2015 AFRICA CUP - GHANA - NO BOATENG OR MUNTARI IN SQUAD

Ghana's new coach Avram Grant has named his first Black Stars' squad with an initial list of 31 players for January's Africa Cup of Nations finals.

8 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - CAMEROON - SONG MISSES OUT ON SQUAD AND QUITS DUTY

Cameroon and West Ham midfielder Alex Song has retired from international football after his exclusion from his country's Africa Cup of Nations squad.

7 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - ALGERIA - ABEID AND BELKALEM OUT OF SQUAD

Algeria have confirmed that their Newcastle midfielder Mehdi Abeid and Trabzonspor defender Essaid Belkalem have been ruled out of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations because of injury.

6 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - GABON - SOKAMBI REPLACES LEMINA

France Under-20 World Cup winner Mario Lemina, who declined a place in Gabon's 2015 Africa Cup of Nations squad, has been replaced by Bonaventure Sokambi.

5 Jan 2015
RISING STARS - CAMEROON - ONANA TO JOIN AJAX FROM BARCELONA

Barcelona youth goalkeeper Andre Onana has signed a pre-contract agreement to join Ajax in July, the Dutch champions announced on Saturday.

4 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - GABON - DIDIER NDONG SIGNS FOR FRENCH SIDE FC LORIENT

The 20-year-old midfielder played with Tunisian outfit CS Sfaxien during the 2012-2013 season, and will represent Gabon in the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations.

3 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - EQUATORIAL GUINEA - COACHES - BECKER EXPECTED TO BE THE NEW COACH

Africa Cup of Nations hosts Equatorial Guinea are set to appoint Esteban Becker to replace Andoni Goikoetxea.

2 Jan 2015
HAPPY NEW YEAR

ALL THE BEST FOR 2015

1 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - MALI - MAIGA RECALLED TO SQUAD

Modibo Maiga has been named in Mali's 23-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Equatorial Guinea despite missing all their qualifiers.

31 Dec 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP - CONGO DR - BOLASIE IN SQUAD

Yannick Bolasie is one of three England-based players in Democratic Republic of Congo's provisional squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

31 Dec 2014

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)

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