Football: Afcon 2019 qualifiers - Seychelles receive tough draw |14 January 2017
While the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) kicks off tonight, the draw for the qualifying stages of the 2019 tournament was made on Thursday evening and Seychelles will face strong opposition in group E.
Three-time champions Nigeria will likely be the toughest opposition for Seychelles. Boasting players such as former Chelsea star John Obi Mikel who has joined Chinese club Tianjin Teda, Monaco’s Elderson Echiéjilé, Leicester City’s Ahmed Musa and Chelsea’s Victor Moses, Nigeria could surely pose a lot of trouble for our boys.
The other opponents for Seychelles in group E are one-time winners South Africa who should be another tough test. South Africa’s best players includes Orlando Pirates’ Oupa Manyisa and Jackson Mabokgwane, Itumeleng Khune of Kaizer Chiefs and Gençlerbirliği’s Tokelo Rantie.
Losers to Ghana on a 6-7 score on penalties after the normal time ended 1-1 in the 1982 final, Libya could still be another tough opponent for Seychelles.
For the moment, the Seychelles Football Federation (SFF) has not appointed a new coach to the national side after Ralph Jean-Louis’ contract expired in the second half of last year.
As the draw is already official, the SFF has to appoint a coach to avoid the recurring issues of beginning our preparations at the last minute as the first of the qualifying matches are expected to take place in June of this year.
Former coach Jean-Louis has since moved to Côte d’Or, meaning there will surely be a new name on the bench for Seychelles once qualifying starts.
At the moment, former coach of league champions Côte d’Or Ahmed Abdou is without a club and could be a perfect candidate should the SFF look locally for a new coach. Bruno Saindini of La Passe could also be a candidate after impressing when he took over alongside Rodney Choisy during a 1-1 draw against Ethiopia, which left many fans wanting the duo to continue with the squad.
Internationally, former Gazelec Ajaccio coach Dominique Veilex who was beaten by Jean-Louis back in 2015 could be another candidate.
Veilex is a former professional footballer and current manager. On June 24, 2010, he was named manager of then-amateur club Gazelec Ajaccio. In the ensuing two seasons, Veilex led the club to promotion to the Championnat National in the 2010–11 season and helped them reach Ligue 2 after finishing third in the 2011–12 season, thus helping Gazelec attain professional status.
The decision will be up to the SFF and is one that all local fans will be keen to keep an eye on in the coming months.
The 2019 Afcon will take place in Cameroon and the hosts have been drawn in group B alongside 1976 champions Morocco, Malawi and either Comoros or Mauritius.
In group J, record seven-time winners Egypt will meet North African rivals Tunisia, who won in 2004.
Group G also features a clash between Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with both sides having previously lifted the trophy.
In addition to hosts Cameroon, the 12 group winners will qualify alongside the three best runners-up.
Should the Indomitable Lions top their group, the second-placed side in group B will contest the finals.
Draw in full:
Group A: Senegal, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan, Sao Tome/Madagascar
Group B: Cameroon, Morocco, Malawi, Comoros/Mauritius
Group C: Mali, Gabon, Burundi, Djibouti/South Sudan
Group D: Algeria, Togo, Benin, The Gambia
Group E: Nigeria, South Africa, Libya, Seychelles
Group F: Ghana, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Kenya
Group G: DR Congo, Congo, Zimbabwe, Liberia
Group H: Ivory Coast, Guinea, Central African Republic, Rwanda
Group I: Burkina Faso, Angola, Botswana, Mauritania
Group J: Tunisia, Egypt, Niger, Swaziland
Group K: Zambia, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia
Group L: Cape Verde, Uganda, Tanzania, Lesotho
S. N.