THE race for places in the knockout stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) intensified on Saturday as Senegal, DR Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, Benin Republic and Botswana all featured in dramatic group-stage encounters marked by late goals, missed penalties and historic milestones. News Point Nigeria Sports reports that Senegal were forced to come from behind to secure a 1-1 draw against DR Congo in a fiercely contested Group D clash in Tangier, with star forward Sadio Mane once again proving decisive. The Leopards struck first just after the hour mark when Cedric Bakambu pounced from close range, finishing…
Author: Peter Noah KC
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SEVEN-TIME champions Egypt booked their place in the knockout stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a game to spare after Mohamed Salah’s first-half penalty secured a hard-fought 1–0 victory over South Africa, despite the Pharaohs playing the entire second half with 10 men. News Point Nigeria Sports reports that in another dramatic night of AFCON action, tournament hosts Morocco were held to a 1–1 draw by Mali in Rabat after a tense encounter dominated by VAR interventions, while Zambia and Comoros played out the first goalless draw of the competition in a subdued Group A clash in…
THE atmosphere around Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign has received a major boost ahead of Saturday’s group-stage showdown against Tunisia, with tickets for the high-stakes encounter at the Fez Stadium completely sold out. News Point Nigeria Sports reports that ticket information on the Confederation of African Football’s official platform confirmed that all three ticket categories for the match were fully booked, a surprising development given the concerns over low attendances that have characterised several fixtures at the tournament so far. Category 1 tickets were sold at 300 Moroccan dirhams, Category 2 at 200 dirhams, while Category 3 tickets went…
NIGERIA may not have put the game beyond doubt on the scoreboard, but their 2-1 performance against Tanzania sent a strong message to the rest of the continent. News Point Nigeria Sports reports that the Super Eagles, playing their opening Group F fixture of AFCON 2025, dominated proceedings and showed flashes of the quality that makes them genuine title contenders. Deservedly, they took all three points thanks to goals from Semi Ajayi and Ademola Lookman. In the wake of the Group C clash, here are six takeaways from the encounter. Nigeria Show Dominance: Coming into the tournament, the Super Eagles…
AFRICA’s football heavyweights wasted little time asserting their credentials at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, as Ivory Coast, Algeria and Cameroon all recorded victories in their opening group matches on Wednesday, sending an early warning to rivals across the continent. News Point Nigeria Sports reports that in Marrakesh, defending champions Ivory Coast began their title defence with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Mozambique, thanks to a second-half strike from Manchester United winger Amad Diallo. Diallo found the decisive breakthrough in the 49th minute of the Group F encounter, finishing off sustained pressure from the Elephants, who dominated possession and…
NIGERIA began their quest for a fourth Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title with a hard-fought victory over Tanzania in wet conditions in Fes. News Point Nigeria Sports reports that the Super Eagles took the lead in the 36th minute when defender Semi Ajayi glanced home a header from Alex Iwobi’s inviting right-wing cross. Nigeria largely controlled proceedings in the first half and went close to doubling their advantage before the break, only for Samuel Chukwueze’s deflected effort to be tipped over the bar by Tanzania goalkeeper Zuberi Foba. Tanzania responded shortly after the restart, drawing level in the 50th…
THE 2025 Africa Cup of Nations roared into life on Monday with late goals, dramatic turnarounds and landmark victories, as Egypt, South Africa and Zambia all made strong opening statements in a thrilling start to the continent’s premier football tournament. News Point Nigeria Sports reports that in Agadir, Mohamed Salah proved decisive once again, scoring a stoppage-time winner to help seven-time champions Egypt come from behind to defeat Zimbabwe 2-1 in their Group B opener. The Liverpool star, still chasing his first AFCON title, rescued the Pharaohs from a frustrating evening in Morocco after Zimbabwe shocked the favourites with a…
SUPER Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has admitted that the Super Eagles owe Nigerians an apology for failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. News Point Nigeria Sports reports that he described the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as a vital opportunity to make amends and restore national pride. Osimhen, in an Interview on Sunday with Pooja, said the disappointment from missing out on the World Cup is still fresh in the minds of the players, who are fully aware of the pain felt by fans across the country and in the diaspora. “We want to use this opportunity…
AFRICA Cup of Nations (Afcon) 2025 hosts Morocco began their campaign to win a second continental title with a somewhat nervy win over Comoros in the tournament opener in rainy Rabat. News Point Nigeria Sports reports that the Atlas Lions spurned a glorious chance to take an 11th-minute lead after Iyad Mohamed brought down Brahim Diaz in the box, but Comoros goalkeeper Yannick Pandor got his left knee to Soufiane Rahimi’s penalty. The Indian Ocean islanders sat back and frustrated their opponents until 10 minutes into the second half when Diaz was left unmarked near the penalty spot to sweep…
BESIKTAS midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, has been appointed as the new captain of the Super Eagles ahead of the African Cup of Nations in Morocco. News Point Nigeria Sports reports that this was made known in a post on the Super Eagles’ handle on Friday. “Wilfred Ndidi has been named captain of the Super Eagles and says the responsibility means everything as Nigeria heads to Morocco,” the post read. Ndidi’s first assignment will be leading the three-time African champions as they push for glory at AFCON in Morocco. To achieve that, the player knows that unity is key and is rallying…
