The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CAF

  • CAF orders Gabon to issue Eaglets visas

    CAF orders Gabon to issue Eaglets visas

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have intervened to ensure Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets are issued entry visas to Gabon for an African U-17 qualifier this weekend.

    This followed a formal complaint from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to CAF that the Eaglets do not have visas to enter Gabon after the country shut down all their embassies in the countries hit by the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

    “After the initial problem, we are right now at the embassy as regards the visa for the Eaglets,” an NFF official informed AfricanFootball.com.

    “CAF have now directed Gabon to issue the team visas.”

    NFF were already working on getting visas at the point of entry for the U-17s.

    U-17 world champions Nigeria are due to face Gabon in Libreville on Sunday in the first leg of a final round qualifier for Niger 2015.

    The winners of this match-up will qualify for the 2015 African Junior Championship in Niger early next year.

  • Maigari cleared for CAF, FIFA meetings

    Maigari cleared for CAF, FIFA meetings

    Despite seeing his tenure relapse and his board dissolved by the Nigeria football congress, former President of Nigeria Football Federation, Aminu Maigari will next week attend a meeting of the Organising Committee for the Africa Cup of Nations during a week of meetings of CAF sub –committees in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

    Maigari, who will preside over the two Extra-Ordinary Congresses to be convened by the NFF in line with the directives of FIFA, to usher in a new NFF Executive Committee, will join other members of his Organising Committee for the Africa Cup of Nations for a crucial meeting in the Ethiopian capital on September 17.

    It is at the said meeting that the committee will, among other things, recommend to the Confederation of African Football(CAF) a date for the staging of the Draw Ceremony of the 30th Africa Cup of Nations, taking place in Morocco early next year. The event will come up after the last round of qualifying matches on November 19.

    Also travelling for the CAF meetings are two members of the out –going NFF Executive Committee,  Emeka Inyama and Ahmed Yusuf ‘Fresh’. Inyama is a member of the CAF Media Committee while ‘Fresh’ sits on the Technical and Development Committee.

    From Addis Ababa, Maigari, who has also previously served on the Organising Committees for the CAF U-23 Championship and the African Nations Championship, will fly to Zurich, Switzerland for a meeting of his FIFA Players’ Status Committee at the Home of FIFA.

    Maigari was appointed member of the influential FIFA panel in December 2011, by FIFA President Sepp Blatter. The Committee deals with eligibility of players for the various nationalities in FIFA.

    The meeting of the FIFA Players’ Status Committee will take place between September 22 and 23.

  • NFF protests Eaglets’ failure to land in Gabon

    NFF protests Eaglets’ failure to land in Gabon

    The Nigeria Football federation has protested to the Confederation of African Football after Gabonese officials prevented members of the Golden Eaglets from flying into Libreville to honour this weekend’s African U-17 Championship qualifiers, africanFootball.com reports.

    The Gabonese authorities disembarked the Golden Eaglets’ delegation from a Gabon –bound ASKY Airline flight having flown from their base in Calabar to Lagos and travelled by road from Lagos to Cotonou as a result of the cancellation of all Gabon –bound flights from Lagos.

    The delegation members were issued boarding passes on the ASKY Airline flight from Cotonou to Libreville, via Lome, only to be subjected to the harsh treatment after landing in the Togolese capital.

    The NFF has therefore sent a strong letter of protest to CAF over Friday’s unsavoury incident in Lome.

    The protest letter signed by NFF General Secretary, Musa Amadu, reads, “On getting to Lome, our delegation members were disembarked and their luggage brought out of the aircraft, and told that they would no longer be flown to Libreville, on the orders of Gabonese authorities.

    “We strongly protest this harsh, unkind and unfair treatment of players below the age of 17, who have had to go through this arduous and tiring journey only to further their career in football.

    “We are very much aware that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has stated clearly that football matches should not to take place in only three countries, namely Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, as a result of the Ebola Virus Disease pandemic.

    “Our players have taken serious precautions and even have Ebola–free Medical Certificates.

    “The Nigeria Football Federation is sorely disappointed by this attitude of Gabonese authorities and we implore CAF to come into this matter and determine the issue of the qualifying fixture.”

     

  • CAF orders Gabon to issue Eaglets visas

    CAF orders Gabon to issue Eaglets visas

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have intervened to ensure Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets are issued entry visas to Gabon for an African U-17 qualifier this weekend.

