Headlines
Super Eagles to Host Leone Stars in AFCON 2023 Qualifier, Await CAF’s Decision on São Tomé/Mauritius

By Derrick Bangura
Following Tuesday night’s draw for the qualification series of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, three –time champions Nigeria must await the decision of the CAF Disciplinary Board for which of São Tomé & Príncipe and Mauritius would be the fourth team in their Group A of the series.
The Super Eagles already have a home game lined up for the first week of June against the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone, who were also in their qualifying pool for the last AFCON tournament in Cameroon. Nigeria and Sierra Leone made it out of that pool, leaving the Squirrels of Benin Republic and the Crocodiles of Lesotho biting their fingers.
This time, the Eagles must negotiate a Group A that has the Leone Stars as well as the Wild Dogs of Guinea-Bissau, whom the Eagles defeated 2-0 in the group stage of the last finals in Cameroon, thanks to goals by Sadiq Umar and William Ekong.
Thenff.com learnt from the CAF headquarters on Wednesday that Mauritius have a pending protest against São Tomé and Príncipe, who won their preliminary qualifying fixture, insisting that one São Tomé player had tested positive for covid-19. São Tomé & Príncipe continue to dispute this assertion.
“The matter became somewhat more interesting because the player at the centre of the controversy is the one that scored the only goal of the match,” said our source.
This means that after hosting Sierra Leone in Nigeria, the Super Eagles would have to fly to either São Tomé or Port Louis for their Matchday 2 encounter. The window for these two matches is 30th May – 14th June.
In September, with the window for Matchdays 3 & 4 being 19th – 27th September, the Eagles will tango home and away with the Wild Dogs of Guinea-Bissau. The Matchdays 5 & 6 are within the period 20th – 28th March 2023, and will see the Eagles go away to Freetwon before returning home to square up to either São Tomé and Príncipe or Mauritius.
The two top-placed teams in each of the twelve groups at the end of the qualifying campaign will qualify for the 34th Africa Cup of Nations finals taking place in Cote d’Ivoire next year summer. However, hosts Cote d’Ivoire are definite qualifiers from Group H, meaning only one of Zambia, Comoros Islands and Lesotho will make it to the finals no matter the results garnered by the Ivorians in the race.
ALL THE GROUPS
Group A: Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe/Mauritius
Group B: Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Togo, e-Swatini
Group C: Cameroon, Kenya, Namibia, Burundi
Group D: Egypt, Guinea, Malawi, Ethiopia
Group E: Ghana, Madagascar, Angola, Central African Republic
Group F: Algeria, Uganda, Niger Republic, Tanzania
Group G: Mali, Congo Republic, The Gambia, South Sudan
Group H: Cote d’Ivoire, Zambia, Comoros Islands, Lesotho
Group I: DR Congo, Gabon, Mauritania, Sudan
Group J: Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Botswana
Group K: Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Liberia
Group L: Senegal, Benin Republic, Mozambique, Rwanda
Headlines
Tinubu arrives Katsina to receive Buhari’s body for burial

President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday arrived in Katsina to receive the remains of the former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away in London on Sunday at the age of 82.
Headlines
“He Never Turned His Back on the Needy” — Tributes Pour In Ahead of Buhari’s Burial

Just hours before the burial of former President Muhammadu Buhari, heartfelt tributes have continued to pour in from beneficiaries of his many charitable deeds, with many describing him as a man who never turned his back on the needy.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, Aminu Daura, a respected community elder, recalled how Buhari consistently provided foodstuffs during Ramadan for families, friends, widows, and orphans in his hometown.
“He never made noise about it, but many homes had food on their tables during fasting period because of him,” Daura said.
Abdullahi Sani, a physically-challenged man who received a tricycle from the Buhari Foundation in 2021, was overcome with emotion while speaking to NAN.
“I can move around and feed my family today because of Baba Buhari. I pray to Allah to reward him for giving hope to people like me,” he said, in tears.
Hajiya Fatima Yahaya, another resident, remembered Buhari’s acts of kindness during festive seasons.
“Even after he left office, his aides ensured that the usual support still reached us every year. He always remember his people,” she said, referring to his distribution of Sallah rams and food items to indigent families during Eid celebrations.
Other residents of Daura also shared memories of how the late former president quietly paid school fees and medical bills for struggling families, actions rarely publicized.
“Some of us benefited from his silent interventions. He was a true father and a great figure in the society,” said Ali Saidu.
On Monday night, Imams across various mosques in Daura held special Qur’anic recitations, praying for the forgiveness of Buhari’s sins and his eternal peace.
The Chief Imam of Daura Central Mosque, Sheikh Musa Kofar Barau, described Buhari as a humble leader whose legacy of service and compassion would remain alive in the hearts of the people.
Buhari is scheduled to be buried later on Tuesday in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State, in line with Islamic rites. The community is bracing to welcome thousands of mourners from across Nigeria and beyond.
Headlines
King Mohammed VI Mourns Buhari, Praises Legacy of Nigeria’s Former Leader

His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco has extended heartfelt condolences to President Bola Tinubu, the family of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, and the entire Nigerian people following Buhari’s death.
In a message of sympathy, the Moroccan monarch described the passing of the former Nigerian leader as a “sad occurrence,” expressing deep sorrow over the loss.
King Mohammed VI hailed Buhari as “an illustrious leader who worked untiringly to serve his country’s best interests and lead his people toward further progress and prosperity.”
He added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with you and the bereaved. I share your grief and want you to know how much I appreciated the working sessions I had with the deceased.”
Reflecting on their bilateral engagements, the king noted that his collaboration with Buhari led to the launch of promising development projects, “ushering a new era grounded in friendship and close cooperation between our two sister nations.”
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