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Tag: Cote D’Ivoire

  • Côte d’Ivoire to start AFCON 2023 without star player

    Côte d’Ivoire to start AFCON 2023 without star player

    Côte d’Ivoire coach, Jean-Louis Gasset, has confirmed that one of his star players, Sebastian Haller will not play the opening game of 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) against Guinea Bissau.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Les Éléphants (The Elephants) are in the same Group A with the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

    Haller, who plies his trade with Borussia Dortmund of Germany, will not play the opening game of AFCON 2023 for the host nation as a result of injury.

    Gasset made the disclosure at the team’s press conference on Friday in Abidjan.

    Gasset, who also confirmed that one other player was also struggling with a muscle injury, assured the supporters that there was no cause for alarm.

    He was, however, reluctant to rule out Haller against Nigeria when asked, but explained that the team had five days to prepare for the Super Eagles.

    He said there were no longer small teams in Africa again, adding that his players were aware of the objectives of coming into the competition.

    “We want to start very well, we respect other teams. We need to be fit and dominate the game.

    “Guinea Bissau has some technically gifted players that we must prepare for, don’t forget they beat Nigeria in the qualifiers,” Gasset said.

    The coach also confirmed that former Arsenal player, Nicolas Pepe, was also getting in shape ahead of the 2023 AFCON but not fully fit to play many minutes yet.

    “Pepe is coming back slowly, he had a knee injury, which is done with. He’s not ready for 90 minutes but we will integrate him gradually,” he said.

    One of the players who attended the pre-opening AFCON 2023 press conference, Frank Kessie, urged the supporters to come out in their large numbers on Saturday to support the team to do well at the tournament.

    Kessie explained that he was aware of the pressure on him as one of the senior players in the team, adding that he was ready to handle it with maturity.

    The Al-Ahli Saudi FC midfielder said Nigeria’s Super Eagles have a huge strike force but every other team in the group has to be taken seriously too.

  • AFCON 2024: African stars who will be missing in action

    AFCON 2024: African stars who will be missing in action

    With just few days to the start of the 2024 AFCON tournament in Cote D’Ivoire, few African  stars and playmakers  will not be on parade for their various national teams due to injuries and some other factors.

    Here is a list of the African stars who will miss out.

    Victor Boniface Nigeria

    Few weeks after emerging on the scene as one of the finest strikers on the surface of the earth, Nigeria and Bayer Leverkusen attacker, Victor Boniface who initially made the Super Eagles 25-man list to the tournament has been ruled out due to injury.

    The attacker got injured while in training for the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the Abu Dhabi camp in the United State Emirate.

    The attacker will be back on his feet in February 2024.

    Thomas Partey Ghana

    Very good defensive midfielders, Thomas Partey known for his skills, dribbles  and defensive abilities will also not partake in the 2024 AFCON holding in Cote D’Ivoire.

    Partey has been out injured for a couple of weeks and it has forced him to sit out in many games for his club Arsenal football club.

    Ghana will miss his services at the AFCON 2024.

    Taiwo Awoniyi

    On -song Nigerian star, Taiwo Awoniyi is one of the top stars that will be missing at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast in January.

    Few weeks to the start of the competition the Nottingham of England forward picked up a groin injury that would rule him out for several weeks.

    Forest manager, Steve Cooper, announced in November that the striker, who had hoped to feature at the AFCON for the second time, would be out of action for some months after undergoing surgery to correct a groin injury he picked up during an international game between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia in Portugal.

    The Nigerian is expected to be back on his feet after AFCON would have been concluded in January.

    Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon)

    Cameroon and Brentford in-form striker Bryan Mbeumo is another very fine attacker that his services will be greatly missed at AFCON.

    The striker got injured in Brentford’s 2-1 defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion on December 6.

    Before his injury, the striker had 11 goal contributions (seven goals and assists)in 15 matches and his absence will come as a big blow to Cameroon head coach Rigobert Song.

