Category: Football - Page 7 - African News Today

2023 AFCON Qualifier: Osimhen, Sadiq, Lookman Lead 24 Eagles In Training Ahead Sierra Leone Clash

6Jun

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

AFCON, News, Nigeria, Sports

2023 AFCON Qualifier: Osimhen, Sadiq, Lookman Lead 24 Eagles In Training Ahead Sierra Leone Clash

The Super Eagles’ preparations for Thursday’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone got a boost on Sunday as Victor Osimhen, Sadiq Umar and Ademola Lookman trained with the rest of the team in Abuja. Nigeria’s Friendly matches against Mexico and against Ecuador in the United States kick-started the preparations as the country’s race to make her 20th appearance at the continental football showpiece holding in Ivory Coast next year gets underway. Only three of the 27 invited players; Calvin Bassey, Joseph Ayodele-Aribo, both of whom featured in the friendly games in the US, and Abdullahi Shehu, who returned to the country last week from his base in Cyprus, were not part of Sunday’s training. Technical Adviser José Santos Peseiro too...

Peseiro Sweats Over Aina, Bonke’s Fitness Ahead Eagles Vs Ecuador, Sierra Leone, Mauritius

1Jun

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

Peseiro Sweats Over Aina, Bonke’s Fitness Ahead Eagles Vs Ecuador, Sierra Leone, Mauritius

Super Eagles technical adviser Jose Peseiro is sweating over the fitness of Ola Aina and Innocent Bonke for the game against Ecuador and upcoming 2023 AFCON qualifiers after both players picked up injuries in the United States where the team has been camping for international friendly matches. The Eagles have stepped up preparations for their friendly match with Ecuador on Thursday as well as next month’s AFCON qualifying matches against Sierra Leone and Mauritius. The three-time African champions narrowly lost 2-1 to Mexico in their first friendly clash at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas last Saturday. Read Also: Dessers Scores As Mexico Beat Super Eagles 2-1 In Friendly According to a release by the NFF on Tuesday, having had time to recover from the stress of long-haul t...

Dessers Scores As Mexico Beat Super Eagles 2-1 In Friendly

29May

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

Dessers Scores As Mexico Beat Super Eagles 2-1 In Friendly

It was not the best of starts for new head coach, Jose Peseiro, as the Super Eagles lost 2-1 to El Tri of Mexico in an international friendly game at the AT & T Stadium, Dallas, USA, in the early hours of Sunday. Cyriel Dessers opened his goals account for the Eagles after drawing them level with a powerful header. The Super Eagles are now winless against Mexico in six meetings, losing three and drawing three. Up next for Peseiro’s side is another friendly against Ecuador on June 2. Mexico bossed the early exchanges as the Super Eagles struggled to get a foothold in the game. Santiago Gimenez then gave Mexico a deserved lead on 12 minutes as his initial effort from a headed pass hit Uzoho and bounced off him into the net. Andres Guardado almost doubled Mexico lea...

Friendly: Dessers Arrives Eagles Camp As Musa, Chukwueze, Sanusi, Others Withdraw

28May

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

Friendly: Dessers Arrives Eagles Camp As Musa, Chukwueze, Sanusi, Others Withdraw

Cyriel Dessers has arrived at the Super Eagles camp in Dallas, United States of America increasing the number of players to 20. Dessers linked up with his teammates on camp on Friday. The striker was in action in Feyenoord’s UEFA Europa Conference League defeat to Italian club AS Roma on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Super Eagles will be without captain Ahmed Musa, Zaidu Sanusi and Abdullahi Shehu for the international friendly against Mexico. Read Also: Super Eagles New Coach Peseiro Gets One-Year Short-Term Contract With Performance-Related Clauses Samson Tijani, Alhassan Yusuf and Azubuike Okechukwu will also not take part in the friendly. Emmanuel Dennis, Maduka Okoye and Umar Sadiq pulled out of the friendlies early in the week. Visa hitches, injuries and club co...

AFCON 2023: Kenya Miss Deadline To Take Part In Campaign

24May

By Chukwuebuka FestusNo Comments

AFCON, Corruption, Kenya, News, Sports

AFCON 2023: Kenya Miss Deadline To Take Part In Campaign

Kenya will not take part in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, whose qualifying campaign is expected to start in early June. This is due to an ongoing ban from Fifa because of governmental interference in the running of the game. The East African nation expected that their ban would be lifted two weeks before their first Nations Cup qualifier if they were to take part in the 2023 campaign. However, as of the Saturday, May 21 deadline, the ban was still active. Read Also: 2023 AFCON Qualifiers: Eagles Are Favourites To Qualify In Group A –Kalou The Harambee Stars had been due to play in Cameroon on 4 June before then hosting Namibia four days later. It means that Group C will now compromise Cameroon, Namibia and Burundi - with the top two qualifying for next year's tourn...

