magic’ to enable them perfect a back-to-back victory over our Super Eagles after beating us 2-1 in our last meeting in a World Cup qualifier”
“We cannot underestimate the efficacy of the black magic” Ikpea further stressed, “but we believe that when we come together we can neutralize it’s efficacy.
“This is no time to sleep, we all have to rally round and do our best to support our Super Eagles because they cannot do it alone without the prayers and support of all Nigerians.
“While charging Nigerians to be positive with the team, we at the NFSC have done everything positive to overturn whatever plans they are coming with and we enjoin everyone to toe that path through prayers”.
Meanwhile, the Super Eagles camp is bubbling with training in Uyo, as team Coach Austin Eguavoen, has been working hard to perfect tactics with the boys and ensure the Super Eagles soar on Saturday.
The Super Eagles have not won a qualifying match for any competition since their 6-0 defeat of Principe & Sao Tome on 10th September 2023 in Uyo. That was their last qualifying match for Cote d’Ivoire 2023 played in 2024.
Since then, they have played four World Cup qualifying matches without a win despite being the overwhelming favourites at those matches.
A forensic analysis of their World Cup qualifying since that of Qatar 2022 will reveal they had played seven consecutive matches without a win starting from their 1-1 home draw with Cape Verde in Lagos which qualified them for the play off. In the play off with Ghana, the Super Eagles drew the two matches.
In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, they have gone four matches, getting three draws and a loss. The prospect of their getting a straight qualification from the group is doubtful as they have a mountain to climb by winning the remaining six matches, three of which are away duels of which are most likely to be played in South Africa, the home ground of their main rivals.
Zimbabwe and Lesotho play their home matches in South Africa and Nigeria also still have an away duel with Bafana Bafana.
The qualification series of AFCON 2025 presents the Super Eagles a new beginning. Starting from the semi-finals of the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, the team has won none of their four competitive matches in regulation time. The players have a date with destiny in Uyo this Saturday to wipe off the sagging image they have had in recent time.
A win will give the team the confidence expected in anticipation for future fixtures.
What a goal-laden day for Nigeria; Falconets also win with wide margin!
Hurray, Super Eagles back to winning ways!
‘Oh Come All Ye Faithful!’, Rev Ikpea calls on football fans to rally round Super Eagles
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
AIU releases its report on Tobi Amusan
-
TRANSFER MARKET3 days agoPoints of Interest as Napoli’s coach apologises to Victor Osimhen
-
Badminton1 week agoAmerican beats Nigeria’s Segun Obasanjo
-
TRANSFER MARKET1 week agoTransfer market still bubbling as Chelsea agents lands in Napoli for Osimhen
-
TRANSFER MARKET1 week agoBREAKING! Osimhen is left stranded! Future remains uncertain
-
TRANSFER MARKET5 days agoLukaku pays respect to Osimhen
-
PARALYMPICS6 days agoHow Mikano powered Eniola to Nigeria’s first medal at Paris 2024
-
Nigerian Football1 week agoAs in 1974 , 1995 and 2005 another coach, Labbadia disappears from Nigeria’s national team job
-
AFCON1 week agoInterim Commander, Eguavoen opens up on his plans for Super Eagles