    Mbeumo is expected to return in March, 2024.

     

    Cheick Doucoure (Mali)

    Mali international Cheick Doucoure who is known for his defensive abilities, shooting attributes, and energy on the field of play will also miss AFCON 2024.

    Doucouré’s injury in November shook the Mali national team after the defensive midfielder left Kenilworth Road on crutches after being taken off on a stretcher in the 54th minute of Crystal Palace’s 2-1 defeat to Luton.

    Palace’s manager, Roy Hodgson, admitted after the game that the 23-year-old “is not going to be out for a short period of time” before it was confirmed two days later that he could be out for up to six months, a period which automatically ruled him out of the AFCON and probably the rest of the entire 2023/24 season.

    Tariq Lamptey

    The Black Stars of Ghana will also miss the services of quality attacker, Tariq Lamptey.

    Lamptey will play no part in the Black Stars’ quest to win the AFCON tournament for the first time in over 40 years.

    Lamptey limped off in the first half of the Brighton and Albion’s 3-2 win away against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League in November.

    The attacker has been ruled out for many months.

    Wilfred Ndidi Nigeria

    Nigeria and Leicester of England defensive midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi had initially made the final 25-mn squad for the Super Eagles of Nigeria before being replaced by Alhassan a belgium based player.

    Ndidi picked up an injury while playing for his championship clubside in England and has now being ruled out for several weeks.

    Ndidi’s expertise and great footballing skills plus his defensive abilities will be missed by the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

    Wilfred Zaha, Cote D’ Ivoire

    Former Crystal palace attacker, Wilfred Zaha is another top notch player that will not be part of AFCON 2024.

    Reports say that Zaha has been dropped due to his transfer out of the English Premier League.

    Didier Drogba one of the greatest player to ever played for Cote D’Ivoire has questioned the exclusion of the player in the 27-man list released by coach of Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire.

    Zaha featured for the Elephant of Cote D’Ivoire at the last AFCON and was a delight to watch.

  • AFCON 2023: Super Eagles to earn $35,000 each if they win trophy

    AFCON 2023: Super Eagles to earn $35,000 each if they win trophy

    Every  member of the Super Eagles to the African Nations Cup in Cote D’Ivoire will pocket $35,000 should they emerge victorious at the tournament.

    According to SCORENigeria, a win in every Super Eagles match will attract a total sum of $5,000 at the competition.

    A draw will fetch each player $2,500.

    This payment does not include the percentage of the upgraded $7 million prize money for the AFCON champions the players will negotiate with the NFF.

    Super Eagles are already three times winner and the team is looking forward to winning their fourth title.

    They are drawn in Group A with hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.

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

  • AFCON 2024: Drogba warns Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire to be wary of Super Eagles

    AFCON 2024: Drogba warns Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire to be wary of Super Eagles

    Cote d’Ivoire legend Didier Drogba has warned the Elephants to be wary of the Super Eagles of Nigeria when the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations kickstart in January.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Super Eagles  will face the Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire in a second group A encounter at the Alhassane Quattara Stadium, Ebimpe, Abidjan, on January 18.

    Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau are the other teams in the group.

  • 24 countries seal qualification for 2023 AFCON

    24 countries seal qualification for 2023 AFCON

    All 24 countries that will trade tackles at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote D’Ivoire have sealed qualification for the tournament.

    Five-time AFCON champions Cameroon on Tuesday spanked Burundi 3-O to complete the star studded list of qualified teams.

    A breakdown of the qualified countries shows that 12 former AFCON champions, including three-time champions Nigeria will be on parade come January, 2024.

    Hosts, Cote d’Ivoire will be leading a strong West African contingent of 11 countries, including holders Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, Burkina Faso among others.

    Tanzania representing East Africa returns for a second finals after a brave showing in the qualifiers.

    The North Africans are represented by seven-time champions Egypt, World Cup semi-finalists Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria.

