Category: African News

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Nigeria and Senegal set a date as debutant Sierra Leone battle on Morocco
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Nigeria and Senegal set a date as debutant Sierra Leone to battle Morocco

With Nigeria meeting the defending champions, Senegal, at the Suez Canal Stadium on Monday, the U20 Cup of Nations quarterfinals promise to be thrilling and a noted West African rivalry.

At the same time, tournament newcomer Sierra Leone has a difficult assignment against one of the favourites, Morocco.

Eight teams guaranteed their places in the quarterfinals of the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt after a run of exciting games on Friday, May 9.

Emerging talents all throughout the continent are highlighted in this tournament, which acts as a qualifying event for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile later this year. Besides the continental title, these young athletes are also vying for four open World Cup spots for Africa.

Egypt (hosts), DR Congo, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and South Africa are the teams moving on to the knockout stage. Monday, May 12, will see the quarterfinal matches.

With a slim 1-0 win over Tanzania at the Suez Canal Stadium, tournament hosts Egypt advanced to the quarterfinals and guaranteed their place as one of the two finest third-placed teams, alongside DR Congo.

With a 3-1 victory over the Central African Republic and a 1-1 tie against Ghana, DR Congo’s performance was sufficient to see them through.

South Africa ended up at the top in Group A, despite a 1-1 draw with neighbors Zambia. Second in that category was Sierra Leone.

Group B saw Morocco finish first; Nigeria, who came in second, will join Morocco in the knockout stages.

Defending champions Senegal also progressed, finishing second behind group leaders Ghana in Group C but edging out DR Congo on goal difference.

Exciting Quarterfinal Matches:

Promising excitement and unusual pairings, the next quarterfinals In the first quarterfinal confrontation, defending champions Senegal will take on a strong Nigeria. Hosts Egypt face a steep challenge against a sure Ghana. Having shown strong performance in the group stage, Morocco will face a Sierra Leone eager whereas the talented South Africans would have to deal with a tactically savvy DR Congo.

Top Goalscorer:Β Sierra Leone’s Momoh Kamara leads the scoring charts with 4 goals.

TotalEnergies CAF U-20 AFCON Egypt 2025 Quarter-Finals Fixtures

12h00 GMT | Nigeria vs Senegal

15h00 GMT | Ghana vs Egypt

15h00 GMT | Morocco vs Sierra Leone

18h00 GMT | South Africa vs DR Congo

Ghana U20 beat Central African Republic to top Group A
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Ghana U20 beat Central African Republic to top Group A

Ghana U20 won a tough match against the Central African Republic (CAR) 1-0 on Thursday. This victory allowed them to top Group C and secure a spot in the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt 2025.

Joseph Opoku scored the only goal in the 84th minute at the Suez Canal Stadium. Until then, Ghana had controlled the game with most of the possession and chances, but they couldn’t score. With this result, Ghana finished the group with seven points from three matches. Senegal also advanced to the knockout stage after beating DR Congo 2-0 in another match.

CAR needed to win to move on but spent most of the game on the defensive, struggling to create chances. Ghana’s players, like Aziz Issah and Andrews Adjabeng, tried to break the deadlock, but they had trouble finishing.

The winning goal came when Joseph Aidoo made a strong run on a counterattack and passed to Opoku in the box. Opoku scored confidently, sending the Ghana bench into celebration. CAR couldn’t mount a comeback in the final minutes as Ghana controlled the game to secure their second win of the tournament.

Ghana U20 coach Desmond Ofei expressed pride in his team’s patience and tactical discipline following their progression to the knockout stage. Ghana needed only a draw to advance after previously defeating Senegal and drawing with DR Congo, while CAR ended with just one point from three matches, a drop from their 2021 quarter-final performance.

This marks the first time Ghana has gone unbeaten in the group stage since 2013, as they aim for their fifth U20 AFCON title. The final lineup for the knockout stages will be announced after all group matches conclude on Friday.

Morocco Under-20 finished their group stage with an unbeaten record, winning 3-1 against Tunisia at the Suez Canal Stadium. This victory secured the top spot in Group B of the TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt 2025.
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Morocco U-20 pick Cup of Nations quarter final ticket

Morocco Under-20 finished their group stage with an unbeaten record, winning 3-1 against Tunisia at the Suez Canal Stadium. This victory secured the top spot in Group B of the TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt 2025.

