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Tag: CAF

  • 2026 WCQ: CAF picks Chadian referee, Mahamat for Super Eagles, Bafana Bafana clash

    2026 WCQ: CAF picks Chadian referee, Mahamat for Super Eagles, Bafana Bafana clash

    Alhadi Allaou Mahamat from Chad will be at the center when the Super Eagles of Nigeria clash with the Bafana Bafana of South Africa  at the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying tie next month according to reports on the website of the Confederation of African Football (CAF)

    The encounter is billed for the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo on Friday, June 7.

    Manhat has officiated in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.

    The 38-year-old Chadian  was also on duty at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.

    He will be assisted by Sudanese official Mohammed Ibrahim Abdallah (assistant referee 1), Abelmiro Dos Reis Monte Negro from Sao Tome & Principe (assistant referee 2) and compatriot Pousri Armi Alfred (fourth official) at the encounter.

    Ahmed Sayed Abou Elela from Egypt will serve as the referee assessor, while Ghanaian Munkaila Nassam Adam will be the commissioner for the matchday three clash.

  • CAF Champions League: Esperance, Al Ahly to face off in final

    CAF Champions League: Esperance, Al Ahly to face off in final

     

    Two North African sides, Al Ahly of Egypt  and Esperance  of Tunisia are set to lock horns in this season’s  CAF Champions League final after their respective semi-final aggregate victories over TP Mazembe and Mamelodi Sundowns.

    Al Ahly won its second leg tie in Cairo 3-0 courtesy of goals from Mohamed Abdelmonem, Wessem Abou Ali and Akram Tawfik, they qualified 3-1 on aggregate.

    However, Raed Bouchniba’s 57th minute strike was enough to see Esperance defeat Sundowns 1-0 in Pretoria and 2-0 on aggregate.

    It will be Al Ahly’s 17th CAF Champions League final appearance which they have won a record 11 times and are the defending champions.

    Esperance on the other hand made it to it’s ninth final after having won four and lost three games respectively.

    Both clubs have faced each other multiple times in the final including in 2012 and 2018 won by Al Ahly and Esperance respectively. They met in last season’s semi-final, with the Egyptians winning 3-1 on aggregate.

  • Confederation Cup: CAF picks Nigerian officials for Dream vs Zamalek clash

    Confederation Cup: CAF picks Nigerian officials for Dream vs Zamalek clash

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed the Secretary-General of the Nigeria Football Federation, (NFF) Mohammed Sanusi to serve as match commissioner for the CAF Confederation Cup semi-final second-leg encounter between Dreams FC of Ghana and Egypt’s Zamalek.

    Additionally, another Nigerian, Chukwudi Callistus Chukwujekwu has been appointed to serve as the referee assessor.

    The semi final match slated for the Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi, Ghana will hold on Sunday

    Ghana’s Dreams FC, who are making their debut in the competition held Zamalek to a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Cairo last weekend.

    They are undefeated at home in the competition with three wins and a draw.

    A score draw will see Zamalek qualify on the away-goal rule.

    They need an outright win to secure a ticket to the final of the CAF Confederation Cup in their debut season in the competition.

    Should they qualify for final and eventually win it Dreams FC of Ghana could be resting the trophy in their cabinet as CAF is planning to scrap the competition as from next season.

    According to report, the Confederation Cup could be replaced with the newly introduced African Football League, AFL.

     

  • CAF set to replace Confederations cup with AFL

    CAF set to replace Confederations cup with AFL

    The Confederation of African Football, CAF has revealed that it will scrap its second-tier club competition, the Confederation Cup.

    The Confederation Cup is a merger of the CAF cup and the African Cup Winners’ Cup a merger that was birthed in 2004.

    However, CAF introduced a new competition, the African Football League last year and it big clubsides on the continent were involved.

    Reports say that the African Football League, which started with eight teams will now be expanded to include more teams

    It will now be the major club competition on the continent.

