Sports
Mouloungui, Leading Gabons Black Pathner’s Charge For 2012 AFCON
Expectation is building in
Gabon as the country continues its preparations for co-hosting the 2012 CAF African Cup of Nations. Through his monthly progress reports, Gabonese Football Association President Placide Engandzas has been keeping the fans appraised of developments, though the fact is they can barely wait for next January, when the big event finally gets under way.
Coached by Gernot Rohr, who took over from French legend Alain Giresse in February last year, the Black Panthers have six warm-up matches ahead of them, including a date this Friday with joint-hosts Equatorial Guinea in Cannes, and appetising run-outs against Brazil and Morocco next month.
The Franco-German tactician claims he is 80% of the way to putting his squad together, though with the continental finals only a matter of weeks away and the team still going through a transitional phase, question marks remain about Gabon’s ability to mix it with Africa’s finest.
One man hoping to calm the fraying nerves of the home fans is striker Eric Mouloungui. “It’s a new team with a lot of young and inexperienced players,” said the Nice forward in conversation with Tidesports source “Obviously there’s uncertainty, but I don’t see any point in creating unnecessary pressure.”
That pressure has grown since the Black Panthers made a frustrating first-round exit at the 2010 African Cup of Nations in Angola, with a recent 1-0 win over Niger doing little to silence the doubters in the run-up to next year’s date with destiny.
“That tournament is the only one some of us have played in, which needs to be remembered,” said Mouloungui by way of mitigation. “We’ve got many new players who don’t have any international experience at all, and they’re not used to playing qualifying games or big competitions. No one knows how they’re going to react.
“There’s uncertainty there, and with the changes the new coach has made we’ve had to learn things all over again,” continued the 25-year-old, whose place in the Gabonese front line is undisputed. “Obviously the coach is expecting more from the boys who play in Europe, me more than anyone, and I’ve got to lead the way.”
Rohr’s squad for this week’s game against Henri Michel’s Nzalang Nacional contains four men who play their club football in France’s Ligue 1, with a further nine running out in the Gabonese championship, which kicks off this very weekend. Missing from the list, however, is former Hull City and Glasgow Rangers forward Daniel Cousin, who is currently unattached and has subsequently been discarded by Rohr.
“Players like Daniel or Stephane Nguema still have the chance to come back home, play for a couple of months, and get themselves back in the frame for the African Cup of Nations,” said Rohr. “It goes without saying that it’s a big shop window for African internationals. Daniel’s taking his time to think it over.”
A hard taskmaster, Rohr has also dispensed with the services of national team captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the star striker’s punishment for skipping the last get-together.
President Engandzas has been talking about “making progress” in his monthly bulletins, a process Mouloungui believes his side can continue when the time for talking stops.
“Expectation among the fans is high, and we’re going to tap into that passion when the tournament starts,” he said. “The first objective is to get through the first round and build our confidence. Then, with the fans behind us, anything is possible in the knockout rounds. There have been some surprises in the qualifiers and we’ve seen a few big teams fall by the wayside. That gives us hope.”
The Black Panthers will need to make a solid start at next year’s finals if they are to push into the last eight and beyond. “That’s essential if we want to stop negative pressure from building,” acknowledged Mouloungui. “If we get off on the wrong foot, the mood will change. And with the team we’ve got we need to avoid that.
“We have to fight as one for the same objective and with everyone doing their bit,” he concluded, setting out the Gabonese battleplan. The older players will bring their experience to the table, and the younger ones their enthusiasm.”
The 2006 Commonwealth Games silver medallist spoke to Tidesports source her desire to defend her para singles title in the women’s category and to also secure a qualification berth for both the regional West Africa para table tennis event in Abeokuta in September and the continental championship billed to hold in Cairo, Egypt in November.
The multiple Paralympian said, “My expectation is to come out great at this wonderful tournament and to qualify for the forthcoming tournament that is coming up in Nigeria and Egypt in September and November. Last tournament, I won the singles. I won three golds at the last ValueJet tournament. And I want to believe and hope that I will maintain my position by coming in first position.”
Ugwueke had featured in the para event at the 56th Molade Okoya-Thomas National Table Tennis Championships, held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in January, where she suffered a stunning defeat to eventual finalist and tournament runner-up Taiye Oyinloye, who in turn was beaten 3-1 (11-3, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9) by Commonwealth Games medallist, Kate Oputa, to become the women’s class 1-5 champion.
The ValueJet Lagos Para table tennis Open, which is in its seventh edition, is an event sanctioned by the governing body ITTF Africa and put together by the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation in partnership with Lagos State Sports Commission.
The event will come to a close on July 11, with the competition serving as qualifiers for the country’s players for the regional tournament in Abeokuta.
A total of 98 athletes—57 men and 41 women—from Nigeria, Benin Republic, and Togo are competing in the singles events.
Notable performances have come from Alabi, Agunbiade, Ogunkunle, and Commonwealth Games medallists Kate Oputa and Faith Obazuaye, who have showcased their class against emerging talents across various classifications.
Their presence has intensified the battle for podium finishes, with top seeds asserting dominance in their respective singles events.
The AIU announced in the June 2025 sanctions list on July 1 that 21-year-old quarter-miler Uko was found guilty of an anti-doping rule violation committed on June 5 2024. Her infraction falls under whereabouts failures, having missed three tests within a 12-month period.
