AFCON

Afcon 2023 teams set up seven pre-tournament camps in the Middle East and Africa

Published

2 years ago

December 28, 2023

Super Eagles of Nigeria along with Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Cape Verde Angola and Guinea set up camp in the United Arab Emirates

With the clock ticking down to the 13 January kick-off date for the 34^th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the 24 teams have set up seven camps in the Middle East, North Africa, South Africa and West Africa as well as some remaining at home.

The camps are in Saudi Arabia, UAE, West Africa, South Africa, Tunisia, Algeria as well as some remaining in their home countries.

In the United Arab Emirates are six teams from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Cape Verde Angola and Guinea.

Fourth in the last edition, Burkina Faso chose to set up camp in Dubai on December 28, where the Stallions will play a mini-tournament with Nigeria and the DR Congo.

The Congolese and Burkinabes will face off on January 10.

It’s worth noting that Sébastien Desabre’s men are expected in Abu Dhabi at the end of December.

These two teams will be joined by Cape Verde, fine-tunning its preparation in Abu Dhabi before flying to Rades in Tunisia where they will face the Carthage Eagles on January 10.

Abu Dhabi is a carefully considered choice for Kaba Diawara: “Initially, we will meet in Conakry on December 28 and do everything related to flag presentation, celebration, receiving the head of state, and saying goodbye to families on our soil.

“We will be in Abu Dhabi on the 31st to start training. We will leave there for Cote d’Ivoire on January 11 or 12, 2024,” explained the Guinean coach.

Nigeria chose to set up in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates during their preparation. The Super Eagles will face the DR Congo and Burkina Faso during this period.

Nigerians will likely encounter Angola, who also chose Dubai for their training camp.

At the Saudi Arabia training camp are the quartet of Cameroon, Gambia, Zambia, and Cape Verde which also will partly be in UAE and later Tunisia.

Cameroon and Gambia, the two teams set to face each other on January 23 in Group B of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, will prepare in the same country of Saudi Arabia.

According to the Cameroonian press, a contingent of 23 Indomitable Lions will travel to Jeddah on December 27.

Gambia will stay in Saudi Arabia from December 27 to January 5 before heading to Morocco, where a match against the Atlas Lions is planned on January 7.

After a brief gathering with local players, Zambia will fly to Riyadh, with a friendly match scheduled around January 7.

South Africa is another training centre where Ghana and Mozambique will be. Ghanaians will spend New Year’s Eve together in South Africa. The Black Stars will undergo a 10-day training camp where the press and the public will not be able to attend their sessions.

A test match against Botswana is scheduled for Chris Hughton’s men on January 8 before flying to Abidjan.

Mozambicans will also travel to South Africa before the Africa Cup of Nations.

The trio of Algeria, Guinea Bossau and Namibia opted to set up camp in West Africa

Algeria heads to Togo. From January 1 to 10, the Fennecs will conduct their preparation stage in Lomé. The 2021 African champions will play against Togo on January 5 and Burundi on January 9.

Guinea Bissau will go to Mali. The Djurtus will face the Eagles on January 3 before heading to Ivory Coast on January 7. Namibia will be in Ghana.

Both Mauritania and Zambia opted to set up training camp in Tunisia. After Abu Dhabi, Cape Verde will go to Tunisia, where a match against the Carthage Eagles is scheduled.

Mauritania will start its preparation in Tabarka, a coastal city in northwest Tunisia. Amir Abdou and his team will be there until January 11 and will face Tunisia on January 6.

Tanzania will prepare on the side of Annaba in Algeria. Two friendly matches against nations participating in the AFCON are under discussion.

Eight nations have decided to carry out their preparation at home, including Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Tunisia, Mali, Senegal, and Ivory Coast, the host country of the competition.

AFCON

Super Eagles’ Flight Path to Last Biennial Cycle AFCON To Emerge This Tuesday

Published

9 hours ago

January 13, 2026

Kunle Solaja

By Kunle Solaja, Casablanca enroute Tangier

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will this Tuesday discover the roadmap to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations when the Confederation of African Football conducts the draw for the qualifying series of the continent’s flagship tournament.

The draw marks the formal start of the qualification race for the 2027 finals, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. It will be the first time three nations co-host the Africa Cup of Nations and also the last edition to be staged on a biennial cycle before the competition switches to a four-year format.

According to the Confederation of African Football, the qualification process will begin with preliminary rounds involving the lowest-ranked teams on the continent.

