Tag: AFCON 2023

Why I want Ahmed Musa to win AFCON title – Coach Peseiro

Coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Jose Peseiro has said he hopes to win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) so that Ahmed Musa can lift the trophy.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Peseiro said this on Saturday at the final press conference of the 2023 AFCON.

“Ahmed for us is much more than a player. He has helped us so much. He has advised me, suggested, and informed me a lot about AFCON.

“I ask him a lot about many things, he knows better than me on some things, he is the captain, and he knows a lot about the players.

“I want to win that cup tomorrow so Ahmed Musa can lift it. He is a very very special player,” Peseiro said.

On not playing regularly for the national team, Musa said: “I am a patient man, I have been playing a lot for my teammates, and if my teammates are now playing for me to win, there’s no problem with that”.

Super Eagles have capacity to win 4th AFCON title – Jalla

Meanwhile, Harrison Jalla, the Chairman of Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN), on Saturday said that the current Super Eagles players have the team leadership to win their fourth AFCON title.

Jalla, who spoke in Lagos, also said that the grit, resilience, determination, courage and spirit to achieve was back in the team.

“Team leadership is the most essential ingredient in building a winning team and it started in the Nigerian National team from the days of Christian Chukwu as Captain to Segun Odegbami, Stephen Keshi, Uche Okechukwu, Sunday Oliseh and Mikel Obi,” Jalla said.

According to Jalla, if the team leadership synergy is right, there will be a team on and off the field; but that not all team captains are leaders in true sense of the word.

“A team leader is the master motivator, and when performance level drops his energy, motivation and drive can always be the turning point.

“Chairman Christian Chukwu, Stephen Keshi of blessed memory and Sunday Oliseh were exceptional and played perfect roles as team leaders in the past.

“The present set of Super Eagles have found the perfect leadership in William Troost-Ekong and Victor Osimhen; this right leadership chord makes the job of the technical crew easier.

“It also gives the team an edge over any other opponent, I say Kudos to the entire Super Eagles team the Technical crew,” Jalla said.

He also said that special thanks must also go to the President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Sports Development, Sen. John Owan-Enoh, for the timely provision of funds to clear the backlog of outstanding and current match bonus and allowances.

“This moment in Nigeria football must be sustained; the very reason why the entire Nigeria football administrative structure must go through urgent reforms.

“There should be an amendment of the current NFF statute for proportional and equal representation while a constituency should be created for private sector participation.

“Nigeria’s 4th AFCON title is already in the Bag. Congratulations Nigeria, Congratulations Super Eagles.

“May the Souls of the departed patriots who died following the match between Nigeria and South Africa find eternal peace and rest;” he added.

AFCON: Play with confidence, defeat host country, Fuludu charges Eagles

Similarly, Edema Fuludu, ex-Nigerian International has charged the Super Eagles to play with confidence in the AFCON 2023 final match against the host country, to win the trophy.

Fuludu, who said this in an interview on Saturday, in Lagos, stressed that confident play and tactical skills would earn the Eagles victory in the encounter.

Fuludu said that though the Super Eagles had beaten the Elephants of Ivory Coast in the group stage, the team needed more strength, hard work and dedication to defeat the host country again.

”The match is going to be tough, no doubt about that, but the Super Eagles need to put in more confidence and play hard to beat them again on their own soil.

”Strength and tactical skills are needed, together with team spirit, to enable them to defeat the host country,” he said.

The ex-international advised the team to hearken to Coach Jose Peseiro’s instructions and focus on getting victory on the field of play.

”I am hoping for the best; I am sure with hard work and confident play, victory is sure for the eagles,” he said.

Fuludu had played club football for New Nigerian Bank, BCC Lions and Julius Berger in Nigeria, Altay in Turkey and for the Nigerian national team.

He was part of Nigeria’s squad in the 1994 African Cup of Nations and had served as head coach of Warri Wolves.

February 11, 2024
Super Eagles vs Elephants: AFCON Statistics revealed ahead today’s final

The Super Eagles of Nigeria become the the third team to play the finals of the AFCON the most with 8 appearances, Egypt and Ghana occupy the first and second position respectively.

Egypt have won the AFCON titles a record seven times, Cameroon comes second with five titles, Ghana are third with four titles whilst Super Eagles have won it three times in their history.

Ivory Coast has become the first host nation since Egypt in 2006 to reach the AFCON final. Egypt won the tournament that year on penalties against Ivory Coast after a goalless draw In the last six AFCON tournaments, five host nations that reached the final have won the tournament, with Nigeria in 2000 being the exception.

