Category: African News

Our African football page passionately on all continental topics of all National and International football news, Identifying football heroes on our continent.

Brazilian Sasse scores Esperance's winner against Mamelodi Sundowns
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Brazilian Sasse scores Esperance’s winner against Sundowns

Esperance of Tunisia claimed a 1-0 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in the first leg of their CAF Champions League semi-final match on Saturday. 

In the 41st minute, Yan Sasse, 26, from Brazil scored the only goal of the game. He converted a rebound after Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams parried his first attempt. Sasse’s compatriot, Rodrigo Rodrigues, played a significant role in the goal by providing an excellent through ball to Sasse.

The goal came soon after Sundowns had a goal ruled offside, Rodrigues had hit the woodwork, and teammate Houssem Tka had another shot cleared off the goalline. 

Sasse could have scored again in the second half, but a last-ditch tackle by Grant Kekana prevented him from doing so. 

Visiting Sundowns failed to equalize despite Mothobi Mvala’s shot, which was saved by Esperance’s goalkeeper. 

Esperance, bidding for their fifth Champions League title, held on to a narrow lead until the return leg.

Elsewhere, title-holders Al Ahly moved closer to their seventh final appearance in eight seasons by holding TP Mazembe to a goalless draw.

Ahly and Mazembe drew 0-0 in their match. Despite injuries to key players, Ahly achieved a satisfactory result. 

Mazembe drew their home quarter-final match but won the return match 2-1. Ahly will host Mazembe in Cairo, and Sundowns will face Esperance on Friday.

USM Alger set for RS Berkane CAF Confed first-leg cracker
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

USM Alger set for RS Berkane CAF Confed first-leg cracker

On Sunday, April 21, 2024, USM Alger and RS Berkane will compete against each other in the semi-final of the CAF Confederation Cup. The first-leg match will be held at the Stade du 5 Juillet in Algiers, which is the capital and largest city of Algeria.

Referee Abdel Aziz Mohamed Bouh from Mauritania will officiate the first leg match between Alger and Berkane.

Alger made it to this tournament stage by defeating Rivers United, the Nigerian club, 2-1 on aggregate in the quarterfinals. Having won the Confederation Cup last season, the Algerian team will be looking to defend their title successfully by winning it again this season.

On their part, Berkane qualified for the semi-finals by defeating Abu Salim of Libya 3-2 on aggregate in the quarterfinals. 

Having won the trophy in 2020 and 2022, the Moroccan side hopes to win it again this season and claim a joint record of three titles.

Alger needs goals from Abdoulaye Kanou. Berkane’s captain, Issoufou Dayo, could be key.

The first leg semi-finals of the 2023/24 CAF Champions League campaign will take place on Saturday, April 20th.
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Fascinating first-leg CAF Champions League Semis this weekend

The first leg semi-finals of the 2023/24 CAF Champions League campaign will take place on Saturday, April 20th.

The remaining four African football clubs, Al Ahly (Egypt), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Espérance Sportive Tunis (Tunisia) and Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) are all vying for the highly-coveted African club football title.

The first leg semi-finals are scheduled for 20th April, while the return leg will be played on 25th and 26th April 2024.

TP Mazembe, a former FIFA Club World Cup finalist from the Democratic Republic of Congo, hasn’t made it to the finals of the CAF Champions League in the last decade. 

This weekend, they will face a challenging match against the current champions, Al Ahly from Egypt, in Lubumbashi.

Four clubs have won 21 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League titles. Al Ahly leads with 11 titles, followed by Mazembe with 5, ES Tunis with 4, and Mamelodi Sundowns with 1. 

ES Tunis seeks their 5th title in Tunis after winning in 2019. They’ll play Mamelodi Sundowns, who won in 2016 and recently triumphed in the African Football League. 

All four clubs have proven their championship mettle and have an equal chance of winning this season.

 

All four football clubs will be competing for a spot in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Final.

The first leg of the final is scheduled for Saturday, May 18th, 2024, with the second leg taking place on Saturday, May 25th, 2024.

