Sports
Egypt Match Important To Nigeria – Amokachi
Nigeria assistant coach Daniel Amokachi has described group rivals Egypt, back to back African champions, as being in a ‘recession’ and says that Nigeria can win the Nations Cup.
“It is important for us to win the Afcon as it will be important for our preparations for the 2010 World Cup. We have the players and technical support to ensure we do well. All that we can ask for now is for the Nigerians, and those who are not in the Afcon, to back us up,” Amokachi wrote in his blog on SuperSport’s African Nations Cup page.
The former Super Eagles striker concedes, though, that the opening match will be tough.
“The match against Egypt is going to be tough. They have won the Afcon twice in succession and as defending champions, they will definitely want to do well. But the way I see it, you could say they are in a recession and this game comes at the right time for us,” Amokachi wrote.
Unlike past years, the Super Eagles go into this year’s African Nations Cup with hugely lowered expectations from their fans, following their tortuous qualification for the World Cup, but Amokachi insists that the team has prepared well enough and have the squad to do well, starting with a win against Egypt.
“We have just had a wonderful training camp in Durban in preparation for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations and we are now on our way to Angola where we play our first match of the tournament against Egypt in Benguela.
“We have to win and I think we will win the game against Egypt. Our players are in good form and ready to do the Nigerians proud. This is probably one of the best Afcon line-ups we have had in a long time and I am sure the general public will not be disappointed with the quality of football.”
Benin is next for the Super Eagles and Amokachi warns that they could be dangerous.
“After Egypt, we play Benin on January 16 and many people might think this will be a walk in the park. Yes, we have had some good results against Benin in the past, but this time around close to 80 per cent of their players are Nigerians and they will have a point to prove. As such we will not underestimate them.”
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CAFCL : Rivers United Arrives DR Congo
Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt contingent, comprising players, technical crew, backroom staff, and officials, depart the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos State on Wednesday, bound for Kinshasa, DR Congo.
The team is set to face FC Les Aigles du Congo in the first-round first-leg match of the CAF Champions League.
This was contained in a press release signed by the media officer of the club, Charles Mayuku and made available to Tidesports on Wednesday.
He said that the highly anticipated match is scheduled to take place at the 80,000-capacity Kinshasa-Complexe Omnisports Stade des Martyrs on morrow with kickoff slated for 3:30pm.
According to the statement the encounter marks the first-ever meeting between both sides in any competition, adding that an air of excitement and unpredictability to the fixture.
“As the Pride of Nigeria embarks on this crucial journey, the team is determined to return with a decent result that will set them up favorably for the second leg on Sunday, 28th September” the statement said.
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FIFA rankings: S’Eagles drop Position, remain sixth in Africa
The new rankings, released via FIFA’s official X handle on Thursday, reflect the team’s continued struggles under Coach Eric Chelle amid a stuttering 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
This marks a second consecutive decline after the Nigerian side dropped from 43rd to 44th in August on the back of poor outings in recent international matches.
Despite Nigeria’s setback, several African teams made progress. Morocco remains the continent’s highest-ranked side, sitting 11th in the world after winning eight of their last nine matches. Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire complete Africa’s top five.
Lesotho slipped to 153rd place, while Benin Republic, Nigeria’s upcoming opponent, climbed to 93rd. South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, who held the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw in June, rose to 55th, strengthening their bid for World Cup qualification.
Zimbabwe had the biggest slide down the ranking table, dropping nine places to 125th position in the world.
The rankings highlight Nigeria’s struggle to regain form on the global stage as key rivals continue to surge ahead.
Similarly, the Super Falcons of Nigeria remain 36th best in the world], while the Spanish female national team replaced the USA at the top of the women’s ranking.
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