AFCON

GHANA JOINS NIGERIA IN THE WAITING GAME FOR AFCON 2022 TICKET

Published

4 years ago

November 17, 2020

Like the Nigerian Super Eagles, Ghana Black Stars have had their final qualification for the African Cup of Nations delayed as Sudan scored a last minute winner in a Group C encounter that ended 2-1 on Tuesday.

The result means that Ghana will have to wait to qualify for the finals having started the day knowing a draw would see them progress.

The game at the Al Hilal stadium in Omdurman was a physical affair with both sides picking up two yellow cards each in a goalless first-half.

Ghana were playing without their injured captain Andre Ayew, who scored both the Black Stars goals in the 2-0 win over the same opponents on Thursday, as well as suspended first-choice keeper Richard Ofori.

Their replacements both played their part with Caleb Ekuban causing trouble for the Sudanese defence and Fatua Dauda making some crucial saves at the other end.

With time running out the Black Stars looked happy to play for the draw but Sudan never gave up and scored in the second minute of time added on.

Ramadan Agab swung over a cross from the right which was met by Mohamed Abdelrahman and his firm header gave Dauda no chance.

That result means that Ghana stay on nine points level with South Africa as Sudan move to six points with all three still looking for a place at the finals.

The other team in the group are Sao Tome, who are yet to win a single point after their 4-2 loss to South Africa on Monday.

Central Africa 0-2 Morocco (Group E)

Morocco remained unbeaten in Group E with a 2-0 win over Central African Republic, in a game that was played in the Cameroonian city of Douala because there is not a suitable stadium in Bangui.

Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech scored six minutes before half-time as he floated in a freekick from the right-hand side, Nayef Aguerd rose as if to head the ball but it evaded everyone to end up in the back of the net.

Ziyech then turned provider for the second goal which was scored in injury time, as he squared the ball for Youssef En Neysri to put into an empty net after a ruthlessly fast counter attack by the Atlas Lions.

The result means that Morocco are top of the group with 10 points and need only a draw from their final two games to qualify for the finals.

The other place is wide open with Mauritania on five points after Sunday’s 3-1 loss in Burundi, who have four points and CAR stay on three.

Sierra Leone 0-0 Nigeria; Lesotho 0-0 Benin (Group L)

Tuesday’s two games in Group L failed to produce a single goal as Nigeria were once again held by Sierra Leone.

The Leone Stars had pulled off a remarkable comeback on Friday to come from four goals down to earn a 4-4 draw.

Despite that result the Super Eagles could have clinched a place in the finals with a win in Freetown.

The results mean that Nigeria are still top of the group with eight points, that’s just one ahead of Benin.

Sierra Leone edge into third place on three points and Lesotho are bottom on two, but both of those sides are still in with a chance of reaching the finals in Cameroon.

Togo 1-3 Egypt (Group G)

Egypt moved ahead of Comoros on goal difference thanks to a 3-1 win in Togo, who are now out of contention.

The Pharaohs’ first goal came against the run of play in the 18th minute and came thanks to a touch of class from Mohamed Magdi, as he stole into the area and squared the keeper up before scoring into the right-hand corner.

The second came just after the half-hour mark as debutant Mohamed Sherif pounced on a poor back-header from Djene Dakonam to score.

The win was effectively sealed in the 52nd minute as a free kick from the Egypt left was allowed to bounce all the way over the Togo defence, leaving Trezeguet all the time he needed to connect with it with his right foot.

Togo’s consolation came in injury time from a corner that was not properly cleared allowing Elom Nya-Vedji to slam the ball home.

That result means that Egypt and Comoros both have eight points and look the most likely to reach the finals.

Kenya, who suffered a shock 2-1 loss in Comoros on Sunday have three points and are the only other team who can qualify from the group, with games against Egypt and Togo left to play.

Madagascar 1-1 Ivory Coast; Ethiopia 3-0 Niger (Group K)

The fourth round of matches in Group K have left this one wide open as neither Madagascar nor Ivory Coast could open up a lead at the top and Ethiopia moved closer to the top two.

Ivory Coast took the lead in Madagascar after just 15 minutes as AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie scored from the penalty spot after a handball by Jeremy Morel.

A formidable shot gave Madagascar an equaliser six minutes after half-time as captain Ibrahim Samuel Amada scored with a thundering strike from the left hand corner of the area which found the top right hand corner of the net.

The game in Ethiopia was delayed by half-an-hour with no official reason given but it did not affect the hosts who took the lead against Niger through Amanuel Gebremikael after just 13 minutes.