Ayman Arguigue scored the first goal in the first half, setting the pace for Morocco. Late goals from Smail Bakhty and substitute Jones El Abdellaoui clinched the win. Tunisia briefly tied the game with an equalizer from Anis Doubal early in the second half, but they could not keep up and must now wait to see if they advance as one of the best third-placed teams.

The match was crucial for both teams, as they aimed for a knockout spot, depending on the outcome of the Nigeria vs. Kenya game, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Morocco’s victory ensured they finished first with seven points, while Nigeria came in second with five.

Morocco started strongly, putting pressure on Tunisia’s defense. Their efforts paid off just before halftime when Arguigue scored in the 44th minute after a great setup from Zahouani.

After halftime, Tunisia tied the game in the 53rd minute with a long-range goal from Doubal. However, Morocco regained the lead in the 86th minute when Bakhty scored during a goalmouth scramble, and El Abdellaoui sealed the victory with a stoppage time goal from a quick counterattack.

This win solidified Morocco’s unbeaten streak in the group stage, showcasing a strong defense and sharp attack. Tunisia, despite showing some quality, finished third with three points and a negative goal difference, and their hopes of advancing to the quarter-finals as one of the best third-placed teams are dimmed by this heavy loss.

Noah Makanza's brace helps DRC's U20 Improve qualification chances
by Football Sierra Leone

Noah Makanza’s brace helps DRC’s U20 Improve qualification chances

DR Congo won 3-1 against the Central African Republic (CAR) in Group C of the TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations on Monday. This victory helps DR Congo’s chances of reaching the knockout stage.

Noah Makanza scored two goals, and Samuel Ntanda added a late header to secure the win at the New Suez Stadium. With this result, DR Congo now has four points after an opening 1-1 draw with Ghana.

CAR took an early lead with a goal from Raphael Nzabakomada in the 10th minute. However, DR Congo quickly responded. After missing a first-half penalty, Makanza scored to equalize just minutes later, finishing the first half at 1-1.

DR Congo started the second half strong and took the lead five minutes in when Makanza scored his second goal with a close-range shot. Ntanda then closed the match with a goal in the 59th minute, heading in a cross from Messy Manitu after a fast counterattack.

Coach Guy Bukasa had told his team to stay focused and play aggressively to beat a strong team like CAR. The players listened well and played with discipline.

In the final minutes, CAR tried to come back with several shots, but they could not get past DR Congo’s defense. This result leaves CAR with only one point after two matches, having drawn with Senegal in their first game. Their chances of moving forward now depend on their last group match.

DR Congo, however, is in a good position as they prepare for their next match against the defending champions Senegal. The Congolese team remains unbeaten in the tournament and showed better teamwork, taking more shots on target and winning more duels during the game.

Later, Senegal faced Ghana in another important match in Group C.

π„π π²π©π­π’πšπ§ 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐒-𝐃𝐨𝐩𝐒𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐒𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐒𝐨𝐧 𝐯𝐒𝐬𝐒𝐭 π’π’πžπ«π«πš π‹πžπ¨π§πž π”πŸπŸŽ 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐑𝐞 𝐒𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩π₯𝐚𝐲𝐒𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐒𝐫
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

π„π π²π©π­π’πšπ§ 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐒-𝐃𝐨𝐩𝐒𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐒𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐒𝐨𝐧 𝐯𝐒𝐬𝐒𝐭 π”πŸπŸŽ 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐑𝐞 𝐒𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩π₯𝐚𝐲𝐒𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐒𝐫

As part of an instructional outreach for the U20 Cup of Nations, the Egyptian Anti-Doping Organization, EGY-NADO, working in collaboration with the Confederation of African Football, which tests, educate, and support Egyptian athletes in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Agency, recently visited the Sierra Leone and the Egyptian U-20 team.

The EGY-NADO team talked to officials and players from both teams during the visit about the dangers related to taking any kind of forbidden drug as athletes. They offered direction on how to avoid consuming banned substances or employing unauthorized techniques by outlining the rights and responsibilities of athletes.

Fair play in sports means competing based on skill and training, not using performance-enhancing drugs. Speakers warned that banned substances can cause lasting harm and stressed that strict rules are essential to maintain fairness in sports.

EGY-NADO officials cautioned medical personnel and athletes alike regarding their right to know what they were putting into their bodies. They went on to detail a few of the prohibited drugs and techniques physicians and athletes must be aware of in order to safeguard the players’ welfare.

Among the prohibited drugs are steroids, EPO/blood doping agents, stimulants, diuretics, masking agents, and Beta-2 agonists. The presentation also addressed what qualifies as a Doping Violation (ADRVs), the procedures used in doping control, and who is qualified for testing.