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(All times in GMT)
Group Stage
– Jan 13, Saturday:
Group A:
Ivory Coast vs. Guinea-Bissau at 20:00
(Abidjan, Alassane Ouattara Stadium)
Jan 14, Sunday:
Group A:
Nigeria vs. Equatorial Guinea at 1400
(Abidjan, Alassane Ouattara)
Group B:
Egypt vs. Mozambique at 1700,
(Abidjan, Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium)
Ghana vs. Cape Verde at 2000
(Abidjan, Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium)
Jan 15, Monday:
Group C:
Senegal (holders) vs. Gambia at 1400,
(both Yamoussoukro)
Cameroon vs. Guinea at 1700
( Yamoussoukro)
Group D: Algeria vs. Angola at 2000
(Bouake)
Jan 16, Tuesday:
Group D:
Burkina Faso vs. Mauritania at 1400 (Bouake)
Group E:
Tunisia vs. Namibia at 1700 ( Korhogo)
Mali vs. South Africa at 2000 ( Korhogo)
Jan 17, Wednesday:
Group F: Morocco vs. Tanzania at 1700 (San Pedro)
Democratic Republic of Congo vs. Zambia at 2000 ( San Pedro)
Jan 18, Thursday:
Group A:
Equatorial Guinea vs. Guinea-Bissau at 1400 (Abidjan, Alassane Ouattara)
Ivory Coast vs. Nigeria at 1700 ( Abidjan, Alassane Ouattara)
Group B:
Egypt vs. Ghana at 2000 (Abidjan, Felix Houphouet-Boigny)
Jan 19, Friday:
Group B:
Cape Verde vs. Mozambique at 1400 (Abidjan, Felix Houphouet-Boigny)
Group C:
Senegal vs. Cameroon at 1700, (Yamoussoukro)
Guinea vs. Gambia at 2000 (both Yamoussoukro)
Jan 20, Saturday:
Group D:
Algeria vs. Burkina Faso at 1400 ( Bouake)
Mauritania vs. Angola at 1700 (Bouake)
Group E:
Tunisia vs. Mali at 2000 (Korhogo)
Jan 21, Sunday:
Group F:
Morocco vs. DR Congo at 1400 ( San Pedro)
Zambia vs. Tanzania at 1700 ( San Pedro)
Group E:
South Africa vs. Namibia at 2000 (Korhogo)
Jan 22, Monday:
Group A:
Equatorial Guinea vs. Ivory Coast at 1700 (Abidjan, Alassane Ouattara),
Guinea-Bissau vs. Nigeria at 1700 (Abidjan, Felix Houphouet-Boigny)
Group B:
Cape Verde vs. Egypt at 2000 (Abidjan, Felix Houphouet-Boigny), Mozambique vs. Ghana at 2000 (Abidjan, Alassane Ouattara)
Jan 23, Tuesday:
Group C:
Guinea vs. Senegal at 1700 (Yamoussoukro),
Gambia vs. Cameroon at 1700 (Bouake)
Group D:
Angola vs. Burkina Faso at 2000 (Yamoussoukro),
Mauritania vs. Algeria at 2000 (Bouake)
Jan 24, Wednesday:
Group E:
South Africa vs. Tunisia at 1700 (Korhogo)
Namibia vs. Mali at 1700 (San Pedro)
Group F:
Tanzania vs. DR Congo at 2000 (Korhogo)
Zambia vs. Morocco at 2000 (San Pedro)
*Last 16*
Jan 27, Saturday:
– (1) 1st D vs. 3rd B/E/F at 1700 (Bouake)
– (2) 2nd A vs. 2nd C at 2000 (Abidjan, Felix Houphouet-Boigny)
– Jan 28, Sunday:
– (3) 1st A vs. 3rd C/D/E at 1700 (Abidjan, Alassane Ouattara)
– (4) 2nd B vs. 2nd F at 2000 (San Pedro)
– Jan 29, Monday:
– (5) 1st B vs. 3rd A/C/D at 1700 (Abidjan, Felix Houphouet-Boigny)
– (6) 1st C vs. 3rd A/B/F at 2000 (Yamoussoukro)
– Jan 30, Tuesday:
– (7) 1st E vs. 2nd D at 1700 (Korhogo)
– (8) 1st F vs. 2nd E at 2000 (San Pedro)
*Quarter-finals*
– Feb 2, Friday:
– (1) Winners 2 vs. Winners 1 at 1700 (Abidjan, Felix Houphouet-Boigny)
– (2) Winners 4 vs. Winners 3 at 2000 (Abidjan, Alassane Ouattara)
– Feb 3, Saturday:
– (3) Winners 7 vs. Winners 6 at 1700 (Bouake)
– (4) Winners 5 vs. Winners 8 at 2000 (Yamoussoukro)
*Semi-finals*
– Feb 7, Wednesday:
