Tag: CAF

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed Saturday, October 24^th,  as the new date for the CAF Champions League second preliminary round second leg encounter between Rivers United of Nigeria and Mozambique’s Associação Black Bulls.

The highly anticipated fixture will take place at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, with kickoff scheduled for 4:00 p.m. local time (5:00 p.m. Mozambique time).

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Meanwhile, CAF has also appointed Ivorian referee Kouassi Frederic Francois Biro to officiate the decisive match. He will be assisted by compatriots Prosper Adiouman (Assistant Referee 1) and Eba Médard Wenceslas Ettien (Assistant Referee 2), while Patrick Tanguy Jean Philippe Vlei will act as the fourth official.

Ghana’s Munkaila Nassam Adam has been designated as the match commissioner for the encounter.

Nigeria’s referees have once again been left out as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) released the official list of match officials invited for the AFCON 2025 preparatory training camp in Egypt.

CAF unveiled the list yesterday, naming 33 referees, 36 assistant referees, and 11 video assistant referees (VARs) for the intensive program scheduled to hold in Cairo this December.

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Conspicuously, no Nigerian referee or assistant referee made the cut, a development that has raised eyebrows among football stakeholders given the country’s long-standing record of producing reputable match officials for continental and international assignments.

The training camp serves as part of CAF’s preparations to ensure top officiating standards ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Nigeria’s representatives to this year’s WAFU-B Schools Football Championship, a qualifying tournament for next year’s CAF African Schools Football Championship, will emerge on Friday, at the conclusion of the ongoing round-robin competition in Abuja.

Matches are being played at the FIFA Goal Project inside the MKO Abiola National Stadium and the Area 3 Football Pitch, with representative teams of the FCT, Adamawa, Gombe and Lagos States involved in the female category. The FCT, Kaduna, Delta, Enugu, Ekiti and Taraba States are represented in the male category.

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The winner-school in each category will fly Nigeria’s flag at the WAFU-B Schools Football Championship that will hold in Burkina Faso, 27th – 30th November. While the names of the winner-schools will be adopted, players deemed to be exceptional from other schools will be co-opted to form a ‘Schools National Team.’

Successful schools at the WAFU-B tournament will join other qualifiers from the CECAFA (East & Central Africa), COSAFA (Southern Africa), UNAF (Northern Africa), UNIFFAC (Central Africa) and WAFU-A at next year’s CAF African Schools Football Championship.

Danone FanMilk, the new partner of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has assured football fans across the African continent of exciting times on the heels of its recent Partnership Agreement signing.

The CEO of Danone, Antoine de Saint-Affrique said the partnership will promote good health through food for as many football fans as possible in line with its vision for Africa.

The President of Danone in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, Christian Stammkoetter said football as Africa’s number one sport is a very powerful tool that his company will deploy to leverage on their new relationship with the Confederation of African Football through her flagship tournaments – AFCON and WAFCON.

The Country Director of Danone FanMilk Nigeria, Kayode Adebiyi and the Director/General Secretary of Danone FanMilk West Africa Olakunle Olusanya reiterated their company’s commitment to the African Schools’ Football Programme of CAF while confirming that over 10,000 volunteers, 5000 accredited journalists, officials and team members involved in both tournaments, as well as spectators and fans at match venues and official fan parks will experience Danone FanMilk’s quality nutrition before, during and after games.

Meanwhile, CAF has acknowledged Danone’s commitment to promoting health through food across the African continent, where both sport and nutrition play an essential role in daily life and community development.

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According to CAF, Danone is committed to working alongside the continental soccer ruling body in its CAF African Schools Football Championship, where it is developing educational kits for boys and girls school footballers, to promote the importance of a balanced diet and regular physical activity from an early age.

CAF President, Dr Patrice Motsepe said: “CAF is excited about its Partnership with Danone which is a globally respected food and beverage company. We are pleased to welcome Danone as one of CAF Official Partners for the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Morocco 2025 and TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON Morocco 2024. CAF and Danone are committed to developing football amongst our youth in Africa and both entities upholds similar values of honesty, integrity and hard work. I am confident that this Partnership will contribute to more healthy nutrition amongst our youth and the pursuit of healthier lifestyles by our in Africa.  This Partnership also reflects the confidence that internationally respected companies like Danone have in CAF as a partner in developing football in Africa and as a force for good in Africa and globally.”

