AFCON
Uganda coach Put unfazed by Tunisia’s unbeaten streak
Uganda coach Paul Put believes Tunisia’s perfect record will not be a decisive factor ahead of their Group C clash at the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday.
Tunisia are unbeaten in their last seven matches and drew 1-1 with Brazil in their most recent friendly. They also finished the African World Cup qualifiers without conceding a goal, winning nine times and avoiding defeat in 10 matches.
Uganda, meanwhile, have lost twice in their last three games, against Algeria in World Cup qualifying and Morocco in a friendly, and will test themselves against another North African side in their group opener.
“To be honest, I am not busy with these kinds of things. We are facing Tunisia, who did not lose for many games,” Put told a press conference on Monday.
The Belgian coach, whose side are ranked 85th in the world, added: “It is a big team with very good players. But also we have a good team”.
Uganda began preparations for the tournament on December 8 in Morocco, despite FIFA’s decision to allow foreign-based players to join their national teams only one week before the competition, but Put refused to make excuses.
“‘It is a big and a good opportunity, because you are going to play not only for the African continent, but also for the whole world who watch this tournament,” he said. “I think we have the motivation, and we are going to do our level best to give a good performance.”
-Reuters
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Nigeria need to disregard outside noise and stay focused on their Africa Cup of Nations campaign after missing out on qualifying for next year’s World Cup, coach Eric Chelle said on Monday.
The Super Eagles face Tanzania in their opening Group C game on Tuesday, and the Malian coach urged his players to put behind them the disappointment of failing to reach the World Cup playoffs following defeat by the Democratic Republic of Congo in November.
“We prefer to stay focused at all times. I told the players to concentrate on themselves and on our development project. This is the most important thing we have,” Chelle told a press conference.
“We are our first opponent, we need to focus on ourselves and take out outside noise. Of course, the World Cup miss is painful”.
“We are here to win this first game. We have a tournament to play and we are here to be ambitious. I don’t have time to think about what happened before. I prefer to stay focused on what is happening right now,” he added.
Nigeria are struggling in defence due to injuries and the retirement of veteran William Troost-Ekong before the AFCON, but the 48-year-old coach expressed full confidence in his squad. The 2023 Nations Cup runners-up will also play Tunisia on December 27 and Uganda three days later in the group stage
-Reuters
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Ahead of Nigeria’s match with Tanzania in a Group C contest at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, Goldberg Lager Beer has launched a nationwide fan engagement campaign designed to mobilise support for the Super Eagles and rekindle the passion that drove the team to the final of the last tournament in Côte d’Ivoire.
The Super Eagles have been drawn in Group C alongside Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania, a pool widely regarded as one of the most competitive at the tournament.
Nigeria will begin their AFCON 2025 campaign against Tanzania on December 23 at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, before taking on Tunisia on December 27 and wrapping up the group stage against Uganda on December 30.
Goldberg’s campaign, themed ‘Our Beat, Our Gold’, is built around the rhythm, pride and resilience that unite Nigerians through football. The initiative positions the brand as a central part of the AFCON experience, combining live match viewing with music, entertainment and consumer rewards.
A flagship viewing centre will be hosted at the Police College in Ikeja, Lagos, with activities starting from 4:30 pm and free admission for fans.
This Lagos hub will be complemented by a network of fan parks and mini viewing centres across the country, extending the match-day experience to both major cities and regional communities.
According to the organisers, the activations aim to transform key locations nationwide into vibrant communal spaces on Nigeria’s match days, allowing supporters to come together in lively and safe environments to cheer on the Super Eagles.
The viewing centres are being designed as immersive cultural spaces where football meets entertainment.
Fans will enjoy live match action alongside music, dance, comedy performances and interactive games, with promotions and instant rewards enhancing the atmosphere.
The objective, Goldberg said, is to recreate the emotional intensity of the stadium experience for supporters watching away from the match venues.
“Our Beat, Our Gold is about capturing the rhythm of the Nigerian spirit,” said Maria Shadeko, Portfolio Manager for Premium Beer at Nigerian Breweries Plc. “Football has a unique way of bringing us together. At the last AFCON, we saw how belief, passion and unity carried the Super Eagles all the way to the final. As the team prepares for action in Morocco, Goldberg is once again creating spaces where Nigerians can gather, celebrate and push our Eagles towards a fourth AFCON title.”
Beyond fan-facing activities, the campaign also features strong trade and distributor engagement.
Through the Road to Morocco hospitality contest, Goldberg is rewarding top-performing distributors across the West and East zones with exclusive AFCON-related incentives.
The initiative is expected to boost sales performance while aligning the brand’s commercial goals with Nigeria’s continental football journey.
With AFCON 2025 fast approaching, Goldberg’s campaign aims to ensure that wherever Nigerians are watching from, the beat of support for the Super Eagles remains loud, unified and unmistakably gold.
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Mali will be without Yves Bissouma for their opening Africa Cup of Nations game on Monday, but coach Tom Saintfiet is confident the midfielder will make a positive contribution at the tournament in Morocco.
Bissouma is one of three players unavailable for the Group A match against Zambia in Casablanca along with central defender Sikou Niakate and right back Hamari Traore.
Bissouma, 29, has yet to feature for his club Tottenham Hotspur since being dropped before the Super Cup clash with Paris St Germain in August, and underwent ankle surgery after suffering an injury playing in a World Cup qualifier.
His 72 minutes against Madagascar in October was the only action he has seen this season.
Saintfiet said on Sunday that Bissouma was training and could be considered for their second group game against hosts Morocco in Rabat on Friday.
“In many major tournaments, some players start with injuries and then become most dangerous in the quarter-finals, semi-finals, or final,” the Mali coach said.
“Yves is my captain, he’s important, he’s the leader of our team and we have assurances that Yves will be ready during the tournament.
“When the matches get tougher, we’ll be glad to have him with us. We need a captain who’s present both mentally and physically,” Saintfiet added.
-Reuters
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