AFCON
THE GOOD, THE BAD OF SPORTS IN 2019
BY UDOKA CHRISTIAN NJOKU, PLUS TV AFRICA
If there is one thing 2019 has delivered, its great moments in sports. Records have been set and broken, impossible feat have been achieved, hearts have been broken and overdue victories finally came to realization, in front of millions of fans, families, and friends around the world.
The year 2019 did not live short of its expectations, as some saw it as one of the biggest sporting year for them, while others thought it was the worst for them.
After enduring the loss of the UEFA champions league victory to Real Madrid in 2018, Liverpool proved once again that they are a force to be reckoned with as they went on in 2019 to beat first-timers; Tottenham Hotspur in the finals to clinch the UEFA trophy after fourteen years.
In the English premier league, Manchester city won the title by a point ahead of Liverpool who finished second. City also emerged as the winners of the league cup, and the FA Cup.
The year also saw three African Players emerge as joint-top scorers in the English Premier League. Egypt’s Mohammed Salah and Senegal ‘s Sadio Mane both playing for Liverpool and then Arsenal and Gabonese striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang won the Golden Boot after scoring 22 goals for their clubs.
In the Europa League final, Chelsea defeated Arsenal to lift the title and afterwards; Eden Hazard; Chelsea’s star, joined Spanish giants, Real Madrid.
In the transfer window, Manchester United’s striker Romelu Lukaku joined Inter Milan on a fee of seventy-five million pounds, with his fellow teammate, Alexis Sanchez joining him on loan.
Nigeria winger and midfielder, Alex Iwobi joined Everton on a record fee, making him the most expensive Nigerian player, another Nigerian player, Victor Osimhen completed his move from Belgian Club Sporting Charleroi to French side Lille for a fee reported to be around £12m.
Arsenal fired Unai Emery after 18 months in charge as a result of his winless run in the 2109/2020 campaign and appointed Freddie Ljungberg as interim manager, who was afterwards replaced by Mikel Arteta as the club’s new manager.
Tottenham Hotspur also let go of Maurizio Pochettino and appointed former Chelsea and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho. After a long search for a win in the EPL, Everton fired Marco Silva and appointed Carlo Ancelotti who was sacked by Napoli after qualifying the team for UEFA champions league round of 16.
In tennis, 15 year- old Coco Gauf made headlines at Wimbledon when she beat her idol, Venus Williams to become the youngest player to advance to the round of sixteen.
In the Rogers Cup, Rafael Nadal won the men’s singles title to reach his nineteenth gland slam singles titles.
And Bianca Andreescu won the women’s singles title, defeating Serena Williams in the final and becoming the first Canadian to win a grand slam singles title.
And in Golf, Tiger Woods secured his legacy in masters, and made one of the greatest comebacks in sports, with his win at the Masters tournament; claiming a major title and also ending an 11-year drought.
In basketball, Toronto Raptors became the first team-based and originated in Canada to win the NBA title.
Two great players in the NBA also retired from the game this year, Miami Heat veteran Dwayne Wade and Dallas Mavericks legend, Dirk Nowitzki retired from basketball after almost two decades in the game.
In gymnastics, Simone Biles made history with her triple-double, defying the laws of physics and gravity as she became the first woman in nearly 70 years to capture six U.S. senior women’s all-around gymnastics titles
In Athletics, Allyson Felix won her 12th gold medal at the world’s championship, 10 months after giving birth, surpassing a record she once held with Usain Bolt. She now has more medals than any other runner, male or female.
In Rugby, South Africa made history when they beat England to win the world cup in Japan and became the country to win the Rugby championship and Rugby world cup in the same year, surpassing New Zealand and Australia.
In Africa, Egypt hosted the nation’s cup and Algeria won their first title since 1990 after defeating Senegal to clinch the title. Nigeria won bronze after defeating Tunisia and Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo took home the golden boot, emerging the highest goal scorer.
In Europe’s most prestigious award, Argentina and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi won the Balon d’ or for the sixth time, surpassing Netherland and Liverpool’s defender Virgil Van Dijk and Portugal and Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo who has won it for a record five times.
In boxing, British boxer Anthony Joshua defeated Andy Ruiz Jr in a rematch in Qatar after losing his first match to Ruiz to reclaim the four belts WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO.
On the international scene, Olympic Eagles and Super Falcons of Nigeria failed to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and the Golden eaglets of Nigeria crashed out of the under 17 World Cup in Brazil.
On the domestic front, the Nigeria Professional Football League ended with Enyimba announced as champions after an abridged version of the league was run by the league management company.
In the Zenith Bank Women Basketball League, Air Warriors were crowned 2019 Champions after a hard earned 55-53pts victory over MFM Queens.
And in beach soccer, the Sand Eagles of Nigeria ended the year without a win in the beach soccer world cup hosted by Paraguay.
