AFCON
BURKINA FASO, GUINEA QUALIFY, FOUR-GOAL ETHIOPIA CRUSH MADAGASCAR
Burkina Faso and Guinea qualified Wednesday for the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon next January, while Ethiopia trounced Madagascar 4-0 as matchday 5 kicked off.
The Burkinabe secured a place for the sixth time in their last seven attempts by forcing a 0-0 Group B draw away to Uganda near Kampala.
Uganda must avoid defeat in Malawi Monday to join Burkina Faso at the 24-team tournament, which has been delayed one year by the coronavirus pandemic.
Malawi kept hopes of a first Cup of Nations appearance since 2010 alive by edging South Sudan 1-0 through a Richard Mbulu goal in Sudan as the national stadium in Juba is being renovated.
Guinea booked a place from Group A by defeating already-qualified Mali 1-0 in Conakry via a goal from substitute Seydouba Soumah with 15 minutes remaining.
Burkina Faso and Guinea join defending champions Algeria, Mali, Senegal, Tunisia and automatic qualifiers as hosts Cameroon in securing places, leaving 17 places up for grabs.
Ethiopia rose from third to first in Group K with an unexpectedly convincing triumph over Madagascar, who were the surprise side of the 2019 Cup of Nations in Egypt, reaching the quarterfinals as debutants.
The Ethiopians are ranked 42nd in Africa – 21 places below the Malagasys – but it was hard to believe that fact as they dominated the first half in Bahir Dar to turn over with a three-goal advantage.
Amanuel Gebremichael was first to score for a country that has featured at the Cup of Nations only once since 1976, followed by Getaneh Kebede and Abubeker Nassir.
Egypt-based Shimelis Bekele, the only starter who plays his club football outside Ethiopia, completed the rout four minutes from time.
Sudan stay in hunt –
Ethiopia have nine points, Cote d’Ivoire and Madagascar seven each and Niger three with the two west African sides meeting in Niamey Friday.
On Tuesday, the Ivorians host the Ethiopians and the Malagasys enjoy home advantage over the Nigeriens and, depending on the Niamey result, all four countries could be in contention for two places.
Sudan stayed in the hunt for a top-two finish in Group C thanks to a 2-0 away win over Sao Tome e Principe, the lowest ranked team in the group phase as they lie 51st in Africa and 187th in the world.
Mohamed Abdel Rahman broke the deadlock on 27 minutes in the island nation off the Gabonese coast and Seifeldin Malik netted early in the second half.
Ghana, South Africa and Sudan are all former champions and have nine points each ahead of a clash between Bafana Bafana (The Boys) and the Black Stars in Soweto Thursday.
Rwanda won and scored for the first time in Group F, defeating Mozambique 1-0 in Kigali through a Lague Byiringiro goal to climb from last to second. https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1374994462112411649&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cafonline.com%2Ftotal-africa-cup-of-nations%2F2021%2Fnews%2Fburkina-faso-guinea-qualify-four-goal-ethiopia-crush-madagascar&theme=light&widgetsVersion=e1ffbdb%3A1614796141937&width=550px
There is just one qualifying spot up at stake in this section as runaway leaders Cameroon are guaranteed a place as hosts, but wanted to gain competitive match practice rather than rely on friendlies.
Rwanda have five points and Cape Verde, who host Cameroon Friday, and Mozambique four each in an intriguing contest to claim a place.
–AFP
AFCON
Nigerians, other nationals can apply, as CAF and Morocco Launch Volunteer Programme for AFCON 2025
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Morocco have launched the official Volunteer Programme for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025, billed to run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
According to CAF, more than 4,000 volunteers will be recruited to play a central role in ensuring the success of Africa’s most prestigious football tournament, which will be staged across six cities and nine stadiums in Morocco.
Applications are now open at volunteers.cafonline.com and will close on 8 October 2025. The opportunity is open to anyone above the age of 18.
Volunteers will be deployed across multiple functional areas, including media operations, spectator services, accreditation, hospitality, and fan engagement. Selected individuals will receive professional training ahead of the competition and work behind the scenes to deliver a memorable AFCON.
CAF stated that the programme is designed not only to support tournament operations but also to create an alumni network of skilled Africans who can contribute to future sporting events across the continent. Successful applicants will benefit from:
- Training and skill development.
- Official uniforms and certificates of participation.
- Networking opportunities with peers and professionals.
- The chance to contribute to Africa’s football legacy.
Volunteer registration opened on 17 September 2025. Selection and training will take place in October and November, with operations commencing in mid-December through to the tournament’s conclusion on 18 January 2026.
CAF described the initiative as an “exciting opportunity” for Africans to contribute to the growth of the continent’s flagship sporting event, which is expected to draw millions of visitors to Morocco.
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AFCON
CAF Security Chief, Nigeria’s Emeruwa, Leads Inspection of Tangier Stadium Ahead of Major Tournaments
Nigeria’s Dr. Christian Emeruwa, President of the Security and Safety Division of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), on Thursday, September 18, led an inspection visit to the Grand Stade de Tangier as preparations intensify for upcoming continental and global football events.
Emeruwa, who heads CAF’s continental security architecture, was joined by CAF Secretary General Véron Mosengo-Omba, senior Moroccan officials, and executives of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF).
The delegation also included managers of operational companies at the Grand Stade and SONARGES executives.
According to Le 360, the Nigerian official expressed satisfaction with the stadium’s facilities after touring key operational areas, including the main control room with its giant surveillance screen, as well as spectator, player, and VIP access zones.
The inspection was bolstered by the presence of Morocco’s top security and administrative officers—the regional commander of the Royal Gendarmerie, officials of the Auxiliary Forces and Civil Protection, the Wali of Security, the governor in charge of Internal Affairs, and representatives of the National Agency for Public Equipment (ANEP).
A technical meeting followed the tour, where engineers presented recent safety and security upgrades. Among the highlights was the planned installation of a FIFA-standard tarpaulin roof to enhance the venue’s compliance with global hosting requirements.
For Nigeria, the spotlight on Dr. Emeruwa underscores the country’s growing influence in African football administration, particularly in the critical areas of safety and security management for CAF competitions.
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Morocco has received 723 high-end buses from Chinese manufacturer Yutong as part of preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which kicks off on December 21.
Yutong said on social media that the fleet “has officially rolled off the production line” and will provide “comprehensive transport services and reliable operational support” during the tournament.
An official handover ceremony was held on Friday at the company’s facility in Zhengzhou, Henan province, attended by Moroccan representatives and Yutong executives.
The buses were designed to cope with Morocco’s terrain and climate, including steep slopes, heat and sandstorms. They feature an independent front axle suspension to navigate narrow city streets and Yutong’s in-house “Blue Core System” for fuel efficiency.
The delivery is the largest single order of Chinese buses in Africa. Yutong will station more than 100 technicians in Morocco to provide training, maintenance and round-the-clock support during AFCON.
The deal is part of Morocco’s broader transport strategy, which includes plans to purchase 7,000 new buses by 2030—half of them electric—as the country prepares to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal.
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