Nigeria drew 2-2 with Cameroon in the final and lost 4-3 on penalties Nigeria is competing in its eighth AFCON final, trailing only Egypt and Ghana, who have played in nine such games each in the competition (excluding final groups)

All four of Ivory Coast’s past AFCON finals have resulted in goalless draws, leading to penalty shootouts. They emerged victorious in two of these shootouts against Ghana in 1992 and 2015, while they were defeated in the other two against Egypt in 2006 and Zambia in 2012

The most frequent scorelines in AFCON finals are 1-0 (eight occurrences) and 0-0 (seven occurrences). Since 2002, nine out of 11 finals have concluded with one of these scorelines, except for two instances of 2-1 wins for Tunisia in 2004 and Cameroon in 2017 Read

February 11, 2024
AFCON final: Cardiac society sends strong warning to Nigerians

The Nigerian Cardiac Society advises Nigerians to avoid getting overly excited during games and emotional events.

The advice comes ahead of the match between Super Eagles of Nigeria and their counterpart from Cote D’Ivoire in the ongoing 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament holding in Côte D’Ivoire.

The advice is contained in a commiseration massage jointly signed by Prof. Augustine Odili, the National President; Prof. Chizindu Alinkor, the Secretary-General and Prof. Abiodun Akintunde, Publicity Secretary of the society.

The society sent condolences to families of some deceased persons whose deaths were linked to surge of emotions as a result of the Nigeria- South Africa Semi-final match in the AFCON 2023 competition holding in Cote D’Ivoire.

The society warned that sports and other emotional events could trigger arrhythmias, heart attacks, and strokes in those with underlying heart conditions.

“The society notes with utmost concern the several reported cases of sudden deaths among Nigerians both at home and abroad, directly or indirectly .

“We wish to commiserate with the immediate families of the deceased and the country at large and pray for the repose of the souls of the deceased.

“The reported deaths of at least four individuals occurring during the match leaves much to be desired on the cardiovascular health of Nigerians,” it said.

The society observed that it could not authoritatively confirm the exact cause of death in these situations without prejudice.

The society explained further that it is a duty to call the attention of Nigerians to the very possibility that sudden death could often occur either in the presence/absence of risk factors.

It explained that many of these risk factors are highly prevalent among Nigerians and are also poorly controlled.

The cardiac society described sudden death as a natural, unexpected fatal event occurring within one hour from the onset of symptoms, in an apparently healthy subject, or in one whose disease was not so severe to predict such an abrupt outcome.

“Sudden cardiac death can be defined as death resulting from abrupt loss of cardiac function with or without previous heart disease unexpected within one hour of onset of symptoms.

“About 50 per cent of all deaths from heart diseases are sudden, regardless of the aetiology.

“It has also been shown that 89 per cent of all sudden cardiac death occur outside the hospital and less that 40 percent are witnessed,” it said.

The society stated that the causes of sudden deaths varied just as its presentation, including complications of hypertension, heart attack, stroke, heart failure, cardiomyopathies, valvular disorders and, pulmonary thromboembolism among others.

It explained further that the risk factors for heart disease were many, including lack of physical exercise, smoking tobacco, consuming alcohol, eating unhealthy diets rich in salt and saturated fats and low in fresh fruits and vegetables.

“Other risk factors include high blood pressure (hypertension), high blood lipids/cholesterol (dyslipidaemia), overweight and obesity, and diabetes mellitus.

“Hypertension is the most common risk factor for heart disease and stroke in Nigeria”.

The experts in heart diseases observed that, three out of every 10 adult Nigerians, had high blood pressure, many of whom were unaware of their hypertensive status.

The society called for effective blood pressure control as a major panacea for reducing the cardiovascular risk of affected people.

According to the society, only about seven per cent of hypertensive subjects have been shown to achieve effective blood pressure control in Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African countries.

“We urge all Nigerians to learn the warning signs of cardiac distress and how to respond in an emergency. Know your family history and risk factors and get regular screenings.

“Take steps to manage conditions like hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Avoid smoking, eat healthy, exercise, and manage stress.

“For those with heart disease, take medications as prescribed and follow your doctor’s advice.

“ It should be noted that left-sided chest pain should not be taken with levity and should warrant a medical examination.”

The cardiologists urged Nigerians to learn the warning signs of cardiac distress and how to respond in an emergency.

“Know your family history and risk factors and get regular screenings.

“ Warning symptoms preceding a sudden death may include chest pain, breathlessness, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and fainting attacks.”

The society advised people to take steps to manage conditions like hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and avoid smoking, eat healthy, exercise, and manage stress.

The society also called on those with heart disease to take medications as prescribed and follow your doctor’s advice and avoid getting overly excited during games and take breaks as needed.

