AFCON
Afcon 2023 teams set up seven pre-tournament camps in the Middle East and Africa
With the clock ticking down to the 13 January kick-off date for the 34th 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.
By Eby Emenike
When the Confederation of African Football (CAF) unveiled the list of match officials for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, a worrying detail jumped out: Nigeria was nowhere to be found. Not a referee, not an assistant referee, not even a video match official.
For a country that proudly calls itself the “giant of Africa” in football, the omission is more than symbolic. It is alarming.
Nigeria’s last appearance in AFCON officiating dates back to 2006, when Emmanuel Imiere handled a group-stage encounter between Guinea and Zambia in Alexandria. Nineteen years later, a new generation of African referees is emerging—and Nigeria has no seat at the table.
Continental Comparison
The contrast is stark:
- Egypt – 6 officials
- Algeria – 5
- Morocco – 5
- Nigeria – 0
Even smaller football nations such as Benin, Eswatini and São Tomé & Príncipe are represented.
Why Has Nigeria Fallen Behind?
Football insiders point to three interconnected factors.
Training Gaps:
CAF now requires stringent certification, including VAR competence. Nigerian referees have lagged behind these evolving standards, and few have transitioned into the modern refereeing ecosystem.
Governance Failures:
Refereeing development has not featured prominently in Nigeria’s football administration agenda. Without structured national training pathways, Nigerian officials are left out of CAF’s refereeing pipeline.
Systemic Neglect:
Experts argue this is not a case of individuals failing to rise—it is a system that has stopped producing elite match officials.
A Continental Shift—Women Step Forward
While Nigeria sits out, CAF is expanding the horizon of African officiating. The inclusion of female referees and assistants reflects a progressive shift. Names like Uganda’s Shamirah Nabadda, Cameroon’s Carine Fomo, and Zambia’s Diana Chikotesha underline the arrival of women at the heart of the African game.
This is inclusion in real time—and Nigeria is missing from that story too.
What Must Change
Nigeria’s absence at AFCON 2025 should be a call to action. Investment in refereeing development, modernization of training programmes, and a coherent strategy for talent identification are urgently required.
Football is more than players, coaches and goals. It is officiating, governance, and the structures that hold the entire ecosystem together.
Nigeria cannot continue to boast of football greatness if it remains empty-handed each time Africa’s biggest football event calls on the continent’s best officials. The question now is whether Nigerian football authorities will respond—with policy, investment, and vision—or watch quietly from the sidelines.
As Africa takes steps forward, the danger is that Nigeria may be taking steps back.
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President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa, on Monday welcomed Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, President of the Senegalese National Olympic and Sports Committee and head of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee, at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salé, as part of efforts to deepen sporting cooperation between Morocco and Senegal.
The visit focused on strengthening partnership and sharing organisational expertise ahead of major continental and international sporting events.
Both parties highlighted their respective experiences in hosting and preparing global competitions, stressing the importance of continuous consultation to improve organisational capabilities.
Lekjaa encouraged the Senegalese delegation to work closely with the Local Organizing Committee for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, offering day-to-day engagement as a platform for exchanging operational knowledge.
The collaboration, officials said, would enhance technical preparation and reinforce joint efforts in sports event management.
During the meeting, the FRMF President also delivered an update on Morocco’s preparations for AFCON 2025, noting the longstanding friendship and cooperation between the two countries, and their shared commitment to sports development.
The session was attended by Her Excellency the Ambassador of the Republic of Senegal to Morocco.
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AFCON
NFF Hails Troost-Ekong as Super Eagles Captain Announces Retirement from International Football
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has paid glowing tribute to Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong following his announcement on Thursday, 4 December 2025, that he is retiring immediately from international football.
In a statement released after what it described as a “dispassionate evaluation” of his decade-long service, the NFF lauded Troost-Ekong’s leadership, commitment, and patriotism throughout his 10-year spell with the national team.
Troost-Ekong, who made his senior debut for Nigeria in 2015, captained the Super Eagles with what the Federation called “gusto, zeal and patriotic fervour,” earning widespread respect for his humility, discipline, and ambition both before and after he assumed the captaincy.
“William was a dedicated, selfless and humble leader of the Super Eagles for so many years,” the statement read. “He bestrode the pitch with passion, pride, purpose and a commendable sense of duty. Even before becoming captain, he wore the green-and-white with joy, zest and focus.”
The NFF highlighted his standout performances at three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments—Egypt 2019, Cameroon 2021 and Côte d’Ivoire 2023—describing them as benchmarks for future generations. His silver and bronze medals were part of a larger, distinguished journey that included representing Nigeria at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, where he played a key role in the team’s campaign.
Troost-Ekong, who accumulated 83 caps for Nigeria across five major competitions, is leaving the international stage “a fulfilled man,” the NFF said, noting that his decade of service is one he can look back on “with pride and a sense of accomplishment.”
His decisive three goals during Nigeria’s run to the AFCON 2023 Final in Côte d’Ivoire earned him the prestigious Man of the Competition award, becoming one of the few defenders in the tournament’s history to claim the honour.
As he steps away from international duties, the NFF expressed gratitude for his contributions and pledged support for his future ambitions in football.
“The Nigeria Football Federation wishes William Troost-Ekong the very best in his future endeavours,” the statement concluded. “We will do whatever we can, within our capacity, to help him achieve his goals and objectives within the round-leather game.”
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AFCON 2025: Nigeria Missing on the Referees’ List—A Symptom of a Deeper Problem
Lekjaa Hosts Senegalese Olympic Chief, Strengthens Morocco–Senegal Sports Cooperation
William Troost-Ekong Receives Governor’s Tribute After International Retirement
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