U-17 World Cup 2017 Qualifier: Nigeria Draw Algeria, Libya & Others

U17 world champions Nigeria will begin another continental quest when they face next-door neigbours Niger in a second round qualifier in August, but their qualifying pool also has Algeria, Libya and Gabon.

Algeria and Libya will do battle in the first round between June and July, before they face Gabon in the second round in August.

The overall winners will then battle the winners of the clash between Nigeria and Niger in September to determine the qualifier for the tournament to be staged by Madagascar in April 2017.

AFCON U-23 Championship Final: Nigeria Beat Algeria To Win Title

The Dream Team of Nigeria on Saturday night clinched the 2015 AFCON U-23 Championship after they beat Algeria 2-1 in the final in Dakar, Senegal.

Nigeria, Algeria and South Africa, who pipped hosts Senegal on penalties in a third-place final, will automatically represent Africa in next year's Rio Olympics.

Two goals by the tournament’s top scorer Oghenekaro Etebo was only halved by an own goal by Nigeria defender Segun Oduduwa to leave this contest delicately balanced.

AFCON U-23 FINAL: Nigeria vs Algeria Preview

Dream Team of Nigeria and Les Fennecs of Algeria will meet for the second time in this championship to determine who lifts the trophy at Stade Leopold Senghor in Dakar.

The two sides have already met at the group stage playing out a dour goalless draw -even though both sides were tentative and played safe so as to get into the semifinals.

Saturday’s final will be different because there is the added incentive of being crowned African champions and bragging rights before the next event in four years’ time.

AFCON U-23 Championship: Dream Team VI Relaxed Ahead Of Algeria Clash - Samson Siasia

Samson Siasia spoke to the press ahead of the final AFCON U-23 Final clash against Algeria. The Coach of the Dream Team VI stressed that they know the opponent and are relaxed ahead of the match.

"it has been a very long journey, with a lot of ups and downs, some good games and some bad ones that we have actually learnt from."

"I guess we have not scored 2 goals again since our last game we played 2-2, the boys have improved in the back line, I think we still need to do a better job playing tomorrow against Algeria, we know them very well we have watched their videos, we have seen them play, and we are now more relaxed because we have the ticket to go to Rio, I think we are going to have a better game, the fans will enjoy themselves "

AFCON U-23 Championship: Algeria Must Fall - Peter Onyekachi

Peter knows that Algeria must fall for them to keep their Olympics hopes alive. If Algeria refuses to fall the only alternative is for Egypt to lose or draw against Mali but many believe that the Pharoahs will trash the weeping boys in the Group. Peter and co understand this and they seem ready to make the Foxes of Algeria to fall in Senegal. It's simply a fight for Rio..

Nigeria’s under-23 team forward, Onyekachi Peter, has charged teammates that Nigerians will not take excuses for failure to overcome the Fennec Foxes of Algeria at the ongoing Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Senegal.

The nation’s campaigners are involved in a do-or-die clash against leaders Algeria in Saturday’s last group match at the 60,000-seat Stade Leopold Sedar Senghor in Dakar, Senegal.

AFCON U-23 Championship: Nigeria In May Or Break Match Against Algeria

Its either Siasia's boys win or they maybe on there way back to Nigeria if they loose and if Egypt beats Mali who seems like the weeping boys in the team. Siasia is a slow starter and everybody will be hoping to see the fumbling Dream team VI team prove critics wrong against Algeria. A draw will see Nigeria out of the tournament if Eqypt wins Mali.

If the Malians get a draw or win against Egypt who are on 2 points then Nigeria might just stroll to the semis even if they loose to Algeria.Wait a minute, most pundits believe Egypt will white wash Mali which leaves Nigeria with the only chance of beating Algeria to qualify.
  
Nigeria take on leaders Algeria in a final U23 AFCON Group B match on Saturday in Dakar knowing that they cannot afford to lose the game if they are to stay on course for qualification to next year’s Rio Olympics.

Afrobasket 2015: D' Tigress To Play Algeria In Formality Match

NIGERIA women’s senior national basketball team, D’Tigress will today face Algeria in their last group game at the ongoing 2015 AfroBasket championship in Yaounde, Cameroon.

A win could see the Nigerian team handled by Scott Nnaji finish as group B leaders provided the defending champions, Angola fail to beat Guinea today.

However, Angola, Egypt and Nigeria, among other countries will certainly make it to the quarter-finals of the competition based on their exploits so far.

Algerian Football Federation Bans Buying Of Foreign Players

Algerian football clubs have been banned from signing foreign players because of a severe financial crisis caused by a plunge in oil revenues, the national football federation said on Monday.

Algeria's oil export revenue has almost halved so far this year, crippling the economy of the North African nation, whose oil sales account for more than 95 percent of export revenues.

The football federation said the slump has created a "difficult" financial situation in Algeria, which can no longer "legally obtain currency to pay the salaries of foreign players".

AFCON 2017: Egypt Will Support Algeria's Hosting Bid - Khaled Abdel-Aziz

Egypt's sports minister Khaled Abdel-Aziz has confirmed his country has abandoned its bid to host the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

"We have decided to withdraw our application and will support that of Algeria," he explained.
Gabon and Ghana have also made bids, the Confederation of African Football will announce the hosts on 8 April.

Libya had been due to host the finals but withdrew due to the ongoing political instability. Abdel-Aziz did not expand on the reasons behind the decision but was talking after FIFA executive committee member Hany Abu Rida said it did not make sense for two Arab countries to compete against each other.

