Hosts Ivory Coast were joined in Group A by Nigeria in the draw for the Africa Cup of Nations in Abidjan on Thursday.

Fast-improving Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, who have qualified for a fourth straight edition, complete the mini-league.

Other heavyweight pairings included defending champions Senegal with five-time winners Cameroon, while Africa’s first World Cup semi-finalists Morocco face Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ivory Coast, seeking a third Cup of Nations title, will face Guinea-Bissau in the opening match on January 13 in Abidjan, the economic hub.

The Ivorian clash with three-time champions Nigeria will attract most attention among the six Group A fixtures.

Nigeria were last crowned Cup of Nations winners in 2013 in South Africa and the Ivory Coast succeeded them two years later in Equatorial Guinea.

Morocco were drawn in Group F with DR Congo, Zambia and Tanzania.

The Atlas Lions have won the premier African football competition only once, in 1976 in Ethiopia. Their best performance since then was finishing runners-up to 2004 hosts Tunisia.

Defending champions Senegal are in Group C with five-time winners Cameroon, Guinea and the Gambia.

South Africa will face Tunisia, Mali and Namibia in Group E while Ghana take on Egypt, Cape Verde and Mozambique in Group B.

Group D, comprising Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Angola, completes the line-up for a tournament that will reach a climax with the final on February 11.

Draw

Group A

Ivory Coast (hosts), Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau

Group B

Egypt, Ghana, Cape Verde, Mozambique

Group C

Senegal (holders), Cameroon, Guinea, Gambia

Group D

Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Angola

Group E

Tunisia, Mali, South Africa, Namibia

Group F

Morocco, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Tanzania

Notes

— Group winners and runners-up and the four highest ranked third-placed teams qualify for knockout stage

— Tournament kicks off on January 13 and ends on February 11, with matches at six stadiums in five cities

Source: AFP

Mali paid a final, moving tribute in Bamako on Wednesday to African football legend and “monument man” Salif Keita who died at the weekend at the age of 76.

Hundreds of people, including former teammates and Mali Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maïga, flocked to his funeral at the Place du Cinquantenaire, on the banks of the Niger River.

There they said goodbye to the man who in 1970 became the first winner of the African Ballon d’Or.

“He gave everything to Mali — as a player, coach, minister. His football academy produced geniuses for Mali,” said Idrissa Maïga, a friend and former club and national teammate. “Go in peace.”

Keita made his debut for Mali at just 16 and went on to play 28 times for his country. He was part of the Mali squad which finished second in the 1972 African Cup of Nations.

Giant pictures of him were posted and his remains were draped in the green, yellow and red flag of the country.

Delegations came from neighbouring Senegal, Ivory Coast and Guinea as well as from France where Keita played for Saint-Etienne and Marseille.

“Salif Keita is a monument, he took nothing lightly, and each Mali-Guinea match was a challenge for him,” said former Guinea international Cherif Souleymane.

Keita retired in 1980 after a successful club career in France. While at Saint-Etienne he won the French league title three times and French Cup twice.

“The Black Panther has left us, taking a part of our club with him,” Saint-Etienne said in a statement on social media.

After leaving Saint-Etienne, Keita joined Marseille and then moved to Valencia in Spain, Sporting Lisbon in Portugal before ending his club career with New England Tea Men in the United States.

He also appeared in a movie, loosely inspired by his story, which was released in 1994.

Source:  AFP

Nigeria’s women’s football team fresh from an impressive run to the last 16 of the World Cup are demanding with the support of FIFPRO their national federation “honour their commitments” and pay them outstanding bonuses and expenses.

The Super Falcons resumed their battle with the federation after they bowed out of the World Cup losing on penalties to European champions England on Monday.

Their build-up to this year’s tournament was overshadowed by a row with their national federation over bonuses.

They had even threatened to boycott their opening game but put that behind them to draw with Olympic champions Canada and then beat co-hosts Australia.

