Tag: AFCON

2021 AFCON: What Buhari, Eguavoen said after Super Eagles’ group stage performance

Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Wednesday defeated Guinea Bissau to win all their three Group D matches and advanced to the knockout phase of the ongoing 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports goals from Sadiq Umar (56th minute) and William Ekong (77th minute) gave the Super Eagles a 2-0 win over Guinea Bissau in their final Group D fixture.

The win and advancement to the knockout phase have drawn accolades from President Muhammadu Buhari, who commended the Super Eagles for keeping hope alive by winning all their group matches.

The president, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, on Wednesday in Abuja saluted the Eagles for advancing to the second round of the tournament in grand style.

The president urged the Austin Eguavoen-led team to maintain and even surpass the terrific form that made them leaders in the group stage, as ”Nigeria hopefully looks forward to a total of seven emphatic wins in this competition.”

According to him, the positive reputation of good sportsmanship the traveling fans, sportswriters and the football team have demonstrated in Cameroon will continue to enliven the importance of sports.

He said this was particularly football, as an enabler of development, peace, tolerance, friendship and cooperation.

The president wished the Super Eagles the very best.

He pledged that his administration would continue to support the efforts of international, regional and national football organisations to use the sport as a tool to build a better and peaceful world.

Meanwhile, Coach Augustine Eguavoen says people are once again beginning to respect the Super Eagles following their performance at the group stage of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.

Eguavoen told newsmen during his post-match conference that a lot of people felt that Nigeria was not good enough to win the tournament because of the team’s performance in the last few months.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Wednesday in Garoua advanced in style to the knockout phase of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.

They beat Guinea-Bissau 2-0 at the Stade Roumde Adjia to become the only side at this 33rd edition of the competition to win all their three group games.

Winners of groups A, B and C who had advanced earlier failed to win all their three games.

“But again it is the same set of players who performed brilliantly well prior to the AFCON, the last one in Egypt and also a year or couple later.

“All of a sudden, things didn’t go well as they were supposed to for some reason and that’s why people were trying to write Nigeria off.

“For the first game, nobody gave us a chance but we did the job collectively,” said the coach.

He said he told the players to express themselves and be committed, “you don’t have any other country to play for, it’s only Nigeria and you know how passionate our people are when it comes to football.

“And then, that game was gone. We had to put it behind us and then focus on the next game. Went ahead to beat Sudan and then put it behind us and then focus on the next game.

“Now, people are thinking and starting to respect Nigeria.”

He, however, said the team would not allow the praises get to their head, adding that they would continue to respect their opponents in the tournament.

“We will always respect our opponents, we will play them with full strength and we will play them the way we play with anybody.

“For instance, if you see today’s game and like I said before, Guinea-Bissau is a very strong team. They were no pushovers at all,” said Eguavoen.

He added that he expected a tough game because the Guinea-Bissau team was physically and technically very strong.

“So, they gave us a run for the money, but at the end of the day we were able to get those two goals and I am very satisfied with the performance.

“The most credit must go to the players for doing everything we told them to do,” he said.

January 20, 2022
Super Eagles advance to knockout stage with best group phase record

Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Wednesday in Garoua advanced in style to the knockout phase of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.

They beat Guinea-Bissau 2-0 at the Stade Roumde Adjia to become the only side at this 33rd edition of the competition to win all their three group games.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that winners of groups A, B and C who had advanced earlier failed to win all their three games.

It is now not possible for any other team in groups E and F to accomplish this, with none of them having won two matches.

The Group D winners made eight changes to the side which beat Sudan on Saturday, with six on the bench and the other two unavailable.

Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, defenders Kenneth Omeruo and Zaidu Sanusi, as well as forwards Moses Simon, Samuel Chukwueze and Taiwo Awoniyi dropped to the bench.

On their part, Olaoluwa Aina and Joseph Aribo did not dress for the game.

This did show in the Super Eagles game, with the team almost strolling through the first half.

It took them time to get going, with their opponents not providing something better too.

But it was not too long after the restart that they got going, with Umar Sadiq opening the scoring following a cross from Kelechi Iheanacho in the 56th minute.

