African Footballer

Gabon, Burkina faso draw in friendly

Mark Ouma — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:32:28 +0000

Gabon and Burkina Faso played to a 1-all draw by Burkina Faso in Cannes France on Sunday.
After a scoreless first half Roger Issakounia put Gabon ahead. Burkina Faso got the equaliser in the dying minutes of the game through Alain Traore.
As co-hosts of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations with Equatorial Guinea, Gabon automatically qualify for the event. These friendly offer an opportunity for them to gauge the quality of their team.
In a similar vein, Burkina Faso is keen to remain match-fit. Their schedule opponents in the nations Cup qualifiers Mauritania pulled out of the tournament.

Tanzania Mainland to host CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup

Mark Ouma — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:11:08 +0000

Tanzania Mainland will host the 2010 Council of East and Central Africa Football Association Senior Challenge Cup.
The CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup is Africa’s oldest annual regional tournament. It features Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania Mainland, Uganda and Zanzibar.
“The Tanzanians are making steady progress with preparations for the tournament which runs from 12 November to 5 December. We are working on securing partners to ensure the commercial success of the event and will name the tournament sponsors once we have concluded negotiations,” says CECAFA Secretary General Nicholas Musonye.

Ghana fall to Canada at FIFA Women’s U17 World Cup

Mark Ouma — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:05:18 +0000

Ghana lost 1-0 to Canada in their opening match at the FIFA Women’s Under-17 World Cup in Arima Trinidad and Tobago on Monday.
The Ghanaians paid the price of dominating proceedings in both half without finding the back of their opponents net. The all-important goal that separated the two sides was scored by Canadian striker Haisha Cantave in the 54th minute.
Earlier on in Arima Brazil edged the Republic of Ireland 2-1 in the other Group D match. Consequently, Brazil top the group followed by Canada. Ghana is third ahead of the Irish.
In Group C matches played in Couva Spain outclassed Japan 4-1 as Venezuela piped New Zealand 2-1.

Ghana’s coach Rajevac has a week to sign contract or else….

Mark Ouma — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:50:06 +0000

The Ghana Black Starts coach Milovan Rajevac has a week to sign his contract or he could lose his job.
Rajevac has shunned offers from wealthy clubs and national teams including his native Serbia to serve in Ghana However there appears to be a dispute over the terms of the contract offered by the GFA.
Ghana Football Association Chairman Kwesi Nyantegyi told the Accra media they desire closure to the long drawn out negotiation. “If there is no progress after seven days we will have to seek an alternative coach for our team,” says Nyantegyi.

Algerian coach Sadaane resigns after draw with Tanzania

Mark Ouma — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 11:47:13 +0000

Algerian coach Rabah Sadaane seems to be the first casualty following the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier over the weekend.
Sadaane resigned less than 24 hours after Tanzania’s Taifa Stars held the Algeria Desert Fox to a 1-all draw at the Tchaker Stadium in Blida. Algerian fans were stunned when the Tanzania took the lead through Idrissa Redjabou (32’), before Adlane Guedioura levelled the score at the stroke of half time.
It appears the long serving coach appears to have foreseen trouble ahead. Last Wednesday, two days before their match against Tanzania, Sadaane warned his players not to get carried away by their success qualifying for the 2010 World Cup ahead of their bitter rivals Egypt.
Algeria Football Association head Mohamed Raouraoua broke the news of Sadaane departure. “We have accepted his resignation. Sadaane has done a fine job for our national team by taking Algeria to their first World Cup since 1986,” says Raouraoura.
“When he took charge three years ago, he brief was to guide the team to qualify for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola. He achieved that and guided the team to the semi finals. Mind you we had missed the two previous edition of the tournament. Then he went on to guide Algeria into qualifying for their first World Cup since 1986. So Sadaane has achieved more than we expected,” Raouraoura explained.
The Algerian federation has appointed the national under-17 coach Abdelhak Ben Chikha as the stand in coach for the senior team. Algeria is away to the Central Africa Republic for their Nations Cup qualifier in October.