However, on Tuesday the team and FIFPRO — who represent professional footballers — released a statement saying the matter was far from over.

“FIFPRO can confirm it is assisting players in a disagreement with the Nigeria Football Federation concerning bonus payments, camp allowances and expenses, some of which date back to 2021.

“During the World Cup, the players expressed the desire to remain focused on their performance without making public statements or facing other distractions.

“However, the Super Falcons believe that it is now time for the Nigeria Football Federation to honour their commitments and pay the outstanding amounts.”

Nigeria have appeared at every Women’s World Cup going back to the inaugural edition in 1991, but the 2023 vintage said they found it “regrettable” they needed to confront their federation.

“The team is extremely frustrated that they have had to pursue the Nigeria Football Federation for these payments before and during the tournament and may have to continue doing so afterwards,” read the statement.

“It is regrettable that players needed to challenge their own federation at such an important time in their careers.

“FIFPRO will continue to work with the players to ensure their contractual rights are honoured and the outstanding payments are settled.”

Source: AFP

Defender Mohamed Abdelmonem equalised on the night as Al Ahly of Egypt drew 1-1 at Wydad Casablanca of Morocco on Sunday to win the CAF Champions League for a record-extending 11th time.

His goal cancelled the lead Yahia Attiyat Allah gave the defending champions and earned the Cairo club a 3-2 aggregate victory after building a 2-1 first-leg lead seven days ago.

Ahly scored 27 goals in 14 matches en route to continental glory and four of them came from Egypt centre-back Abdelmonem.

Defeat for Wydad ended a run of two final victories over Ahly, and they paid the penalty for concentrating on defending their fragile second-leg lead instead of seeking further goals.

Unlike Europe, away goals count double in African club competitions when sides finish level on aggregate and Wydad would have retained the trophy had they won 1-0.    

Ahly pocketed a record four million dollars for winning and Marcel Koller became the first Swiss coach to win the premier African club competition.

It was the third Champions League triumph in four seasons for Ahly after victories over fellow Egyptians Zamalek in 2020 and Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa the following year.

Wydad made two changes to the side that began the first leg in Cairo last weekend with attackers Mohamed Ounajem and Saifeddine Bouhra replacing Reda Jaadi and Zouhair el Moutaraji.

Veteran Ounajem was part of the Wydad team to beat Ahly in the 2017 final while Bouhra scored last Sunday after coming on as a late substitute.

Ahly made one change with fit-again first choice goalkeeper Mohamed el Shenawy returning in place of Ahmed Shobeir.

The second leg was the 13th time the African club giants had met in the Champions League with Ahly holding a 5-3 lead and four matches drawn.

Special occasion

Among the capacity crowd in the 65,000-seat Stade Mohammed V was Patrice Motsepe, a South African billionaire and president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

For referee Bamlak Tessema Weyesa from Ethiopia it was a special occasion — his last match before retiring at the age of 42 after 14 years handling international fixtures.

As the first half got under way, an unfortunate feature of African football reared its ugly head again with green lasers pointed at visiting players to try and distract them.

Moroccan Ayoub el Amloud had the first clearcut chance just past the 10-minute mark, but after a dazzling dribble into the area, his tame, inaccurate shot posed no threat. 

The Ahly strike force of Mahmoud Kahraba, South African Percy Tau and Hussein el Shahat had scored 15 Champions League goals before the second leg, but were unable to trouble Wydad early on.

Wydad broke the deadlock when an Attiyat Allah free-kick close to the touchline floated into the goalmouth, eluded El Shenawy, and landed in the far corner of the net.

Ahly made no headway before half-time as they tried to equalise and their frustrations led to yellow cards for Kahraba and El Shahat, while Bouhra was cautioned for time wasting.

Nobody was more relieved when a 51-minute opening half finished than the referee, who was battling to keep control of some bad-tempered Moroccans and Egyptians.

Midway through the second half smoke from flares restricted visibility leading to play being temporarily halted.

