Category: AFCON - Page 6 - African News Today

Rohr Sweating Over Osimhen’s Fitness Ahead of Benin, Lesotho Games

24Feb

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

AFCON, News, Nigeria, Sports

Rohr Sweating Over Osimhen’s Fitness Ahead of Benin, Lesotho Games

Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr is optimistic the team’s striker, Victor Osimhen will recover in time for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Benin and Lesotho next month. The forward picked up an injury during the last minutes of Napoli’s 4-2 away defeat to Atlanta in the Serie A on Sunday. Osimhen, 22, was stretched off the pitch and taken to the hospital he was knocked unconscious following a collision with Atlanta defender Cristian Romero. Napoli allayed fears of a serious injury on Tuesday, announcing that the Nigerian international will rest for a few days before returning to training gradually. Reacting to the development, Rohr who anticipates the striker to lead the line for next month’s decisive final two 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, is ...

AFCON Qualifier: Why Super Eagles May Travel By Boat For Benin Fixture – Rohr

23Feb

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

AFCON, News, Nigeria, Sports

AFCON Qualifier: Why Super Eagles May Travel By Boat For Benin Fixture – Rohr

Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr has said that the team might travel to Benin by boat for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. Rohr’s men are billed to square off against the Squirrels of Benin on March 22 in a game that could decide the fate of the two teams. The German gaffer in an interview with French radio station Europe1 (via Football 365), lamented Benin’s poor road network for their decision not to travel by road to the capital, Porto Novo. He also urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to move their hotel closer to the Nigerian-Benin border. he said, “We will have the “fitness” at the hotel, which we did not have on the previous day in Benin City,” Rohr told French radio station Europe1 (via Football 365). “We will be very close to Benin. We risk making the...

Rohr Takes a Tour of Teslim Balogun Stadium Ahead of AFCON Qualifier

13Feb

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

AFCON, News, Nigeria, Sports

Rohr Takes a Tour of Teslim Balogun Stadium Ahead of AFCON Qualifier

Head coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Gernot Rohr took a tour of the facilities at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos State on Friday ahead of a decisive Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Lesotho in March. The Eagles handler inspected the stadium alongside the Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Seyi Akinwunmi and Team Secretary, Dayo Enebi. They were led by the Chairman of Lagos State Sports Commission, Sola Aiyepeku. The AFCON clash will mark a return of the Eagles to the stadium after ten years, having last played there against Sierra Leone in February 2011. Taye Taiwo and Ekigho Ehiosun were on target as the team then managed by Samson Siasia ran out with a 2-1 goal margin against the Leone Stars in a friendly encounter the last time o...

8Feb

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

AFCON, Africa, Nigeria, Sports, Youths

Ighalo Not Out of Eagles Radar – Rohr

Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has not foreclosed the possibility of ‘retired’ striker Odion Ighalo to return to the squad after he teamed up with Saudi Arabian side Al –Shabab. The 31-year-old Ighalo called it quit with international football after helping the Super Eagles to win bronze at the 2019 Africa Cup of nations in Egypt. Where he emerged the tournament’s top scorer. En route to Egypt 2019, Ighalo scored seven goals in the Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign, the most by any player and found the net against Burundi in the group phase; Cameroon in the round of 16;Algeria in the semi-finals and Tunisia in the third-place playoff before announcing his retirement from the international scene. Snapped up by Al Shabab last week after his long loan spell at Mancheste...

Rohr Travels to France For Christmas Holidays

10Dec

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

AFCON, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sports

Rohr Travels to France For Christmas Holidays

Super Eagles Head coach Gernot Rohr is set to travel back to his base in France in the next few days ahead of the Christmas celebration with his family. The German has been in the country since last month when the Super Eagles engaged the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone in the 2021 AFCON double header and attended to other sundry issues. Apart from being part of the crowd at the NFF President Amaju Pinnick’s 50th birthday celebration in Warri, Rohr also watched the country’s representatives in the CAF Club competitions including Plateau United home tie against Simba of Tanzania and Rivers United’s home game against Futuro Kings of Equatorial Guinea. “The home based players need to play regularly and in good conditions, especially infrastructures,” Rohr told NationSport. “I saw two tea...