The year 2019 is indeed a year one will not forget easily and as we look forward to the year 2020, we expect more suspense, intrigues and record breaking moments. Have a merry Christmas and a prosperous new year. From Plus TV Africa
The Confederation of African Football has announced a major overhaul of its flagship competition, with the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) set to expand from 24 to 28 teams.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe disclosed the decision on Sunday following an executive committee meeting, describing it as part of the body’s commitment to elevating African football to global standards.
Motsepe said the expansion would create more opportunities for countries across the continent while ensuring that top African players worldwide return home to compete at the highest level.
“This is about our commitment to world-class football, bringing together the best African players from across the globe to compete on the continent,” he stated.
However, the CAF boss did not provide details on how the new 28-team format would be structured or when the expansion would take effect, leaving questions over qualification pathways and tournament scheduling.
Continuity for 2027, New Cycle from 2028
Motsepe confirmed that the 2027 AFCON will proceed as planned with co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, maintaining the current 24-team format for that edition.
In a significant shift, CAF also announced that another AFCON tournament will be staged in 2028, after which the competition will move to a four-year cycle—aligning more closely with other major international tournaments.
CAF Nations League Introduced
In addition to AFCON reforms, CAF revealed plans to introduce an African Nations League starting from 2029. The new competition will be held annually, with a 16-team final tournament staged every two years.
The initiative is aimed at improving the competitiveness, structure and commercial value of the African national team football.
“We have to stop this situation where African fixtures are not predictable, consistent and reliable,” Motsepe said. “We must also focus on developing football in regions like East Africa, which has enormous potential.”
A New Era for African Football
The proposed changes mark one of the most ambitious restructurings of African football competitions in recent years, with CAF seeking to expand participation, enhance organisation and create a more predictable football calendar.
While details are still emerging, the decisions are expected to have far-reaching implications for national teams, qualification formats and the overall growth of the game across the continent.
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The Confederation of African Football said it would implement changes and improvements to its statutes and regulations that would ensure that the farcical scenes at January’s Africa Cup of Nations final do not happen again.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe said the changes would strengthen trust and confidence in its referees, VAR operators and judicial bodies, but did not give concrete details.
The announcement followed a meeting of CAF’s executive committee in Cairo on Sunday and came on a tumultuous day for the organisation as its general secretary resigned.
African football’s governing body has been battling a crisis of confidence after its Appeal Board stripped Senegal of the Cup of Nations title in a decision that has been met with widespread derision.
Senegal were ruled to have forfeited the final in Rabat on January 18 after walking off the pitch in protest at a potentially decisive penalty awarded to Morocco. They returned and scored a goal in extra time to win the game 1-0.
The decision is being challenged at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and if Senegal win back their title it will be a further blow to CAF’s credibility.
“CAF has taken extensive legal advice from top African and international football lawyers and experts, to ensure that the CAF statutes and regulations adhere to and implement global football best practices, on and off the field,” Motsepe said in a statement on Sunday.
“This is important for the respect, integrity and credibility of African referees, VAR operators and the CAF Disciplinary Board and Appeal Board.
“CAF is working with FIFA for the ongoing training of African referees, VAR operators and match commissioners so that they are as good as the best in the world… CAF has made significant progress over the past five years in implementing governance, ethics, transparency and managerial best practices,” the CAF president added.
More precise details on the changes and how they would avoid a repeat of the Cup of Nations final controversy were not given by Motsepe, who earlier this month admitted his organisation was struggling with perceptions about its integrity.
-Reuters
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By Kunle Solaja
The Confederation of African Football may be considering possible disciplinary measures against Senegal following reports that the country’s national team has continued to parade the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy despite being stripped of the title.
The development has triggered fresh debate within African football circles, with CAF understood to be treating the matter as a potential breach of its statutes and disciplinary code.
Sources close to the continental body indicate that Senegal’s actions could be interpreted as defiance of an official ruling, raising concerns about respect for regulatory authority and the precedent such conduct may set for other member associations.
CAF is believed to be weighing a range of sanctions, which could include financial penalties, formal reprimands, or restrictions on the country’s participation in certain CAF programmes and competitions.
While no final decision has been announced, insiders suggest that the governing body is keen to send a strong message on compliance and institutional discipline.
There are also indications that CAF’s disciplinary committee may be tasked with reviewing the circumstances surrounding the continued public display of the trophy, including whether the act constitutes misconduct under its regulations.
The issue is seen as more than a symbolic dispute over silverware. Analysts argue that how CAF handles the situation will reflect its ability to enforce decisions and maintain order among its 54 member associations.
“CAF cannot afford to appear weak on matters of discipline,” a source familiar with the situation said. “If a federation openly disregards a ruling, it undermines the entire governance structure.”
CAF is expected to provide clarity on the issue during an upcoming press engagement, where its president may outline the organisation’s position and any disciplinary steps to be taken.
For Senegal, the situation presents a delicate balancing act between national pride and compliance with continental football authority. For CAF, it represents a critical test of leadership and regulatory enforcement at a time when the credibility of African football governance remains under close watch.
The coming days are likely to determine whether the matter escalates into a full disciplinary case or is resolved through diplomatic engagement behind the scenes.
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