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CAF Snubs Super Eaglets in Final U-17 AFCON Slot

by Nelson Ugwuagbo
written by Nelson Ugwuagbo

Nigeria’s hopes of featuring at the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco have been dashed after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) finalized its qualification slots, omitting the Golden Eaglets.

The tournament, scheduled for March 30 to April 19, 2025, will serve as a qualifier for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar later that year, a competition Nigeria has won five times.

Despite finishing third at the 2023 WAFU B U-17 Championship in Ghana, the Golden Eaglets failed to secure qualification, with Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast claiming the two automatic spots from the region.

CAF has now allotted four additional slots to The Gambia (third place in WAFU Zone A), Tunisia, and two teams from the CECAFA and COSAFA regions. The final two places for the expanded 16-team tournament will be determined by the top two teams from the UNIFFAC regional qualifiers, set to be held in Cameroon from February 16 to 28. Competing for those spots are Cameroon, Gabon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Congo.

With no place in the expanded tournament, the Golden Eaglets will miss back-to-back FIFA U-17 World Cups, having also failed to qualify for the 2023 edition in Indonesia after finishing outside the top four at the U-17 AFCON in Algeria.

Last week, CAF confirmed the expansion of the U-17 AFCON following FIFA’s decision to increase Africa’s U-17 World Cup slots to 10 teams for the 2025 tournament in Qatar. However, despite the global competition’s expansion to 48 teams, CAF’s qualification adjustments did not include Nigeria, dealing a significant blow to the country’s age-grade football.

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BREAKING: President Tinubu addresses Super Eagles Players Ahead of Angola Clash

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Ahead of their crucial Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final clash against Angola today, the Super Eagles have received a pep talk with President Bola Tinubu.

President Tinubu, currently on a private visit to France, addressed the team via a video call posted on his son, Seyi Tinubu’s Instagram page.

This comes after the Super Eagles’ impressive 2-0 victory over Cameroon, a performance that secured their passage to the knockout stages.

Meanwhile, the principal officers and members of the joint sports committees in the National Assembly announced their intention to fly to Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire to cheer the team on in person.

Senator Kawu Sumaila, chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance and disclosed the lawmakers’ support.

“I am happy with the Nigerian team’s performance at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations,” he said. “The principal officers of the National Assembly and the two Committees on Sports will also be in Cote d’Ivoire to watch the quarter finals with Angola.”

The Senator also addressed the ongoing speculation surrounding coach Jose Peseiro’s future. “We will look at it after the competition, am sure of victory for the Super Eagles against Angola,” he said.

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Senegal Declares National Holiday to Celebrate AFCON Win

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Senegal’s President Macky Sall declared Monday a public holiday to celebrate the national football team’s first ever African Cup of Nations crown following their victory against Egypt, public television announced.

Sall, who had been due to visit Comoros at the end of a trip that took in Egypt and Ethiopia, cancelled the last leg in order to welcome the triumphant Lions on their return to Dakar at 1300 GMT Monday, RTS said.

Led by Liverpool star Sadio Mane, Senegal overcame Mohamed Salah’s Egypt 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out at Sunday’s final in Cameroon. The game had finished goalless after extra time.

After two previous final defeats in 2002 and 2019, Senegal finally claimed their first Cup of Nations title.

The Lions will be decorated by Sall on Tuesday at the presidential palace in Dakar, RTS television said.

“The president of the republic declared Monday a public holiday, a paid day off, following the brilliant victory of the Lions,” RTS said, citing a presidential decree.

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AFCON 2021: The Eagles that Refuse to Fly

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Kenny Folarin, Abuja

The sudden defeat of the Super Eagles by Tunisia despite having nine point in the African Cup of Nations Tournament did not just disappoint Nigerians but has generated mix reactions across the country and in the diaspora leaving many in awe despite having a fantastic start defeating Egypt and Guinea Bussiau.

The defeat gave hope for Nigerians and her government enthusiasm to believe that the Eagles would win the AFCON tournament.

The government and notable Nigerians out of eagerness, excitement and motivation for them promised cash reward if they win.

Earlier on Sunday morning before the match against Tunisia began, President Muhammadu Buhari charged the Super Eagles to fly in their match against Tunisia the President spoke with Coach Augustine Eguavoen, , Captain Ahmed Musa , Amaju Pinnick, President of Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), and Nigerian Ambassador to Cameroon, Abayomi Olonisakin.

Mr Buhari said: “You’ve been doing Nigeria proud. You’ve been winning. Please keep on winning. The Federal Government is supporting you, and I say thank you to all the technical crew and the players.. Please keep doing the country proud.”

Unfortunately, the Super Eagles could not get the chance to win their fourth title, just yet, after a 47th minute Youssef Msakni strike sent them out of the tournament.

A cagey first half had it highlights the first of which arrived when Wilfred Ndidi flashed an overhead kick wide as early as the second minute as Nigeria looked to open the scoring.

The first real chance of the evening fell to the Tunisians, but Wilfred Ndidi came to the rescue with a goal-line clearance.

