Category: Sport

BREAKING: Senegal Beat Seven Times Champion To Lift First AFCON Trophy

 

Senegal have lifted their first CAF African Cup of Nations after defeating Egypt in the 2021 nations cup in Cameroon on Sunday.

Egypt, the most successful national team in the continent, lost in the final against Senegal, a side that have not won the AFCON since inception.

Senegal have made 16 appearances in the AFCON without securing the continent’s most prestigious football title.

The Pharaohs of Egypt have won seven AFCON titles.

The Lions of Teranga missed an early chance to clear the coast for their first victory in the tournament’s final.

Mohamed Abdelmonem clumsily brought down Saliou Ciss in the penalty box in the 4th minute, but Sadio Mane fluffed his penalty just minutes into the final.

The 29-year-old Liverpool star went for power with his spot kick but Egypt’s goalkeeper, Gabaski punched the ball to the corner.

Both teams were keen on winning the title with Senegal more determined to lift their first AFCON title.

The match was dragged into the extra time and saw Senegal dominate the possession and shots.

But the match was decided by penalty shootouts.

Abdelmonem missed Egypt’s second penalty, while Sarr also missed his, thereby leveling the scoreline.

Egypt’s M. Lasheen also missed his penalty giving Senegal a 4-2 lead on penalties.

 

AFCON 2021: Liverpool Coach, Klopp Warns Salah, Mane Ahead Of Final

 

Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp has reacted to Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane’s outstanding performances in the 2021 African Cup of Nations tournament.
Naija News reports that the two Reds’ forward helped their nation qualify for the finals after beating their opponents in the semi-final.

Egypt had defeated AFCON host Cameroon on penalties, while Senegal also won 3-1 against Burkina Faso.

Reacting to the development, Klopp has told Salah and Mane that one of them will suffer heartbreak after full-time in the final match.

Egypt will face Senegal in the 2021 AFCON final this Sunday in Cameroon.

Klopp, however, during his pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s FA Cup fourth-round tie against Cardiff City on Sunday, said it won’t be easy for one of the African players as one will win and the other will lose.

He commended the players saying “Great achievement for both [Salah and Mane] getting through to the [AFCON] final.”

Klopp added: “Naby [Keita of Guinea] played an exceptional tournament as well. So far, a really successful tournament for our boys and it will be exciting.

“It won’t be easy because one will be really happy afterwards and one less so. It’s a chance to achieve something really big.”

Speaking on the availability of both Salah and Mane for Liverpool’s Premier League fixture against Leicester on Thursday, Klopp added: “I think they will be available, but we will see.

“Tuesday or Wednesday is the latest the winner will be back, the other slightly earlier. I have to talk to them. They have rhythm as they have played quite a few games!”

 

AFCON 2021 Third-Place Final Rescheduled – CAF

 

The African Cup of Nations, AFCON 2021 third-place match day has been rescheduled.
A statement released late Wednesday by the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) confirmed that the match which was originally scheduled for Sunday 6 February 2022, is now moved to Saturday, 5 February 2022.

The third-place game will be played at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium and will kick off at 20: 00 hrs, Naija News reports.

The match reschedule according to the CAF statement came to be after discussions with the Government of Cameroon and the Local Organising Committee (LOC).

The statement read, “The CAF TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Organising Committee, after discussions with the Government of Cameroon and the Local Organising Committee (LOC), decided to move the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon 2021 third and fourth place originally scheduled for Sunday 06 February 2022 to Saturday, 05 February 2022.

“The match, to be played at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, will kick-off at 20h00.”

Burkina Faso would now await a loser between Egypt and Cameroon to contest a third place in the ongoing AFCON games.

Senegal had on Wednesday night ended the Terenga Lions run to the AFCON final after beating them to 3-1.

While for the final, Senegal will hope to meet a winner between Cameroon and Egypt to battle the African tournament title, Naija News reports.

Meanwhile, the referee who officiated the match between Tunisia and Mali in the ongoing African Cup of Nations, Janny Sikazwe has revealed who told him to end the game ahead of official minutes.

Naija News recalls that there was an outrage on January 12 after Sikazwe blew the final whistle before the last minutes of the second half of the game.

The Zambian official sparked controversy when he ended the group-stage fixture a few minutes earlier.

