TIG Post

Tag: AFCON

  • Absent teams to lose points during AFCON qualifiers

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that any team absent due to COVID-19 restrictions for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations Cup qualifiers will lose three points and two goals.

    In a statement released by CAF, any team that fails to present a team of eleven players and four substitutes will be considered to have lost the game 2-0.

    “Each match must be played if the team has at least eleven (11) players (including a goalkeeper) and four (4) substitutes,” CAF stated on their website.

    “If a team cannot travel to the host country and/or venue of a match due to any travel or other restriction relating to COVID-19, the team in question will be considered to have lost the match 2-0,” it added.

    “If a team does not have the minimum number of players required, at least eleven (11) players (including a goalkeeper) and four (4) substitutes), the team in question will be considered to have lost the match 2-0.

    “The number of authorized substitutions is limited to five (5) players per team. Each team will have three opportunities to make these substitutions during the match.”

    As part of guidelines for the upcoming qualifiers, CAF also stated no team will be allowed to play in front of their fans without their approvals.

    “According to CAF’s COVID-19 protocol, all matches must be played behind closed doors, without spectators,” it said.

    “However, if the government of the host Association wants spectators to be present, then the Association in question will need to obtain CAF’s approval,” added CAF.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • CAF reacts to missing original Afcon trophy in Egypt

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is shocked after learning of the missing original Africa Cup of Nations trophy in Egypt.

    “CAF has learnt with shock reports of missing AFCON trophies from the Egyptian Football Association secretariat. Our doors are open and the EFA can count on our support in the search for the priceless memorabilia,” CAF wrote on Twitter, Sunday.

    Reports of the missing trophy broke on Friday with the Egyptian FA confirming by launching an investigation.

    The trophy disappeared from the Egyptian football association headquarters in Cairo. The Afcon trophy is among several trophies missing from the headquarters.

    The missing trophy is the one Egypt earned for keeps after winning the competition three times in a row between 2006 and 2010.

    “As the Egyptian FA is currently developing the main headquarters, including changing the entrance to a small museum of Egyptian football, the management was shocked by the disappearance of some old trophies from the storeroom,” said the EFA in a statement.

    “The EFA is now investigating the trophies’ disappearance to determine if those old trophies were saved after the building was burned … or if they were lost when the building was exposed during this incident,” the EFA added.

    Ghana was the first team to win the trophy three times, in 1978, while Cameroon then received the second version of the Nations Cup trophy after becoming the first country to win it on three occasions.

    Under Caf rules, teams that win the Nations Cup receive a replica of the trophy on a permanent basis while they are allowed to keep the trophy for the two years in-between tournaments before handing it back.

    The current trophy, whose style is still the same as the one won by Egypt, is in the hands of Algeria, who won the last Nations Cup title (in Cairo) last year.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • 2021 AFCON qualifiers: Ghana’s opponents Sudan line-up Tunisia friendly on Oct 9

    Ghana’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying Group opponents Sudan will play Tunisia in a friendly before their double-header in November.

    The warm-up game against will be played on October 9 at the Hamadi Agrebi Olympic Stadium in Rades.

    Head coach Hubert Velud has called up 29 home-based players, dominated by stars playing for Al Hilal Omdurman and El Merreikh SC, for camping.

    The qualifiers of AfCON 2021 that was postponed to 2022 were suspended last March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    The Nile Crocodiles will face the Black Stars in match day three and four of the qualifications in Cape Coast and in Khartoum in November.

    The two fixtures were initially scheduled to take place in March but for the coronavirus outbreak, CAF has rescheduled for November.

    The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations finals will take place in January 2022 following a CAF decision on 30 June 2020 follow an Executive Committee meeting.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Winning the Africa Cup of Nations not my top priority – CK Akonnor

    Ghana head coach CK Akonnor has said winning the Africa Cup of Nations to end the trophy drought is not his topmost priority.

    The West African country has gone over 30 years without clinching the Africa’s flagship football tournament.

    Ghana have won the biggest football tournament on the continent on four occasions in 1962, 1963, 1978 and 1982.

