Tag: Super Eagles

The Confederation of African Football ( CAF)  fixed January 15^th  as the D-Day for the draw for the 8^th  African Nations Championship finals slated for Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in February.

According to  CAF  release, the draw will hold at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre Nairobi, Kenya and the 18 teams will know their opponents.

Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, who have been selected to jointly host the 36^th  edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2027, have been handed the opportunity to test-run their facilities and operational efficiency with the African Nations Championship finals, scheduled for 1^st  – 28^th  February.

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The 8^th  African Nations Championship will feature 18 countries. They are hosts Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, Nigeria, Morocco, Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Niger Republic, Congo, Sudan, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Angola and Madagascar.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles staged a comeback to the competition meant for players plying their trade in their home leagues for the first time since 2018 when they beat eternal enemy, Ghana for the first time in the qualifiers 3-1 on aggregate to qualify.

President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has  assured ball fans, administrators and Nigerians in general that the football-governing body will adequately prepare the various National Teams to bring joy and glory to the nation in the coming year.

Reflecting on the outgoing year 2024 and projecting for the coming year 2025, Gusau, disclosed that the focus of the NFF is on ensuring the adequate preparation of all National Teams to credibly compete for honours at major tournaments, and not simply turn up to make up the number.

 “The era of Nigerian teams arriving at major championships just to participate is gone. Our objective now is to ensure that our teams can strongly contend for honours anywhere, and that can only be done by preparing the teams well ahead of qualifiers and competitions. I personally insisted that the Super Eagles B start their camping early enough and the result is what we can see in their display against Ghana.

 “The team has just one month to go before the CHAN tournament. That means they must go into camp immediately, and we will ensure that.”

Gusau remarked that the outgoing year saw some impressive outings by the National Teams, adding  the Super Eagles’ under-par run in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers has been a source of worry to administrators, enthusiasts and fans alike.

 “Our commitment is to see how we can cobble back that Super Eagles squad that did the nation proud at the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, coming within 23 minutes of lifting the trophy. If we can find a way to do that, we can be sure that the target of winning the six remaining matches in the qualifiers to gain automatic qualification to the World Cup is achievable.

 “Getting that FIFA World Cup ticket will set the momentum for a sterling outing at the AFCON in Morocco later in the year.”

The NFF supremo also assured that the Super Falcons, who finished the year 2024 as Africa’s best-ranked team, will be afforded adequate preparation to reclaim the Women Africa Cup of Nations title in Morocco next summer.

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“We are in the process of organizing more friendly games for the team, in order to properly blend the old and new players to a formidable squad that will conquer Africa in style.”

While praising the junior women national teams (Falconets and Flamingos) for their qualifications and participations at their different FIFA World Cup competitions this year, Gusau charged the girls to see the coming year as a period of consolidation, with the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals becoming an annual event.

 “The Flamingos, no doubt, have the ability to conquer the world. I have watched their matches and seen some real great talents who can even hold their own in the Super Falcons. However, we want to see them conquer the world in Morocco and bring home the U17 Women’s World Cup for the first time. The Falconets also have qualification matches to the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup to deal with.

“For sure, it is a very busy year for us and for world football. The NFF is committed to working closely with the National Sports Commission to realize our goals and objectives, and also seek greater corporate support for our activities, programs and events. Our attention will remain on developing the game from the grassroots while ensuring that the production channels for players coming through to the National Teams are not disrupted.”

Nottingham Forest made it five successive victories with their Super Eagles imports, Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi in action in the 2-0 win over Everton. 

Aina saw out the action while Awoniyi came on in the 76th  minute as the Reds rose to the second spot with 37 points from 19 games. 

Elsewhere in England, Fulham complete with Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey could not make home advantage count as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Bournemouth. Both players were on the pitch for 90 minutes but Iwobi was replaced just before the full time.  The Cottagers are eighth with 29 points from 19 games.

At the Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace added to the woes of Southampton whom they defeated 2-1. Paul Onuachu and Joe Aribo started the game for the Saints but were substituted in the 65th and 51st minutes of the game. Southampton are still last on the log with just six points. 

