AFCON
AUDIO: Nigerian High Commissioner in Cameroon, Olonishakin prepares Super Eagles’ AFCON nest in Garoua
Nigeria’s High Commissioner in Cameroon, Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin was on Monday in Garoua, venue of Nigeria’s group matches.
According to a correspondent for Sports Village Square in Cameroon, Olonishakin, a retired army general, met with the Governor of Northern Region of Cameroon which capital is in Garoua.
Olonishakin, a former Chief of Defence Staff also met with the Nigerian community in Garoua to prepare for a comfortable as well as garner support for the Super Eagles who are programmed to play their three group matches in the city which is also the home town of former CAF president, Issa Hayatou.
If the Super Eagles top the group which also have Egypt, Sudan and Guinea Bissau, they will play an additional match there before moving southward as the tournament progresses.
In interview with Sports Village Square correspondent in Garoua, Olonishakin remarked that the reason for his being in the Northern city was to sensitize the people about the Super Eagles and gather support for the team hoping to win the Africa Cup for the fourth time.
He also appreciated the Governor of the Northern Region for the support they have been given to the Nigerian community.
He also checked the facilities and rated them as excellent. He told Sports Village Square correspondent that the Super Eagles have strategies for each of their three group opponents and that no team is being underrated.
“In competitions like this, there is no team that is a pushover. Surprises can be sprung up. So we take each match and each team as they come.
“We are preparing for the Egyptian team as a strong side, the same will be the case for Sudan and Guinea Bissau.”
“I met with the Nigerian community on Sunday and sensitize them on the need to give the Super Eagles a rousing welcome and to supprt the team for all their matches.
“We hope to top the group and play a fourth match in Garou and also move ahead to get into the semi-finals. That means, we are playing about five matches in Garoua”, said Olonishakin.
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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