Africa

AFCON 2025: 19 countries secure tickets for Morocco

16, November 2024

AFCON 2025: 19 countries secure tickets for Morocco 0

With only a few matches left in the qualifiers, 19 teams have secured their places at the highly anticipated TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025, set to be held in Morocco.

Friday’s results on Matchday 5 saw three more nations — securing their places in Africa’s flagship football competition with Zambia, Mali, Zimbabwe and Comoros sealing their slots.

Nigeria, Tunisia, South Africa, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon — clinched their spots, on Thursday joining a growing list of African football powerhouses ready for the tournament.

The confirmed teams represent a blend of regular AFCON contenders and rising forces in African football.

Host nation Morocco automatically qualified, alongside notable teams like Senegal and Algeria, who secured early qualification through consistent performances.

Egypt and title holders Cote d’Ivoire also bring strong legacies to the competition, with both countries boasting numerous AFCON titles.

Several teams have made a comeback to the continental stage.

DR Congo, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea will look to make an impact, while Uganda and Gabon are back with ambitions to advance deep into the tournament.

For South Africa, qualification marks a return to Africa’s biggest football stage after their impressive at the previous competition held in Cote d’Ivoire.

The qualification phase isn’t over yet. Matchday 5 matches continue into Saturday, with Matchday 6 next week set to confirm the remaining teams, rounding off the 24-nation lineup for Morocco 2025.

Anticipation is building as the final slots are contested, with top African teams and emerging challengers vying to be part of the action.

The 19 countries qualified for TotalEnergies CAF AFCON 2025

Morocco,Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Algeria, DR Congo, Senegal, Egypt, Angola

Equatorial Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Uganda, South Africa, Gabon, Tunisia, Nigeria, Zambia, Mali, Zimbabwe, Comoros

Source: CAF

Africa Cup of Nations: Cameroon, Algeria qualify, Nigeria refuses to play in Libya

14, October 2024

Africa Cup of Nations: Cameroon, Algeria qualify, Nigeria refuses to play in Libya 0

Nigeria’s refusal to play an Africa Cup of Nations fixture in Libya after alleged “inhumane treatment” of their squad, overshadowed Algeria and Cameroon qualifying on Monday for the 2025 finals.

“This is getting scary,” said forward Victor Boniface on social media after the Nigerian squad were stranded at an airport 225 kilometres (140 miles) by road from Benghazi, the match venue.

“We have been stuck at the airport for almost 13 hours with no food, Wi-Fi or place to sleep. Africa, we can do better,” he added on X (formerly twitter).

Former African Footballer of the Year Victor Ikpeba, who accompanied Nigeria to north Africa, told AFP: “If CAF know their job, Libya ought to be banned from international football.”

Nigeria beat Libya 1-0 in Uyo last Friday in Group D and the teams were set to meet again in the fourth round in Benghazi on Tuesday.

Furious at the way they were allegedly treated, the Nigerian delegation returned home on Monday, a CAF official confirmed to AFP.

A Libyan Football Federation statement said: “We reject any claims that suggest foul play or sabotage in this situation.

“There are no grounds to accuse the… Libyan Football Federation of deliberately orchestrating the incident. Such actions are inconsistent with our values and principles.

“It is important to highlight that just last week our own national team faced significant challenges upon arrival in Nigeria.”

CAF reacted to the incident by saying in a statement that they had been in contact with Libyan and Nigerian authorities.

“The matter has been referred to the CAF disciplinary board for investigation and appropriate action will be taken against those who violated CAF statutes and regulations,” it said.

Free-kick sinks Kenya

Ahead of the Group D fixtures on Tuesday — Rwanda host Benin in the other — Nigeria and Benin were well placed to fill the top two places and qualify for the finals.

Three-time AFCON champions Nigeria have seven points, Benin six, Rwanda two and Libya one, halfway through the six-round qualifying competition.

In Group J, Cameroon substitute Boris Enow beat Kenya goalkeeper Bryne Omondi off a free-kick outside the area to give the five-time AFCON title-holders a 1-0 win and qualification.

Kenya, beaten 4-1 in Yaoundé last Friday, were forced to move the home fixture to Uganda as stadiums in Nairobi are being renovated for the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

Second-placed Zimbabwe beat Namibia 3-1 to move four points ahead of Kenya in the fight for the other qualifying place. The rivals meet next month in the penultimate round.

Borussia Dortmund defender Ramy Bensebaini converted an 18th-minute penalty to earn two-time AFCON champions Algeria a 1-0 Group E win over Togo in Lome.

Algeria have a maximum 12 points from four outings and second-placed Equatorial Guinea are likely to join them at the 2025 tournament, which Morocco will host.

