Sports

Five football legends without AFCON gold medals

Nwankwo Kanu retired with silver and bronze medals, but no Afcon winner’s medal.

Published

3 months ago

December 18, 2025

OCHEFA

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2022 afcon gold winners/ al Jazeera

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is the flagship international men’s football tournament in Africa.

Organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), it determines the continent’s national champion and is one of the most watched football competitions in the world.

So far, the most successful teams in the history of the competition are Egypt, the most successful nation, with seven titles. Cameroon follows with five, Ghana have won four, while Nigeria have claimed three.

With the 35th Africa Cup of Nations scheduled to hold in Morocco from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026, BBC Sport Africa looks at five iconic players who never managed to get their hands on the coveted trophy.

1. Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
At 33, time may be running out for Egypt’s captain. Salah has already experienced Afcon heartbreak twice, finishing runner-up in 2017 and again in 2021…
Injured at Afcon 2023, he watched from the sidelines as Egypt were eliminated in the last 16. Afcon 2025 may represent his final opportunity to complete his international legacy.
2. Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)
Few players relished big occasions like Didier Drogba. A master of finals at Chelsea, he was decisive time and again in England and Europe.
But at Afcon, the script was cruelly different.Drogba captained Ivory Coast in two finals – in 2006 and 2012 – and penalties proved his undoing on both occasions.
Against Egypt in 2006, he missed in the shootout as the hosts triumphed. Six years later, facing Zambia, he blazed a late penalty over the bar in normal time before the Ivorians again lost on spot kicks. Despite multiple semi-final and quarter-final appearances, Afcon glory always slipped away. In a bitter twist, Ivory Coast finally won the tournament in 2015 – just months after Drogba had retired from international football.
3. George Weah (Liberia)
George Weah stands alone as Africa’s only Ballon d’Or winner, claiming football’s most prestigious individual award in 1995.
At the club level, he dazzled for Paris St-Germain and AC Milan, but international success was limited by Liberia’s modest footballing stature.
Liberia qualified for Afcon only twice during Weah’s career, in 1996 and 2002. On both occasions, they failed to progress beyond the group stage.
Weah scored just once at the tournament, in a 2002 draw with Mali.While Afcon success never came, Weah would later lead his country in another way – serving as Liberia’s president between 2018 and 2024.
4. Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria)
Elegant and intelligent, Nwankwo Kanu enjoyed a glittering club career, winning the Champions League with Ajax and domestic honours with Arsenal. Internationally, he tasted success with Nigeria at youth level and famously won Olympic gold in 1996.
Afcon, however, proved less kind. His closest brush with the trophy came in 2000, when Nigeria reached the final on home soil. Against Cameroon, the match went to penalties, and Kanu’s miss proved costly as the Super Eagles were beaten.
Nigeria would reach four semi-finals during Kanu’s career but never return to the final.
Nwankwo Kanu retired with silver and bronze medals, but no Afcon winner’s medal.
5. Michael Essien (Ghana)
Michael Essien was the heartbeat of a gifted Ghana generation that followed the country’s last Afcon triumph in 1982.
Powerful, disciplined and technically superb, he mirrored his club success with Chelsea by becoming a leader for the Black Stars…
Persistent fitness problems curtailed his international career, leaving Essien as another African great whose brilliance was never rewarded with Afcon gold.
Source: The PUNCH

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FIFA ranks Super Eagles third in Africa, 26th globally

Globally, France has reclaimed the number one spot after wins over Colombia and Brazil, overtaking Spain, which was held to a goalless draw by a ten-man Egypt. Argentina, England, Portugal, and Brazil round out the top six.

Published

5 hours ago

April 1, 2026

OCHEFA

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The world’s football body , FIFA, has ranked Nigeria’s Super Eagles third in Africa (behind Morocco and Senegal), and 26th globally.

In a post on FIFA’s website on Wednesday, the ranking reflects Nigeria’s strong performances in friendlies, including a 2‑1 win over Iran and a 2‑2 draw with Jordan, as well as their showing at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year.

In the 2025 AFCON tournament, Nigeria won five matches against Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Mozambique, and Algeria, drew with Morocco in the semi-finals, and defeated Egypt in the third-place playoff.

Other nations saw minor adjustments in the rankings.

Iran slipped from 20th to 21st following consecutive defeats, while Jordan moved up to 63rd after draws with Nigeria and Costa Rica.

Sports

FirstBank Sponsors Samuel Okwaraji U-16 Football Championship 2026

The tournament will engage secondary schools from all 36 states and the FCT, in a two-stage competition.

Published

10 hours ago

April 1, 2026

OCHEFA

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FirstBank, through its First@Sports initiative, is sponsoring the maiden edition of the Samuel Okwaraji Under 16 Football Championship.

The competition is a nationwide youth football tournament organised to honour the late Samuel Okwaraji, one of Nigeria’s most celebrated football legends renowned for his patriotism, discipline, and commitment to national service.

The tournament will engage secondary schools from all 36 states and the FCT, in a two-stage competition.

The first stage will feature zonal eliminations across the six geopolitical zones, followed by a national final in Abuja featuring the top 12 qualifying teams.

In a statement , the Managing Director/ CEO of FirstBank, Olusegun Alebiosu, said: “Football is the strongest unifier of Nigerians. It brings communities together, inspires discipline, and nurtures talents across the country.

FirstBank is making a deliberate incursion into grassroots football development with this sponsorship, creating an enabling environment for the next generation of Samuel Okwarajis to discover, refine, and maximise their potential, thereby shaping the future of Nigerian football.”

In his remarks, Senator Osita Izunaso, the Chairman of the Championship Organising Committee commended FirstBank for throwing its weight around the championship.

Sports

Sportsville Awards: Olopade Leads NSC Delegation to Honour Dikko with Transformative Impact Award

Published

2 days ago

March 31, 2026

Charles Flames

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The Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, on Tuesday led a high-powered delegation from the Commission to the prestigious Sportsville Awards in Lagos to honour NSC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko.

Dikko is set to receive the Transformative Impact Award at the 2026 edition of the Sportsville Special Recognition Awards, in recognition of his outstanding leadership and contributions to repositioning Nigerian sports.

The NSC delegation’s presence underscored the Commission’s unity and support for its Chairman, who has been widely praised for driving reforms, fostering inclusivity, and delivering renewed optimism in Nigerian sports administration alongside Olopade.

Former NPFL scribe Salihu Abubakar and other stakeholders have already extended congratulations to Dikko, describing the nomination as well-deserved.

Stakeholders, including Dr. Danladi Bako, have lauded Sportsville as one of the most authentic sports awards in the country, commending the organisers for recognising genuine impact in the sector.

The sixth edition of the Sportsville Awards, which also featured former Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare, as a top guest, celebrates excellence and transformative contributions across Nigeria’s sporting ecosystem.

Other nominees include Hon. Itiako Ikpokpo and several prominent figures in sports development.

Hon. Olopade, who himself was recently crowned Sports Administrator of the Year at the New Telegraph Awards, dedicated previous honours to President Bola Tinubu and Chairman Dikko, highlighting the collaborative leadership driving Nigeria’s sports renaissance.

Mallam Shehu Dikko’s leadership at the NSC has been credited with major gains in infrastructure, athlete welfare, and international competitiveness, marking a turning point for Nigerian sports.

The event is expected to draw key stakeholders from the sports industry, government, and private sector as it honours individuals making lasting contributions to the development of sports in Nigeria.

Full coverage and reactions from the awards ceremony are anticipated as the night unfolds in Lagos.