Jasmine Hamid ready for BK Häcken's adventure in Sweden
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Jasmine Hamid ready for BK Häcken’s adventure in Sweden 

BK Häcken has confirmed the signing of Jasmine Hamid, a 23-year-old outfielder from Towson University in the USA. 

Yesterday, the offensive female star was cleared to pen her first professional contract on the deadline day.

Hamid is a talented player who is known for her one-on-one skills, courage on the field, and excellent finishing abilities. 

She is excited to join the team and start working towards winning matches and scoring goals. 

Christian Lundström, the team’s manager, looks forward to seeing what Hamid can bring to the team. 

Hamid was cleared to play on deadline day and has been welcomed warmly by the rest of the team., says Christian Lundström.

“All the players and managers have very well received me and I am very keen to start the work, play and win matches and score a lot of goals,” she told the clubs’ website.

Hamid is the younger sister of Bill Hamid. She previously played on the varsity team of Bishop Ireton for four years and received two WCAC Player of the Week awards.

In 2022, she started and played in 16 games, despite battling an injury late in the season.

She scored six goals and provided six assists, making a total of 18 points. Three of her six goals came as game-winners.

Six arrested over Kaizer Chiefs' Luke Fleurs killing
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Six arrested over Kaizer Chiefs’ Luke Fleurs killing

Six suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of South African soccer player Luke Fleurs, who was shot and killed during a carjacking at a petrol station in Johannesburg last week.

Fleurs, who was 24 years old and had previously played for SuperSport United, passed away on April 3rd, 2024. He had also represented South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics.

The police have stated that the suspects were apprehended in Soweto on Wednesday morning, and they believe that they are part of a syndicate responsible for car hijackings in Gauteng province.

The authorities are still actively searching for additional suspects. The officers recovered the footballer’s car, which had been stripped, on Monday. 

Mr Fleurs, a football player for Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa, was fatally shot in an attack while waiting at a petrol station. The suspects have been arrested and will appear in court soon.

The South African football community is mourning the loss of Luke Fleurs, a promising talent who was fatally shot during a car hijacking in Johannesburg, leaving the nation in shock and grief.

Nigeria pick Paris Olympics ticket after eliminating South Africa
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Nigeria pick up Paris ticket after eliminating South Africa

Nigeria’s Women’s Football Team has qualified for their fifth Olympics, securing their place at the Paris 2024 event after drawing 0-0 in Pretoria, South Africa on Tuesday, 9th April. 

The Super Falcons required only a draw to qualify for the Olympics, having won the first leg in Abuja by 1-0. Nigeria’s strong defense prevented South Africa’s current African champions from scoring, despite Thembi Kgatlana coming close to scoring in the 48th minute.

Amogelang Motau missed a chance to equalize in the 85th minute, but Nigeria’s defence held on to secure the win. 

After the match, South Africa’s Lebohang Ramalepe was awarded her 100-cap milestone jersey by the South African Football Association, having been part of the winning squad in the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and the team that reached the Round of 16 in the recent FIFA Women’s World Cup™.

The Super Falcons have been grouped with world champions Spain, former world champions Japan and Brazil in Group C at the Olympics. Their first match is against Brazil, scheduled for July 25th in Bordeaux.

Zambia, the other African nation in the tournament, will play in Group B alongside former champions the United States and Germany and World Cup semi-finalists Australia. They are set to play their first match against the USWNT in Nice, also on July 25th.

Future Eagles of Nigeria denied visas to play in Spain
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Future Eagles of Nigeria denied visas to play in Spain

Players and officials of the Nigeria U-15 team also known as the Future Eagles, have been denied visas by the Spanish Embassy to take part in the UEFA U-16 Development Tournament starting on Friday.

The Nigerian Football Federation confirmed the news via Twitter that members of Nigeria’s junior football team have been denied visas to attend a UEFA U16 Development Tournament in Spain.
The reason for the visa denials for the under-15 football team is currently unknown, and the Spanish authorities have not yet commented on the matter. Both players and officials were affected.

