AFCON 2017 Qualification Preview

The ‘Road to Gabon’ action resumes this weekend as various teams line up for the AFCON 2017 qualifiers. Algeria, who are top in Africa according to the latest FIFA rankings have already book a ticket to Gabon after beating Seychelles by 2-0 on Thursday.

They join Morocco and hosts Gabon are the only countries to have qualified already.

On Friday, Cameroon head to Mauritania for a Group M clash after the Indomitable Lions suffered a brave 3-2 defeat to France in a warm up friendly on Monday.

On Saturday, Egypt who sit a solitary point away from qualifying, will be in Dar es-Salaam, Tanzania, seeking to end their spell of lengthy absence from the tournament.

He’s a coach with a lot of experience, he’s one of the best in Africa and he has been on the continent for a long time.

Algeria, Ghana and Senegal are also all just a single point from securing their place at the finals.

Group B leaders DRC travel to Madagascar and the Leopards coach Flerent Ibenge has said he will be leaving nothing to chance.

Togo will lock horns with Liberia on Sunday in Monrovia and Claude Le Roy and his men are confident of qualifying, with Togolese star Emmanuel Adebayor also expressing his belief in the new coach.

“He’s a coach with a lot of experience, he’s one of the best in Africa and he has been on the continent for a long time. He knows Africa well and how things work in Africa,” Adebayor said.

South Africa’s Bafana Bafana have slim chances of going through as they trail Group M leaders Cameroon by five points heading to their Saturday clash with The Gambia in Bakau.

AFCON 2017 Qualification Preview

Nigeria Slips In April FIFA Rankings

Nigeria’s senior national team have dropped to 67th in the latest Fifa world ranking released on Thursday.

 

This fall is not far-fetched from the Super Eagles inability to defeat Egypt in two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Kaduna and Alexandria – and in the process lost the ticket to feature at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations billed for Gabon.

 

The Super Eagles slipped five places to be ranked 14th best African side behind Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, Egypt, Cape Verde, Tunisia, Congo DR, Guinea, Congo, Camerron, Morocco and Mali.

 

Meanwhile, Algeria remain at the summit of African football after moving four places to the 33rd position in the world while second-placed Cote d’Ivoire climbed two places to 34th and Egypt zoomed nine places up to 44th in the world but are fifth in Africa.

 

Argentina leapfrogged over Belgium to take the top spot in the world ranking as South American champions Chile stay third in the world.

 

The two most outstanding performers for April hail from the African continent. Guinea-Bissau (up 45) have climbed the most positions by rank, while Morocco (131 points) enjoy the biggest move by virtue points.

Nigeria Slips In April FIFA Rankings

Nigeria Miss Out On AFCON 2017 After Egypt Defeat

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have crashed out of the race, while Egypt are on the brink of qualifying for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after defeating Nigeria 1-0 in Alexandria on Tuesday.

The result means the Super Eagles have missed out on their second straight AFCON.The only goal of the game was scored by Ramadan Sobhy in the second half.

Only two big wins for Tanzania at home to Egypt and away to Nigeria would stop Egypt from attending their first AFCON since 2010.Egypt came close to opening the score in the fifth minute but the header struck the post and went away for a goal kick.

In the seventh minute Egypt skipper El Said had a chance after a bringing down a cross but his left-foot shot missed the target.

Aminu Umar had Nigeria’s first chance in the eighth minute following a right-wing cross from Abdullahi Shehu only to shoot straight at the keeper.

Odion Ighalo had a chance in the 15th minute after controlling a long pass from Shehu but blasted wide.

In the 29th minute, a left-wing cross by El Said went across the Eagles 18-yard without any Egyptian player connecting with the ball.

Goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi was called to action in the 40th minute, parrying a straight shot away for a corner.

A minute later, he made a brilliant diving save off a header.

Nigeria Miss Out On AFCON 2017 After Egypt Defeat