The Super Eagles took full charge thereafter, with Simon coming in for Chidera Ejuke and Peter Olayinka for Sadiq.

William Ekong sealed the win after he tapped in a rebound following a good job fine by Simon from the left flank.

But it took referee Peter Kamaku from Kenya almost two minutes before allowing the game, following a lengthy VAR check,

Olisa Ndah, Frank Onyeka and Henry Onyekuru later came on for Tyrone Ebuehi, Kelechi Nwakali and Iheanacho respectively to steady their game and hold on to their lead.

NAN reports that the win took Nigeria to nine points from three matches, sealing their top spot in the group and condemning Guinea Bissau to bottom place.

The Super Eagles now await the best of the third-placed teams in groups B, E and F as their opponents in the next stage on Sunday in Garoua.

Meanwhile, seven-time champions Egypt beat Sudan 1-0 in the group’s other game to finish second behind Nigeria and qualify for the last 16 round.

Mohamed Abdelmonem scored the game’s only goal, after heading home Abdallah El Said’s corner-kick in the 35th minute.

Sudan offered little opposition though, with Egypt going close to a second goal through a Mohamed Salah effort which was saved by goalkeeper Mohamed Mustafa in the second half.

Egypt will now face the winners of Group E on Jan. 26.

Group D’s Final Standings

Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Nigeria 3 3 0 0 6 1 +5 9

Egypt 3 2 0 1 2 1 +1 6

Sudan 3 0 1 2 1 4 -3 1

Guinea Bissau 3 0 1 2 0 3 -3 1

January 20, 2022
AFCON: Buhari hails emphatic progress of Super Eagles

President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the Super Eagles of Nigeria for keeping hope alive in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon by winning all their group matches.

The president, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, on Wednesday in Abuja saluted the Eagles for advancing to the second round of the tournament in grand style.

The president urged the Austin Eguavoen-led team to maintain and even surpass the terrific form that made them leaders in the group stage, as ”Nigeria hopefully looks forward to a total of seven emphatic wins in this competition.”

According to him, the positive reputation of good sportsmanship the travelling fans, sportswriters and the football team have demonstrated in Cameroon will continue to enliven the importance of sports.

He said this was particularly football, as an enabler of development, peace, tolerance, friendship and cooperation.

The president wished the Super Eagles the very best.

He pledged that his administration would continue to support the efforts of international, regional and national football organisations to use the sport as a tool to build a better and peaceful world.

Newsmen reports that goals from Sadiq Umar (56th minute) and William Ekong (77th minute) gave the Super Eagles a 2-0 win over Guinea Bissau in their final Group D fixture at the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon.

January 20, 2022
AFCON: We’ll rather die than let Super Eagles win – Guinea Bissau captain

Captain of the Guinea Bissau national team, Jonas Azevedo Mendes has said that they will rather ‘die’ than see themselves losing today’s match against the Super Eagles.

Mendes, who is the team’s first-choice goalkeeper said they will battle the Super Eagles with all their might and they were determined to ensure they do not go home after the tie.

Asked if there was any particular player in the Eagles team they were targeting, Mendes said, “we know Nigeria is a good team. It will be a mistake to target any particular player. We are facing all of them with equal attention,” he said.

Nigeria currently tops Group D with six points after beating Egypt and Sudan in the ongoing AFCON, while Guinea-Bissau is in the third position with a point.

January 19, 2022
AFCON: Super Eagles have two challenges – Troost-Ekong

Super Eagles defender, William Troost-Ekong, has said the Nigerian national team have two challenges ahead of their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tie against Guinea-Bissau at the Roumdé Adjia Stadium, Garoua, in Cameroon.

Troost-Ekong said winning the ongoing 2021 AFCON and qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year are the two challenges of the Super Eagles because they pledged for each of them.

The Watford star spoke during his pre-match press conference ahead of Nigeria’s Group D final tie with Guinea-Bissau on Wednesday night.

Nigeria currently tops Group D with six points after beating Egypt and Sudan in the ongoing AFCON, while Guinea-Bissau is in the third position with a point.

“We will face a strong opponent and we will work the same way to win. I have experience in this competition and I try to use it to improve,” Troost-Ekong said as quoted by CAF Online.

