AFCON
AFCON 2025: Morocco is home away from home for African teams
Morocco has always been the ultimate destination in Africa for football tourists and major competitions. Even before their spectacular run at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, Morocco had played major role in the qualifying series.
In the run-up to Qatar 2022, many African countries with lower standard in stadium facilities ceded their home games to Morocco.
This is easily noticed in November 2022 when a five-day seven-match festival of World Cup qualifying matches were played in Morocco.
The series involved 10 countries, thus turning Morocco to become the preferred destination for African sports events due to its world-class infrastructure. The encounters were:
- Morocco faced Sudan on Friday 12 November 2021 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Complex in Rabat at 8:00 p.m. Sudan was the home team, playing Morocco in Morocco.
- Also on Friday 12 November 2021, Burkina Faso played Niger at Grand Stadium in Marrakech at 2:00 p.m. Burkina Faso was the home team.
- On Saturday 13 November 2021 in Group C, Liberia played against Nigeria in Tangier Grand Stadium at 5:00 p.m. Liberia Liberia was the home team.
- The next day, Sunday 14 November, it was the turn of Mali facing Uganda on at Agadir Grand Stadium before facing their Central African Republic counterpart on 16 November 2021 in Tangier at 5:00 p.m
- On Monday 15 November 2021, Guinea Bissau and Sudan in Group E faced off at the Marrakech Grand Stadium at 5:00 p.m.
- The encounter between Morocco and Guinea took place at 8:00 p.m. on 16 November 2021 at Mohammed V Sports Complex in Casablanca.
Before the November 2021 feast of football, Morocco had previously hosted eight African qualifying matches for Qatar World Cup 2022, from October 12 to 16 in 2021.
If the seven matches are added to the eight Morocco had earlier hosted within the qualifying series for Qatar 2022, the country is on record as having most Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifying matches.
Having played hosts to many African countries, Morocco is bidding to host the 24-nation Africa Cup of Nations in 2025 after the initial rights to Guinea were withdrawn.
According to official documents, CAF is asking for six stadiums from the bidding countries.
Two of the stadiums must have capacity for 40,000 crowd. Two others are to have 20,000 capacity while another set of two must have 15,000 capacity.
Morocco have stadiums that overwhelmingly have capacities way above what CAF has asked for.
The Grand Stade d’Agadir is a capacity of 45,480, thus having a surplus capacity of 5,480. The Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat has capacity for 52,000 which is 12,000 more than the requirement.
The Ibn Batouta Stadium in Tangier, currently co-hosting the FIFA Club World Cup with the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, is even more breathtaking.
It’s capacity of 65,000 means that the stadium has 25,000 capacity more than requirement. The Grand Stade d’ Marrakech holds 45,240 in its rectangular bowel. This is 4,524 more than the uppermost requirement that CAF is asking for.
The 45,000 capacity Hassan II stadium also exceeds the maximum requirement from CAF, so also that of the 65,000 capacity Stade Mohammed in Casablanca.
The on-going CAF AFCON Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Coaches Symposium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire has brought together, the last three coaches that handled the Nigeria national football team.
Gernot Rohr, Jose Peseiro and Austin Eguavoen are part of the the elite coaches currently gathered in Abidjan.
Gernot Rohr whose tenure of 5 years and 55 matches is the longest ever by any coach in Nigeria, is currently handling Nigeria’s Africa Cupof Nations and World Cup qualifying rivals, Benin Republic. He was succeeded in the interim by Austin Eguavoen who is currently having another interim stint.
Peseiro left his position after the Africa Cup of Nations
The goalless outing of Rwanda and Nigeria in Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations’ qualifying match has thrown up some lessons, according to New Times, the leading newspaper in Rwanda.
New Times reckons that both teams put up a great show as Amavubi showed their pedigree against one of the giants in African football. It then pointed out the five elements that shaped the game.
Amavubi played with total confidence
No African country comes close to Nigeria in terms of “big players” country. Almost all their players are playing for top clubs in Europe’s top leagues but that did not deter Frank Spittler’s men.
They played with total confidence and self-belief. At a point in the game, Rwanda and APR FC left-back Claude Niyomugabo was mesmerizing former Chelsea and Lazio player Ola Aina who is now with Nottingham forest to the point that he was booked his jersey when he couldn’t match his pace.
Confidence among Rwandan players was high and it helped them to get goalless draw results.
Bizimana, the midfield controller
The Amavubi skipper pocketed Nigerian midfield led by Wilfred Ndidi. He run a one-man show in the middle of the pitch as he was unplayable.
His passes and tackles were superb. He track-backed several times as deep as his own penalty box to win balls.
Lookman’s danger left Rwandan defense shaking
Victor Osimhen is arguably Nigeria’s star man but it is clear that Ademola Lookman is the most dangerous player in the team.
He could hold on the ball, dribble, shoot and pass. The Atalanta winger was the best player for the visitors as he gave Amavubi a tough time before being substituted in the 89th minute for Taiwo Awoniyi.
Amavubi’s attacking problem
“The only problem with my team is in attack. You could see the difference between my attackers and the Nigerian attackers but that is what we have now. Maybe it is the Nigerian attackers who should have played against the Nigerian defenders. We created some chances but couldn’t score.”
These were some of the comments made by Amavubi head coach Torsten Spittler in the post-match press conference.
Rwanda looked solid both at the back and in midfield but the likes of Innocent Nshuti and Gilbert Mugisha weren’t up to the task in attack.
They wasted three good chances that could have resulted in goals.
Goal scoring is a problem for Amavubi and Spittler is ready to find an antidote. The German gaffer was, however, happy that his team was able to create chances which is a sign of improvement.
Fiacre Ntwari’s heroics
The Amavubi shot stopper was the hero of the day for Rwanda, and he has showed why he is among the best goalkeepers in Africa now.
Against a rampaging Nigerian attack of Victor Boniface, Osimhen, Lookman, Awoniyi and Samuel Chukwueze among others, Ntwari pulled as many as nine superb saves to keep his side in the game.
The Kaizer Chiefs shot stopper was very cool in the posts as he prevented the Nigerian attackers from scoring.
Ntwari, is gradually carving a niche for himself and he is proving to be a key component of the Amavubi set up.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has clarified the position of interim manager of the Super Eagles, Austin Eguavoen. “He is still in charge”, the NFF Head of Communications, Ademola Olajire told Sports Village Square, this Wednesday.
Austin Eguavoen who is the Technical Director at the NFF was drafted to handle the Super Eagles when the negotiation with Germany’s Bruno Labbadia broke down. Eguavoen, a former Super Eagles player and later coach was drafted to rescue the situation.
It was claimed that having executed the Super Eagles’ immediate assignments, his job was done. But the NFF spokesman has clarified that nothing has changed from the initial announcement concerning Eguavoen.
“He remains with the team and his is an employee of the NFF which has drafted him to the Super Eagles. He remains there until the federation takes another decision.
“He was surprised when we landed from our Kigali trip and I showed the trending news on the social media.”
The Super Eagles’ next assignment will be on MatchDay 3 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers next month when the team hosts Libya in Uyo.
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