    This followed a formal complaint from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to CAF that the Eaglets do not have visas to enter Gabon after the country shut down all their embassies in the countries hit by the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

    “After the initial problem, we are right now at the embassy as regards the visa for the Eaglets,” an NFF official informed AfricanFootball.com.

    “CAF have now directed Gabon to issue the team visas.”

    NFF were already working on getting visas at the point of entry for the U-17s.

    U-17 world champions Nigeria are due to face Gabon in Libreville on Sunday in the first leg of a final round qualifier for Niger 2015.

    The winners of this match-up will qualify for the 2015 African Junior Championship in Niger early next year.

  • Maigari cleared for CAF, FIFA meetings

    Maigari cleared for CAF, FIFA meetings

    Despite seeing his tenure relapse and his board dissolved by the Nigeria football congress, former President of Nigeria Football Federation, Aminu Maigari will next week attend a meeting of the Organising Committee for the Africa Cup of Nations during a week of meetings of CAF sub –committees in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

    Maigari, who will preside over the two Extra-Ordinary Congresses to be convened by the NFF in line with the directives of FIFA, to usher in a new NFF Executive Committee, will join other members of his Organising Committee for the Africa Cup of Nations for a crucial meeting in the Ethiopian capital on September 17.

    It is at the said meeting that the committee will, among other things, recommend to the Confederation of African Football(CAF) a date for the staging of the Draw Ceremony of the 30th Africa Cup of Nations, taking place in Morocco early next year. The event will come up after the last round of qualifying matches on November 19.

    Also travelling for the CAF meetings are two members of the out –going NFF Executive Committee,  Emeka Inyama and Ahmed Yusuf ‘Fresh’. Inyama is a member of the CAF Media Committee while ‘Fresh’ sits on the Technical and Development Committee.

    From Addis Ababa, Maigari, who has also previously served on the Organising Committees for the CAF U-23 Championship and the African Nations Championship, will fly to Zurich, Switzerland for a meeting of his FIFA Players’ Status Committee at the Home of FIFA.

    Maigari was appointed member of the influential FIFA panel in December 2011, by FIFA President Sepp Blatter. The Committee deals with eligibility of players for the various nationalities in FIFA.

    The meeting of the FIFA Players’ Status Committee will take place between September 22 and 23.

  • Congo quiet over arrival date

    • Fails to communicate with NFF

    Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) head of technical,  Emmanuel Ikpeme, has said that the Congo Football Association has yet to communicate their arrival date to the federation ahead of this weekend’s Africa Cup of Nation qualifying match.

    The Super Eagles are billed to play Congo on Saturday at the U.J. Esuene Stadium,Calabar.But Ikpeme exclusively told Sportinglife that the Congolese are keeping their arrival date to themselves.

    He said that NFF are ready to host their opponents as soon as they communicate to them.

    “They (Congo) have not reached us about their arrival date.We are still expecting to hear from them. It is for their own interest to reach out to us at the appropriate time,” Ikpeme told SportingLife.

    Corroborating Ikpem’s statement, NFF media officer, Ademola Olajire said: “As at this morning (Tuesday) we have not heard anything from them.We are still waiting for the information from Congo officials,” Olajire told SportingLife.

    Congo had earlier written a letter to Confederation of African Football (CAF)asking for a relocation of the September 6th AFCON qualifier with the Super Eagles from Calabar,Cross River State due to Ebola virus outbreak.

    CAF rejected the request, insisting that the match will go ahead as expected in Calabar on Saturday.

    Congo booked their spot in the qualifiers of the continental showpiece after Rwanda was barred from taking part for fielding ineligible striker Dady Birori.

  • Operation crush Congo: CAF confirms Calabar for Eagles

    Operation crush Congo: CAF confirms Calabar for Eagles

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has ignored the request of Nigeria’s opponent in the AFCON 2015 qualifiers, Congo, to have their fixture moved from Calabar.

    The coach of the Congolese Red Devils, had requested that the game be moved because of Ebola scare.

    But in a statement released on the official website of CAF on Thursday, the body declared:

    “CAF has not changed or made amendments to the announced schedule of fixtures for match days one and two of the final group phase of qualifying for the Orange Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2015.

    “Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia remain the only countries required to relocate their fixtures to neutral territories as a result of the situation of the Ebola virus as stated in our circular to member countries on 12th August, 2014.