“We started to believe in ourselves after a series of failures and now we continue to do well and we will improve even more.

“We have two challenges, the Africa Cup of Nations and reaching the World Cup. Nothing is easy and we all pledge to fight for each of them.”

January 19, 2022
AFCON 2021: Ghana coach, Rajevac vows not to resign in spite early exit

Ghanaian coach Milovan Rajevac has vowed not to resign in spite the humiliating exit of his team in the group stage of the ongoing 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The Serbian coach disclosed this at a news conference after Comoros Island defeated his team 3-2 to bundle them out of the tournament, leaving them bottom of the table.

Ghana suffered a humiliating group-stage exit at the AFCON after the four-time champions were beaten by debutants Comoros Island in the final Group C game at the Roumde Adjia Stadium on Tuesday night.

The 68-year old gaffer, however, said he had just few months to put the team together and was adamant that with more time, he plans to qualify the Black Stars for the Qatar FIFA World Cup later in the year.

“I am not leaving. I want to stay and qualify Ghana to the World Cup.

“We didn’t start the game against Comoros how we wanted and we conceded an early goal.

“It was a poor start for us and then the red card to Andre Ayew changed everything.

“I think Comoros deserved this win because they played very well than us,” the coach said.

NAN reports that Rajevac led the Black Stars to the AFCON final in 2010 and the World Cup quarter-finals same year, and guided the West Africans through to Africa’s play-offs for this year’s World Cup.

January 19, 2022
AFCON 2021: Super Eagles hold final training session ahead of Guinea-Bissau clash

The Super Eagles on Tuesday had their final training session of the final Group D game against Guinea-Bissau at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.

The Newsmen report that the training took place at the annex pitch of the Roumde Adjia Stadium in Garoua.

But the session looked uneventful as the three-time champions only have as opponents on Wednesday the Wild Dogs of Guinea Bissau who are with only one point from two games.

They will take to the main pitch of Stade Roumdé Adjia from 8 p.m. needing at least a draw to finish as group leaders.

During the training which started at 8.30 p.m. and lasted for about an hour, all 27 players in the squad took part.

Head Coach Augustine Eguavoen supervised the session along with assistant coaches Salisu Yusuf, Paul Aigbogun, Joseph Yobo, Terry Eguaoje and Aloysius Agu.

Goalkeeper trainer Alloy Agu also drilled the quartet of Maduka Okoye, Daniel Akpeyi, Francis Uzoho and John Noble.

The players were however in boisterous mood as they looked forward to the game.

Yusuf, Yobo and Agu put them through their paces with light jogging and stretches in the first 20 minutes.

They quickly observed a one-minute water break afterwards, before going into an intensive training session in the last 40 minutes.

Agu worked on the reflexes of the goalkeepers, while Yusuf, Yobo and Aigbogun put the 23 other players through some ball work exercises for 10 minutes.

The players were then split into two groups in the final 30 minutes of the training as they worked on short passes and ball control.

The first group comprised of team captain Ahmed Musa, Olaoluwa Aina, Joe Aribo, Olisa Ndah, Zaidu Sanusi and Henry Onyekweru.

The rest are Sadiq Umar, Chidozie Awaziem, Kenneth Omeruo, Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon, Taiwo Awoniyi and Frank Onyeka.

The second group had assistant team captain William Troost-Ekong, Kelechi Iheanacho, Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, Kelechi Nwakali, Jamilu Collins, Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Tyronne Ebuehi, Chidera Ejuke and Peter Olayinka.

The training which started at 8.30 p.m ended at 9.30 p.m., with the team heading straight to their bus and the hotel without speaking to the media.

January 19, 2022
Debutants Comoros Island send Ghana packing from AFCON

Debutants Comoros Island on Tuesday in Garoua shocked Ghana 3-2 to bundle the African football powerhouse out of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.

The Group C match played at the Roumde Adjia Stadium saw the four-time champions losing to their less-fancied opponents.

They thus finished bottom of their group with one point from one draw and two losses in three matches.

El Fardou Ben Mohamed scored Comoros’ first-ever goal at the AFCON before Ahmed Mogni added a second just past the hour-mark.

