Category: Football Africa

The Road to AFCON 2025 in Morocco Begins in March
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

The Road to AFCON 2025 in Morocco to start in March

Between March 20-26, eight teams will play home and away ties to determine the final four teams to advance to the qualifier proper joining 44 other nations.

The four preliminary round winners will join the 44 exempted teams in the group stage following the draw on Tuesday at the CAF Headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.

The qualifiers will be played on home and away fixtures during the next FIFA International Break between 20 – 26 March 2024.

CAF say the dates, venues, and kick-off times for the matches will be announced at a later date.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has tentatively agreed to hold the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco during July and August of next year, according to a CAF official who spoke to AFP.

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Here are the results of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Preliminary Draw:
Here are the results of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Preliminary Draw:
Liberia unveils former Malawi coach Mario Marinica
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Liberia unveils former Malawi coach Mario Marinică

The Liberia Football Association has unveiled Mario Marinica, a Romanian, as the new head coach of Liberia’s senior men’s national football team, the Lone Star.

Marinica’s first match as head coach will be in the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 preliminary round. 

Liberia will learn her opponent on Tuesday, 20 February, from the draw that will take place in Cairo, Egypt. 

Marinica, a UEFA Pro Licence coach with over 28 years of experience in coaching at both club and national team levels, signed a two-year contract with the task of qualifying the Lone Star for the 2025 AFCON final tournament. 

He will also work with the technical department to identify and develop young potential talents domestically and internationally.

Marinica, along with his two foreign assistant coaches, Clwyd Jones and Ronald D. Moroka, as well as a physical therapist, Chikondi Mandalasi, were unveiled at the association’s headquarters on Monday, 19 February. He will later choose two local coaches, including a goalkeeper trainer, to work with.

Marinica declared that his philosophy is centred on winning, and he will consistently work with flexible plans and strategies to achieve the desired outcome. He acknowledged that Liberians and supporters are dissatisfied with the team’s lack of victories in recent years, and it’s crucial to secure a win and qualify for the 2025 Nations Cup.

In November 2021, Marinica was appointed as the Technical Director of the Football Association of Malawi on a three-year contract. He led the Malawi team to the last sixteen of the Cameroon 2021 AFCON, but unfortunately, they were eliminated by Morocco at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé.

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and the Writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32 – African News.

CAF of Nations Morocco 2025 Preliminary draw set for Tuesday
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Preliminary draw set for Tuesday

After the conclusion of the 34th edition of TotalEnergies CAF AFCON, preparations have begun for the next edition.

The preliminary draw for TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 is scheduled for Tuesday, 20th February 2024, in Cairo, Egypt at 2:00 PM local time (noon GMT).

The preliminary round of CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 will feature the eight (8) lowest-ranked teams according to the FIFA ranking: Somalia, Djibouti, Sao Tome, Chad, Mauritius, South Sudan, Liberia, and Eswatini.

These matches will be played on a home and away basis during the FIFA Window of 18th-26th March 2024. The four (4) preliminary round winners will then join the 44 exempted teams for the group stage.

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AFCON 2023 top scorer Emilio Nsue suspended for 'indiscipline'
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

AFCON top scorer Emilio Nsue suspended for Indiscipline

Equatorial Guinea’s football federation has suspended Emilio Nsue, the country’s striker, indefinitely for his alleged involvement in “several episodes of serious indiscipline” during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.

Although Nsue finished as the top scorer at the finals with five goals in four outings, Equatorial Guinea were knocked out in the last 16. In addition to Nsue, midfielder Iban Salvador, who plays for National Thunder, has also been suspended.

The federation (Feguifut) stated that Salvador had been involved in an “unpleasant incident” in Abidjan on 29 January, the day after the team’s 1-0 defeat by Guinea, which saw them exit the tournament. Feguifut added that Ivorian police had to intervene, and the incident delayed the squad’s return to Equatorial Guinea.

Nsue, who is the all-time top international scorer for his country with 22 goals, was in Abidjan on Sunday to collect the golden boot following Ivory Coast’s victory over Nigeria in the Nations Cup final. He currently plays for Intercity and has previously played for Birmingham City and Middlesbrough.

The National Thunder’s next competitive fixtures will be in June, which is when two 2026 World Cup qualifiers are scheduled.

Abu Kamara seals Portsmouth's win over Cambridge United
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Abu Kamara seals Portsmouth’s win over Cambridge United

Sierra Leone native Abu Kamara scored again as Portsmouth maintained their lead at the top of League One with a come-from-behind victory over Cambridge United.

The team’s 3-1 victory kept the six-point gap to second place in the League One standings unchanged.

The visiting team unexpectedly took the lead just before half-time when Danny Andrew headed in Sullay Kaikai’s corner kick, which was deemed to have crossed the line at the near post.

However, on 44 minutes, Kusini Yengi, who had returned to the starting line-up, was fouled in the box. The Australian striker picked himself up and converted from the penalty spot, sending the U’s goalkeeper Jack Stevens the wrong way.

Just before the hour mark, the game was turned around when Yengi and Paddy Lane combined down the left to set up Myles Peart-Harris, on loan from Brentford, to score his first goal for the Pompey club, with a low finish.

In the dying minutes of the game, Lane’s charge-down found Abu Kamara in space on the right side of the field, and the Norwich City loanee curled in a superb angled shot that went past Stevens and hit the underside of the crossbar before going in. This was Kamara’s sixth goal of the season.

Pompey’s fifth victory in six games was their first consecutive home win since October. However, the only concern for boss John Mousinho was midfielder Tom Lowery’s apparent hamstring injury in the first half.

The U’s have only won one of their last five games and are currently four points above the relegation zone.

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