AFCON BRIEFS

Yobo, McCarthy headlines AFCON broadcast

Having had to man-mark Benni McCarthy every time Everton faced Blackburn Rovers between 2006 and 2009, former Nigeria skipper Joseph Yobo was always in close proximity to the South African striker. The duo will once again find themselves side by side, this time with a common goal as they team up to provide their expert opinion during SuperSport’s broadcast of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations being hosted in Gabon. SuperSport will broadcast live and in HD all 32 matches of the January 14-February 5 tournament.

Kalidou: No regrets in choosing Senegal

Senegal international defender Kalidou Koulibaly says he does not regret missing out on playing for the France senior team. The central defender was born in France and was hoping to represent Les Bleus in the senior side, but he changed his mind and opted for the Lions of Teranga. Koulibaly will now represent Aliou Cisse’s side in the upcoming 2017 CAF Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Gabon.

Renard open to Ghana return

Two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner Herve Renard has revealed that he would never refuse an offer to coach Ghana. Morocco coach Renard, who won the Africa Cup of Nations title with Zambia in 2012 and Ivory Coast in 2015, has been linked with a return to Ghana to replace current manager Avram Grant, who is expected to vacate the post after the 2017 tournament in Gabon. Renard has worked with the Black Stars before, famously serving as Claude Le Roy’s assistant during the 2008 AFCON.

Ghaly not saddened over AFCON snub

Al Ahly captain Hossam Ghaly has explained that he has no hard feelings over being left out of Egypt’s squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. The veteran has not played for the Pharaohs since March 2016 when they defeated Nigeria as part of the qualifiers for the 2017 finals. A spat between Ghaly and Egypt assistant coach Osama Nabih is cited as the main reason for the player’s continued exclusion from the Pharaohs set-up.