May 26th 2022
Fifa World Cup trophy arrives in Kenya
What you need to know:
- Kenya has never graced World Cup and the trophy is coming at a time when the country’s football is in quagmire. Fifa has suspended Kenya due to “third party interference.”
The coveted Fifa World Cup trophy has arrived in Kenya for the much-awaited, two-day tour. The trophy is on a world tour ahead of the World Cup to be held in Qatar in November and December.
The plane carrying the 18-carat golden trophy, which is considered the most expensive and significant in modern-day sport, touched down at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi a few minutes after 12pm.
Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Sports, Amina Mohamed, led government officials, including Tourism and Industrialisation CSs Najib Balala and Betty Maina respectively, in receiving the trophy at JKIA. Nairobi Governor Anne Kananu was also present.
With only a sitting president or a member of a World Cup-winning squad allowed to hold the trophy, it was kept in a glass casing with government officials allowed to pose for a photo beside it at the airport.
Brazilian football legend Juliano Belleti accompanied the trophy.
Belleti, 45, is a World Cup-winning defender who is remembered for scoring Barcelona’s winning goal at the 2006 Uefa Champions League final.
Kenya has never graced World Cup and the trophy is coming at a time when the country’s football is in quagmire. Fifa has suspended Kenya due to “third party interference.”
From JKIA, the trophy was transported to State House, Nairobi, where only President Uhuru Kenyatta will get the golden opportunity to lift the cup.
May 18th 2022
Zamalek suspend players’ wages following Tala’a El-Gaish defeat
Zamalek club president Mortada Mansour announced that all players’ wages will be suspended due to disappointing results.
The White Knights are on a quest to defend their Egyptian Premier League title, but their mission will not be easy, especially after recent defeats.
Around a week ago, the title-holders suffered their third league defeat against ENPPI, and the matters only got worse from there as they suffered a second consecutive defeat against Tala’a El-Gaish.
As a result, club president Mortada Mansour decided to suspend the players’ wages, as per Zamalek official website.
Mansour has also stated that moving forward, Zamalek will not play any of their league games at Cairo International Stadium.
Despite their recent defeats, Zamalek remain at the top of the Egyptian Premier League table, two points ahead of Pyramids who have one game in hand, and eight points ahead of Al Ahly who have five games in hand.
May 13th 2022
Super Eagles star wins club Player of the month award
May 12th 2022
Afcon 2023: South Africa want Liberia qualifiers moved from Morocco
The South Africa Football Association (Safa) has asked that Liberia should not be allowed to play its home 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Morocco.
Liberia is one of several African countries who do not have a stadium which meets the Confederation of African Football's standards to host international matches.
Instead Liberia wants to host its upcoming Nations Cup qualifiers in Morocco - despite the two teams being drawn together in Group K.
The west Africans are scheduled to play a 'home' tie against Morocco in Casablanca, in the second round of group matches on 13 June.
South Africa, who along with Zimbabwe are in the same group as the pair, have written to Caf to complain about the proposal.
"Safa hereby raise and officially object to that arrangement as it goes against the principles of Fair Play," a letter from the association pointed out.
"The Moroccan Football Association will travel less and enjoy the benefits of home ground advantage more than anyone in the group.
"We understand the challenges of stadia on the continent, but we plead that it not be to disadvantage other countries or give unfair advantage to others."
The South Africa Football Association (Safa) has asked that Liberia should not be allowed to play its home 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Morocco.
Liberia is one of several African countries who do not have a stadium which meets the Confederation of African Football's standards to host international matches.
Instead Liberia wants to host its upcoming Nations Cup qualifiers in Morocco - despite the two teams being drawn together in Group K.
The west Africans are scheduled to play a 'home' tie against Morocco in Casablanca, in the second round of group matches on 13 June.
South Africa, who along with Zimbabwe are in the same group as the pair, have written to Caf to complain about the proposal.
"Safa hereby raise and officially object to that arrangement as it goes against the principles of Fair Play," a letter from the association pointed out.
"The Moroccan Football Association will travel less and enjoy the benefits of home ground advantage more than anyone in the group.
"We understand the challenges of stadia on the continent, but we plead that it not be to disadvantage other countries or give unfair advantage to others."
World Cup advantage
Last year Morocco played all six of their 2022 World Cup group-stage qualifiers on home soil with Sudan, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea all choosing to host some of their games in the North African country.
A total of nine of the 12 qualifiers were played in Morocco, with Guinea-Bissau hosting one of their matches in Mauritania while Guinea and Sudan both hosted a game on home soil.
However, all those games in north Africa were played behind closed doors as no crowds were permitted to attend because of restrictions resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.
The Atlas Lions won all six of their group games to qualify for the play-offs, where they beat DR Congo 5-2 on aggregate to reach the World Cup finals in Qatar.
Last year Morocco played all six of their 2022 World Cup group-stage qualifiers on home soil with Sudan, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea all choosing to host some of their games in the North African country.