The AIU confirmed that her period of ineligibility will run until 23 July 2026 and all results recorded from the date of the infraction have been officially disqualified.
Uko rose to fame after clinching three gold medals at the 2021 World U-20 Championships in Nairobi, winning the women’s 400 metres, 4x400m relay, and the mixed 4x400m relay.
Stephen Eloji (June 2028)
Sprinter and hurdler Stephen Eloji tested positive for dehydrochloromethyl-
The 25-year-old was active in the American collegiate circuit, recording strong performances in the 110m hurdles and relay events as recently as April 2024, including at the Pepsi Florida Relays and Music City Challenge.
Ada Princess Bright (September 2027)
Ada Princess Bright is serving a four-year ineligibility period after testing positive for Metenolone during the National Athletics Trials held on July 6 2023 in Benin City.
She had an active season prior to her suspension, competing in national meets in Lagos, Uyo, and Benin, and earning a relay gold at the African U20 Championships in Ndola, Zambia.
Grace Nwokocha (August 2025)
Nwokocha is serving a three-year ban after testing positive for SARMS substances including Ostarine and Ligandrol during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The fallout was significant, as Nigeria was stripped of its women’s 4x100m relay gold medal at the Games. Prior to her suspension, she had qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, posted a personal best of 11.00s in the 100m, and reached the semi-finals in the 100m and 200m at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. She is ineligible to compete until 2 August 2025.
Yinka Ajayi (January 2030)
Ajayi, a 400m specialist and one-time Olympic representative, is currently serving an extended eight-year ban for multiple anti-doping violations.
The first sanction, issued after she tested positive for Metenolone in an out-of-competition test in Iowa, USA, led to a four-year ban starting in December 2021. However, further findings of tampering led to an additional four-year penalty in 2024, extending her suspension until January 25 2030.
Glory Okon (January 2026)
Glory Okon is serving a four-year ban for testing positive for Metenolone following an out-of-competition test conducted on December 2 2021 in Nigeria.
She previously won gold in the 400 metres at the 2019 African U-20 Championships in Abidjan and featured prominently at the 2021 National Sports Festival in Benin City.
Blessing Okagbare (July 2031)
Once the face of Nigerian athletics, Okagbare is now serving a 10-year ban following multiple anti-doping rule violations. She tested positive for human growth hormone and EPO in an out-of-competition test in June 2021.
Her suspension came while competing at the Tokyo Olympics and was announced in February 2022. It was later extended by an additional year in June 2022 due to further breaches.
Divine Oduduru (February 2029)
Oduduru’s career was derailed by anti-doping violations linked to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. On October 12 2023, a Disciplinary Tribunal of the AIU imposed a six-year ban on Oduduru after he was found guilty of possessing and attempting to use prohibited substances and methods. The case stemmed from the wider investigation into Eric Lira, the first individual convicted under the US Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, who supplied banned substances to athletes, including Okagbare, ahead of the Tokyo Games.
Oduduru’s ban is effective from February 9, 2023 and will run until February 8, 2029.
Henry Azike (Lifetime ban)
Azike is one of two Nigerian athletes currently serving a lifetime ban after testing positive for Metenolone, an anabolic steroid. His case was classified as a second ADRV, automatically triggering a lifetime suspension from the sport.
Azike last competed in 2011, including at the Doha Amir Cup and Nigerian Championships in Calabar.
Vivian Chukwuemeka (Lifetime ban)
Two-time Olympian and African shot put record holder Vivian Chukwuemeka is serving a lifetime ban for a second doping offence after testing positive for Stanozolol at the 2012 National Championships in Calabar.
The 2002 Commonwealth Games champion and multiple-time African gold medallist had previously served a two-year ban following a 2009 positive test. Her personal best of 18.43m remains the African record in women’s shot put.
Invited players into the Super Eagles B camp ahead of the rescheduled African Nations Championship tournament are feeling the pressure of selection, three days into their training camp at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State.
The eighth CHAN tournament is taking place in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda between August 2 to 20.
Ahead of the tournament, head coach Eric Chelle had invited an initial 35 players to camp and they began training on Monday with 21 players.
Five more players arrived on Tuesday to take the number to 26 while 28 players trained on Wednesday morning with the rest expected before the end of the week.
Captain of the team through the qualifiers, Junior Nduka, spoke about the intensity of the sessions and the jostle to make the final squad.
“Everybody is under pressure but definitely the coaches want the best among the 35 players,” Nduka said.
River United and former Flying Eagles forward, Aniekeme Okon, also admitted the pressure.
“It puts pressure on us, 35 players being invited, everybody is going to give out their best with an expectation of being selected. So we keep pushing.”
Ikorodu City defender, Leonard Ngenge also said, “Obviously, it puts everyone under pressure even myself. But I just need to do my best to be on the coaches’ radar.”
Nigeria, the 2018 runners-up, are in group D of the 19-team tournament, alongside Cup holders Senegal, Sudan and Congo.
The Super Eagles B will play their first two matches of the competition, against Senegal and Sudan, at the Amman Stadium on the island of Zanzibar, before taking on Congo at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Nigeria has never won the tournament, having finished third at the 2014 edition in South Africa before losing the final against hosts Morocco four years later.
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