COTE D' VOIRE 3 ALGERIA 1: Watch The Goals & Highlights

                 

EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Ghana, Ivory Coast Book Semi-Final Place

Ghana and Ivory Coast took their regular places in the African Nations Cup semifinals by beating Guinea and Algeria on Sunday as the tournament returned to normal after recent controversy.
Wilfried Bony finally came to life, scoring twice for the Ivory Coast, and a late Gervinho goal completed a memorable 3-1 win for the Elephants as they reached the last four for the fourth time in six tournaments.

Four-time champions Ghana comfortably dispatched surprise packages Guinea 3-0 to reach the semifinals for the fifth time in a row.

EQUATORIAL GUINEA 2015: Who Will Knockout Who In The Quarter Finals?

At least one of the leading contenders for the Africa Cup of Nations title will be eliminated at the weekend when Algeria meet the Ivory Coast in the quarterfinals. Sunday's clash in Malabo between two teams who took part in last year's World Cup is the headline game of the last eight as the three-week tournament enters the knockout stage.

Ghana, another of the African sides who featured in Brazil six months ago, play Guinea in Malabo earlier on Sunday. On Saturday, hosts Equatorial Guinea seek to continue their fairytale run when they face Tunisia in Bata after a derby between Congo and neighbours the Democratic Republic of Congo.

AFCON QUALIFIERS: Nigeria Close To Exit, Algeria & South Africa Out To Seal Qualification

Africa Cup of Nations holders Nigeria head into a crucial qualifier against Sudan in the midst of discord both on and off the pitch. Shockingly, Nigeria sit bottom of Group A with just one point from their three games so far, and realistically must beat third-placed Sudan on Wednesday to stand any hope of progressing.

Newly elected Nigeria Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick has piled on the pressure by criticising the team's "embarrassing" and "awful" qualifying performances.

SAD!!! Fan Kills Cameroonian Player Albert Ebossé In Algeria

Cameroonian striker Albert Ebossé has died after being hit in the head by an object thrown from the stands during an Algerian league game. The 24-year-old was fatally struck by a projectile at the end of his club JS Kabylie’s meeting with USM Alger in Tizi Ouzou.

Kabylie said in a statement: “The Ministry of Interior and Local Government, through minister Tayeb Belaiz, has given the instruction to open an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Albert Ebossé.

“The JSK player succumbed to a head injury after being hit in the head at the end of the meeting with USM Alger.”

VIDEO: Watch Algerian Fans Welcome Heroic Team After World Cup Exit

           
Algerian fans went bananas when their World Cup heroes returned home, World Cup heroes? Yes World Cup heroes that's because Algeria hasn't qualified for the last 16 stage before. Qualification to last 16 and there zeal in holding Germany for more than 90mins gave there numerous fans reasons to smile.

Well in Nigeria it was a different case you could be so sure that no one was set to welcome the boys and it seems like they knew so most of them flew to their various destinations. Really guess no one was waiting for Aminu Maigari to call the shots on air tickets. Nigeria i hope you can learn from the Algerians or better still getting to the last 16 for Nigeria means nothing after being there twice before.

WORLD CUP 2014: Our Expectation Is To Win The World Cup Says Andre Schurrle

Andre Schurrle insists Germany will not crumble under the weight of expectation at the FIFA World Cup.
Tipped as favourites by many ahead of the showpiece in Brazil, Joachim Low's side have so far met every challenge to reach the last eight - where they will face France on Friday.

Their progress has not been without a struggle, Germany requiring extra-time to ultimately overcome Algeria in the last-16.

Yet Schurrle, who was on the scoresheet in that 2-1 win, is undaunted by the knowledge that his country's supporters will not be satisfied until he and his team-mates are holding the trophy aloft.

WORLD CUP: Per Mertesacker Hits Out At German Media

Per Mertesacker has hit out at critics bemoaning Germany's performance in their win over Algeria and believes qualifying for the World Cup quarter-finals was all that mattered.

Joachim Low's men were expected to see off the threat of the African side with ease, but laboured to a 2-1 extra-time victory in Porto Alegre to set up an enticing last-eight clash with France.

After seeing how much unfancied Algeria had Germany on the ropes, Les Bleus will fancy their chances at the Maracana on Friday, but setting up that tie is all that mattered to Mertesacker.

WORLD CUP 2014: Algeria Hit With FIFA Fine For Fans Behaviour

The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) have been fined by FIFA for the actions of their supporters during games at the World Cup in Brazil.

During a 1-1 draw with Russia on Thursday, a laser was shone into the eyes of opposing goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev as Yacine Brahimi prepared to take a free-kick wide on the left for Algeria.

Moments later, Akinfeev came to palm away the cross but made no contact, and Islam Slimani headed into an empty net from six yards.

WORLD CUP 2014: Germany vs Algeria Preview - All You Need To Know

Germany have lost both of their previous meetings with Algeria in all competitions, scoring once and conceding four times.

Their most notable meeting came in the 1982 World Cup Group Stage when Algeria beat West Germany 2-1. However, the African team were eliminated by West Germany’s mutually beneficial 1-0 win over Austria that saw both teams advance to the next round.

That remains Algeria’s only victory over a European opponent at the World Cup, drawing three and losing four since then.

WORLD CUP: Nigeria & Algeria Eyes More Glory For Africa

History makers Algeria and Nigeria are one victory each away from a showdown that would ensure a World Cup semifinalist from Africa for the first time. The Algerian Desert Foxes tackle Germany and the Nigerian Super Eagles confront France on Monday on the third day of second-round action.

And the winners of the Africa-Europe clashes meet on 4 July in a last-eight match-up at the global football showpiece in Brazil. Should the two Africans win, then one of them would be guaranteed to make further history by becoming the first ever World Cup semifinalists from the continent.

Africa has been competing at the World Cup since 1934 with the best achievements being quarterfinal places for Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana. Nigeria became the first African country to reach the second round three times when they finished runners-up to Group F table-toppers Argentina.