– Winners 1 vs. Winners 4 at 1700 (Bouake)
– Winners 3 vs. Winners 2 at 2000 (Abidjan, Alassane Ouattara)
*3rd Place*
– Feb 10, Saturday:
– Losing semi-finalists at 2000 (Abidjan, Felix Houphouet-Boigny)
*Final*
– Feb 11, Sunday:
– Winning semi-finalists at 2000 (Abidjan, Alassane Ouattara)
Chelsea’s full squad to face Preston in today’s FA Cup third round tie at Stamford Bridge has been revealed.
According to Football London, Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has a list of players that includes Christopher Nkunku, Djordje Petrovic and Enzo Fernandez to face Preston on Saturday evening.
Chelsea head to the game after beating Luton Town 3-2 in their game in the Premier League.
Here is the full list of Chelsea players available for the Preston clash:
Goalkeepers: Djordje Petrovic, Marcus Bettinelli, Lucas Bergstrom
Defenders: Alfie Gilchrist, Axel Disasi, Levi Colwill, Ian Maatsen, Thiago Silva, Malo Gusto
Midfielders: Conor Gallagher, Moises Caicedo, Leo Castledine, Enzo Fernandez
Attackers: Raheem Sterling, Cole Palmer, Mykhailo Mudryk, Armando Broja, Deivid Washington, Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku
The kick-off time for the match is 6.30 pm, Nigerian time.
[DailyPost]
The much-anticipated bout between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou is officially confirmed, set to unfold in Saudi Arabia later this year. A press conference scheduled for January 15 in London will unveil the exact date of this 10-round battle, as announced by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, part of Riyadh Season.
Originally, Joshua was set to face Deontay Wilder post his victory over Otto Wallin on December 23. However, this plan disintegrated when Wilder faced defeat against Joseph Parker, nullifying their proposed match.
The clash between Joshua and Ngannou emerged after the former UFC star entered the WBC’s top 10 heavyweight rankings following his debut in professional boxing. Ngannou’s bout against Tyson Fury in October garnered attention, where he impressively floored the WBC champion in the third round, although ultimately losing in a split decision.
Despite opinions suggesting Ngannou’s performance merited a win, Fury secured a victory, solidifying his title fight with Oleksandr Usyk. Nevertheless, Ngannou’s skill and credibility as a contender in the heavyweight category were widely acknowledged.
Meanwhile, Joshua’s recent win against Otto Wallin showcased his determination to regain supremacy in the heavyweight division. Demonstrating boxing finesse, Joshua dominated the match, prompting Wallin’s corner to halt the fight after five rounds.
The forthcoming clash between Joshua and Ngannou holds the promise of an electrifying face-off that has fans eagerly awaiting the details.
[Leadership]
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp joked Friday that he is not wishing Mohamed Salah too much luck at the Africa Cup of Nations as he prepares for a crucial spell of games without his top scorer.
Salah is away with Egypt for the tournament in Ivory Coast while Japan captain Wataru Endo will be involved at the Asian Cup in Qatar, with both players expected to go deep in the respective competitions.
