Algeria’s coach, Belmadi, satisfied with draw against Burkina Faso
Algeria head coach, Djamel Belmadi has admitted that the game against Burkina Faso in their second Group D tie of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023 was a tough one.
Baghdad Bounedjah scored late to salvage a point for Algeria.
Belmadi who was impressed with his side’s output in the game said the game was very tough, but added he would settle for the outcome.
“Im very satisfied with what they gave on the pitch today. We allowed Burkina Faso to dominate
Zambia and Tanzania meet in a must win clash today at the Laurent Pokou Stadium with both sides seeking their first victory of the competition.
Zambia held DR Congo to a 1-1 draw in their opening clash while the Tafia Stars of Tanzania suffered a 3-0 defeat to Morocco.
All eyes will be on Hemed Suleiman who will take up the reins from Adel Amrouche following his suspension when they face the 2012 champions who looked like a welloiled machine against DR Congo last week.
The Tafia Stars are yet to make it out of the group stages of the competition, with this edition marking their third appearance as compared to Zambia’s 18th showing.
Led by the highly experienced Avram Grant, Chipololopolo will be looking at carrying on from their impressive showing against DR Congo.
Zambia coach, Avram Grant said he is expecting a complicated match against a solid Tanzania side.
“The most important thing in football is the next match. We started well against DR Congo but the focus now is Tanzania and we’re focusing on that. This meeting is important because we want to win to increase our chances of qualifying for the next more in the first half but we came into the second half better so we are satisfied and I’m satisfied with the draw. It was a difficult match with a difficult team but coming out with a draw, we will take that for now”.
The Burkina Faso team put a lot of pressure and intensity in this match, nothing was easy for us against a very difficult side so we will look ahead with the point and get to cross this group stage.”
Algeria, who are still chasing their first win will play their last game against Angola on Tuesday, January 23 at the Stade de la Paix in Bouake. round. We have our own style of play. We want to move forward, and score goals every time. The Tanzania team is very solid. We will have to expect a complicated match,” he said.
The assistant coach of Tanzania, Hemed Suleiman who is standing in for Adel Amrouche who has been banned for eight matches after making insulting remarks about Morocco, said he is prepared to the huge task ahead of him today.
“After the match against Morocco, we prepared our team mentally and physically. We have also resolved our problems and we are ready to play Zambia. It’s a great team with good players but we have objectives for this tournament too. It’s a big responsibility for me to be here. But that’s normal too. The head coach could have had a red card so I have always had to be prepared for such situations,” he said.
Former Nigeria captain, Dr. Patrick Olusegun Odegbami has called on Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to provide ample support for, and have strong belief in, the Super Eagles to triumph at the ongoing 34th Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cote d’Ivoire.
Speaking on his radio programme on Eagle FM yesterday morning, the one known as ‘The Mathematical’ in his playing days reiterated his much-vaunted belief that Nigeria will emerge champions of the continent for the fourth time at the final tournament in Cote d’Ivoire, and called on all patriotic Nigerians to do their bit in their own place and sector to back the team’s campaign.
“I have unflagging confidence that this team will do it again. I have
Belgian club, Union St Gilloise are monitoring the performance of Super Eagles goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Nwabali was included in Nigeria’s squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations following his impressive displays for South African club, Chippa United.
The 27-year-old was particularly impressive in the Super Eagles 1-0 victory against hosts Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday. The game was his fourth appearance for the Super been saying it for some weeks now and the belief is getting stronger by the day. That is why I drove all the way from Nigeria with my team, across the stretch of one thousand and one hundred kilometres of single carriage-way, all to cheer the team to victory.
“Some people have said that anytime we play or defeat Cote d’Ivoire at the AFCON, we go all the way to the Final, and even win it. That may be superstitious but there are facts in-there. Our team was not in a good place before the tournament and the opening game against Equatorial Guinea was not reassuring, but the victory over the host nation and one of the strong favourites has turned things around and we’re looking good.”
Odegbami was top scorer of the 1980 finals that Nigeria hosted and won, in the process battling
Eagles.
It was gathered that Union St Gilloise have identified the shot stopper as a transfer target for the summer.
The speculated move comes as Union St Gilloise seeks to secure Nwabili’s services to fill the void left by Maxime Wensenns, who is reportedly eyeing a transfer to Turkey.
Nwabili’s transition to Chippa United from Nigeria’s Lobi Stars just last year has evidently been a stepping stone towards the radar of European football clubs.
The club already have their
Cote d’Ivoire to a scoreless draw in a group phase encounter. ‘The Mathematical’ scored 23 goals for Nigeria in an international career that spanned seven years, during which he won the AFCON gold and two bronze medals, played at the 1980 Olympics after the Nigeria team was recalled from the 1976 Olympics as the country led an African boycott of the Montreal Games, and was voted third best player in Africa in 1980.
The Super Eagles have continued their preparation for Monday’s encounter with the Wild Dogs of Guinea Bissau at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, in which victory will confirm Nigeria as group winners, barring a massacre of the Ivorian Elephants by the Thunder of Equatorial Guinea the same day at the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara.
Winless Zambia, Tanzania meet in must-win clash today
scouts in Abidjan to have a firsthand assessment of the goaltender.
Nwabali is expected to be in goal when the Super Eagles take on the Djurtus of Guinea-Bissau in their final group game next Monday.