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.

Fecafoot frowns at new head coach Marc Brys' appointment 
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Fecafoot frowns at new head coach Marc Brys’ appointment 

Cameroon’s national football team has a new coach Marc Brys, a Belgian with vast experience managing 15 clubs in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Saudi Arabia, has been appointed as the new coach. 

The Ministry of Sports in Cameroon announced the appointment on Tuesday. However, the country’s football association, Fecafoot – Officiel, claims they were not informed.

“The Cameroonian Football Federation learned, at the same time as all Cameroonians, of the appointment to positions of responsibility within the national senior men’s football selection,” a statement on social media said.

“Fecafoot intends to shed light on this regrettable situation” and “communicate without delay” on “the reaction it intends to have,” they wrote.

Brys’ last job was with Leuven, where he spent three years. His assistant coach is former Cameroon forward Francois Omam-Biyik, who scored 26 international goals between 1985 and 1998.

The team will be looking to improve their performance after being eliminated by Nigeria in the last 16 of the recent Africa Cup of Nations.

Cameroon is leading Group D of the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, having secured a victory over Mauritius and a draw with Libya in their away match.

However, following their exit from the AFCON, Song’s contract was not renewed by the president of the Cameroonian Football Federation, Samuel Eto’o.

Ahly with first leg CAF CL quarter-final advantage over Simba
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Ahly with first leg CAF CL quarter-final advantage over Simba

Al Ahly’s Ahmed Nabil Kouka, who joined the club at the age of seven, scored the team’s only goal in their 1-0 victory over Simba of Tanzania in the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. 

The experienced Egyptian team fought hard to secure a 1-0 victory, setting the stage for next week’s match in Cairo.

The 22-year-old midfielder scored his first goal of the African campaign just four minutes before 60,000 fans in Dar es Salaam. 

Mohamed Hany provided a great pass to Amr el Solia, who set up Koko to fire past Moroccan goalkeeper Ayoub Lakred after a mix-up in the Simba defence.

Shobeir, the son of former Egypt and Ahly goalkeeper Ahmed Shobeir, has been a capable replacement for captain Mohamed el Shenawy, who was injured at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Tanzanians will take inspiration from their positive display in the latter stages of the game and look to capitalize on their opportunities to overturn the deficit and progress to the semi-finals of the tournament.

Striker Amadou Bakayoko takes his Dundee tally to seven
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Striker Amadou Bakayoko takes his Dundee tally to seven

On Saturday, Sierra Leone International Amadou Bakayoko recorded his seventh of the season as he helped Dundee to a 2-1 win over St. Johnstone in the Scottish Premier League.

Dundee secured a crucial win against St Johnstone in the Tayside derby in the Scottish Premiership, thanks to a late goal from Sierra Leone’s International Amadou Bakayoko in the 80th-minute

The win moved Dundee up to sixth in the league table, one point clear of Hibernian with a game in hand. 

Lyall Cameron opened the scoring for the visitors in the sixth minute of the game with a beautiful lob over the goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov from distance. 

St Johnstone replied in the 60th minute with a fantastic acrobatic overhead kick from Adama Sidibeh, equalizing the match.

However, Bakayoko snatched victory with 10 minutes to play as he slid in Luke McCowan’s cross.

Spoils shared between Asec Mimosas & Esperance de Tunis
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Spoils shared between Asec Mimosas & Esperance de Tunis

Asec Mimosas and Esperance Sportive de Tunis played out a goalless draw in their Quarter-Final fixture at Stade Olympique in Tunis on Saturday.

Both teams are to meet again in the CAF Champions League return leg Quarter-Finals on 05 or 06 April as everything will be decided at Felicia.

Despite having less possession, Asec Mimosas had the first chance at goal when Karidioula Mofosse almost scored after Raed Bouchniba lost possession in the danger area. 

In the first half, Ghaylen Chaleli’s dangerous ball almost caught Asec’s goalkeeper off guard, but he managed to fist it away.

