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Tag: AFCON

  • AFCON 2023: No representation for City, Newcastle as 33 EPL players depart for tournament

    AFCON 2023: No representation for City, Newcastle as 33 EPL players depart for tournament

    About 33 African players have left their various English Premier League side to team up with other national teammates in preparation for 2023 AFCON billed to take place in Cote D’Ivoire from the 13th of January to the 11th of February.
    Nottingham Forest is the worst hit as it would be missing the services of six African players for the duration of the tournament.
    Fulham and Manchester United are the second most affected EPL side with three players each.
    However, Manchester City and Newcastle have got no representation in both AFCON and the Asian Cup.
    Below is the list of players Going for AFCON
    CRYSTAL PALACE:
    Jordan Ayew (Ghana)
    EVERTON:
    Idrissa Gana Gueye (Senegal)
     FULHAM:
    Fode-Ballo Toure (Senegal)
    Calvin Bassey (Nigeria)
    Alex Iwobi (Nigeria)
     LIVERPOOL:
    Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
    LUTON:
    Issa Kabore (Burkina Faso)
     MAN CITY:
    n/a
     MAN UTD:
    Andre Onana (Cameroon)
    Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco)
    Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast)
     NEWCASTLE:
    n/a
     ARSENAL:
    Mohamed Elneny (Egypt)
    ASTON VILLA:
    Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso)
     BOURNEMOUTH:
    Dango Quattara (Burkina Faso)
     BRENTFORD:
    Yoane Wissa (Congo)
    Frank Onyeka (Nigeria)
     BRIGHTON:
    Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast)
    Tariq Lamptey (Ghana)
    BURNLEY:
    n/a
     CHELSEA:
    Nicolas Jackson (Senegal)
    NOTTINGHAM FOREST:
    Serge Aurier (Ivory Coast)
    Willy Boly (Ivory Coast)
    Ibrahim Sangare (Ivory Coast)
    Cheikou Kouyate (Senegal)
    Moussa Niakhate (Senegal)
    Ola Aina (Nigeria)
    SHEFFIELD UNITED:
    Anis Ben Slimane (Tunisia)
    Yasser Larouci (Algeria)
     TOTTENHAM:
    Pape Sarr (Senegal)
    Heung-Min Son (South Korea)
    Yves Bissouma (Mali)
     WEST HAM:
    Nayef Aguerd (Morocco)
    Mohammed Kudus (Ghana)
    WOLVES:
    Rayan Ait-Nouri (Algeria)
    Boubacar Traore (Mali)
  • CAF increases AFCON prize money

    CAF increases AFCON prize money

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced a 40 per cent increase in the prize money for the Winner of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Côte d’Ivoire 2023.

    CAF said on its official website on Thursday that the winner of the TotalEnergies AFCON will receive seven million dollars.

    It said the runner-up will now get 4 million dollars while each of the two Semi-finalists will receive 2.5 million dollars and each of the four Quarter-finalists will get 1. 3 million dollars.

    The President of CAF, Patrice Motsepe said: “CAF has made significant progress over the past two years in increasing the prize money of the AFCON and all its other major competitions.

    “We have increased the prize money of the AFCON Winner to seven million dollars which is a 40 per cent increase from the previous prize money.

    “I am confident that a portion of the prize money will contribute to developing football and also benefit all the football stakeholders, as well as assist our member associations with their administrations,” he said.

    The 2023 AFCON will kick off on Jan. 13  to Feb. 11 in Cote d’Ivoire with 24 nations participating.

  • AFCON: Super Eagles may surprise fans, says Ipaye

    AFCON: Super Eagles may surprise fans, says Ipaye

    Ex-international Wasiu Ipaye on Thursday said despite doubts about the list of invited players for the 2023 Côte d’Ivoire Africa Nation’s Cup (AFCON), the Super Eagles may surprise fans by performing well at the tournament.

    Ipaye, a former defensive midfielder, said this in an interview with NAN in Lagos.

    The former First Bank Football Club player said the exclusion of home-based players showed that the handlers of the team did not rate the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) highly.

    “With few days to go, I want to be positive. The boys need the encouragement. In spite of the not so impressive list of selected players I hope we’d all be surprised in a good way.

    “Personally, I feel the exclusion of home-based players may be a de-service. Some of the foreign-based players are not even playing in the first division leagues. We place so much emphasis on foreign based players.

    “Look at Egypt, Morocco and Algeria, majority of their players are home based. It’s the way you make your bed that you lie on it. I know the coach has the final say.

