STARS IN THE UAE - MOROCCO - ASSAIDI MOVES FROM LIVERPOOL TO DUBAI

Liverpool winger Oussama Assaidi's disappointing spell at Anfield is over after he joined Al Ahli Club in Dubai.

13 Jan 2015
STARS IN EUROPE - IVORY COAST - BONY JOINS MAN CITY

Wilfried Bony - Swansea agree £28m deal with Man City

12 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - SOUTH AFRICA - COACH MASHABA CALLS UP GCABA

Orlando Pirates defender Ayanda Gcaba was called up to replace injured team-mate Patrick Phungwayo for South Africa's 2015 Africa Cup of Nations squad on Sunday.

12 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - SENEGAL - SADIO MANE INCLUDED IN SQUAD

Senegal coach Alain Giresse has included Sadio Mane in his final squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations despite his calf injury.

11 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - CAMEROON - FINKE STICKS WITH CORE GROUP

Cameroon coach Volker Finke has kept faith with the players he used in the qualifiers in his final 23-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.

10 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - CONGO - LE ROY FINALISES SQUAD

Congo coach Claude LeRoy has finalised his squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations after cutting three players from the provisional list.

10 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - TUNISIA - MIKARI & TOUZGHAR CUT FROM SQUAD

Striker Yoann Touzghar and defender Yassine Mikari have not made it into Tunisia's final squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

10 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - EQUATORIAL GUINEA - SQUAD ANNOUNCED

Africa Cup of Nations hosts Equatorial Guinea have included 14 players who were born in Spain in their final 23-man squad for the tournament.

9 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - ZAMBIA - KALABA TO LEAD NATIONAL TEAM

Zambia coach Honour Janza has given the captain's armband to Rainford Kalaba after naming his 23-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.

8 Jan 2015

2015 AFRICA CUP - CONGO - COACH LEROY BELIEVES THAT ONIANGUE CAN INSPIRE THE TEAM

AFRICA CUP 2015 GROUP A

Frenchman LeRoy has coached four different teams at seven editions of the tournament, winning the competition in 1998 with Cameroon.

And Oniangue feels LeRoy will inspire them in Equatorial Guinea.

"Most times he gets to the quarter-finals at least, so we can work knowing that target is very possible," he said.

LeRoy's Nations Cup record as coach
1986 - Runner-up with Cameroon
1988 - Winner with Cameroon
1990 - Semi-finalist with Senegal
1992 - Quarter-finalist with Senegal
2006 - Quarter-finalist with DR Congo
2008 - Third place with Ghana
2013 - Group stage with DR Congo

The 26-year-old Oniangue, who plays his club football in France for Reims, told BBC Sport he is confident LeRoy's knowledge of the tournament will help propel the team out of a group that contains the hosts, Burkina Faso and Gabon.

"Having a coach like Claude LeRoy helps a lot. 

He's going for his eight Nations Cup appearance and that brings a lot to the team," Oniangue added.

Congo enjoyed their heyday in the 1970s, when the Red Devils beat Mali 3:2 in the final of the 1972 tournament.

Two years later, the holders took eventual finalists Zambia to extra-time in the semi-finals before losing 4:2.

Congo have failed to reach a Nations Cup semi-final since but Oniangue, who scored against Nigeria and Sudan during the qualifiers, said: "I think everything is possible.

"We will play the opening game and do the maximum to reach the quarter-finals.

"We have to take it match after match. 

The minimum will be to reach the quarter-final, no one expect us to be there so maybe we can shock people again.

"Congo has a young generation, a lot of people did not give us a chance in Nigeria but we won there.

"As players we believe in ourselves and in our coach we have a man with big experience, so I know we can surprise everybody again in Equatorial Guinea."

The tournament will be played between 17 January and 8 February.

 

17 Dec 2014
(BBC Sport by Oluwashina Okeleji)

Related countries

Related articles