Jonathan Wilson
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The cussedness with which CAF has stuck to hosting the event every other year is rooted partly in a refusal to fall into line with a world game that for so long marginalised African football
• Nigeria fail to qualify for 2015 Africa Cup of Nations
• Equatorial Guinea selected as new hostsTwelve days after the Akwa Ibom stadium in Uyo was officially opened, it is already a site of ignominy. Nigeria fought back with two late Sone Aluko goals to draw 2-2 with South Africa on Wednesday, but preserving their unbeaten record against Bafana Bafana in competitive games is little consolation. Congo, whom Nigeria had beaten 2-0 on Saturday to have even a chance of qualification, held their nerve to win 1-0 in Sudan and so eliminated the defending champions from the Cup of Nations.
At least there is a tournament for Nigeria to fail to qualify for. What sort of tournament it turns out to be is anybody’s guess and, quite apart from logistics, it is hard not to feel some unease that a nation that was disqualified from the competition for fielding an ineligible player in the preliminary round against Mauritania has been reinstated just because its government retains enough of the country’s oil wealth to put on a tournament with two months’ notice.
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• Nigeria fail to qualify for 2015 Africa Cup of Nations
• Equatorial Guinea selected as new hostsTwelve days after the Akwa Ibom stadium in Uyo was officially opened, it is already a site of ignominy. Nigeria fought back with two late Sone Aluko goals to draw 2-2 with South Africa on Wednesday, but preserving their unbeaten record against Bafana Bafana in competitive games is little consolation. Congo, whom Nigeria had beaten 2-0 on Saturday to have even a chance of qualification, held their nerve to win 1-0 in Sudan and so eliminated the defending champions from the Cup of Nations.
At least there is a tournament for Nigeria to fail to qualify for. What sort of tournament it turns out to be is anybody’s guess and, quite apart from logistics, it is hard not to feel some unease that a nation that was disqualified from the competition for fielding an ineligible player in the preliminary round against Mauritania has been reinstated just because its government retains enough of the country’s oil wealth to put on a tournament with two months’ notice.
Continue reading...
More...