CAF Fines Aubameyang For Social Media Post

9Dec

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

AFCON, Africa, Gabon, Sports

CAF Fines Aubameyang For Social Media Post

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has fined Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been fined $10,000 for social media posts. CAF said the post had tarnished its “honour and image”. Aubameyang posted in the social media after Gabon spent the night on an airport floor ahead of an African Cup of Nations qualifier in November. The player and his team mates were stuck at the airport in the Gambia after arriving for a qualifying game. They were not allowed to leave as officials argued over COVID-19 testing. The Arsenal striker posted pictures of players sleeping on the airport floor and wrote: “Nice job CAF, it’s as if we were back in the 1990s.” He later added: “This will not demotivate us but people need to know and CAF needs to take responsibility. “It is 2020 and we want ...

Bosso Releases Squad List For WAFU U-20 Cup Of Nations

27Nov

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

AFCON, Africa, Sports, Uncategorized, Youths

Bosso Releases Squad List For WAFU U-20 Cup Of Nations

Head Coach Isa Ladan Bosso has picked his 20 -man squad that will contest for the WAFU B Cup of Nations title at the tournament taking place in Porto Novo, Benin Republic next month. The competition, which holds 5th – 20th December, will also serve as the qualifying tournament for the 2021 U20 Africa Cup of Nations that will be staged in Mauritania. THE FULL LIST Goalkeepers: John Amah (Box2Box FC), Chibueze Lambert (Abia Warriors), Kolawole Oladipo (Crown FC) Defenders: Temitayo Ereku (Brookhouse Academy), Charles Etim (Blessed Stars), Mike Zaruma (Plateau United), Christopher Nwaeze (Kwara United), Moses Solomon (Calabar Rovers), Isaiah Ejeh (Kwara United), Jimmy Abdul (MFM) Midfielders: Oladoye Adewale (Water FC), Liameed Quadri (36 Lions), Muhammad Abdallah (Nasarawa Uni...

22Nov

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

AFCON, Africa, Nigeria, Sports, Youths

We Won’t Sack Rohr – Pinnick

President of the Nigeria Football Federation Amaju Pelvin Pinnick has reiterated his support for Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr despite recent calls for the German's sack. Rohr has been a subject of major criticism after the Super Eagles failed to beat the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone in their 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header. The Super Eagles were forced to a 4-4 draw by the Leone Stars at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium Benin City last Friday, while both sides battled to a 0-0 draw in the reverse fixture on Tuesday at the Siaka Stevens Stadium, Freetown. Pinnick has however backed the former Gabon and Niger coach to continue on the job. “Rohr has done well as our coach, qualifying us for the World Cup and finishing third at the AFCON. It was the same coach...

Super Eagles Play Out A Goalless Draw with Sierra Leone

17Nov

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

AFCON, Africa, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sports

Super Eagles Play Out A Goalless Draw with Sierra Leone

The Super Eagles of Nigeria on Tuesday were unable to score as Sierra Leone held them to a goalless draw as both team jostle for a place in the Africa Cup of Nations competition in 2022. Four days earlier, the Sierra Leone team had come down from four goals down to clinch a draw in Benin-city against the Eagles. But after vowing to bounce back in Freetown with a victory, the Nigerian football team failed to do enough to breach their opponent’s goalnet. The result leaves Nigeria at the top of its qualifying group with eight points, just one point above Benin in second place with four games played. Sierra Leone remain third with three points. The Super Eagles, despite the two draws, remain favorites to finish first in the group and advance.

16Nov

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

AFCON, Africa, Nigeria, Sports, Youths

Super Eagles Depart for Freetown Today

The Super Eagles squad and their officials will travel to Freetown, Sierra Leonean capital today (Monday) aboard a chartered flight for the Tuesday’s 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Leone Stars. The Eagles who played out a 4-4 draw on match day three against the Leone Stars at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium last Friday will be eager to redeem their battered pride when both teams rekindle hostilities at the Siaka Stevens Stadium in Freetown. Gernot Rohr’s side will be without their top marksman, Victor Osimhen for the encounter after the 21-year-old dislocated his shoulder in the reverse fixture in Benin City last Friday. Osimhen who has scored four goals in the AFCON qualifiers for the Eagles and has made four assists as well will be out for at least two weeks.