    Egypt will be looking for an eighth unprecedented title, having reached two of the last three finals in 2017 and at the 2021 edition.

    There will be no debutants in this edition, as the continent’s football power houses managed to maintain and seal qualification.

    The 2023 AFCON will take place from January 13 to February 11, 2024, after it was postponed from it’s original June, 2023 date.

    Full list of 24 qualified countries are Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire (Hosts) and DR Congo.

    Others are Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco and Mozambique,

    Others are Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal (Title Holders), South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia and  Zambia.

    NAN

  • Nigerian singer Yemi Alade salutes Cote d’Ivoire thieves after she was robbed

    Nigerian singer Yemi Alade salutes Cote d’Ivoire thieves after she was robbed

    Nigerian Afropop singer, Yemi Alade, has saluted thieves in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire after she was robbed in the country where she went to perform.

    Narrating her ordeal, the singer via Instagram on Monday lamented how thieves got into her hotel room ransacked her belongings, and stole all the money they could find.

    She wrote: “A few minutes after I left my room, some unknown people decided to go through my things and steal: all the money they could find, very good.”

    Alade had attended and performed at the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend days back.

    She recently traveled to Côte d’Ivoire for the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND), a 3-day gathering of creatives from Africa and the Diaspora.

    The event hosted by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the African Union, and the Government of Côte d’Ivoire serve as a prelude to the next Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) Summit at IATF2023.

    But responding to well-wishers’ concerns, Alade noted “they are investigating, looking through cameras and all but she knows the money is all gone by now.

    “The suspects are all denying,” she retorted while shaking her head.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that Alade is also a songwriter, actress, and activist.

    She won the Peak Talent Show in 2009 after which she signed to Effyzzie Music Group, and had a hit with her single “Johnny” in 2014.

    Since then Alade gained prominence in the music industry and is considered one of the biggest artists in Africa. Following the releases of her albums King of Queens and Mama Africa with the huge commercial success recorded for both albums, she embarked on world tours consecutively.

    Alade released her debut album King of Queens on 2 October 2014, and the album produced her most successful single Johnny and other singles like “Kissing”, “Tangerine” and “Taking Over Me” featuring Phyno.

    The album was nominated for Album of the year at the 2015 Nigerian Entertainment Awards and the 2015 Headies Awards. On 25 March 2016, Alade released her second album titled Mama Africa which produced singles like “Na Gode”, “TumBum” and “Ferrari”. Mama Africa won the World beat Album on the 2016 Independent Music Awards.

    In 2016, she debuted on Billboard as No 4 on “Next Big Sound” Chart.

    She won the MTV African Music Awards for Best female in 2015 and 2016 consecutively and was nominated for Artiste of the Year in 2015, making her the first female to win the MAMAs for Best female consecutively twice and nominated for Artiste of the Year.

    In 2015, Alade was the first African female to be nominated for the MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) and She was nominated for the BET awards for Best International Act: Africa in 2015 and 2016.

    Alade is also applauded for her creative and overwhelming stage performances, fashion and music videos, She has won The Headies Award for Best Performer twice, in 2018 and 2019. The slot was initiated at The Headies 2018 and she was the first artiste to win the category.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that she is also the second Nigerian and Afrobeats artist and the first female to hit 100 million views for a single video on YouTube after Davido. She also has the record for the most viewed female African music video and the first Nigerian female artist to hit 1million views on YouTube in 24 hours.

    Alade sings in English, Igbo, Pidgin, Yoruba, French, Swahili and Portuguese. Her music has been of influence in many African countries and the world as she is acclaimed “Mama Africa” for her versatility in using different African languages and attires in her songs and music videos.

    The Afropop singer’s father was a police commissioner of Yoruba descent, while her mother is of Igbo descent.

    On 9 June 2020, Alade was mentioned to be among the forefront artists/musicians from across the world to perform at The Global Goal: Unite for our future sponsored by the Global Citizen aimed to highlight the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the most remote places in Africa and across the world.