Caption: Danone’s Stammkoetter with  CAF Secretary General Véron Mosengo-Omba.

Ahead  of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2024, the Confederation of African Football  (CAF) has unveiled a new trophy for the biennial tournament as  a powerful symbol of the rise and recognition of women’s football across the African continent.

Drawing direct inspiration from the iconic Men’s  CAF Africa Cup of Nations trophy, the new design represents more than a piece of silverware; it is a celebration of equality, unity, and excellence.

The launch of the new trophy forms part of CAF leadership’s goal of developing and growing Women’s Football in Africa and making African Women’s Football amongst the best in the world.

The new trophy was celebrated on Wednesday night at an event hosted by CAF and long-term partner, TotalEnergies in Casablanca, Morocco.

The trophy’s striking design, features identical petals spiralling upward, each one representing a participating national team. Together, they form the shape of a blooming flower, a timeless symbol of growth, empowerment, and beauty.

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This imagery captures the journey of African women’s football and the vibrant strength of its athletes.

Emerging from the heart of this elegant floral form is a golden sphere, patterned subtly as a football. Adorned with a shiny gold map of Africa, the sphere reflects the continent’s ambition, pride, and global impact in the women’s game.

Crafted in brilliant silver and matte gold, the body of the trophy is wrapped in a gold ring engraved with the CAF logo, affirming the confederation’s steadfast commitment to elevating the women’s game across all 54 member associations.

The base, a pristine white marble pedestal with elegant gold-accented stripes, bears the name of the competition in refined matte gold lettering, cementing the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations legacy within the rich tapestry of African sport.

As the next generation of African stars prepare to shine at the upcoming TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2024, this new trophy will serve as a beacon of aspiration, inspiring millions of young girls across the continent to dream, to believe, and to achieve on the global stage.

Nigerian clubs in CAF inter club competitions for 2025-26 season must speed up their preparations if they want to make meaningful impact as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has fixed the weekend of September 19^th  through 21^st  as the date for the first leg fixtures of the preliminary rounds.

Remo Stars and Rivers United will represent Nigeria in the lucrative CAF Champions League while Abia Warriors and the winner of the President Federation Cup final billed for June 28th in Lagos will represent the country in the CAF Confederation Cup.

The preliminary rounds would have come up earlier but CAF adjusted the dates for it to ensure the competitions do not disrupt the African Nations Championship billed for Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from August 2^nd  till 30^th .

Nigeria initially on the verge of having its slot in the CAF Inter club competitions reduced to one but due to divine intervention Mali that could have benefitted from Nigeria’s misfortune faltered at the death.

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The West African nation will be part of the elite 12 countries with two slots in each of the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup.

Others in that category are: Algeria, Angola, Libya, Morocco, South Africa, Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire, Tunisia, Egypt, DR Congo and Tanzania

The first leg of the preliminary rounds for both club competitions will hold in the weekend of September 19^th  to 21^st  while the return leg holds a week later.

With the 2025-26 Nigeria Premier Football League expected to resume on August 22^nd , Nigeria representatives will have the opportunity of playing a few competitive games before they embark on their games in Africa.

Nigeria Premier Football League leaders Remo Stars and other Nigerian clubs participating in next season’s CAF Inter-club competitions are set to receive increased financial support from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

CAF, the continent’s football governing body, had previously awarded $50,000 to all teams competing in this season’s CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup. However, CAF President Patrice Motsepe has revealed that more financial incentives are on the way.

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Speaking at the official signing ceremony of a new sponsorship deal with AGL, Motsepe emphasized the organization’s commitment to improving the welfare of African footballers.

 “There is money coming into African football, and we need to ensure our players are well compensated,” he said. “We gave $50,000 to clubs participating in the Champions League and Confederation Cup preliminary rounds for the first time—and we have plans to do even more.”

This development comes as a boost for Nigerian clubs as they prepare for continental campaigns, with hopes that increased funding will aid competitiveness and infrastructure development.