Goals from Richmond Boakye and Alexander Djiku levelled the game for Ghana, but Mogni grabbed a winner for the tiny island nation with five minutes remaining.

The Black Stars had their captain Andre Ayew sent off in the 25th minute after a reckless collision with the Comoros goalkeeper Ben Boina during a goalmouth scramble.

This is the first time in their history that Ghana have failed to progress from the group stage.

NAN reports that Morocco topped Group C with seven points, followed by Gabon with five points, with both teams assured of automatic qualification.

In the Morocco versus Gabon match played in Yaounde at the same time, Gabon led twice through Jim Allevinah and a Nayef Aguerd own-goal while Sofiane Boufal and Achraf Hakimi netted for Morocco.

Comoros who finished third in the group with three points still have an outside chance of being among the best third-placed finishers.

But their -2 goals difference will likely count against them.

January 19, 2022
AFCON 2021: Super Eagles are one of the best in Africa – Guinea-Bissau coach

Guinea Bissau Coach Basiro Candé has described the Super Eagles as one of the best in Africa ahead of their clash with the Nigerian team at the ongoing 2021 AFCON in Cameroon.

The Super Eagles will on Wednesday file out against the wild dogs of Guinea-Bissau in one of the last group D matches of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.

Table topping Eagles have six points from two games having beaten Egypt and Sudan, while struggling Guinea-Bissau have just one point from their draw with Sudan and 0-1 loss to Egypt.

Candé at press conference on Tuesday however said his team will hope to exploit the weaknesses in the compact Nigerian side.

“Nigeria is one of the best teams in Africa, a very strong side, We will play our game and hope that Nigeria makes a mistake, some errors and may be luck will smile on us.

“We know that no matter how strong a team is, there is always a weak side and we hope to capitalise on that as we play Nigeria,” he said.

The coach said his physical side will hope to go all out from the blast of the whistle, with qualification still on their mind.

The West African derby is billed to take place at the Stade Roumdé Adjia, Garoua, Cameroon on Wednesday by 8 p.m.

January 18, 2022
AFCON: Super Eagles’ll not take foot off pedal against Guinea-Bissau – Eguavoen

Super Eagles interim coach Augustine Eguavoen has assured of his players’ total commitment as they file out against Guinea-Bissau on Wednesday in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.

Eguavoen gave the assurance on Tuesday in Garoua, Cameroon at a press conference ahead of the team’s last Group D match.

The Nigerian national team currently sit top group D with six points from two games, having beaten Egypt and Sudan.

Struggling Guinea-Bissau have just one point from their draw with Sudan and 0-1 loss to Egypt.

Eguavoen said that despite qualification, the aim of the team was to finish with nine points like the Eagles did in the 2006 AFCON in Egypt, when he was incidentally in charge.

“There is always pressure, finishing with nine points will be very good; we did that in 2006 and with this group that we have, we are ready to do that again.

“It is not expected that the game will be smooth for 90 minutes, our major concern is conversion, we have worked on that and we hope to see improvements,” Eguavoen said.

The coach said with qualification in the bag, the technical crew would bring some changes to give more fringe players game time.

” It is always good to qualify, we have done that with style; expect few changes tomorrow (Wednesday), everyone have come to play. We will make one or two changes,” he said.

On the controversy whether to employ a local or foreign coach for the Super Eagles going forward, he said the focus should not be on the skin colour of the coach but the team’s style of play.

“This question has come many many times but I’m very happy with the position I occupy with the Nigeria Football Federation and yes, if they give me the job, why not.

“If they asked me for it, yes and when we get to that river we will cross,” he said.

Earlier, Super Eagles vice captain, William Trost-Ekong, said the team would still approach the game with the same zeal it prosecuted the first two matches.

“We are approaching the game as the first two, we have enjoyed Garoua, the team will work hard, this is an opportunity to test ourselves and play a good game,” he said.

NAN reports that the Nigeria/Guinea-Bissau match is billed to take place at the Stade Roumdé Adjia, Garoua, Cameroon on Wednesday by 8 p.m.

January 18, 2022