That could mean they will not be back until the second week in February but Klopp said he sent them on their way this week without wishing them too much success.
“I said if I wish you good luck it would be a lie,” Klopp said ahead of Liverpool’s FA Cup third-round tie at Arsenal on Sunday.
“From a personal point of view, I would be happy if they go out in the group stage but that’s probably not possible. They can go on and win it.
“So it was ‘Good luck and come back healthy’. We have to deal with it and we will deal with it. I am pretty positive that we will find a way.”
Klopp does not really have a suitable replacement for Salah, who plays on the right side of his attack and has scored 18 goals in all competitions this season.
Midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai was touted as a potential option but he has been ruled out for at least two matches with a hamstring injury sustained in the New Year’s Day win over Newcastle.
But Klopp, whose side are top of the Premier League, is confident Liverpool can fill the hole left by Salah.
“I think we played against West Ham (in last month’s League Cup quarter-final) without Mo on that side and Harvey Elliott played there,” he said.
“We have different offensive options who can all play that wing in a different way. Nobody else can play like Mo, it is not possible — we just have to use the boys with their skills.
“Do we want to play without Mo? No. In the past we didn’t have to do it often but we always found a way.
“But we play Arsenal and you can lose to Arsenal with Mo Salah so it’s possible to lose to them without him.”
Klopp said he was braced for a challenging January, even though there are fewer Premier League games due to a mid-season player break.
Liverpool’s game at the Emirates comes just two weeks after the title-chasing sides drew 1-1 at Anfield in the Premier League and will be followed by the first leg of their League Cup semi-final against Fulham on Wednesday.
“Some teams obviously don’t play that often in January,” he said. “We don’t have that, we have now with the semi-final, we have a proper rhythm.
“I think a re-match against Arsenal would really not be helpful, that’s how it is, because it just doesn’t fit in, would kill the winter break, stuff like this.”
[OpinionNigeria]
CABLE television service provider StarTimes has secured the rights to show the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Nigeria and other sub-Sahara countries.
StarTimes announced the rights acquisition today, two days after its rival SuperSport, who had broadcast the previous editions of the tournament, confirmed it would not be showing AFCON 2023.
The tournament will be held in from January 13 to February 11 across five cities in Cote d’Ivoire, with the Super Eagles of Nigeria one of 24 national teams taking part.
“In a groundbreaking move that promises to redefine sports broadcasting, media giant StarTimes has officially secured the rights to air the highly anticipated TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 and all CAF events held in 2024 in Anglophone and Lusophone countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, including CHAN 2024 and AFCON 2025 Qualifiers,” StarTimes stated today.
“This strategic acquisition cements StarTimes’ commitment to delivering premium sports content to its viewers and reinforces its position as a leading player in the African media landscape.
“All the fifty-two matches will be aired exclusively on Sports Premium, Sports Life and Beta Sports channels.
“The Africa Cup of Nations, organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), stands as one of the most prestigious football tournaments on the continent.”
The Confederation of African Football had announced in November that it had sold the rights to AFCON and other competitions to New World TV, a relatively new outfit based in Togo, for the next three years.
New World TV in turn has redistributed the rights to channels across the continent, with StarTimes and some free-to-air stations set to show the matches of AFCON 2023 to Nigerians.
[NaijaTimes]
Nigeria’s highest ranked table tennis player, Quadri Aruna, has exited the World Table Tennis Men’s finals in Doha following a 0-3 (6-11 9-11 4-11) defeat to World number one, Zhendong Fan.
The quarterfinals game at the Lusail Sports Arena on Thursday saw the Chinese dominate the game.
Aruna, the World number 16, came close in the second set but Fan showed class and claimed victory.
The Nigerian had earlier defeated World number five, Brazil’s Hugo Calderano 3-2 in the Round of 16 before facing Fan in the Quarter finals.
