The Mauritius senior national team have won their protest to join Sierra Leone and others in Group A of the African Cup of Nations 2023 qualifiers.

The MFA says that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has finally communicated its decision following the protest made by the Mauritius Football Association against the Sao-Tomé National team, who went against the CAF Covid-19 regulations during their match against Mauritius in the preliminary round of March 24 2022. 

“Club M will now join Group A of the 2023 Nations Cup qualifiers alongside Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, and Sierra Leone.”

Sao Tome was found guilty and fined 10,00 dollars as CAF granted a score of three goals in favour of Mauritius to ensure they progress on 6-3 aggregate.

As a result, Mauritius will face three-time African champions Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Guinea-Bissau in the group A race to Ivory Coast 2023.

Mauritius will face Guinea-Bissau in their first match on 9 June before hosting Nigeria four days later.

Their opener will take place in the Moroccan city of Agadir because Guinea-Bissau is one of several African nations that does not have a stadium approved by Caf to host international matches.

Meanwhile, Nigerian Football Federation has named Portuguese coach The Joeé Santos Peseiro as the new Head Coach of the Senior Men National Team, Super Eagles. 

The NFF says the appointment is with immediate effect, subject to the signing of agreed terms between the NFF and Mr Peseiro.

Peseiro’s first task will be to lead the Super Eagles for friendlies matches against Mexico and Ecuador ‘A’ Teams in the United State before taking on Sierra Leone in the Afcon 2023 opening qualifier in Abuja.

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Wydad Athletic Club has turned their attention towards their third TotalEnergies CAF Champions League title hunt after reaching this year’s final.

Both Angola’s Petro de Luanda and Wydad Casablanca played to a 1-1 draw in the return leg of their semi-final fixture on Friday. However, the Moroccan giant progressed with a 4-2 aggregate score after a 3-1 first-leg triumph in Luanda 3-1 last week. 

They are into the final for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

Wydad will confront title-holders Al Ahly from Egypt or Entente Setif from Algeria in the final. 

Al Ahly will be defending a 4-0 first-leg lead in Algeria on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football, CAF, has confirmed Morocco as the host of this year’s final.

“CAF received a bid from the Senegalese Football Federation and from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation to host the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2022.

The Senegalese Football Federation subsequently withdrew its bid. CAF, therefore, is pleased to award the hosting of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2022 Final to Morocco on the 30th of May 2022.”

They further indicated that discussions are underway within CAF to revert to the old two-legged home and away final to determine the winner of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, rather than the one-leg final.

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The Super Eagles of Nigeria’s first-team assistant coach Salisu Yusuf has named a 30-man sqaud for two friendlies in the USA next month.

Captain Ahmed Musa and forward Moses Simon were named for international friendly matches against Mexico and Ecuador in the United States of America.

Ahead of their Group A Ivory Coast 2023 qualifying campaign against Sierra Leone on June 9, the three-time African champions will clash with CONCACAF powerhouse Mexico and Ecuador.

The Super Eagles will face Mexico at the AT & T Stadium in Dallas in Texas on Saturday, 28th May, before taking on Ecuador at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison on Thursday, 2nd June.

The Super Eagles are yet to get a new head coach after interim coach Augustine Eguavoen stepped down following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for Qatar 2022.

The NFF says only 25 players will make the final list for the tour, which is preparatory to next month’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Sierra Leone in Abuja (9th June) and São Tomé & Príncipe in Marrakech, Morocco (13th June).

Super Eagles squad for Mexico and Ecuador;

Goalkeepers: Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands); Adewale Adeyinka (Akwa United); Ojo Olorunleke (Enyimba FC)

Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Abdullahi Shehu (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Isa Ali (Remo Stars); Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Ibrahim Buhari (Plateau United)

Midfielders: Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Oghenekaro Etebo (Watford FC, England); Chiamaka Madu (Rivers United); Babatunde Afeez Nosiru (Kwara United); Azubuike Okechukwu (Yeni Malatyaspor, Turkey); Samson Tijani (Red Bull Salzburg, Austria); Alhassan Yusuf (Royal Antwerp FC, Belgium)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Ademola Lookman (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (UD Almeria, Spain); Emmanuel Dennis (Watford FC, England); Cyriel Dessers (Feyenoord FC, The Netherlands); Victor Mbaoma (Enyimba FC); Ishaq Rafiu (Rivers United)

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