The Future Eagles were set to play against Belgium, Italy, and England in the Uefa Under-16 Youth Development Tournament. Nigerian athletes often face visa denials even when they fulfil all the requirements. 

This is not the first time Nigerian footballers faced visa issues; previously, Nigeria’s national football team withdrew from a friendly match against Argentina in the US.

Dreams FC to face tricky Zamalek's CAF Confederation Semis
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Dreams to face Zamalek in tricky Confederation Semis

Dreams FC will represent Ghana in the CAF Confederation Cup Semi-Finals after defeating Stade Malien of Mali on Sunday, April 7.

The Ghanaian side will face a tough challenge against the Egyptian team, Zamalek. 

Zamalek will host the first leg of their match in Cairo on April 21, while the second leg will be played on April 28 at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.

In their previous game, Dreams FC won an impressive 2-1 victory in Mali. They came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw in their most recent match, which secured their place in the next stage of the CAF Inter-Club competition. 

This is the first time that Dreams FC has participated in the CAF Interclub semi-finals, making them the first Ghanaian club in 20 years to reach the knockout stages of a CAF Interclub competition.

Despite their 2-1 away win in their previous match, Dreams FC approached the game cautiously, allowing the 2009 champions to have more possession in the hopes of catching them on the break. This is a historic moment for Dreams FC, as they are now near continental glory.

Dreams FC became the first Ghanaian club to reach the CAF Confederation Cup semi-finals since 2004 when Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak achieved the feat in the tournament’s inaugural edition.


Cairo’s Zamalek drew 1-1 with Modern Future FC to reach Confederation Cup semi-finals.

 

https://twitter.com/bittar32/status/1777404092563767412

Al Ahly, Mamelodi Sundowns reach CAF Champions League semis
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Al Ahly, Mamelodi Sundowns reach CAF Champions League semis

The Egyptian giants Al Ahly and Mamelodi Sundowns have secured a place in this year’s CAF Champions League semi-finals following their victories on Friday.

Title holders Al Ahly claimed their spot in the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League with a commanding 2-0 win over Tanzanian side Simba on Friday night. Omar El-Sulaya and Mahmoud Kahraba scored the goals at Cairo International Stadium.

Al Ahly will now face the winner of the TP Mazembe and Petro de Luanda match in the semi-finals as they aim to retain their title.

On the other hand, Mamelodi Sundowns, the South African giants, clinched their spot in the semi-finals after a tense penalty shootout victory against Young Africans on Friday. 

Young Africans proved to be formidable adversaries, fiercely contesting every ball and frustrating their South African counterparts.

The South African team had to dig deep to overcome their resilient Tanzanian opponents, and the match ended in a goalless draw after extra time. The dramatic shootout ultimately ended 3-2 in favour of Sundowns.

Sundowns are through to the final and will face the winner of ASEC Mimosas vs Esperance.

by Alie Bittar @bittar32

In Africa: Nigeria third as Morocco retain top spot in Fifa ranking 

On April 4th 2024, FIFA released its latest rankings, showing progress from African nations. Nigeria, a finalist at the recent CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, jumped to the 30th in the world rankings and third in Africa ahead of Egypt, Ivory Coast and Tunisia. 

They also secured the third position in Africa, following closely behind Senegal and Morocco. 

The Atlas Lions are currently in the 13th spot globally and have retained the top position in Africa. Senegal, ranking 17th in the world – holds the second position in Africa. 

Cote d’Ivoire is now ranked 38th globally and 5th in Africa. Egypt follows, securing the 4th position in Africa, while Tunisia and Algeria remain at the 41st and 43rd spots globally. 

Sierra Leone, who were not in action during the Fifa International window in March, remained static in the 126 position and 35th in Africa. 

Mali moved up three places to occupy the 44th spot. The world champions, Argentina, lead the rankings, followed by France and Belgium.