AFCON
COMEBACK ABILITY IS THE HALLMARK OF GOOD FIGHTERS, SAYS NIGERIA’S MANAGER, GERNOT ROHR
Nigeria’s football coach, Gernot Rohr has allayed fears over the recent trend of his team conceding early goals in the opening gamex of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series.
In the opening game with Benin Republic, Nigeria was already a goal down after barely five minutes. The team fought back later to win 2-1.
Four days later, the tale was the same, as the Super Eagles conceded a goal after 11 minutes in Maseru when they faced Lesotho. They eventually won 4-2.
To Rohr, the end justifies the means. He hailed
his players for showing ability to fight back. Rohr said he saw only the positives whenever his side conceded first.
“Some matches, you score the first goal and in some matches you concede first,” he said.
“We scored first against Brazil and Ukraine but we didn’t win, so I prefer to concede first and win the match.
“This has proven that my players have a good spirit because they never give up.
“They continue to play well and do not panic. We have a very young team and what I like is the enthusiasm to play football.”
He is also full of praises for the Super Eagles for putting up a brave performance despite arriving Maseru a few hours before the game.
“We know that it’s difficult to win in Lesotho especially when you concede the first goal. They played very well in the beginning but we had to take the game in our hands,” Rohr continued.
“We had a long travel by night and you can see that at the beginning, my players were not fully concentrated.
“In the second half, we changed our organisation a little bit and it was better and better. I feel that my players have fun when they play football and that is most important.
“We won but congrats to my colleague, he has a good team they gave us a lot of trouble.”
Having won their two games, Nigeria top Group L with six points. They host Sierra Leone in their next match on August 31, 2020.
Egyptian national team will face Nigeria on 14 December at Cairo Stadium as part of their preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA)said on Sunday.
The friendly was arranged at the request of Egypt coach Hossam Hassan, who wanted to test his side against one of the continent’s heavyweights ahead of the tournament.
The Pharaohs will compete in the UAE International Tournament, where they will meet Uzbekistan on 14 November.
The competition also features Cape Verde and Iran, who will play a day earlier.
The winners of both matches will face each other in the final on 18 November.
Senegal were initially scheduled to take part in the tournament but withdrew, paving the way for Cape Verde to join.
Egypt have been drawn in Group B for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, alongside South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe
-Ahram
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Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong says Nigeria will head to Morocco for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations determined to go one step further after the heartbreak of losing the last final to Côte d’Ivoire.
In an exclusive chat with CAFOnline.com, the Al-Kholood defender said the experience of falling short in Abidjan has made the team tougher and more united.
“Last AFCON left a lasting impression on all of us,” Troost-Ekong said. “This group is excited to have another chance to try and win the trophy. We learned so much from that final—this time we’ll be calmer and play our football better.”
The Saudi Arabia-based centre-back downplayed talk of Nigeria being clear favourites, noting that hosts Morocco, defending champions Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal are equally strong contenders.
“There’s no such thing as a clear favourite at AFCON,” he warned. “You can’t win a tournament with expectations. AFCON is difficult and full of surprises.”
Troost-Ekong, who has appeared in multiple AFCON campaigns, said the key to winning lies in “heart, togetherness and consistency.”
“Momentum has to grow through the tournament. Don’t panic when things go wrong, and don’t get carried away when they go right,” he added.
On Nigeria’s group opponents—Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania—the skipper admitted the road to the knockout stages won’t be easy.
“Tunisia knocked us out in 2021. Uganda and Tanzania are improving fast. There’s no easy game at AFCON,” he said.
Troost-Ekong also saluted Nigerian fans for their support and promised the team would give everything to bring home the title.
“When all of Nigeria stands together, that’s our power,” he declared. “Hopefully, the headline this time will read: Nigeria crowns the special generation with an AFCON title.”
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the Super Eagles for their impressive performance in the 4–0 victory over Benin Republic, praising the team for keeping Nigeria’s qualification hopes for the 2026 FIFA World Cup alive.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Adebayo Onanuga, the President lauded the players for their “hunger, passion, and determination” during the crucial qualifier in Uyo, describing their display as one that has “reignited Nigerians’ football pride.”
“While the job is not yet complete, I join millions of Nigerian football fans in wishing our team every success in the playoffs,” Tinubu said. “The mood across the country reflects a shared belief that Nigeria deserves a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Canada, Mexico, and the United States will host.”
Reaffirming the government’s backing, President Tinubu assured the players and coaching crew of full Federal Government support as they prepare for the decisive play-off stage.
“Nigerians everywhere believe in you, and I do too,” he said. “We look forward to seeing you fly our flag proudly on the world stage.”
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