Defenders Semi Ajayi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Calvin Bassey, alongside midfielder Frank Onyeka and forward Paul Onuachu, landed at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo just after noon aboard a private jet arranged by the Nigeria Football Federation.

They were then driven to the team’s Ibom Hotel and Resorts to meet up with their teammates in time for lunch.

The arrival of the quintet brought the tally of players in camp to 20, three days before the Day 3 qualifying battle with the Bafana Bafana at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in the Akwa Ibom capital.

Nigeria and South Africa will go toe-to-toe in a rematch of this year’s Africa Cup of Nations first semi-final, which the Super Eagles won 4-2 after a penalty shootout at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké.

Three-time African champions Nigeria, who have reached the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup on three occasions, missed out on the last tournament in Qatar. After a sluggish start to the qualifiers, they need all three points on offer to be in strong contention for the only ticket from Group C as the campaign progresses.

Rwanda are the surprise leaders of the pool after two matchdays, with four points, followed by South Africa with three, and Nigeria with two.

The 10-match series will end in October next year, with the winners of the nine groups qualifying automatically for the finals in Canada, the USA, and Mexico. The best four second-placed teams in all nine groups will contest a CAF Play-off Tournament, with the winner proceeding to a FIFA Play-off Tournament for another slot.

The post Super Eagles bolstered by arrival of stranded players ahead of crucial World Cup qualifiers clash with South Africa appeared first on Made In Africa Sport.

The second FIFA disciplinary case involving Nsue’s eligibility comes 11 years after the first.

The latest ruling was announced just four months after he was the tournament’s top scorer at the African Cup of Nations, where he was permitted to play by the continent’s governing football body CAF.

FIFA said its disciplinary committee ruled that Equatorial Guinea‘s first two World Cup qualifying games played last November must be forfeited as 3-0 losses. Equatorial Guinea won both games, against Namibia and Liberia, 1-0 with Nsue scoring the goal.

That puts Equatorial Guinea in last place in its six-team qualifying group for the 2026 tournament. It had previously been tied on six points with group leader Tunisia. Only the group winners qualify for the World Cup being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The ruling writes another chapter in an increasingly bizarre international career for the 34-year-old Nsue, who was born in Spain.

In 2013, FIFA did not specify why Nsue, then playing in Spain for Mallorca, was ineligible to play for Equatorial Guinea in qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

On Friday, FIFA also did not specify the breach of eligibility rules but said its judges were “comfortably satisfied that the player was ineligible.”

FIFA has jurisdiction over the World Cup but not continental competitions like the AFCON, which is organized by the Confederation of African Football.

Nsue scored five goals in January during the group stage of the AFCON, including two in a stunning 4-0 win over host Ivory Coast. Equatorial Guinea was eliminated in the round of 16.

FIFA fined the Equatorial Guinea football federation 150,000 Swiss francs ($164,000) and banned Nsue from playing for any national team for six months.

The post Emilio Nsue’s AFCON heroics overshadowed by 6 months FIFA ban as Equatorial Guinea suffers 6 points deduction appeared first on Made In Africa Sport.

The Bafana Bafana face Nigeria’s Super Eagles away from home in Uyo on Friday, 7 June 2024, and then return to host Zimbabwe at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, 11 June 2024.

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos announces preliminary squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Zimbabwe in June pic.twitter.com/rHSxuUgAyk

— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) May 15, 2024

According to South African Football Association (SAFA), the final 23-member squad will be announced in the next few days.

Bafana Bafana will return to Bloemfontein for the first time since the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They last played in the city when they beat France 2-1 in the global FIFA tournament 14 years ago.

Full Squad

Goalkeepers:

• Ronwen Williams
• Bruce Bvuma
• Veli Mothwa
• Ricardo Goss

Defenders:

• Sydney Mobbie
• Innocent Maela
• Given Msimango
• Khuliso Mudau
• Siyabonga Ncezana
• Thabiso Monyane
• Nkosinathi Sibisi
• Mothobi Mvala
• Terrence Mashego
• Grant Kekana
• Thapelo Morena
• Aubrey Modiba
• Tapelo Xoki
• Thabo Maloisane

Midfielders:

• Teboho Mokoena
• Bathusi Aubaas
• Grant Margeman
• Sphephelo Sithole
• Jayden Adams

Forwards:

• Themba Zwane
• Patrick Maswanganyi
• Tshepanc Moremi
• Evidence Makgopa
• Mihlali Mayambela
• Devin Titus
• Mlondi Mbanjwa
• Elias Mokwana
• Percy Tau
• Oswin Appollis
• Iqraam Rayners
• Lyle Foster
• Relebogile Mofokeng

The post 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers: Broos announces preliminary South Africa squad for Nigeria, Zimbabwe clash appeared first on Made In Africa Sport.

The Harambee Stars, who suffered a setback in their first game against Gabon, losing 1-2, rebounded strongly to secure their first win in the qualifiers, with Michael Olunga scoring a brace within the first six minutes of the game.