    “Look at what Clement Westerhof was able to do with the team. He made it a point of duty to watch our domestic league matches and selected the best talents.

    “Dismissing our home-based players is detrimental to the development of football in Nigeria,” he said.

    On the absence of the Leicester City duo of Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho, Ipaye, a member of the 1990 AFCON squad, said their absence would encourage other players to toughen up and deliver.

    “I think Kelechi played in some of the friendly matches but I can’t say same for Ndidi. The coach knows what other players can do. So, I believe whoever is selected to play will deliver.

    “I remember our opening match in 1990, we lost 5-1 to Algeria. The two teams met in the finals although we lost 1-0. So, that’s football; nothing is cast in stones.

    “As long as the coach knows how to combine his players, he will get the much needed result.

    “My advice to the team is to take it one match at the time and stay focused, play as a unit. I wish Super Eagles the best,” Ipaye said.

    The tournament is scheduled to kick off from Jan.13 to Feb. 11.

    The Super Eagles, now in Abu Dhabi for a one-week training camp, will later proceed to Abidjan where they will face Equatorial Guinea in the opening Group A match on Jan. 14, and later Côte d’Ivoire, and Guinea-Bissau.

    Super Eagles, three-time champions of the tournament: 1980, 1994, and 2013, hope to win the trophy for the fourth time when the tournament kicks off in January.

  • It’ll take miracle for Super Eagles to win AFCON – Ex-international

    It’ll take miracle for Super Eagles to win AFCON – Ex-international

    Ex-international, Waidi Akanni, on Saturday said the Super Eagles would need a miracle to win the 2023 Côte d’Ivoire Africa Nation’s Cup (AFCON) due to inadequate preparation.

    Akanni said this in an interview with NAN in Lagos with barely two weeks to the kick-off of the tournament, which holds from Jan.13 to Feb. 11, 2024.

    “⁠My expectations are same whenever Super Eagles play, they have become very unreliable. So, I won’t expect much from them because I don’t want to be disappointed.

    “Winning AFCON will be a miracle for Nigeria. It will be presumptuous of me to expect Super Eagles to come out tops at the championship.

    “One of the elements of a team is predictability, I can’t predict them because I don’t know their pedigree.

    “I believe I’m not the only one that feels this way about the team, a lot needs to be worked on in the midfield, defence, and goalkeeping departments of the team,” he said.

    Akanni, a member of the bronze medal-winning U-20 1985 FIFA World Youth Championship team, said the handlers of the team should have included some home-based players.

    “It has always been the same for AFCON with African countries because of the European season. It’s difficult to get a full house of players as a group till about a week to AFCON.

    “I think the coaches should have given some home-based players the opportunity to compete for some positions, not only goalkeepers.

    “⁠The final list is predictable as we had all the former players both fit and unfit in the 41-Man list,” he said.

    The team is set to depart for a one-week training camp in Abu Dhabi.

    The team will later proceed to Abidjan where it will face Equatorial Guinea in the opening Group A match on Jan. 14, 2024, and later Côte d’Ivoire, and Guinea-Bissau.

    Super Eagles, three-time champions of the tournament: 1980, 1994, and 2013, hope to win the trophy for the fourth time when the tournament kicks off in January 2004.

  • AFCON 2023: CAF ranks Nigeria fourth in ticket purchase

    AFCON 2023: CAF ranks Nigeria fourth in ticket purchase

    Nigeria has been ranked fourth position in terms of tickets purchased by participating countries ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

    This was information was revealed by the Confederation of African Football, (CAF) on its official X account.

    Message reads “Ticket sales for Nigeria are among the top five on the continent,”.

    According to CAF, a total of 12,544 tickets have been purchased by the country.

    According to CAF, host Cote d’Ivoire top the chart with 32,307 tickets sold and are closely followed by Nigeria Group A opponents; Guinea-Bissau (28,614) as well as Equatorial Guinea (16,237).

    Defending champions Senegal are in fifth position with 10,959 purchased.

    The 2023 AFCON finals will run from January 13 to February 11, 2024.

    The Super Eagles will face Equatorial Guinea in the opening fixture at the Alssanne Quattara Stadium, Ebimpe, Abidjan, on Sunday, January 14.

  • AFCON 2024: Super Eagles get Cape Verde, Burkina Faso friendlies in January

    AFCON 2024: Super Eagles get Cape Verde, Burkina Faso friendlies in January

    The Super Eagles of Nigeria are billed to play high profile friendly games against Burkina Faso and Cape Verde in January ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations which will kick start from January 13 to February 11 in Ivory Coast.

