•AFCON cup

The Confederation of African Football president, Patrice Motsepe has revealed that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will be held every four years after the 2028 edition .

Motsepe told reporters in Rabat on Saturday, that the change was part of a significant restructuring of the international game on the continent to help it fit better into a packed global calendar.

He said : ” An AFCON every two years was a vital source of revenue for African national associations, but Motsepe said the introduction of an annual African Nations League competition — similar to the UEFA Nations League — would now help boost coffers instead.

“Our focus now is on this AFCON but in 2027 we will be going to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, and the AFCON after that will be in 2028.

“Then after the FIFA Club World Cup in 2029 we will have the first African Nations League… with more prize money, more resources, more competition.

“As part of this arrangement, the AFCON now will take place once every four years.”

AFCON has usually been held at two-year intervals since the very first edition in 1957, but over the last 15 years it has struggled to find a convenient place in the global calendar.

• Super Eagles Captain,Wilfred Ndidi

Midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has been appointed captain of the Super Eagles ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

Ndidi, who also wore the armband during Nigeria’s recent CAF 2026 World Cup qualifying playoffs in Morocco, steps into the leadership role following the international retirement of former captains William Troost-Ekong and Ahmed Musa.

The 28-year-old defensive midfielder missed the rescheduled 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire due to injury.However, he remains one of Nigeria’s most seasoned players, having earned 71 international caps since making his senior debut in August 2015.

A product of Nigeria’s youth teams, Ndidi represented the country at U17 and U20 levels before becoming a regular fixture in the Super Eagles setup.

His experience, discipline, and leadership qualities are expected to play a key role as Nigeria targets a strong campaign at AFCON 2025 in Morocco.

“After a lot of thought, I have decided to retire from international football, bringing to an end almost 15 years with the Super Eagles. From the very first call-up, wearing the green and white meant everything to me.”

Ahmed Musa made the announcement on his social media platforms, yesterday

Musa who is now 33-year-old made his senior national team debut on September 5, 2010 in the qualification match for the 2012 AFCON against Madagascar at the age of 17.

He recalled his early years in the national team setup, noting that his rise coincided with invitations to multiple national teams at the same time.

“I was just a young boy when the journey started. I remember being invited at the same time to the U-20, U-23 and the Super Eagles. I was young, still learning, and always travelling, but I never complained.

Whenever Nigeria called, I showed up,” he said.

Musa retired as Nigeria’s most capped international, having made 111 appearances for the Super Eagles.

He described the milestone as a source of pride and responsibility: “To become the most capped player in the history of Nigerian football is a great honour. Every time I wore the jersey, I understood the responsibility that came with it,” he said.