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Tag: AFCON

  • CAF U-20 AFCON: Nigeria’s Flying Eagles defeat host Egypt 1-0

    CAF U-20 AFCON: Nigeria’s Flying Eagles defeat host Egypt 1-0

    The Flying Eagles of Nigeria on Wednesday secured its first win of the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations ( AFCON) after beating host Egypt 1-0 in the second group A game of the tourney.

    After many unsuccessful attempts at breaking the deadlock, Solomon Agbalaka’s bullet header in the 71st minute was enough for the Flying Eagles against the hosts as they boosted their chance of qualifying for the knockouts stage.

    The Nigerian side started the tournament on a shaky note when they lost 1-0 to the Junior Teranga Lions of Senegal on Sunday.

    However, the win against host Egypt is a morale booster for the Ladan Bosso’s lad who still have the Mozambique hurdle to cross on Saturday to book a quarter-final ticket.

    The victory meant Flying Eagles are now occupying the second position on the log with just three points behind Senegal with six points.

    Egypt, the host nation is on third position with a point from two games, same as Mozambique that lies at the bottom with an inferior goals deficit.

    Group A toppers Senegal have already booked a place in the quarter-final of the tourney with their 3-0 annihilations of Mozambique on Wednesday at the Cairo International Stadium.

    Pape Diallo was the star of the match with his brace while his namesake Pape Diop contributed a goal to the emphatic victory.

    The tournament serves as qualifiers for the FIFA U-20 World Cup holding in the Asian country of Indonesia in May.

    All four teams that make it to the quarter-final of the tournament will automatically qualify to represent Africa in Indonesia 2023 FIFA World Cup.

     

  • How I was robbed of African Footballer of the Year Award in 2013 – Mikel

    How I was robbed of African Footballer of the Year Award in 2013 – Mikel

    Former Super Eagles and Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel has claimed that he was robbed of the African Footballer of The Year Award in 2013.

    Recall that Mikel Obi missed out on winning the awards in 2013 to Ivorian legend, Yaya Toure despite winning the 2013 AFCON in South Africa.

    According to Mikel, everybody left the stage when Toure was handed the 2013 African Footballer of the Year Award ahead of him.

    Former Super Eagles captain made this comment while featuring on a sports show on Dubai Eye 103.8 FM, “I got robbed of the African Footballer of The Year Award. Before I went, I was told I won it.

    “I was at the airport flying to Nigeria because the ceremony was in Nigeria, and Man City was playing, and Yaya Toure scored two goals.

    “I won the Nations cup (AFCON), I won the Europa League and a year before that, I won the Champions League. There is no way I wouldn’t have won it. I knew I had won it. It doesn’t matter how many goals he scored. I was in my prime, playing a lot of games.

    “You could have seen the ceremony. Before it was even announced, everybody left the stage, people left.”

  • U-20 AFCON: Flying Eagles land in Cairo, to play Senegal on Sunday

    U-20 AFCON: Flying Eagles land in Cairo, to play Senegal on Sunday

    Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have landed in Cairo the capital of Egypt for the 2023 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations holding in the country.

    The players and their officials landed at the  Cairo International Airport on Thursday night after a 5hrs 30 minutes journey from Casablanca in Morocco where they went to acclimatize

    The team is based at the Jewel Sports City & Aqua Resorts.

    Ladan Bosso’s boys will observe their first training session later today.

    The 2023 U-20 AFCON will commence on Sunday with hosts Egypt taking on Mozambique in the competition’s opening game.

    The Flying Eagles will trade tackles with the Young Teranga Lions of Senegal on the same day.

    The competition will run from February 19 to March 11.

  • Under-23 AFCON Qualifiers: Olympic Eagles to face Guinea in Ibadan March 22

    Under-23 AFCON Qualifiers: Olympic Eagles to face Guinea in Ibadan March 22

    The Nigeria Olympic team will play the Guinea U -23 side at the last round of the  Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final qualifying round first leg fixture at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan on March 22.

    Recall the Olympic Eagles had defeated Tanzania U -23 side to get to this stage.

    A penalty kick goal in each half, and at opposing sides, had guaranteed a stalemate in the first leg match of the second-round fixture at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam in October.

    A textbook free-kick by Timilehin Ogunniyi and another penalty kick by team captain Success Makanjuola in the return leg game in Ibadan saw the Eagles sailing to the final round.

    The winner of both ties will qualify to the group stage of an eight-team format in the AFCON that will hold Morocco later in the year.

    Nigeria won the second edition of the Africa Under-23 Cup of Nations in Senegal in 2015, before winning the bronze medal at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament in Brazil in 2016.

    The first four teams from the tournament will proceed to the football competition of the  Olympics slated  for Paris in 2024.