AFTER the disappointment of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Nigeria return to the continental stage in pursuit of a fourth title. News Point Nigeria Sports reports that with the 2025 edition set to kick off in Morocco, the spotlight will be on star players such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, and other key figures, who are expected to transform renewed dreams into triumph for a nation eager to reclaim continental glory. The last time Nigeria lifted the AFCON trophy was in South Africa 2013. The team came closest to claiming a fourth title in the 2023…
PITTED in Group C alongside Tunisia, Tanzania, and Uganda, Nigeria are fancied as one of the favourites to win the competition in Morocco. News Point Nigeria Sports reports that the last edition of the continental football competition, the three-time AFCON winners were agonisingly close to adding to their tally. Nigeria lost 2-1 to hosts Cote d’Ivoire in the final after taking the lead. But in Morocco, Nigeria’s target will be to go one more step further and conquer the continent in the Maghreb. That journey starts with the Taifa Stars of Tanzania, who will step out against the Super Eagles…
THE Super Eagles of Nigeria have played down concerns following their 2–1 defeat to Egypt in a pre-2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) friendly in Cairo, with key players Paul Onuachu and Chidozie Awaziem expressing confidence in the team’s performance and readiness for the tournament. News Point Nigeria Sports reports that the international friendly, played on Tuesday at the Cairo International Stadium, marked Nigeria’s final tune-up match ahead of the AFCON finals in Morocco. Despite the loss, the Eagles’ camp remained upbeat, describing the encounter as a valuable test against strong opposition. Striker Paul Onuachu, who led the Eagles’ attack,…
AHMED Musa has brought an end to his international career with the Super Eagles of Nigeria, following an illustrious period that included winning the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). News Point Nigeria Sports reports that Musa, a former Leicester City forward, announced his retirement on Wednesday, describing his stint with the Super Eagles as a thing of “pride”. “I wore this badge with pride for 15 years. From a 17-year-old boy answering every call to becoming the most capped Super Eagle with 111 appearances,” the winger, who is fondly known as the “Governor,” wrote in a post announcing his…
WITH just days to the kickoff of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, frustration is growing among Nigerian football fans over the delayed arrival of three key Super Eagles stars—Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze, and Moses Simon. News Point Nigeria Sports reports that four days after the Super Eagles opened their training camp in Cairo, Egypt, the trio remain the only players yet to report for national duty, sparking intense debate and criticism across social media platforms. Nigeria’s AFCON camp officially opened on Sunday at the Renaissance Hotel in Cairo, where 25 players had assembled as of Tuesday…
THE number of players in the Super Eagles’ camp in Cairo, in preparation for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, has risen to 20, with 3 more players expected on Tuesday (Today). News Point Nigeria Sports reports that according to an update from the camp, FC Porto of Portugal left-back Zaidu Sanusi has joined his colleagues who had earlier arrived, bringing the total number of players in camp to 29. Players already in camp include goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali, Francis Uzoho, and Amas Obasogie. Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England);…
GOALKEEPERS Francis Uzoho and Stanley Nwabali were the first batch of players to arrive at the Super Eagles’ camp for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). News Point Nigeria Sports reports that Uzoho, a returnee to the Nigerian team after months of absence, was the first to touch down at the Super Eagles’ camp in Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday morning. The Omonia of Cyprus man, who was a surprise inclusion in the 28-man roster for the continental showpiece, joins Nwabali as the team’s camp opened on Sunday. A video on the Super Eagles’ official X handle showed Chippa United’s…
FORMER Nigeria international, Peterside Idah has launched a scathing attack on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over what he described as the poor and insensitive handling of Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong’s international exit, alleging that the defender was effectively pushed out of the national team rather than retiring of his own free will. News Point Nigeria Sports reports that Idah, a former goalkeeper who was part of Nigeria’s national team setup in the past, accused the football federation of mismanagement and leadership failure, insisting that Troost-Ekong’s departure could and should have been delayed until after the 2025 Africa Cup…
FORMER Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has thrown his weight behind Nigeria’s quest for continental glory, urging the national team to “bring it home” as preparations intensify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. News Point Nigeria Sports reports that Mikel’s rallying call came shortly after Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle unveiled his final 28-man squad for the tournament on Thursday, marking a decisive moment in Nigeria’s build-up to the championship scheduled for next month. The three-time African champions are aiming to secure a fourth AFCON title, following previous triumphs in 1980, 1994 and 2013.…
GOALKEEPER Francis Uzoho has made a surprise return to the Super Eagles, while Maduka Okoye, who has been deputizing for first-choice keeper Stanley Nwabali, was omitted from Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 squad list. News Point Nigeria Sports reports that also recalled to the team is Paul Onuachu, who has been scoring freely for his Turkish club, Trabzonspor. The long-awaited squad list was released by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on its verified X handle on Thursday night. In the final list, coach Eric Chelle named three goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders and nine forwards for the tournament scheduled for December 21,…