AFCON moment of truth for heavyweights Nigeria, South Africa – The Kampala Report

Nigeria’s 1994 World Cup captain Augustine Eguavoen is under immense pressure to redeem his country’s battered football reputation when the Super Eagles face Benin and Rwanda in qualifiers for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The three-time AFCON winners are without a substantive coach after German tactician Bruno Labbadia declined to replace Finidi George who threw in the towel with the continent’s largest county by population winless in four World Cup 2026 qualifiers.

Eguavoen is the technical director of Nigeria’s Football Federation but he’s in charge of Saturday’s match at home to Benin and Tuesday’s trip to Rwanda. Benin’s 1-0 victory over the Super Eagles in a USA 26 qualifier earlier this year made George’s job untenable.

Reigning African footballer of the year Victor Osimhen has flown into Nigeria from Turkey where he signed for Galatasaray on loan but he is unlikely to be a starter for Eguavoen in the must win double header for the Africa Cup of Nations losing finalists given the chequered nature of his will he-wont he transfer saga.

Fresh from making waves at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games where they finished third, Africa’s highest ranked team, Morocco, begin their campaign at home to Gabon on Friday before facing Lesotho on Monday.

Atlas Lions coach Walid Regragui has kept faith with the core of the team that reached the semifinals of Qatar 2022. Skipper Achraf Hakimi has been joined in the side by Paris 2024 heroes including top scorer Soufiane Rahimi, Ilias Akhomach and Abdelsamad Ezzalzouli.

1996 African champions South Africa begin their campaign at home to Uganda Cranes before traveling to Juba where they tackle South Sudan on Tuesday. Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is without first choice custodian Ronwen Williams while his Cranes counterpart Paul Put is without injured quartet Allan Kyambadde, Moses Opondo, Uche Mubiru and Isaac Ssewankambo.

Cranes skipper Khalid Aucho has returned to the national team fold after missing June’s World Cup qualifiers against Botswana and Algeria but Kenneth Ssemakula and Halid Lwaliwa are to miss Friday’s game at Orlando Stadium because they were denied visas to South Africa.

Aliou Cisse’s former champions Senegal are to be led by Saudi Arabia based trio Kalidou Koulibaly, Sadio Mane and Edouard Mendy in their games against Burkina Faso and Burundi.

Other appetizing fixtures to look out for include the game between current AFCON winners Ivory Coast and Zambia, record champions Egypt’s home duel with fast improving Cape Verde as well as Democratic Republic of Congo’s home battle with Guinea Conakry.

WEDNESDAY
Comoros v Gambia,
Libya v Rwanda,
Tanzania v Ethiopia,
Sudan v Nigeria

THURSDAY
Malawi v Burundi,
Central Africa v Lesotho,
Congo v South Sudan,
Guinea Bissau v Eswatini,
Ghana v Angola,
Algeria v Equa Guinea,
Tunisia v Madagascar

FRIDAY
Kenya v Zimbabwe,
DR Congo v Guinea,
South Africa v Uganda,
Togo v Liberia,
Sierra Leone v Chad,
Morocco v Gabon,
Senegal v Burkina Faso,
Egypt v Cape Verde,
Mali v Mozambique,
Ivory Coast v Zambia