AFRICA CUP 2017 QUALIFIERS - this weekend

Seeded sides set for winning starts.

13 Jun 2015
STARS IN EUROPE - MOROCCO - CLUB - Taarabt leaves QPR for Benfica

Adel Taarabt has left Queens Park Rangers and signed for Portuguese side Benfica .

13 Jun 2015
RISING STARS - CONGO DR - Lukoki set for emotional return to birthplace

Jody Lukoki was just 12 months old when his family left Congo DR.

13 Jun 2015
U-20 WORLD CUP 2015 - Nigeria knocked out of tournament

Nigeria exit the Fifa Under-20 World Cup at the Round of 16 stage.

12 Jun 2015
U-20 WORLD CUP 2015 - Mali and Senegal reach quarter-finals

Mali stunned Ghana, while Senegal beat Ukraine on penalties.

11 Jun 2015
STARS IN EUROPE - GHANA - CLUB - Swansea sign Andre Ayew

Swansea City sign Ghana forward on four-year deal.

11 Jun 2015
NATIONAL TEAM - LIBERIA - George Weah junior gets call-up for 2017 qualifier

George Weah's son has been named in Liberia's squad.

10 Jun 2015
NATIONAL TEAM - NIGERIA - STARS IN EUROPE - Enyeama

Nigeria captain Vincent Enyeama hopes to bow out on a high.

9 Jun 2015

NATIONAL TEAM - Nigeria - Lukman Haruna hopeful over World Cup prospects

Overlooked by predecessor Samson Siasia and current manager Stephen Keshi, Haruna is confident he has done enough at club level to remain in the coach's World Cup thoughts.

"I understand my injury history had a role to play for a period of time but I'm in great shape right now," Haruna told BBC Sport.

"It's not an easy job for a coach to manage Nigeria with a lot of quality players in Europe, Asia and Africa.

"I just hope I've done enough at club level to be given a chance to fight for a place in the squad."

With the Ukrainian league season kicking off amid chaos in the country, Haruna has not given up hope of going to Brazil in the summer.

"When I played in South Africa I was very young and a little inexperienced," he said.

"Since then there have been highs and lows in my career but I'm more mature and hope to fulfil a dream by working extra hard to earn a recall.

"It's a massive two months for me to prove myself again because if it goes well then I'll have another chance."

The midfielder scored three goals in 15 league appearances for Dynamo Kiev last season and has a solitary goal in seven appearances for the African champions.

Haruna is one of only two players to have represented Nigeria at the Fifa under-17, U-20 and senior World Cups.

His European career began in France when he joined AS Monaco in 2007 shortly after he captained Nigeria to the Under-17 World Cup title in South Korea.

He signed for Ukraine's Dynamo Kiev in June 2011 after completing a US$2.8 million switch from Monaco.
 

16 Mar 2014
(BBC Sport, Lagos by Oluwashina Okeleji)

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