Africa Cup of Nations - The African Mirror

Jan

2024

Ndidi out of Nigeria side for Cup of Nations

AFCON 2023

MIDFIELDER Wilfred Ndidi has withdrawn from Nigeria’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations through injury and has been replaced by Belgian-based Alhassan Yusuf, the country's football federation said. Ndidi, 27, was injured during his club Leicester City’s 2-0 win at Cardiff City on December 29, although details of the injury were not made clear by either his club or Nigeria. Leicester teammate Kelechi Iheanacho is also struggling with injury but was still being assessed at Nigeria’s training camp in Abu Dhabi, the federation added in a statement. Iheanacho, also 27, had missed the last two matches for his club,…

Dec

2023

By The African Mirror

Squad size at next Africa Cup of Nations finals will be 27 per team

AFCON 2023

TEAMS at next month's Africa Cup of Nations finals will be able to select 27 players for the tournament in the Ivory Coast, the Confederation of African Football said. It is a cut of one player from the last finals in Cameroon in 2022 where countries were allowed a 28-man squad. The numbers that year were increased from 23 at previous tournaments because of the COVID-19 pandemic. CAF said only 23 of the 27 players could be selected for each match at the finals, which kick off on Jan. 13. Africa’s decision contrasts with that of European soccer’s governing body…

Dec

2023

By The African Mirror

Cameroon’s Mbeumo to miss Africa Cup of Nations after ankle surgery

AFCON 2023

BRENTFORD forward Bryan Mbeumo will be sidelined for three months and miss the Africa Cup of Nations for Cameroon after having an operation on his ankle, the Premier League club's manager Thomas Frank said. Mbeumo had stepped up in the absence of banned striker Ivan Toney to top the scoring charts for Brentford with seven goals and three assists in the league this season. But the Cameroon international limped off the pitch after rolling his ankle against Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this month, adding to a long list of injuries at Brentford. "(Mbeumo) will not participate in the Africa…

Dec

2023

By The African Mirror

Ivory Coast upgrades sports infrastructure ahead of Africa Cup of Nations

NEWS

IVORY Coast has built roads and constructed four new sports stadiums in preparation for hosting the Africa Cup of Nations, the soccer tournament which will kick off in January. The West African country is eager to develop football locally and demonstrate its ability to host an international sporting event. "Ivory Coast will become a hub in the sub-region. All countries in the sub-region which do not have approved stadiums will be welcome," said Idriss Diallo, president of the Ivorian Football Federation. He estimated the country had invested more than $1 billion in roads, stadiums, hospitals and other infrastructure relating to…

Nov

2023

By MARK GLEESON

Ivory Coast enjoy goal feast but Cameroon labour to victory

FOOTBALL

IVORY Coast enjoyed a goal rout at the start of their World Cup qualifying campaign but fellow African heavyweights Cameroon, Ghana and Tunisia made heavy work of home games against lowly opposition. The Ivorians, who will host January’s Africa Cup of Nations, won 9-0 at home to the Seychelles in their Group F opener in a bright start to their bid for a place at the 2026 finals when the World Cup will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the U.S. Teenage striker Karim Konate and substitute Hamed Traore both scored twice in a game that might have seen a…

Oct

2023

By The African Mirror

Holders Senegal draw Cameroon in Africa Cup of Nations group

FOOTBALL

AFRICAN champions Senegal have been drawn with Cameroon at next year's Africa Cup of Nations finals while record winners Egypt will have old foe Ghana in their group at the tournament to be hosted in the Ivory Coast. The host nation was grouped together with Nigeria while World Cup semi-finalists Morocco look to have a comfortable path to the knockout stages. Senegal will play in Group C with Cameroon, Guinea and Gambia, who were surprise quarter-finalists when they made their Cup of Nations debut at the last edition. Senegal, ironically, plays against Cameroon in the French city of Lens on…

Jun

2023

By The African Mirror

Power to the people as Nigeria federation lets fans decide coach’s future

NEWS

NIGERIA coach Jose Peseiro's job is in the hands of the fans after football federation (NFF) president Ibrahim Gusau said he will let them decide if the Portuguese should stay on. Peseiro, who has coached Porto and Sporting in his home country and took over Nigeria in May last year, has led his side to the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Ivory Coast starting in January but his contract ends on June 30. There is now a national debate over whether the 63-year-old should be retained and Gusau said the people can decide. "We have the plan to push…

Jun

2023

By The African Mirror

Former South Africa coach Clive Barker dies

FOOTBALL

CLIVE Barker, the charismatic coach who ensured success for South Africa at the Africa Cup of Nations and got them into their first World Cup finals, died on Saturday, a family statement said. The 78-year-old Barker was coach of the South African side that won the 1996 Cup of Nations on home soil in the country’s first participation in the tournament. He also oversaw the side's qualification for the World Cup in France two years later, although he was sacked six months before the finals kicked off. Barker defied apartheid regulations in the 1970s to coach teams in South Africa’s…

Apr

2023

By The African Mirror

Morocco should win Africa Cup of Nations first before thinking about World Cup, says Boufal

FOOTBALL

WORLD Cup semi-finalists Morocco, who became the first Arab team to beat Brazil last month, should focus on winning the Africa Cup of Nations next year before dreaming of glory at the 2026 World Cup, winger Sofiane Boufal said. Morocco was the surprise story at the World Cup in Qatar last year, beating Belgium, Spain and Portugal on the way to the semi-finals prompting coach Walid Regragui to talk up his desire of winning the 2026 edition. That dream became bigger after a 2-1 win over five-times world champions Brazil in a friendly match in Tangier last month. Only European…

Nov

2022

By The African Mirror

Ghana can have big impact at World Cup, says coach Addo

SPORT

INTERIM Ghana manager Otto Addo believes his team can make a significant impact at the World Cup in Qatar as the Black Stars prepare for their fourth finals at the global tournament. Addo, with no previous senior coaching experience, took charge of Ghana in February after the sacking of Milovan Rajevac following their early exit from the Africa Cup of Nations. "We can beat anyone. It's up to the players, not me. It’s their performances that have brought them this far. They have the quality, with or without me," Addo told the FIFA website "I’m responsible for putting them in the right…