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Tag: Africa Cup of Nations

  • Amuneke leads Taifa Stars to first AFCON in 39years

    Tanzania ended their 39-year wait for an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) appearance as former Super Eagles’ winger Emmanuel Amuneke guided the Taifa Stars to automatic qualification for Egypt 2019 courtesy a 3-0 home win against Uganda.

    The erstwhile Golden Eaglets manager took charge of the East African side in August and was tasked with the responsibility of developing football in the country with little expectation of making it to AFCON 2019 as Uganda and Cape Verde were rated as Group L favourites.

    However, the Nigerian did the unthinkable as he inspired the team to qualify for their first AFCON since 1980. Coincidentally, the last time the Taifa Stars played at the Africa Cup of Nations was in Nigeria.

    Tanzania went into the final group match against Uganda, knowing that a win against Cranes will take them through to the 2019 AFCON while hoping Lesotho fails to win away to Cape Verde.

    Simon Msuwa gave Tanzania a first half lead against Uganda and six minutes into the second half, Erasto Nyoni scored a penalty to make it 2-0 before Aggrey Morris completed the rout. The victory was made even sweeter as news filtered in that the Lesotho versus Cape Verde match had ended goalless.

    Uganda had never conceded any goals in the group before the game against Tanzania and it was refreshing for fans that Amunike led the Taifa Stars to a comprehensive victory in a derby game which earned them an AFCON ticket.

    Uganda finished on top of Group L with 13points, Tanzania came in second with eighth points, Lesotho sit third with six points and Cape Verde is bottom with five points.

  • Africa Cup Of Nations Qualifier: Ozomwafor, Onuachu, Udo must take their chances – Garba Lawal

    Former Nigeria international Garba Lawal has urged newly invited Super Eagles players Paul Onuachu, Valentine Ozomwafor and Ikouwem Udo to seize their opportunities.

    The trio was named in the 23-man squad for the Super Eagles’ Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers game against Seychelles and friendly tie with Egypt scheduled for March 22 and 26 respectively.

    Onuachu has been a consistent performer for Midtjylland scoring 10 goals last season to help Wolves claim the Danish SuperLiga title.

    This season, the 24-year-old has racked up 16 goals in all competitions, including 14 in the league which ranks him as the third joint highest scorer in the division.

    For Ozomwafor, he was part of the Nigeria U20 squad that finished fourth in the recently concluded Africa Under-20 Cup of Nations helping Nigeria to secure a ticket to the World Cup.

    While Udo has been impressive for Enyimba since breaking into the first team and won the 2018 NFF Young Player of the Year. And the 44-year-old has urged the newly invited players to grab their chances and avoid pressure when called upon to play.

  • AFCON 2019: The stage is getting set

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

     

    Five out of twenty four nations have qualified for the 32nd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations billed to hold in Cameroon in June 2019, after match day four of the qualifying series.

    The competition, which used to have sixteen teams battle for the big prize was expanded to accommodate twenty-four nations, after an Executive Committee meeting  of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on 20th July, 2017

    The teams already qualified as it stands now are Cameroon (the hosts), Senegal, Madagascar, Tunisia and Egypt.

    The Teranga Lions of Senegal and Madagascar both have ten points from four matches each, after winning three and drawing one game. The drawn game happened on 9th September 2018, at the Mahamasina Municipal Stadium, in Antananarivo, when both teams played out a 2-2 draw with Paulin Voavy and Koulibaly getting on the score sheet for the Barea, and Pape Moussa Konaté and Keita Diao scored one goal each for the Teranga Lions.

    Both teams had in the process conquered Equatorial Guinea and Sudan to seal their place in Cameroon, Madagascar earning their place in the biggest football showpiece in Africa for the first time ever.

    Senegal and Madagascar meet on the last match day, but that will only be a formality.

    Tunisia and Egypt also had an easy ride in Group J, Egypt whitewashing Niger Republic 6-0 in Alexandria, Swaziland 4-1 in Cairo, and 2-0 in Manzini. Tunisia on their part beat Swaziland 2-0 in Manzini, Niger Republic 1-0 In Rades, and visited Niamey to conquer them 2-1.

