Kenya has been selected to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) along with Uganda and Tanzania. Russia has pledged its support to Kenya, boosting its ability to successfully stage the event. Dmitry Maksimychev, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Kenya, pointed out that Kenya could benefit from Russia’s experience in hosting the 2018 World Cup.

This support is expected to help Kenya prepare to host the AFCON jointly with Tanzania and Uganda. The partnership is also aimed at helping Kenya improve its sporting infrastructure. The diplomatic derby between Russian staff and young parliamentarians was accompanied by discussions on the potential benefits of the partnership, with both parties expressing optimism about its impact on developing talent and sporting infrastructure in Kenya.

The MPs who participated in the friendly event welcomed the partnership, emphasizing its importance in promoting the country’s sporting activities. Preparations for hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations are underway, with Kenya’s Sports Cabinet Secretary, Ababu Namwamba, assuring that the preparations have not stagnated. Despite concerns from some football stakeholders about the progress of renovating and constructing facilities for the event, Namwamba emphasized that the infrastructure development is on track.

He also highlighted the close collaboration with Uganda and Tanzania in the preparations, with consultations taking place regularly. As part of the preparations, videos showing the progress of the Talanta Hela City Stadium in Jamhuri and the renovation works on Kasarani Stadium have been shared, indicating ongoing efforts to meet the targets for infrastructure development.

Nigeria is aiming to win their fourth Africa Cup of Nations title, which would match the tally of their old rivals Ghana. Only Egypt with seven titles, and Cameroon with five, have won the Cup of Nations more often.

Ivory Coast, on the other hand, will match Nigeria’s three titles if they emerge victorious in the tournament for the first time since 2015. The Africa Cup of Nations is coming to a conclusion with Ivory Coast aiming to become the first host nation to win the title in 18 years when they meet Nigeria in the final.

The match will take place at the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s economic capital. Nigeria previously defeated the tournament hosts 1-0 during the group stage.

After a month of thrilling competition, the most recent AFCON tournament has culminated in an exciting final showdown between two West African footballing powerhouses. Ivory Coast, also known as the Elephants, are aiming to secure their first title since 2015.

Nigeria is aiming to win their fourth title and equal the tally of their rivals Ghana, with only Egypt and Cameroon having won the Cup of Nations more times. The Ivory Coast team has made a remarkable turnaround in fortunes after nearly being eliminated in the group stage.

They have shown resilience and determination under interim coach Emerse Fae, with a resurgence that has been quite incredible. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s performance has improved after initial doubts due to injuries and unconvincing form.

Both teams have faced challenges and setbacks leading up to the final match, making it an intriguing showdown between these two strong contenders.

The thrilling Africa Cup of Nations semi-final between Nigeria and South Africa ended in a 1-1 draw after regular time and went into extra time. Both regular-time goals were scored from penalties, with William Troost-Ekong scoring for Nigeria in the 67th minute, and Teboho Mokoena equalizing for South Africa from a 90th-minute spot-kick. The match ultimately went to a penalty shootout, which Nigeria won 4-2, securing their place in the final. Nigeria will now face either hosts Ivory Coast or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the final on Sunday.

Nigeria’s victory came after an intense and closely fought contest, with competitive performances from both teams. The Super Eagles had a perfect record against South Africa in previous meetings in the Africa Cup of Nations, having won all three encounters. Star forward Victor Osimhen notably returned to the starting lineup for Nigeria and played a key role in the match. The game was not without controversy, as South Africa had a chance to win in added time at the end of regular time but missed the opportunity.

The match also saw a red card for South Africa’s Grant Kekana, who was sent off on 115 minutes for a last-defender foul. Belgium-born South Africa coach Hugo Broos made tactical adjustments, and both teams had their moments in a tense, lively opening half. South Africa displayed resilience and tenacity, with both teams having an equal number of shots at goal, although South Africa had more shots on target, greater possession, and forced more corners. The encounter was marked by dramatic moments, including a disallowed goal for Nigeria, an equalizer from South Africa, and 30 minutes of end-to-end extra time action.

The match ultimately ended in a penalty shootout, where Nigeria emerged victorious. Nigeria’s Kelechi Iheanacho was the hero of the penalty shootout, as his goal secured the Super Eagles’ place in the final. The team’s supporters, both in the stadium and around the world, celebrated the hard-fought victory. Now, all eyes are on Nigeria as they prepare to face their next opponents in the final showdown.

Ivory Coast recently reached the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations after a remarkable salvage operation, as they managed to emerge victorious over Mali with a 2-1 score in extra time. Oumar Diakite was the hero of the match, securing the winning goal with a brilliant back-heel in added time. This victory came at a cost as several players, including Diakite, were suspended for their upcoming semi-final against the Democratic Republic of Congo. The win also continued the dominance of Ivory Coast over Mali in the AFCON tournaments, marking their fifth victory since 1994.

The last time Ivory Coast reached the semi-finals was in 2015 when they defeated DR Congo 3-1 before going on to win the tournament for the second time. Despite facing setbacks, Ivory Coast managed to secure their place in the knockout stage and eventually claimed victory over Mali. In another match, South Africa advanced to the semi-finals for the first time since 2000 after defeating Cape Verde in a penalty shootout. Ronwen Williams, the South African goalkeeper, played a pivotal role in the shootout, saving four penalties to lead his team to victory after a 0-0 draw following extra time.

Nigeria secured a 1-0 win over Angola, and DR Congo emerged victorious against Guinea with a 3-1 score, setting the stage for an exciting semi-final round in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Nigeria advanced to the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations with a 1-0 victory over Angola. Ademola Lookman scored the only goal, securing Nigeria’s place in the last four.

The Super Eagles will face Cape Verde or South Africa in the next round. Angola’s performance in the tournament will be remembered as a success, as they won a knockout tie for the first time in their history.

They fought bravely but ultimately could not progress further. The game saw Nigeria struggle to replicate their previous performance against Cameroon, possibly affected by the challenging weather conditions.

Osimhen and Lookman were key players in Nigeria’s victory, but Angola also had opportunities to level the score. Nigeria thought they had sealed the game with another goal from Osimhen, but it was disallowed after VAR intervention.

Despite the challenges, Nigeria secured their spot in the semi-finals, while Angola’s journey in the Cup of Nations came to an end. The match was played in front of a crowd of 18,757 in Abidjan, and Nigeria now looks ahead to the next stage of the tournament.

Late drama unfolded at the Africa Cup of Nations as Cameroon secured a spot in the last 16 with a dramatic victory over Gambia. Meanwhile, former champions Algeria crashed out of the tournament after a surprise defeat against Mauritania. The defending champions Senegal also confirmed their spot with a perfect record, while Mauritania advanced to the knockout phase for the first time in their history as one of the four best third-placed teams.

Algeria, who won the AFCON title in 2019, suffered a shock exit from the group stage, finishing at the bottom of their group. Former champions had a disappointing run, going six matches without a win since their victory in 2019. On the other hand, Mauritania’s coach expressed surprise and joy at their qualification, highlighting the hard work put in by the team.

Cameroon’s qualification was secured with a 2-3 win over Gambia in a thrilling match, with a last-minute comeback sealing their spot in the next round. The dramatic result saw Gambia’s coach announcing his departure despite having a contract until 2026.

Additionally, the group stage of the tournament saw other teams like Angola and Burkina Faso qualifying for the knockout phase. Guinea secured a place in the next round but knocked out four-time champions Ghana, while the final group stage matches were set to determine the remaining qualifiers.