A total of nine of the 12 qualifiers were played in Morocco, with Guinea-Bissau hosting one of their matches in Mauritania while Guinea and Sudan both hosted a game on home soil.
However, all those games in north Africa were played behind closed doors as no crowds were permitted to attend because of restrictions resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.
The Atlas Lions won all six of their group games to qualify for the play-offs, where they beat DR Congo 5-2 on aggregate to reach the World Cup finals in Qatar.
May 11th 2022
May 10th 2022
Don’t take football as 'world cup' in your heart; control your emotions – Retired Ref. Sey advises Ghanaians
The Ghana FA has been urged to crack the whip by serving stiffer punishments to clubs of these fans to serve as a deterrent against such barbaric acts.Retired referee Jacob Wilson Sey has advised fans of clubs in the country to control their emotions when supporting teams.
Speaking to Class 91.3FM on Monday during the commemoration of the May 9 disaster, the referee implored football fans to understand that matches will sometimes go in favour or against their teams.
According to referee Wilson Sey, the sure way to avoid another disaster is for football fans to control their emotions during matches at all times.
“The message is that in every football match there are three teams, not two teams. The away team, the home team, and then the officiating officials. They are also a team that wants to win except for someone who is bad and who will intentionally let a team lose.
“In every match there are three things, win, draw and lose. Sometimes you can play the best football and you lose and sometimes you play the worst football and you win.
“When that comes you take it. Everybody has a season, that is football and that’s the fun aspect of it. They shouldn’t take football like a World Cup in their heart. You will collapse and die,” referee Wilson Sey shared.
Despite the annual commemoration of the May 9 disaster at the Accra Sports Stadium, some Ghanaian fans have not learned.
Just last weekend, some hooligan fans attacked Nsuatreman FC and Tamale City FC after games in the National Division One League.
May 6th 2022
Nigerian para athlete Ifeanyichukwu Madubuike banned for three years
Nigerian para athlete Ifeanyichukwu Madubuike has been banned for three years after failing two drugs tests.
The 25-year-old represented Nigeria in the 100m and 400m, in the T47 class, at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai.
He was seventh in the 100m final but was disqualified from the 400m heats, for running out of his lane.
A statement from the International Paralympic Committee Nigerian said his positive results came after out-of-competition test on 11 March 2021 and an in-competition one eight days later.The start of the ban was backdated to 23 April 2021, meaning Madubuike will be eligible to compete again from 22 April 2024.The T46/47 classes are for athletes with a unilateral upper limb impairment.
May 5th 2022
Steve Caulker: TotalEnergies AFCON qualifications will be tough
New Sierra Leone captain, defender Steven Caulker, says qualifying for Ivory Coast will be a difficult task for the West African side who made a promising return to AFCON in Cameroon last January-February.
After playing in England's youth teams, the defender, on loan to Gaziantep from Turkish Süper Lig team Fenerbahçe, will lead the troops in these qualifiers which will pit Sierra Leone against Nigeria, Guinea Bissau and the winner of Mauritius-Sao Tome and Principe
Sierra Leone will open the qualifiers against Nigeria, three-time African champions against whom they drew two times (4-4 and 0-0) in the qualifiers for the previous African Cup of Nations.
After Nigeria, Sierra Leone will host Guinea Bissau in the Guinean capital a few days later.
The 30-year-old Caulker said he was ready to take on the challenge “again against the best nations in African football”.
“It would be difficult but I'm excited to start these qualifiers, we have a lot of new talent, new players, a new system and a new identity. I am really delighted to be able to lead this group in qualifying,” explained the central defender in an interview with the media of his country.
The former Liverpool and Tottenham centre-back, who made his international debut for the Leone Stars in the 0-0 match against Algeria at the TotalEnergies AFCON in Cameroon, has admitted that there is no easy match in African football.
“Our qualifying group is going to be tough, obviously Nigeria will be looking to bounce back from their disappointment following their elimination to Ghana in the 2022 World Cup,” explained the new Sierra Leonean captain.
The qualifiers will therefore be a way to forget the disappointment so it will be a revengeful and difficult to manoeuvre around the Nigeria team which will be in front, analysed Steven Caulker. The other selections of group A, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome or Mauritius, are far from being stooges, added captain Caulker.
Sierra Leone is part of the teams forced to play away, since no stadium has been approved in their territory. Still, Caulker wants to stay positive even though he longed to play in front of the many fans in Sierra Leone.
"To be honest, I would have loved to play in front of our fans in Sierra Leone, but that's how it is, we have to be ready. It's always good to face the best, it creates that challenge," he said.
"We have to be at our best for every game and against Nigeria is an opportunity to put Sierra Leone on the world football map. I'm sure like we did in the last AFCON, we have to be at our best for all games, not just against Nigeria, we should go into every game with the ambition to win it'', he continued.
Steven Caulker was named Sierra Leone captain during their March training camp in Turkey.
Sierra Leone lost 0-3 to Togo before winning against Liberia (1-0) and Congo (2-1) during the FIFA international break in March.
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