Category: Football Africa

Angola, Madagascar and Zambia secure wins in CHAN first-leg qualifiers
by FSL News

Angola, Madagascar and Zambia secure wins in CHAN first-leg qualifiers

The first leg of the second-round qualifiers for CHAN 2024 has produced challenging results for host nations across the continent.

On Saturday, December 21st, five matches took place, with three visiting teams securing victories. However, DR Congo and Congo did not achieve wins. Lesotho hosted Angola in Durban, South Africa, where Angola celebrated a convincing 2-0 victory.

Equatorial Guinea faced Congo at home but struggled to secure a win, settling for a goalless draw despite having control of possession. In a Southern African derby, Zambia triumphed over Mozambique with a 3-0 scoreline, while Eswatini was outperformed by Madagascar, suffering a 2-0 loss in Mbabane.

Two-time champions DR Congo managed to earn a 1-1 draw against Chad in an away match as they seek to reclaim their title after previous wins in 2009 and 2016.

The qualifiers continue on Sunday, leading to the second and final round from December 25 to 29, where the final 19 qualified nations, including hosts Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, will be determined.

The TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship 2024 will be held from February 1 to February 24, 2025.

TotalEnergies CAF CHAN 2024 Qualifiers Results:

Saturday, 21 December 2024

  • Lesotho 0-2 Angola
  • Equatorial Guinea 0-0 Congo
  • Mozambique 0-3 Zambia
  • Eswatini 0-2 Madagascar
  • Chad 1-1 DR Congo

Sunday, 22 December 2024 | Times in GMT

  • 13:00: South Sudan vs Rwanda
  • 14:00: Central African Republic vs Cameroon
  • 14:00: Ethiopia vs Sudan
  • 16:00: Ghana vs Nigeria
  • 16:00: Cote d’Ivoire vs Burkina Faso
  • 16:00: Liberia vs Senegal
  • 16:00: Togo vs Niger
  • 17:00: Mauritania vs Mali
Nantes: Nigeria's Moses Simon set for ankle surgery
by FSL News

Nantes: Nigeria’s Moses Simon set for ankle surgery

Nantes head coach Antoine Kombouare has confirmed that Moses Simon is scheduled to undergo surgery in the coming days to address a persistent ankle issue.

The Nigeria international has been unavailable for the last two months of the 2023-24 season due to a fractured fibula. It continues to experience residual pain from that injury in the current season.

Recently, Simon had the plate and screws removed from his ankle and fibula, but he remains in discomfort. As a result, the club has determined that surgery is the most appropriate course of action.

As Ligue 1 is currently in its winter break, Nantes will next compete on January 4 when they travel to Lille. They will also face Drancy in the Coupe de France on December 21.

Kombouare will proceed without the 29-year-old winger, who has significantly contributed with four goals and five assists in 14 league appearances this season.

“Moses has had the plate and screws removed from his ankle and fibula due to the considerable pain he has been experiencing recently,” Kombouare stated, as reported by Ouest-France. “We are utilizing this short break to facilitate this necessary operation for him. Following the procedure, he will have two weeks to recover before he can safely rejoin the team.”

In-form Belouizdad to face tricky Al Ahly Champions League tie
by Football Sierra Leone

In-form Belouizdad to face tricky Al Ahly Champions League tie

Algerian side Belouizdad travel to Egypt for a tricky CAF Champions League group stage match against Al Ahly SC on Sunday at Cairo International Stadium.

This match is a rescheduled fixture for Matchday Three in Group C, postponed due to Ahly’s participation in the FIFA InterContinental Cup this week in Qatar.

Belouizdad arrives with confidence following a 1-0 victory over Stade d’Abidjan. Aimen Mahious, the goal-scorer in that match, is a key player alongside Khanyisa Mayo.

The Algerian side has performed impressively, securing five wins in their last six matches and maintaining a defensive record of 333 minutes without conceding.

Sunday’s clash will highlight contrasting styles: Ahly’s defensive stability against Belouizdad’s effective counter-attacking.

Currently third in the group with three points, Belouizdad seeks to advance, while Al Ahly aims for victory to reclaim the top spot and revitalize their campaign.

