AFCON
AMUNEKE DENIES BEING SACKED IN TANZANIA
Nigeria football legend, Emmanuel Amuneke has denied being sacked as coach by the Tanzania Football Federation, saying he left by mutual consent by both parties.
The former African Footballer of the Year in a telephone interview said he was delighted to work with the federation and there is the need for him to move on and will not want to tie the development of a people to me as a person.
“I have done my best to qualify the team to AFCON for the first time since 39 years and we had a mission to forge ahead when we got to the tournament but the results did not go our way.
“Along with my assistant coaches, we have done our best and I have to move on. I want to thank the people of Tanzania for giving the opportunity to serve them in that capacity.
“The FA was good to me but then their football development must not tied to me.
“My own journey in life should also not be stagnant in a place hence I have to move on and my journey in life most continue. For now I want to reunite with my family because it’s been long since we are together,” he expressed last night.
Although he plans to spend few more days in Tanzania before he rejoins his family in Spain, he urged the football loving fans to stand by their team In spite of the results of the three matches of the tournament in Egypt.
The FA in a statement earlier confirmed the development via its website which read: confirmed on Monday that Emmanuel Amuneke has left his position as head coach of the national team by mutual consent.
“The Tanzania Football Association and the national team coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, have reached a joint agreement to terminate the contract,” the TFF wrote on their website.
The Federation said a temporary coach would be appointed after their emergency meeting on Thursday, and he would lead them for the upcoming qualifiers for the African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Tanzania will begin the regional CHAN qualifiers against neighbours Kenya later this month.
The TFF also stated that the “search for the new coach has started immediately.”
Amuneke, a former Nigeria and Barcelona player, was the assistant coach when Nigeria won the FIFA U-17 World Cup trophy for a record fourth time in the United Arab Emirates in 2013.
Two years later, he led Nigeria to a fifth U-17 World Cup title in Chile and, revered as a proven youth manager, he was swiftly promoted to coach the U-20 side the Flying Eagles.
As a player, he was a key part of the Super Eagles team, scoring both goals at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia where Nigeria beat Zambia 2-1 to secure their second African title.
Amuneke, who scored Nigeria’s winning goal to win the 1996 Olympic soccer goal in Atlanta, was appointed as coach of Tanzania in August of 2018,
The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has sacked its Serbian coach, Milutin Sredojević who is popularly known as Micho.
This is coming ahead of Libya’s back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations clashes with Nigeria next month.
Paradoxically, Sports Village Square gathered that the coach’s contract was only recently renewed for six months before the axe fell on the Serbian.
His sack was precipitated by the results obtained in their teo matches of the AFCON qualifiers.
Libya drew 1-1 with Rwanda at home and lost 2-1 away to Benin Republic despite beig a goal up at half time.
The Libyan side, Mediterranean Knights are due to play against the Nigeria Super Eagles in Uyo on 6 October while the return leg holds on 14 October at the 11 July Stadium in Tripoli.
According to information Sports Village Square gathered from Tripoli, the Mediterranean Knights’ coach, Micho led the Libyan national team to win nine matches since taking over in October of last year, he failed to build a strong team due to his poor choices.
He also took a risk with the footballers chosen in the AFCON qualifiers, and the result was shocking to the Libyan sports audience.
According to sources close to the Libyan Football Federation, there is a strong tendency to sign a national coach to lead the Libyan team during the remaining qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe has lashed out at Ghana and some other African countries whose home grounds were recently banned from hosting CAF matches owing to inadequate facilities. He made the remarks in Nairobi, Kenya during a press conference,
After the MatchDay 2 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, CAF ruled Ghana’s Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi as being inadequate to host international matches. Being the only approved ground in the country, Ghana will now look towards either Cote d’Ivoire or Togo for their remaining home matches of the Afcon qualifiers.
Other African countries without approved home grounds are: Djibouti, Chad, Niger, Eritrea, Gabon, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, São Tomé and Burundi.
Motsepe voiced his frustration over the recurring issue of nations being unable to host home games.
“Nothing frustrates me more than a national team or club side having to play home matches outside,” he stated.
He stressed the significance of playing in front of home fans, adding, “You can’t grow football if the national teams or club sides aren’t playing in front of their home fans.”
Motsepe reiterated CAF’s commitment to working with countries to ensure they have at least one suitable stadium to host international fixtures.
“Our conversations in every country are to make sure there is at least one stadium capable of hosting a CAF category C game,” he emphasized.
The on-going CAF AFCON Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Coaches Symposium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire has brought together, the last three coaches that handled the Nigeria national football team.
Gernot Rohr, Jose Peseiro and Austin Eguavoen are part of the the elite coaches currently gathered in Abidjan.
Gernot Rohr whose tenure of 5 years and 55 matches is the longest ever by any coach in Nigeria, is currently handling Nigeria’s Africa Cupof Nations and World Cup qualifying rivals, Benin Republic. He was succeeded in the interim by Austin Eguavoen who is currently having another interim stint.
Peseiro left his position after the Africa Cup of Nations
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