    The Black Stars have come close to lifting the trophy three times since then, having lost in the finals in the 1992, 2010 and 2015 editions.

    Akonnor was appointed in January 2020 as he replaced Kwasi Appiah whose expired contract was not renewed after a bizarre outing in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

    Football lovers in Ghana are expectant the former Black Stars captain will be the man to guide the Red, Gold and Green country to another Africa Cup of Nations success.

    However in an interview with Starr FM, Akonnor has disclosed winning the Africa Cup of Nations isn’t his main focus.

    But he believes in improving individual performances of the players.

    “I don’t want my main focus to be winning the Africa Cup of Nations but rather improving the team,” Akonnor said.

    “Once the team improves, we will get there.”

    The Black Stars’ last triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations was in 1982.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Herve Renard names six Ghanaian players in his Africa best XI

    Two times AFCON winner and former Assistant coach of the Black Stars, Herve Renard has named six Ghanaian players in his all-time best eleven players on the African continent.

    The Frenchman was a second assistant coach under fellow countryman Claude Le Roy during the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations hosted here in Ghana.

    After spending more than a decade on the continent with Ghana, Zambia, Ivory Coast, and Morocco, the current Saudi Arabia coach was asked to name his best eleven African players in an interview with TV3’s Juliet Bawuah.

    He chose former Blackpool goalkeeper Richard Kingson, John Mensah, Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, Andre Ayew, and Africa’s top scorer at the World Cup, Asamoah Gyan as the Ghanaians in his best eleven squads.

    Crystal Palace ace Jordan Ayew also made it to the bench of Herve Renard’s dream Africa team.

    Check the squad below:

    GK: Richard Kingson (Ghana) Medhi Banatia (Morocco) John Mensah (Ghana) Kolo Habib Toure (Ivory Coast) Achraf Hakimi (Morocco) Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast) Michael Essien (Ghana) Siaka Tiene (Ivory Coast) Sulley Muntari (Ghana) Andre Ayew (Ghana) Asamoah Gyan (Ghana)

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Selecting committed, disciplined players key to winning AFCON – Herve Renard

    Two-time Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament-winning coach, Herve Renard has revealed that selecting disciplined players is the key to conquering the continent instead of presenting best players.

    Speaking to TV3 on his success, the French tactician has shared that it is better to leave out top players who will harm the team spirit in the camp when going to the AFCON tournament.

    “When you make the mistake of selecting a player because he is good and not disciplined, you will fail.

    “So it is better to leave that player out and go for the one who contributes to good team spirit”, Herve Renard said.

    According to him, players that play at the prestigious tournament should be players that will be ready to play for the flag of their country.

    “You have to play for the flag of the country. In Africa, life stops for football. So there is passion for that. So as a player or a coach you need to think about them.

    “You need to play for them to make them proud as a country. It is difficult to get your hands off the AFCON trophy because everybody wants it. But, if the people get behind the team, which is an important thing to do, then it is possible”, Renard added.

    The gaffer led Zambian to AFCON triumph in 2012 and coached Ivory Coast to win the title in 2015.

    Source: footballghana.com

  • Sports Check: AFCON should be postponed to June 2021 Oliver Arthur

    Renowned football agent, Oliver Arthur believes the global disruption brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic will make it difficult for the Confederation of African Football(CAF) to organize the 33rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations slated for January 2021 in Cameroon.

    The novel virus forced the continent’s football governing body to halt the second round of the 2021 AFCON qualifiers which was slated for March 2020 due to the rapid spread of the virus across Africa.

    However, there has been an open conversation on whether CAF should go-ahead to organize the competition or emulate what UEFA has done by postponing the 2020 EURO Championship to June 2021.

    Adding his voice to the debate, Oliver Arthur in an interview with GhanaWeb’s Editor Daniel Oduro on Sports Check stated that the only option for CAF for organizing the AFCON in 2021 is to push it from January to June.

    “Frankly speaking, I think the AFCON should be postponed to June 2021 because we have to play qualifiers before the main tournament. So if you are not able to play the qualifiers how do you then get to the tournament proper.”

