The Nation Newspaper

Tag: AFCONQ

  • AFCONQ: Eguavoen sweats over fitness of Lookman, Dele-Bashiru against Rwanda

    AFCONQ: Eguavoen sweats over fitness of Lookman, Dele-Bashiru against Rwanda

    Super Eagles interim coach Augustine Eguavoen is sweating over the fitness of Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers against Rwanda on Monday, Soccernet.ng reports.

    Lookman is yet to fully recover from a knock he suffered in the game against Benin. Hence, he has been excused from training.

    Also, Lazio player Fisayo Dele-Bashiru has been nursing a knock.

    Read Also: Dominican Republic 2024: NFF lauds Flamingos despite  early World Cup ouster

    The latest report from the Super Eagles camp showed that Lookman’s situation puts his participation in the Benin game up in the air, as he may not be fully fit for the Rwanda game on Monday.

    If he does not play, the Atalanta man will be badly missed, as he has become an important member of the team in the past year. If he does not recover, Nantes star Moses Simon will start in his place on Monday.

    Nigeria played out a 1-1 draw with Benin when both teams played at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny on Thursday.

  • AFCONQ: CAF verdict is justice served, says Troost-Ekong

    AFCONQ: CAF verdict is justice served, says Troost-Ekong

    •Fines Libya $50,000, awards Nigeria three goals, three points

    Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong and goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali have reacted to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) awarding Nigeria three points and imposing a $50,000 fine on Libya’s Football Association.

    This action followed Libya’s unsatisfactory treatment of the Super Eagles before their scheduled October 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.

    The Super Eagles’ scheduled match against Libya on October 15 was cancelled after the team was detained for over 20 hours without food or water upon arriving at Al Abaq airport.

    In its ruling on Saturday, the Disciplinary Board, chaired by Ousmane Kane, found the Libyan Football Federation in violation of Article 31 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations and Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code.

    Libya will also have to pay a fine of $50,000 within 60 days of this notification while Nigeria was handed three goals and three points.

    It partly reads, “The Libyan Football Federation is found to have breached Article 31 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations, as well as Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code.

    “The match No. 87, Libya v Nigeria, of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers 2025 (scheduled to be played on 15 October 2024 in Benghazi), is declared lost by forfeit by Libya (with a record of 3-0).”

    Read Also: NFF to select best match commissioners through exams

    Reacting in a post on his X account on Saturday, Troost-Ekong, the Super Eagles skipper, stated that the development brings the Super Eagles closer to qualifying for AFCON 2025.

    He wrote, “JUSTICE: CAF awards three points and three goals to Nigeria. Libya fined $50,000.

    “The plane was diverted 300km from the scheduled airport, even when the pilot told them he was low on fuel. One step closer to our target AFCON 2025.”

    In his own post, goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali quote-tweeted CAF’s announcement and questioned, “$50k for eba?”

    The decision boosts Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 qualification hopes, putting them at the top of Group D with 10 points, four points ahead of second-placed Benin Republic.

  • AFCONQ: NFF beat CAF deadline, push for Libya’s punishment

    AFCONQ: NFF beat CAF deadline, push for Libya’s punishment

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has met the Confederation of African Football (CAF) deadline by submitting all necessary documents after the troubling travel ordeal led to the withdrawal of the Super Eagles from their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Libya, Soccernet.ng reports.

    The controversy erupted when the Nigerian team’s flight, bound for Benghazi, was unexpectedly diverted to Al Abraq Airport.

    While the NFF has met this deadline, the LFF has engaged legal representation, distancing itself from the situation by claiming that the flight diversion was a decision made by Libyan state authorities, not the football federation.

    Read Also: NFF Annual General Assembly holds today in Asaba

    As CAF’s investigation unfolds, the fate of the match remains uncertain. Potential consequences include a rescheduled fixture and disciplinary sanctions.

    This situation prompted the Nigerian government to direct the NFF to withdraw the team from the match, citing concerns for the players’ safety in the tense atmosphere.

    Even before Nigeria officially pulled out, the NFF lodged a formal complaint with the CAF, accusing the Libyan authorities of unacceptable treatment.

    CAF responded by condemning the incident, labeling the treatment of the Nigerian delegation as “despicable.”

    The NFF and the Libya Football Federation (LFF) were instructed to submit detailed event accounts by October 20.