The World number one will meet his compatriot Lin Gaoyuan, world number seven in the semi finals on Friday.
The tournament expected to end on Friday has a prize money of 340,000 US dollars.
[Leadership]
The Confederation of African Football (CAF), has increased prize money for the winner of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire by 40 per cent.
On its official website on Thursday, CAF said the winner of the TotalEnergies AFCON will receive $7 million.
Daily Trust reports that the 2023 AFCON will run from January 13 to February 11, 2024, with 24 countries participating.
According to the organization, the runner-up will get $4 million while each of the two semi-finalists will receive $2.5 million and each of the four quarter-finalists will get $1.3 million.
Patrice Motsepe, CAF President, while speaking on the development, said the body had over the past two years increased the prize money of the AFCON.
Motsepe said: “CAF has made significant progress over the past two years in increasing the prize money of the AFCON and all its other major competitions.
“We have increased the prize money of the AFCON Winner to seven million dollars which is a 40 per cent increase from the previous prize money.
“I am confident that a portion of the prize money will contribute to developing football and also benefit all the football stakeholders, as well as assist our member associations with their administrations.”
Months after welcoming his second child with his ex-girlfriend, Bruna Biancardi, Brazilian winger, Neymar is reportedly expecting his third child from a third baby mama.
Neymar recently welcomed his second child, a daughter named Mavi, with Bruna, who confirmed her breakup with the 31-year-old Brazilian star in November 2023.
The Brazilian model had to break up with the former Paris Saint Germain winger after he was caught on camera partying with unidentified women amidst a cheating scandal.
Despite their breakup, Neymar celebrated the birth of Mavi while recovering from a recent surgery to treat his Cruciate ligament tear.
Since Neymar left PSG for Saudi Pro League club, Al-Hilal on August 12, 2023, for a transfer fee worth €90 million, he has managed to play just five times in all competitions in which he has scored a goal and provided three assists.
He is struggling with non-football matters as he is battling to stabilize his fitness issues and football career. Brazilian showbiz website LeoDias has alleged that a Brazilian model is three months pregnant for the footballer.
The Sun also confirmed the report on Tuesday, January 2, but Neymar has yet to make any public reaction over the report, and the model in question is unknown.
If the report is anything to go by, it means that the footballer was cheating on Bruna, as alleged. Recall that last year, the Brazilian footballer publicly apologized to her for cheating on her.
Also, if the pregnancy rumour is anything to go by, Neymar will be a father to three children from three different women. He had his first child, 12-year-old Luca, with ex-girlfriend Carolina, and months-old Mavi with Bruna.
Former Head Coach of Nigeria’s U-17 male national team, Sebastine Broderick, has passed on at the age of 85.
Broderick’s wife confirmed the development on Wednesday.
He has been battling with an unnamed illness for over a year.
Broderick led the Golden Eaglets to success at the first edition of the U-16 World Cup in China in 1985.
He also won a silver medal in the 1987 tournament in Canada, which FIFA eventually upgraded to the U-17 World Cup.
Broderick led a coaching crew that also had Bala Shamaki and Christian Chukwu when Nigeria won in China in 1985.
He enjoyed a distinguished career both as a player and coach, representing the country at the 1968 Mexico Olympics.
Multichoice, the parent company of DStv, on Wednesday, said the upcoming African Cup of Nations tournament would not be broadcasted on its platform.
It said the satellite failed to secure the broadcasting rights to broadcast the continent’s biggest footballing event on its SuperSport channels.
“SuperSport Channel will not broadcast the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 scheduled for January 13th – February 11th, 2-24, because the channel has not secured the rights to broadcast the tournament.
“However, AFCON 2023 games will be available through our partner broadcast stations on Free to Air (FTA) channels.
“Multichoice Africa remains committed to ensuring football fans across Africa continue to enjoy unrivaled access to entertainment and football games available on DStv and GOtv platforms including, the Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Zambian Super League, and many more of football’s most prestigious competitions,” the firm said in a statement on Wednesday.