Debutants South Africa fall to South Korea at FIFA Women’s U17 World Cup

Mark Ouma — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 11:07:01 +0000

Debutants South Africa got off to a bumpy starts when they lost 3-1 to South Korea at the FIFA Women’s Under-17 world Cup in Scarborough Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday
Yeo Min Ji scored in each half (37’,56’) for the Koreans while Jermaine Seoposenwe (53’) scored for South Africa early in the second half. Shin Damyeong (77’) placed matters beyond the South African’s reach.
Germany mauled Mexico 9-0 in the other group B match to top the table ahead of Korea after the first round matches. South Africa is third ahead of Mexico.
Meanwhile Ghana get their campaign of to a start against Canada, as the Republic of Ireland challenge Brazil in Group D action in Arima/Malabar today Monday.

Nigeria make impressive start at FIFA Womens U17 World Cup

Mark Ouma — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:34:21 +0000

Nigeria upstaged defending champions North Korea 3-2 in their Group A opening fixture at the FIFA Women’s Under-17 World Cup in Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday.
Ngozi Okobi scored in each half and Francisca Ordega added a third for Nigeria. Kim Su Gyong and Kim Kum Jong found the back of the net for the defending champion.
Hosts Trinidad and Tobago piped Chile 2-1 in the other group fixture. Consequently, Nigeria top the group ahead of the hosts on goal difference. North Korea is third with Chile at the bottom of the table.

Sierra Leone hold defending champions Egypt in 2012 AFRCON qualifier

Mark Ouma — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 09:47:27 +0000

Sierra Leone held defending champions Egypt to a 1-all draw in their opening 2012 Orange Africa Cup Nations qualifier in the Cairo on Sunday.
Elsewhere Nigeria beat Madagascar 2-0, Tunisia and Malawi drew 2-all, Cote d’Ivoire thrashed Rwanda 3-0, Guinea beat Ethiopia 4-1, Morocco and the Central African Republic drew 0-0, as did Mozambique and Libya. Zambia overpowered the Comoro Islands 4-0, as Sudan beat Congo Brazzaville 2-0, and Benin and Burundi drew 1-1 as did Tanzania and Algeria.
Elsewhere Guinea Bissau piped Kenya 1-0, Cameroon outclassed Mauritius 3-1, Liberia and Zimbabwe drew 1-all, Botswana edged Togo 2-1, Senegal beat the Democratic Republic of Congo 4-2, South Africa beat Niger 2-0 0. Cape Verde Island piped Mali 1-0, Ghana overpowered Swaziland 3-0, and Gambia beat Namibia 3-1. The next round of qualifiers is on the weekend of 8-10 October.

Niger slip 1-0 to TP Mazembe in Lubumbashi

Mark Ouma — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:06:00 +0000

Niger narrowly lost 1-0 to the Orange Africa Champions league title holder TP Mazembe who hosted them in Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday (01 September)
They used the match as their finals warm up match before they proceed to South Africa. They play South Africa in their opening 2012 Orange Africa Cup of Nations qualifier over the weekend.
Earlier on Ethiopia piped their Chadian visitors by a solitary goal in Addis Ababa, while hosts Madagascar piped Comoro Islands by a similar score line in Mahajanga. All matches were part of preparations for the 2012 Orange Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers this weekend.

Algeria wary of Tanzania

Mark Ouma — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 03:22:23 +0000

Algeria’s coach Rabah Sadaane has warned his players against underestimating Tanzania in their 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier this coming weekend.
The desert Fox host Taifa Stars in Blida the venue where Algeria won all home fixture in their campaign to qualify for the 2010 world Cup in South Africa. It was Algeria’s first trip to the World Cup since 1986.
Sadaane told the Algiers media that as the seeded side in their group which also includes the Central Africa Republic, Morocco and Tanzania, they must expect tough opposition from their opponents. He says players should not be carried away by having been among Africa’s six teams at the recent World Cup in South Africa.