Sports
Madagascar, Others Qualify For AFCON Finals
Madagascar has qualified for the African Cup of Nations finals for the first time by beating Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in Vontovorona.
Thailand-based midfielder Njiva Rakotoharimalala, 26, scored the only goal
They became the first team to qualify for a place in the finals that have now been expanded from 16 teams to 24.
They were later joined by Egypt and Tunisia in qualifying for the finals in Cameroon next June and July.
Madagascar’s win moved them to 10 points in Group A with two matches left to play.
The games was played in Vontovorona after Madagascar were banned from using the Mahamasina Stadium in Antananarivo for “three matches or three months”.
The suspension was imposed by the Confederation of Africa Football following a stampede at the national stadium in September, when one person was killed and nearly 40 others were injured.
Madagascar become the 40th different nation to qualify for the Nations Cup finals.
Senegal left it late to get the win they needed in Sudan to clinch a place in the finals alongside Madagascar from the group.
Lorient’s Sidi Sarr scoring in the 86th minute just three minutes after coming on in Khartoum as a substitute.
Egypt and Tunisia helped each other to qualify for next year’s expanded finals as they both won in Group J.
Egypt secured a 2-0 win over eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) thanks to a header from Ahmed Hegazi after 19 minutes and a well-worked team goal finished by Marwan Mohsen early in the second half.
The Pharaohs’ qualification was confirmed later on Tuesday as Tunisia maintained their 100% winning record with a 2-1 victory over Niger 2-1 in Niamey.
Sfaxien’s Firas Chaouat scored two goals in a four-minute period in the first half on his international debut for Tunisia.
Niger’s Youssef Oumarou grabbed what turned out to be a consolation for the hosts.
There were two drawn matches in Group B as Comoros grabbed a 2-2 draw against visiting Morocco and Malawi held Cameroon to a goalless draw in Blantyre.
El Fardou Ben Mohamed, who plays for Serbian side Red Star Belgrade, opened the scoring after just eight minutes to give Comoros a shock lead.
The Moroccans then fought back with two second-half goals from Khalid Boutaib and Nordin Amrabat to take the lead.
The hosts kept battling and Ben Mohamed was on target again in injury time to earn a point for Comoros.
The results means that Cameroon top the group with eight points, but they qualify automatically as hosts, leaving just one more place up for grabs from the group.
Morocco lead the way in the race to the finals on seven points, Malawi move to four points and Comoros are on two – with all the teams having played four matches.
Three teams remain in contention to qualify from Group C after Gabon beat hosts South Sudan 1-0 and Burundi held visiting Mali to a 1-1 draw.
Midfielder Andre Biyogo Poko, who plays in Turkey for Goztepe, won the match for Gabon with a goal five minutes after half-time.
Gabon played without Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after he did not travel with the team to Juba. No official reason has been given for his absence.
Burundi took the lead in Bujumbura through striker Fiston Abdul Razak before Mamadou Fofana levelled the score for the visitors.
Algeria missed out on the chance of qualifying from Group D as they lost 1-0 in Benin.
The match-winner was scored by Sessi D’Almeida, who plays in the fourth tier of English football with Yeovil Town, after 16 minutes.
Benin held on for the win despite playing the final 35 minutes of the match with 10 men after veteran Stephane Sessegnon was shown a red card.
Togo managed to take advantage of Algeria’s slip with a late 1-0 win in The Gambia – Fulham’s Floyd Ayite with the winner in injury time.
Guinea and Ivory Coast remain the favourites to qualify from Group Hdespite both being held to away draws.
Ivory Coast were held to a goalless draw in Bangui by Central African Republic while in Kigali it was 1-1 between Rwanda and Guinea.
Guinea took the lead in the first-half by Jose Kante but Jacques Tuyisenge ensured the points were shared with a late equaliser.
The Syli Nationale had to play the second half without Liverpool’s Naby Keita, who had to be helped from the pitch with an injury.
Wins for both Guinea and Ivory Coast would have taken both teams through to next year’s finals.
Nigeria’s Chukwuebuka Enekwechi began his 2026 season with victory at the Orlen Cup in ?ód?, producing a dominant 20.82m throw to win the men’s shot put at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver meeting in Poland, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Africa record holder finished ahead of Romania’s Andrei Toader, who placed second with 20.55m, while Serbia’s Armin Sinan?evi? took third on 19.93m.
Poland’s Szymon Mazur, the best-placed home athlete, finished fourth with 19.69m, with Italy’s Nick Ponzio completing the top five on 19.58m.