“Have emergency numbers handy and do not hesitate to call for help. It is better to miss a play than miss a life.

“With preventive care and caution, we can still cheer on our teams while safeguarding our health.

“We call on all Nigerians to look out for one another and promote heart-healthy lifestyles. Together we can honor those we have lost by preventing similar tragedies in the future.

The society called on the government to increase the funding for health to encourage early and regular screening for cardiovascular risk factors.

“There is also an urgent need for institutionalising effective cardiovascular care among Nigerians by providing adequate facilities for the hospitals.”

It also called for adequate remuneration for health workers to discourage brain drain in the health sector, and promoting effective lifestyle modification to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease among the population.

The Nigerian Cardiac Society called for calm and collective activity of all Nigerians to stem the tide of rising cardiovascular disease scare among Nigerians, with effective surveillance and population-oriented preventive strategies.

February 11, 2024
AFCON 2023: Super Eagles coach, Peseiro reveals Elephants tactics ahead of today’s final

José Peseiro, the Super Eagles head coach has revealed some of the tactics that will be deployed by the Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire ahead of today’s final at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON.

According to the Portuguese gaffer, the Ivorians will come all out on a revenge mission considering their loss to the Super Eagles on matchday two in Group A.

The Super Eagles have won the title three times whilst the Elephant recored victories twice in their own AFCON history.

Peseiro, who addressed the press on Saturday ahead of the crunch final revealed that his team won’t be intimidated by the harsh atmosphere.

“I think it is good. The stadium will be full, fantastic atmosphere. One final, my players, me, and all my staff prefer to play in a full stadium with a good atmosphere,” Peseiro told reporters.

“Even sometimes, they try to shout at us, not the football but it is a good atmosphere to play in the final, only need to concentrate on what must do on the pitch, our task, job, demand, commitment, sacrifice, spirit, and what we must do in each moment of the game to manage our mental balance, before the match, along the match.

“It is for our players to put effort when the people around push for Côte d’Ivoire, you don’t feel the opposite when they push for the opponent but if you want to play, you need to play with the same enthusiasm and motivation, because you want to win this AFCON, no favorite for tomorrow but you want to win this AFCON.”

The final match will be played at the Alhassan Quattara stadium, Ebimpe, Abidjan.

February 11, 2024
AFCON 2023: South Africa win bronze after defeating DR Congo 6-5 on Penalties

Bafana Bafana of South Africa on Saturday night defeated the Les Leopards of DR Congo to finish third at the 2023 AFCON going on in Cote D’Ivoire.

Captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams was the hero again for the Southern African country as he saved two penalties to secure a third place finish for his team.

All efforts by both sides to break the deadlocks proved abortive as the center referee signalled the end of proceedings between the two teams at Stade Fekix Houghout, Boigny, Ebimpe.

Williams saved spot kicks from Chancel Mbemba and Meschack Elia to give Bafana Bafana the bronze medal in the Ivory Coast.

Before Elia had his kick saved, Siyanda Xulu converted to give South Africa what proved the decisive lead in the shootout.

Williams saved four shootout kicks last weekend to help South Africa get past Cape Verde after a goalless quarter-final.

DR Congo will regret many misses chances during regular time in a lively match while South Africa maintained a perfect record in third place play-offs having beaten Tunisia on penalties 24 years ago.

South Africa made three changes to the team beaten in a penalty shootout by Nigeria after an incident-packed semi-final three days ago.

Nkosinathi Sibisi, Thapelo Morena and Mihlali Mayambela came in for suspended Grant Kekana and injured duo Mothobi Mvala and Percy Tau.

DR Congo retained only two of the side that lost to hosts Ivory Coast in the other semi-final — captain and centre-back Mbemba and midfielder Samuel Moutoussamy.

The result meant that both sides would have to wait a bit longer to search for their second and third AFCON trophies.

February 11, 2024
AFCON 2023: Cote D’Ivoire coach, Fae reveals strategy to use against Nigeria

Emerse Fae the stand in coach of the Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire says his team’s desire is to keep the Africa Cup of Nations trophy at home and add a third star to their orange jersey.

Fae reveals that his side have adopted a game plan already that will be unleashed against the Super Eagles of Nigeria on Sunday.

Nigeria and Cote D’Ivoire will slug it out in the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations at the Alassanne Ouattara Stadium, Ebimpe, Abidjan, on Sunday.

The hosts were on the verge of elimination after losing their last two group games to Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.

Fae’s side have made judicious use of their second opportunity in the competition.

They are now just one match away from replicating their 1992 and 2015 success.

