Midfielder Salah Jizoli’s 51st minute header handed Sudanese giants, Al Hilal a lone goal victory over TP Mazembe (DR Congo) in their Group A opener on Friday in Khartoum.Forward Bakri Babeker laid a perfect cross into the visitors defence, which met the head of Jizoli to beat flapping Mazembe goalie Muteba Kidiaba and hand the Omdurman-based club a flying start to the mini-league stage of the premier continental championship.Despite playing in Khartoum, Hilal were cheered on by a packed crowd at the Khartoum Stadium, with the club’s blue and white colours covering every space, to outplay their visitors and make…
Author: CAF News
Reigning CHAN kings, Libya’s Mediterranean Knights lead the assault of 26 national competitors on an African weekend packed with anticipated top class action as the race gets underway for the seven places in the main qualifying group phase of the 30th Orange Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2015.The royals of Mediterranean Knights have their pride at stake as they take their skirmish with Rwanda’s stinging Wasps to neighbouring Tunisia over the two-day continental match period that will also see the Flames hope to glow brighter and scorch the field under the feet of Chad’s Les Sao; on a weekend that…
Kenya defender David ‘Cheche’ Ochieng believes Harambee Stars have what it takes to cruise past Comoros in Sunday’s 2015 Orange Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Nyayo Stadium.The Saudi Arabia-based player has urged fans to turn out in large numbers to cheer the home team to victory in their debut game in the qualifying campaign for the 30th edition of the showpiece continental football tournament.“We are going into this campaign from a successful CECAFA (zonal tournament) which we won last year. I believe this gives us the necessary momentum to ride over Comoros. “We need the fans to rally behind…
Malawi midfielder Joseph Kamwendo says the Flames are bracing up for a physical contest against Sao of Chad on Saturday’s 2015 Orange Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Blantyre.Ahead of the first leg clash of the first round, The TP Mazembe midfielder told Cafonline.com “Chad is a very difficult team to play against. They play a physical game and you have to be equally fit to match them. “We need to score as many goals as possible to be in a good stead, at least a three goal win.”Kamwendo knows much about the Chadians after scoring in last year’s meeting…
Harambee Stars coach Adel Amrouche has refused to take anything for granted against Comoros even though his Harambee Stars will be hugely favoured to prevail against the Indian Ocean island nation when they clash at Nyayo stadium on Sunday in the first leg of the first round of qualifiers for the Orange Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2015.“There are no longer small teams in African football. Depending on how well you prepare it is possible to get positive results against any team. Recently, Comoros drew 1-1 against Burkina Faso in a friendly and so we cannot afford to underrate them,”…
The Warriors start their search for a third appearance at the Orange Africa Cup of Nations finals this Sunday when they engage Tanzania in the first round, first leg match at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.Coach Ian Gorowa who called up 22 players for the match has seen the withdrawal of Ajax Cape Town striker Simba Sithole, Kaizer Chiefs’ Kingston Nkhatha, Willard Katsande and Bantu Rovers’ Nqobizitha Masuku due to injuries.That for Gorowa is not the major worry. The real threat says the Warriors boss is posed by opponents, Tanzania.Said Gorowa; “Remember we played Tanzania before we went…
Rwanda’s Wasps are in upbeat mood ahead of Sunday’s Orange Africa Nations Cup Morocco 2015 first round qualifier against Libya which will be played at the 65000-seater Stade Olympique on the outskirts of Tunis. Interim head coach Andre Cassa Mbungo told Cafonline.com in an interview that Rwanda can shock Libya’s Mediterranean Knights and put one foot in the next round of qualifiers.“Libya is a strong squad, ranked in the top 65 worldwide and they have experience more than our team does. We are going to confront them with greater determined in bid to register positive results in the first leg,”…
Egyptian giants, Al Ahly start exploring new grounds when they kick off their Orange CAF Confederation Cup group stage campaign entertaining Zambia’s Nkana this Saturday at the Petrosport Stadium in Cairo.The second-tier continental club championship is an unfamiliar terrain for Ahly, record eight time winners of the prestigious Orange CAF Champions League.The ‘Red Devils’ are appearing for the first time at the mini-league stage in their 38-year old continental history. It’s also their first time in as many years to host a competitive game at the Petrosport Stadium, home ground of local rivals ENPPI, after security measures forced the relocation…
Earlier this year, Mauritania played in their first-ever continental finals at the African Nations Championship earlier this year in South Africa. And although the tournament, in which teams exclusively use players based domestically, is not as prestigious as the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, it has left the supporters in the Maghreb nation wanting more. And results since their continental debut have been promising. A 1-1 draw against Niger in a friendly was followed by two wins against Mauritius in the preliminary round of the 2015 AFCON qualifiers – the first Mauritanian victory in the showpiece event of African football…
The Rwanda Football Association (Ferwafa) has named English coach Stephen Constantine as the new head coach the national football team, Amavubi. Speaking to Cafonline on Wednesday, Ferwafa president Vincent Degaule Nzamwita said, “Constantine was the suitable coach picked by the assessment committee after reviewing all the seven coaches who had been shortlisted.” Nzamwita said talks with Constantine will be finalised over the weekend in Tunisia where Rwanda is scheduled to face Libya in the first leg of the first round of qualifiers of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2015.“We have talked and agreed in principle with Constantine to…