    The Egyptian Pharaohs only tasted defeat when they travelled to Rades to face Tunisia, and the Carthage Eagles piped them 1-0, Taha Yassine Khenissi finding the net, two minutes into the second half.

    Both sides meet again in Egypt next month, and it will be a battle of who finishes top of the group.

    Read Also: 2019 AFCON Qualifiers: Eagles in first training session

    In Cameroon’s group, things are slightly different, being the host of the coming Africa Cup of Nations . It turns out that three teams from that group will be at the AFCON, with only one losing out. If the Indomitable Lions finish first, then the second and third advance, and if second, the first and third will make it.

    As things stands, after match day four, Morocco and Malawi are at advantage, with Cameroon, leading with eight points, Morocco with seven, and Malawi with four points. Comoros only has two points so far.

    The road is still rough in other places, though some teams are very close to qualification. Countries like Algeria, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Guinea are one win away from qualification for AFCON 2019. A point can do the magic for Guinea, provided Ivory Coast fails to win their remaining matches. It is safe to conclude that a great cracker awaits on 16th November, when Guinea hosts Cote d’Ivoire. It should be recalled that the Syli Nationale won the first leg in Bouake in June, 2017

    In Group E Seychelles is out of the race, as there is still a slim chance for Libya to make it through. Mathematically, a win against Seychelles in November, and and at least a draw against South Africa at home will guarantee a place for the Mediterranean Knights, provided South Africa fails to win any of their remaining fixtures. Nigeria on their part need a  point from the available six to seal their place in Cameroon.

    There is still all to play for in Group C, where Mali, Gabon and Burundi have eight, seven and six points respectively. Group D sees Algeria, Benin Republic struggle with seven points each, and Togo has five, Group G, seeing Zimbabwe in eight points, DR Congo with five, Congo and Liberia with four points each. Zimbabwe visits Liberia on match day five, before hosting Congo on the last match day.

    Group I is dicey. Mauritania, also seeking its first appearance at the finals currently has nine points, its only loss against Angola, in Luanda, Burkina Faso has seven points, Angola has six points, and already eliminated Botswana has one point.  And Group K has former African Champions, Zambia, sitting at the bottom of the group with four points, but still having a chance, as Guinea Bissau and Namibia have seven points respectively, and Mozambique has four.  The Chipolopolo, who had a 2-1 victory and defeat to Guinea Bissau within four days, will visit Mozambique, before they host Namibia, knowing what destiny holds for them.

  • EDEMA FULUDU From football pitch to political turf

    Former Nigerian International, Edema Fuludu in this interview with Desmond Ekwueme opens up on why he is throwing his hat into the political ring. Without a political godfather, the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner says he ‘wants to take back power to the people.’ Excerpts…..

    Why the switch from football to politics?

    I am a human being and so naturally a political animal. The switch is passive to active politics. Football has given me a quality platform to make the switch seamlessly. A known face can be judged quite easily than an unknown.

    What is the motivation behind your decision?

    The salient reason is that for too long we complain about governance and say society is bad while it’s just a few bad people calling the shots that make it bad because they have political power. Good people complain and stay aloof. I am a good person with a good heart ready to impact on the society positively.

    Many believe in our clime that without a political godfather, it is always a futile journey into politics, so who is your godfather in this journey so to say?

    Political godfathers is an item in our political landscape but this also is becoming obsolete because the people are beginning to have political awareness to take conscious decisions about who represents them devoid of stomach infrastructure needs. We are witnessing a paradigm shift. God is my father and he is bigger than the biggest godfather.

     What do you hope to bring on board if elected that is lacking at the moment in your constituency?

    I want to take power back to the people where decisions on what affects them directly are taken collectively. I want to be able to touch more of our children, youths and women especially through scholarships, empowerment and healthcare. Scholarships means allowing those who have good grades and desire not to be hindered by lack of funds. Empowerment at grass roots in trade and commerce for women. Healthcare through health centres for curative health and sport centres for preventive. I want to push for legislation that will make sports funding and it’s undeniably positive effects on youth development visible and responsible.