A set piece gave Wydad the lead and another one — a corner from Ali Maaloul — set up Abdelmonem to equalise with a glancing header into the far corner that stunned the crowd.

Ahly had plenty of second-half possession, but did not seriously threaten Wydad goalkeeper Youssef el Motie before levelling.

Source: AFP

African football boss Patrice Motsepe told a press conference in Johannesburg on Wednesday he believes a team from the continent can reach the 2026 World Cup final.

“Morocco opened the door by reaching the semi-finals this month and I am confident an African nation will go further at the next World Cup,” said the South African billionaire.

“The main objective of CAF (Confederation of African Football) is for an African nation to win the World Cup and that goal is within reach.”

There will be nine or 10 African qualifiers for an expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup in the United Stages, Canada and Mexico — up from five in Qatar.

Morocco made history in Qatar by becoming the first African representatives to reach the semi-finals.

The Atlas Lions stunned Belgium in the group stage, then eliminated two more powerful European sides, Spain and Portugal, in the knockout stage before losing to France in the semi-finals.

“There are at least 10 African nations that can compete at the highest level and win the World Cup,” added Motsepe.

He also hailed Cameroon and Tunisia for shock group victories over five-time World Cup winners Brazil and twice champions France respectively.

“We should be proud of what Cameroon and Tunisia achieved. These and other African countries must learn from Morocco,” said the CAF president.

The shock victories were not enough to get Cameroon and Tunisia past the first round, but Senegal did make the last 16 before being eliminated after a heavy loss to England.

Reigning African champions Senegal suffered a massive pre-tournament blow when star forward Sadio Mane was ruled out by injury.

Motsepe disclosed that a dispute between CAF and sports agency Lagardere had been “resolved amicably”, but refused to give details, citing a confidentiality clause.

Lagardere signed a one billion dollar (940 million euros) contract with the Cairo-based African football body in 2017, which was supposed to last until 2028.

However, just one year into the television and marketing deal, it was scrapped after two legal judgments said it breached competition rules.

A senior CAF official, who requested anonymity, told AFP his organisation would pay Lagardere 25 million dollars in instalments to settle the dispute.

Motsepe said Algeria, Benin, Morocco, Nigeria and Zambia were among countries wanting to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after Guinea withdrew recently, saying they were “not ready”.

Source: AFP

Two-time Kenyan Olympic champion David Rudisha said Monday he was grateful to be alive after surviving a plane crash on the weekend in southern Kenya.

The 800m world record holder had just taken off from a Kenyan reserve hosting the “Maasai Olympics” — a series of sporting competitions involving Maasai youth — when his aircraft encountered trouble and was forced to make an emergency landing on Saturday.

“It was a scary episode where you hold your heart in your hand as you pray to God,” the athlete, who belongs to the Maasai tribe himself, told The Nation newspaper.

“The pilot did an incredible job to keep the plane afloat and stable for long.

“We thank God we all came out alive.”

The 33-year-old is a sponsor of the “Maasai Olympics”, which was established a decade ago by community leaders and conservation group Big Life Foundation.

The goal is to help preserve the lion population and replace the traditional Maasai rite of hunting the big cats with sporting contests.

“One of the passengers was injured and is being treated at hospital,” the conservation charity said in a statement released late Saturday.

“The others, including Mr. Rudisha, who is the patron of the Maasai Olympics, suffered no significant physical injuries,” it added.

Rudisha was involved in a serious car accident in 2019.

He won Olympic golds in 2012 and 2016, and world titles in 2011 and 2015, setting a world record (1min 40.91sec) in the 2012 London Olympics final.

Source: AFP

Former Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o says it is the duty of Africans to defend the scheduling of the Africa Cup of Nations.

The 2021 tournament was held in Cameroon in January and February this year, in the middle of the European season, to avoid the rainy season in the Central African nation.

The timing of the Nations Cup has led to repeated disputes with clubs who have been forced to release players, and the issue will persist after the 2023 finals in Ivory Coast were moved to early 2024 because of weather concerns.

