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Tag: CAF

CAF African Schools Football Championship: CAF Officials to Inspect Ikenne, Sagamu Facilities

Fola Badmus02 mins

Officials from the Confederation of African Football will arrive in Nigeria on Monday to inspect facilities that Nigeria is putting up to host this year’s CAF African Schools Football Championship Final Phase.   The CAF African Schools Football Championship, launched four years ago, is an annual U15 tournament with the objective of developing youth football and promoting education across the African continent. It is supported by a $10 million investment from the Foundation owned by CAF President, Dr Patrice Motsepe, and features zonal qualifiers leading to the continental final tournament.   The competition is for both boys and girls. The 2024 finals were held in Accra, Ghana where Tanzania’s boys and Ghana’s girls emerged victorious. Winners receive up to $300,000 in infrastructural development, and the tournament involves partnerships with organizations like United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO), for health education.   CAF officials Omar Amr (Safeguarding), Fatima Elmissaoui (ASFC officer), Herve Dassoundo (Marketing & Branding), Mahmoud Amer ((Travel/Logistics), Diabate Zakarhiya (Safety & Security), Hend Thabet (Travel & Accommodation), Joshua Knipp (ASFC Competition) and the Executive Director of WAFU B, Philippe Tchere will inspect proposed competition and ancillary venues in Ikenne-Remo and Sagamu on Tuesday, 3rd February and Wednesday, 4th February 2026.   Focus will be on the Remo Stars Stadium and training pitches in Ikenne-Remo, the FC Ebedei Stadium and training pitches in Sagamu, as well as hospitals and hotel facilities within these two towns.

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CAF Bans, Fines Algerian Players After Nigeria Quarter-Final Incident

Wale busari02 mins

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has sanctioned Algeria following disturbances linked to their quarter-final clash with Nigeria. CAF’s Disciplinary Board announced both sporting and financial penalties against the Algerian Football Federation (FAF), citing misconduct by players, officials, and fans during and after the match. Player Suspensions Two Algerian players have been suspended for future international matches: Goalkeeper Luca Zidane will miss two games during the AFCON 2027 qualifiers. Rafik Belghali received a four-match ban, with two matches suspended, meaning he will serve two immediately unless further violations occur. Fines FAF was fined a total of USD 100,000 for various breaches: USD 5,000 for team misconduct linked to yellow and red cards USD 25,000 for inappropriate conduct by players and officials USD 5,000 for flare usage USD 5,000 for throwing objects USD 10,000 for failing to respect security measures USD 50,000 for offensive gestures directed at referees CAF described the behaviour as serious violations of its disciplinary and safety rules, particularly those concerning referees and match security. Appeal in Progress The Algerian Football Federation has immediately filed an appeal against the sanctions. The matter will be reviewed by CAF’s Appeals Committee, which will decide whether the suspensions and fines will stand or be reduced. Algeria is now preparing for upcoming international fixtures while the appeal process unfolds.

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CAF Investigates Player, Official, And Media Misconduct During AFCON 2025 Quarter-Finals

Wale busari03 mins

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has launched an investigation into alleged misconduct by players, officials, and media personnel during the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 quarter-final matches between Cameroon and Morocco, and Algeria and Nigeria. The probe follows reports of post-match confrontations with referees and concerns over inappropriate behaviour on the pitch. In a statement on Monday, CAF said it has collected match reports and video evidence suggesting possible violations, which have now been referred to the Disciplinary Board for review. “CAF has referred the matters to the Disciplinary Board for investigation and has called for appropriate action to be taken if the identified persons are found guilty of any wrongdoing. CAF is also reviewing footage of an incident involving members of the media who allegedly misbehaved in the mixed zone area,” the statement said. In the quarter-finals, Nigeria defeated Algeria 2-0 in Marrakech, with goals from Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams securing the Super Eagles’ place in the semifinals. Post-match footage showed Algerian players confronting referees, resulting in minor scuffles and an attempted pitch invasion by fans, which was halted by stadium security. The Algerian team cited controversial refereeing decisions by Senegalese official Issa Sy, including a denied penalty for an alleged handball in the Nigerian box. Morocco also advanced with a 2-0 win over Cameroon, although the match was marked by refereeing disputes. Cameroon argued that two potential penalties involving Moroccan defender Adam Masina were wrongly denied. Morocco’s coach, Walid Regragui, dismissed allegations of home-team bias in his post-match press briefing. CAF reiterated its commitment to maintaining professional conduct at all events, stating: “CAF strongly condemns any inappropriate behaviour during matches, particularly actions targeting referees or match organisers. Appropriate measures will be taken against anyone whose conduct falls short of professional standards at CAF events.”

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AFCON 2025: Osimhen Named Man of the Match

Fola Badmus01 mins

By Bunmi Ogunyale   Former African Footballer of the Year and Super Eagles’ Vice Captain, Victor Osimhen, has been adjudged as the Man of the Match in the quarterfinal tie against Algeria. Osimhen scored the opener for Nigeria after both teams ended the first half of the encounter barren. The Galatasaray of Turkey striker rose splendidly, suspending himself in the air, to nod into the net from a perfect pull-out by defender Bruno Onyemaechi. The lanky forward now joined Ademola Lookman and Raphael Onyedika who have won the gong so far in the tournament. With doubt over the availabilty of Skipper Wilfred Ndidi due to injury, Osimhen may step in to the senior national team against hosts, Morocco on Wednesday.  