Substitute Dorian Hanza scored in added time to give Equatorial Guinea a 2-1 win against Liberia in Paynesville, and a five-point advantage over Togo.

Captain Elias ‘Domingues’ Pelembe, who turns 41 in November, opened the scoring for Mozambique in a 3-0 Group I victory over Eswatini. It moved the Mambas (snakes) above Mali to first place.

However, Mali will qualify if they win in Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday. The fixture is one of 16 scheduled.

Source: AFP

Ugandan Deputy Speaker meets Andre Onana

13, October 2024

Ugandan Deputy Speaker meets Andre Onana 0

Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, and his son had a memorable encounter with Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana during the player’s visit to Uganda ahead of Cameroon’s AFCON 2025 qualifier match against Kenya.

Tayebwa, an ardent Manchester United fan, expressed his excitement at seeing an African footballer succeed at one of the world’s biggest clubs.

“We are thrilled to see an African, particularly from our continent, playing at such a prestigious level with Manchester United. Onana has settled in well, and we continue to pray for his success,” Tayebwa said.

In a light-hearted moment, Tayebwa joked about researching whether Onana has any Ugandan roots, noting the shared heritage between Uganda’s Bakiga people and Cameroon.

He also revealed that Onana had invited him and his son to watch a live match at Old Trafford, Manchester United’s home ground, a gesture Tayebwa welcomed with enthusiasm.

Onana is in Uganda as part of the Cameroon national team’s preparations for their AFCON qualifier at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.

Source: Nilepost

AFCON 2025 Qualifiers: Indomitable Lions, Super Eagles win after chaotic build-ups

8, September 2024

AFCON 2025 Qualifiers: Indomitable Lions, Super Eagles win after chaotic build-ups 0

Former champion Nigeria and Cameroon put chaotic build-ups behind them on Saturday to make winning starts in 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.

Ademola Lookman, the lone African nominee for the 2024 Ballon d’Or men’s award, scored twice and reigning African Footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen once as Nigeria beat Benin 3-0 in Uyo.

Veteran Vincent Aboubakar, leading scorer at the 2022 AFCON with eight goals, netted in the second half to earn Cameroon a 1-0 victory over Namibia in Garoua.

In the other qualifier on the final day of matchday one action, Mauritania edged Botswana 1-0 in Group C thanks to a late Sidi Amar goal in Nouakchott.

After agreeing to coach Nigeria, German Bruno Labbadia did a last-minute u-turn when the national football federation declined to pay the tax on his undisclosed monthly salary.

Augustine Eguavoen was named caretaker coach of a team still smarting from a stunning mid-year 2026 World Cup qualifying loss to Benin, which lies 52 places lower on the world rankings.

The interim boss watched anxiously as the Super Eagles did not translate territorial supremacy into goals until first-half added time, when Lookman struck.

Osimhen, who join Galatasaray on loan this week after a hoped-for move to either Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain or Saudi side Al Ahly did not materialise, came off the bench to net on 78 minutes.

As huge gaps appeared in the defence of demoralised Benin, Lookman struck again with seven minutes of regular time remaining to take Nigeria top of Group D, two points above Rwanda.

Rows over the match venue and which players would represent Cameroon overshadowed preparations for the Group J fixture against Namibia.

Initially set for Douala, the fixture was moved to Yaounde by the sports ministry, then Garoua by the national football federation, which former Barcelona star Samuel Eto’o heads.

Cameroon Prime Minister Joseph Ngute intervened and ordered the game to be played in the northwestern city of Garoua, but the drama did not end there.

Four-time African Footballer of the Year Eto’o threatened to field the national under-20 team against Namibia instead of the senior side as a power struggle with the ministry continued.

The federation then had to wait until the morning of the match before receiving the passports of the senior players in order to create an official team sheet.

Victory lifted Cameroon to the top of the table, two points above Zimbabwe and Kenya, who drew 0-0 on Friday.

Source: Sportsstar

Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei dies days after being set alight by ex-boyfriend

5, September 2024

Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei dies days after being set alight by ex-boyfriend 0

Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has died days after being doused in petrol and set on fire by a former boyfriend.

The 33-year-old Ugandan marathon runner, who competed in the recent Paris Olympics, had suffered extensive burns after Sunday’s attack.

The authorities in north-west Kenya, where Cheptegei lived and trained, said she was targeted after returning home from church with her two daughters.

Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, said that he had lost a “very supportive” daughter. Fellow Ugandan athlete James Kirwa told the BBC about her generosity and how she had helped out other runners financially.

A report filed by a local administrator alleged the athlete and her ex-partner had been wrangling over a piece of land. Police say an investigation is under way.

