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Tag: CAF

NFF mourns passing of midfield pearl, Ayo Ogunlana

Fola Badmus03 mins

The Nigeria Football Federation has condoled the family of former Nigeria international midfielder Ayo Ogunlana, who died in Kaduna on Friday after observing his early-morning walk. NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, showered tributes on the departed midfield pearl, who was a star attraction during a number of important Nigeria FA Cup battles in the 1980s and held sway in the middle for the Super Eagles in the late 1980s, and at the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Algeria. “We are very sad to learn of the sudden passing of Ayo Ogunlana, only a couple of weeks after the demise of another former Eagle, Moses Effiong (a member of the 1980 AFCON-winning Green Eagles squad, in far away USA). Ogunlana was a great midfielder who made playing football look so easy with his majestic touches and turns, and his magnificent free-kicks. “We pray that the Almighty will grant both of them eternal rest and grant the families they have left behind the fortitude to bear the losses.” Ogunlana was magisterial in the midfield as Nigeria overhauled Guinea and Zimbabwe to qualify for the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations, and was imperial against Cameroon in a 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Ibadan that the Super Eagles won with an emphatic 2-0. He also played in the 1990 ECOWAS Cup competition that Nigeria hosted in Kaduna. In March 1990, the midfield generalissimo earned rave reviews as Nigeria finished with the silver medals at the 17th Africa Cup of Nations in Algeria, even coming close to bagging Nigeria a late equalizer in the final against hosts and winners Algeria, from his favourite dead-ball position.

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Cote d’Ivoire 2025: Flying Eagles coach accepts North Africans, South Africa challenge

Fola Badmus03 mins

The head coach of Flying Eagles, Aliyu Zubairu, has voiced his optimism following Thursday’s group stage draw for the Africa U20 Cup of Nations, which will take place in Cote d’Ivoire, 26th April – 18th May. The Nigerian team finds itself in a demanding group alongside traditional powerhouses Morocco, Egypt, and South Africa, all of whom have a rich history in African youth football. In his reaction to the draw, Coach Zubairu remarked: “It’s a very good draw. If a team truly aspires to reach the FIFA World Cup, there is no need to shy away from any opponent. Facing Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa at this stage presents a tremendous opportunity. I believe it’s a blessing.” This perspective not only highlights Zubairu’s confidence in his squad’s capabilities but also underscores his commitment to challenging his players against formidable rivals, which can ultimately foster their development and resilience. Understanding the gravity of the situation, Coach Zubairu stressed the necessity of mental preparation as his team gears up for these high-stakes matches. He is keen on instilling a robust sense of self-belief within his players, emphasizing that they should approach every opponent with respect and seriousness. “We need to dispel the notion that this is a ‘group of death,’” he said. “In African football, there are no small teams anymore. The key is to prepare very well. A lesser-known nation can surprise everyone if they come prepared.” To ensure the team is adequately prepared for the task, the NFF has not only put the Flying Eagles in camp to resume training, with a 30-man squad, but has also organised a two-match tour of Cairo for the team to play the Egyptian U20 team at the end of this month. The friendly matches in Cairo have been scheduled for 25th and 27th February.

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CAF to conduct live draws for four competitions in Cairo

Fola Badmus02 mins

The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) will today (Thursday), 13 February, 2025 conduct Live Draws for four of its upcoming competitions that will take place this year. The Live Draws will be held at the CAF Headquarters in Cairo, Egypt and will be streamed on CAF’s Official YouTube channel, CAF TV from 13h00 Cairo Time (11h00 GMT). The Final Draw for the nine teams taking part in the inaugural CAF Women’s Futsal Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025 will be conducted first at 13h00. The draw for the CAF African Nations Championship, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda 2024 Second Stage Qualifiers will follow at 13h25 Cairo time (11h25 GMT). The Final Draw for the expanded 16-team CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025 will take place at 13h45 Cairo Time (11h45 GMT). That will be followed by the Final Draw for the 13-team TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations, Cote d’Ivoire 2025 at 14h25 Cairo Time (12h25 GMT). LIVE DRAW SCHEDULE: 13h00 Cairo Time (11h00 GMT) | CAF Women’s Futsal AFCON, Morocco 2025 13h25 Cairo Time (11h25 GMT) CAF CHAN 2024 2nd Stage Qualifiers 13h45 Cairo Time (11h45 GMT) CAF U-17 AFCON, Morocco 2025 14h25 Cairo Time (12h25 GMT) | TotalEnergies CAF U-20 AFCON, Cote d’Ivoire 2025

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Osogbo Stadium to host Super Eagles, others -Gov Adeleke

Fola Badmus03 mins

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has assured that the Osogbo Township Stadium will be remodelled and upgraded to host Super Eagles and other international football matches in no distant future. The state’s helmsman gave this assurance after flagging off the remodelling plans for the sporting edifice alongised his Deputy, Prince Kola Adewusi and the Speaker of the Osun State Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun on Tuesday in Osogbo. “I officially flagged off the remodeling and upgrading of the Osogbo Stadium to a world class status. This marks the commencement of our administration’s comprehensive Sports Agenda in Osun State. “In my address, I disclosed that our government has a big vision for Osun State, with plans to provide the best sporting facilities in the country, while assuring that by the time we finish the remodeling, the stadium will be a beautiful edifice to behold. “I affirmed that our plan is to build a stadium with capacity to host various sporting events, such as the National Sports Festival, National Youth Games and more importantly, to host some of our national teams, including the Super Eagles in their various continental and International matches. “I highlighted the different stages of the remodeling, including three (3) major football pitches of international standard; pitches for other games, such as volleyball, swimming, handball, hockey, basketball and a host of others. “The remodeling will also include a befitting indoor sports hall, hostels for the athletes and a state-of-the-art 4-star hotel. This project has been designed with revenue generation mindset to ensure sustainability with short and long term viability. We envisaged a self-sustaining and holistic sporting infrastructure. “I reiterated that the two (2) state owned teams namely; Osun United and Osun Babes Football Clubs would continue to receive greater attention and support from our government,” Governor Adeleke assured on his official X handle.