Speaking in an interview days after, Sikazwe said God had told him to bring the match to an end and that he could have died of heatstroke if the match went on any longer.

Naija News understands that the Tunisian ten were already losing 1-0 and playing against 10 men when Sikazwe ended the match that day.

The Zambian man left members of their coaching staff furious and they stormed onto the pitch to confront the referee.

However, Sikazwe has now thanked God for saving him from death.

 

Transfer: Aubameyang Joins Barcelona For Free From Arsenal

 

Arsenal former captain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has joined La Liga side, Barcelona on a free transfer on deadline day.
The Gunners were willing to allow the Gabon striker to leave after stripping him of the captaincy in December following a disciplinary issue.

The club manager, Mikel Arteta ever since had stopped picking the striker for their matches and he was left out of the club’s warm-weather training camp in Dubai.

Aubameyang who was paid £350,000 a week, scored 92 goals in 163 games for the Gunners in his time at the Emirates Stadium.

The exit of Aubameyang from the club means Arsenal will finish the season with just two strikers, Eddie Nketiah and Alex Lacazette.

The deal had looked off earlier on Deadline Day after talks broke down over the financial part of the deal.

It is believed that Aubameyang, who flew out to Barcelona on Monday morning, took a significant pay cut to facilitate the move.

 

Luis Diaz undergoes medical ahead of £45m Liverpool move

Luis diaz

Luis Diaz has undergone his medical ahead of a £45m move to Liverpool, who expect to complete the signing of the Porto winger on Sunday.

Liverpool moved into pole position to sign Diaz this week after making a late swoop for the Colombia international, who was also wanted by Tottenham.

Spurs also made an offer for Diaz, but the 25-year-old prefers a move to Liverpool, who are now set to make him their first signing of the January transfer window.

Diaz was manager Jurgen Klopp’s first choice for the summer window, but Liverpool accelerated their plans due to Spurs’ strong interest.

Liverpool are said to be offering an initial £37m, with bonuses included in the deal that will only be triggered if Diaz becomes a big success at Anfield.

Diaz is on international duty with Colombia, and is set to feature against Argentina in Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier.

Tottenham had been locked in talks with Porto over Diaz this week, with the Premier League club said to be willing to pay up to £46m, with £37.6m up front and £8.4m in performance-related add-ons.

There was confidence from both sides that a deal could be reached before Liverpool reignited their interest.

Tottenham feel like they did everything possible to secure the deal but the player simply prefers a move to Liverpool.

Missing out on Diaz will be another big blow for Spurs this month, after the breakdown of the deal for Wolves winger Adama Traore, who has returned to Barcelona on loan.

Spurs are now working hard on other targets ahead of Monday’s deadline, with Sky in Italy reporting they are in advanced talks to sign Juventus duo Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur.

 

Traore Rejoins Barcelona On Loan from Wolves

 

Spanish international Adama Traore has returned to Barcelona on loan from Wolves until the end of the season.
Traore who came through Barca’s youth system before leaving for Aston Villa in 2015 has now returned to Camp Nou for the next few months.

Barcelona agreed to a loan move with a £29m option to make the deal permanent after Traore was left unconvinced by Tottenham’s interest.

Last week, Spurs were closing in on a £20m deal for the 26-year-old after their previous bid of £15m was rejected, but Traore was not keen on the Premier League club’s desire to use him in a variety of positions.

Traore’s current deal at Molineux expires at the end of next season and Wolves were hoping to cash in on him in the January transfer window.

Already, the Spain international has shown no intent to sign a new contract at the club.

He has managed just one goal and zero assists from 20 English Premier League (EPL) appearances so far this season, albeit from only 10 league starts.

A Barcelona statement read: “FC Barcelona and Wolverhampton Wanderers have reached an agreement for the loan of the player Adama Traore until 30 June 2022. The Blaugranes will pay the player’s wages and there is an option to make the deal permanent.

“The presentation of Adama Traore as a new FC Barcelona player will be on Wednesday 2 February behind closed doors. The club will announce further details shortly.”

 

Transfer: Barcelona Considers Signing Arsenal Striker, Aubameyang

 

La Liga side, Barcelona and Serie A club, Juventus have indicated interest in signining Arsenal former captain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The Gabonese has not played for the Gunners since the club manager Mikel Arteta stripped him of the captaincy following disciplinary breaches.