Cheptegei, from a region just across the border in Uganda, is said to have bought a plot in Trans Nzoia county and built a house to be near Kenya’s elite athletics training centres.

Attacks on women have become a major concern in Kenya. In 2022 at least 34% of women said they had experienced physical violence, according to a national survey.

“This tragedy is a stark reminder of the urgent need to combat gender-based violence, which has increasingly affected even elite sports,” Kenya’s Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said.

Source: BBC

Ivorian defender, Sol Bamba, dies aged 39

1, September 2024

Ivorian defender, Sol Bamba, dies aged 39 0

Tributes have been pouring in for former Ivory Coast defender, Sol Bamba, who has died at the age of 39.

Turkish club Adanaspor, where he was technical director, made the announcement on Saturday saying he had fallen ill before a match the day before.

Bamba made 46 appearances for his country, representing it at the 2008 Olympics and in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

He also played for the likes of Cardiff City, Leeds United, and Leicester City and had spells at Italian side Palermo, Scottish clubs Dunfermline Athletic and Hibernian, and Turkish side Trabzonspor.

In a post on X, Cardiff City which Bamba helped to clinch promotion to the Premier League in his first full season, described him as “a true gentleman” and called his impact on it “immeasurable”.

Bamba was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2021 while at Cardiff, but was declared cancer-free after a course of chemotherapy.

He returned to play for two English clubs before retiring in January 2023.

Bamba then went on to coach, first as assistant manager at Cardiff before taking up the post of technical director at Adanaspor.

His wife, Chloe, also paid tribute to him on Instagram saying while he fought the cancer head on with stoicism, it was never a fair fight.

“These years have been indescribably difficult but we still managed to find joy and laughter in it,” she said, adding that it had been an “honour to have loved and been loved by Sol”.

Source: Africa News

Football: 19-year-old eligible to represent Cameroon, Nigeria and Belgium wanted by Serie A clubs

17, August 2024

Football: 19-year-old eligible to represent Cameroon, Nigeria and Belgium wanted by Serie A clubs 0

Italian clubs Torino and Empoli are currently showing interest in talented striker Hemsley Akpa-Chukwu according to Tuttomercatoweb.

Born in Douala, Cameroon Akpa-Chukwu is eligible to represent the national teams of Nigeria, Cameroon and Belgium.

Torino and Empoli have been impressed by his strong performances in lower tiers of Italian football.

The 19-year-old striker initially caught the attention of the Serie A with his display in the Primavera 2-B, finding the net 10 times in 23 matches.

His impressive form carried over to Serie B with Bari, where he scored a goal in his first 29 minutes on the field in the second division of Italian football.

Torino and Empoli are reportedly in a bidding war to acquire the services of the promising youngster

Both clubs are vying to sign him and intend to integrate him as a key player in their squads for the 2024/2025 Serie A season.

The tr-national forward has played in two games for the Belgian U19 national team.

Although he has played twice for Belgium at youth level, the talented striker remains eligible to represent Nigeria at the U20, U23, and senior levels.

Source: All Nigeria Soccer

Garoua: Issa Hayatou goes home to rest

17, August 2024

Garoua: Issa Hayatou goes home to rest 0

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has called Issa Hayatou “an ambassador for football in the world” at the late FIFA President ad interim’s funeral in Garoua, Cameroon.

Mr Hayatou was acting FIFA President for just over four months between October 2015 and Mr Infantino’s election in February 2016.

He passed away in Paris, France, on 8 August, a day before his 78th birthday, and his remains were then repatriated to his home town in Cameroon for burial.

“He knew how to take the helm of FIFA in 2015, when our boat was sailing in rough seas, and he steered us back to calm waters, just before I was elected President, in 2016. He was a great figure, a great gentleman, a great friend,” said Mr Infantino at the ceremony.

“We always say that football unites people, regardless of their origin. Issa Hayatou, with his remarkable and world-acclaimed work, knew how to contribute to this unity. He surely was an ambassador for Cameroon and an ambassador for football in the world. He was an ambassador of great values such as family and unity, and this is what brings all of us together here today.”

Among the other mourners joining Mr Hayatou’s family and friends were FIFA Vice President and Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe, members of the FIFA administration including FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström, Cameroonian Football Association (FECAFOOT) President Samuel Eto’o and a number of FIFA Member Association Presidents and CAF officials.

“Everyone obviously has their own memories, every one of us here has their own memories of Issa Hayatou, but I’m sure that all of us today, on this day of sadness, but of unity, too, hold a memory of his smile. A smile he kept on his face on any occasion,” said Mr Infantino, who recounted his first meeting with the then-CAF President when he had attended – “as a football fan” – the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in 1998.