    “Fixtures for CAF U-20 and U-17 Championships qualifiers as well as inter-club competitions fixtures in the Orange CAF Champions League and Orange Confederations Cup all remain as scheduled and unchanged.

    “As earlier announced, CAF will reassess the situation in mid-September 2014 in order to allow or not these affected countries to receive teams and organise CAF matches and competitions.”

    The body however warns every nation to follow the precautions recommended by World Health Organisation (WHO) in balding travelers and travelling arrangements:

  • Nigeria wait on CAF to confirm 2015 AYC ticket

    Nigeria wait on CAF to confirm 2015 AYC ticket

    Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will wait on a final verdict from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to know if they have qualified for the 2015 AYC in Senegal.

    The Flying Eagles walked over Lesotho in Kaduna on Saturday after the Southern African country failed to show up for the final AYC qualifier first leg.

    Lesotho had expressed concerns over the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Nigeria. The Nigeria U-20s will no longer break their training camp in Abuja until a final notice is received from CAF, according to team secretary Aliyu Auwal Ibrahim.

    The team have, therefore, returned to Abuja from Kaduna, where Saturday’s match was to have been played.

    CAF are expected to take a final decision on this match based on the reports of the match commissioner from Benin Republic and referees from Senegal, who were all in Kaduna.

    The 2015 AYC will be staged by Senegal from March 8 with the top four teams winning berths to the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.

  • Sunshine Stars plot Pillars defeat in Akure

    Sunshine Stars plot Pillars defeat in Akure

    Sunshine Stars Media Officer, Wahab Bankole, has stated that the Akure Gunners have put behind them their loss to Enyimba FC as they focus on Kano Pillars whom they are hoping to beat to return to winning ways.

    The former CAF Champions League semi-finalists were beaten 2-0 by the People’s Elephant through the goals of Daniel Etor and Markson Ojobo and it affected their chances of moving up on the league table.

    Bankole in a brief chat with SportingLife said that the head coach of the Akure Gunners had told his players to forget about the loss to Enyimba and rather focus on their must win home tie against Kano Pillars.

    “The players know what is at stake and the fact that they have a tough match against Kano Pillars on Sunday (today) has made it very important for them to buckle up and face the league’s reigning champions with everything they have got.

    “It is a live game to be telecast live by Supersport and we have told the players to play their best game in front of the camera and should not allow that to impede their output,” Bankole, who doubles as Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the chairman of the Ondo State Football Agency, told SportingLife.

    He also hinted that Sunshine Stars’ new signing, Prince Aggrey has left for Poland and that the Akure Gunners still have two of their players Seun Olulayo and Tunde Adeniji in the Flying Eagles’ camp preparing for the African Youth Championship qualifier against Lesotho.

    Sunshine are 11th on the premier league log with 30 points from 21 matches while they are up against league’s table topper, Pillars who have 34 points from 21 matches.

  • Senegalese officials for Flying Eagles, Junior Crocodiles

    Senegalese officials for Flying Eagles, Junior Crocodiles

    The Confederation of  African Football, (CAF) has appointed Senegalese Daouda Kebe as referee for next weekend’s 2015 African Youth Championship qualifying match between the Flying Eagles of Nigeria and Junior Crocodiles of Lesotho.

    Kebe, 28, who became an international referee only last year, will be assisted by compatriots Nouha Bangoura (1st Assistant), El Hadji Abdoul Aziz Gueye (2nd Assistant) and Daouda Gueye (4th Official), at the match that the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) has already confirmed for the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on Saturday, August 16.

    CAF has also appointed well –known Beninoise football administrator, Bruno Arthur Didavi as the Match Commissioner.

    Next weekend’s game is the opening leg of a final round qualifying fixture, with the return leg set for the National Stadium, Maseru on the last day of August.

    The last round of qualifying will see 14 teams up in arms for seven spots, to join hosts Senegal at the finals to be played between 8th  March 8 – 22, 2015.

    Apart from Nigeria taking on Lesotho, Malawi will take on Zambia, Cameroon are up against South Africa, Ghana will clash with Gabon, Congo ambush Cup holders Egypt, Libya tackle Cote d’Ivoire and Mali will square up with Togo.

    Nigeria has won the African Youth Championship six times, in 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005 and 2011, and finished runner –up at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 1989 and 2005.