The North London side are now trying to offload their striker, who was signed in a £56m deal from Dortmund four years ago.

The Gunners are discussing with Barcelona and Juventus as the two clubs are interested in signing the striker on loan.

Saudi Arabian club, Al Hilal, has also reached out to Arsenal to sign Aubameyang and they are ready to cover his £350,000-a-week salary in full, which Barcelona and Juventus might find difficult.

It is believed that Aubameyang wants to remain in Europe so as to play at the highest level.

The Gabon striker has been left out of the travelling squad to Dubai for warm-weather training.

 

Sevilla reach agreement to sign Martial from Man United

 

Sevilla have reached an agreement to sign Anthony Martial on loan from Manchester United.

The 26-year-old will join the La Liga side – who will pay his wages in full – until the end of the season.

Martial will fly from Paris, where he is currently located, to Seville on Tuesday to undergo a medical.

The forward always wanted to join Sevilla this month, despite interest from Juventus and Barcelona, because he believes that is where he will play the most.

There had been reports in December that Martial wanted to leave United in search of more game time.

Martial became the world’s most expensive teenager when he joined United from Monaco in 2015 and went on to score 79 times in 269 appearances for the club.

But he fell out of favour in the forward positions following the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho in the summer, as well as the emergence of Mason Greenwood.

Martial has started just four games for United this season, and was accused by Ralf Rangnick, the club’s interim manager, of asking not to play in the 2-2 draw at Aston Villa on January 15.

The France international refuted his manager’s claim, and Rangnick later insisted the situation was “resolved”.

Following Saturday’s 2-2 draw at home to Celta Vigo, Sevilla are currently second in La Liga and just four points behind Real Madrid as they search for their first title since 1946.

 

BREAKING! Eguavoen Steps Down As Super Eagles Coach After AFCON Exit

 

Augustine Eguavoen has stepped down as the interim coach of the Nigeria national team following the 1-0 defeat to Tunisia in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 clash on Sunday.

 

Eguavoen had led the three-time champions to three straight wins against Egypt, Sudan and Guinea-Bissau.

 

However, they fell short against a Covid-stricken Tunisian team in the knockout stages.

 

“What happens next is that I’m the interim coach and Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

 

“I will go back to my position and allow the NFF (to) make a decision on the way forward,” Eguavoen said after the match.

 

Eguavoen stepped in after Gernot Rohr was sacked last month.

 

However, the NFF announced Jose Peseiro as the new permanent coach before the AFCON kicked off.

 

Buhari’s Call Fails To Lift Super Eagles As Nigeria Crashes Out Of AFCON

 

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been eliminated by Tunisia in the AFCON round of 16 at the Roumde Adija Stadium in Garoua, Cameroon.

Tunisia won the clash 1-0 to face Burkina Faso in the quarter finals.

The Super Eagles defeat came on a day they had promised President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerians that they will make Nigeria proud at the tournament.

Mentioning two of the players, Kelechi Iheanacho and Moses Simon, by name, Buhari had urged the Super Eagles to continue making Nigerians happy, not only by winning the second round match, but to eventually lift the trophy.

“You’ve been doing Nigeria proud. You’ve been winning. Please keep on winning. The Federal Government is supporting you, and I say thank you to all the technical crew and the players.. Please keep doing the country proud,” Buhari had said.

The chances of Tunisia to progress to the next round of the African Cup of Nations was predicted to be narrow after twelve of the team players including the coach missed the clash against Nigeria.

The Eagles of Carthage qualified for the round of 16 after finishing as one of the four best losers in the group stage.

Meanwhile the Super Eagles led Group D with all three games won.

The last time both teams met was at the AFCON 2019 in Egypt where Nigeria beat them 1-0 in the third place match.

But the table turned against the Super Eagles who were seen as the tournament’s favourites.

Youssef Msakni opened the score sheet in the 47th minute with a surprise strike past Nigeria’s goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye.

Disaster came the way of the Super Eagles in the 64th minute following Alex Iwobi’s poor tackle.

VAR was consulted for a possible red for Iwobi which his yellow card was upgraded to a red.

The Super Eagles made several attempts, but were always denied by the Eagles of Carthage.

 

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