    “Currently, the leagues in Europe don’t know what they are doing and if they are to cancel the season, it means they will restart the new season in August. You can’t also play the qualifiers in August because there will be too much pressure on the payers.”

    “Also, I don’t see how this is going to be possible when we don ‘t have a vaccine yet for the Coronavirus and I don ‘t see how we are going to follow all the social distancing protocols and wearing of face masks in an AFCON tournament hence the need to postpone the tournament from January to June,” he told GhanaWeb on Sports Check.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Ghana will need a miracle to win AFCON title next year – Michael Osei

    Former Black Stars player and coach of Star Madrid, Michael Osei says it will be very difficult for Ghana to win the African Cup of Nations next year.

    Black Stars coach C.K Akonnor has been tasked with breaking the 38 year hoodoo by lifting the holy grail in 2021 which has eluded Ghana for that long.

    Ghana has come very close yet so far when it comes to the Afcon title reaching the finals three times since winning it the last time in Libya 1978.

    Black Stars where losing finalist to Ivory Coast in 1992 after a pulsating 11-10 penalty defeat, and it continued in 2010 when Ghana lost one nil to Egypt through a Mohammed Nagy Gedo strike and finally in 2015 the Black Stars succumbed to old foes Ivory Coast via the familiar penalty heartbreak.

    But C.K Akonoor has been tasked to rescue the Black Stars from this heart breaking sequence by lifting the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon.

    In an interview with Happy Fm, former Asante Kotoko trainer Michael Osei says that it will be a herculean task as some nations a way ahead of us.

    “It will be very difficult to win the AFCON title next year”, he told Happy FM.

    “There are some countries who are ahead of us and their players are playing consistently for their clubs.

    “For him (CK Akonnor) to win we all have to support him, the playing body, and the technical team to make this possible,” he added.

    Source: Ghana Guardian

  • Edward Sarpong opens up again on his missed penalty at U-23 AFCON

    C.F Esperança de Lagos defender Edward Sarpong has opened up on his missed penalty at the 2019 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations in Egypt.

    Sarpong says some of the players refused to take the penalty, hence he stood up to take the decisive penalty in a third-place play-off shoot-out against South Africa.

    The 23-year-old blasted his 12-yard effort over the bar, missing a glorious chance to win the match for Ghana as they lost 6-5 on penalties.

    As a result, the Black Meteors failed to qualify for the 2020 Olympics which has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

    “I was originally not one of the players selected to take the penalty against South Africa but after the first five had taken, no player was willing to take,” Sarpong said in an interview with Saddick Adams on Instagram Live.

    “Coach [Ibrahim Tanko] was calling some players to step up and kick but they all refused.

    “That is why I stepped up for my country. I think that if I had not played the penalty, the referee would’ve ended the match as some point because nobody was willing to play.”

    Source: footballghana.com

  • My biggest regret is not winning AFCON with Ghana – Agyemang Badu

    Ghana International Emmanuel Agyemang has expressed his regret for failing to win the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) title with the Black Stars.

    Badu revealing his two career regrets noted that, the inability to win the continental showpiece with the national team and also not representing Kotoko to the highest level remains his huge regret.

    The midfield enforcer came close to winning the AFCON trophy in 2010 and 2015 but was just unlucky to lose the trophy to Egypt and Ivory Coast in finals.

    Speaking to Asempa FM, he said, “The two most regrettable aspect of my football career is not representing Asante Kotoko to the highest level, and my failure to win the AFCON trophy with the Black Stars,” he said.

    The FIFA U20 World Cup winner says his love for the Reds transcends beyond borders, and it is his desire to play for the club before he retires.

    “I have unfinished business with Asante Kotoko and I know I will one day come back to the club either in a coaching capacity or managerial role, I really love the club.”

    Badu is currently in loan at Italian side Hellas Verona.

    He joined the club on a loan deal from Udinese last summer.

    Source: footballghana.com

  • Losing the 2015 AFCON final is more painful than not reaching the WC semifinals – Jonathan Mensah

    Ghana defender Jonathan Mensah says ‘losing the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations final’ is the most painful defeat in his football career.