Napoli owner and President Aurelio de Laurentiis said the Italian club would avoid signing any more Africans unless they agree not to play in the biennial tournament – with Senegal coach Aliou Cisse hitting back that international football should never play second fiddle to club commitments.

Eto’o, who had spells at Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan and won the Nations Cup twice with the Indomitable Lions, has backed Cisse’s stance.

“We are Africans – nobody else can defend our continent better than ourselves,” Eto’o, who is now president of Cameroon’s football federation (Fecafoot), told BBC Sport Africa.

“Before the Nations Cup in Cameroon, I said that it’s important to play in January-February, something that obviously didn’t please some other people.

“But this is a fact in Africa. We have the rainy season in June, July, August, even early September in our continent. It’s just a matter of getting on the same page with others and explaining things.”

“I am rather happy to see children of this continent being aware that nobody else will defend our continent for us.”

However, Eto’o says that staging this year’s World Cup in the middle of the European season shows that concessions can be made by clubs.

Players must be released for the finals in Qatar on 14 November, with the first match six days later and the final on 18 December.

England’s Premier League will have its last pre-World Cup fixtures on the weekend of 12-13 November, and then resume on 26 December.

“We can notice for the first time in history that the World Cup will be played in November and December,” Eto’o, 41, said.

“It’s possible to make it happen.”

Culled from the BBC

Nigeria beat Cameroon 1-0 to reach 12th consecutive semi-final in the Women’s African Cup of Nations

The Super Falcons of Nigeria beat the Lionesses of Cameroon 1-0 to progress to the semi-final of the ongoing Africa Women’s Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Rasheedat Ajibade fired Nigeria into the lead in the second half of a competitive match between the West Africa neighbours.

The win ensured that the Super Falcons qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The four teams that progress to the semi-finals of the WAFCON get automatic tickets for the Women’s World Cup to be hosted by Australia and New Zealand next year.

The team adjudged to have finished fifth would be presented with a chance via a Playoff Tournament in January 2023 to join the party.

Source: Chronicle

CAF through its President, Patrice Motsepe, made the announcement on Sunday

The 2023 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) initially billed to take place in Cote d’ Ivoire from June 2023 has been postponed to January 2024.

The decision was one of the key decisions taken during the Confederation of African Football(CA) Executive Committee meeting held on Sunday.

CAF through its President, Patrice Motsepe, announced the 34th edition, which was initially scheduled from June 23 to July 23, 2023, will no longer go on as planned due to the weather conditions in the West African country.

“The 2023 Afcon will now be played between January and February 2024,” Mostepe told the media during a press conference in Morocco.

“This is one of the issues we discussed during our congress meeting here in Morocco and the official dates will be communicated later.

“It is after deliberations we came into the decision, we have partners and even though we make decisions, it is out of respect that we take the advice we are getting that we cannot take a risk [to host the tournament] and so that is why we have made the necessary announcement today [Sunday].

“It is not good for African football to play a tournament that can be washed out, it is not good for Africa and the continent at large and so we have to postpone it.”

Motsepe, however, lauded Ivory Coast for the preparations they have already put in place to stage the tournament.

“I am happy and impressed with the infrastructure put in place by Ivory Coast in readiness for the tournament and I am sure they will host a very good tournament,” Motsepe continued.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria are one of the teams eyeing qualification for the next AFCON tournament and they have started the qualification series quite well; winning their first two games against Sierra Leone and then Sao Tome and Principe.

At the last edition of the biennial football tournament held in Cameroon, the Super Eagles despite showing early signs of promise crashed out in the second round in a 1-0 loss to Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles.

Senegal went on to be crowned champions after defeating Egypt on penalties in the final.

It is worthy to note that the AFCON tournament held in Cameroon also suffered its own fair share of postponements.

However, unlike this case where CAF is making a decision due to weather contingencies, the tournament in Cameroon was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Culled from Marketscreener