    The CAF Champions League will take the place of the CAF Confederation Cup as Africa’s second-tier club competition.

    The winner of the African Football League will now be representing the continent in the FIFA Club World Cup.

  • Paris 2024: CAF accedes to NFF’s request for late kick-off for Falcons, Banyana match

    Paris 2024: CAF accedes to NFF’s request for late kick-off for Falcons, Banyana match

    The Confederation of African Football has acceded to a request by the Nigeria Football Federation to move next month’s Women’s Olympic Football Tournament final qualifying fixture, first leg encounter between Nigeria and South Africa by one hour.

    “Concerned by the hot climatic condition in the country at the moment, we wrote to CAF to move the kick-off from 4pm to 5pm, in the interest of the players, and they have acceded to our request for the match to commence at 5pm, at the MKO Abiola National Stadium,” Ruth David, NFF’s Director of Competitions, told thenff.com.

    The game, which is the opening leg of the fixture that will determine which of the two teams will be one of Africa’s two flagbearers at this year’s Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in France, was initially scheduled to start at 4pm on Friday, 5th April.

    Also, the South African Football Association has now chosen the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria for the return leg on Tuesday, 9th April. The encounter will commence at 7.30pm South Africa time (6.30pm Nigeria time).

  • CAF Champions League quarter-final teams confirmed

    CAF Champions League quarter-final teams confirmed

    Seven strong contenders have joined title holders Ahly in the quarter-finals, as the CAF Champions League entered an exciting, mouth-watering knock-out stage.

    Tunisia’s Esperance Sportive de Tunis laboured hard to secure a quarter-final berth on Saturday to complete the list of the top eight teams that will compete for the trophy.

    The Tunisians, playing at home, managed a 1-0 victory against Al Hilal SC in a highly competitive match.

    Five former champions are among the teams that secured their place in the quarter-finals, as two teams from Tanzania – Simba and Young Africans made it to the last eight.

    Of the eight teams that have officially booked their places, three are yet to taste continental success while Al Ahly, TP Mazembe, Esperance, Asec Mimosas and Mamelodi Sundowns all having previously lifted Africa’s most coveted club football trophy.

    Defending champions and Egyptian giants Al Ahly remain on course for their title defence after a 1-0 home victory over Young Africans on Friday to finish top of Group D with 12 points.

    The Tanzanians clinched second place in the group despite losing the game in Cairo, even though Belouizdad defeated Medeama 3-0 in the group’s other match.

    Sundowns secured Group A’s top spot with 13 points after defeating TP Mazembe 1-0 in Pretoria on Saturday but the visiting side also advanced after finishing second with ten points.

    Ivorian side ASEC Mimosas topped Group B with 11 points in spite of them losing away to former champions Wydad Casablancawho crashed out following Simba’s 6-0 win over Jwaneng Galaxy in the group’s other game on Saturday.

    Simba were equal on nine points with Wydad but advanced thanks to their better record.

    Angola’s Petro de Luanda and Tunisia’s Esperance qualified for the quarter-finals from Group C following their victories on Saturday.

    Petro de Luanda finished top of the group with 12 points after their 2-0 win over Etoile du Sahel, while Esperance’s 1-0 victory over Al Hilal helped them to secure second place with 11 points.

    CAF will in the coming days announce the date for the quarter-finals draw.

    Full list of teams that qualified for CAF Champions League quarter-finals

    • Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
    • TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
    • ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire)
    • Simba (Tanzania)
    • Petro de Luanda (Angola)
    • Esperance (Tunisia)
    • Al Ahly (Egypt)
    • Young Africans (Tanzania).
  • AFCON 2025: CAF holds preliminary draws in Egypt

    AFCON 2025: CAF holds preliminary draws in Egypt

    The 2025 AFCON preliminary round draw was on Monday morning held by the Confederation of African Football, CAF.

    It was held at the headquarters of CAF in Cairo, Egypt earlier today.

