AS SUPER EAGLES CLOCK 70; 20 AMAZING FACTS AHEAD OF NIGERIA-GUINEA AFCON MATCH

Published

6 years ago

June 24, 2019

BY KUNLE SOLAJA

Both Nigeria and Guinea meet in Alexandria on Wednesday in continuation of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

As usual, www.sportsvillagesquare.com takes an insightful look at the match and comes out with the following 20 points of interest.

The match marks the 70^th year since the Nigeria national team was first composed on June 26, 1949 when the names of 17 of the eventual 18 national team players were announced. The 18^th player, Okoronkwo Kanu (anglicized as Kanoo) was added on July 2, 1949. The announcement was made by the national team selection committee after four trial matches involving selected sides from the Northern Nigeria, East, West and Lagos.

The encounter with Guinea will be Nigeria’s 88^th Africa Cup of Nations’ match in 18 out of 32 editions. The Super Eagles have won 46 of the preceding 87 matches; lost 19 drew 22 and had scored 121 goals, conceding 84.

The encounter will be Guinea’s 41^st Africa Cup of Nations’ match in 13 of 32 editions winning 11 drew 15, lost 13 and scoring 55 goals while conceding 57.

The match will be the second time both Nigeria and Guinea will in the Africa Cup of Nations finals. Both played in the second round of the 1976 edition in Ethiopia.

Guinea’s coach, Paul Put from Belgium will be lining up a team against Nigeria for the third time. In 2013, he guided Burkina Faso to two matches against Nigeria. The first at the group stage ended 1-1, while Nigeria won the second match, the final game of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. He will therefore be on a vengeance mission on Wednesday.

Guinea was the stepping stone for Nigeria’s first participation at the Africa Cup of Nations in 1963.
Guinea was the team that denied Nigeria qualification for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, the last to be held on an even-numbered year.

Guinea was the last team the Super Eagles played against at the Abuja arena, now renamed MKO Abiola National Stadium.

Guinea was the team Nigeria beat to get first continental honours, the gold medal of the 2^nd All Africa Games football event, the only gold medal Nigeria won in the 54-year old sports fiesta.

Some Nigeria-Guinea matches had dramatic endings featuring last minute goals. There are three of such instances.

In 1976 both met at the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations in Ethiopia. Final score line was 1-1 following Muda Lawal’s goal in the 52^nd minute and Papa Camara’s equaliser at the dot of 90 minutes.

On April 25, 1981, both teams met in A World Cup qualifier in Lagos. Scores were even in the first leg in Conakry, making the Lagos match the ultimate decider. Henry Nwosu scored in the last minute to give Nigeria the edge.

On October 8, 2011, both played a 2-2 draw as Guinea’s Ibrahim Diallo scored a last minute goal that denied Nigeria, the qualification for 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

Mikel Obi, if fielded, will be the only member of the 2011 squad of the Super Eagles that will be in the line-up when Nigeria faces Guinea again on Wednesday.

Both Nigeria and Guinea maintained rivalries in the 1963 with the introduction of the Tafawa Balewa Cup, a trophy donated for bilateral competition by the first Nigerian Prime Minister. In the first leg of the only edition of the competition, Guinea beat Nigeria 3-0 in Conakry while the return leg ended 1-1 in Lagos.

Former Nigerian striker, Daniel Amokachi last scored for the Super Eagles in an encounter with Guinea on April 5, 1997.

Former Nigerian skipper, Muda Lawal scored the first of his 11 goals for Nigeria in the March 9, 1976 match against at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ethiopia.

Super Eagles have three victories in the Africa Cup of Nations and placed runners up five times and seven third placed positions while Guinea’s best outing is the runners up position in 1976.

Both Nigeria and Guinea maintained rivalries in the 1963 with the introduction of the Tafawa Balewa Cup, a trophy donated for bilateral competition by the first Nigerian Prime Minister. In the first leg of the only edition of the competition, Guinea beat Nigeria 3-0 in Conakry while the return leg ended 1-1 in Lagos

A win for Nigeria on Wednesday secures a Round of 16 ticket, even with a match to spare.