The goal was created after some good work in the midfield resulted in the unmarked Shemeles Bekele getting the ball inside the box and his pass was met by Gebremikael’s left foot.

The hosts took control of the game just before half-time with Bekele again providing the final pass for Mesud Mohammed to strike into the top corner from 16 metres out.

The win was wrapped up with 20 minutes left to play as a poor pass from Niger keeper Moussa Alzouma hit his own defender giving Getaneh Kabede an easy chance to score.

With two matches left to play Ivory Coast top the pool thanks to a better head-to-head record over Madagascar, both teams have seven points, Ethiopia move to six and Niger stay on three.

Angola 0-1 DR Congo (Group D)

DR Congo moved closer to the top two in this group with a narrow win in neighbouring Angola.

Fulham midfielder Neeskens Kebano scored the only goal of the game just after the hour mark with a well taken effort from well outside the area.

The Gambia top the group ahead of Gabon on goal difference, with both teams on seven points, after the Scorpions 2-1 win over the Panthers on Monday.

DR Congo move to within in a point of the top two while Angola have just one point, but still have a mathematical chance of qualifying for the finals.

Rwanda 0-0 Cape Verde (Group F)

Rwanda held on for a point against visiting Cape Verde despite playing an hour with 10 men.

Amavubi were at a disadvantage for most of the match after the dismissal of Ally Niyonzima for a second yellow card after 30 minutes.

With only one place up for grabs from the group as Cameroon qualify automatically as hosts the race for the remaining spot is still wide open.

Cape Verde now move level with Mozambique in the group on four points and despite Rwanda having just two so far they are still in with a chance of reaching the finals.

Tuesday’s Afcon 2021 qualifiers:

Ethiopia 3-0 Niger (Grp K)
Madagascar 1-1 Ivory Coast (Grp K)
Lesotho 0-0 Benin (Grp L)
Rwanda 0-0 Cape Verde (Grp F)
Sudan 1-0 Ghana (Grp C)
Central Africa 0-2 Morocco (Grp E)
Angola 0-1 DR Congo (Grp D)
Sierra Leone 0-0 Nigeria (Grp L)
Togo 1-3 Egypt (Grp G)
19:00 Namibia v Mali (Grp A)
19:00 Tanzania v Tunisia (Grp J)

-BBC

AFCON

Royal Air Maroc named official partner for AFCON 2025, WAFCON 2024

Published

1 week ago

April 19, 2025

Kunle Solaja

The African Football Confederation (CAF) and Royal Air Maroc (RAM) have sealed a historic strategic partnership that grants Morocco’s national airline the status of “Official Global Partner” for upcoming major African football competitions.

The agreement was signed Saturday morning in Casablanca, in the presence of Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) President Fouzi Lekjaâ.

This partnership encompasses several prestigious tournaments, including the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (AFCON) 2025 (December 21, 2025 – January 18, 2026) and CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (WAFCON) 2024 (July 5-26, 2025).

The agreement also covers CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF Champions League 2024/2025 Finals, CAF Confederation Cup 2024/2025 Finals, and the CAF Women’s Champions League 2025.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe voiced enthusiasm about the collaboration.

“We are excited about the partnership between CAF and Royal Air Maroc, a world-class airline that will provide comfort and fly NationalTeams participating in the CAF competitions,” he said.

“We are confident that the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 will be the most successful AFCON in the history of this competition.”

The agreement strengthens RAM’s footprint across Africa and globally, solidifying its role as a strategic gateway between Africa and the rest of the world. It also aligns with Morocco’s emergence as an international sports hub, with the country preparing to host AFCON 2025 and co-host the FIFA World Cup 2030.

RAM’s Chairman and CEO Hamid Addou stated: “This historic partnership with CAF aligns fully with our strategic vision as an airline deeply rooted in Africa and committed to its development.”

“Royal Air Maroc doesn’t just connect destinations; it builds bridges between cultures and passions. By supporting the continent’s biggest football competitions, we reaffirm our role as a facilitator of human and sporting exchanges,” he continued.

500,000 supporters expected

Beyond its partnership role, RAM will implement an exceptional operational system to meet increased demand during CAF competitions. The airline plans to welcome over 500,000 supporters for AFCON 2025.

“We believe we will surpass this figure by far,” revealed Addou. “We will be ready to accommodate these supporters across Royal Air Maroc’s entire network.”

The airline intends to double seat capacity from qualified countries already served by RAM, such as Dakar, Abidjan, Cairo, Tunis, Bamako, Lagos, and Douala.