The 34th edition of AFCON will begin on 13 January in Ivory Coast.
The PUNCH reports that three-time winners Nigeria will face the hosts, Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea in Group A.
The Eagles, in their quest for a fourth continental title, will take on Equatorial Guinea on January 14 in their first match of Group A, before further clashes with host nation Ivory Coast January 18 and Guinea Bissau January 22.
More...
Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah says his desire is to win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations for his country.
Salah, who netted a brace in Liverpool’s 4-2 win over Newcastle in Monday night’s Premier League game at Anfield, told Sky Sports after the game that Egypt has the quality to win the trophy.
Recall that the Pharaoh’s of will battle Ghana, Cape Verde and Mozambique in Group B of the tournament.
“We believe too much. We have top talents. They just need to work hard.
“Going to AFCON? I want to win it! I love playing for my country. Without me they will be fine. We have fantastic players.”
[Leadership]
Chelsea are reportedly considering a transfer move for Girona’s Artem Dovbyk as a short-term alternative for their long-term target, Victor Osimhen.
Osimhen looks highly unlikely to join Chelsea this January transfer window after he recently signed a new deal with Napoli.
According to the Sun (via Teamtalk), the Blues are keen to bring Dovbyk to Stamford Bridge this January.
Dovbyk has been impressive for Girona in the La Liga this season.
He has scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 17 games this term.
His contract with the La Liga club will expire in 2028 which would make him costly but not as much as Osimhen.
Chelsea could make do with a player like Dovbyk as they have continued to struggle for goals this season.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have also been linked with Brentford’s Ivan Toney.
Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah has revealed that his country’s national team will be fine without him during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, in Ivory Coast.
The Liverpool ace spoke after leading Jurgen Klopp’s side to beat Newcastle United 4-2 on Monday night.
Recall that Salah scored a brace for the Reds against Newcastle to give his side all three points at Anfield.
The match was Salah’s last game for Liverpool as he prepared to join the Egypt squad for the 2023 AFCON.
Speaking after Liverpool defeated Newcastle, Salah told Sky Sports: “We believe too much. We have top talents. They just need to work hard.
“Going to AFCON? I want to win it! I love playing for my country. Without me they will be fine. We have fantastic players.”
Egypt are in Group B at the AFCON alongside Ghana, Mozambique and Cape Verde.
[DailyPost]
WAYNE Rooney has been fired by Birmingham City after just three months in charge of the Championship club.
The former England, Everton and Manchester United forward was relieved of his duties after a dismal run of just two victories in 15 matches, which took Birmingham City from sixth to 20th in the English second tier.
“Birmingham City has today parted company with Manager, Wayne Rooney, and First Team Coach, Carl Robinson.
Despite their best efforts, results have not met the expectations that were made clear at the outset. Therefore, the Board feels that a change in management is in the best interests of the Football Club,” the club announced on their official website today.
“The Club’s Board and management are fully aligned and will continue to drive transformation and take bold steps to rebuild Birmingham City into the organisation its fans and community deserve.
“The Board would like to place on record their sincere thanks to Wayne and Carl for all of their efforts.”
Chief Executive Officer, Garry Cook, noted: “We are committed to doing what is necessary to bring success to St. Andrew’s.
“Unfortunately, Wayne’s time with us did not go as planned and we have decided to move in a different direction.
“The search for a successor begins with immediate effect and we will update supporters when we have further news.”
Birmingham confirmed that Professional Development Coach, Steve Spooner, will take temporary charge of the first team to be assisted by the remaining coaching staff that were not sacked along with Rooney.
Legendary as a player, with scoring records at both England and Manchester United, Rooney has struggled as a coach, having previously handled Derby County and DC United in the American Major League Soccer.
Rooney, 38, was appointed 82 days ago to replace John Eustace but Birmingham City have gone backwards since then, winning two, drawing four and losing a whopping nine of their games.
[NaijaTimes]