AFCON
CHRISTIAN CHUKWU AND CO STILL SPECIAL EVEN 40 YEARS AFTER!
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
How time flies! It is 40 years today since Nigeria first won the Africa Cup of Nations.
At the time, the football populace was not bugged down with English and other countries’ football, which could only be monitored then by weekly delayed transmission on television or through journals like Shoot! Magazine.
The stars known them were the heroes spreading excitements in the domestic league and making great impacts in continental competitions.
For the first time on 22 March 1980, the whole country was united under the glue of one accord provided by national sport – football.
It was truly the moment everyone had dreamt for. In a country shaken to its foundation by a 30-month civil war, recurring military rule, socio-economic problems as well as many diverse ethnic, religious and interest groups, winning the Africa Cup of Nations proved not just an event, but a glue that held the country together.
Sadly, not all the 22 members of the then Green Eagles are alive today to celebrate the 40 years of the winning of the premier continental competition.
Six of them, among them five starting XI players have gone beyond human touch.
These include goalkeeper Best Ogedegbe, Tunde Bamidele, Okey Isima, Aloysius Atuegbu and Muda Lawal. Eyo Martins, a player on the bench has also passed on.
Even the coach of the team, Professor Otto Gloria of Brazil has also gone to the world beyond.
The other great players of the squad living are craving for attention as most have long been forgotten.
They are: Skipper Christian Chukwu (69), Segun Odegbami (67), Felix Owolabi (64), David Adiele (65), Godwin Odiye (63), Adokiye Amiesimaka (63) and Emmanuel Okala (68).
Also in the epoch-making squad are: John Orlando (59), Sylvanus Okpala (58), Ifeanyi Onyeadika, Shefiu Mohammed (63), Henry Nwosu (56) and Kadiri Ikhana (68).
Others are Moses Effiong (59), Charles Bassey and Frank Onwuachi. Those are the heroes of the 12th Africa Cup of Nations in 1980, most of whom are living in obscurity now.
On the final match day, there was apprehension on the possibility of Nigeria overcoming Algeria. The fears were rooted on goal-scoring efforts of the Green Eagles who had not scored more than a goal in the preceding three matches.
The defence of the Algerians was believed to be water-tight and ably marshaled from the left rear by short Moustapha Kouici.
In one of his accounts, Segun Odegbami wrote on how he had to go for a bottle of cold beer at their Trade Fair complex to douse tension.
He reported that coach Otto Gloria too was having sleepless night as the Brazilian was seen in his chalet drawn possible opening moves by the Green Eagles.
Whatever starting moves he may have plotted apparently worked.
Within the opening two minutes of the final game, Nigeria was already a goal up. Adokie Amiesimaka took a fairly long throw, which was headed backwards to an unmarked and well-positioned Segun Odegbami in the penalty box.
The tall elegant striker just controlled the ball and lopped it over the defenders for a cheeky opening goal under two minutes of the game. Never before had a goal been scored so fast in the preceding 11 final matches.
It took another 39 years before a goal was scored within the opening two minutes of an Africa Cup of Nations final match. That was at the last year’s final involving Algeria and Senegal.
Baghdad Bounedjah stunned the Senegal Lions of Teranga with a shot, which took a wicked deflection off Salif Sane and looped over the bewildered goalkeeper Alfred Gomis and into the net.
In the 1980 final match, the fast opening goal boosted the confidence of the Green Eagles as Segun Odegbami made the Algerian defence ace, Kouici looked ordinary as he outpaced and easily dribbled past the hitherto rock of defence.
Odegbami increased the tally midway into the first half before Muda Lawal wrapped up the game to give Nigeria a 3-0 win. It was the widest margin win since Ghana’s 3-0 defeat of Sudan in 1963.
DID YOU KNOW?
That when Nigeria won the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time on 22 March 1980, it was an eternal tribute to certain Joseph Mead, the founding secretary of the country’s football governing body, NFA (now NFF). If Mead were alive, he would have been 73 on the day Nigeria beat Algeria to win the trophy for the first time.
The African Football Confederation (CAF) and Royal Air Maroc (RAM) have sealed a historic strategic partnership that grants Morocco’s national airline the status of “Official Global Partner” for upcoming major African football competitions.
The agreement was signed Saturday morning in Casablanca, in the presence of Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) President Fouzi Lekjaâ.
This partnership encompasses several prestigious tournaments, including the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (AFCON) 2025 (December 21, 2025 – January 18, 2026) and CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (WAFCON) 2024 (July 5-26, 2025).
The agreement also covers CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF Champions League 2024/2025 Finals, CAF Confederation Cup 2024/2025 Finals, and the CAF Women’s Champions League 2025.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe voiced enthusiasm about the collaboration.
“We are excited about the partnership between CAF and Royal Air Maroc, a world-class airline that will provide comfort and fly NationalTeams participating in the CAF competitions,” he said.
“We are confident that the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 will be the most successful AFCON in the history of this competition.”
The agreement strengthens RAM’s footprint across Africa and globally, solidifying its role as a strategic gateway between Africa and the rest of the world. It also aligns with Morocco’s emergence as an international sports hub, with the country preparing to host AFCON 2025 and co-host the FIFA World Cup 2030.
