AFCON
Super Eagles’ next AFCON opponents, São Tomé are perennial punching bags
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles will on Monday take on São Tomé and Príncipe in their match day 2 fixtures of the qualifying series of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Nigerian side go into the match slated for neutral ground in Morocco as the Estádio Nacional 12 de Julho in São Tomé and Príncipe did not meet the minimum requirement for international matches.
It is for the same reason that Sierra Leone are playing their home games away from home in Conakry, Guinea.
The São Tomé and Príncipe team is nicknamed “Falcão e Papagaio” and had been a punching bag for opponents in the qualification for the last three editions of the Africa Cup of Nations.
On Thursday, they slumped 5-1 to Guinea Bissau in a duel that followed the sequence of the two previous qualifying series.
So, for the third consecutive time, the Santomean team started qualifying for the AFCON again, with a heavy defeat having lost to Cape Verde, 7-1 in 2015 edition and Sudan 4-0 in 2019 qualifiers.
If the trend persist on Monday, the Super Eagles should be able to not only win the match, but also score many goals to wrestle the group leadership from Guinea Bissau who will be away to Sierra Leone.
AFCON
Prominent Libyan football official calls for tough sanction on those responsible for Super Eagles’ maltreatment
A prominent Libyan football official, Al-Siddiq Abu Hadima,has called for tough sanctions on the Libyan Football Federation officials responsible for the crisis that engulfed the suspended Libya-Nigeria Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match.
Hadima, a former president of the Al-Dhahra Club, asked for the dismissal and prosecution of those responsible for the crisis.
In a publication in Libya’s outlet. Al-Wasat, Hadima recommended that if such people failed to submit a report that will exonerate them when the Sunday 20 October deadline issued by CAF lapses, “then they must be prosecuted and permanently dismissed.”
Al-Wasat got Hadima’s comments from his post on Facebook and remarked that “this negligence – if it happened – constitutes a betrayal of trust and a lack of awareness of the gravity of responsibility.”
It will be recalled that the Nigerian delegation to the botched match was held up for close to 20 hours at an abandoned Labraq Airport where their aircraft already on descent was dangerously diverted to.
The Nigerians were left without food and water for nearly 20 hours. CAF has already strongly condemned the actions of the Libyans.
As an investigation into the botched Libya-Nigeria Africa Cup of Nations match, the Libyan FA secretary, Nasser Al-Suwaie has raised queries on the integrity of the personnel of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
In a report published in the online version of Libyaalahrar.tv, Al-Suwaie remarked that there may be collusion from some parties within CAF, but the position of the Libyan Federation is strong.
He added that the Libyan Federation did not change the course of the plane’s landing to Al-Abraq Airport, and the reason for changing the plane’s landing to Al-Abraq was a decision by the Libyan state, and that the sovereignty of the Libyan state must be respected by everyone.
He however was silent on why the team was held hostage at the Al Abraq Airport and why the Libyan FA did not provide any logistic support to the Nigerian team that was held up at the airport for more than 16 hours without food and water.
Sources in Libya have confirmed that the Libyan Football Federation is under investigation over the botched Libya-Nigeria Africa Cup of Nations qualifier which failed to hold last Tuesday.
Nasser Al-Suwaie, Secretary-General of the Libyan FA, reportedly confirmed that the body has been queried by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The Libyan FA has been asked to submit documents related to the cancellation of the match.
According to Libya Al-Ahrar, the FA has given them up till Sunday 20 October to submit the documents related to this file.
The Libyan FA secretary general, Al-Suwaie indicated that the body has assigned a specialized lawyer to provide evidence.
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