AFCON

Two Africa Cup of Nations winners make Nigeria’s 25-man squad for AFCON 2023 campaign

Published

7 months ago

December 29, 2023

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Ahmed Musa, Nigeria’s most capped international player and Kenneth Omeruo may be on the threshold of history as they are among a 25-man squad of the Super Eagles to the Africa Cup of Nations holding in Cote d’Ivoire.

Should Nigeria triumph, they will be the first players to have Africa Cup of Nations gold medals.

They were part of the Super Eagles that won the title 10 years ago in South Africa. In releasing the final list, Nigeria opted for 25, two short of the 27 that CAF allowed.

The registration of 27 players on the final list of is only an option and not an obligation.

According to CAF, in case a team submits a final squad of between 24 and 27 players, only 23 of them will be available for selection for each match during the tournament.

Nigeria’s 25 players are composed of three goalkeepers, nine defenders, five midfielders and eight forwards, suggesting that the Super Eagles plan to be attack-oriented.

It will be the first appearance of skipper of the side, Ahmed Musa whose last outing with the team was on 27 March 2023 when he came in as a 90^th minute substitute in the 1-0 away win over Guinea Bissau in Bissau.

He was an unused substitute in the 3-2 away win over Sierra Leone on 18 June 2023 and had thus missed Super Eagles’ last six matches.

The latest inclusion in the squad is South Africa-based goalkeeper Stanley Nwabili who is picked alongside Francis Uzoho and Olorunleke Ojo.

Kenneth Omeruo, easily one the longest serving players in the squad, who made his senior debut in the goalless draw with Cape Verde in a 19 January 2013 friendly match, is expected to lead the defence line. With him are

William Ekong, as well as Olaoluwa Aina, Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, Calvin Bassey, Zaidu Sanusi, Chidozie Awaziem, Bright Osayi-Samuel and Bruno Onyemaechi.

Wilfred Ndidi is also back in the team after missing the World Cup qualifying matches against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, and will be expected to adequately feed the strike-force alongside Alex Iwobi, Raphael Onyedika, Joe Ayodele-Aribo and Frank Onyeka.

Musa, Nigeria’s record goalscorer at the FIFA World Cup finals with a brace each in Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018, is in the forward-line alongside Africa Player of the Year Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho, Moses Simon, Samuel Chukwueze, Victor Boniface, Sadiq Umar and Ademola Lookman.

All the 25 players will depart from their different bases on Tuesday, 2^nd January to fly into Abu Dhabi, capital city of the United Arab Emirates, for a one-week training camp that will last until Tuesday, 9^th January. The team will fly back to Lagos on Tuesday 9^th January, and then fly into the Ivorian capital, Abidjan on Wednesday, 10^th January.

The Super Eagles, in their quest for a fourth continental title, will take on Equatorial Guinea on Sunday, 14^th January in their first match of Group A, before further clashes with host nation Cote d’Ivoire (18^th January) and Guinea Bissau (22^nd January).

Nigeria, who will be participating in the Africa Cup of Nations for the 20^th time, were champions as hosts in 1980, triumphant in Tunisia in 1994 and crowned winners in South Africa in 2013.

When Cote d’Ivoire hosted the finals in 1984, a young Nigerian squad led by the inimitable Stephen Keshi went all the way to the Final, before losing to much-experienced Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in a memorable Final at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan.

ALL THE INVITED PLAYERS:

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabili (Chippa United, South Africa); Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus); Olorunleke Ojo (Enyimba FC)

Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Chidozie Awaziem (Boavista FC, Portugal); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); William Troost-Ekong (PAOK Salonika, Greece); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal); Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal)

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Joe Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Sivasspor K, Turkey); Victor Osimhen (Napoli SC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)

AFCON

Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 fixtures almost in same pattern with World Cup qualifiers

Published

2 weeks ago

July 12, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Confederation of African Football (CAF) has now released the full fixtures of the qualifying series for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The fixtures for the Nigerian team is almost in the same pattern with that of the 2026 World Cup qualification which has seen the Super Eagles wobbling.

Like that of the World Cup, the Super Eagles will begin their quest for qualifcation for AFCON with a home game in Uyo as they will host Benin Republic.

As it was in the World Cup, they will then head to Rwanda. Last November, their second match was played in Rwanda which hosted Zimbabwe home match. This time the Super Eagles will be facing Rwanda, the same team they will meet when the World Cup qualification series resume in March next year.

On Match Day 3, the Super Eagles will host Libya and will have the reverse fixture immediately after that of Match Day 3.

Later they travel to Benin for Match Day 5 before hosting Rwanda on the last match day.

