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Eagles Begin Fourth AFCON Chase Against Pharaohs

Published

3 years ago

January 11, 2022

Nigeria and Egypt will faceoff at the Stade Roumdé Adjia, Garoua as both sides aim to begin their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations on a positive note.

Nigeria will be without top scorer in the qualifiers Victor Osimhen, Watford forward Emmanuel Dennis, and 2019 AFCON top scorer Odion Ighalo, while Egypt will not have Mohamed Abogabal and Ibrahim Adel available after both tested positive for COVID-19.

The rivalry between the two sides dates as far back as 1960, when Nigeria secured a 2-1 friendly victory in their first encounter at the National Stadium, Lagos.

Both sides have since gone on to clash on 18 occasions with Nigeria setting the pace with eight victories, losing five with another five draws.

The Super Eagles are one of the most successful nations on the continent following their last triumph back in 2013, when they narrowly defeated a stubborn Burkina Faso side 1-0 courtesy of Sunday Mba’s stunner, to claim the AFCON title for the third time.

While the Eagles, who finished third at the 2019 edition of the football showpiece in Africa, will be seeking their fourth title, the Pharaohs will look to conquer the continent for a record-extending eighth time.

The Eagles qualified for their 19th AFCON appearance enjoying an unbeaten qualification where they finished at the top of Group L with 14 points ahead of Lesotho to secure smooth entry into the group stages of the tournament.

Eagles defender Chidozie Awaziem said Nigeria, who heads into today’s game in fine form having won four of their last six competitive games, drew one and lost one, said the team were ready to face Mohammed Salah-led side.

“We are fully focused on the game, we are just a few hours away from our first game and we are fully ready for Egypt,” Awaziem said.

“With our efforts and the help of the coach, I believe we will come out with a positive result.“We have lots of good players in the team to count on.”

While Nigeria will be seeking an opening-day victory over Egypt, the Pharaoh’s coach Carlos Queiroz said his ambition was to go unbeaten throughout the tournament.

“It’s a great pleasure to face Nigeria in the opening game. We want to face the strongest teams in the tournament,” Queiroz said in his pre-match press conference.

“Nigeria is a very strong team, but we have no objections. It’s always good to compete against football giants.

“We have a lot of players that are competing among themselves for a starting position, and that’s great because we came here to play seven games.

“Our ambition is very simple. Win all the matches.”

Egypt’s last AFCON title win was back in 2010 when they saw off Ghana 1-0 courtesy of Mohamed Nagy’s 85th-minute strike in the final and will be eager to start the campaign on a positive note.

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Related Topics:AFCON 2022 bigstory Egypt Super Eagles

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BIG STORY

CAF 2024 Awards: Nigeria’s ‘Super Falcons’ Wins National Team Of The Year (Female Category)

Published

1 week ago

December 17, 2024

PorscheClassy News

The Nigerian women’s national football team, Super Falcons, were named “National Team of the Year” at the CAF Awards 2024.

This achievement, revealed on Monday by the Confederation of African Football during the presentation ceremony in Marrakech, Morocco, further solidifies their dominance and excellence in African football.

This esteemed recognition underscores the team’s exceptional performances and significant contributions over the past year, as they continued to represent Nigeria at the pinnacle of women’s football in Africa.

The CAF Awards annually honor the best in African football, celebrating teams, players, and coaches who have excelled in their respective fields.

The Nigerian women’s team has consistently demonstrated resilience, skill, and determination on the international stage, earning the admiration of fans and experts alike.

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BIG STORY

Four Years Ago I Failed In Front Of The World, Fast Forward, I’m The Best Player In Africa — Ademola Lookman

Published

1 week ago

December 17, 2024

PorscheClassy News

Ademola Lookman, Super Eagles winger, says his success as the 2024 CAF Men’s Player of the Year came after he “failed in front of the world” four years prior.

Lookman spoke after receiving the award as the best African male footballer of 2024 in Marrakech, Morocco, on Monday.

The 27-year-old finished ahead of Achraf Hakimi, Simon Adingra, Ronwen Williams, and Serhou Guirassy to win the coveted individual prize for male African footballers.

He followed in the footsteps of Victor Osimhen, who won the award in 2023.

Speaking at the ceremony, Lookman referenced his failure to convert a penalty for Everton in November 2020.

Lookman had the opportunity to earn a point for Fulham in their English Premier League (EPL) match against West Ham United. Instead, he failed to execute a Panenka penalty kick that was easily saved by Lukasz Fabianski as West Ham won 1-0.

The penalty attempt earned him mockery on social media, and Scott Parker, Fulham’s manager, criticized the player publicly.

“Just over four years ago I failed in front of the world. Fast forward four years, I’m the best player in Africa,” Lookman said after receiving the award.

“I want to say to the young children and people watching this: don’t let your failures weigh you down that they break your wings. Matter of fact, turn your pain into your power and continue to fight.

“Firstly, I want to thank the Almighty God for everything he has been doing in my life, and everything he has been blessing me with.

“I want to thank the president, I want to thank all my teammates—club and country. I want to thank them for all their support and love that they gave me.”

“This award today is a blessing to me, to my family, to my nation, and to be recognized as the best player in Africa. It’s something incredible and I’m extremely proud of.”

Lookman left Fulham after that season for RB Salzburg in Germany, where he continued to flap his wings before taking flight following his move to Atalanta in the summer of 2022.

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