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Morocco 2025: Osimhen, Lookman Lead Eagles’ Assault Against Mambas

Fola Badmus02 mins

By Bunmi Ogunyale The duo of Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman will lead Super Eagles attack in this evening’s Round of 16 Africa Cup of Nations tie against The Mambas of Mozambique. Both players will be at the center stage and cynosure of all eyes as the Nigerian side hopes to progress to the last eight of the biennial competition. South African-based goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali returned to goal after missing the final group game against Uganda. in a 4-3-3 formation, Nwabali will get cover from Bright Osayi-Samuel, Semi Ajayi, Calvin Bassey and Bruno Onyemaechi. Skipper Wilfred Ndidi alongsides Frank Onyeka, Alex Iwobi will marshall the former Champions midfield, while Akor Adams joins Osimhen and Lookman in the attack. Meanwhole, injuries ruled out Cyriel Dessers and Ryan Alebiosu of the clash at the Complexe Sportif de Fès in Fez, Morocco. The tie is slated to kick off by 8pm Nigeria time.

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Morocco 2025: Eagles Trounce Cranes, Await Lions or Mambas in Round of 16

Fola Badmus05 mins

A strike by Paul Onuachu and a brace by midfielder Raphael Onyedika lifted a remarkably different Nigeria team to a 3-1 win over Uganda in their final Group C encounter at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco.   Onuachu, starting ahead of Akor Adams as Coach Eric Chelle made several changes to the squad that defeated Tanzania and Tunisia in their earlier games, connected perfectly with a pass from the left by Fisayo Dele-Bashiru in the 28th minute to give Nigeria the lead, only two minutes after veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango had stopped a point-blank effort by the Trabzonspor of Turkey forward.   Before then, Nigeria had dominated play extensively, and as early as the 9th minute, Samuel Chukwueze’s shot came off the defensive wall after good work by Simon Moses. A teasing pull-out by Chukwueze in the 25th minute narrowly missed the head of Onuachu.   Moses himself came close with four minutes left in the first period, as his shot came off the wall after the Eagles poured forward in numbers once more.   In the second half, Rogers Mato came close to connecting with a good cross but missed. Nigeria regrouped and sustained the pressure on their opponents, who had won four of their previous eight encounters before Tuesday evening’s match in Fès.   Wing-back Bruno Onyemaechi side-netted in the 51st minute, and six minutes later, goalkeeper Salim Omar, who had come in for the injured Onyango, was red-carded after punching the ball outside his box as Victor Osimhen, Nigeria’s stand-in-captain, loomed towards goal.   Midfielder Raphael Onyedika, playing his first game at this AFCON, scored Nigeria’s second in the 62nd minute after connecting well with a pass by Samuel Chukwueze. Chukwueze and Raphael recreated a similar process four minutes later, leading to Onyedika, who plays his club football in Belgium, scoring his second and Nigeria’s third.   In the 70th minute, Paul Onuachu’s header was a little too high, and five minutes later, Rogers Mato scored at the other end as Uganda finished well from a brilliant team move.   Victory gave the Eagles the maximum nine points from their three matches, and they will now certainly meet the third-placed team in Group F, with both third-placed finishers in Groups A (Comoros) and B (Angola) already eliminated. This could be any of Cote d’Ivoire’s Elephants (Cup holders), Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions or the Mambas of Mozambique.   That match comes up on Monday, 5th January in Fès.   Tanzania’s gutsy 1-1 draw with Tunisia saw the Taifa Stars reach the knockout stage for the first time in their history. They will play host nation Morocco in the Round of 16.

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Morocco 2025: Eagles Dread Difficult Customers, Cranes of Uganda