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Meanwhile, in the English Championship, Luton Town with Victor Moses on the bench were beaten 2-1 at Swansea City. The Hatters are 19th with 25 points from 24 games while in another second tier tie, Watford with Tom Dele-Bashiru still out injured were beaten 2-1 at home by Cardiff City at the Hornets. Watford are sixth with 37 points from 23 games. 

In League One, Kelechi Nwakali’s Barnsley secured another away win at Peterborough United. He came on in the 75th minute. Barnsley are now seventh on the log with 36 points from 23 games. 

In South Africa, Orlando Pirates pipped Magesisi 1-0 in the league to remain second on the log with 27 points from 10 games. They are three points behind Mamelodi Sundowns who have played a game more than the Amakhosi. 

Orlando Pirates played the game without their Super Eagles defender, Olisa Ndah who is still out injured. 

Stand-in Head Coach Daniel Ogunmodede said that the big focus of the Super Eagles B players and officials ahead of Saturday’s African Nations Championship qualifying game against Ghana’s Black Galaxies is to attain victory that will spring Nigeria to the finals of the competition early next year.

Both illustrious regional rivals battled to a scoreless stalemate in Accra on Sunday and the final qualifying fixture is delicately poised ahead of the decider at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Saturday.

He said:  “We are doing everything to stay focused by avoiding any distractions. Yes, we got a scoreless draw in the first leg away and now playing at home, but we are not in any way carried away. Our objective was to score an away goal in Accra but that did not happen.

“On Saturday, we will approach the game like our lives depend on it. Our watchword is getting the win that will qualify us for the African Nations Championship finals coming up in East Africa.”

The eighth instalment of the competition reserved for footballers plying their trade in their nation’s domestic Leagues will take place across Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, 1st – 28th February 2025.

Nigeria defended stoutly at the Accra Sports Stadium while relying on counter-attacks, but will have to launch onslaughts from the blast of the referee’s whistle at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.

Their bitter regional rivalry, Ghana’s failure to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals and results of previous encounters in the African Nations Championship are indices that have rendered Saturday’s match a potentially-explosive affair with endless fireworks.

The Black Stars have failed to reach the 35^th  AFCON finals, from a group that included Sudan, Angola and Niger Republic, and the Galaxies will throw the kitchen sink at the Super Eagles B to ensure they don’t follow in that negative trend. Ghana last missed the Africa Cup of Nations in 2004.

For Nigeria, Ghana have dominated their African Nations Championship clashes, with the Eagles winning only one of six previous clashes.

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Three have resulted in scoreless draws. Ghana won 3-2 in Accra in 2008 and also 2-0 in Accra in 2022, and to boot, have claimed victory in even in the ones that ended in ties.

The 0-0 draw in Calabar in 2008 meant Ghana sailed through to the inaugural CHAN finals in Cote d’Ivoire on the strength of their 3-2 win in Accra two weeks earlier, and when their semi-final clash in the third instalment of the final tournament in South Africa in 2014 ended 0-0, the Galaxies prevailed 4-1 after a penalty shootout.

Ogunmodede’s charges have earned Nigeria’s best result against Ghana in the African Nations Championship on away ground, and look poised to gain victory in Uyo on Saturday.

The Confederation of African Football has selected Moroccan official Hamza El Fariq as referee for the match, with his compatriots Abdessamad Abertoune, Zakaria Bouchtaoui and Hicham Temsamani to serve as assistant 1, assistant 2 and fourth official respectively.

Prince Kai Saquee from Sierra Leone will be the commissioner while Miboti Moise from the Democratic Republic of Congo will be in the role of referee assessor.

Smart City’s  right-back, Afeez Bankole, has expressed his optimism about the progress of the home-based Super Eagles after the team secured a goalless draw against Ghana in the qualifier for the CHAN competition taking place next year.

