Sports
AFCON 2023 qualifiers: Expectations high as Super Eagles face Sierra Leone
By Wednesday, the Super Eagles camp had a full house. All the invited players for Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sierra Leone have arrived and are in training.
This means Napoli’s Victor Osimhen who pulled the Serie A side to their first Scudetto in 33 years is set to go. Just like Taiwo Awoniyi, who single-handedly saved Nottingham Forest from relegation from the Premier League.
They will be expected to score the goals that will down the Leone Stars.
“I think Victor Osimhen, Alex Iwobi and Taiwo Awoniyi will definitely shine.
“Divine Nwachukwu, as well. He will surprise people if he gets enough playing time. I am sure of it,” Clinton McDubus, a top football analyst and podcaster tells DAILY POST.
For Nigeria, there is all to play for.
Guinea Bissau have gone top of Group A following their 1-0 victory over Sao Tome & Principe.
The win takes them up to 10 points after five games with a one-point lead over Jose Peseiro’s men.
They will confirm a place in their fourth successive AFCON if Sierra Leone fails to beat Nigeria in the other group game on Sunday.
This presents a challenge for Nigerian players, who have been accused in the past of not performing to their optimum best in the green-white-green.
In McDubus’ opinion, it is not that straightforward.
“Many things make it harder to perform in national team football- less time training together to build on-pitch chemistry compared to club football, more rigid systems due to the demands of knockout/tournament football, players having to adapt quickly to unfamiliar systems and teammates, amongst other things,” he explains.
“In Nigeria’s case, there is also the lack of a defined playing philosophy, which often leads to too much tinkering.
“On the part of the players, the only real motivation to give your all for the Nigerian national team is passion for the country.
“This is not often as rewarding for players’ careers as performances for their clubs, where they get paid well and where injuries are handled more professionally. Going the extra mile for the national side has its risks, and players may choose to give only bare minimum and avoid these risks,” he added.
However, he does expect that with most leagues around Europe on break, it might be time to see the best from Peseiro’s squad.
“With the European season over, the players will want to sign out on a high, without those considerations holding them back.
“We should definitely see them at their best and most devastating,” McDubus adds.
Liverpool winger, Mohamed Salah, on Saturday, surpassed Chelsea legend, Frank Lampard’s goal record in the Premier League.
The Egyptian international achieved the feat after scoring a brace in Liverpool’s away Premier League 2-0 win against Bournemouth.
The match was played at the Vitality Stadium as Salah netted a penalty in the first half and another goal in the second half.
Salah’s two goals means, the former Chelsea and AS Roma star has now surpassed Lampard as 6th all time goal scorer in Premier League history.
The 32-year-old now has 178 Premier League goals with a goal ahead of Lampard, who now sit in 7th position on the all-time Premier League goal scorers chat.
He is, however, behind the likes of Alan Shearer, Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney, Andrew Cole and Sergio Aguero in the goal chat.
Salah has scored 21 goals for the Reds so far this season.
He could leave Liverpool in the summer as he is yet to sign a new deal.
His contract with Arne Slot’s side will expire at the end of the season.
The Confederation of African Football, CAF, on Friday announced the full match schedule for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Nine venues will be used across six cities for the continent’s flagship soccer event.
Hosts Morocco will will take on Comoros in the competition’s opening game at the newly-built 69,500-seater Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat on Sunday, December 21.
The country’s capital, Rabat, will have four match venues.
Other host cities are Casablanca, Agadir, Marrakech, Fes and Tangier, which will have one match each.
The four quarter-final fixtures will be played at the Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, as well as in Tangier, Marrakech and Agadir.
The semi-finals will be in Rabat and Tangier, with the third-place play-off set for the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca.
52 matches will be played during the biennial competition.
The Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire are the defending champions of the competition.
The draw for this season’s UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off draw has been conducted on Friday.
Eight teams have progressed straight to the round of 16 following the completion of the league phase.
They are Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille and Aston Villa.
They will all return to the competition in March, but others have more football to play before then.
The teams that finished between 9th and 24th, have a two-legged play-off to navigate in February.
FULL KNOCKOUT PHASE PLAY-OFF DRAW
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Feyenoord vs AC Milan
Juventus vs PSV
Monaco vs Benfica
Man City vs Real Madrid
Celtic vs Bayern Munich
Sporting vs Borussia Dortmund
Club Brugge vs Atalanta
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