    On 27 June 2020, Alade performed in the Global Goal: Unite for Our future alongside Miley Cyrus, Shakira, J Balvin, Jennifer Hudson, Coldplay, Usher, Justin Bieber, Quavo, Christine and the Queens and Chloe X Halle.

    In 2022, The Scoove Africa ranked Yemi Alade The Best Stage Performer in Nigeria to date.

  • WAFU B: Golden Eaglet face Côte d’Ivoire in Semi-final on Tuesday

    Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets will slug it out with the Baby Elephants of Côte d’Ivoire in the semi-final of the WAFU B U-17 Championship on Tuesday to fight for a place for the the U-17 AFCON slated for Algeria in January 2023.

    The Ivorians sealed a place in the last four despite going down to a 4-2 defeat against Burkina Faso in their last group game.

    They finished second in the group after Niger defeated  Republic du Benin  by  3-1  in the other Group B game.

    The Golden Eaglets, who are unbeaten in the group finished top of Group A with six points following victories against hosts Ghana and Togo.

    In the other semi-final  Burkina Faso will clash with  Ghana for a place in the final holding next weekend.

    The two finalists will feature at the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations in Algeria next year.

  • WAFU B Championship:Flying Eagles to Play Benin Republic in final

    WAFU B Championship:Flying Eagles to Play Benin Republic in final

     

    Nigeria will square up against neighbours Benin Republic in Saturday’s final at the ongoing WAFU B championship going on in Niger Republic.

    The high flying Nigeria U-20 boys defeated Ghana in their first group game by 2-0 before playing an enthrailing 2-2 draw with Burkina-Faso to book a place in the semi-final of the competition.

     

    Nigeria’s U20 boys, Flying Eagles, on Tuesday night overpowered fit-fighting Cote d’Ivoire in an explosive semi final match to reach the final of the ongoing WAFU B U20 Championship in Niamey.

    The ticket to Saturday’s final also came with a ticket to next year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations taking place in Egypt.

    Ubiquitous midfielder Daniel Daga put Nigeria in front after only five minutes when he cleverly escaped the attention of the Ivorian defenders to nod in from a well-weighted pull out. The seven-time African champions then launched onslaught after onslaught on the Ivorian goal but failed to add to the tally, before the Ivorians equalized just before half time from an intelligently-taken free kick at the edge of Nigeria’s eighteen-yard box.

    Neither team could find another goal to gain upper hand before the end of regulation time inside the Stade General Seyni Kountché, and the game went into extra time.

    Forward Ibrahim Yahaya got the winner for Nigeria in the 111th minute of play when he tucked in from the penalty spot to make it 2-1.

     

  • We’ll continue to support Cote D’Ivoire Day celebration in Nigeria – envoy

    We’ll continue to support Cote D’Ivoire Day celebration in Nigeria – envoy

    Kalilou Traoré, the ambassador of Cote D’ ivoire to Nigeria, in Abuja, said he would continue to support the celebration of ‘Cote D’ivoire Cultural Day in Nigeria.

    The ambassador said the event is an occasion to franchising with Ivorian community and Nigerian Attiéké to celebrate cultural patrimony of Côte D’ivoire Day.

    According to the ambassador, this is an avenue to foster better relations through the indigenous food called ‘attieke’.

    “This is a very good day to franchise with organisers of the event and owner of Attiéké Republic; this is an occasion to celebrate cultural patrimony of Côte D’ivoire to Nigeria.

    ” This is also an occasion to show fraternity, to show many exhibitions in makers and sellers arts, sculptures, designers, Ivorian wrapper, gastronomy (especially Attiéké food),” he said.

    He commended the organiser of the event for “this wonderful initiative”, adding that they will continue to promote Ivorian culture in Nigeria.

    “This event is organised to promote Cote D’Ivoire Cultural Day. I want to thank the organiser of ‘Attiéké Republic’ for the wonderful initiative.