Meanwhile, the Central African Republic held Mali to a 1-1 draw in Bamako, frustrating the hosts as their captain, Geoffrey Kongdogbia, netted a late equalizer in the 79th minute after conceding through Kamory Doumbia three minutes earlier.

In another match played at a neutral location, the Barea of Madagascar were three goals better than the host, Chad at the Stade Municipal d’Oujda, Oujda courtesy of a brace from Njiva Rakotoharimalala and 91st-minute goal from Union SG midfielder, Loïc Lapoussin.

A goal in each half from Fiorentina’s Christian Kouame and Al Nassr’s Seko Fofana at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Dar es Salaam ensured the Elephants of Côte d’Ivoire maintained their 100% run in the qualifiers after putting nine past Seychelles in matchday one.

Results of all Monday matches:

Group A

• Djibouti 0-1 Guinea-Bissau

Group F

• Gambia 0-2 Ivory Coast
• Seychelles 0-5 Kenya

Group H

• Liberia 0-1 Equatorial Guinea

Group I

• Chad 0-3 Madagascar
• Mali 1-1 Central African Republic

The post 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Review: Kenya run riot as Côte d’Ivoire continue dominance appeared first on Made In Africa Sport.

This comes after the Super Eagles on Sunday struggled to a 1-1 draw with the Warriors of Zimbabwe at the Huye Stadium in Butare, Rwanda.

Recall that Nigeria had also laboured to a 1-1 draw against the Crocodiles of Lesotho in the opening fixture at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo last Thursday with South Africa‘s 2-1 victory over Benin Republic’s Cheetahs on Saturday meaning the Bafana Bafana are top of Group C, even before taking on Rwanda in a Day 2 encounter on Tuesday.

This has sparked widespread criticism from lovers of Nigerian football with many pointing out that both results were unacceptable for a country of Nigeria’s stature.

They argued that Peseiro was not the kind of coach for the Super Eagles, adding that it was high time he was relieved of his duties.

A former chairman of the House of Representatives, Godfrey Gaiya lamented that Nigeria should have been a sure bet going by public ratings in the group.

Gaiya said that many Nigerians had celebrated the 2026 World Cup qualifying group comprising of Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Benin Republic, Lesotho, and South Africa as easy, going by previous antecedents.

He expressed disappointment in the fact that after Matchday 2, it was unfortunate that optimism is reducing to skepticism despite facing opponents ranked 153rd and 125th in the FIFA rankings.

According to him, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) under Ibrahim Gusau has been doing its best so far, there was a need for a push and competent guidance from a well-coordinated secretariat.

He said that the Super Eagles current squad was star-studded but far from being a team, adding that virtually every department was leaking, with the goalkeeping almost always a disaster.

He bemoaned the over reliance on purely foreign based players to execute the qualifiers adding that the match against Lesotho should have been played by six home-based players in Uyo.

Mouktar Mohammed, Chairman, FCT Football Association, said the recent poor performances recorded by the Super Eagles calls for deep soul searching.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers resume in June 2024 with Nigeria hosting South Africa, current leaders of Group C, before travelling to an away game against Benin Republic.

The post Nigerian football stakeholders call for Peseiro’s sack over poor results appeared first on Made In Africa Sport.

The post 2026 FIFA WCQ: Amartey fails fitness test, to miss Ghana vs Comoros clash appeared first on Made In Africa Sport.

Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze had first-half chances to put the Super Eagles ahead but could not, only for the Saudis, who had lost their last six matches in all competitions, to take a shock lead on the hour mark when goalkeeper Francis Uzoho palmed the ball into his own net from a free-kick way out on the right flank by Salman Al Faraj.

FT in Portimao: Saudi Arabia 2-2 Nigeria #soarsupereagles #letsdoitagain pic.twitter.com/mNwnkI5fPJ

— Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) October 13, 2023

Coach Jose Peseiro introduced Terem Moffi for the injured Victor Osimhen, and brought in Bright Osayi-Samuel, Kelechi Iheanacho and Moses Simon to relieve Tyronne Ebuehi, Lookman and Chukwueze.

This appeared to improve Nigeria’s lot at the fore, as Iheanacho and Simon rattled the Falcons’ defence at will, and Simon was the architect of Nigeria’s equalizer, when he did a yeoman’s job to lay the ball to Victor Boniface to score his first Nigeria goal from a tight angle in the 73rd minute.

Eight minutes later, Iheanacho drove the ball powerfully into the net beyond the flailing hands of the Falcons’ goalie, after Moffi and Simon combined to put the opposing defence in knots.

The game came less than 24 hours after the Super Eagles learnt they would be playing hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea Bissau and Equatorial Guinea in the group phase at the Africa Cup of Nations early next year, and 48 hours after they adopted ‘Let’s Do It Again’ as their mantra for the trophy quest in Cote d’Ivoire.

On Monday, the Super Eagles will take on the Mambas of Mozambique in another friendly encounter at the same venue, before 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe next month.

The post Saudi Arabia holds Nigeria in international friendly appeared first on Made In Africa Sport.