The six winners from those preliminary ties will advance to join 42 other nations already assured of a place in the main qualification phase.

Nigeria, ranked among Africa’s top sides, are expected to enter directly into the group stage of the qualifiers, avoiding the preliminary hurdle. Once the full list of 48 teams is confirmed, CAF is widely expected to place them into 12 groups, with each group producing two qualifiers.

That format would see 24 teams secure tickets to the finals, known as the “Pamoja” tournament — a Swahili word meaning “together”, symbolising the joint-hosting arrangement by the three East African nations.

For the Super Eagles, the draw will offer early clues about the difficulty of their qualification campaign, including potential long-haul travel challenges, regional rivalries and scheduling demands. Nigeria have qualified for 20 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and will be targeting a smooth passage to the 2027 finals as they continue rebuilding after recent continental campaigns.

CAF is yet to publish the full calendar and match windows for the qualifiers, but the process is expected to align with FIFA international windows, allowing European-based stars to feature regularly for their national teams.

As Nigeria await Tuesday’s draw, attention will be firmly fixed on which opponents stand between the Super Eagles and a place at what promises to be a historic Africa Cup of Nations in East Africa — and the closing chapter of AFCON’s long-running biennial era.

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AFCON

AFCON Promise Turns Sour as Self-Styled Marabout Arrested for Fraud in Mali

Published

9 hours ago

January 13, 2026

Kunle Solaja

A man who styled himself as a marabout on social media and boldly promised Mali victory at the Africa Cup of Nations has been arrested for fraud after collecting more than 22 million CFA francs (about €33,500), local sources told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The man, identified only as Sinayogo, had solicited donations online in exchange for spiritual assurances that the Eagles of Mali would lift the continental trophy. His claims collapsed dramatically on Friday night when Mali were knocked out of the tournament at the quarter-final stage by Senegal, losing 1–0.

According to one of his associates, Sinayogo had raised more than 22 million CFA francs during Mali’s run at the Africa Cup of Nations. But following the elimination, anger spilt onto the streets. An irate crowd reportedly gathered at his residence, forcing police to intervene and remove him for his own safety.

Sinayogo was arrested on Saturday and placed in detention at the cybercrime unit, according to two videographers who previously worked with him and later visited him in custody. Authorities confirmed he is being held on suspicion of fraud linked to online deception.

“Charlatanism is punishable by law in Mali,” an official from the cybercrime unit told AFP. The official added that taking action earlier would have been difficult while the national team remained in the competition, describing the period as “the heat of the Africa Cup of Nations.”

Further details have since emerged about Sinayogo’s rise. A social media content creator close to him said the man was previously known as a political activist before “proclaiming himself a marabout overnight and making a fortune.”

The case has ignited debate in Mali over superstition, social media influence and the emotional pull of football, as hopes of continental glory once again gave way to disappointment — and, this time, a police investigation.

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AFCON

Once Teammates, Now Rivals, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane Clash Again At AFCON Bottom of Form

Published

9 hours ago

January 13, 2026

Kunle Solaja

By Kunle Solaja, Casablanca enroute Tangier

Former Liverpool teammates Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah will face each other on opposing sides for the first time in three years on Wednesday when Senegal will meet Egypt in the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations.

The last-four clash, scheduled for the Moroccan city of Tangier, marks the first occasion Mané and Salah have shared the same pitch since Liverpool lost to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final in May 2022.

Soon after that defeat, Mané departed Liverpool for Bayern Munich, before moving on to Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League a year later. Salah, meanwhile, has remained at Liverpool despite persistent links with a switch to Saudi Arabia and a challenging period under new coach Arne Slot before the Cup of Nations.

The Egypt captain has been in outstanding form in Morocco, scoring four goals in four matches to drive the Pharaohs’ run to the semi-finals. The tournament represents another chance for Salah to secure his first Africa Cup of Nations title, a prize that has so far eluded him.

With his 34th birthday approaching in June, time is becoming a factor for Salah, who has twice tasted final heartbreak.

He was part of the Egypt side beaten by Cameroon in the 2017 final in Gabon, and then captained the team that lost on penalties to Senegal in the 2022 final in Yaoundé.

Wednesday’s showdown adds another chapter to the Mané–Salah rivalry, with a place in the Africa Cup of Nations final at stake and both stars seeking to tilt the balance of recent history in their favour

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