Connect with us

Sports

Afcon 2023 draws throws up interesting matchups as Nigeria face Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone again

Published

on

African teams on Tuesday, learned their opponents in the qualifying round for the continents’ biennial football competition, the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Afcon, billed for Cote d’Ivoire next year.

Three time winners, Nigeria has been pitched again against Sierra Leone whom they played out a spectacular 5-5 draw over two legs (4-4 in Benin City and 1-1 in Freetown) in the last qualifiers for the Cameroon edition.

The Super Eagles will also square up against Guinea Bissau whom they defeated 2-0 in Cameroon as well as Sao Tome and Principe or Mauritius in Group A.

The draw which was held in South Africa and anchored by former South African dedender Lucas Radebe and ex-Cote d’Ivoire striker, Salomon Kalou, threw up more interesting pairings as the 32 seeded nations look to qualify for the epic African football showpiece, with plenty of ambitious teams believing they can emulate reigning champions Senegal and go on to win the tournament.

The Lions of Teranga on their part, will be hoping to defend their crown in Cote d’ivoire but they will have to contend with the likes of Benin Republic, Mozambique and Rwanda in Group L.

The Black Stars of Ghana will have to negotiate their way past Madagascar, Angola and the Central African Republic in Group E if they hope to make it to the tournament proper.

1996 champions South Africa would be aiming for a return to Afcon after missing the last edition but standing in their path in Group K will be Morocco, Zimbabwe and Libya.

2021 host, Cameroon will have their hands full when they confront Kenya, Namibia, and Burundi in Group C, while hosts Cote d’Ivoire will tackle Zambia, Comoros and Lesotho even though they have already secured their place in the tournament.

What this means is that only one other team from their group will qualify for the competition which will make the group a group of death.

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers start in June 2022.

How the teams are grouped:

Group A: Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome e Principe or Mauritius

Group B: Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Togo, Eswatini

Group C: Cameroon, Kenya, Namibia, Burundi

Group D: Egypt, Guinea, Malawi, Ethiopia

Group E: Ghana, Madagascar, Angola, Central African Republic

Group F: Algeria, Uganda, Niger, Tanzania

Group G: Mali, Congo Brazzaville, Gambia, South Sudan

Group H: Ivory Coast (hosts), Zambia, Comoros, Lesotho

Group I: Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Mauritania, Sudan

Group J: Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Botswana

Group K: Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Liberia

Group L: Senegal (holders), Benin, Mozambique, Rwanda

Sports

South Africa’s FA president Danny Jordaan arrested on fraud, theft allegations

Published

on

The President of South African Football Association (SAFA), Danny Jordaan, has been arrested on allegations of fraud and theft.

Jordaan, who was pivotal to the country hosting the first-ever FIFA World Cup tournament in Africa in 2010, is being accused of using about R1.3 million ($72,372) of SAFA funds to hire a PR firm and a private security company for his personal benefit.

His arrest follows a raid carried out by the country’s Special Investigating Unit (SPU) at the offices of SAFA in March where it was alleged that an assortment of electronic gadgets and files were seized for further investigation, thus leading to the arrest.

SA Police spokesperson, Katlego Mogale, who confirmed Jordaan’s arrest, told journalists that he was
arrested along with one other official and a businessman and are expected to appear in the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

Continue Reading

Sports

Ghana Black Stars in disarray as 8 players withdraw from 2025 Afcon qualifiers

Published

on

The chances of the Black Stars of Ghana qualifying for the 2025 AFCON seems slimmer by the day with the withdrawal of eight first team players from the squad as the team prepares for crucial qualifiers against against Angola on November 15 in Luanda and against Niger at the Accra Sports Stadium on November 18.

The latest to pull out of the double headed qualifiers are Inaki Williams and Antoine Semenyo due to injuries, with the withdrawals forcing head coach Otto Addo, to scramble for last minute replacements to reshape his squad with little time to spare.

Other top stars who have withdrawn from the team are Thomas Partey, Tariq Lamptey and Jerome Opoku

Others are Jonas Adjetey, Alexander Djiku and Joseph Paintsil, all of whom have been sidelined due to injuries or personal reasons.

Ghana currently sits in third place in Group F with two points, trailing Angola, who leads with 12 points, and Sudan with seven points.

To stand any chance of qualifying, the Black Stars must win all their remaining matches and hope Sudan stumble in their final games.

Continue Reading

EDITOR’S PICK

Uncategorized51 minutes ago

1,172 Nigerians killed, over 1,000 kidnapped in nine months— NHRC

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has put the figures of Nigerians killed and kidnapped by non-state actors from January...

Tech3 hours ago

Bolt invests $107m in Nigeria to boost safety standards

Ride-hailing platform, Bolt, has announced an investment of $107 million in its bid to boost safety and service quality in...

Sports13 hours ago

South Africa’s FA president Danny Jordaan arrested on fraud, theft allegations

The President of South African Football Association (SAFA), Danny Jordaan, has been arrested on allegations of fraud and theft. Jordaan,...

Metro13 hours ago

Chinese mining giant CNMC set for $1.6 billion investment in Zambia

A Chinese mining giant, China Nonferrous Metal Mining Company (CNMC), has announced the investment of over $1.6 billion in Zambia,...

Metro20 hours ago

Mpox immunisation scarcity slows Kinshasa’s epidemic fight

A lack of mpox vaccine doses has prevented the Democratic Republic of the Congo from starting a campaign in the...

VenturesNow20 hours ago

After decades of imports, Nigeria ends oil importation

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has declared that it has finally stopped the long-standing practice of importing petroleum...

Politics20 hours ago

Ghana’s Supreme Court reinstates ruling party’s majority

The ruling New Patriotic Party regained its majority in the legislature ahead of the Dec. 7 election after Ghana’s Supreme...

Politics20 hours ago

Senegal: PM Sonko urges followers to avenge campaign violence

Senegal’s Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, has advised Pastef party followers to exact retribution for claimed violence against them during the...

Musings From Abroad20 hours ago

UN Security Council deliberates stance on Sudan war

The UN Security Council is discussing a British-drafted resolution calling on Sudan’s warring parties to stop hostilities and permit safe,...

Metro23 hours ago

Nigerian journalist claims US govt filing confirms Tinubu as ‘CIA Agent’

Nigerian journalist, David Hundeyin, has claimed the United States government has described President Bola Tinubu as a “Special CIA Asset”...

Trending