RAM will also intensify flight frequencies from European cities with large African communities, including Paris, Brussels, Milan, London, Marseille, Lyon, Madrid, and Barcelona.

Additionally, the airline will establish a dedicated program for domestic air transport of national teams, shuttling them between their base camps and host cities.

This positioning establishes RAM as the primary connector between Africa and Europe through its Casablanca hub. FRMF President Fouzi Lekjaâ noted that the contract “reinforces Royal Air Maroc’s first-rate leadership role in Africa.”

“Royal Air Maroc is no stranger to football,” Lekjaâ added. “It has always supported generations of our athletes and footballers here in Morocco.”

“With this expertise and experience, they will contribute significantly to making AFCON 2025 Morocco exceptional, a historic turning point in African football, cultural coexistence and African cultural exchange,” he concluded.

Addou stressed RAM’s commitment to African unity: “We are all extremely proud to be African, and in every corner of this vast and magnificent continent, we share the same ambition—to actively contribute to Africa’s development and influence.”

The RAM CEO concluded by inviting everyone to upcoming CAF calendar events: “We’ll see you very soon for the great moments ahead in the CAF calendar, particularly the Women’s AFCON starting in July and, of course, the men’s AFCON, which kicks off on December 25.”

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AFCON

Morocco speeds up stadium upgrades ahead of AFCON 2025

Published

1 week ago

April 18, 2025

Kunle Solaja

The presidents of the regional councils concerned by the hosting of the matches of the Africa Cup of Nations (Morocco-2025) unanimously affirmed that the implementation of infrastructure projects in anticipation of this continental event “is progressing at a sustained pace”, declaring themselves “fully mobilized” to crown with success the major sporting events scheduled in the Kingdom.

They specified, in statements to the press in Rabat following a meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior devoted to the assessment of the progress of the construction and rehabilitation works of the stadiums, that major sports infrastructure projects are underway in the six host cities: Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Fez, Marrakech and Agadir.

The President of the Casablanca-Settat Regional Council, Abdellatif Maâzouz, announced that the projects planned for upcoming international sporting events, in particular the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup, “are proceeding under good conditions.”

The projects related to the organisation of the AFCON will be ready by next July at the latest, he assured, specifying that there is a clear vision regarding the preparations underway for the AFCON and the 2030 World Cup, both in terms of equipment and organisational arrangements related to human resources and animation.

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AFCON

‘Land of Football’ is ‘Kingdom of Light’ as Moroccan Tourism Office and Football Federation Strike Accord

Published

2 weeks ago

April 14, 2025

Kunle Solaja

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Morocco’s football federation and tourism office have signed a groundbreaking agreement to establish the country as a major football and tourism destination leading to the milestone 2030 World Cup when the global football tournament clocks a century.

The Moroccan football body and the Tourism Office are building on the national team’s recent international success.

Though with just one success in the Africa Cup of Nations, Moroccan football soars higher than the rest in Africa and the Arab world at the World Cup.

Apart from being the only African and Arab country to have reached the World Cup semi-final stage, Morocco in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico became the first African team not to be defeated in a World Cup match when they forced Bulgaria to a 1-1 draw on 11 June.

Again, in Mexico, this time at the 1986 World Cup, Morocco became the first African team to top a group and cross the group stage.

They were just two minutes away from a major upset of West Germany in the round of 16 before Lothar Matthäus’ back-breaking goal.

The success of the football team and the tourism potential of Morocco have found a harmonious chord.

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and the National Moroccan Tourism Office (ONMT) will work together under the banner “Morocco, Land of Football,” placing the sport at the heart of the country’s tourism strategy.

“More than an institutional partnership, this convention is a shared vision: that of a Morocco that shines through football and makes it a lever for promotion, pride and tourist attractiveness,” ONMT said in a statement released after the signing.

The timing of this collaboration is strategic, coming ahead of two major sporting events: the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.

The initiative builds on widespread public enthusiasm following the Atlas Lions’ historic World Cup performance in 2022.

Under the agreement, both organizations will implement an integrated communication strategy combining visibility campaigns, influence marketing, and joint promotional activities.

The initiative will mobilize iconic figures from Moroccan football to bring this vision to life, to showcase the country’s world-class sporting facilities, rich cultural heritage, and diverse tourist attractions.

ONMT has launched a major offensive at making Morocco, the ultimate tourism and business destination as the clock ticks down to the 35th Africa Cup of Nations holding in December.

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