Nigeria to host Africa Mini Football Nations Cup

The Nigeria Mini-Football Association will host the second edition of the Africa Mini-Football Confederation Cup of Nations in Ibadan from July 8 to 17, 2021.

The President of Africa Mini-Football Confederation, Achraf Ben Salha and World Mini- Football delegates, Mrs Ben Khalifa and AMC Tarik Zakaria are expected in the country on May 18, 2021. They will pay courtesy visit to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Sunday Dare before embarking on inspection tour of the facilities in Ibadan on May 20.

The Nigeria Mini-Football North Central coordinator, Batako Umar Lapai said yesterday that the visiting global and continental delegates are also expected to pay a courtesy visit on the Chairman, Senate Committee on Sports before the inspection tour of the facilities in Ibadan.

Lapai said Ibadan was chosen because it has astro turf facility required by the Africa Mini-Football Confederation. He added that six properly equipped ambulances are also on the stand by.

About 20 countries including hosts Nigeria, have indicated interest to participate in the tournament, which is the second in the series. Libya hosted the maiden edition in 2018 that was won by Cote d’Ivoire after beating Senegal in the final, and Nigeria distantly finished in the fifth position in the tournament that attracted nine countries.

According to Lapai, each participating country is expected to come with a team of 24 members comprising 18 players and six technical officials.

“One playing turf was used in Libya in 2018 with nine teams in attendance, and I believe that the facility in Ibadan would adequately and successfully host the tournament with about 20 teams being expected”, Lapai he said.

The defending champions, Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and Zambia are among the expected teams. Others include Ghana, Mozambique, DR Congo, Libya, Algeria, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Mali, Djibouti, Benin Republic, Somalia, Kenya and host Nigeria.