The Fixtures

September 2 – Nigeria vs Benin Republic; Libya vs Rwanda

September 6 – Rwanda vs Nigeria; Benin Republic vs Libya

October 11 – Nigeria vs Libya; Benin Republic vs Rwanda

October 16 – Libya vs Nigeria; Rwanda vs Benin Republic

November 11 – Benin Republic vs Nigeria; Rwanda vs Libya

November 15 – Nigeria vs Rwanda; Libya vs Benin Republic

The top two teams qualify for AFCON 2025

AFCON

Rohr roars warning to Benin; Nigeria, Rwanda will not be easy

Published

3 weeks ago

July 5, 2024

Kunle Solaja

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Former Nigeria manager, Gernot Rohr now handling Benin Republic has warned The Cheetahs of Benin not to expect an easy match when the team meet Rwanda and Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers later this month.

Last month, he led his team to defeat both Rwanda and Nigeria in World Cup qualifying duels in Abidjan, where Benin Republic are compelled to play their home matches following inadequate facilities at home.

Benin’s 1-0 defeat of Rwanda was Rohr’s first victory with the team. Days later, he followed up with a 2-1 defeat of Nigeria, the first Benin Republic victory in over 65 years.

Those wins have put Benin in the frame of possible qualification for the World Cup. They are now to meet Nigeria and Rwanda again in World Cup qualifiers.

It won’t be easy, remarked Rohr. Hear the Franco-German as he spoke in French but translated into English for the Sports Village Square: “From September we will play against Nigeria before facing Libya and Rwanda.

“These are three difficult opponents. We had already played Rwanda and Nigeria but be careful, it’s not because we won Rwanda and Nigeria that it will be easy matches.

“ We know that it is possible to achieve good performances again. We know that Nigeria with its great players will want to take revenge against us.

“ I think it will probably be an interesting match in Uyo before continuing against Libya. I suppose in Abidjan because in September the Mathieu Kerekou friendship stadium will not be ready.

“Everything will be decided in three months in September, October and November. It’s a difficult group but it’s playable.

“You have to finish in the top two. We had a team that is becoming solid, where the players are like brothers, accomplices. I hope we will recover the players who were absent. We are confident.”

AFCON

Coaches react after intriguing Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers Draw

Published

3 weeks ago

July 5, 2024

Kunle Solaja

The journey towards qualification to the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 shifted a gear higher on Thursday, after CAF officially conducted the draw of the qualifiers in Johannesburg South Africa.

A total of 48 nations will vie for the 24 places that will contests the 35th edition of Africa’s most prestigious competition.

This is what some of the coaches has to say in reaction to the draw outcomes.

Emerse Fae, Cote d’Ivoire coach

“I am satisfied because we are going to play against Zambia, a team that we know very well. In our last qualifying campaign, we lost against them. We know what mistakes to avoid.

“I am also satisfied because I did not want to have countries geographically far from Cote d’Ivoire which will lessen the travel load. That said, in Africa, there are no longer small teams. All the teams will want to challenge us because we are the reigning champions”

Leslie Notši

“The draw is very interesting because when you have the host in your group, it means they qualify automatically for the tournament, and you have to double your efforts to secure the remaining qualification spot which will be contested by the three other teams in the group.

“We will work very hard to see to it that we are competitive side and try as much as we can to get maximum points in matches against countries that are with us in our group. It will be very important to do well in our home games and I know all eyes will be on “Morocco as the hosts and a powerhouse in our group. We will draw inspiration from recent games where we played the likes of Nigeria as well as Cote d’voire and were able to frustrate them”

Amir Abdou, Mauritania Coach

“Quite a complicated draw. Egypt will be the big contender for qualification. They have a good track record that speaks volumes.

“Seven times African champions – that’s no small thing. We also have Cape Verde who eliminated us during the last AFCON.

“This team is made up of many quality players. We have Botswana, they are having a good qualifying campaign for the World Cup. We have a pretty strong group. It’s up to us to believe in ourselves. We will do everything we can to achieve our fourth participation in the AFCON”.

Kévin Nicaise, Chad coach

“We are already having the reigning African champions facing the last qualified team in the FIFA rankings. These will definitely be very difficult matches played at high intensity. We will fight to defend our nation’s pride. The group remains relatively open, and we will approach these qualifications with humility and ambition”.

Badou Zaki, Niger coach

“We have every chance of qualifying. For me, Ghana is a football country with a team that is blessed with great professionals. But this is not the team of 5 or 6 years ago. Even at home, they can lose.

“Angola had a good showing at the last AFCON with their beautiful, modern and fast football. It’s a team that shook up the big teams in Cote d’Ivoire.

“I know Sudan very well. They are first in their World Cup qualifying group. They are going to be dangerous, but we know our strengths and we know we can go far”

-CAF