  • Flying Eagles to play Zambia’s U20 team in two friendly matches in Nigeria

    Flying Eagles to play Zambia’s U20 team in two friendly matches in Nigeria

    Seven-time African champions, Flying Eagles of Nigeria will take on their Zambian counterparts in two friendly games in the Nigerian capital city as part of preparations for this year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations.

    The tour has been consummated following a request letter from the Nigeria Football Federation on 13th January, and which met with the ready acceptance of the Football Association of Zambia.

    Through a letter dated 14th January 2023, Adrian Kashala, FAZ’s General Secretary, said the Zambia football-ruling body was agreeable to the proposal. The proposal for the tour includes FAZ flying the Junior Chipolopolo to Nigeria while the NFF will bear the cost of accommodation, feeding and other logistics for the Zambia delegation.

    The two matches will take place on Friday, 27th January and Monday, 30th January 2023 respectively.

    Free-scoring Flying Eagles have scored a total of 10 goals in two friendly games since resuming camp after the yuletide period – the latest being a 5-1 mauling of Galadima FC in Abuja on Wednesday.

    Champions of the WAFU B U20 Championship held in Niger Republic in May 2022, the Flying Eagles have been drawn to play hosts Egypt, Senegal and Mozambique in Group A of the Africa U20 Cup of Nations taking place 19th February – 11th March this year.

    Zambia, champions of the 2017 Africa U20 Cup of Nations which they hosted, reached the quarter-finals of the FIFA U20 World Cup in Korea Republic the same year, before losing to Italy after extra time in Suwon.

    In Egypt, Zambia will be up against Tunisia, Benin Republic and The Gambia in Group C, while Uganda, Central African Republic, South Sudan and Congo battle things out in Group B.

    All four semi-finalists in Egypt will qualify to represent Africa at the 23rd FIFA U20 World Cup finals slated for Indonesia 20th May -11 June this year.

  • U-20 AFCON: Flying Eagles to know group opponents next week

    U-20 AFCON: Flying Eagles to know group opponents next week

    The Flying Eagles of Nigeria will next week know their U-20 AFCON opponents.

    The draw ceremony  will be conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and it is expected to be staged in Cairo Egypt.

    Nigeria, Egypt and ten other African teams will be drawn on December 23rd in Cairo.

    Senegal, Zambia, Mozambique, Uganda and South Sudan are among the countries that have already booked their place for the tournament.

    Also ,Tunisia, the Central African Republic and Congo will also feature at the U-20 AFCON

    The competition will run from February 18 to March 12, 2023.

    Top four countries will represent Africa at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia in 2023.

     

  • AFCON Qualifier: Gov Makinde, others splash cash on U23 Eagles to defeat Tanzania

    AFCON Qualifier: Gov Makinde, others splash cash on U23 Eagles to defeat Tanzania

    As a motivation for the under 23 Olympic Eagles Team to make Nigeria proud by defeating Tanzania, Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, has announced the cash gift N10 million to the Nigerian team ahead of Saturday game.

    Makinde, who promised to be at the Lekan Salami Stadium on Saturday to cheer the players up, also promised additional 20,000 dollars (about N18 million) after victory.

    He made the announcement of the cash gift on Friday night at a dinner hosted by the State Government for the team inside the Government House in Ibadan.

    The second leg of the AFCON Qualifier would be played at Lekan Salami Sports Complex in Ibadan on Saturday.

    The country’s U23 National Team and Tanzania had drew 1-1 during the first leg of the match held in Dar es Salam, the capital of Tanzania.

    NAN reports that it was the first time since 1999 that football lovers in the ancient city of Ibadan would enjoy the best of international football.

    The governor described sport as a means of development in the state, saying they knew what it meant for youths in terms of money, motivation and development of the state.

    “At any time, we would be willing to host NFF. I enjoy watching football and Shooting Star is the first team from this country to win the continental African Cup.

    “I want to wish you well and let you know that we are fully behind you. I am supporting you with N10 million right now and using my own ways of motivating you”.

    “You will win the match and I will keep my promise to you as well. The game promises to be exciting, so let’s show them what we’re made of,” he said.

    Also, the Chairman, National Youth Teams, Alhaji Aminu Balele, urged the team to win the game for President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Sports and Nigeria.

    Balele had also doled out #10,000 to the Olympic team, while a former Commissioner for Youths and Sports in Ogun State, Mr Bukola Olopade, promised a gift of 5,000 dollars for the team.

    He then gave the team Head Coach, Salisu Yusuf, 10,000 dollars to ensure that the team wins the game.

    Earlier, the Super Eagles Captain, Ahmed Musa, had pledged to give the team N500,000 on each goal scored against the Tanzanians.

