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Tag: Semi-final clash

  • Euro 2024: France to slug it out with Spain for a place in the final today

    Euro 2024: France to slug it out with Spain for a place in the final today

    Spain versus France, two football heavyweights will clash tonight in a  mouth-watering semifinal clash between both the current and pre-tournament favourites.

    The talismanic Kylian Mbappe will lead the line for the French, while promising young winger Lamine Yamal is also catching the eye. However, France’s form has faltered, despite expectations that they would dominate the competition.

    Despite reaching the final of the last two World Cups—winning in Russia in 2018 and narrowly losing on penalties to Argentina in Qatar in 2022—France’s Euros record under coach Didier Deschamps is less impressive. In his 12 years, their best result was a runner-up spot in 2016 on home soil.

     

    In the quarterfinals, France edged past Portugal on penalties, with Mbappe being substituted after spending more time adjusting his mask than threatening the opposition goal.

     

    Mbappe’s form, after sustaining a broken nose in France’s opener, and the form of forward Antoine Griezmann remain significant question marks ahead of the clash with Spain, who knocked out hosts Germany with a goal in extra time.

    “I don’t give a damn [about the critics],” midfielder Youssouf Fofana told a press conference on Sunday. “We are semifinalists. Questions about the level of Antoine and Kylian? We have to realize that being in the semifinals is enough. So I don’t see why we would nitpick.”

    The second semi – final will see England do battle with Netherlands on Wednesday

  • Egypt 2023: Libyan referee, Ahmed to officiate Nigeria versus Gambia semi-final clash

    Egypt 2023: Libyan referee, Ahmed to officiate Nigeria versus Gambia semi-final clash

    The Confederation of African Football has appointed Libyan official Abdulrazg Ahmed as referee for Monday evening’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations clash between Nigeria and The Gambia at the Cairo International Stadium.

    Hamza Bouzit, who is from Algeria will be the assistant referee 1, while Nigerien official Abdoul Moctar Saley and Jalal Jayed from Morocco will serve as assistant referee 2 and fourth official respectively.

    Boutane Said from Comoros will be in the role of match commissioner and Imade El Fahouss from Morocco will be general coordinator.

    Ahmed was fourth official when the Flying Eagles defeated Uganda in Thursday’s quarter-final at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium, and Jayed was also involved when the seven-time champions knocked Mozambique 2-0 at the same venue on Saturday, 25th February.

    The Gambia dismantled South Sudan 5-0 at the Harass El Hedood Stadium in Alexandria to pick one of Africa’s tickets to the FIFA U20 World Cup finals in Indonesia, and is one of only two teams to have won all their matches at the 17th Africa U20 Cup of Nations ongoing in Egypt.

    Yet, Nigeria’s Coach Ladan Bosso is not fazed by the credentials of the opposition and would rather focus on the strength of his own team and its capacity to upturn the apple cart at the familiar Cairo International Stadium.

    “Previous results will not determine what happens in our semi-final match against The Gambia. They have been in great form and my boys have also recovered well and are in their elements. It will be a great match but I believe in my team and we are confident of playing in the Final on Saturday.”

    In their four matches so far at the tournament, the Flying Eagles have won three matches and lost one, and have scored four goals and conceded one. On their part, the Young Scorpions have scored a total of nine goals, conceding none.

    The Scorpions have played all their matches at the Harass El Hedood Stadium in Alexandria, while the Flying Eagles have felt the turfs of both the Cairo International Stadium and the Suez Canal Authority Stadium.

    ROAD TO THE SEMI-FINAL

     

    Group A

    Senegal I Nigeria 0

    Nigeria 1 Egypt 0

    Mozambique 0 Nigeria 2

    Quarter Final

    Uganda 0 Nigeria 1

    Group C

    The Gambia I Tunisia 0

    Zambia 0 The Gambia 2

    The Gambia 1 Benin Republic 0

    Quarter Final

    The Gambia 5 South Sudan 0

  • South Africa vs Zambia: Ethiopian Referee deletes social media account, blames VAR for poor call

    South Africa vs Zambia: Ethiopian Referee deletes social media account, blames VAR for poor call

    Ethiopian referee Lydia Tafessa Abebe who was in charge of  first WAFCON semifinal match between Zambia and South Africa has deactivated all her social media accounts.

    The Ethiopian has been showered with unpalatable messages by Zambians who feel her decision to award South Africa a penalty in the last minute was unfair and bias.