The last encounter ended in a 0-0 draw, but the stakes are significantly higher this time.

Sierra Leone face difficult road to Women's AFCON 2026 in Morocco
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone face difficult road to Women’s AFCON in Morocco

Sierra Queens of Sierra Leone to embark on a difficult journey to qualify for the 2026 CAF Women’s African Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The qualifiers for the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2026, will commence following the draw held at the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) headquarters in Cairo on Thursday.

In the initial round of the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 Qualifiers, Sierra Leone will face Benin. Should the team succeed in this round, they will advance to meet Nigeria in the subsequent stage.

The Sierra Queens will first travel to Benin for the first leg of their match, scheduled from February 17 to 26, 2025, while the second round will occur between October 20 and 28, 2025.

The winner of the match between Sierra Leone and Benin will go on to challenge Nigeria, an established powerhouse in African women’s football. Nigeria has been granted a bye for the first round due to its high ranking.

The second round of fixtures is set to take place from October 20 to 28, 2025. A total of 38 African nations will compete for 12 available spots in the final tournament, alongside Morocco, which qualifies automatically as the host nation.

Qualifier Schedule:

  • First Round: February 17–26, 2025
  • Second Round: October 20–28, 2025

First Round Fixtures:

  • M1 & M2: Angola vs Zimbabwe
  • M3 & M4: Malawi vs Congo
  • M5 & M6: Botswana vs DR Congo
  • M7 & M8: Tanzania vs Equatorial Guinea
  • M9 & M10: Uganda vs Ethiopia
  • M11 & M12: Eswatini vs Namibia
  • M13 & M14: Burundi vs Burkina Faso
  • M15 & M16: Djibouti vs Togo
  • M17 & M18: South Sudan vs Algeria
  • M19 & M20: Rwanda vs Egypt
  • M21 & M22: Kenya vs Tunisia
  • M23 & M24: Niger vs Gambia
  • M25 & M26: Benin vs Sierra Leone
  • M27 & M28: Guinea vs Cape Verde
  • M29 & M30: Gabon vs Mali
  • M31 & M32: Chad vs Senegal

Second Round Fixtures:

  • M33 & M34: Angola/Zimbabwe vs Malawi/Congo
  • M35 & M36: Botswana/DR Congo vs South Africa
  • M37 & M38: Tanzania/Equatorial Guinea vs Uganda/Ethiopia
  • M39 & M40: Eswatini/Namibia vs Zambia
  • M41 & M42: Burundi/Burkina Faso vs Djibouti/Togo
  • M43 & M44: South Sudan/Algeria vs Cameroon
  • M45 & M46: Rwanda/Egypt vs Ghana
  • M47 & M48: Kenya/Tunisia vs Niger/Gambia
  • M49 & M50: Benin /Sierra leone Vs  Nigeria
  • M51 & M52: Guinea/Cape Verde vs Gabon/Mali
  • M53 & M54: Chad/Senegal vs Côte d’Ivoire
Ivory Coast qualify after Chad and Sierra Leone shared spoils
by Football Sierra Leone

AFCON dates and CAF 2025 competition calendar reveal

On Monday, the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved the competition calendar for 2025.

Additionally, the EXCO announced that the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will be held on January 27, 2025, in Rabat, Morocco.

Morocco has also been selected as the host for the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations finals, while Ivory Coast will host the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations finals.

CAF issued the following statement including key dates:

TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025: Opening Match will be played Sunday, 30 March 2025; Final Match will be played Saturday, 19 April 2025

TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2025 – Opening Match will be played Saturday, 26 April 2025; Final Match will be played Sunday, 18 May 2025

TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup 2024-25: Final, First Leg will be played Saturday, 17 May 2025; Final, Second Leg will be played Sunday, 25 May 2025

TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2024-25: Final, First Leg will be played Saturday, 24 May 2025; Final, Second Leg will be played Sunday, 1 June 2025

CAF Women’s Champions League 2025: Opening Match will be played Saturday, 8 November 2025; Final Match will be played Sunday, 23 November 2025

TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025: Opening match will be played Sunday, 21 December 2025; Final Match will be played Sunday, 18 January 2026.