    The Super Eagles have been grouped in A alongside hosts Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau.

    Nigeria’s first game will be against Equatorial Guinea January 14 at the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium before facing hosts Ivory Coast January 18 while their last group game will be against Guinea Bissau January 22.

    Last week, the Nigeria Football Federation submitted a provisional 41-man list to the Confederation of African Football, with the final 27-man squad expected to be released January 3.

    Following a decision by the organizing committee of the AFCON, all 24 teams will be permitted a final squad of 27 players, four more than the initial 23 from previous tournaments.

    NFF has also revealed that the Super Eagles will camp in Dubai the capital of United Arab Emirate to fine tune preparations for the tournament starting on January 13.

     

  • AFCON 2024: Super Eagles’ group A opponent releases final squad list

    AFCON 2024: Super Eagles’ group A opponent releases final squad list

    Nigeria’s Group A opponent for the upcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Guinea-Bissau on Saturday unveiled a final  27-man squad ahead of the competition in January.

    In the list made public all the players are foreign based.

    Head coach, Baciro Cande named three goalkeepers, eight defenders, six midfielders and eight forwards in the squad.

  • CAF to enforce restrictions on filming AFCON 2023

    CAF to enforce restrictions on filming AFCON 2023

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has said it will introduce new guidelines for non-rigths holders and enforce restrictions on filming and other activities to protect media (TV) rights holders.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports CAF said this on its official website on Saturday concerning the 2023 AFCON scheduled to kick off on January 13 2024 to Feb 11 in Cote d’ Ivoire with 24 nations participating.

    CAF disclosed that it has received over 5,000 media accreditation applications for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations. It disclosed that the  applications are  90 per cent  more than that received for Cameroon in 2021.

    The media accreditation  closed on  Nov. 24 . It said that more than  70 nationalities have applied to cover the Africa’s biggest event.

    “The high demand has necessitated that CAF implement quotas for all the countries due to space demands.

    “CAF remains committed to ensure that fairness is applied across the board in allocation and implementation of quotas.

    “CAF believes in creating access for media and promoting media freedom,” it said.

    On the filming restrictions, CAF said priority will be, however, given to the host nation at 30 per cent,  participating countries, 35 per, regional (neighbouring) countries,  10 and rest of the world (countries) 25 per cent.

    “CAF is currently working closely with all the participating member associations to ensure that there is a fair representation in allocating the quotas of each country,” it said.

    It said that priority would  also be  given to Agencies.

  • AFCON 2023: Be wary of Super Eagles – Salomon Kalou tells Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire

    AFCON 2023: Be wary of Super Eagles – Salomon Kalou tells Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire

    Former Cote d’Ivoire forward, Salomon Kalou has warned his country’s  national team, the Elephants  of Cote d’Ivoire to be wary of the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

    Ivory Coast  is drawn in Group A with Nigeria’s Super Eagles.

    The two teams will clash  at the Alhassan Quattara Stadium, Ebimpe, Abidjan, on January 18.

    Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau are the two other teams in Group A.

    According to Kalou, the Super Eagles a dangerous opponent and posited that the group will be a difficult one.

    “Firstly, it’s a group made up of very good teams, starting with Nigeria which is a very dangerous side. At each AFCON, the Super Eagles show great potential,” Kalou told CAFonline.

    “During the last edition, Equatorial Guinea did well, and Guinea Bissau may be the surprise of the group.

    “We will have to respect all the teams and above all, win the first match to start the competition well, because that is where everything starts from.”

    Cote d’Ivoire will host the 34th edition of the AFCON finals from January 13 to February 11, 2024.

  • AFCON: Nigerian-born defender makes South Africa’s provisional squad

    AFCON: Nigerian-born defender makes South Africa’s provisional squad

    Nigerian-born defender Ime Okon has been named in South Africa’s 50-man provisional squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

    Ime Okon a Nigerian born defender has made South Africa’s 50-man provisional squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations billed for Ivory Coast.

    Bafana Bafana head coach, Hugo Broos announced the list on Thursday afternoon.

    The 50-man list we still be prunned down to 27 players by January 7, 2024.

    Okon, who was born to a Nigerian father, is one of the 18 defenders on the roaster.

    The 19-year-old has been invited twice by South Africa in the past but is yet to make his debut for the former African champions.

    The centre-back is enjoying a fine season with South African club, Super Sport United.

    South Africa will face Tunisia, Mali and Zambia in Group E at the 2023 AFCON.