    The Columbus Crew SC captain picked the agonizing defeat to Ivory Coast in 2015 over not reaching the FIFA World Cup semifinal after suffering a penalty shootout loss Uruguay.

    The two defeats haunts every Ghanaian football fan, after having an initiative in both games only to throw it away in bizarre circumstance.

    Mensah was a member of both teams and played an integral role in both games.

    “I will go for the African Cup because, its painful,” he told Owuraku Ampofo of Joy Sports in an Instagram Live interview. “For the World Cup we have been there for three times only with all the greats talents we have had in the past,” he added.

    “We weren’t even born when we had the likes of the other greats that won the African Cup. So I would say we have only been to the world cup three times and we had missed out on the African Cup over 37 years I think, so it would be good to win the African Cup soon.

    “I would say missing out on the African Cup final, because we were leading 2-0 in the penalty shootout then you lose it, that is very painful,” he concluded.

    Ghana has not won the Africa Cup of Nations since 1982.

    Source: GHANAsoccernet.com

  • Black Stars need ‘esprit de corps’ to win AFCON – Asamoah Gyan

    Legendary Ghana forward Asamoah Gyan believes the Black Stars can end the country’s trophy drought by winning the Nations Cup but pleads that politics is removed from the game.

    According to the North East United forward politics has crept its way into football affecting the national team at tournaments.

    The all-time leading scorer also reveals the mentality of the team going into tournaments is divergent, with some players having a positive mindset while others go with a totally negative mindset.

    “We can win if we have the mindset,” he told Tv3’s Juliet Barwuah in an interview when she asked if the country can win the nations cup.

    “Football is a collective job. One person might go in with a positive mindset, and the other with a negative one. This is where the problem is,” he added.

    The 34-year-old continued: “We need the support of Ghanaians but most importantly politics out of the game.

    “For recent years there has been a lot of politics in the game, which is not good. We have to do away with that if not it’s going to be the same. That’s my honest truth.”

    Ghana have been very close yet unsuccessful in recent years, reaching the finals twice in the last decade.

    Source: GHANAsoccernet.com

  • GFA won’t appeal CAF fine for Awal’s pitch invasion – Henry Asante

    The Ghana Football Association has confirmed that they will not appeal CAF’s fine for Awal Suleman’s pitch-invasion during AFCON qualifier last year.

    A statement from GFA on Wednesday said: The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has fined Ghana an amount of Ten Thousand US Dollars (US$10,000) for the invasion of the field of play by a soccer fan.

    This is in relation to the incident that occurred at the latter stages of the Black Stars’ win over South Africa in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at the Cape Coast Stadium on November 14, 2019.

    CAF Disciplinary Board fined Ghana the amount of US$10,000 for the incident after studying the reports from the match officials.

    Reacting to the news, the Communications Director of GFA, Henry Asante Twum indicated that the country’s football governing body will not appeal the decision.

    “I mentioned that we were expecting more not because I said we were expecting CAF to fine us with an amount that is more than what they decided on.

    But sometimes there have been situations where the venue is banned from hosting all CAF competitions but in our case, Cape Coast is still intact, we were even preparing to host Sudan in Cape Coast until the Covid-19 forced CAF to postpone all the games. Venue has not been touched, there hasn’t been any punitive measure on Ghana with as regards what we intend to do going forward.

    All CAF said was that we have been fined 10000 dollars for the incidence, so I think it is something that is manageable from the side of the FA I don’t think we will appeal.

    We will allow the verdict to run and now what we intend doing is to engage government and see how we will make the payment. ”

    Henry Asante further cautioned Ghanaians never to invade pitches as it has huge consequences on the nation.

    Source: Primenewsghana.com

  • Pitch invader run cost Ghana $10,000

    The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has slapped Ghana with a fine after a pitch invader interrupted a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying home fixture against South Africa last November.

    In what ended in a 2-0 win for the Black Stars at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium, the intruder launched a run onto the pitch in the 84th minute, briefly bringing the game to a standstill.

    It took a hot chase by over 10 security officers to eventually get hold of the invader.

    “The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has fined Ghana an amount of Ten Thousand US Dollars (US$10,000) for the invasion of the field of play by a soccer fan,” the Ghana Football Association (GFA) announced on their official website on Wednesday.

