2015 AFRICA CUP - CAF - EBOLA AND NATIONS CUP - SOUTH AFRICA RULE OUT BEING 2015 HOSTS

South African sports minister Fikile Mbalula has stated the country will not step in as hosts for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations if Morocco withdraws.

20 Oct 2014
NIGERIA - COACH - ENYEAMA 'SHOCKED' BY TIMING OF KESHI'S REMOVAL

Goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama expressed his surprise that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) decided to replace coach Stephen Keshi barely a month before the side's final two African Nations Cup qualifiers.

18 Oct 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - 4TH MATCHES - ALGERIA AND CAPE VERDE QUALIFY

Algeria and Cape Verde became the first teams to qualify for January's Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco.

18 Oct 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP - CAF - SOUNDS OUT ALTERNATIVE HOST OPTIONS

The Confederation of African Football has approached Ghana and South Africa about hosting the 2015 Nations Cup.

17 Oct 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - 4TH MATCHES - ALL RESULTS

Cameroon on verge of qualification - Cameroon took a huge step towards qualification with a 2:0 victory over Sierra Leone on Wednesday.

16 Oct 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - 4TH MATCHES - PREVIEW

Algeria will qualify, if they beat Malawi today, while wins for Cameroon and South Africa will put them within touching distance.

15 Oct 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - ZAMBIA - GROUP STAGE - 4TH MATCHES - KATONGO THROWN OUT OF SQUAD

The former BBC African Footballer of the Year was captain in 2012 when Zambia caused an upset to win the Nations Cup in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

14 Oct 2014

NATIONAL TEAMS - NIGERIA - AFRICA CUP 2019 - COACH Gernot Rohr cools title talk

Day 2   
3rd match
 
Nigeria vs Burundi -:-
 
 
Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr who has steered the Super Eagles to their first Africa Cup of Nations finals since 2013
 
Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr has downplayed his team's chances of winning a fourth title at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt which kicks off on Friday.
 
Champions in 2013, expectations are high as the Super Eagles return to the mix after missing back-to-back tournaments in 2015 and 2017.
 
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick believes the squad has been given all the necessary support to succeed in North Africa.
 
But Rohr is playing down expectation.
 
"Our aim at this moment is to stay humble and not get too excited," the Nigeria coach told BBC Sport.
 
"To say we have to win the Afcon is not my philosophy because we are a very young team.
 
"Already the president said we must win it, but this is not the ideology.
 
We are only making a return after a period of absence so we have to play with happiness and enthusiasm in Egypt.
 
"Our young team will do the best.
 
We have a chance to reach the last four, which for me is already a good result."
 
Nigeria landed in Egypt with 20 players who will be making their debut at the tournament. Captain John Mikel Obi along with Ahmed Musa and Kenneth Omeruo are the only surviving members from the class of 2013.
 
John Mikel Obi is one of only three members in this Nigeria squad from the title-winning Nations Cup in 2013
 
But Rohr is unconcerned about the lack of experience in his squad and insists their 'spirited' performance at the World Cup in Russia will come in handy.
 
"They did very well in Russia and won hearts, I can tell from the reactions of the fans at home and everywhere I go.
 
"In defence we have Balogun who is very mature.
 
The captain Mikel is back in midfield.
 
John Ogu is experienced and we already know everything about [Wilfred] Ndidi.
 
"Alex Iwobi is young but brings experience in the forwards.
 
Ahmed Musa and Ighalo also have experience.
 
We must find a way to blend them all together.
 
"The youthfulness in the squad is good because the future will be bright. 
 
Also they can draw very positive experience from their spirited performance in Russia."
 
Nigeria will face one of the pre-tournament favourites Senegal in a behind-closed-doors friendly in Ismailia on Sunday.
 
The three-time champions kick off their campaign against Burundi on 22 June in Alexandria, before facing West African rivals Guinea in the second Group B match on 26 June and debutants Madagascar four days later.
17 Jun 2019
(Football Writer, France by Oluwashina Okeleji)

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