SPORT - The African Mirror

Jan

29

2024

Last gasp win for Guinea sees them into Cup of Nations quarter-finals

AFCON 2023

GUINEA scored with the last kick of the game to end the giant-killing run of Equatorial Guinea at the Africa Cup of Nations and book themselves a slot in the quarter-finals with a 1-0 victory at Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium. Mohamed Bayo’s superb glancing header in the eighth minute of stoppage time in the last-16 clash proved the difference after Equatorial Guinea, down to 10 men in the second half, missed a penalty. Guinea ended a long sequence of losing in the knockout stage of the Cup of Nations but took their time, and rode their luck, to claim victory.…

Jan

29

2024

By The African Mirror

Napoli president confirms Osimhen set to leave, Mourinho not on their radar

FOOTBALL

NAPOLI president Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed that Victor Osimhen will leave the club at the end of the season, while also ruling out that Jose Mourinho will come on board to coach the Serie A club. Nigerian international Osimhen, who is in Ivory Coast for the Africa Cup of Nations, told CBS Sports on Tuesday that he had "already made a decision about the next step in his career". "We knew about Osimhen since this summer. We knew perfectly well that he would go to Real Madrid, Paris St Germain or an English team," De Laurentiis told reporters at the…

Jan

28

2024

By The African Mirror

Morocco coach Regragui’s African Cup ban lifted

AFCON 2023

MOROCCO coach Walid Regragui's two-match suspension at the Africa Cup of Nations has been dismissed after an appeal, his country’s football federation said. Regragui had been given a four-match ban, with two games suspended, and fined for bringing the competition into disrepute. The decision means Regragui, who had to watch his country’s last group game against Zambia on Wednesday from the stands, will be back on the bench for the last-16 clash against South Africa on Tuesday. Regragui, who led his country to the World Cup semi-finals in 2022, was involved in an on-field spat with Democratic Republic of Congo…

Jan

28

2024

By MARK GLEESON

Lookman double puts Nigeria into Cup of Nations quarter-finals

AFCON 2023

ADEMOLA Lookman’s brace ensured Nigeria a place in next weekend’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals as they beat long-standing foes Cameroon 2-0 in the last 16. Lookman’s 36th-minute goal at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium opened the scoring and he contributed a second on the stroke of full-time as Nigeria largely outplayed Cameroon. They will face Angola in the last eight in Abidjan next Friday after the Angolans beat Namibia 3-0 in Bouake earlier on Saturday in the first of the knockout round games. While Lookman’s double made him a key figure in the win, Nigeria’s African Footballer of the Year…

Jan

28

2024

By The African Mirror

Angola breeze into Cup of Nations quarters with 3-0 Namibia win

AFCON 2023

ANGOLA'S Gelson Dala scored twice as they reached the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals with a comprehensive 3-0 last-16 victory over neighbours Namibia, who were left to rue four mad first half minutes. Angola, who claimed their biggest ever Cup of Nations finals win, had an early setback when goalkeeper Neblu received a red card and they were under pressure from a Namibia side that looked the most likely to find the net. But the game turned when Gelson opened the scoring after 38 minutes, Namibia defender Lubeni Haukongo received a red card shortly afterwards and the Angola forward completed…

Jan

27

2024

By The African Mirror

Afcon’s decision to allow 24 countries to play is paying off – and having dramatic repercussions

AFCON 2023

BY the end of the group stage, the 34th Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) was one of the most exciting and memorable Afcon tournaments in recent memory. This was particularly true of the performances of the continent’s best players on the field. As a scholar of sports communication with a focus on African football, I’ve followed developments with interest, notably the 2019 decision to increase the number of national teams in the final stage from 16 to 24. CHUKA ONWUMECHILI, Professor of Communications, Howard University There were several critics of the expansion of the tournament. They argued that Afcon was…

Jan

27

2024

By MARK GLEESON

Ivory Coast seek reset but in-form Senegal await

AFCON 2023

HOSTS Ivory Coast gets to push a reset button after escaping early elimination at the Africa Cup of Nations and squeezing into the last 16 of their own tournament as a lucky loser. There will be no easy route to redemption, however, after a humiliating 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea left them third in their group and waiting for Zambia’s defeat by Morocco to confirm the Ivorians' place in the knockout stage as one of the four best third-placed finishers. They have been drawn in the last 16 in Yamoussoukro on Monday against holders Senegal, the only side to have…

Jan

27

2024

By NICK SAID

Abdou’s Midas touch takes Mauritania on history-making run

AFCON 2023

AMIR Abdou may be a little-known name in the world of coaching but has now masterminded two improbable feats in successive Africa Cup of Nations finals after leading tiny Comoros Islands and Mauritania to the knockout rounds. Neither minnow nation had come close before the 51-year-old took charge, but his ability to form a cohesive unit and tap into the countries' respective diasporas to improve their fortunes has made the little-heralded French-born tactician something of a Cup of Nations icon. On both occasions his teams have beaten continental giants to advance – in Cameroon two years ago Comoros defeated Ghana…

Jan

27

2024

By The African Mirror

Reaction to Liverpool manager Klopp leaving at end of season

FOOTBALL

LIVERPOOL manager Juergen Klopp has announced his decision to leave the club at the end of this season. Following are quotes and reactions: CARLO ANCELOTTI, REAL MADRID MANAGER "It's surprising, but I understand it. It can happen after so much time that his motivation drops a little and I think that's what happened to him. "For me, all the respect goes to him because he is a great coach and he will continue to contribute a lot to football." MICHAEL OWEN, FORMER LIVERPOOL PLAYER "All great things inevitably come to an end but I thought it would be two or three years…

Jan

26

2024

By MARK GLEESON

Eclectic cast rubbing shoulders with superstars at Cup of Nations

AFCON 2023

Stars like Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Victor Osimhen are the headline acts at the Africa Cup of Nations but they rub shoulders at the tournament with journeymen who, for a fleeting week or two, get to enjoy an extraordinary opportunity. The African championship boasts an increasingly eclectic cast of characters, particularly in recent decades with the expansion of the tournament to 24 teams, with many countries searching for talent beyond their shores. It means a musician playing football in his spare time was among the more than 600 footballers at the tournament in the Ivory Coast, along with a…