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AFCON: Cote d’Ivoire Suffers Humiliating Exit, Loses 4-0 to E/Guinea

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Ivory Coast slipped to the brink of a humiliating exit from the Africa Cup of Nations as the hosts suffered a 4-0 thrashing by Equatorial Guinea in their final Group A game in Abidjan on Monday.

Emilio Nsue scored a double to follow up his hat-trick against Guinea-Bissau as Equatorial Guinea finished top of the group ahead of Nigeria on goal difference.

Nigeria saw off Guinea-Bissau 1-0 in the group’s other game.

Ivory Coast have only failed to get out of the group phase once in the previous nine editions of the tournament, in 2017.

The two-time champions will have to endure a nervy wait to find out if they will go through to the last 16 as one of the four best third-placed sides.

Jean-Louis Gasset’s men need a series of results to go in their favour to avoid sliding out of the competition, after suffering their heaviest ever home defeat.

Thousands of Ivory Coast supporters filed out of the stadium late on as Equatorial Guinea scored three goals in 15 minutes to embarrass their opponents.

The Ivorians started brightly but struggled to create any clear-cut chances, with Oumar Diakite’s wild effort off target after a poor punch by Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper Jesus Owono their best opportunity in the opening 25 minutes.

Nicolas Pepe appeared to be fouled in the box on the half-hour mark, but the winger decided to stay on his feet and a penalty was not given despite Owono coming out to gather the ball.

Equatorial Guinea grabbed a surprise lead with their first real attack shortly before halftime.

Right-back Carlos Akapo weaved his way past a couple of weak challenges and into the area before squaring for Nsue to divert the ball into the bottom corner.

Ibrahim Sangare briefly thought he had equalised in first-half injury time, but VAR quickly ruled the goal out for a clear offside against the Ivory Coast midfielder.

Sangare wasted an excellent chance less than two minutes after the restart, ballooning the ball high over the bar from close range with only Owono to beat at the back post.

Fiorentina forward Christian Kouame also failed to draw the home side level when face to face with Owono, firing his shot straight at the ‘keeper.

Ivory Coast were again denied an equaliser in the 67th minute by VAR for offside after Jean-Philippe Krasso slotted home left-footed.

The underdogs made the Ivorians pay for their profligacy six minutes later, as Pablo Ganet curled a wonderful free-kick into the top corner.

That goal prompted many of the fans in the Alassane Ouattara Stadium to vacate the stands, and the ones who remained were left stunned when Nsue tucked away his fifth goal of the tournament after a quick counter-attack.

Ivory Coast’s goal difference, which could prove crucial in the fight for qualification, took another dent with two minutes of normal time remaining, as Jannick Buyla bobbled a shot into the corner from a rebound.

Equatorial Guinea should have rubbed further salt into their opponents’ wounds in added time, but Luis Asue’s mishit strike with the goal gaping could not take the gloss off a famous victory.

AFP

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NFF Unveils New Super Eagles Coach, Eric Chelle

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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has unveiled the newly appointed coach of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle.

The event held at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Monday where sports enthusiasts and practitioners gathered to welcome the 47-year-old Franco-Malian citizen.

Chelle’s appointment was confirmed last Tuesday by the NFF Executive Committee, following a recommendation from its Technical and Development Committee.

The NFF President, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, expressed confidence in Chelle’s ability to lead the Super Eagles to new heights.

“We appreciate the fact that Nigerians are very passionate about football, which is why there have been different reactions following the appointment of Coach Chelle,” Gusau said on Sunday.

“However, the NFF appeals to Nigerians to come together and support him, as we believe he has the qualities to achieve success with the Super Eagles.”

Gusau further assured Nigerians that the Federation would provide the necessary backing to ensure Chelle’s success.

“The NFF will give him all the support that he needs to succeed in the job,” he added.

Chelle’s first challenge will be leading the Super Eagles B at the upcoming African Nations Championship in East Africa next month.

Chelle’s first challenge will be leading the Super Eagles B at the upcoming African Nations Championship in East Africa next month.

After that, the focus will shift to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with crucial matches against Rwanda (away) and Zimbabwe (home) in March.

According to the statement, Chelle brings a wealth of experience to the role, having guided Mali’s Aiglons to the brink of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals.

He recently left his position at Algerian club MC Oran, where he had been managing the 1989 African Champions’ Cup finalists, to accept the Super Eagles job.

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Elon Musk’s Father Reveals Son Interested in Buying English Club, Liverpool

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Errol, father of Elon Musk, has revealed that the billionaire entrepreneur has expressed interest in purchasing Premier League team Liverpool.

Musk, whose net worth is estimated at $418 billion, has recently emerged a close ally of U.S President-elect, Donald Trump.

Reports claim that Musk donated approximately $270 million to the Republican Party before their election victory, aiding Trump’s return to the White House.

Since Trump’s November 2024 win, Musk and Trump have been seen together at various events, including celebrations at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, UFC fights, and college football games.

Now, it appears Musk’s attention may be turning toward English football.

Known as the visionary behind Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter), the 53-year-old billionaire seems poised to expand his business empire further by acquiring one of the world’s most iconic football clubs.

When asked about Musk’s interest in Liverpool during an interview with Times Radio in London, his father, Errol Musk, was cautious.

“Has he expressed a desire to buy Liverpool Football Club?” a reporter asked.

“I can’t comment on that. They’ll raise the price,” Errol Musk replied with a laugh.

Pressed further, he admitted that his son has shown interest but refrained from confirming any formal negotiations.
“Oh, yes. But that doesn’t mean he’s buying it,” Errol added. “He would like to, yes, obviously. Anybody would want to – so would I!”

Family ties to Liverpool

When questioned about Musk’s specific interest in Liverpool FC, Errol Musk pointed to the family’s generational ties to the Merseyside city.

“His grandmother was born in Liverpool, and we had relatives in Liverpool. We were fortunate to know quite a lot of the Beatles because they grew up with some of my family. So, we are attached to Liverpool, you know,” Errol revealed.

Musk had previously spoken fondly of his grandmother, Cora Amelia Robinson, who was born in Mossley Hill, Liverpool, in 1923.

She grew up in pre-war poverty, working hard to support her family before emigrating to South Africa in 1944.

Musk once described her as “an important part” of his childhood and credited her with instilling strong values.

“My Nana was one of the poor working-class girls with no one to protect her who might have been abducted in present-day Britain,” Musk shared on X.

“She was very strict, but also kind, and I could always count on her. She grew up very poor in England during the Great Depression only to be bombed in WW2. To earn money for food, she cleaned houses, leaving me with a lasting respect for those who do so.”

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CAF Crowns Ademola Lookman As African Footballer of the Year

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Super Eagles winger, Ademola Lookman, has been named the CAF Footballer of the Year for the past year.

Lookman was announced as the winner at an elaborate event in Marrakech, Morocco on Monday night.

The Atalanta star won the prize ahead of Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra and PSG’s Achraf Hakimi, Guinea striker Serhou Guirassy and South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.

It has been an incredible year for Lookman, who became the first player to score a hat-trick in the Europa League/UEFA Cup final since 1975, netting the three goals within 26 minutes against Bayer Leverkusen.

Lookman was included in the Team of the Year for the Europa League, and ended the season having had a direct hand in 18 top flight goals for La Dea.

The 27-year-old was ranked the 14th best player during the Ballon d’Or gala on October 28.

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