Following the incident that happened on the last day (11 May 2014) of the DR Congo national championship during the game between AS Vita Club and TP Mazembe at the Tata Raphael Stadium, which led to the death of 15 persons and scores injured, a meeting was convened between the Fédération Congolaise de Football-Association (FECOFA) and the Security Services.The meeting was in respect of the Orange CAF Champions League group phase opener between AS Vita and Zamalek of Egypt billed for Sunday, 18 May 2014 at the same stadium.In order to prevent any over-crowding, it was decided that 5,000 spectators…
800×600 Lesotho captain Bokang Mothoana remains upbeat they can shock Liberia in Sunday’s 2015 Orange Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Monrovia.The left-footed utility player said Likueana can bank on the depth of experience in the squad to grab a good result from their trip to the West African country.“We are very much aware playing Liberia at their backyard will be tough,” said the 26-year old midfielder.Mothoana, who has returned home after a three-year sojourn in Tunisia where he laced his boots for US Monastir, added that the playing body will give off their best in the important duel.“There will…
After emerging as the Uganda Premier League top scorer with 16 goals, Francis Olaki believes the sky is the limit.Olaki has been named in the 25-man squad by Cranes coach, Mulitin “Micho” Sredejovic for this weekend’s 2015 Orange Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Madagascar in Antananarivo.The invitation comes as a huge boost for the 18-year old, who was part of the Uganda squad for the Orange CHAN tournament in South Africa earlier, where he left his footprint by setting-up the winning goal for the Cranes against Les Etalons of Burkina Faso at the group phase.The forward has a good…
After a five day inspection visit to Algeria, the special team put together by CAF to inspect facilities for the bidding countries of the 2019/2021 Africa Nations Cup, Tuesday arrived Yaoundé the Cameroonian capital.Despite the 2.30 am early morning touch down at the Nsimalem Airport; a welcome party that included sports minister Adoum Garoua, FECAFOOT Normalization President Professor Joseph Owona, FECAFOOT Secretary General Tombi Sidiki, a dancing troupe and a host of others were on hand to accord the team a warm welcome.Later in the day, the team made up of Amadou Diakite (Mali) Adoum Jibrine (Chad) Paul Bassey (Nigeria)…
Côte d’Ivoire coach Sabri Lamouchi has included big names Didier Drogba, Kolo and Yaya Toure, Gervinho, Didier Zokora, Salomon Kalou and Boubacar Barry in his provisional 28-player squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™.However, defenders Emmanuel Eboue and Siaka Tiene, along with midfielder Romaric N’Dri Koffi, missed the cut.Only two of the squad, goalkeepers Sylvain Gbohou and Ali Badra Sangare ply their trade in Côte d’Ivoire.Lamouchi, who is bidding to guide the Ivorians into the knockout phase for the first time, will have to trim the squad to 23 before the competition. The west Africans have been drawn in…
“When I started out with the national team, Samuel Eto’o came up to me and said: ‘You know, little guy, never judge strikers by goals alone’. I often think about what he said then, and it’s pushed me to work hard and excel myself.”The words are those of Cameroon front man Vincent Aboubakar, in conversation withFIFA.com. The forward was only 18 when he received that nugget of advice, and would shortly afterwards find his name on the 23-man list announced by then Indomitable Lions coach Paul Le Guen for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. The Yaounde-born Aboubakar went…
Cameroon coach Volker Finke unveiled his preliminary 28-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ starting on 12 June.Cameroon are competing in their seventh World Cup finals, but are underdogs in a Group A that includes hosts Brazil, Croatia and Mexico.Only two of Finke’s squad play in their domestic championship – goalkeeper Loic Feudjou and defender Cedric Djeugoue – with the remainder in European and Turkish clubs.Finke will have to reduce the squad to 23 for the finals themselves.Cameroon squadGoalkeepers: Charles Itandje (Konyaspor/TUR), Ndy Assembe (Guingamp/FRA), Sammy Ndjock (Fetihespor/TUR), Loic Feudjou (Coton Sport)Defenders: Allan Nyom (Granada/ESP), Dany Nounkeu (Besiktas/TUR),…
Yaya Toure hobbled off in the latter stages to a standing ovation as Manchester City beat West Ham 2-0 at the weekend to seal the English Premier League title. The Ivory Coast midfielder and reigning African Footballer of the Year was a key figure in the second championship triumph by the ‘Citizens’ within three seasons. He scored a career-best 20 league goals — many from free-kicks – and created a lot of others through surges from midfield.ENGLANDYAYA TOURE (Manchester City)Toure set up Samir Nasri’s opener as City beat West Ham United 2-0 to claim the title. After appearing to injure…
Algeria coach Vahid Halilhodzic on Monday (12 May 2014) unveiled a 30-man provisional squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The final 23 will be named on June 1, barely 24-hours after a test game with Armenia in Sion, Switzerland.Les Fennecs are housed in Group H with Belgium, Russia and South Korea. Full squad Goalkeepers: Izzekine Doukha (USM El Harrach/Algeria), Raïs M’Bolhi (CSKA Sofia/Bulgaria), Mohamed Lamine Zemmamouche (USM Alger/Algeria), Cédric Si Mohammed (CS Constantine/Algeria) Defenders: Essaïd Belkalem (Watford FC/England), Madjid Bougherra (Lekhwiya Club/Qatar), Liassine Cadamuro (RCD Mallorca/Spain), Faouzi Ghoulam (SSC Napoli/Italy), Rafik Halliche (Academica Coimbra/Portugal), Nacereddine…
Goalkeeper Stephen Adams was the only local-based player named in Ghana’s provisional 26-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Adams, who plays for former Ghana league champions, Aduana Stars made the cut after a superb showing at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa earlier in the year, where Ghana lost out to Libya on penalties. The surprise inclusion in the squad named by Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah on Monday (12 May 2014) are Leicester City left-back Jeffery Schlupp and Sweden-based offensive midfielder David Accam. According to Appiah, the team will begin preparations with a non-residential…