AFCON
Crisis Riders; Despite Challenges, Super Eagles Can Do It Again –
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off this Saturday in Cote d’Ivoire. It is Nigeria’s 20th appearance at the African premier sports competition.
As in most of the 19 previous editions involving the Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles, based on their pedigree should be favourites having had podium finish in 15 out of 19 appearances.
Their last success was just 10 years ago, hence their clarion call: ‘Let’s do it again.’ It is one thing to declare intention. It is a different thing to deliver.
Pooled in Group A along with hosts, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau, it should have been considered a favourable draw for the Nigerian side as two of the teams will certainly go into the next round and a third may also advance as possible one of the four best second runners-up among six third finishers.
But there are worrisome signs emanating from the Nigerian squad. Lately, the squad had been depleted with the injuries to some first choice players.
Even, another one, Kelechi Ikeanacho is still a big doubt. But above all, the results of their last five matches, against medium rated sides of which they won just one, pose dangerous signals.
The matches were against Saudi Arabia, Mozambique, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Guinea. Save for the 3-2 defeat of Mozambique in which penalty kick played the decisive role, the remaining three matches were drawn against the lowly ranked teams.
Worse still, of the eight goals conceded in the five matches, six came from goalkeeping errors.
Goalkeeping howler has been the albatross the Super Eagles have had to contend with since 2015 when Vincent Enyeama was eased out of the team.
Enyeama was a dominant figure in the national team for 13 years, rising from an ordinary member in 2002 to become not just the captain, but a goalkeeper that even the renowned Lionel Messi had tremendous respect for having encountered him in two World Cup matches in 2010 and 2014.
Sadly, after Enyeama’s 13 year-tenure, the Super Eagles have in the past eight years tried eight goalkeepers. None moved close to being his equivalent.
Goalkeeping error caused Nigeria’s inability to get to the championship match of the 2019 Afcon.
Similar goalkeeping error terminated their progress at the 2021 edition at the Round of 16 stage when a routine long range kick caught Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye napping.
It was for the same reason that the Super Eagles did not qualify for the 2022 World Cup. Thus, goalkeeping is the most daunting problem the Super Eagles face as they begin their quest to do it again on Sunday.
On the offensive, they certainly posses the most potent strike force in the continent at the moment. Like ESPN journalist, Colin Udoh once remarked, having the firepower is only part of the equation, however; supplying the ammunition is another, and keeping the rearguard safe and secure is a different conversation entirely.
If the Super Eagles are able to tighten their defence line and ensure that the goalkeeper is well protected, the midfield and the attacking line will have to the impetus to operate.
Another worrying sign is the planning ahead of the tournament. The Super Eagles are currently training in Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates. January is the coldest month in that region while the AFCON will hold in humid condition in West Africa. Save for two of the 25 invited players who are South Africa and Nigeria based, the rest played under winter conditions in Europe. Training in Abu Dhabi and coming to West Africa barely five days to their opening match will most likely have effect on the Nigerian team.
Similar basic errors have been committed in the past when weather conditions in the theatre of competitions were not taken into consideration while camping.
First, in the lead to the final qualifying match for 1982 World Cup, Nigeria embarked on training tour in Norway and Iceland in winters for a qualifying match against Algeria in Lagos. The 2-0 home loss attested to the faulty choice of camping.
Similarly, with World Cup 2010 holding under extreme winter condition in South Africa, Nigeria camped in summer condition in the UK. Worse still, the team chose Durban – an all year summer city – as base camp from where they travel to cold Johannesburg for their opening match and the bitterly freezing and mountainous city of Bloemfontein for the next match before their last group match in the warn Durban.
Had they survived the last match, they would had had to return to the cold Johannesburg/Pretoria for subsequent matches. The inability of the team to win a single match is the result of poor planning. It is hoped the humid weather in Abidjan will not negatively affect the Super Eagles.
The self-destructive tendencies and problematic areas not withstanding, the Super Eagles can still soar on the wings and scale the heights. The Super Eagles have always scaled through turbulent waters. That is where their strength lies.
They may be bogged down once again by a myriad of problems, they have always thrived in crisis. As crisis riders, they were able to surmount favourites, Cote d’Ivoire in their march to victory in 2013.
As it has turned out to be, the three instances the Super Eagles won the Africa Cup of Nations were when they avoided defeat to Cote d’Ivoire. In 1980, they played goalless with Cote d’Ivoire en-route winning the trophy.
In 1994, they drew and then won an ensuing penalty shoot-out on their way eventual victory. The same happened in 2013 as the tournament favourites, were eliminated by Nigeria in the quarter finals.
Nigeria are again pitched to face Cote d’Ivoire. Avoiding a defeat may be an harbinger of fortune. The Super Eagles can still excel only if they believe they can.
We encourage them to have the strong desire to compete, the skills to excel, the courage to overcome and strength to believe which are the qualities of true Olympians.
They can do it, if they truly believe they can.
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
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Mali Withdraws Recognition of Western Sahara’s SADR, Backs Morocco’s Autonomy Plan
Debuts, Farewells and Destiny: The Super Eagles’ Curious Jamaica and Unity Cup Tradition
Senegal’s Cisse named Angola coach 24 hours after leaving Libya role
- AFCON3 days ago
Motsepe in Dakar: CAF Intensifies Diplomatic Push After AFCON Final Dispute
- Governing Bodies6 days ago
The Building of Another Sports Dynasty: From Fahmy to Adamu
- World Cup1 week ago
Italy federation chief resigns after another World Cup failure
- Boxing5 days ago
Wilder edges retiring Chisora in chaotic heavyweight boxing fight
- Nigerian Football1 week ago
NFF to inaugurate electoral committees ahead of September elections
- Nigerian Football4 days ago
A Battle at Both Ends as NPFL Heads Into Home Stretch
- AWARDS5 days ago
Night of Stars: Dikko, Oshodi Lead Roll Call of Honour at 2026 Sportsville Awards
- World Cup6 days ago
Seven Nations End Long World Cup Droughts Ahead of 2026 Tournament