AFCON
CAF STRIPS COTE D’IVOIRE OF 2021 AFCON, GIVES IT TO CAMEROON
It may have become a season of losing hosting rights of CAF Competitions. Last year, Madagascar, home country of CAF president, Ahmad was stripped of the rights to host 2017 CAF U-17 Nations Cup by the then CAF president, Issa Hayatou.
Same year, Ahmad’s CAF Executive Committee stripped Kenya of the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) and offered it to Morocco.
At the weekend, Cameroon lost its hosting rights for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. The same bug might have caught up with Cote d’Ivoire which on January 24, 2014 was conferred with the rights for 2021 may have also lost its grip of the competition.
Sports Village Square gathered from Kenya’s Daily Nation that Cameroon will now host the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations after being stripped of the rights to host next year’s edition.
The publication monitored an interview of Ahmad on Pan African television channel, Afrique Media on Monday night.
According to Ahmad, Cameroon was stripped of the 2019 Afcon rights to avoid a repeat of 2010 where some players (from Togo) came under attack by Cabinda separatists in Angola besides delays in infrastructural preparations.
Gunmen attacked a bus transporting the Togolese national team to Angola for the 2010 tournament killing three people and wounding many others.
The attackers fired at the vehicle when it crossed from the Republic of Congo into Angola’s oil-rich enclave of Cabinda. Rebels who were fighting for the independence of the region later claimed responsibility for the attack.
Ahmad was quoted as saying that CAF paid dearly for the Cabinda incident and “can’t take that risk again” for Cameroon that is facing two major security threats; the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northern regions and an armed separatist movement in the two English speaking regions.
He said all 20 members of the CAF executive committee who were present in Accra, Ghana last Friday unanimously agreed that it was not possible to stage the 2019 tournament in Cameroon and asked the Central African country to continue preparations to host the 2021 edition because the initial hosts Cote d’Ivoire will not be ready by then.
“We have seen that Cote d’Ivoire will not be ready to host Afcon in 2021. So the Executive committee has confirmed Cameroon as host of 2021
“We have taken the decision for the good of African football on the basis of rules and regulations of the game in force,” Ahmad said promising CAF will be ready to defend its decision should Cameroon appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
No Africa Cup of Nations competition has taken place in originally designated host country since 2013. The stripping of Cote d’Ivoire of 2021 Africa Cup of Nations’ rights means that the competition will be having almost 10 years of unstable hosting.
According to Daily Nation of Kenya, Ahmad denied reports that the withdrawal of the 2019 Afcon hosting rights from Cameroon was an attempt to settle scores with his predecessor Issa Hayatou, saying he has never criticized the management of the continental soccer body during Hayatou’s reign.
Hayatou revoked the hosting rights of the 2017 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations from Ahmad’s Madagascar in the days leading to the 2017 CAF elections in Ethiopia.
“Even when journalists tried repeatedly to urge me to comment on his [Issa Hayatou] reign, I always avoided it and told them it was their role not mine. It is not possible that withdrawing Afcon 2019 from Cameroon implies I’m settling scores with my predecessor, a Cameroonian,” Ahmad stated.
The Cameroon government has said works on infrastructure will continue at the same pace despite the “surprising decision” by the continental football body.
“This decision is unmerited considering the resolve of the Head of State and the people of Cameroon to make all-out effort to host a remarkable celebration of African football in 2019,” Cameroon Communication Minister and government spokesperson, Issa Tchiroma Bakary said.
“Cameroon has put in a creditable performance. It shall prove it to the entire world by continuing with the same determination and completing the construction of these modern infrastructures belonging to the Cameroonian people on time, as pledged by the Head of State,” he promised.
Cote d’Ivoire head coach Emerse Fae has overhauled his backroom team following the Elephants’ Africa Cup of Nations, Cote d’Ivoire 2023, success earlier this year.
Fae, who took over from Frenchman Jean-Louis Gasset during the tournament in January, has brought in three new faces as he builds towards qualifying for the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations and 2026 World Cup.
Former Cote d’Ivoire goalkeeper Gerard Gnahouan, 45, joins as goalkeeping coach after working in this role with French Ligue 2 side Sochaux.
Gnahouan, capped 10 times by the Elephants between 2002 and 2011, takes over as goalkeeping coach and will be tasked with getting the best out of first-choice Yahia Fofana.
Moroccan Samir Anba, previously with French club Nice and Morocco’s Under-17s, takes over as fitness coach, while Jeremy Antonio arrives as video analyst after working with Fae at French side Clermont.
“This new composition of the technical staff marks the start of a new era for the Cote d’Ivoire national team, and expectations are high,” said Fae.
Fae kept faith with assistant Guy Demel while former international Alain Gouamene joins as the second assistant coach of the AFCON-winning team.
