by Emmanuel Atanga | Feb 4, 2026 | AFCON, Africa, Soccer
Egypt has officially declared its intention to bid for a future Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), with plans to contest the hosting rights for either the 2032 or 2036 edition, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has confirmed.
The decision was reached at a strategic meeting held on Sunday, where the EFA assessed Egypt’s long-term football roadmap through to 2038, including preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
As part of its build-up on the international stage, Egypt has lined up high-profile friendly matches against Saudi Arabia on March 26, Spain on March 30, and Brazil in June.
The move follows a directive from Egypt’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and underlines the country’s ambition to once again stage Africa’s flagship football tournament. Egypt is one of the most experienced AFCON hosts, having previously organised the competition five times—in 1959, 1974, 1986, 2006, and 2019—and is targeting a record sixth hosting.
CAF recently confirmed a four-year hosting cycle for AFCON beginning with the 2028 edition, a development that has encouraged long-term planning among interested nations. Egypt’s proposed bid aligns with this new structure.
EFA officials noted that hosting AFCON would highlight Egypt’s modern football infrastructure, stimulate tourism, and further enhance the nation’s profile in African sports. Continued investment in stadium upgrades, training facilities, and youth development programmes has been cited as key pillars supporting the bid.
The EFA is expected to submit a formal application once CAF officially opens the bidding process, with Egypt set to compete against other African nations for the right to host AFCON in 2032 or 2036.
by Emmanuel Atanga | Feb 4, 2026 | AFCON, Africa, Ghana, Soccer
Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea has been handed another high-profile continental assignment after being selected by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to officiate the CAF Confederation Cup clash between South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs and Egypt’s Al Masry.
The encounter is scheduled to take place on Sunday, January 8, in South Africa, with both sides pushing for a crucial result as they battle for qualification to the next round of the competition.
Laryea’s appointment follows a series of notable officiating roles across African football. At the most recent Africa Cup of Nations, he was in charge of the semi-final between Morocco and Nigeria, a performance that earned widespread praise and further cemented his reputation as one of the continent’s top referees, despite criticism from some sections of Nigerian fans.
On the domestic front, the referee continues to receive recognition for his rising profile. He was recently honoured by the Ghana Football Association after being awarded his FIFA referee badge, officially placing him among Ghana’s elite officials qualified for international assignments.
His selection for the Kaizer Chiefs–Al Masry fixture underlines Ghana’s increasing presence and influence in African football officiating.
by Emmanuel Atanga | Feb 4, 2026 | AFCON, Africa, Ghana, Soccer
Ghana Football Association (GFA) president Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku has hailed the Black Queens’ consecutive qualifications to the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), describing it as clear evidence of the progress made under his leadership.
Prior to Okraku’s assumption of office in 2019, Ghana’s senior women’s national team struggled to consistently qualify for Africa’s premier women’s tournament.
Since then, the Black Queens have secured qualification for two WAFCON tournaments in succession, marking a notable turnaround.
The team featured at the 2025 WAFCON in Morocco, where they enjoyed an impressive run to the semifinals before suffering a narrow penalty shootout defeat to the host nation. Ghana are now set to return to Morocco for the upcoming edition, aiming to build on that performance.
According to Okraku, the achievement reflects deliberate investment and long-term planning by the Ghana Football Association.
“We’ve qualified for the WAFCON two times on the trot, and it speaks volumes of the kind of work that is being done. We invested heavily in the Queens for the previous tournament, unfortunately we couldn’t reach the final after losing to Morocco on penalties in the semifinal,” he told Sportsblog247.com.
Preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations are expected to begin in the coming days. Still chasing their maiden continental title, the Black Queens will be hoping this campaign finally ends their long wait for silverware.
Ghana have been drawn in Group D, where they will face Cameroon, Cape Verde and Mali. The Black Queens will open their campaign on March 18, 2026 against Cape Verde.
by Emmanuel Atanga | Feb 4, 2026 | AFCON, Africa, Nigeria, Soccer
Nigeria’s Super Falcons will resume camp on February 20 as preparations step up for the defence of their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) crown.
Officials confirmed to Sportsblog247.com that the 10-time African champions will begin training in Nigeria before departing for Abidjan to take part in a WAFU B invitational tournament. The competition will feature hosts Côte d’Ivoire, alongside Ghana and Senegal, and will run from February 27 to March 7.
The invitational tournament forms part of Nigeria’s build-up to the 2026 WAFCON, which kicks off on March 17. The tournament also doubles as a qualifying pathway for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with the four semi-finalists earning automatic World Cup tickets.
At the finals, Nigeria have been drawn in Group C, where they will face Zambia, Egypt, and Malawi as they bid to extend their dominance in African women’s football.
by Emmanuel Atanga | Feb 4, 2026 | Africa, Europe, International, Soccer
Sérgio Conceição’s squad at Al Ittihad has undergone a swift shake-up, with the club parting ways with N’Golo Kanté while moving quickly to strengthen their attack with new signings.
The Saudi champions confirmed Kanté’s departure after the French midfielder reportedly refused to train, according to journalist Ben Jacobs. The 2018 World Cup winner had made it clear he no longer wished to continue with Al Ittihad and, per L’Équipe, even declined to wear the club’s colours while awaiting a FIFA ruling on a proposed move to Fenerbahçe.
However, the Turkish club later announced that the transfer failed to materialise due to issues with documentation submission from Al Ittihad. Despite the setback, FIFA authorised Kanté’s exit, bringing an end to his two-and-a-half-year spell with the Saudi side.
On the incoming front, Al Ittihad acted decisively to offset the loss. The club completed the signing of Moroccan striker Youssef En-Nesyri from Fenerbahçe, officially unveiling him as a new attacking reinforcement. En-Nesyri arrives as a replacement for Karim Benzema, who sealed a move to Al Hilal earlier in the week.
The Saudi champions also bolstered their forward line with the acquisition of George Ilenikhena from AS Monaco. En-Nesyri comes in after scoring eight goals in 27 appearances for Fenerbahçe this season, adding proven firepower to Conceição’s options.
Both new signings could be in line to make their debuts in Friday’s high-profile clash against Al Nassr, marking the start of a new chapter for Al Ittihad following Kanté’s exit.
