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Tag: CAF

  • CAF hints at postponing 2023 AFCON tourney in Cote d’lvoire 

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is considering postponing the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, according to reports.

    The competition has been scheduled to hold in Cote d’lvoire  june, 2023.

    Recall that the 2021 AFCON  was postponed and held in January 2022 in Cameroon due to ravaging corona virus in 2021.

    However, there have been  growing concerns  over the harsh weather conditions in the West African country at this time of the year.

    CAF authorities are afraid the condition will be the same next summer and scheduling the competition in the middle of the raining season might not be a good idea.

    Speaking on the issue, CAF Secretary General Veron Mosengo-Omba hinted on the possibilities of postponing the event but the decison has not be taken he said.

    “We are considering it; it is one of the possibilities,” CAF Secretary General Veron Mosengo-Omba, told Le Monde.

    “We asked Ivorian meteorologists to report to us on rainfall history in Côte d’Ivoire in June and July, but also to share their projections with us.”

    The Teranga Lions of Senegal won the last edition of the competition in Cameroon after defeating Egypt 4-3 on penalties.

  • CAF Awards to return in style in July

    CAF Awards to return in style in July

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Sunday said the 2022 edition of its Awards will return on July 21 in Morocco.

    The continental football governing body, in a statement on its website, said the Awards would be held ahead of the final match of Africa’s flagship women competition.

    The competition, Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), tagged “Morocco 2022”, is scheduled to take place between July 2 and July 23.

    ”The event will also coincide with the two-year anniversary of the launch of the CAF Women’s Football Strategy.

    ”In line with that, a new category of award —- Inter-club’s Women Player of the Year —- has been introduced following the successful roll-out of the CAF Women’s Champions League in November.”

    CAF added that just like it was in previous editions, there would be several categories of awards to be presented.

    These would be in addition to the coveted prizes of the Men’s and Women’s Players of the Year.

    ”Other categories include the Inter-clubs Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, National Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, Club of the Year, and Goal of the Year.”

    CAF disclosed that the winners would be decided by votes from captains and coaches of the Member-Associations, selected journalists, CAF Technical Study Group members and CAF Legends.

    The period under review for the awards is from September 2021 till June 2022. The previous edition of the CAF Awards was held in 2019 in Hurghada, Egypt.

    Senegalese forward Sadio Mane and Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala scooped the African Player of the Year’s awards for men and women respectively.

  • FCAAN congratulates Ibrahim Gusau on CAF appointment

    The Football Coaches Association of African Nations (FCAAN) at the weekend congratulated the Member of NFF Executive Committee and Chairman of Chairmen of Nigeria Football, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, on his recent appointment as Member of CAF’s Organizing Committee for Youth Competitions.

    President of FCAAN, Dr Terry Babatunde Eguaoje, stated that the appointment was in recognition of Gusau’s utmost dedication, palpable passion and hard work in the African football terrain, which has been rewarded by the leadership of CAF.

    “The appointment is well-deserved, given Alhaji Gusau’s energy and total commitment to the cause of Nigeria, nay African football development. We also appreciate the CAF hierarchy, led by Dr Patrice Motsepe, for this due recognition of the attributes of Alhaji Gusau, and we are confident they will not be disappointed for the confidence reposed in this committed Nigerian administrator,” stated Dr Eguaoje.

    Gusau, who is also Chairman of the Zamfara State Football Association, previously served as Member of CAF’s Organizing Committee for the African Nations Championship, and is a FCAAN

    Eguaoje, who is NFF’s Consultant on Coaching and Development, also commended the NFF under the watch of Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick for giving Nigeria Football a facelift, especially in the areas of youth development and human capacity building. “Our U20 Boys recently won the WAFU B Championship to qualify for the U20 AFCON, and the U17 Boys are also doing well in the WAFU B tournament in Ghana. These are results of long-term planning, vision and doggedness.

    “The Super Eagles set a new win-record at international level only a few days ago. We are on to a good thing and the sky will be the beginning with the full support and encouragement of Nigerians.”

  • WAFCON: 2 Nigerian women referees, 38 others selected [Full list]

    Two Nigerians — Patience Madu and Agatha Iyorhe — are among the 40 match officials selected for the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

    The continental football governing body on Friday revealed on its website the list of officials for the tournament scheduled for July 2 and July 23 in Rabat and Casablanca.

    While Madu is on the list of referees, Iyorhe is on the list of assistant referees.

    The list comprises 16 referees, 16 assistant referees and eight Video Assistant Referees (VARs).

    The referees are from 24 countries, with five of the overall 40 from Morocco, four from Egypt and three from Mauritius.

    The officials have been selected after a rigorous process which started a few years ago with 226 women who were evaluated over this period.

    Rwandan Salima Mukansanga made history at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon in January by becoming the first woman to referee a match at the competition.

    She was recently selected as the only woman referee from Africa to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

    She now headlines the list of referees for the 12th WAFCON, alongside Bouchkra Karboubi (Morocco) and Carine Atezambong (Cameroon) who were all part of that historic game in Cameroon.

    Speaking on the selection, CAF Director of Refereeing, Eddy Maillet, said: “Africa has made serious leaps in the development of women match officials.

