Tag: AFCON Qualifier

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...

2023 AFCON Qualifiers: Eagles Are Favourites To Qualify In Group A –Kalou

20Apr

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

AFCON, News, Nigeria, Sports

2023 AFCON Qualifiers: Eagles Are Favourites To Qualify In Group A –Kalou

Former Chelsea star, Salomon Kalou has tipped the Super Eagles to qualify for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, which will take place in Cote d’Ivoire.The former Ivory Coast international made this known in an interview with SuperSports on Tuesday.He said that the Super Eagles won’t find it difficult to qualify from Group A that consist of Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and Sao Tome. Read Also: 2022 WCQ Playoffs: Was Referee Right To Cancel Penalty Awarded To Super Eagles?“I think it’s a good group [for the Super Eagles]. I think Nigeria is a team that will always qualify. “They will be the favourites of the group while the second place is open for the other three teams,” Kalou told SuperSport.The matches are expected to begin in May. Winners and runners-up in each group ex...

Cape Verde Referee Duarte To Officiate Nigeria, Lesotho AFCON Qualifier

29Mar

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

AFCON, Africa, Nigeria, Sports, Youths

Cape Verde Referee Duarte To Officiate Nigeria, Lesotho AFCON Qualifier

The Confederation of African Football has picked Cape Verde referee Fabricio Duarte to take charge of Tuesday’s 2022 Africa Cup of Nations dead rubber game against the Crocodiles of Lesotho at the Teslim Balogun stadium. Duarte will be assisted by his compatriots Jorge Correia Semedo Helio (assistant 1), Delgado Fernandes Wilson Jorge (assistant referee 2) and Antonio Manuel Fortes Tony Rodrigues (fourth official) will also be on duty. The match commissioner is Haruna Mawanda from Uganda while Nick Owusu from Ghana will serve as security officer. Alex Kotey, also from Ghana, will be referees’ assessor. According to a report published on Thenff.com, it was learnt that the Crocodiles’ delegation will fly into Nigeria on Monday morning. The match commissioner and referees arrived in Nig...

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...

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 ...

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.

Osimhen Ruled out of Nigeria Vs Sierra Leone Encounter

15Nov

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

AFCON, Africa, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sports, Youths

Osimhen Ruled out of Nigeria Vs Sierra Leone Encounter

Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has revealed that Napoli forward Victor Osimhen will miss the second leg encounter of their 2022 AFCON qualifier against Sierra Leone on Tuesday. Rohr also stated how Leon Balogun and Samuel Chukwueze are recovering well and should make the trip to Freetown. Osimhen suffered a dislocated shoulder at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium on Friday and was immediately replaced by Paul Onuachu while Club Brugge forward Emmanuel Dennis did not feature in the 4-4 draw because of a swollen ankle. Balogun and Chukwueze were substituted in the game due to varying injuries, but they are working with their teammates to be in good shape.

Eagles in a Humiliating 4-4 Draw With Sierra Leone

13Nov

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

AFCON, Africa, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sports, Youths

Eagles in a Humiliating 4-4 Draw With Sierra Leone

The Super Eagles of Nigeria on Friday even were forced to to settle for a disappointing 4-4 draw after leading with a 3 goal deficit in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match on Friday at the new Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Edo State. The Super Eagles were leading their West African neighbours Sierra Leone with a 4-1 scoreline in the opening half-hour of Friday’s tie before they blew the lead and ended up with a 4-4 draw. It was Alex Iwobi that opened the flood gates of goals in the 4th minute before Victor Osimhen doubled the lead. The Everton midfielder made it 3-0 in the 27th minute and then Samuel Chukwueze increase the tally three minutes afterward. When Kwame Quee reduced the deficit to 4-1 late in the first half, many saw it just as a face-saving goal b...

12Nov

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

AFCON, Africa, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sports

We Won’t Underrate Leone Stars – Rohr

Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr has promised that the Leone Stars will not be underrated when both clash in a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, on Friday. Nigeria will qualify for the next AFCON tournament should they win both games against Sierra Leone. The Eagles currently lead Group L with six points from their opening two games. “We do not in any way under-rate the Sierra Leoneans that we play over two legs within these four days, but we have our focus and objective for the matches,” Rohr said in a statement made available to The PUNCH from the Nigerian Football Federation media “We want to win both games so we can have the ticket and be able to be a little more relaxed for the final games. You know that next year, we also ha...