AFCON: Akpabio hails Super Eagles, charges them to conquer Africa

Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio has applauded the Super Eagles of Nigeria for beating the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon to qualify for the quarter finals of the ongoing TotalEnergies CAF African Cup of Nations. Akpabio, in a congratulatory message to the Nigerian team signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh said with the Saturday’s triumph over Cameroon, the Super Eagles have proven they have the wherewithal to beat any team in Africa. The resourcefulness and industry of the Super Eagles from Godswill Akpabio International Stadium(nest of champions)in Uyo to Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan is never in doubt. Praising the Super Eagles for their resilient, tactical discipline, and team work, the Senate President said “I felt proud watching the Super Eagles demobilize the lions. “Apart from dominating the Indomitable Lions, the Super Eagles tamed the Lions and made them looked ordinary. That is the Nigerian spirit. I congratulate you for making million of Nigerians proud”, he stated. The Senate President noted that the Super Eagles opponents in the quarter finals, the Palancas Negras of Angola is not a pushover but expressed optimism that Nigeria will triumph over them. “Your opponents in the quarter finals are also a strong side. But I strongly believe that with determination, right tactics and team work, you will subdue them. “While I congratulate you for advancing to this stage of the competition, I urge you not to be complacent but continue to be focused and resilient. We are behind you and all Nigerians are supporting you. “Do not look back but go on and bring home the trophy”, he charged the Eagles.

AFCON: ‘Tinubu not impressed with your performance’, minister tells Super Eagles players

President Bola Tinubu has urged the Super Eagles to improve their performance and do better in the final stages of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire. Tinubu’s message was through the Minister of Sports, John Enoh, who spoke to the players from Abuja via Zoom on Wednesday night in Abidjan. According to Enoh, the President was not too impressed with the showing of the team during the group stage. He said, “I had a meeting with the President yesterday. I went to the villa for something else and the President cornered me and said we (Eagles) managed to qualify and I said that’s how we are going to keep going until we win the tournament. “He said that I should tell the players that he wasn’t too impressed with the last match but he knows that now that they are off the group stages, they are going to impress him more. “That’s what the President told me and it means that the President is actually watching your matches. Would you believe this? And the President is urging you and also showing an understanding of the game because he knows that there is a lot of caution at the group stage and from the round of 16, you are going to be more impressive. “I remember that in 2022 in Cameroon, Egypt as a country struggled to qualify but they went ahead to play the finals.” Responding, team captain, Ahmed Musa, thanked the sports minister but also called on the President to come to see them play live saying it would serve as a motivation to the players. The Super Eagles will play the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in the last 16 of the tournament on Saturday at the Felix Houphouet -Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.

Injury Blow for Super Eagles As Alhassan Yusuf Is Ruled Out for 2023 AFCON Clash Against Ivory Coast

The Super Eagles’ head coach, Jose Peseiro, has confirmed that Alhassan Yusuf will miss the crucial 2023 AFCON match against Ivory Coast due to an injury sustained in the opening game. Yusuf, who replaced the injured Wilfred Ndidi, impressed in the first match but had to be substituted in the 69th minute after suffering a knock. Despite his impactful performance in the game against Equatorial Guinea, Yusuf won’t be fit for the upcoming clash. Peseiro expressed disappointment but hinted at the possibility of Yusuf returning for the team’s last group game. The absence of the Belgian-based midfielder poses a challenge for the Super Eagles, especially in the defensive midfield role.  Fans are eager to see if Southampton’s Joe Aribo, who played as a substitute in the previous match, will step up to fill the void. As Nigeria faces Ivory Coast, who secured a 2-0 victory in their opening game, the team aims to overcome this setback and secure a positive result in the highly anticipated fixture at 6 p.m. on Thursday.

