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Nigeria Draws Cameron in AFCON Round of 16
Nigeria and Cameroon will renew their rivalry again in the Round of 16 stage of the ongoing 34th Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday.
Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions who denied the Super Eagles three AFCON titles by the championship game in 1984, 1988 and 2000, defeated The Gambia 3-2 in their last Group C clash last night to upstage Guinea to the runner up spot of the group.
Defending champions Senegal trounced Guinea 2-0 to finish on maximum nine points on top of the group.
Both Guinea and Cameroon finished on four points each but superior +5 goals advantage gave the Indomitable Lions the edge over the Syli Nacional.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Monday night similarly finished on same seven points with Equatorial Guinea but missed the top spot due to the superior goals difference of the team from Malabo.
The Syli Nacional however, look certain to be among the best four third placed teams to progress to the Round of 16.
Defending champions Senegal’s Teranga Lions, winners of all group matches, will wait for the third best placed teams from Groups A, B or F to know who they
will play in the Round of 16.
Meanwhile, Super Eagles stand-in Captain, William Troost-Ekong has said he will be back in training later this week after a knee injury sidelined him out of the team’s final AFCON group game against Guinea Bissau.
The PAOK central defender suffered the injury in the Eagles 1-0 win over AFCON hosts Cote d’Ivoire.
Eagles who observed yesterday as rest day will resume training today ahead of their Saturday clash with the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.
The team’s major injury doubt remains Antwerp midfielder Alhassan Yusuf, who has yet to return to full team training after the thigh injury that forced him out of the opening group game against Equatorial Guinea.
The 23-year-old box-to-box midfielder has himself said he hopes to be back for the knockout rounds of the competition after a scan showed the injury was not as serious as first feared.
ThisDay
Former governor of Anambra State, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, has officially defected to the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Obi announced the decision on Tuesday at an event held at the Nike Lake Resort, Enugu.
“We are ending this year with the hope that in 2026 we will begin a rescue journey,” Obi said.
The National Chairman of the ADC, David Mark, was among the attendees.
United States Representative Riley Moors has said further military strikes against Islamic State-linked militants in Nigeria could follow recent operations ordered by President Donald Trump, describing the actions as aimed at improving security and protecting Christian communities facing violence.
Moore made the remarks during a televised interview in which he addressed U.S. military strikes carried out on Christmas Day against militant targets in North-west Nigeria.
The strikes were conducted in coordination with the Nigerian government, according to U.S. and Nigerian officials.
“President Trump is not trying to bring war to Nigeria, he’s bringing peace and security to Nigeria and to the thousands of Christians who face horrific violence and death,” Moore said.
He said the Christmas Day strikes against Islamic State affiliates had provided hope to Christians in Nigeria, particularly in areas affected by repeated attacks during past festive periods.
According to U.S. authorities, the strikes targeted camps used by Islamic State-linked groups operating in parts of north-west Nigeria.
Nigerian officials confirmed that the operation was carried out with intelligence support from Nigerian security agencies as part of ongoing counter-terrorism cooperation between both countries.
The United States Africa Command said the operation was intended to degrade the operational capacity of extremist groups responsible for attacks on civilians and security forces.
Nigerian authorities have described the targeted groups as a threat to national security, noting their involvement in killings, kidnappings and raids on rural communities.
Moore said the strikes marked a shift from previous years in which attacks were carried out against civilians during the Christmas period. He said the U.S. administration was focused on preventing further violence by targeting militant groups before they could launch attacks.
U.S. officials have said the military action was carried out with the consent of the Nigerian government and formed part of broader security cooperation between the two countries. Nigeria has received intelligence, training and logistical support from international partners as it seeks to contain militant activity.
Moore had previously called for stronger international attention to attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria and has urged continued U.S. engagement in addressing extremist violence. He said further action would depend on developments on the ground and continued coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Nigerian officials have maintained that counter-terrorism operations are directed at armed groups threatening civilians, regardless of religion, and have reiterated their commitment to restoring security across affected regions.
World-renowned boxer Anthony Joshua on Monday survived a ghastly road accident in Makun, Ogun State.
Eyewitnesses report that the incident occurred along a busy highway of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The vehicle carrying Joshua, a Lexus Jeep with the number plate, KRD 850 HN, reportedly collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that are still being investigated.
Joshua reportedly sustained minor injuries, while two persons were said to have died on the spot.
