At the start of last year, the stars all seemed to be aligning for Saint-Etienne winger Max-Alain Gradel. The goals and assists were flowing and the Côte d’Ivoire international’s dribbles were thrilling crowds, making him a fixture for both club and country.His progress appeared unstoppable, until he picked up a seemingly innocuous injury during training in March 2013. The final diagnosis was devastating, however, with an anterior cruciate ligament problem keeping him out of action for the next six months. “It was a huge ordeal,” Gradel explained to FIFA.com. “With an injury like that, it always takes you time before…
Author: CAF News
The 2nd 1/8th round of the Orange CAF Confederation Cup gets under way this weekend win sixteen teams looking to be among the last eight that make up the two groups of the mini phase of the competition. It promises to be a tight contest as there are some seasoned campaigners in the race that include eight teams that dropped from the Orange CAF Champions . Chief among these is the reigning Champions League holders Al-Ahly from Egypt who take on Moroccan side Difaa El-Jadidi this weekend at Cairo’s Air Defense StadiumAhly are among seven African title winners involved in…
Fouzi Lekjaa has been elected president of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) for a four-year tenure.The 43-year old was elected unopposed at the body’s elective General Assembly held on Sunday, 13 April 2014 in Skhirat near Rabat. He takes over from Al Fassi Firhi with a mandate from 2014-2018 and renewable once.In his acceptance speech, Lekjaa rallied for the support from the stakeholders to raise the standard of the game in Morocco, citing the appointment of a head coach as one of their immediate objectives.“The national team needs a coach who can exercise his functions in the best…
Senegalese Demba Ba rescued Chelsea for the second time within five days when he scored the weekend English Premier League winner at Swansea. The striker, a fringe player for much of the season, struck on 68 minutes and the 1-0 victory kept the London club two points behind leaders Liverpool. Substitute Ba snatched the late midweek goal that took Chelsea to the Champions League semi-finals at the expense of Paris Saint-Germain.ENGLANDDEMBA BA (Chelsea)The Senegal striker scored the only goal in the 68th minute at the Liberty Stadium when, despite the close proximity of Ashley Williams, he beat goalkeeper Michel Vorm…
The Confderation Africaine de Football (CAF) has commenced inspections of nations that are bidding to host the Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2019 and 2021.The CAF Inspections Committee has started its work in West Africa, visiting Guinea and Ivory Coast. The delegation, constituted by the CAF Executive Committee, will over the coming months make similar visits to Algeria, Cameroun, Zambia and Congo DR in that order.The Committee made up of two members of the CAF executive Committee Messrs Amadou Diakite and Adoum Djibrin, FIFA Expert Walter Gagg, CAF Expert Paul Bassey and CAF Africa Cup Tournaments Director Amr Fahmy…
Azam have won the Tanzania Premier League for the first time, stealing the shine off big guns, Simba and Young Africans (Yanga). The capital-based club wrapped up the title with a game to spare thanks to a 2-1 win over Mbeya City at the Sokoine Memorial Stadium in Mbeya.The result, which stripped Mbeya City of its unbeaten home status, pummeled Azam to 59 points, four more than closest contenders, Yanga.It was the first time in 14-years that the league title has been won by a club other than the two powerhouses of Tanzania football, Simba and Yanga.Previously, Azam has missed…
African teams have excellent talents that can win the FIFA World Cup but the continent’s flag bearers at the biggest football spectacle require “strong mental strength” to prevail against the world’s best, former Chelsea manager Avram Grant has said.Stressing that Africa’s five at Brazil 2014 are set to excel, Grant said “I certainly believe Africans teams will excel at this summer’s World Cup in Brazil. I strongly believe that Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria might even go further than the quarter final stage if their mental strength is excellent. It will be a good testimony for African football.” “One advantage…
Mauritania posited a lone goal victory over Mauritius in their 2015 Orange Africa Cup of Nations preliminary round first leg qualifier on Saturday in Nouakchott.France-based striker Amadou Ba’s 23rd minute effort separated the two sides, and gives ‘Les Mourabitounes’ a slim lead ahead of the return leg next weekend.The hosts could only manage just a goal in the encounter witnessed by a packed crowd at the Olympic Stadium in the capital.Against the run of play, Ba broke the deadlock with a low shot from his left foot for what turned out to be the only goal of the game.Debutant Moussa…
CAF is pleased to announce that the accreditation process for media representatives wishing to cover the draws of the preliminary round of Orange Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2015 and the group phase of the CAF Interclubs competitions opens from Sunday, 13 April 2014 till Tuesday, 22 April 2014. The dates for the two events are as follows: *27 April 2014 – Draw for Preliminary round of the Orange CAN Morocco 2015 at 14h30 (local time) at CAF Headquarters in Cairo, Egypt *29 April 2014 – Draw for the CAF Interclubs competitions at 11h00 (local time) at CAF Headquarters in…
The race for places at the Orange Africa Cup of Nations Morocco2015 commences when Mauritania and Mauritius square off in Nouakchott in the sole preliminary round eliminator on Saturday, 12 April 2014 – exactly 280 days to the opening match.For a round initially involving four teams, the preliminary elimination phase is down to the battles of Nouakchott and the return in Curepipe following the withdrawal of Eritrea who were scheduled to face South Sudan.After the first leg on Saturday in Nouakchott, the return match takes place eight days later on the Indian Ocean island nation.Both Mauritius and Mauritania have never…