    However , Ethiopian journalist Hassan Mahi has told African football greats that the referee has deactivated her social media  accounts and agreed that the decision is questionable but blamed the video assistant referees for calling her to review the incident as they made her feel compelled to give South Africa a penalty.

    Recall that South Africa progressed to the Final of the 2022 WAFCON after beating Zambia 1-0 through a questionable penalty.
  • Morocco defeat nine-woman Super Falcons on penalties in Rabat

    Morocco defeat nine-woman Super Falcons on penalties in Rabat

    Nigeria withstood several adversities before narrowly losing to host nation Morocco after a penalty shoot-out, in a supercharged 12th Women Africa Cup of Nations semi-final match in Rabat on Monday.

    A total of 45,562 spectators turned the Complexe Prince Moulay Abdellah into a boiling cauldron, and only their experience, guts, grit, and determination kept the nine-time African champions firmly in the game as their every move was booed while the Lionesses were roared on the moment they had the ball.

    The Lionesses, who last played at the Women AFCON 22 years ago, before the current finals that they are hosting, started like a house on fire and pegged the Falcons to the rear in the early minutes. But gangling Ifeoma Onumonu should have given Nigeria the lead in the 13th minute when she was brilliantly set up by Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene.

    Three minutes later, Okobi again showed good anticipation to truncate the Moroccan surge and set up Onumonu, but the forward again failed to make hay.

    In the 34th minute, Okobi deftly intercepted again at the edge of the box, but her effort screamed away from the goal.

    Admittedly, the Lionesses were comfortable on the ball with excellent control and crisp passes, with captain Ghizlane Chebbak, Sanaa Mssoudy, and the precocious Fatima Tagnaout threatening the Nigeria goal now and again as they weaved swiftly about the pitch.

    Three minutes into the second half, Mauritian referee Maria Rivet stopped play for a VAR check, only to return and hand a red card to midfielder Halimat Ayinde. The decision shocked the Super Falcons, who had been challenged by lasers focused on their eyes by spectators, but they refused to cave into onslaught after an onslaught by Mssoudy, Tagnaout, Yasmin Mrabet, and Rosella Ayane.

    In the 52nd minute, captain Onome Ebi saved on the line with goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie stranded, and it was the turn of Ashleigh Plumptre to do the same two minutes later as Ebi crashed into Nnadozie in yet another invasion by the Lionesses.

    In the 55th minute, Rasheedat Ajibade’s pull-out was plucked by goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi, but seven minutes later, Nigeria were ahead after Ajibade twisted, turned, and crossed for Ifeaoma Onumonu to powerfully head against the upright. The melee saw Yasmin Mrabet flick the ball into her net.

    Morocco were level only four minutes after when Nnadozie failed to deal with a cross by the ubiquitous Tagnaout and Mssoudy gratefully slammed into the net.

    In the 71st minute, Rivet again stopped play for a VAR check, and this time handed Rasheedat Ajibade a red card, reducing the Falcons to nine women.

    Nnadozie made a dozen saves towards the end and in the ensuing extra time, with the Lionesses all over the place, but Nigeria could have won it when Gift Monday beat the hosts’ defense on the counter and crashed a well-measured shot against the crossbar, only for the ball to roll out.

    In the penalty shootout, forward Ifeoma Onumonu missed for Nigeria as Rita Chikwelu, Regina Otu, Ashleigh Plumptre, and Gift Monday scored. Morocco scored all their kicks, through Yasmin Mrabet, Ghizlane Chebbak, Zineb Redouane, Nesryne El Chad, and Rosella Ayane.

    Morocco will take on South Africa (1-0 winners over Zambia in the first semi-final) in Saturday’s final in Rabat, while the Super Falcons tango with the Copper Queens of Zambia for the bronze medals in Casablanca on Friday.

  • WAFCON: Host Morocco will be difficult to defeat – Waldrum

    WAFCON: Host Morocco will be difficult to defeat – Waldrum

    Super Falcons coach, Randy Waldrum has revealed that Morocco will be a hard nut to crack ahead of tonight’s WAFCON semi-final clash.

    Nigeria defeated the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon by a slim margin of 1-0 to grab a Worldcup ticket and proceed to the semi-final of the tournament.

    For the hosts, they beat Botswana 2-1 to reach the last four – their best performance ever since making their debut in 1998.

