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Five football legends without AFCON gold medals

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

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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. 1. Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
  2. 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…
  3. 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.
  4. 2. Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)
  5. Few players relished big occasions like Didier Drogba. A master of finals at Chelsea, he was decisive time and again in England and Europe.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 3. George Weah (Liberia)
  9. George Weah stands alone as Africa’s only Ballon d’Or winner, claiming football’s most prestigious individual award in 1995.
  10. At the club level, he dazzled for Paris St-Germain and AC Milan, but international success was limited by Liberia’s modest footballing stature.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 4. Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria)
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. Nigeria would reach four semi-finals during Kanu’s career but never return to the final.
  17. Nwankwo Kanu retired with silver and bronze medals, but no Afcon winner’s medal.
  18. 5. Michael Essien (Ghana)
  19. Michael Essien was the heartbeat of a gifted Ghana generation that followed the country’s last Afcon triumph in 1982.
  20. Powerful, disciplined and technically superb, he mirrored his club success with Chelsea by becoming a leader for the Black Stars…
  21. Persistent fitness problems curtailed his international career, leaving Essien as another African great whose brilliance was never rewarded with Afcon gold.
  22. Source: The PUNCH

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CAF Suspends Hakimi, Thiaw, & Fines both Morocco and Senegal

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The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) Disciplinary Board has imposed significant sanctions on the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF) and the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF), along with several players and officials from both nations.

The penalties stem from incidents that occurred during and after the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 final match, which violated the CAF Disciplinary Code, including breaches of fair play, loyalty, integrity, and respect for match officials.

The decisions were announced on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, following a review of disciplinary reports from the high-profile final held in Rabat, Morocco.Sanctions on the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF):

– A fine of USD 300,000 for the improper conduct of its supporters, which brought the game into disrepute.

– A fine of USD 300,000 for the unsporting conduct of its players and technical staff.

– A fine of USD 15,000 for team misconduct, due to five players receiving cautions (yellow cards).

– Total fines on FSF: Approximately USD 615,000.

Individual sanctions for Senegal include:

– Head coach Pape Bouna Thiaw suspended for five official CAF matches and fined USD 100,000 for unsporting conduct and bringing the game into disrepute (linked to events such as a brief team protest over a late VAR decision).

– Players Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr each suspended for two official CAF matches for unsporting behavior toward the referee.

Sanctions on the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF):

– A fine of USD 200,000 for the inappropriate behavior of stadium ball boys during the match.

– A fine of USD 100,000 for the conduct of players and technical staff (including invading restricted areas).

– A fine of USD 15,000 for fans’ use of lasers (as reported in some summaries).

– Total fines on FRMF: Approximately USD 315,000.

Individual sanctions for Morocco include:

– Player Achraf Hakimi suspended for two CAF matches (with one potentially suspended for a year in some reports).

– Other players, such as Ismaël Saibari, facing suspensions of up to three matches and fines.

The CAF Disciplinary Board also reportedly rejected a formal protest from the FRMF alleging violations by Senegal, confirming Senegal’s status as AFCON 2025 champions.

These measures mark one of the stricter disciplinary responses in recent AFCON history, aimed at upholding the integrity of the competition amid the chaotic scenes that overshadowed the final.

Both federations have the option to appeal certain decisions through CAF processes.

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Super Eagles captain Ndidi mourns father’s death

” We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of our footballer Wilfred Ndidi’s esteemed father, Sunday Ndidi, in a fatal traffic accident,” the club said in a statement released via their official X account.

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• Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi

Sunday Ndidi – the father of Super Eagles captain, Wilfred Ndidi, died today in a road accident at Umunede, Delta State.

The retired military officer was confirmed dead after being rushed to a hospital at Agbor, also in Delta State.

Ndidi’s club, Besiktas, confirmed the incident on Tuesday.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of our footballer Wilfred Ndidi’s esteemed father, Sunday Ndidi, in a fatal traffic accident,” the club said in a statement released via their official X account.

Ndidi recently captained Nigeria to a third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where he also scored his first international goal for the country.

While celebrating his headed goal against Tunisia in Nigeria’s second group match, the midfielder referenced his father and his admiration for former Nigeria captain Kanu Nwankwo.

The celebration came from my dad because he was always talking about Kanu Nwankwo,” Ndidi told journalists in Morocco.

“So I just thought about my dad. I had seen the video before, but it came to my head, and I said I was going to do it for my dad.”

Ndidi, who often speaks about growing up with his father in the barracks, was born and raised in Lagos.

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Lagos to host Davis Cup World Group II playoff

Oyekanmi emphasised that with the world’s attention on Lagos in February, the stage is set for a thrilling showdown that promises to elevate Nigerian tennis to new heights.

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The Lagos Lawn Tennis Club will host Davis Cup World Group II playoff between Nigeria and Uzbekistan from 6–8 February 2026.

The President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, Victor Ochie, who disclosed this, said that hosting the event will significantly contribute to the development of lawn tennis in the country.

Prince Kunle Oyekanmi, publicity secretary of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, expressed confidence in the club’s ability to host a world-class tournament.“We are committed to ensuring a successful championship that will leave a lasting mark on the sport globally,” he said.

Oyekanmi added that the Davis Cup will inspire young and upcoming Nigerian players to pursue lawn tennis more passionately.

Oyekanmi emphasised that with the world’s attention on Lagos in February, the stage is set for a thrilling showdown that promises to elevate Nigerian tennis to new heights.

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