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CAF announces match schedule for AFCON 2025

Fola Badmus02 mins

The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has announced the match schedule for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025 that will see nine venues used across six cities for the continent’s greatest football show. Morocco and Comoros will kick-off the tournament on 21 December, 2025 with a Group A fixture at the newly-built 69,500-seater Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, a fitting stage for the grand opening. Rabat will have four match venues, with other host cities Casablanca, Agadir, Marrakech, Fes and Tangier to have one each. The four quarter-final fixtures will be played at the Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, as well as in Tangier, Marrakech and Agadir. The semi-finals will be in Rabat and Tangier, with the third-place play-off set for the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca. There will be 52 matches over 29 days in a feast of football for fans that showcases the skill and passion of African football. Morocco, hosting the CAF AFCON for the first time since 1988, is also preparing to co-host the FIFA World Cup 2030.

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Morocco 2025: Nigeria to battle Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania in Group C

Fola Badmus01 mins

Three-time African Champions, Super Eagles will battle Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania in Group C of the Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025. Their opening match will be against Tanzania. Tunisia, champions on home soil in 2004, eliminated Nigeria in the Round of 16 of the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon. The opening match of the 2025 AFCON will be hosts Morocco against Comoros on December 21 in Rabat. Group AMoroccoMaliZambiaComoros Group BEgyptSouth AfricaAngolaZimbabwe Group CNigeriaTunisiaUgandaTanzania Group DSenegalDR CongoBeninBotswana Group EAlgeriaBurkina FasoEquatorial GuineaSudan Group FCote d’IvoireCameroonGabonMozambique

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CAF, Morocco LOC announce host cities, venues for AFCON 2025

Fola Badmus01 mins

The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) together with Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football and the Local Organizing Committee of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025 have announced the cities that will host matches in the competition. Six cities and nine stadiums have been selected for Africa’s flagship football tournament, which will run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026. They are Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, Marrakech, Fes and Tangier.

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Yobo, other African legends for Morocco AFCON 2025 Final Draw

Fola Badmus06 mins

Former Super Eagles captain and assistant coach Joseph Yobo, Mustapha Hadji, Serge Aurier and Aliou Cisse will be assistants at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 Final Draw that will take place at the Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat tonight. The 24 qualified CAF AFCON 2025 teams will learn their path to the trophy at Final Draw, which starts at 19h00 local time (18h00 GMT | 20h00 Cairo). Yobo, Hadji, Cisse and Aurier will not only pull the balls from the pots, but also be on hand to offer their insights into the groups for the tournament that will be played in Morocco from 21 December, 2025 to 18 January, 2026. They are some of the biggest names in the African game and all have a rich history with the CAF AFCON themselves. JOSEPH YOBO (NIGERIA)Yobo was a commanding centre-back who made 101 appearances for Nigeria’s Super Eagles over a distinguished 13-year career. He was squad captain as the side claimed the CAF AFCON title in 2013 and was a veteran of six continental finals tournaments to go with three FIFA World Cups. He spent the majority of his club career at Everton in England, where he became a fan favourite, but also played in Belgium, France, Spain and Turkey.He played 10 FIFA World Cup matches in 2002, 2010 and 2014. MUSTAPHA HADJI (MOROCCO) Hadji is renowned as one of Morocco’s greatest ever players and was named African Footballer of the Year in 1998. He won 63 caps for his country and scored 12 goals, playing at two FIFA World Cup tournaments.He netted the winner for Morocco against Egypt at the 1998 CAF AFCON, the only team to inflict a defeat on the eventual champions. He also played at the 2000 finals. He had a successful club career in France, Portugal, Spain and England, and in 2011 received the CAF Legends award for his services to the game. SERGE AURIER (COTE D’IVOIRE)Aurier is a two-time winner of the CAF AFCON having lifted the trophy in the 2015 and 2023 editions. The right-back has been a stalwart of the national team since his debut in 2013 and has 93 caps, scoring four goals. His club career has taken him to the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur, and he is a two-time winner of the French Ligue 1.He had the honour of being named in the CAF Team of the Year on four occasions between 2015 and 2019, showing his incredible consistency for club and country in that period. ALIOU CISSE (SENEGAL)Cisse was captain of Senegal when they excelled at the 2002 FIFA World Cup by reaching the quarter-finals against the odds, and while he failed to lift the CAF AFCON as a player, he later did so as coach of the national team. He won 35 caps as an industrious midfielder during a period when he played for Paris Saint-Germain in France, leading Senegal to the 2002 CAF AFCON final where they lost out to Cameroon. He became head coach of the national team in 2015 and would lead them through a golden period that included lifting the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON in 2021, and to FIFA World Cup qualifications in 2018 and 2022. He was named CAF Coach of the Year at the CAF Awards in 2022. CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 qualified teams: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

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