    “We will continue to encourage him to elevate the culture of Cote D’Ivoire; I will continue to support him as the ambassador.

    “We also make sure this event is well known in every part of Nigeria, to all ECOWAS people, diplomacy people; this is to strengthen our relationship with Nigerians,” he said.

    Thenewsguru.com reports that the second edition of the event also tagged ‘Cote D’Ivoire Cultural Day”, is organised by the Attiéké Republic restaurant in conjunction with the embassy and ECOWAS.

    The theme of the event is ‘Our culture, our identity.

    The event featured different Ivorian delicacies such as attiéké with roasted or smoked or fried fish, attiéké with chicken Banga soup, groundnut soup, white rice, millet pap, among others.

    The organiser of the second edition of the event, Meudié Seudo, told newsmen that it was to showcase snd promote Ivorian culture through food delicacies and fashion designs.

    He said the edition was more interesting than the first, saying he was happy that the ambassador attended in person to be part of the event.

    “The ambassador could not come in the first edition and he was well represented but in this edition, he came in person, this made my day for seeing him here.

    He said the event was designed to hold every three months, to have a good relationship with Nigerians.

    Stephanie Seudo, the wife of the organiser, said she was happy to see the crowd celebrating the event.

    “I especially thank the media for making our day and publicising the event, we have greater events ahead of us,” she said.

    Newsmen reports that the event was attended by some people from the ECOWAS secretariat, American embassy, European Union and the Ivorian community.

    The event is to showcase the musical, social, cultural art, and other ways of unifying communities of different cultures in Nigeria.

    Attiéké is a native food of Cote D’Ivoire, which had also spread to different countries like Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Gambia and Nigeria.

    it has been used to foster community relations and cultural exchanges.

  • AWCON: CAF appoints referees for Côte d’Ivoire/Nigeria battle in Abidjan

    AWCON: CAF appoints referees for Côte d’Ivoire/Nigeria battle in Abidjan

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has selected Nigerien official Zouwaira Souley as the centre referee for Wednesday’s match between Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria in Abidjan.

    The match is the second leg tie of a 2022 Women Africa Cup of Nations (AWCON) final qualifying round fixture.

    Souley will work with compatriot Hawa Moussa (assistant referee 1), Lamouni Latiifah Pare from Burkina Faso (assistant referee 2) and another Nigerien, Nafissa Sani (fourth official).

    Ademola Olajire, Director of Communications at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), said in a statement on Monday that Ayawa Mawoufemo Dzodope from Togo will serve as the game’s match commissioner.

    Another Togolese, Latré-Kayi Lawson-Hogban, is the match’s referee assessor.

    The Nigerian team, the Super Falcons, are nine-time winners of AWCON and won the first leg match at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja 2-0 on Friday.

    Both goals were scored by U.S-based forward Ifeoma Onumonu.

    Meanwhile, Nigeria’s contingent to the return leg arrived in Abidjan on Sunday evening, and trained at the Palais des Sports in the Treichville area of the city.

    The 23-woman Super Falcons squad includes team captain Onome Ebi, Onumomu, defender Ashleigh Plumptre and goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie.

    Others are midfielders Rasheedat Ajibade, Toni Payne and Rita Chikwelu, and forwards Esther Okoronkwo and Gift Monday.

    Wednesday’s encounter will take place at the Stade Robert Champroux, also in Abidjan, and will begin at 4 p.m Cote d’Ivoire time.

    The winners on aggregate will join hosts Morocco and Uganda who have already qualified for the 12-team finals holding in Morocco from July 2 to July 23.

    Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Burundi and Tunisia who scooped huge first-leg wins, as well as Botswana who won away from home, look good for spots in Morocco.

    Also, to some extent, Nigeria and South Africa who had decent home wins.

    Burundi will on Monday visit Djibouti, while Namibia and Zambia, whose first leg game ended scoreless in Luanda, will face off at the Dobsonville Stadium in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

    The rest eight matches will hold on Wednesday.