    “This final list comprises of currently the best in the continent. It took us a long time to get here. The several workshops and training camps we held assisted us in getting to the final decision.

    “It was essential for us to bet on top quality, refereeing being one of the main priorities of CAF.

    “And to fine-tune the last details, we are organising a preparation course for all the referees of the competition, starting from June 25 in Rabat.”

    The training and development of the referees included practical sessions in matches.

    The opening match of the 12th WAFCON tagged “Morocco 2022” will feature hosts Morocco and debutants Burkina Faso on July 2 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Complex in Rabat.

    LIST OF SELECTED REFEREES FOR WAFCON 2022:

    REFEREES

    1. Maria Packuita Cynquela Rivet —- Mauritius
    2. Ganouati Dorsaf —- Tunisia
    3. Shahenda Saad Ali Elmaghrabi —- Egypt
    4. Akona Zenith Makalima —– South Africa
    5. Lidya Tafesse Abebe —– Ethiopia
    6. Mame Coumba Faye —- Senegal
    7. Shamira Nabadda —- Uganda
    8. Zomadre Sonia Kore —- Cote d’Ivoire
    9. Aissata Boudy Lam —– Mauritania
    10. Salima Mukansanga —– Rwanda
    11. Amedome Vincentia Enyonam — Togo
    12. Viana Letticia —– Eswatini
    13. Suavis Iratunga —– Burundi
    14. Karboubi Bouchra —- Morocco
    15. Madu Ndidi Patience —– Nigeria
    16. Twanyanyukwa Ndemugwanitha Antsino — Namibia

    ASSISTANT REFEREES

    1. Rakotozafinoro Lidwine Pelagie —- Madagascar
    2. Atef Said Abdelfattah Yara —- Egypt
    3. Kanjinga Mireille Mujanayi —- DR Congo
    4. Chikotesha Diana —– Zambia
    5. Fanta Kone —- Mali
    6. Atezambong Fomo Carine —– Cameroon
    7. Mariem Chedad —– Mauritania
    8. Yekini Shitou Nafissatou —– Benin
    9. Afine Houda —– Tunisia
    10. Ouahab Asma Feriel —– Algeria
    11. Mimisen Agatha Iyorhe —– Nigeria
    12. Hamdi Soukaina —– Morocco
    13. Kwimbira Bernadettar —– Malawi
    14. Queency Victoire —– Mauritius
    15. Jermoumi Fatiha —– Morocco
    16. Mona Mahmoud Atallah Mostafa —– Egypt

    VAR REFEREES

    1. Guirat Haythem —- Tunisia
    2. Benbraham Lahlou —- Algeria
    3. Ahmed Elgandour —- Egypt
    4. Samir Guezzaz —- Morocco
    5. El Ajjani Fatima Zahra —- Morocco
    6. Ahmed Imtehaz Heerallal —- Mauritius
    7. Brinsi Zakaria —– Morocco
    8. Ahmed Hossameldin Taha Ibrahim —- Egypt

  • AFCON 2023 Race: Super Eagles to play São Tomé in Marrakech

    Sao Tome and Principe has been restored into Group A of the qualifying series for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals after the CAF Appeals Board threw out Mauritius from the pool following the successful appeal of the former.

     

    The case has done a yo-yo with São Tomé and Príncipe winning on the field of play, Mauritius winning their case at the Disciplinary Board against the former for fielding a player who tested positive for COVID19, and the Appeals Board now restoring São Tomé and Príncipe to the race and ejecting Mauritius.

     

    Mauritius had protested to CAF that São Tomé and Príncipe player, Luis Leal Dos Anjos did not undergo the obligatory PCR test during their match on 24th March, 2022 in the frame of the AFCON 2023 qualifiers, but the Appeal Board ruled that “given that neither the CAF Disciplinary Code nor CAF’s COVID-19 protocols provide any sanctions for missing an obligatory PCR test, it is legally baseless to consider the player in question to be ineligible.”

     

    Head Coach of Nigeria, Jose Santos Peseiro woke up to the news in New Jersey, where the Eagles play Ecuador in a friendly match on Thursday, and simply said: “We are focused on the friendly game with Ecuador. It is neither here nor there. We play whoever is in front of us.”

     

    The latest decision means the NFF’s plans for the away match on 13th June, after the game against Sierra Leone in Abuja on 9th June, have now been diverted from east (Mauritius) to west (Marrakech), as São Tomé and Príncipe do not have an approved playing ground in their country and play their home matches in the dainty Moroccan city.

     

  • CHAN Tourney: Home based Eagles to know opponents today

    The draws for the 2022 African Nations Championship (CHAN)  is set to  hold today.

    The home-based Super Eagles will know their opponents in the qualifiers of the competition billed for Algeria in 2023.

    The draw ceremony, which will hold at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, will be live on all CAF digital platforms at 11:00 GMT.

    CAF Head of Competitions, Khaled Nassar will be assisted by Algerian legend, Djamel Menad, who will serve as the draw assistant.

    For the first time in the history of the competition, 18 teams will participate in the next final tournament set to take place in Algeria from January 8-31, 2023.