After the recess, the hosts continued to attack, with coach Miguel Cardoso injecting fresh legs. 

Second-half substitute Oussema Bouguerra’s well-struck effort from outside the box hit the woodwork, and Houssem Tka missed a header that went just off target. 

Despite the pressure from the hosts, Asec Mimosas managed to absorb most of the attacks, securing a confidence-boosting draw before the return leg next weekend. 

Meanwhile, on Friday, in the CAF Champions League quarter-finals, Al Ahly SC, the title holders, won 1-0 in Dar es Salaam against Tanzanian giants, Simba SC in the first leg of the Quarter-Finals.

Ahmed Kouka scored an early goal to secure the first-leg victory for the Egyptian giants. They did well to withstand the ongoing pressure from Simba throughout the encounter.

Chad, Eswatini, Liberia, and South Sudan progress to AFCON 2025 group stage
by FSL News

Chad, Eswatini, Liberia & South Sudan progress to group stage 

Chad, Eswatini, Liberia, and South Sudan progressed to the group stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers after achieving successful results in the second legs on Tuesday.

Chad, Eswatini, Liberia, and South Sudan will now join the 44 exempted countries for the group stage of the qualifiers. The quartet will be eager to continue their journey towards securing a spot in the prestigious tournament in Morocco.

Eswatini drew 2-2 with Somalia in a crucial match but still advanced with a 5-2 aggregate score thanks to their 3-0 victory in the first leg.

Mauritius 1-2 Chad

In a tense football match at the National Sports Complex Pitch 1 in Saint Pierre, Mauritius faced Chad. Jeremy Villeneuve scored a goal in the 45th minute, giving Mauritius hope, but Chad responded fiercely. Charles Tchouplaou levelled the score in the 74th minute, and Ousmane Hassan sealed Chad’s victory with a goal deep into stoppage time, securing their advancement with a 3-1 aggregate score.

In Monrovia’s Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium, Liberia and Djibouti played a goalless draw. Despite failing to score in the second leg, Liberia advanced to the next round with a 2-0 aggregate score, thanks to their victory in the first leg.

In Berkane, Morocco, South Sudan and their opponent battled to a goalless draw at the Stade Municipal de Berkane. 

As the aggregate score was tied at 1-1, South Sudan advanced to the next round based on the away goals rule. They had secured a crucial away goal in the first leg, which ultimately made the difference.

CAF workshop on improving Stadium infrastructure
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

CAF workshop on improving Stadium infrastructure

CAF is hosting a stadium inspectors workshop in Rabat, Morocco, to monitor African infrastructure.

Investment in football infrastructure in Africa – building and maintenance of stadiums in the countries that are part of the 54 CAF Member Associations, is a key focus for the CAF Leadership.

Already commenced on Monday, the workshop in Morocco will continue till Wednesday, and the participants will undergo various theoretical and practical activities. They will also be taken for stadium visits accompanied by designated CAF Departmental Heads.

The workshop was inaugurated by Mr Fouzi Lekjaa, the President of Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) and a CAF Executive Committee Member. He emphasized the importance of investing in world-class infrastructure and maintaining the facilities.

To ensure that African clubs and Member Associations can host CAF events, the CAF conducts a Stadium Inspectors Workshop to train stadium inspectors appointed by the CAF.

These inspectors will guide the African clubs and Member Associations in complying with the CAF Stadium Regulations (edition 2022).

Morocco 2025 prelims; Chad, Liberia & Eswatini in driving seat
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Morocco 2025 prelims; Chad, Liberia & Eswatini in driving seat

On Wednesday, 20 March, Liberia and Eswatini won their first-leg matches in the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 qualifiers. 

Liberia beat Djibouti 2-0 at home, while Eswatini won 3-0 against Liberia. On Friday, Chad also won their first-leg match, beating Mauritius 1-0.

Chad’s win gives them a slim lead in the two-legged affair against Mauritius. The return leg will take place on Tuesday, 26 March. 