    “This is in relation to the incident that occurred at the latter stages of the Black Stars’ win over South Africa in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at the Cape Coast Stadium on November 14, 2019.

    “Caf Disciplinary Board fined Ghana the amount of US$10,000 for the incident after studying the reports from the match officials.”

    Later identified as Awal Suleman, the invader was arrested by the police and arraigned before court.

    He was charged for breaching public disturbance laws and fined GHc2,400 (€384).

    “There is a need for lovers of our national teams to behave appropriately within the laws of game,” GFA general secretary Prosper Harrison Addo has said.

    “This is really important because our actions have consequences for the GFA and the State at large.

    “We will continue to educate the patrons of the game but there will be mechanisms to ensure that fans who cause the Nation to lose money in this manner are brought to book.”

    Goals from Thomas Partey and Mohammed Kudus decided the fixture.

    Source: primenewsghana.com

  • CK Akonnor to face media over squad

    New Ghana coach CK Akonnor is back from a player monitoring exercise abroad and is set to release his first selection next week, the football association has announced.

    Appointed boss of the Black Stars in January, the former Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak trainer has spent over a month outside the shores of Ghana, touching base with current players of the team and meeting prospective additions to discuss their international futures.

    Ghana are billed to take on Sudan in a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying double-header next month.

    According to Thursday’s publication on the GFA’s official website, “Coach Akonnor will meet the Black Stars Management Committee on Friday to brief them on the tour and will subsequently address the media at a press conference next week.

    “He is also expected to name his squad for the upcoming 2021 Afcon qualifying matches against Sudan at the press conference.”

    Akonnor met the likes of of captain Andre Ayew, Jordan Ayew, Christian Atsu, Jeffrey Schlupp, Daniel Amartey and Thomas Teye Partey on his trip.

    He also held discussions with French-born Elisha Owusu, Belgium youth duo Francis Amuzu and Jeremy Doku, former Netherlands youth star Derrick Luckassen and English-born Tariq Fosu about a possible future with the Black Stars.

    Ghana host Sudan in an Afcon qualifying match on March 27 and then they them on away from home on March 30.

    Source: Goal.com

  • Fred Crentsil named Match Commissioner for Togo Vs Egypt AFCON qualifier

    Frederick Eric Crentsil, an astute Football Administrator and former GFA Vice President has been named as Match Commissioner for the Togo Vs Egypt 2021 AFCON qualifying match.

    The match which is scheduled for the March 29 2020 will be played at the Lomé Stadium in Togo.

    Other officials for the match are Issa Sy(Referee), Nouha Bangoura (Assistant referee 1) and Amadou Ngom(Assistant referee 2)all from Senegal with Adalbert Diouf as Fourth Official.

    Referee Assessor for the match is Lemghaifry Bouchaab from Mauritania.

    Source: ghanafa.org

  • Fifa President Infantino proposes Africa Cup of Nations be held every four years

    Fifa President, Gianni Infantino, has proposed to the Confederation of African Football (Caf) that the Africa Cup of Nations be held every four years instead of biennially.

    Infantino is among the speakers at a Caf seminar in Morocco which is focusing on the development of football competitions and infrastructure in Africa.

    “I propose to organise the Africa Cup of Nations every four years rather than two years,” the Fifa President told delegates in Rabat.

    The next Africa Cup of Nations will be held in Cameroon in 2021 and will revert back to its original placing of January and February in the calendar.

    Last year, the Nations Cup in Egypt was held in June and July for the first time and was expanded to 24 teams.

    Infantino spoke about the Africa Cup of Nations in relation to specific areas which he identified as needing “intervention” to help boost African football.

    “We have to develop African solutions to African problems. We have identified three areas for intervention namely refereeing, infrastructure and competitions.

    “I think it’s time to stop talking about the development of African football, and take actions. No African team has won the World Cup. And there is an impression Africa is going backwards,” Infantino added.

    The seminar was scheduled to end on Saturday evening ahead of Caf’s Executive Committee meeting on Sunday.

     

    Source: bbc.com