AFCON
TALES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT OVERSHADOWS EGYPT’S LAST GROUP MATCH
There have been more of off the field incidents more that the actual team preparations as Egypt play their last group match this Sunday against Uganda.
At the centre of it is winger, Amr Warda who has been accused on social media platforms of sexual harassment by different women.
That prompted the Egyptian FA to drop him from its 23-man squad.
According to an Egyptian publication, ahram, the Greece-based Warda is no stranger to controversy.
He was under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, having released a video to offer his apologies after appearing to admit to sending inappropriate messages via Whatsapp to an Egyptian fashion model.
A Mexican woman also published a video which she said was sent to her by Warda, purportedly showing him naked. The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) acted swiftly, sending him packing and saying he would no longer represent the team at the Nations Cup.
However, the governing body has seemingly buckled under pressure from some leading players, including skipper Ahmed Elmohamady and Mohamed Salah, with the Liverpool talisman calling for Warda to be given another chance despite acknowledging that his teammate had made a mistake.
“We need to believe in second chances… we need to guide and educate. Shunning is not the answer,” he wrote in a tweet that went viral.
Elmohamady held up two fingers on each hand to refer to Warda’s number 22 shirt after scoring in Egypt’s 2-0 win over DR Congo on Wednesday, which lifted the hosts to the last 16, before saying the entire squad had given its backing to the 25-year-old.
His statements and Salah’s comments caused a social media outcry, which was further fuelled by the EFA’s decision to pardon Warda.
Despite sealing smooth progress to the knockout stage with maximum six points from two games, Egypt will be under even more pressure to lift a record-extending eighth trophy, with any failure likely to be attributed to the off-field problems that have cast a cloud over the team’s campaign.
Egypt found no difficulty brushing aside Zimbabwe and DR Congo but have hardly produced any attacking flair despite coach Javier Aguirre’s vow to reverse their dependence on defence, which was a hallmark of Hector Cuper’s era when they reached the Nations Cup final in 2017 and qualified for the World Cup last year.
They will be eager to defeat Uganda and ensure their progress as Group A leaders. The Cranes are likely to provide a stiffer test than what the other teams had offered, having collected four points from two matches.
“We achieved a very important thing; winning six points from the two matches and ensuring qualification for the next round while keeping a clean sheet, and that is a good thing,” Aguirre told a news conference in Cairo.
“Uganda is a strong and well organised team who play with a fighting spirit … I think it will be a stiff confrontation.”
Egypt will play their remaining games at the Nations Cup with only two goalkeepers after third-choice goalie Mahmoud Gennesh ruptured an Achilles tendon during a training session on Friday.
The Confederation of African Football has announced a major overhaul of its flagship competition, with the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) set to expand from 24 to 28 teams.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe disclosed the decision on Sunday following an executive committee meeting, describing it as part of the body’s commitment to elevating African football to global standards.
Motsepe said the expansion would create more opportunities for countries across the continent while ensuring that top African players worldwide return home to compete at the highest level.
“This is about our commitment to world-class football, bringing together the best African players from across the globe to compete on the continent,” he stated.
However, the CAF boss did not provide details on how the new 28-team format would be structured or when the expansion would take effect, leaving questions over qualification pathways and tournament scheduling.
Continuity for 2027, New Cycle from 2028
Motsepe confirmed that the 2027 AFCON will proceed as planned with co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, maintaining the current 24-team format for that edition.
In a significant shift, CAF also announced that another AFCON tournament will be staged in 2028, after which the competition will move to a four-year cycle—aligning more closely with other major international tournaments.
CAF Nations League Introduced
In addition to AFCON reforms, CAF revealed plans to introduce an African Nations League starting from 2029. The new competition will be held annually, with a 16-team final tournament staged every two years.
The initiative is aimed at improving the competitiveness, structure and commercial value of the African national team football.
“We have to stop this situation where African fixtures are not predictable, consistent and reliable,” Motsepe said. “We must also focus on developing football in regions like East Africa, which has enormous potential.”
A New Era for African Football
The proposed changes mark one of the most ambitious restructurings of African football competitions in recent years, with CAF seeking to expand participation, enhance organisation and create a more predictable football calendar.
While details are still emerging, the decisions are expected to have far-reaching implications for national teams, qualification formats and the overall growth of the game across the continent.
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The Confederation of African Football said it would implement changes and improvements to its statutes and regulations that would ensure that the farcical scenes at January’s Africa Cup of Nations final do not happen again.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe said the changes would strengthen trust and confidence in its referees, VAR operators and judicial bodies, but did not give concrete details.
The announcement followed a meeting of CAF’s executive committee in Cairo on Sunday and came on a tumultuous day for the organisation as its general secretary resigned.
African football’s governing body has been battling a crisis of confidence after its Appeal Board stripped Senegal of the Cup of Nations title in a decision that has been met with widespread derision.
Senegal were ruled to have forfeited the final in Rabat on January 18 after walking off the pitch in protest at a potentially decisive penalty awarded to Morocco. They returned and scored a goal in extra time to win the game 1-0.
The decision is being challenged at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and if Senegal win back their title it will be a further blow to CAF’s credibility.
“CAF has taken extensive legal advice from top African and international football lawyers and experts, to ensure that the CAF statutes and regulations adhere to and implement global football best practices, on and off the field,” Motsepe said in a statement on Sunday.
“This is important for the respect, integrity and credibility of African referees, VAR operators and the CAF Disciplinary Board and Appeal Board.
“CAF is working with FIFA for the ongoing training of African referees, VAR operators and match commissioners so that they are as good as the best in the world… CAF has made significant progress over the past five years in implementing governance, ethics, transparency and managerial best practices,” the CAF president added.
More precise details on the changes and how they would avoid a repeat of the Cup of Nations final controversy were not given by Motsepe, who earlier this month admitted his organisation was struggling with perceptions about its integrity.
-Reuters
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By Kunle Solaja
The Confederation of African Football may be considering possible disciplinary measures against Senegal following reports that the country’s national team has continued to parade the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy despite being stripped of the title.
The development has triggered fresh debate within African football circles, with CAF understood to be treating the matter as a potential breach of its statutes and disciplinary code.
Sources close to the continental body indicate that Senegal’s actions could be interpreted as defiance of an official ruling, raising concerns about respect for regulatory authority and the precedent such conduct may set for other member associations.
CAF is believed to be weighing a range of sanctions, which could include financial penalties, formal reprimands, or restrictions on the country’s participation in certain CAF programmes and competitions.
While no final decision has been announced, insiders suggest that the governing body is keen to send a strong message on compliance and institutional discipline.
There are also indications that CAF’s disciplinary committee may be tasked with reviewing the circumstances surrounding the continued public display of the trophy, including whether the act constitutes misconduct under its regulations.
The issue is seen as more than a symbolic dispute over silverware. Analysts argue that how CAF handles the situation will reflect its ability to enforce decisions and maintain order among its 54 member associations.
“CAF cannot afford to appear weak on matters of discipline,” a source familiar with the situation said. “If a federation openly disregards a ruling, it undermines the entire governance structure.”
CAF is expected to provide clarity on the issue during an upcoming press engagement, where its president may outline the organisation’s position and any disciplinary steps to be taken.
For Senegal, the situation presents a delicate balancing act between national pride and compliance with continental football authority. For CAF, it represents a critical test of leadership and regulatory enforcement at a time when the credibility of African football governance remains under close watch.
The coming days are likely to determine whether the matter escalates into a full disciplinary case or is resolved through diplomatic engagement behind the scenes.
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