AFCON: ‘I’m happy to get something, thank God’ – Bassey after Nigeria beat Egypt

Super Eagles centre-back, Calvin Bassey has expressed happiness after Nigeria defeated Egypt to win the AFCON third-place playoff on Saturday.

Bassey didn’t feature in the match due to suspension after picking up a yellow card against Morocco in the semi-final.

The Fulham star was in the stands as he watched Nigeria defeat the Pharaohs 4-2 on penalty shoot-out.

Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali saved the penalty kicks of Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush.

Reacting to Nigeria’s victory against Egypt, Bassey also thanked God for the outcome of the encounter.

“I’m happy to get something, thank God,” Bassey said in the mixed zone as he walked passed reporters inside the Stade Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca.

Bassey was outstanding for Nigeria in every match he played for Eric Chelle’s side.

AFCON: ‘I’m happy to get something, thank God’ – Bassey after Nigeria beat Egypt

AFCON 2025: Super Eagles proud of performance in Morocco – Lookman

Ademola Lookman says the Super Eagles can be proud of their performance at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, DAILY POST reports.

The Super Eagles ended their campaign on a positive note, edging the Pharaohs of Egypt 4-2 on penalities in the third-place match.

Nigeria finished second in the previous edition but failed to surpass the achievement in Morocco.

They lost to the hosts in a keenly contested semi-final.

Despite the setback, Lookman said they are proud of their performance in the competition.

“It was a good competition from us. We scored a lot of goals, we created a lot of chances. We played some good football.We can be proud of what we have done.”

AFCON 2025: Super Eagles proud of performance in Morocco – Lookman

AFCON final: ‘Africa’s image at stake’ – Senegal coach, Pape Thiaw

Senegal head coach, Pape Thiaw has insisted that Africa’s image is at stake as his team prepares to face Morocco in the AFCON final on Sunday night.

Thiaw spoke during his pre-match press conference, calling on spectators and match officials not to spoil the AFCON final.

Senegal and Morocco had defeated Egypt and Nigeria, respectively, at the semi-final stage.

“Today, it is the image of Africa that is at stake,” Thiaw said at his pre-match press conference.

“We must not spoil it. Playing the host nation is never easy because of the crowd, but on the pitch, it is 11 against 11.”

This comes as the Confederation of African Football, CAF, on Saturday, responded to Senegal’s complaints against Morocco ahead of the AFCON final on Sunday night.

 

AFCON final: ‘Africa’s image at stake’ – Senegal coach, Pape Thiaw

EPL: ‘Big gap’ – Man City’s Bernardo Silva hints on Arsenal winning title

Manchester City midfielder, Bernardo Silva has suggested that the club might be losing control of the Premier League title race after they lost 2-0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola’s team had a chance to reduce the gap at the top of the league because current leaders, Arsenal, weren’t playing until later on Saturday evening when they faced Nottingham Forest.

United gave their best performance of the campaign so far in what was interim manager Michael Carrick’s first game in charge.

The home team were unlucky not to be ahead at halftime because two of their goals were disallowed by VAR for very small offside mistakes.

Also, Harry Maguire shot straight at the crossbar from close range. It was not until almost halfway through the second half that Carrick’s team managed to break the tie and score against Gianluigi Donnarumma, with Bryan Mbeumo scoring a great goal from a fast counter-attack.

Patrick Dorgu scored the winning goal with 14 minutes left because City’s defense was not as strict as usual.

The result could have been even worse if Mason Mount’s late attempt had been successful. The city’s players and Pep Guardiola looked sad after the game ended.

Silva said the gap between their team and Arsenal is getting bigger and harder to make up.

“It’s a big gap, and we won’t lie it’s not a big gap at all,” he said.

“We will keep fighting till the end,” he said.

City has gone four games without winning in the league, and Silva added, “They had more energy and intention. It always felt like they were almost ready to score, but we were never in the right place.

“We gave them what they want. They played the game in areas where they are strong and we are weak. Since I came to England, we’ve always been a very controlled team. There were a lot of things that were missing from us. Definitely a really bad day for us.”

Guardiola was also asked if Mikel Arteta’s team is getting too far ahead and he said, “It’s about how we grow as a team.

“I think we’ve done some really good things so far. To improve yourself, you might need to take a step back…”

EPL: ‘Big gap’ – Man City’s Bernardo Silva hints on Arsenal winning title

Chelle fires final warning to Senegal

Nigeria coach Eric Chelle delivers an AFCON final warning to Senegal, advising them to prepare for a hostile crowd in their match against hosts Morocco.

Read More: https://punchng.com/chelle-fires-final-warning-to-senegal/