Since getting to the final in 2018, the team comprising totally players playing in the Nigeria leagues have missed out and after away draw in Ghana, the team is just a win away from qualifying for the tournament taking place across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Speaking with our correspondent, Bankole who was part of the initial players invited to camp, said he was happy with the result and would be cheering his teammates on during the second leg in Uyo.

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 “In as much as I am not part of the team that travelled for the game, I was happy with the result in Ghana,” he said.  “We just need to get a win in Uyo and qualify for the championship proper and I am sure the team have the quality to achieve that.

“It was interesting time for me playing alongside most of the players and wearing the green-white-green jersey of Nigeria, something I didn’t take for granted.

 “I am sure my time will come very soon because the joy of every player is to be part of the national team and represent your country.

 “Getting a call up to the Super Eagles CHAN team was a dream comes true for me, and I will do everything humanly possible to make myself available for future call up,” he said. 

At least two sponsors are now fully on board to pay the salary of a new foreign coach for the Super Eagles reports SCORENigeria. It was further gathered that one of the sponsors is an emerging bank.

“At least two sponsors have agreed to pay for the new foreign coach,” a top official informed SCORENigeria

“This agreement will soon be put on paper.”

The money to pay the salaries of a new foreign coach for the Super Eagles has remained the major stumbling block in the engagement of such a coach.

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Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro was the Eagles last foreign coach and he was owed several months’ salary by the NFF before this was cleared by a special intervention fund from the Federal Government.

Earlier this year, NFF president Ibrahim Gusau said discussions have been ongoing with various sponsors to assist in paying for a foreign coach.

In June, the NFF announced that they will appoint a foreign coach for the Super Eagles.

Super Eagles remained in an unchanged  44th  spot in the world and fifth position in Africa in December and will end the year in that spot following the information released by the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) yesterday.

Super Eagles experienced a significant setback in the last FIFA rankings released in November, suffering the biggest drop of any national team.

This decline follows a disappointing performance in the November Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, where they managed only a draw against Benin and suffered a surprising home loss to Rwanda.

The Super Eagles suffered a significant drop in the latest FIFA World Rankings, released last month. They fell to 44th  position, an eight-place decline from their previous ranking of 36th  in the month of October, the largest drop globally for this period.

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The Super Eagles, however, end the year 16 places worse off, having reached as high as 28th  in the first ranking of the year, which was released after they reached the Africa Cup of Nations final in Cote d’Ivoire.

The top 10 teams in Africa remained unchanged from the previous rankings, with Morocco (14th ), Senegal (17th ), Egypt (33rd ), Algeria (37th ), and Nigeria making up the top five on the continent.

Côte d’Ivoire (46th ), Cameroon (49th ), Mali (51st ), Tunisia (52nd ), and South Africa (57th) complete the top 10.

Globally, the top 10 teams in the FIFA rankings are Argentina, France, Spain, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, and Germany.

Super Eagles B rounded off their preparations for the weekend African Nations Championship qualifier against the Black Galaxies of Ghana with a 2-1 victory over Nigeria Premiership Football League side, Remo Stars yesterday in Ikenne.

The Nigeria’s CHAN Eagles have been training in the facilities of the Remo Stars Stadium, Ikenne for the past two weeks to perfect strategy for the crunch tie against their West African brothers.

The game played at the home ground of Remo Stars was action packed and it was no surprise the Super Eagles B broke the deadlock after just two minutes through Isaac Saviour

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The CHAN Eagles increased the tally to 2-0 through Samuel Ayanrinde’s strike in the 75th  minute before Remo Stars reduced the arrears in the stoppage time of the second half through Victory Iboro assisted by Abba Joseph to ensure the tie ends by 2-1.

Nigeria is expected to leave for Ghana on Friday ahead of the Sunday tie with 18 players and other officials seeking a respectable scoreline in Accra ahead of the return leg in Uyo next week.

The CHAN Eagles are expected to exert revenge on Ghana that stopped Nigeria from playing in the last edition of the competition meant for home based players following a 5-4 penalty shootout loss after 2-2 aggregate in both legs.