It’s another round of Afro qualifiers for the 2025 African Cup of Nations as nationalteams set their sights on making the next round of the competition. Such is thehigh-profile tournament already attracting scores of teams, aspiring to occupy the higherranks, in Morocco. The preliminary rounds themselves have already given many thrillsand stirring incidents which presage an interesting contest.The Nigerian team – known as the Super Eagles – aims for a comfortable qualificationfrom Group D as they are to meet Libya’s Mediterranean Knights on Tuesday. But thelead-up to this decisive clash has been dominated by political differences, Nigerianofficials have threatened to stay away from the match accusing their Libyancounterparts of ill-treating them. It has brought a period of tension and conflict to whatwas expected to be an intense qualifier to begin with.The probable boycott poses a great danger to the qualifier campaign and would beargreat consequences on the two teams’ prospects of making it to the finals in Morocco.Football authorities in both countries are working hard in the final stages of negotiationsto solve the problems and continue the match.Zimbabwe’s Warriors proved their willingness by qualifying for the next round afterbeating Namibia 1-0 in a match that was played behind the curtain at Orlando Stadiumin South Africa. Although such matches were played behind closed doors, the win didnot downgrade the importance of the victory as Zimbabwe enhanced their place in thequalifying group.Once more Uganda’s cranes emerged the champions by a slender margin through aclosely contested match in a see-sawing match in a regional rivalry to seal a 1-0 winagainst South Sudan. The results keep their qualification quest up and tells theincreasing rivalry in football in East Africa, where both teams performed well in theirtactical formation in the game.
NewsNovember 6, 2024
