DeMbare’s African safari under threat

DYNAMOS’ return to the African safari is in serious danger as the continental football governing body now wants to terminate the CAF Confederation Cup tournament.

The Confederation of African football, who recently launched the African Super League tournament, now feel there are now too many club tournaments.

However, instead of abandoning the elitist African Super League, CAF are now pushing for the termination of the CAF Confederation Cup.

Dynamos earned a ticket into the 2024/25 CAF Confederation Cup after winning the Chibuku Super Cup and were due to start the campaign around August this year.

That might not happen as CAF president Patrice Motsepe hinted at possible cancellation of the tournament at the weekend.

Founded in 2004, the CAF Confederation Cup is an annual African football competition for teams born from the merger of the CAF Cup and the African Cup Winners’ Cup.

Motsepe, who took the helm of CAF in March 2021, has made revitalising African football competitions a cornerstone of his vision.

Under his leadership, CAF already hosted a successful eight-team African Football League won by his South African club, Mamelodi Sundowns.

“We might cancel the Confederation Cup. We’ve too many competitions,” Motsepe told reporters in Abidjan on Friday.

“We cannot and will not have too many competitions . . . The Champions League is excellent; we want to protect and promote it.

“That’s why I deliberately didn’t put the prize money of the AFL to make it more than the Champions League. I didn’t want to create the perception that, as at this stage, immediately, the AFL is above the Champions League.”

The Confederation Cup is less attractive to clubs compared to the Champions League. Motsepe’s comments have sparked debate among African football stakeholders.

Some argue that the Confederation Cup, despite its challenges, provides a valuable platform for the development of clubs and players from smaller nations to compete on the continental stage.

Cancelling the competition, they claim, would further marginalise these teams and limit player development opportunities.

Others, however, support Motsepe’s call for a drastic shake-up.

They believe that resources currently allocated to the Confederation Cup could be better directed towards strengthening the Champions League — Sports Reporter/ FarPost.

NIGERIA had to battle back from behind to earn a 1-1 draw with Equatorial Guinea in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations opener at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium yesterday.

The Super Eagles trail Group A leaders Cote d’lvoire by two points in third place after the Afcon hosts kicked off the continental show-piece with a 2-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau on Saturday.

The National Thunder are second in the group and will be looking to inflict back-toback defeats on Djurtus when they meet next up. Nigeria went on the attack from the get-go and Alex Iwobi tested Jesus Owono with a strike from range in the opening minute before Victor Osimhen wasted a good chance when he steered a header just wide of the left post from Ola Aina’s cross in the 29th minute.

However, Equatorial Guinea took the lead against the run of play on 36 minutes as Iban Salvador slotted past Stanley Nwabali from inside the box after being picked out by Jose Machin.

Their joy was short-lived though, as the West Africans hit back just two minutes later through Osimhen, who tucked his header into the back of the net from Ademola Lookman’s cross.

Moses Simon almost put Nigeria ahead on the stroke of half-time, but Owono pulled off a sharp save to deny him at the near post after being in by Osimhen.

Nigeria continued to carve out opportunities in the second half, with Zaidu Sanusi firing straight at Owono from inside the 18-yard area on 54 minutes before Osimhen also produced a routine save out of the keeper from inside the box on the left moments later.

Aina wasn’t able to beat Owono either after being played in on the right by Lookman in the 66th minute, while Osimhen spurned a glorious chance 10 minutes later when he shot wide from inside the box, having been sent through on goal by Iwobi.

The National Thunder managed to hold on for a precious point in the end and they are next in action against Guinea-Bissau on January 18, with the Super Eagles taking on host nation Cote d’lvoire later that same evening — SuperSport.*