     

    The eight lowest-ranked teams in the last FIFA ranking were involved in the preliminary round.

    Here is the preliminary draw:

    First leg:
    Somalia vs Eswatini
    Sao Tome vs South Sudan
    Chad vs Mauritius
    Djibouti vs Liberia

    Second leg:
    Eswatini vs Somalia
    South Sudan vs Sao Tome
    Mauritius vs Chad
    Liberia vs Djibouti

    First round of games will be played on a home and away basis between 20-26 March 2024.

    The four preliminary round winners will join the 44 exempted teams for the group stage.

    However, 24 teams will take part in the AFCON 2025 finals to be hosted by Morocco.

    The 2025 AFCON will hold in July/August 2025 in the North African country.

  • CAF holds AFCON 2025 prelim round draw today

    CAF holds AFCON 2025 prelim round draw today

    The Preliminary draw  for  the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will hold on Tuesday at the Confederations of African Football  (CAF) headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.

    CAF made this known in a statement released on its official website, communications@cafonline.com, by its Communication Department on Monday .

    According to the  governing body, following the conclusion of the 34th edition of the competition, the draw for TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025 Preliminary Round, is set for Tuesday.

    It states that the draw would be conducted at 14h00 local time (12h00 GMT).

    “The preliminary round will include the eight lowest-ranked teams according to the FIFA ranking: Somalia, Djibouti, Sao Tome, Chad, Mauritius, South Sudan, Liberia and Eswatini.

    “The matches will be played on home and away basis during the FIFA Window of March 18 to March 26 .

    “The four preliminary round winners will join the 44 exempted teams for the group stage,” CAF said.

    Morocco will host the  2025 AFCON competition.

    The just concluded 2023 AFCON was held in Côte d’Ivoire, where the host team, the Elephants defeated the Super Eagles of Nigeria 2-1 in the final of the tournament.

  • AFCON 2025: African countries begin race to Morocco with preliminary games

    AFCON 2025: African countries begin race to Morocco with preliminary games

    Following the end of the 2023 AFCON in Cote D’Ivoire the Journey to the next continental championship has begun.

    The Confederation of African Football, CAF has announced a date for the preliminary round draw for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

    The draw, according to CAF, will hold at its headquarters in Cairo, Egypt on Tuesday, February 20.

    The event will start at 2pm local time.

    As usual eight lowest-ranked teams in the last FIFA ranking will be involved in the preliminary round.

    The lowest ranked teams are; Somalia, Djibouti, Sao Tome, Chad, Mauritius, South Sudan, Liberia and Eswatini.

    The games will be played on a home and away basis between 18-26 March 2024.

    The four preliminary round winners will join the 44 exempted teams for the group stage.

    24 teams will take part in the AFCON 2025 finals to be hosted by Morocco.

    CAF is working with UEFA to work out a working timetable for the 2025 AFCON schedule to kick start in Rabat, Morocco in 2025.

    However, speculations are rife that it could be held in summer of 2025 or postponed till June January 2026.

  • AFCON 2023: Why my father named me after ex-Congolese leader- CAF President, Patrice Motsepe

    AFCON 2023: Why my father named me after ex-Congolese leader- CAF President, Patrice Motsepe

    The president of CAF has revealed while his father christened him Patrice Motsepe.

    The South African said that his father named him Patrice after the ex-Congolese leader, Patrice Lumumba because of the love he had for him.

    The 62-year-old made this revelation during an AFCON 2023 media Parley at the Palais de la Culture, Trenchviele, Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire on Saturday February, 9.

    Patrice Lumumba was a Congolese politician and independence leader who served as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as the Republic of the Congo) from June until September 1960, following the May 1960 election.

    He was the leader of the Congolese National Movement (MNC) from 1958 until his execution in January 1961. Ideologically an African nationalist and pan-Africanist, he played a significant role in the transformation of the Congo from a colony of Belgium into an independent republic.

    Furthermore, Motsepe noted that he loves DR Congo and their football team.