    Again they say, those with fat purses venture into politics, how expensive is Nigerian politics and how have you managed to fund your project?

    Certainly funding is necessary but not a sufficient condition for one to run for an office. All over the world money is needed for political pursuit but we have elevated it wrongly in our clime to scare the small minded. I have absolute belief that those who believe in my pedigree and capacity will rally round me when my own resources dwindle. Good people within and outside my constituency have even started assisting. My determination is unequal. People do not support ‘legberes’ that is the lazy man.

    Many describe politics as a dangerous and dirty game, have you experienced any friction to justify this believe or claim in the course of your campaigns, rallies or movements?

    The dirtiness is orchestrated by the few bad people for the good ones to always see danger at all times. I have been preaching nonviolence and the power of love. Those who seek power for power sake are evil minded. Yes deceptions are part of the game and its dirty but physical attacks and primordial innuendos must be condemned at all times. We must rise from ethnic, tribal and bestial politics to that of issues of governance that impacts on the common man. I do not pray to be attacked: me or my team physically because we preach love and issues of togetherness. How long have you nursed the ambition of entering the murky waters of politics? Well I actually registered with the PDP in 2003 in my Ward but my desire to become active came early last year. The water is murky indeed.

    What encouragements have you received from your former colleagues in football in making your political dream come true?

    Oh; a lot of encouragement in prayers mostly because of the same fear of the murkiness perceived. But they believe absolutely that I am capable and rich in knowledge to represent so they are happy over the guts and courage I have.

     Do you see your adventure into politics as a clarion call on your likes as ex-internationals to join the political train?

    Yes. I have often reiterated that a book should not be judged by its cover. When I first declared I was told by many to go run for office in the NFF but after constructively engaging them, the perception that footballers are school drop-outs was completely erased. I left the University of Benin in 1987 with a second class upper degree in Business Administration and after my professional career went back to the same university (Uniben) and had my MBA in 2001. I have worked locally and internationally as a logistics officer. A trained coach, administrator and manager of men and scarce resources. All ex-internationals cannot become coaches as that is the preconceived box for us. I dare others to step forward. A word for the good people of your constituency…. I have a few words for the good people of my constituency in the quotes I have sent out before. We are alive but dead when we consciously mortgage our tomorrow for the cash at hand. A man without a conscience has no soul. If you do not care about yourself what of the children and women the most vulnerable in the society. Our lives begin to die  if our and children’s future become bleak when money becomes the only consideration for crucial decisions we make in life.

  • Doctrine of necessity for Nigerian Football

    The crisis rocking the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) may well be a blessing in disguise.

    Several attempts had been made to streamline the Nigerian football season with contemporary practice of running club competitions from August to May. We will recall the club versus country controversy which pops up whenever African stars are invited to national duty for Africa Cup of Nations in January, a crucial period for clubs in Europe and South America.

    In view of this, the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has resolved that from the next edition in 2019, the tournament will hold in June and July, which is the off-season for most of the world’s leagues. The club competitions – CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup – will also switch from a February to November schedule to an August to May calendar starting from 2019. The transition begins this year with the 2018/19 inter-club competitions, which kicks off in November this year and climaxes on June 1, 2019.

    Meanwhile, the NFF and other stakeholders of the beautiful game in the country are worried about how not to miss the fast approaching deadline for next season’s CAF club competitions, given that our top flight league has 14 rounds of matches to go. On Monday, the NFF mandated its sub-committees (Organising, Technical and Development, Finance, Marketing, Football and Ethics, and Fairplay), to suggest the way out of meeting CAF’s October 15 deadline, when FAs are to submit entries for the two continental club competitions.

    “The road-maps designed by these sub-committees would be thoroughly scrutinised by the Emergency Committee early next week with a view to approving and streamlining feasible work plans,” the NFF statement said.

    At the heart of the matter is what the federation itself has identified as finding “a credible conclusion to the various leagues in this football season.” Staring us in the face is the reality that 14 Matchdays in  the 2017/18 Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) can’t be completed in seven weeks, not forgetting the AITEO Cup, which still has at least five more stages to reach the finish line.

