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Super Eagles depart Fez for Marrakesh Thursday

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The Nigeria Football Federation has confirmed that the Super Eagles will leave the city of Fez for Marrakesh on Thursday (tomorrow) as preparations continue for their quarterfinal clash at the Africa cup of nations in Morocco, PUNCH Sports Extra reports

In a statement released on Wednesday, the federation said, “The three-time champions will on Thursday move to the city of Marrakech, where they will play the winner between Algeria’s Fennecs and DR Congo’s Leopards in Saturday’s quarter-final duel scheduled to kick off at 5pm.”

The update followed the team’s training session on Tuesday evening at the Sardienne Complex, where all 26 available players took part.

The federation added that defender Ryan Alebiosu remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from injury.

The move to Marrakesh is in line with a new arrangement introduced by CAF for this edition of the tournament.

According to CAF, each team has been assigned a designated camp, a policy being implemented for the first time at the Africa cup of nations.

As a result, the Super Eagles are expected to return to their base in Fez after the quarterfinal match and then travel to Rabat should they progress to the semifinals, where they could face either hosts Morocco or Cameroon on January 14.

Meanwhile, officials of the Nigerian camp have dismissed reports of unrest within the squad following Monday night’s emphatic 4-0 victory over Mozambique, a result that sealed the team’s passage into the last eight.

Speculation had emerged after striker Victor Osimhen was seen gesturing towards Ademola Lookman during the match.

See also  WAFU B: Flying Eagles brace for tough Elephants final test

The NFF said the team administrator Dayo Achor addressed the issue on Tuesday evening, saying, “There is no problem whatsoever in our camp. Whatever people saw as a crisis between two brothers was easily resolved a couple of hours later. All is good and we are presently at training.”

Achor also rejected claims that forward Jerome Akor Adams had left the team camp after the match. “He took permission to go and see his mother who was hospitalized here in Fes, and returned in less than an hour,” he said.

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Finance ministry confirms release of Super Eagles’ bonuses for AFCON

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The Federal Government has said all group-stage bonuses due to Super Eagles players at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations have been released and are expected to reflect in the players’ domiciliary accounts within hours.

The Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, disclosed this on Thursday while responding to reports that the national team was considering boycotting training sessions and could decline to travel to Marrakesh for their quarter-final clash against Algeria.

In a post on her official X handle, Uzoka-Anite said the concerns over unpaid bonuses had been resolved through coordinated action by the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“The Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria have successfully streamlined to ensure faster, more predictable disbursements aligned with international best practice,” she said.

She explained that all bonuses earned by the players during the group stage of the tournament had been fully processed and cleared through the required regulatory procedures.

“All group-stage bonuses were fully released and have now cleared the necessary regulatory stages,” the minister stated.

Uzoka-Anite added that a fast-track process was introduced to meet the players’ preferences for payment in foreign currency. “We have implemented a fast-track conversion process to move funds into foreign currency, honouring the players’ preferences,” she said.

According to her, the final stage of the payment process is already underway, with transfers to the players’ domiciliary accounts currently in progress. “The final transfers to domiciliary accounts are currently in flight. Players can expect these funds to reflect starting today (Thursday) or tomorrow (Friday),” she added.

See also  FIFA rejects Nigeria’s appeal over DR Congo players, ends Super Eagles’ World Cup bid

The minister stressed that the government remains focused on the welfare and morale of the team as they advance into the knockout phase of the competition. “Our focus remains entirely on supporting the team’s welfare so they can maintain their incredible momentum in the knockout rounds,” she said.

Uzoka-Anite also assured that the administration was committed to ensuring that off-field issues do not distract the players from their performance at the tournament. “We move forward with one goal: Bringing the trophy home!” she said.

The update is expected to ease concerns around the team’s preparations ahead of their quarter-final fixture as the Super Eagles continue their campaign at AFCON 2025.

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Morocco to host draw for 2026 CAF Futsal AFCON Qualifiers

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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that the draw for the 2026 CAF Futsal Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers will take place today in Rabat, Morocco.

The qualification process will be played over two home-and-away knockout rounds, with seven teams set to qualify for the 2026 CAF Futsal AFCON final tournament, where they will join host nation Morocco.

A total of 17 countries will compete for places at the continental tournament. They are Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Libya, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The final tournament will also serve as Africa’s qualifying competition for the 2026 FIFA Futsal World Cup.

Morocco have hosted and won the last two editions of the men’s Futsal AFCON. They lifted the trophy in Laayoune in 2020 with a dominant 5–0 victory over Egypt in the final, before successfully defending the title in Rabat in 2024 after a 5–1 win against Angola.

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See also  WAFU B: Flying Eagles brace for tough Elephants final test
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AFCON 2025: Super Eagles must maintain winning formula against Algeria — Adepoju

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Former Nigerian international, Mutiu Adepoju has urged the Super Eagles to maintain their winning formula as they prepare to face Algeria in Saturday’s quarter-final clash at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Nigeria, three-time AFCON champions, secured a convincing 4–0 victory over Mozambique in the round of 16, while Algeria needed extra time to edge past DR Congo to book their place in the quarter-finals.

Speaking with Footy Africa, the 1994 AFCON winner praised the Super Eagles’ dominant display against Mozambique but warned that Algeria would present a much tougher challenge.

“It was a very good win and I would say it was a statement victory,” Adepoju said. “They played very well and got the goals, which is what has been expected throughout this tournament.

“We have been improving game by game, and I hope that improvement continues in the quarter-finals. The performance was tremendous, the play was good, and it was total dominance over the Mozambicans. It was a very good win.

“Hopefully, we can replicate the same performance against Algeria, who will be another difficult side.”

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