Barcelona’s Aubameyang Retires From International Football

20May

By Chukwuebuka FestusNo Comments

Gabon, News, Sports

Barcelona’s Aubameyang Retires From International Football

Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has retired from international football, his country’s federation has confirmed. Barcelona’s Aubameyang, who is Gabon’s all-time top scorer with 30 goals in 72 appearances, sent a letter to the federation on Tuesday, confirming his decision. “After 13 years of pride in representing my country, I announce I am ending my international career,” wrote the 32-year-old. “I would like to thank the Gabonese people and all those who have supported me in the good and bad times alike. “I will keep a lot of good memories like the day I made my debut… or the day I came back from Nigeria with the African Ballon d’Or. Read Also: Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League Suspends All Matches Over Fan Violence “I would also like to thank all my coaches, s...

Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League Suspends All Matches Over Fan Violence

18May

By Chukwuebuka FestusNo Comments

News, Sports, Violence, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League Suspends All Matches Over Fan Violence

Zimbabwe's Premier Soccer League (PSL) has suspended all matches until further notice following pitch invasions, violence and vandalism at a game between Highlanders and Dynamos on Sunday. The biggest fixture in Zimbabwean football was abandoned as the scenes at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo included a supporter attacking a referee, perimeter fences being pushed over and the net of one of the goals being torn by Dynamos fans, which also vandalised the posts. The incidents were sparked after Highlanders went 1-0 up in second-half injury time, with Dynamos protesting about a challenge on their goalkeeper. The PSL's decision means Zimbabwe has a suspension of domestic top-flight action and international football, with the country also under a FIFA ban. Football's world go...

Ghana Match-fixing: Ashanti Gold, Inter Allies Players, Officials Sanctioned

17May

By Chukwuebuka FestusNo Comments

Corruption, Ghana, News, Sports

Ghana Match-fixing: Ashanti Gold, Inter Allies Players, Officials Sanctioned

Ashanti Gold and Inter Allies have been relegated to the third tier of Ghanaian football, with players and officials of both clubs also sanctioned for match-fixing. A Ghana Premier League game between the two sides in September ended 7-0 to Ashanti Gold, with Hashmin Musah scoring two own goals as he claimed to try and prevent a pre-arranged 5-1 scoreline. Musah's claims and notifications of suspicious betting patterns were investigated by the Ghana Football Association (GFA), who has found both teams guilty of match manipulation. As well as both teams having to play Division Two football next season, several club officials, coaches and players were banned from football. The most severe sanction was given to Inter Allies volunteer Emmanuel Nii Amoah, also known a...

Super Eagles New Coach Peseiro Gets One-Year Short-Term Contract With Performance-Related Clauses

16May

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

Super Eagles New Coach Peseiro Gets One-Year Short-Term Contract With Performance-Related Clauses

Super Eagles Newly-appointed coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Jose Peseiro, has been handed a one-year short term contract, as he begins his reign as the head coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National team. Contrary to speculations, the Portuguese coach was only handed a 12 months deal, which is subject to renewal based on performance-related clauses. With the NFF facing a legal battle on payments for the erstwhile coach of the team, Gernot Rohr, all pointers are the Federation are wary of allowing thunder strike in the same spot. Peseiro will lead the Eagles in the United States when the team faces Mexico and Ecuador in international friendly games. He will be assisted by Ex-Eagles winger Finidi George, Salisu Yusuf and Usman Abdallah. Read Also: Dare Regrets Super Eagles’...

Gabonese Football President Arrested In Child Sex Abuse Scandal

6May

By Chukwuebuka FestusNo Comments

Gabon, Judiciary, News, Sports

Gabonese Football President Arrested In Child Sex Abuse Scandal

The president of the Gabonese Football Federation (Fégafoot), Pierre-Alain Mounguengui, has been arrested after being charged with failing to report allegations of sexual abuse of hundreds of children in the sport. The scandal, revealed by the British daily The Guardian in December 2021, broke when Patrick Assoumou Eyi, coach of the national under-17 team until 2017 and a well-known figure in Gabonese soccer circles under the nickname "Capello", was jailed after being accused of hundreds of rapes and sexual assaults on children for whom he was responsible in his duties for several years. Assoumou Eyi was, since 2017 and until his arrest, technical director of the soccer league of Estuaire, the province of the capital, Libreville. Since his arrest, two club coaches, Orph...