    NAN reports that the Dream Team, who are being massively backed by their football loving fans, have vowed to finish off their Tanzanian opponents.

    For the Nigerians to progress to the next round, they needed a scoreless draw or an outright victory in today’s game.

    However, the task might not be easy for the Dream Team as the Tanzanian Team Manager, Ahmed Maroko, had threatened to create an upset.

    “We are here to win and we will do everything possible to accomplish our mission,”the Tanzanian Sweat Merchant said.

    With the Tanzanians driven by personal determination, the home team’s spirits are buoyed by promises of cash splash from sports loving compatriots.

    With the spirits of the Dream Team lifted up by imminent naira rains, the Nigerians might go for a harvest of goals today.

  • CAF re-opens bidding process for 2025 AFCON hosting rights

    CAF re-opens bidding process for 2025 AFCON hosting rights

    The Confederation of African Football CAF has re-opened the bidding process for the hosting rights of the 2025 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports this is contained in a statement published on CAF Online, the official website of the administrative and controlling body for association football in Africa.

    According to the statement, CAF has sent a notice to the member associations to express their interest in hosting the 2025 AFCON.

    The football management body has also informed member associations about the process that will be followed in the selection of the host country or countries.

    AFCON 2025 Bidding Process Timeline

    –       11 November 2022: Deadline for submitting the Declaration of Interest form
    –       16 November 2022: Deadline for CAF to send the hosting documents to Member Associations that have declared their interest.
    –       16 December 2022: Deadline for Member Associations to submit their final bid, including all bidding and hosting documents (hosting agreement, host cities agreement, Government guarantees)
    –       05-25 January 2023: Inspection visits
    –       10 February 2023: Appointment of Host Country/Countries by the CAF Executive Committee

    TNG report that this is coming after CAF stripped Guinea of the rights to host the 2025 AFCON finals, following a meeting in Conakry between Guinea’s interim president, Col. Mamady Doumbouya, and CAF President Patrice Motsepe.

    The meeting had discussed the withdrawal after the west African country, among the poorest of the continent, formally said it was not ready to host the 24-nation tournament.

    Guinea’s inability was due to its infrastructure and facilities not being ready to host a world-class AFCON competition.

    Motsepe was accompanied during his meeting with the Guinean leader by CAF General Secretary, Véron Mosengo-Omba.

    Earlier, Nigeria had indicated an interest in jointly hosting the 2025 AFCON with the Benin Republic.

    TNG reports that the 2023 AFCON is already scheduled to hold in Côte d’Ivoire.

  • U23 AFCON Qualifiers: Eguavoen visits Olympic Eagles at training in Ibadan

    U23 AFCON Qualifiers: Eguavoen visits Olympic Eagles at training in Ibadan

    Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation, Augustine Eguavoen on Monday paid a visit to the camp of the U23 National team as the Olympic Eagles continued their build up ahead the 2023 AFCON qualifiers against Tanzania.

    The former Super Eagles’ captain and coach was received by the team’s Coordinator, Bashir Badawy at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan, as the team as going through series of training sessions under the supervision of Coach Salisu Yusuf and his lieutenants, Kennedy Boboye, Abubakar Bala and goalkeeper’s trainer, Suleiman Shuaibu.

    An excited Eguavoen praised the coaching crew and expressed optimism that the team will soar past Tanzania in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.

    Meanwhile, the Olympic Eagles are expected to depart the shores of Nigeria on Thursday via Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    The first leg of the second round AFCON U23 qualifiers is scheduled to take place on 22nd October in Tanzania with the return leg slated for Saturday, 29th October at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan.

  • CAF withdraws 2025 AFCON hosting rights from Guinea

    CAF withdraws 2025 AFCON hosting rights from Guinea

    Guinea has been stripped of the rights to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Saturday.

    This development means fresh bidding for the tournament’s hosting rights is set to be reopened on Saturday.

    The rights withdrawal followed a meeting on Friday in Conakry between Guinea’s interim president, Col. Mamady Doumbouya, and CAF President Patrice Motsepe.

    The meeting had discussed the withdrawal after the west African country, among the poorest of the continent, said it was not ready to host the 24-nation tournament.

    Guinea’s inability was due to its infrastructure and facilities not being ready to host a world-class AFCON competition.

    Motsepe was accompanied during his meeting with the Guinean leader by CAF General Secretary, Véron Mosengo-Omba.

    The development is expected to ginger Guinea into working towards bidding with other competing nations for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

    The 2022 edition of CHAN is being hosted by Algeria in 2023.

    The CAF Executive Committee will be meeting on Saturday in Algiers, Algeria and will take a decision to re-open the bidding process for the 2025 AFCON.

    The 2023 AFCON is already scheduled to hold in Côte d’Ivoire.