Meanwhile, on the same evening, Sao Tome and Principe drew 0-0 against South Sudan in Berkane.

The eight lowest-ranked nations according to FIFA Rankings are currently playing in a home-and-away knockout format for the preliminary stage of the qualifiers. 

The four remaining nations from this stage will be eligible to join the 44 other nations in the group stages of the qualifiers.

TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Morocco 2025 Preliminary Qualifiers Results:

First Leg Fixtures:

Wednesday, 20 March 

Somalia 0 – 3 Eswatini

Djibouti 0 – 2 Liberia

Friday, 22 March

Chad 1 – 0 Mauritius

Sao Tome and Principe 0 – 0 South Sudan

Return Leg Fixtures:

Tuesday, 26 March

13:00 GMT | Eswatini – Somalia

16:00 GMT | Liberia – Djibouti

17:00 GMT | South Sudan – Sao Tome and Principe

15:00 GMT | Mauritius – Chad

Ghana beat Uganda to clinch African Games Football Gold
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Ghana beat Uganda to clinch African Games Football Gold

Ghana’s U20 won the 2023 African Games Men’s Football tournament by defeating Uganda 1-0 at the Accra Sports Stadium. Jerry Afriyie scored the decisive goal in the final. 

The Ghanaian team, under Coach Desmond Offei, showed a strong performance throughout the tournament to win the gold medal.

Despite an intense and captivating first half from both sides, the score remained goalless, with Ghana coming close to scoring several times.

After halftime, Ghana intensified their attacking efforts and scored in the 90th minute to win the gold medal, while Uganda claimed silver for their commendable performance.

Having triumphed over Congo earlier in the day, Senegal received the bronze medals in recognition of their achievements.

The victory is a significant triumph for Ghana in the realm of African football as they completed a clean sweep by winning gold in both men’s and women’s football.

Ghana crowned African Games queens after comeback win over Nigeria
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Ghana crowned African Games champions after defeating Nigeria

Ghana’s U20 team won the women’s football tournament at the 13th African Games, beating defending champions Nigeria 2-1 in a dramatic final on Thursday night. 

Nigeria took the lead with a goal from Edeh Njideka in the 28th minute, but Ghana rallied in the second half, inspired by their home crowd. 

Tracey Twum scored a fine equalizer in the 78th minute, taking the match to extra time. Mukarama Abdulai then scored a classy winner, securing Ghana’s second African Games women’s football gold medal. 

The hosts celebrated wildly, while Nigeria took silver, and Uganda won bronze after defeating Senegal in the third-place playoff. 

“I’m so proud of this team. We never stopped believing even when we went behind,” said Ghana coach Yussif Basigi.

But it was Ghana’s night as the nation’s rising stars announced themselves on the continental stage with a triumph for the ages.

Liberia & Eswatini register encouraging wins in Afcon preliminaries
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Liberia & Eswatini register encouraging wins in Afcon preliminaries

Liberia and Eswatini claimed impressive away victories in their respective Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025, preliminary round ties on Wednesday. Liberia defeated Djibouti 2-0, while Eswatini thrashed Somalia 3-0.

Ammed Sangare and Murphy Dorley helped Liberia secure a comfortable lead at halftime. Sangare scored the opening goal in the 23rd minute by converting a penalty. In the 35th minute, Dorley made it 2-0 by brilliantly firing in a second ball from Sebastian Teclar’s cross inside the box.

Eswatini were also celebrating after demolishing Somalia 3-0 in the Moroccan city of El Jadida to put one foot in the group stage qualifiers. 

Striker Sabelo Ndzinisa was the hero, netting twice on either side of Felicio Figuareido’s 40th-minute opener for the visitors.

Both sides, Liberia and Eswatini, now have a huge advantage heading into the second legs as they target a place in the group stage on the road to next year’s finals in Morocco. 

Somalia now faces an uphill battle to qualify when they travel to the Mbombela Stadium in the South African city of Nelspruit for the return on March 26th.