“Tomorrow, we have a great opportunity to keep the trophy at home. We know that when you organize a tournament, it is difficult to go on and win it,” Fae said during his interaction with the media at the Palacais de la culture, Trechville, Abidjan on Saturday.

“We have made the final and tomorrow, we have the opportunity to achieve this feat and at the same time, add a third star to the orange jersey of Côte d’Ivoire.”

February 10, 2024
AFCON 2023: We want double double – Musa, Omeruo declare

Captain Ahmed Musa and defender Kenneth Omeruo were in the Super Eagles’ squad that last won the Africa Cup of Nations title, back in 2013 in South Africa. They are also in the present squad that is at the cusp of glory in Cote d’Ivoire, with the Final match against the host nation taking place on Sunday night at the 60,000 -capacity Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Ebimpé.

Forty-eight hours before the match, Musa, who scored against Mali in a 4-1 win for Nigeria in the semi-finals in South Africa 11 years ago, and is Nigeria’s record goalscorer at the FIFA World Cup with four goals, was very relaxed in a brief chat with thenff.com at the team’s Pullman Hotel in the Plateau district of Cote d’Ivoire’s industrial and economic capital.

“It is a feeling you can’t always properly describe. Winning the AFCON and touching the trophy is an unforgettable experience. Omeruo and myself experienced that when we won in South Africa. But I want another one and he also wants another one. The good feeling and experience must be double double.”

Omeruo, also very relaxed and in company with filial relations, corroborated the team leader: “We want that special feeling again – the feeling of being a champion of Africa. We have not gone this far to throw it away now. We have thrown everything into the six matches we have played here. We will give more than 100 percent against the Ivorians on Sunday.”

When Cote d’Ivoire hosted the competition 40 years ago, the Super Eagles also played in the Final match, but against Cameroon. The hosts failed to qualify from the group stage. That was an era when the final competition welcomed only eight teams.

Today, the tournament welcomes 24 teams (nearly half the member federations of CAF), making it a far bigger competition with so much glamour, glitz, grit and plenty of drama.

After a 0-4 trashing by Equatorial Guinea in their final group phase game, many thought the Elephants had been eliminated. But Hakim Ziyech’s goal days later eliminated Zambia and sneaked the Elephants into the knock-out rounds, where they have prospered.

Nigeria’s on-field captain William Ekong says he expects Sunday’s Final between the Eagles and the Elephants to be a classic.

“It will not be a tea party, and we won’t be going out there with a tea cup. We will work hard and fight hard for the trophy.”

JOSÉ PESEIRO ON AHMED MUSA

“Ahmed Musa is special and important to the team. He is my assistant, he advises me, he gives me the necessary support. He is committed in his role and can play. We shall wait and see tomorrow, but we want to win the AFCON for Musa to lift the trophy.”

EMERSE FAE ON THE BIG MATCH

“The fact that Nigeria had beaten us is a good thing because we know whom we are up against. The manner in which we prepare for the match with our players is critical. I think that the Super Eagles and ourselves are at the same level.

“We have a great opportunity tomorrow; we are 90 minutes away from adding a third star to the Ivorian jersey. The teams are on equal footing, psychologically. As the competition has progressed, the Nigerian team has gained strength. We had a very difficult journey at the beginning, but we gained momentum from the round of 16 against Senegal.”

“Like any high-level match, like any final, it will come down to the details. We will be patient. We will not rush. We will focus on starting the match well and be patient in order to unsettle them.”

February 10, 2024
See four times host nations lost at AFCON finals

There is nothing sacrilegious about host nations losing in the Final match of the Africa Cup of Nations, as a number of host nations have come so close, seen the trophy displayed in front of their vociferous and passionate fans and yet failed to get their hands on the coveted prize.

In the fifth edition of the championship in 1965 (the competition’s founding nations were Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan and South Africa, though South Africa eventually did not take part until 1996, a fall-out of her apartheid policies), hosts Tunisia lost 2-3 (after extra time) to defending champions Ghana at the Stade Chedli Zouiten in Tunis.

In 1982, Ghana was passing through a phase of harsh economic conditions, and military strongman Jerry John Rawlings said the government could not afford to send the Black Stars to Libya for the 13^th AFCON. Libya’s strongman Moamer Ghadaffi bailed the team out by sending an aircraft to fly the Black Stars to Tripoli. In the opening match, both teams played a 2-2 draw.

Incidentally, they met in the Final two weeks later, with Ghana winning 7-6 after penalties following a 1-1 draw.

In 2000, as co-hosts and staging the Final match, Nigeria forced Cameroon to a 2-2 draw at the National Stadium, Lagos and then lost the ensuing penalty shootout 3-4 to the Indomitable Lions.

