14 teams already through to CHAN 2016

Nigeria advance to 2016 CHAN after 0-0 in Burkina Faso

Nigeria Sunday did enough to qualify for their second CHAN after they held hosts Burkina Faso to a 0-0 draw to advance 2-0 on aggregate.

The first leg in Port Harcourt a week ago ended 2-0 in favour of the home-based Eagles.

Hosts Burkina Faso dominated the return leg game, but just could not translate this dominance into goals as the Eagles struggled to find their bearing and did not create chances.

And so the boast of Burkina Faso coach Idrissa Traore that his team will cancel out Nigeria’s two goals within 30 minutes of the second leg was therefore just what it was - a boast.

The Eagles starting strike force led by Sunshine Stars striker Tunde Adeniji, which also had Ezekiel Bassey and Osas Okoro, was again ineffective as was the case in the first leg in Nigeria.

Gbolahan Salami and Chisom Chikatara were introduced in the second half in an effort to pep up the Nigeria attack.

The highlight of the match was recorded in the 21st minute, when the home team Burkina Faso failed to go ahead from the penalty spot after Austin Oboroakpo handled the ball inside his own 18-yard box.

Abia Warriors defender Oboroakpo was booked for the hand ball.

Oboroakpo, who has been compared to ‘Gentle Giant’ Uche Okechukwu, was outstanding in the heart of the Eagles defence as he kept out everything Les Etalons threw at them.

It also showed where the pressure was.

Nigeria starting XI vs Burkina Faso

Ikechukwu Ezenwa – Chima Akas, Orji Kalu, Austin Oboroakpo, Jamiu Alimi (Stephen Eze 46) – Paul Onobi, Ifeanyi Matthew, Bature Yaro – Ezekiel Bassey, Tunde Adeniji (Chisom Chikatara 71), Osas Okoro (Gbolahan Salami 57)

SAT 31 OCTOBER 2015, 16:30, BRAZZAVILLE

Cameroon confident ahead of Congo clash

Cameroon's national team are confident they will get a result against Congo in their 2016 CAF African Championships (CHAN) qualifier on Saturday.

When the two teams met recently for the first leg clash they played to a goalless draw in Cameroon.

Cameroon's CHAN squad coach Ntdoungou Mpile believes that this is the right opportunity for his players to make their mark and qualify by winning this match.

“The 0-0 draw at home in the first leg was a good score, because we can score one or two goals to qualify,” he said in the wake of the match in Yaoundé.

The coach described his team, which he had only four days to assemble and train ahead of the first leg, as a “stop gap”, but he believes they will be in better shape for the return game.

“Substantive work must be done to prepare for this match,” Mpile said.

Cameroon’s only appearance at the CHAN finals was in 2011 when they reached the quarterfinals.

Qualifiers Round 1 2nd Leg All kickoff times are shown as Africa/Johannesburg +0200 GMT
#	DATE	KO	HOME	SCORE	AWAY	REPORTS
	2015-10-24	00:00	Gabon	0 - 1	Chad
	2015-10-24	00:00	C.A.R.	vs	DR Congo
	2015-10-24	00:00	Senegal	3 - 1	Guinea
	2015-10-24	16:00	Angola	1 - 2	South Africa
	2015-10-24	19:00	Mauritania	1 - 1	Mali
	2015-10-25	14:00	Ethiopia	3 - 0	Burundi
	2015-10-25	15:00	Mozambique	1 - 1	Zambia
	2015-10-25	16:00	Lesotho	1 - 1	Zimbabwe
	2015-10-25	17:30	Togo	1 - 1	Niger
	2015-10-25	18:00	Burkina Faso	0 - 0	Nigeria
	2015-10-25	19:00	Sudan	0 - 2	Uganda
	2015-10-30	17:30	Cote D'ivoire	vs	Ghana
	2015-10-31	16:30	Congo	vs	Cameroon