“I’m standing here today as FIFA President, as a member of this family, to tell you all the sadness we have and to give you some strength. We want to tell you that we are here with you, with all our love. Today is a day of mourning for the football world, but it’s also a day when all our memories should unite to remember Issa Hayatou, a major figure of Cameroonian football, African football and global football.”

A former FECAFOOT President, Mr Hayatou served as CAF President for 29 years from 1988 to 2017. He was a FIFA Council member from 1990 to 2017 and a FIFA Vice President. He was also an International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member from 2001 to 2016, after which he became an IOC Honorary Member.

Source: Inside Fifa.com

Jose Peseiro quits as Nigeria coach

1, March 2024

Jose Peseiro quits as Nigeria coach 0

Jose Peseiro announced his decision to step down as coach of Nigeria on Friday after leading the country to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations last month.

The 63-year-old Portuguese coach met the target of guiding the Super Eagles to the semifinal of the tournament set for him by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), but opted to move on.

Peseiro said it was a great privilege to work with Nigeria and he and his staff will miss both the officials and players they have worked with over the past two years.

“It has been 22 months of immense dedication, sacrifice, emotion, and enormous enthusiasm. We feel a sense of fulfillment,” Peseiro posted on X, formerly Twitter, after his contract with the NFF ran out Thursday.

“Guys, we are thankful; it has been a privilege to be part of this family.

“We will miss you, but we will always be there for you, no matter where you are. A big hug to all of you.”

Peseiro was appointed Nigeria coach in May 2022 amid concerns he would not make a success of the job going by his past record.

He helped the country qualify for the delayed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, which was staged in Ivory Coast last month, when the Super Eagles went all the way to the championship game.

His critics knocked his defensive tactics even though the team reached the final against most expectations.

His extended contract covered only the Africa Cup of Nations after which officials said he was offered a new deal with the same monthly salary of $50,000, which he earned when he took a pay cut last year to keep his post.

Widely travelled Peseiro has said he has received several offers after Nigeria were beaten in the final by hosts Ivory Coast.

His departure will signal what could possibly be a long-drawn search for a replacement with growing calls for the often cash-strapped NFF to hire a local coach, who they can afford, in his place.

Peseiro, a former Real Madrid assistant coach, previously managed Saudi Arabia and Venezuela and clubs including Sporting Lisbon, FC Porto, Panathinaikos, Rapid Bucharest, Al-Hilal, Al-Wahda, Al-Ahly Cairo and Sharjah FC.

Source: AFP

Africa Cup of Nations: Ivory Coast and Nigeria players get cash, villas and honours

14, February 2024

Africa Cup of Nations: Ivory Coast and Nigeria players get cash, villas and honours 0

Cash, houses and honours are being bestowed on footballers from Ivory Coast and Nigeria, after Sunday’s riveting Africa Cup of Nations final.

Every player in Ivory Coast’s winning squad will pocket $82,000 (£65,000) and get a villa worth a similar amount, the presidency announced.

“You have brought happiness to all Ivorians, bravo, bravo,” said President Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast, which hosted the pan-African tournament.

Nigeria also got a heroes’ welcome.

Although their 2-1 loss in the final spelled heartbreak for the Super Eagles’ millions of fans at home and in the diaspora, their efforts are being handsomely rewarded by President Bola Tinubu.

Each member of the Nigerian squad has received one of the country’s highest honours – the Member of the Order of the Niger. The president is also giving them each an apartment and a piece of land near the capital, Abuja.

Third-placed South Africa are also set to receive about $52,000 per player, according to local media.

It is not clear what cash payment Nigeria’s players are to receive from the state purse.

But all of the perks listed above are in addition to the usual prize money doled out by the Africa Cup of Nations, which they say they have boosted by 40% since the last tournament.

This means that winners Ivory Coast get $7m, runners-up Nigeria get $4m, semi-finalist South Africa and DR Congo each get $2.5m, while the four teams who made the quarter-finals take home $1.3m each.

This year’s Africa Cup of Nations enjoyed the highest viewing numbers in its 67-year history – thanks to bigger broadcasting and commercial deals, and social media buzz. Almost two billion people are said to have watched worldwide.

Analysts hope the global appreciation for Africa’s footballing flair will translate into more starting slots for African teams at future World Cups.

As it stands, Africa has only nine World Cup spots to Europe’s 13, despite the fact these two continents have a near-identical number of Fifa-affiliated countries.

African national teams have in the past complained their salaries and bonuses have not been paid.

The Cameroon side who won global admiration for their quarter-final performance against England in the 1990 World Cup waited over 30 years to get houses they were promised, by which time their captain had died.

At last year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup, South African footballers won a pay dispute after sitting out a match in protest. Their hastily assembled substitutes had included a 13-year-old girl.

Source: BBC

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