However, some host nations have also had joy in the tournament’s history. Like Egypt beating Sudan 2-1 in Cairo in 1959; Ethiopia beating Egypt 4-2 in Addis Ababa in 1962; Ghana beating Sudan 3-0 in Accra in 1963; Sudan beating Ghana 1-0 in Khartoum in 1970; Ghana beating Uganda 2-0 in Accra in 1978; Nigeria defeating Algeria 3-0 in Lagos in 1980; Egypt defeating Cameroon on penalties in Cairo in 1986; Algeria beating Nigeria 1-0 in Algiers in 1990; South Africa beating Tunisia 2-0 in Johannesburg in 1996; Tunisia defeating Morocco 2-1 in Tunis in 2004 and; Egypt defeating Cote d’Ivoire on penalties in 2006.

While Nigeria’s victories have been within regulation time in 1980, 1994 and 2013, Cote d’Ivoire’s two wins have been after marathon penalty shootouts.

In 1992, with their star-man Abedi Pele suspended after receiving a red card in the semi final against Nigeria, Ghana struggled and could not find a way past the Ivorians. In the ensuing penalty shoot-out, Cote d’Ivoire triumphed 11-10, the trophy secured after defender Anthony Baffoe saw his kick saved by Alain Gouamene.

In 2015, they needed to defeat Ghana 9-8 in a penalty shootout to win in Bata, Equatorial Guinea.

Nigeria defeated Algeria 3-0 in the 1980 Final in Lagos, two of the goals from the boots of Segun Odegbami. In 1994, Emmanuel Amuneke scored both goals as the Eagles edged Zambia 2-1 in Tunis. In 2013, Sunday Mba’s early strike against Burkina Faso in Johannesburg was the only goal of the match.

This time, Nigeria’s progress has been relatively smooth, with a team that has shown good shape and proved to be near-impregnable. As they drew 1-1 with Equatorial Guinea, defeated Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Cameroon and Angola and edged South Africa after a penalty shootout, the only goal that Stanley Nwabali has conceded in open play has been that of Emilio Nsue on the opening day, when his vision was blocked to a shot at the edge of the box.

The Elephants have had a chequered tourney. Roarious 2-0 winners over Guinea Bissau, they were brought down to earth by Nigeria (0-1) and Equatorial Guinea (0-4). They were the last of the best four third-placed teams, sneaking into the Round of 16 after Hakim Ziyech’s goal eliminated Zambia. They equalized late on against Cup holders Senegal in the Round of 16 and then won on penalties.

In the quarter-finals, they were seconds away from being eliminated by Mali, before they found the leveller, and then secured a last-minute winner in extra time. Against Democratic Republic of Congo in the semi-finals, the Elephants held on and then won with a volley by Sebastien Haller.

On Sunday, there will be 60,000 fans at the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Ebimpé, but it is the team that wants it more that will drink from the Cup.

February 10, 2024
AFCON 2023: South Africa test might against DR Congo in third place match

For the first time in the history of AFCON, South Africa and DR Congo will slug it out in the third place match of the competition.

Prior to the start of the tournaments, these two teams were not tipped to go thus far in the competiton as the odds were clearly stacked against them.

Both sides were knocked out of the title race during the semi-finals where Bafana Bafana of South Africa were edged 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw with Nigeria, while DR Congo lost by a slim 1-0 margin against hosts, Ivory Coast.

While both sides will be disappointed with the semi-final exit, the third and fourth place play off presents the perfect opportunity for either side to go home with the consolation of being the third best team of the competition.

The third place game between both teams will hold at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan at 8pm Ivory Coast time.

February 10, 2024
Odegbami counsels against distractions ahead ‘very important’ Final match

Africa Cup of Nations winner, Dr. Olusegun Odegbami has advised that the Nigeria Football Federation weave some protective net around the Super Eagles to allow for maximum concentration of players and officials on Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations Final against the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire.

“There is this interesting story of one triathlon athlete who led the field for most of the competition, was far ahead of every other competitor and looked sure to win. But she fell down close to the tape, and before she could summon the energy to crawl towards the tape, she saw someone go past her to claim victory. The lesson of the story is that it is never over until it is over.

“The NFF should not allow any kind of distractions around the team in the next couple of days before the match. Let us allow the boys to concentrate and focus hard on the task at hand. No frivolous visits to the team camp should be allowed.”

The top scorer of the 1980 finals stated further: “We must all endeavour to help the team. Let them be themselves and remain themselves. This is of utmost national importance and all for the glory of our homeland. Nothing must be allowed to distract the players from this crucial national assignment.”

February 9, 2024