Fola Badmus08 mins

Nigeria and Uganda clash on Tuesday evening in a match tendered on different perspectives for both teams as three-time champions Nigeria conclude their group phase account at the ongoing 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco.   The Cranes, eternal difficult jobs for the Super Eagles since their first meeting in an AFCON semi-final duel in Kumasi 47 years ago, need a win to stand any chance of enjoying the cold climate of Morocco beyond Tuesday evening, while the Super Eagles, already qualified for the Round of 16 no matter the tremor anywhere on the park, need a draw simply to assure top-table finish in Group C.   Veteran goal-tender Denis Onyango and team-mates have themselves to blame for being stuck on one point to the final day of the group phase. After the expected manhandling by Tunisia, and falling behind to Tanzania in their second match, Nigeria-descent Uche Ikpeazu rose from the bench to give them an equalizer against the Taifa Stars. The game fell into their hands to pick up the three points, but Allan Okelo blasted the ball away from goal from a penalty kick.   The only route left for them is to put a sword through the Eagles. With the Nigerians intent on sustaining a winning mentality, determined to maintain their great form and put fear into the hearts of other possible contenders for the trophy, that is unlikely to happen.   Nigeria’s prolific goalscorer Victor Osimhen has netted only once in this tournament, but the man who succeeded him as Africa Player of the Year (and who teamed up with him to create a Super Eagles’ terror attack at the last competition in Cote d’Ivoire), Ademola Lookman, has again opted to take Africa’s biggest football championship by storm.   Lookman has netted two goals this term (adding to his three from the 2023 finals), and has made two assists (adding to one from last term). He looks like a man-on-a-mission. His goals have been unstoppable left-footed missiles.   Another big hurdle the Cranes will have to deal with is that Osimhen, now on 32 goals in 48 matches for Nigeria, is committed to presenting himself a special birthday gift, having turned 27 on Monday. Such a man (and being Osimhen in this case) will be difficult to contain.   In addition, Nigeria’s midfield has come into its own, with Wilfred Ndidi playing a true captain’s game in the Eagles’ first two matches, and Alex Iwobi simply magnificent. Frank Onyeka reminded all of his abilities when he starred against the Tunisians, and there are still Raphael Onyedika and Tochukwu Nnadi yet to be tested.   Nigeria is the country with the most appearances in the AFCON knockout rounds in history, having done so here for the 19th time, and the victory over Tunisia was the Eagles’ 35th group-stage win in the history of the competition. Nigeria have lost only one of their last 16 AFCON group-stage games – defeat to Madagascar in Egypt after they already qualified for the Round of 16.   Uganda will look to the history of contests between both nations and be hopeful.   In eight previous encounters, the Cranes have lost only twice, winning four times, with the other two games ending in a draw. Five of the matches have been competitive, and Ugandans cannot forget how their star forward Philip Omondi scored the winner to ensure a 2-1 defeat for Nigeria in the 1978 AFCON semi-finals. Uganda have won two of the three international friendly matches, with the other ending in a draw.   Uganda have progressed beyond the AFCON group stage only twice previously, in 1978 in Ghana and 2019 in Egypt.   Ikpeazu will probably start as Belgian tactician Paul Put throws his aces up from the get-go. There are also James Bogere, who earned the Cranes a second penalty against Tanzania, Okello and Denis Omedi, who scored against Tunisia and assisted the equalizer against Tanzania on Sunday.   Nigeria, now on 149 goals in 106 AFCON matches, will aim for a milestone 150th goal, and more, when the game commences at the Complexe Sportif de Fès at 5pm on Tuesday.   At his pre-match press briefing on Monday, Coach Eric Chelle said: “The competition is not only for the starting 11; everybody deserves a chance to play and show what they can offer the team. Sometimes a player who makes a cameo appearance can change the outcome of games and even win a tournament. For me, I want to present the best team every time.”   Captain Ndidi: “The atmosphere in the team is good. Everyone is excited and confident, but the previous games are in the past. The focus is one the next game.”   SUPER EAGLES, CRANES IN HISTORY   14 Mar 1978: Uganda 2-1 Nigeria (AFCON semi: Kumasi) 26 Sep 1981: Nigeria 0-1 Uganda (Friendly: Lagos) 29 Aug 1992: Nigeria 2-0 Uganda (AFCONq: Lagos) 17 Jul 1993: Uganda 0-0 Nigeria (AFCONq: Kampala) 24 Mar 2007: Nigeria 1-0 Uganda (AFCONq: Abeokuta) 02 Jun 2007: Uganda 2-1 Nigeria (AFCONq: Kampala) 25 Mar 2015: Nigeria 0-1 Uganda (Friendly: Uyo) 20 Nov 2018: Nigeria 0-0 Uganda (Friendly: Asaba)  

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CAF Confirms AFCON Shift To Four-Year Format With African Nations League Introduction

Wale busari03 mins

The Africa Cup of Nations will move to a four-year cycle following a scheduled 2028 edition, ending its long-standing biennial format, Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe announced on Saturday. The change forms part of a wider reorganisation of Africa’s international football calendar, designed to reduce fixture congestion and better align with global competitions. Although hosting AFCON every two years has traditionally been a key revenue stream for African national associations, Motsepe said the financial impact would be offset by the introduction of a new African Nations League. “Our focus now is on this AFCON but in 2027 we will be going to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, and the AFCON after that will be in 2028,” Motsepe told reporters in Rabat on Saturday, ahead of the opening match of the Morocco-hosted tournament. “Then after the FIFA Club World Cup in 2029 we will have the first African Nations League… with more prize money, more resources, more competition. “As part of this arrangement, the AFCON now will take place once every four years.” The African Nations League, expected to mirror UEFA’s competition, will be staged annually and is intended to generate increased funding while maintaining competitive opportunities for national teams. AFCON has been held largely every two years since its first edition in 1957, but calendar clashes have become more frequent over the past 15 years as international and club competitions have expanded. The ongoing tournament in Morocco is the eighth edition since the 2012 finals in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, reflecting a period marked by repeated scheduling challenges for Africa’s flagship football competition.

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