AFCON
First title or record extension?… who wins Salah or Mane?
Senegal faces Egypt this Sunday at Olembe Stadium in Yaoundé, as the 33rd edition of Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021 reaches its Grand Final.
While Senegal was expected at this stage of the competition as one of the favorites for winning their first ever title and last edition runner-up, Egypt defied offs that did not nominate them to go far and managed a formidable campaign to play for a record extension eighth AFCON title.
Losing twice in the two final matches they played (2002 and 2019), Senegal are hoping for a “third time lucky” this time round.
The Teranga Lions had less complicated tests given the opponents’ road to the final. After beating Zimbabwe 1-0 and two goalless draws with Guinea and Malawi to top their Group, Sadio Mané’s teammates defeated Cape Verde 2-0, Equatorial Guinea 3-1 then Burkina Faso by the same score in the knockouts.
Once again they will rely on the vast experience of Liverpool superstar Sadio Mane, Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly among others.
Aliou Cissé (Coach, Senegal)
“We prepared well for our final with the players who are determined and confident to put in a good show. We will approach this final with determination against a great Egyptian team”, said Senegalese coach, Aliou Cisse.
“We know our opponent well; they have their own philosophy of play with experienced players on the continental level. We are on the way to our objective of winning the title this Sunday evening. We must focus on the final, play it well and thus succeed in our match. We will have to take advantage of the moment. We lost two finals in the past, but this time we will approach the match with more determination”.
Senegal’s captain, Khalidou Coulibaly said, “after missing the final in 2019, I will be there to write the history of Senegalese football.
“The most important thing for me is to offer Senegal and the Senegalese people the trophy. We must realize our dream, that of to win the final crowning. We are keen to play well, to perform well to win this final. It will certainly be the most important match of my career and I will play it with all the determination and ardor necessary to win the tournament”.
The Egyptians, seven times winner of the competition (1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008 and 2010) are hoping of an eighth star on their jersey, twelve years from their last glory.
After a loss in their opener to Nigeria, Egypt defeated Guinea Bissau and Sudan to go through the group stage. Since then, The Pharaohs managed to oust three big names needing three extra times and two penalty shootouts. Neither Cote d’Ivoire, Morocco, nor hosts Cameroon managed to stop the Pharaohs in their quest to reach the grand final, five years after their heartbreak in Gabon 2017 final.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah led by example in every game, and he will be looked to again to have his moment of lifting the title. Missing injured Mohamed Elshenawy, goalkeeper Mohamed Abu Gabal who produced shootout heroics against Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon will be once again the first line of the Pharaohs title quest.
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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