The 40-year-old led an all-local setup to a surprise African title in March after being promoted from Gasset’s number two following their near exit at the group stage.
The new backroom additions have a huge challenge ahead, with Cote d’Ivoire facing crunch matches in June as they bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
The Elephants top their qualifying group after beating Gambia and Seychelles in the opening two matches in Group F of the qualifiers under caretaker Gasset.
-CAF
After commanding victories in the first leg matches of the Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025, qualifiers, Chad, Liberia, and Eswatini find themselves in advantageous positions as they gear up for the return fixtures scheduled for Tuesday.
As the second leg of the preliminary fixtures approach, all eyes will be on these teams as they vie for their coveted spots in the group phase of the qualifiers, with the hopes of making their mark on the continental stage.
Chad emerged victorious with a narrow 1-0 win over Mauritius, joining Liberia and Eswatini in the lead after their impressive triumphs earlier last week.
Liberia secured a 2-0 victory against Djibouti, while Eswatini displayed their dominance with a 3-0 win over Somalia.
The second leg promises to be fiercely contested, particularly for Chad, who will face a challenging encounter against Mauritius on the latter’s home turf.
Coach Kevin Nicaise’s players are keen to defend their slender lead and secure their spot in the next phase of the qualifiers but the trainer admits they have an arduous task.
“We are far from perfect, far from being a top team in the world. We are in the construction phase. There are still things to work on and improve,” coach Nicaise said after their first-leg win.
“It is not overnight that we will be a top team in the world, we are aware of that, however we are working hard with the group and the staff to achieve this goal.”
Meanwhile, Liberia will host Djibouti, aiming to build on their first-leg success and seal their progression to the next round.
Eswatini will host Somalia with confidence, seeking to maintain their winning momentum and secure passage to the next stage of the tournament.
South Sudan and Sao Tome and Principe will also face off in what is expected to be a closely contested encounter, following their goalless draw in the first leg.
With both teams eager for victory, the match promises to be a thrilling battle for supremacy.
-CAF
Liberia and Eswatini took commanding leads in their respective Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025, preliminary round ties after claiming impressive away victories on Wednesday.
Liberia captain Murphy Dorley scored one of two first-half goals as the Lone Stars defeated hosts Djibouti 2-0 in the opening leg in Marrakech.
Mohammed Sangare broke the deadlock from the penalty spot on 23 minutes before Dorley coolly slotted home Sebastian Teclar’s cross 12 minutes later.
Djibouti struggled to lay a glove on their more illustrious opponents as the Lone Star side kept them at bay to take two away goals into next week’s second leg in Monrovia.
Eswatini were also celebrating after demolishing Somalia 3-0 in the Moroccoan city of El Jadida to put one foot in the group stage qualifiers.
Striker Sabelo Ndzinisa was the hero, netting twice either side of Felicio Figuareido’s 40th minute opener for the visitors.
Somalia now face an uphill battle to qualify when they travel to the Mbombela Stadium in the South African city of Nelspruit for the return on March 26th.
The opening leg victories give Liberia and Eswatini a huge advantage heading into the second legs as they target a place in the group stage on the road to next year’s finals in Morocco.
Back from the locker room, Somalia still couldn’t play its game.
Worse, Eswatini widened the gap with Ginindza who scored his double of the evening in the 56th minute. 3-0, the score remained unchanged on the scoreboard until the final whistle.
Victory for Eswatini which will still have to perform in the return leg to ensure its qualification for the qualifiers.
Nigeria’s Samson Adamu signs Algeria’s USM match forfeiture
Manchester United fight back twice from behind to beat Sheffield United
BREAKING! CAF awards abandoned Confederation Cup semi-finals to Morocco’s RS Berkane
SUPER EAGLES TO FACE ENGLAND IN PRE-WORLD CUP FRIENDLY
Apart from Okwaraji, Nigeria’s Other Field-Related Obituaries
Grudgingly, Eto’o accepts new Cameroon coach Brys, but fails to attend ceremony
-
Nigerian Football1 week agoRemo Stars add fuel to the fire as title chase turns East – West battle
-
Olympics1 week agoSuper Falcons’ Paris 2024 fixtures recall Nigeria’s first matches at Olympic Games football event 56 years ago
-
UEFA Champions League1 week agoNigerians among Leverkusen’s African quintetin historic Bundesliga triumph
-
Nigerian Football1 week agoRangers tenaciously hold on at Nigeria League top position
-
Nigerian Football7 days agoHeartland back to their homeland as they host Shooting Stars
-
OBITUARY1 week agoAnother Germany World Cup winner dies
-
FEDERATION CUP6 days agoBREAKING! Federation Cup acquires presidential nomenclature…7th name since inception
-
CAF Confederation Cup5 days agoConfederation Cup runs into crisis as Moroccan players of RS Berkane are stranded at Algerian airport following seizure of jerseys and equipment