Nigeria responded almost instantly through Joe Aribo, but the Rangers man, after receiving a decent ball from Moses Simon, saw his shot blocked at the last second.

The Carthage Eagles were rattled and could have conceded just past the quarter of the hour, but Taiwo Awoniyi could not get his head to make contact with a side-footed Samuel Chukwueze cross.

The Villarreal winger and Aina combined well on the right flank before the Chelsea academy product sent a low cross into the box which arrived behind Awoniyi.

The rest of the half fizzled out without much Falmouth action as both teams were content keeping the ball away from their area as much as possible.

Moments into the second half, Tunisia broke the deadlock after a fierce Youssef Msakni drive left Okoye with egg on his face.

It was the first time the Augustine Eguavoen-led side would concede the first goal at the Afcon in Cameroon.

The Super Eagles reacted well, raising the tempo, but the ball did not fall kindly to any of Awoniyi or Iheanacho as they pressed for an equaliser.

The evening turned for the worst for Nigeria when the Eagles were reduced to ten men. Alex Iwobi, minutes after coming off the bench, was shown a straight red card for a rash stamp.

Still, Simon should have equalised for Nigeria after a Peter Olayinka cross found him in the box. But goalkeeper Ben Said kept out the Nantes man’s shot.

Okoye saved a fierce Tunisian drive as the North Africans exploited the spaces left behind by the attacking Nigerians.

The Super Eagles were relentless, though, and Simon flashed a free-kick just wide after good work from Umar Sadiq.

Ndidi sent another shot wide when well-placed and Sadiq missed another sitter late on as the crucial equaliser eluded the Super Eagles.

Nigeria’s 100% record in Cameroon ends on a sad note. The Super Eagles leave Cameroon with Tunisia processing to face Burkina Faso in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile many questions comes to mind on whose fault it is for making the eagles not to fly, the formation by Austin Eguaveon, the eagerness to receive the reward promised or the nature of the tournament characterized by its hype, excitement and disappointment where even the giants are fallen.

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Salima Makes History As First Woman to Referee An AFCON Match

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Salima Rhadia Mukansanga will make history on Tuesday when she will referee the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) match between Zimbabwe and Guinea.

The Rwandan-born will become the first woman to referee a game at the AFCON.

The 35-year-old is part of the all-women quartet picked for the match at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde. They will also be the first all-women team official since the inception of the tournament.

Mukansanga will be assisted by Carine Atemzabong (Cameroon), Fatiha Jermoumi (Morocco), and the VAR referee, Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco).

Earlier, Mukansanga had made history as the first woman to officiate a game at the continental showpiece when she served as the fourth official in the tie between Guinea and Malawi in Bafoussam.

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We Can’t Wait for Afcon to End – Lagos Wives

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Some women in the Igando-Ikotun Local Government Development Council Area of Lagos State, on Sunday, wished for an end to the ongoing 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.

In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, some said that the control of who watches what on the television had made it impossible for them to watch their favourite television shows.

Nkechi Uba, a POS operator, told NAN that the Super Eagles performance at the tournament had made it impossible for her husband to ignore the tournament as he did before.

“My husband pays so much attention these days since the tournament started, most especially with Nigeria’s performance, he now takes pleasure in analysing the matches.

“I just can’t wait for it to end, after watching Nigeria’s match he still watches other countries’ matches, why? Where does his loyalty lie,” she said.

Olamide Taiwo, a businesswoman who deals in children clothes, told NAN that her consolation was in the fact that she has to wait for a repeat of her programmes.

“If not that Zee World and Telemundo always repeat their shows, it would have been more painful, but at least I watch it again.

“I understand that it’s not all the time that my husband drags the remote with me, but DSTV has done it so that you can catch up on all the shows.

“Although I still can’t wait for it to end because most times my friends are calling and giving me spoilers, at least I get to watch it again,” Taiwo said.

All other women spoken to about the AFCON expressed the same feeling as they can’t wait for the competition to end.

Read Also: Mohamed Salah Fails To Shine As Super Eagles Defeat Egypt In AFCON Opener

The AFCON, which kicked off on January 9 would end on January 6 in Cameroon.

Kingsley Orji told NAN he doesn’t think that most men like to disturb their wives during such tournaments as they would rather watch with friends at a bar.

“Naturally, most men will rather watch at a joint, where they can drink and exchange banter with fellow men and have a good time, but these women will think you’re out doing something shady.

“So, if missing their shows is the price they have to pay then so be it because once you watch at home they are rest assured that you are not up to anything,” he said.

Jerad Okon, a taxi driver, told NAN that although he doesn’t mind watching at viewing centres, his wife makes it comfortable for him whenever he is home to watch the matches.

“She won’t even mind if I’m home, I am rarely home due to the nature of my job, and she makes it comfortable and ensured my beer was available.

“We don’t have to fight over who handles the remote, we understand each other that AFCON comes once in two years or so, she will do anything to make me watch at home, he said.

After their first two group matches, the Super Eagles’ next match in Group D against Guinea-Bissau comes up on Jan 19. (NAN)

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