    The CHAN  Super Eagles failed to qualify for the last edition of the competition hosted by Cameroon in 2021.

    The West Africans came second at the 2018 edition, losing 4-0 to hosts Morocco in the final.

    The African Nations Championship is a tournament for national association football teams organized every two years by Confederation of African Football which was first announced on 11 September 2007.

    Only players who play in the domestic championship of their country of origin are eligible to compete

  • Godswill Akpabio Stadium set to host confederations cup final

    Godswill Akpabio Stadium set to host confederations cup final

    The Godswill Akpabio International Stadium,Uyo is set to host the confederation cup final between RS Berkane of Morocco and Orlando Pirates of South Africa on Friday.

    The match has been fixed to kick-off by 8pm Nigeria time.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Nigeria would host the 2021/22 TotalEnergies Confederation Cup final on Friday, May 20th, 2022.

    This is the first intercontinental major cup final to be hosted in Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo. The stadium is also home to Nigeria Professional Football League sides, Akwa United and Dakkada FC.

    A lot of Nigerian football fans are hoping to see Super Eagles defender Olisa Ndah who plays for Orlando Pirates of South Africa in action against Berkane of Morocco in the Confederation’s cup final game.

    Meanwhile Akwa Ibom Governor, has purchased 30,000 tickets for distribution to football fans from across the country .

    The move is said to be a deliberate action by the Governor to ease the financial burden of attending the match on the fans and to ensure that no one is left out of experiencing the memorable occasion.

    Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Sir Monday Uko, disclosed this during the LOC’s daily briefing.

    Uko said the free tickets would be available for fans to pick up at all the ticket booths at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium and the premises of all radio stations in Akwa Ibom as well as the Club House of Akwa United.

    Last year, the Cup final was hosted in Cotonou, Benin where Morocco’s Raja Club Athletic beat Algerian side, JS Kabylie 2-1 to emerge champions. CAF is yet to confirm the kick-off time for this year’s final match.

  • AFCON 2023: Mauritius win appeal against Sao Tomé and Príncipe, now to play Nigeria

    AFCON 2023: Mauritius win appeal against Sao Tomé and Príncipe, now to play Nigeria

    The Director of Competitions of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Mr Samson Adamu has confirmed to the Nigeria football Federation that Mauritius won a case it filed against Sao Tomé and Príncipe concerning their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations preliminary qualifying fixture, and will therefore join the combatants in Group A of the qualification series starting next month.

    Victory for Mauritius at the CAF Disciplinary Committee means they now join Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau in Group A of the six-match phase that ends in March next year. Nigeria will play Sierra Leone in Abuja on Thursday 9th June and then play Mauritius on Monday 13th June.

    Mauritius had filed a protest against São Tomé and Príncipe, who won their preliminary qualifying fixture, insisting that one São Tomé player had tested positive for covid-19. “The matter became somewhat more interesting because the player at the centre of the controversy is the one that scored the only goal of the match,” said our source at the time.

     

  • Uyo to host 2022 CAF Confederation Cup final match

    Uyo to host 2022 CAF Confederation Cup final match

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Wednesday announced Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo as venue of the 2021/2022 CAF Confederation Cup final match scheduled for May 20.

    This is the first major continental club competition final match to be played at the venue, which is the home ground of Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side Akwa United.

    Last year, the CAF Confederation Cup final was hosted in Cotonou, Republic of Benin where Morocco’s Raja Club Athletic beat Algerian side JS Kabylie 2-1.

    Four teams remain in the race for the final match of this season’s competition.

    In the first leg match of one of the semi-finals, DR Congo’s TP Mazembe scored a late goal to secure 1-0 victory over RS Berkane of Morocco.

    In the other semi-final, the first leg between Libya’s Al Ahli Tripoli and Orlando Pirates from South Africa had Orlando Pirates winning 2-0.

    The second leg matches of the semi-finals will hold on Sunday.

  • CAF approves Nigeria stadium to host Champions League final

    CAF approves Nigeria stadium to host Champions League final

    Confederation of African Football has approved the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo as the host of the 2022 CAF Champions League final scheduled for Sunday, May 29.

    Godswill Akpabio International Stadium popularly referred to as Nest of champions is one of the best stadia in Africa and it boasts of natural grass.

    Angola’s Atlético Petróleos de Luanda will tackle Morocco’s Wydad in the first semi-final clash while Egypt’s Ah Ahly will be hoping to reach consecutive finals but will have to surpass the hurdle from Algeria’s ES Setif in the other semi-final tie.

    CAF officials had visited the ‘Nest of Champions’ the last one month to inspect the state of the sporting facilities according to the Senior Special Assistant on Sports to Akwa Ibom State Governor, Paul Bassey.

    According to reports, the CAF officials who visited the sporting facility gave it a pass mark as they deemed it worthy of hosting the continent’s biggest inter-club competition final.

    This is the third time the finals of the competition will be played in a single final format as opposed to a two-legged fixtures format, which was being used in the competition since 1966.
    The CAF Champions League final comes up on the 29th of May in Uyo,Nigeria.

    Meanwhile the Cairo international stadium will host the confederations cup final