    This is where the doctrine of necessity comes into play. Political actors adopted it to save the nation from constitutional crisis in 2010 when an ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua failed to transmit power to his deputy Dr Goodluck Jonathan, and almost grounded the country. The doctrine of necessity is hinged on extra-legal actions with the objective of restoring order.

    If we go by the rules, we may have to ask the teams to play three matches per week to conclude the season before October 15. In a country as geographically massive as ours and with teams travelling by road, this is practically agreeing to a dead sentence for the players and officials.

    Read Also: FG endorses Pinnick as NFF President

    The other option is to perhaps borrow the example of leagues like Scotland where teams are divided into two equal sections in the concluding phase of the season to determine the champions and relegated sides. By the time the 2017/18 NPFL was suspended ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Russia, these were the 10 teams in the upper rung of the ladder: Lobi Stars, Akwa United, Kano Pillars, Enyimba, Plateau United, Niger Tornadoes, Katsina United, Abia United, Rivers United and Rangers. In the lower section were: MFM, Nasarawa United, El-Kanemi Warriors, Wikki Tourists, Kwara United, Go Round, FC IfeanyiUbah, Sunshine Stars, Yobe Desert Stars and Heartland.

    If this option is accepted and the top 10 teams are made to complete the season facing themselves, they will not have the same number of matches since some of them had completed their head-to-head before the league went on recess. The outstanding fixtures among these 10 teams, for instance, will see Niger Tornadoes play eight matches, while Lobi Stars will have seven games. All the other teams have six outstanding matches, except Katsina United with five. A similar scenario applies for the bottom 10 teams. How then do we achieve a fair outcome when the teams don’t play equal number of matches?

    This is the time for the team administrators to subsume their interests and act in the overall interest of Nigerian football. The NPFL should be considered to have ended, which means Lobi Stars, the top team at the time of the force majeure, should be crowned champions and immediately registered for the 2018/19 CAF Champions League. This will allow the football administrators time and energy to focus on completing the AITEO Cup, whose champions should emerge before October 15 and be fielded for the CAF Confederation Cup.

    In the same light, no team should be relegated from any of the divisions or promoted to the upper level. Clubs and other stakeholders will lose revenue from gate-takings and sales, but it’s the sacrifice everyone has to pay to get our football back on track.

    We can then work towards commencing the 2018/19 season in the next two months – allowing for transfer of players and officials. If we don’t have another man-made crisis, our football season should achieve the August to May calendar by next year.

    Muyiwa Akintunde is a public relations consultant and sports enthusiast

  • Google honours Keshi with Doodle

    Google honours Keshi with Doodle

    Google on Tuesday marked the 56th birthday of the late Nigerian football icon, Stephen Keshi, with Doodle.

    A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google’s homepages that commemorates holidays, events, achievements and people.

    Mr Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Anglophone West Africa, made the assertion during a chat with Google in Lagos.

    According to Kola-Ogunlade, Stephen Keshi was born in Azare, Bauchi State, Nigeria, and was a member of the famed St. Finbarrs College Football Academy of 1977.

    He said that he was later called up for the Junior Eagles and subsequently the Super Eagles in preparation for the 1980 African Cup of Nations competition.

    “Football took Keshi all over the world as he played across Africa, Europe, and the U.S.

    “Known affectionately as `Big Boss’, he was beloved as a player for Nigeria’s national team, where he earned more than 60 caps and for representing the country at the FIFA World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations,’’ he said.

    READ ALSO : Google doodle honours Chinua Achebe

    Kola-Ogunlade said that after his great success as a player, Keshi moved into coaching, the next phase of his career, adding that when the “Big Boss’’ became the coach of the Togo national team, he brought his trademark passion with him.

    The Google manager said that against the odds, Keshi led Togo all the way to a qualifying spot in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

    “He achieved his personal dream in 2011, when he became an indigenous national coach of the Super Eagles, cementing his place in African and world football history.

    “Coaching the Nigerian team, Keshi won the African Cup of Nations in 2013, and in 2014 became the first African coach of an African nation to make it to the knockout round of a World Cup.