The rest of the field was headed by Piotr Go?dziewicz (18.02m), Jakub Korejba (17.55m), Wojciech Marok (17.48m), Damian Rodziak (17.23m) and Ukraine’s Maksym Lebediuk (15.75m).
Enekwechi’s winning mark gave him a clear margin over the field and underlined his status as one of world’s leading throwers, as he laid down an early marker for the new campaign in his traditional season-opening competition.
The result also marked an improvement shift in his Orlen Cup history. This was his third consecutive appearance at the meeting and his third straight season opener with the event, having previously finished second in 2024 with 21.14m and again in 2025 with 20.88m.
On this occasion, he converted consistency into victory, finally standing on the top step of the podium in ?ód?.
Enekwechi is the reigning two-time African champion in the shot put, a silver medallist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and a two-time African Games champion, having won titles in 2019 and 2023.
His performance in Poland continues a career trajectory that has established him as Nigeria’s leading figure in the event and one of the continent’s most reliable performers on the global circuit.
The women’s competition at the meeting was won by Poland’s Zuzanna Ma?lana.
With the 2026 season now under way, Enekwechi’s opening victory at the Orlen Cup sets an early tone for the year ahead, as he builds momentum towards major continental and international championships.
The next edition of the Orlen Cup is scheduled to take place in ?ód? in February 2027.
Tanzanian giants Simba have opened discussions over a potential move for Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali as they look to reinforce their squad following an injury to first-choice shot-stopper Moussa Camara, Tidesports source reports.
The 29-year-old, who plays for South Africa Premiership side Chippa United, is in the final six months of his contract and is eligible to enter pre-contract negotiations with foreign clubs.
Foot Africa reported that Simba are exploring the possibility of bringing Nwabali to Dar es Salaam either during the current window or on a free transfer at the end of the season, although no agreement has been reached.
“Sources have indicated that Simba are in active talks with the player’s camp in a bid to lure him to Dar es Salaam in the ongoing window or on a free transfer – but no agreement reached,” Foot Africa reported.
Simba’s interest has been accelerated by Camara’s knee injury, which prompted the club to move quickly to sign Mahamadou Tanja Kassila from Niger’s AS FAN.
The club are reportedly considering deregistering Camara to accommodate the new foreign signing, a situation that has frustrated the Guinea international, who has asked for the remaining six months of his contract to be terminated.
In their search for a longer-term solution, Simba identified Nwabali as a prime target, although formal negotiations with his club have yet to begin.
“Simba identified Nwabali as the ideal successor to Camara, but the club is yet to submit a formal bid to Chippa United, who are open to offers,” Foot Africa added.
Nwabali’s profile has continued to rise following his performances for Nigeria, most notably at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where he kept four clean sheets in seven matches as the Super Eagles secured a bronze medal.
Oyo State is set to return to the continental football spotlight as it prepares to host Nigeria’s Falconets in a crucial 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying match against Senegal’s Lioness of Teranga.
The highly anticipated encounter is scheduled for Saturday, February 7, 2026, at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan. The Oyo State Government said the state was selected for the fixture following its successful hosting of a previous Falconets’ qualifier, further underlining its growing profile as a destination for international sporting events.
In a statement on Monday Oyo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Wasilat Adegoke, confirmed that preparations were in top gear to ensure a hitch-free match. She said the choice of Oyo State as host was a reflection of confidence in the state’s sporting infrastructure, organisational competence and security architecture.
She recalled the emphatic victory recorded by the Falconets against Rwanda at the same venue last year, describing the match as a testament to the state’s readiness to stage major sporting events.
“The successful hosting of the Falconets against Rwanda showcased Oyo State’s world-class facilities and our capacity to organise international fixtures that meet global standards,” Adegoke said. “The Lekan Salami Stadium has continued to serve as a fortress for our national teams, and we are confident the Falconets will once again make the nation proud.”
Adegoke also disclosed that the Falconets are expected to arrive in Ibadan today ahead of the qualifier, to allow ample time for acclimatisation and final preparations. She added that the team would enjoy full logistical support from the state throughout their stay.
The Falconets, who reached the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup in Japan 14 years ago, will go into the last round of the qualifying series if they win this encounter, to confront the winner of the Guinea-Bissau/Malawi fixture, for one of Africa’s four tickets at the final tournament.
The 12th edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finals will be staged in Poland, from September 5 to 27, 2026.