Wednesday’s match will be the 15^th confrontation of the Super Eagles and Syli Nationale of Guinea. Honours are evenly shared with both teams winning four matches and losing the same number of games. They drew six times. This Africa Cup of Nations’ confrontation will therefore be a “tie-breaker”.

NIGERIA-GUINEA HEAD-TO-HEAD

P W D L GF GA

Nigeria 14 4 6 4 17 14

Guinea 14 4 6 4 14 17

27 Jul. 1963 (Afconq) Nigeria 2-2 Guinea
6 Oct. 1963 (Afconq) Guinea 1-0 Nigeria * match awarded to Nigeria on technical ground
1 Dec. 1971(Balewa Cup) Guinea 3-0 Nigeria
30 Jan. 1972(Balewa Cup) Nigeria 1-1 Guinea
18 Jan. 1973 (2AAG) Nigeria 2-0 Guinea
9 March 1976 (Afcon) Guinea 1-1 Nigeria
12 Apr. 1981 (WCq) Guinea 1-1 Nigeria
25 Apr. 1981 (WCq) Nigeria 1-0 Guinea
9 Apr. 1989(Afconq) Guinea 1-1 Nigeria
22 Apr. 1989 (Afconq) Nigeria 3-0 Guinea
5 Apr. 1997 (WCq) Nigeria 2-1 Guinea
17 Aug. 1997 (WCq) Guinea 1-0 Nigeria
10 Oct. 2010 (Afconq) Guinea 1-0 Nigeria
8 Oct. 2011 (Afconq) Nigeria 2-2 Guinea

Royal Air Maroc named official partner for AFCON 2025, WAFCON 2024

Published

1 week ago

April 19, 2025

Kunle Solaja

The African Football Confederation (CAF) and Royal Air Maroc (RAM) have sealed a historic strategic partnership that grants Morocco’s national airline the status of “Official Global Partner” for upcoming major African football competitions.

The agreement was signed Saturday morning in Casablanca, in the presence of Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) President Fouzi Lekjaâ.

This partnership encompasses several prestigious tournaments, including the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (AFCON) 2025 (December 21, 2025 – January 18, 2026) and CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (WAFCON) 2024 (July 5-26, 2025).

The agreement also covers CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF Champions League 2024/2025 Finals, CAF Confederation Cup 2024/2025 Finals, and the CAF Women’s Champions League 2025.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe voiced enthusiasm about the collaboration.

“We are excited about the partnership between CAF and Royal Air Maroc, a world-class airline that will provide comfort and fly NationalTeams participating in the CAF competitions,” he said.

“We are confident that the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 will be the most successful AFCON in the history of this competition.”

The agreement strengthens RAM’s footprint across Africa and globally, solidifying its role as a strategic gateway between Africa and the rest of the world. It also aligns with Morocco’s emergence as an international sports hub, with the country preparing to host AFCON 2025 and co-host the FIFA World Cup 2030.

RAM’s Chairman and CEO Hamid Addou stated: “This historic partnership with CAF aligns fully with our strategic vision as an airline deeply rooted in Africa and committed to its development.”

“Royal Air Maroc doesn’t just connect destinations; it builds bridges between cultures and passions. By supporting the continent’s biggest football competitions, we reaffirm our role as a facilitator of human and sporting exchanges,” he continued.

500,000 supporters expected

Beyond its partnership role, RAM will implement an exceptional operational system to meet increased demand during CAF competitions. The airline plans to welcome over 500,000 supporters for AFCON 2025.

“We believe we will surpass this figure by far,” revealed Addou. “We will be ready to accommodate these supporters across Royal Air Maroc’s entire network.”

The airline intends to double seat capacity from qualified countries already served by RAM, such as Dakar, Abidjan, Cairo, Tunis, Bamako, Lagos, and Douala.

RAM will also intensify flight frequencies from European cities with large African communities, including Paris, Brussels, Milan, London, Marseille, Lyon, Madrid, and Barcelona.

Additionally, the airline will establish a dedicated program for domestic air transport of national teams, shuttling them between their base camps and host cities.