    “Keshi is one of the only two men to win the Africa Cup of Nations as both a player and a manager, a testament to his wit, talent, and love for the sport.

    “A big cheer for this football legend on what would have been his 56th birthday!’’ he said.

     

  • Tears as Tiote’s Body Arrives in Abidjan (PHOTOS)

    Tears as Tiote’s Body Arrives in Abidjan (PHOTOS)

    As the remains of Ivorian footballer, Cheick Tiote arrives Port Bouet Airport in Abidjan, the capital of his native Ivory Coast, Wilfried Bony was among the pallbearers on Thursday afternoon.

    The Manchester City forward and other former teammates of Tiote’s with the Ivory Coast national team carried the casket on their shoulders after being flown from Beijing where he tragically passed away.

    Cheick Tiote's coffin is carried by his former Ivory Coast team-mates at Port Bouet airport

    Cheick Tiote’s coffin is carried by his former Ivory Coast team-mates at Port Bouet Airport
    Bony
    Bony
    Bony on a T-Shirt which read ‘an elephant never dies’ in paying tribute to the late midfielder as he attended the sombre occasion.
    Former Ivory Coast national team coach Herve Renard was also in attendance along with the president of the Ivorian Football Federation, Augustin Sidy Diallo.Papiss Cisse sheds a tear while attending Tiote's memorial service in Beijing on Tuesday

    Family members displayed their grief as Tiote’s coffin was carried through the airport, where fans also came to pay their respects.

    Tiote's casket is carried through arrivals at the Port Bouet airport, the largest in the Ivory Coast
    Tiote’s casket is carried through arrivals at the Port Bouet airport, the largest in the Ivory Coast

    Former Ivory Coast national team manager Herve Renard was also in attendance on Thursday

    Former Ivory Coast national team manager Herve Renard was also in attendance on Thursday

    Tiote suffered a suspected heart attack on June 5 during a training session with his club Beijing Enterprises and later passed away.

    There was a memorial service for him held in Beijing on Tuesday which was attended by his ex-Newcastle team-mate Papiss Cisse, who plays in China with Shandong Luneng.

    ‘I lived some extraordinary moments with this man and today he’s gone,’ said Cisse at the service as he fought back tears.

    A family member shows their grief at the service as mourners turned up to pay their respects

    A family member shows their grief at the service as mourners turned up to pay their respects

    One fan painted himself in black and white and wore a hat with the message 'farewell'

    One fan painted himself in black and white and wore a hat with the message ‘farewell’

    A mural featuring images of Tiote playing for the Ivory Coast was displayed at the airport

    A mural featuring images of Tiote playing for the Ivory Coast was displayed at the airport

    Beijing Enterprises players were also present at that service as they paid their respects to Tiote, who joined them from Newcastle in February.

    Sportsmail revealed earlier this week that Beijing Enterprises had no emergency cardiac equipment at their training base which which to treat him.

    And Manchester United legend Andy Cole questioned whether more can be done to protect players who suffer from heart problems.

    Tiote during a training session with Chinese second division side Beijing Enterprises

    Tiote during a training session with Chinese second division side Beijing Enterprises

     

    Papiss Cisse sheds a tear while attending Tiote’s memorial service in Beijing on Tuesday

    ‘If someone is only 30 and they pass away, the question that is naturally going to be asked is ‘Why? What’s gone on there? Why has he passed away so early?’, Cole said to BBC Radio Five Live.

    ‘It’s a strange one. Cheick Tiote hadn’t been in China that long – a few months – so he must have had a medical to complete the transfer. Was nothing picked up in that medical?

    ‘Is anything actually being done? Is it being looked into? We need to nail it down and get to the bottom of why and what it is.

    Bony and Tiote celebrate after winning the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast

    Bony and Tiote celebrate after winning the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast

    Bony and Tiote compete while playing for former clubs Swansea and Newcastle respectively

    Bony and Tiote compete while playing for former clubs Swansea and Newcastle respectively

    ‘Because it seems to be happening to more and more professional footballers – fit, strong men.’

    Tiote spent seven years at Newcastle and is best remembered for scoring a stunning equaliser in the 4-4 draw against Arsenal in February 2011.