RAM’s Chairman and CEO Hamid Addou stated: “This historic partnership with CAF aligns fully with our strategic vision as an airline deeply rooted in Africa and committed to its development.”
“Royal Air Maroc doesn’t just connect destinations; it builds bridges between cultures and passions. By supporting the continent’s biggest football competitions, we reaffirm our role as a facilitator of human and sporting exchanges,” he continued.
500,000 supporters expected
Beyond its partnership role, RAM will implement an exceptional operational system to meet increased demand during CAF competitions. The airline plans to welcome over 500,000 supporters for AFCON 2025.
“We believe we will surpass this figure by far,” revealed Addou. “We will be ready to accommodate these supporters across Royal Air Maroc’s entire network.”
The airline intends to double seat capacity from qualified countries already served by RAM, such as Dakar, Abidjan, Cairo, Tunis, Bamako, Lagos, and Douala.
RAM will also intensify flight frequencies from European cities with large African communities, including Paris, Brussels, Milan, London, Marseille, Lyon, Madrid, and Barcelona.
Additionally, the airline will establish a dedicated program for domestic air transport of national teams, shuttling them between their base camps and host cities.
This positioning establishes RAM as the primary connector between Africa and Europe through its Casablanca hub. FRMF President Fouzi Lekjaâ noted that the contract “reinforces Royal Air Maroc’s first-rate leadership role in Africa.”
“Royal Air Maroc is no stranger to football,” Lekjaâ added. “It has always supported generations of our athletes and footballers here in Morocco.”
“With this expertise and experience, they will contribute significantly to making AFCON 2025 Morocco exceptional, a historic turning point in African football, cultural coexistence and African cultural exchange,” he concluded.
Addou stressed RAM’s commitment to African unity: “We are all extremely proud to be African, and in every corner of this vast and magnificent continent, we share the same ambition—to actively contribute to Africa’s development and influence.”
The RAM CEO concluded by inviting everyone to upcoming CAF calendar events: “We’ll see you very soon for the great moments ahead in the CAF calendar, particularly the Women’s AFCON starting in July and, of course, the men’s AFCON, which kicks off on December 25.”
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The presidents of the regional councils concerned by the hosting of the matches of the Africa Cup of Nations (Morocco-2025) unanimously affirmed that the implementation of infrastructure projects in anticipation of this continental event “is progressing at a sustained pace”, declaring themselves “fully mobilized” to crown with success the major sporting events scheduled in the Kingdom.
They specified, in statements to the press in Rabat following a meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior devoted to the assessment of the progress of the construction and rehabilitation works of the stadiums, that major sports infrastructure projects are underway in the six host cities: Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Fez, Marrakech and Agadir.
The President of the Casablanca-Settat Regional Council, Abdellatif Maâzouz, announced that the projects planned for upcoming international sporting events, in particular the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup, “are proceeding under good conditions.”
The projects related to the organisation of the AFCON will be ready by next July at the latest, he assured, specifying that there is a clear vision regarding the preparations underway for the AFCON and the 2030 World Cup, both in terms of equipment and organisational arrangements related to human resources and animation.
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AFCON
‘Land of Football’ is ‘Kingdom of Light’ as Moroccan Tourism Office and Football Federation Strike Accord
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Morocco’s football federation and tourism office have signed a groundbreaking agreement to establish the country as a major football and tourism destination leading to the milestone 2030 World Cup when the global football tournament clocks a century.
The Moroccan football body and the Tourism Office are building on the national team’s recent international success.
Though with just one success in the Africa Cup of Nations, Moroccan football soars higher than the rest in Africa and the Arab world at the World Cup.
Apart from being the only African and Arab country to have reached the World Cup semi-final stage, Morocco in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico became the first African team not to be defeated in a World Cup match when they forced Bulgaria to a 1-1 draw on 11 June.
Again, in Mexico, this time at the 1986 World Cup, Morocco became the first African team to top a group and cross the group stage.
They were just two minutes away from a major upset of West Germany in the round of 16 before Lothar Matthäus’ back-breaking goal.
The success of the football team and the tourism potential of Morocco have found a harmonious chord.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and the National Moroccan Tourism Office (ONMT) will work together under the banner “Morocco, Land of Football,” placing the sport at the heart of the country’s tourism strategy.
“More than an institutional partnership, this convention is a shared vision: that of a Morocco that shines through football and makes it a lever for promotion, pride and tourist attractiveness,” ONMT said in a statement released after the signing.
The timing of this collaboration is strategic, coming ahead of two major sporting events: the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
The initiative builds on widespread public enthusiasm following the Atlas Lions’ historic World Cup performance in 2022.
Under the agreement, both organizations will implement an integrated communication strategy combining visibility campaigns, influence marketing, and joint promotional activities.
The initiative will mobilize iconic figures from Moroccan football to bring this vision to life, to showcase the country’s world-class sporting facilities, rich cultural heritage, and diverse tourist attractions.
ONMT has launched a major offensive at making Morocco, the ultimate tourism and business destination as the clock ticks down to the 35th Africa Cup of Nations holding in December.
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