    Nigeria may be the favorites to reach the final, but Waldrum feels the Cameroon senior female national team also have a chance when both countries face off at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

    “I said as soon as I arrived in Morocco that they are the team that can surprise. I know how this team has developed for three years now.

    “They are one of the best teams in the competition and are capable of beating any other team.

    “We have respect for Morocco and the way they have played in this tournament. It’s a big challenge for us.

    “Certainly, we have a lot of experience and a lot see us as favorites, but in football everything is possible and we have to be ready for this game.”

  • WAFU B U17: Eaglets go for broke against Junior Elephants in semi final clash

     

     Head Coach Nduka Ugbade has assured that Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets will go all out against their Ivorian counterparts in Tuesday’s first semi final match of the ongoing WAFU B U17 Championship in Cape Coast, Ghana.

     Both teams take to the pitch of the 15,000 –capacity facility at 3pm Ghana time (4pm Nigeria time) before the second semi final between hosts Ghana and Burkina Faso at the same venue.

     “The match against Cote d’Ivoire is of high importance to us. In fact, I have reminded the players that this one is the biggest match of their lives. They must win to secure a ticket to the U17 Africa Cup of Nations, and from there to the U17 World Cup, and from there to several opportunities and possibilities.

     “Whatever we have done here (beating Ghana and Togo) will not mean much if we don’t go all out and grab our ticket to the AFCON and to the Final. We will throw everything into the fray.”

     The Eaglets, five-time world champions, decimated Ghana’s Black Starlets 4-2 in the tournament opener and then eased past Togo’s Young Sparrowhawks 3-1 to finish as Group A winners. The Ivorians finished as runners-up of Group B, dominated by Burkina Faso’s Young Etalons.

     Victory in Tuesday’s encounter will send the Eaglets into the Final and with an opportunity to reclaim the WAFU B U17 title they won in Niamey, Niger Republic four years ago. It also provides the Nigerian youngsters a revenge platform against the Ivorians, who defeated them in the Final of the same competition in Lome early last year. Both Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire qualified for the Africa U17 Cup of Nations from that tournament but the event was cancelled as hosts Morocco developed cold feet with the covid-19 pandemic still biting in some countries.

     Meanwhile, President of the Ghana Football Association, Simeon Kurt-Okraku on Sunday visited the camp of the Golden Eaglets in his capacity as President of WAFU B region. He reminded the lads that Nigeria belongs to the top echelon of football –playing nations on the African continent, and has produced so many world –class players. He charged the boys to always adhere to the instructions of their coaches in order to grow, advance and excel in the beautiful game.  

     

  • 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.

  • UCL: Tevez predicts outcome of Man City, Real madrid clash

    UCL: Tevez predicts outcome of Man City, Real madrid clash

    Former Manchester City striker, Argentine Carlos Tevez has predicted the outcome of the UEFA Champions League semi-final clash between Spanish giant Real Madrid and English premier League champions Manchester City.

    Tevez predicted a ‘50/50’ tie adding that the match will be evenly matched adding that it could go either way.

    The first semi-final clash will hold at the Etihad, City’s home ground on Tuesday night.

    Tevez believes Man City can now compete as “equals” against Real Madrid and when it comes to facing the best that Europe has to offer.

    Man City booked a semi-final ticket after defeating another Spanish clubside Atletico M,adrid in one of the quarter-final encounters whilst Real Madrid defeated the defending champions Chelsea to also book a passage to the semi-finals.

    “Nowadays, it’s completely different. Today Real Madrid are the one that have to be concerned about facing [Manchester] City,” Tevez told Man City’s official website.

    “With the players we have now and the Infrastructure City have been building during the years we can fight as equals against any team in Europe.”

    He added: “It’s a 50/50 tie [Man City vs Real Madrid].

    “I am very happy to see City in this position, fighting against the greatest teams in Europe.

    “It hasn’t been possible to win the Champions League yet, but I think the most important thing is that after ten years City are playing as equals against teams like Real Madrid and as it did in the last tie against Atlético.

    “It’s very gratifying to see what City have become in these 10 years. It’s something impressive. We have gone from fighting in the middle of the league table to doing on an equal footing with the biggest [in Europe].

    “It’s an achievement that we all must feel proud of.”

    Carlos Alberto Tevez is an Argentine professional footballer who last played for Boca Juniors. A quick, tenacious, powerful, hard-working and dynamic forward in his prime, Tevez is capable of playing as a striker, as a winger, as a supporting forward, or as an attacking midfielderArgentine