William Troost-Ekong Insists Super Eagles Can Still Do Well In 2023 AFCON

Super Eagles of Nigeria vice-captain, William Troost-Ekong is adamant that the players possess the proper mindset to do well in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). William Troost-Ekong stated this following the Super Eagles’ abysmal performance in their opening game at the 2023 AFCON which ended in a 1-1 draw against lowly-rated Equatorial Guinea. During the game, Troost-Ekong and his teammates had to fight from a goal down to grab a 1-1 draw courtesy of a header from the team’s talisman, Victor Osimhen. This terrible start from the three-time winners of the tournament has raised fear in the minds of football enthusiasts ahead of their second group stage game which is against the hosts, Ivory Coast on Thursday. Hence, Jose Peseiro’s men are currently under pressure ahead of their clash with the hosts, who already lead Group A with three points after winning their opening game 2-0 against Guinea-Bissau. After the 1-1 draw on Sunday, the attitude of the players towards winning a fourth AFCON title was questioned, but Troost-Ekong said they were not unaware of the task ahead as he confirmed that the team had a meeting ahead of their next game. “We’ve spoken about this so much, we have Kenneth (Omeruo) and (Ahmed) Musa who have won the AFCON with us and they told us exactly how that journey was. Some of the guys like myself, who were there in 2019, also explained exactly how it was to get to the semi-final and take the bronze,” William Troost-Ekong said. “You know in football, it’s not always when you want something that you get it. The other teams too, you have to respect them as well.” As it stands, the Super Eagles must not be defeated when they face Ivory Coast on Thursday. A draw or a win will keep them comfortably in the competition. If they beat Ivory Coast, a draw against Guinea-Bissau on Monday will be enough to seal a place in the round of 16. But if they lose to Ivory Coast, they must beat Guinea-Bissau and hope that Ivory Coast beat Equatorial Guinea.

AFCON: Minister Decries Exclusion Of Nigerian Referees

The Minister of Sports Development, Sen. John Owan-Enoh, has expressed displeasure over the non-inclusion of Nigerian referees amongst match officials listed for the 2023 AFCON slated for Cote D’Ivoire in January. Enoh stated this on Thursday in Abuja while reacting to the list of match officials released by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) ahead of the tournament scheduled for January, 2024. He said given Nigeria’s football pedigree and population the country should not be in such a predicament that is now becoming a trend. The minister promised to hold engagements with relevant stakeholders such as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Nigeria Referees Association (NRA), among others, with a view to reversing the trend. “At the last AFCON (2021), Nigeria only had one assistant referee listed amongst the match officials. Two years prior, we didn’t have any centre referee too. “Going in to the next AFCON (2023), we still won’t have any Nigerian official and I am going to interrogate this matter. “We will have engagements with the NFF, the Referees’ Association, the League Board, because we need to get to the bottom of this,” he said. Enoh noted that without prejudice to the outcome, the development calls for a reflection of the institutional setting within which sports is being administered in the country. He reiterated his commitment to ensuring that sports across all facets thrives in the country, for Nigeria to stand tall in the comity of nations. CAF on Tuesday unveiled 85 referees, comprising of centre referees, assistant referees, VARs, technical instructors, for the 2023 AFCON, without any Nigerian official included. Egypt and Algeria, both in North Africa, have three names listed in the centre referees list, followed by Morocco, Mauritania, and Mauritius, each with two. Other nations on the list include Gabon, Ghana, Benin, Congo, Somalia and others. The assistant referees list includes two representatives from each of Morocco, Kenya, Cote D’Ivoire, Algeria, Egypt, and South Africa, as well as lesser-known nations like Comoros, Djibouti, Burkina Faso, and Sao Tome and Principe. There are four VAR referees chosen from Mauritius, South Africa, Morocco, and Egypt. The following nations were chosen for the technical instructors and physical trainers: Zimbabwe, Burundi, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal, Morocco, and Djibouti. The 2023 AFCON finals, which are scheduled to take place from January 13 to February 11, 2024, will feature 24 nations vying for the championship, including Nigeria’s Super Eagles.