    He also featured for Anderlecht, Twente and made 55 appearances for the Ivory Coast senior side, winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015.

  •   Eagles must restructure before facing Cameroon -Aluko

      Eagles must restructure before facing Cameroon -Aluko

     

    Fulham star Sone Aluko has urged the Super Eagles to learn and move on from Saturday’s stunning defeat to South Africa, insisting there are lots of improvements to be made.

    Goals from Tokelo Rantie and Percy Tau were all Stuart Baxter’s men needed to silence Nigeria at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo – a result that could have big implications in the race for 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

    Though hurt about the three-time African champions losing their invincibility to Bafana Bafana, the 28-year-old whose brace rescued the team from defeat in 2014 is trusting the Eagles can make adjustments from the frustrations of their performance against the 1996 African champions.

    ”It was painful and every time Super Eagles lose it’s always painful,” Aluko admitted

    ”I’m a fan first and foremost and as somebody who wants to go back into the team it is even more frustrating because you feel like there is something you can help offer the team.

    ”It’s just ironical; same stadium, same two nil. We lost this game 2-0 and when I played [against South Africa in 2014], I scored two goals though there’s no saying if I played this game I’d have scored two goals.

    ”But we shouldn’t even be looking for miracles because the Super Eagles are big enough to win games. Any team can lose games, that can happen but I think the manner of the loss is what pains people the most.”

    Nigeria face Cameroon on August 28 as the race for 2018 Fifa World Cup Russia gets hotter, and Aluko reveals the kind of change Rohr’s men need.

    ”Well, success is not a very good teacher. Sometimes when you keep winning you’re successful you don’t actually learn much,’’ he continued.

    ”But sometimes when you lose, it highlights the small errors and small margins you have to improve on.

    ”So if we take lessons from that defeat,  the Super Eagles will be back. We were missing key players and the defending wasn’t great.

    ”The team didn’t seem like it gelled well, so there are lots to take from the game. Even the attacking seems disjointed. Before facing Cameroon,  there are lots of improvements that can be made,” submitted the former Hull City ace

  • AFCON Qualifiers: Cape Verde vs. Uganda postponed for 24 hours

    AFCON Qualifiers: Cape Verde vs. Uganda postponed for 24 hours

    The‎ Group L Day One clash between Cape Verde and Uganda, originally scheduled for Saturday in Praia, has been postponed for 24 hours.

    The decision was taken by the Organising Committee for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) due to the difficulties faced by the Ugandan team in arriving in Praia.

    The ‎flight of the Ugandan team did not take off as expected from Dakar in Senegal, where they held a training camp, due to a technical problem.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the situation constitutes a case of force majeure.

    The match will therefore take place on Sunday at the same‎ time and venue with the same officials.

  • Imama Amapakabo a dependable ally -Rohr

    Imama Amapakabo a dependable ally -Rohr



    Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has declared that inputs from his local assistants will be major ingredient in his quest not only to qualify the team but also ensure impressive performance in Russia.
    He singled out Rangers coach Imama Amapakabo as one coach whose wealth of experience will come handy, describing him as a dependable ally.
    “He is a good coach and we interact all the time, we discuss on phone and he knows a whole lot of players in the local league capable of rising to the occasion when it matters most, ditto Salisu Yusuf,”he submitted.
    Rohr’s submission on Amapakabo who broke Rangers trophyless jinx is a tacit prediction that the Flying Antelopes stand a good chance of doing well in the Champions league which kicks off in February.
    Rohr who has already concluded arrangement to watch matches of this year’s Africa Cup of Nations which gets underway January 14 in Gabon opined that it is important that the Super Eagles maintain top shape despite failing to qualifying for the Continental show piece which has World cup qualifying opponents Cameroon and Algeria on parade.
    The former Gabon, Niger and Burkina Faso handler expressed optimism that the Eagles will continue to post good results in the qualifiers leading to Russia 2018.
    Nigeria currently lead the group with six points with Eagles billed to host Indomitable Lions August 28 and the return leg in Yaoundé scheduled for September 7.