This positioning establishes RAM as the primary connector between Africa and Europe through its Casablanca hub. FRMF President Fouzi Lekjaâ noted that the contract “reinforces Royal Air Maroc’s first-rate leadership role in Africa.”

“Royal Air Maroc is no stranger to football,” Lekjaâ added. “It has always supported generations of our athletes and footballers here in Morocco.”

“With this expertise and experience, they will contribute significantly to making AFCON 2025 Morocco exceptional, a historic turning point in African football, cultural coexistence and African cultural exchange,” he concluded.

Addou stressed RAM’s commitment to African unity: “We are all extremely proud to be African, and in every corner of this vast and magnificent continent, we share the same ambition—to actively contribute to Africa’s development and influence.”

The RAM CEO concluded by inviting everyone to upcoming CAF calendar events: “We’ll see you very soon for the great moments ahead in the CAF calendar, particularly the Women’s AFCON starting in July and, of course, the men’s AFCON, which kicks off on December 25.”

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AFCON

Morocco speeds up stadium upgrades ahead of AFCON 2025

Published

1 week ago

April 18, 2025

Kunle Solaja

The presidents of the regional councils concerned by the hosting of the matches of the Africa Cup of Nations (Morocco-2025) unanimously affirmed that the implementation of infrastructure projects in anticipation of this continental event “is progressing at a sustained pace”, declaring themselves “fully mobilized” to crown with success the major sporting events scheduled in the Kingdom.

They specified, in statements to the press in Rabat following a meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior devoted to the assessment of the progress of the construction and rehabilitation works of the stadiums, that major sports infrastructure projects are underway in the six host cities: Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Fez, Marrakech and Agadir.

The President of the Casablanca-Settat Regional Council, Abdellatif Maâzouz, announced that the projects planned for upcoming international sporting events, in particular the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup, “are proceeding under good conditions.”

The projects related to the organisation of the AFCON will be ready by next July at the latest, he assured, specifying that there is a clear vision regarding the preparations underway for the AFCON and the 2030 World Cup, both in terms of equipment and organisational arrangements related to human resources and animation.

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AFCON

‘Land of Football’ is ‘Kingdom of Light’ as Moroccan Tourism Office and Football Federation Strike Accord

Published

2 weeks ago

April 14, 2025

Kunle Solaja

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Morocco’s football federation and tourism office have signed a groundbreaking agreement to establish the country as a major football and tourism destination leading to the milestone 2030 World Cup when the global football tournament clocks a century.

The Moroccan football body and the Tourism Office are building on the national team’s recent international success.

Though with just one success in the Africa Cup of Nations, Moroccan football soars higher than the rest in Africa and the Arab world at the World Cup.

Apart from being the only African and Arab country to have reached the World Cup semi-final stage, Morocco in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico became the first African team not to be defeated in a World Cup match when they forced Bulgaria to a 1-1 draw on 11 June.

Again, in Mexico, this time at the 1986 World Cup, Morocco became the first African team to top a group and cross the group stage.

They were just two minutes away from a major upset of West Germany in the round of 16 before Lothar Matthäus’ back-breaking goal.

The success of the football team and the tourism potential of Morocco have found a harmonious chord.

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and the National Moroccan Tourism Office (ONMT) will work together under the banner “Morocco, Land of Football,” placing the sport at the heart of the country’s tourism strategy.

“More than an institutional partnership, this convention is a shared vision: that of a Morocco that shines through football and makes it a lever for promotion, pride and tourist attractiveness,” ONMT said in a statement released after the signing.

The timing of this collaboration is strategic, coming ahead of two major sporting events: the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.

The initiative builds on widespread public enthusiasm following the Atlas Lions’ historic World Cup performance in 2022.

Under the agreement, both organizations will implement an integrated communication strategy combining visibility campaigns, influence marketing, and joint promotional activities.

The initiative will mobilize iconic figures from Moroccan football to bring this vision to life, to showcase the country’s world-class sporting facilities, rich cultural heritage, and diverse tourist attractions.

ONMT has launched a major offensive at making Morocco, the ultimate tourism and business destination as the clock ticks down to the 35th Africa Cup of Nations holding in December.

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