stars in Europe - Uche not angry at Nigeria World Cup snub

The Villarreal striker was not picked by Keshi, despite scoring 12 goals in the Spanish top flight this season. Uche has not played for his country since they won the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa last year. The 30-year-old insists, however, that he holds no grudges against Keshi. "Of course as a professional footballer you'd love to represent your country, but I have never had bad words towards the national coach," Uche is widely regarded as one of Nigeria's most reliable strikers at international level and is one of his nation's all-time top scorers, with 18 goals in 45 appearances, behind Rashidi Yekini, Segun Odegbami and Yakubu Aiyegbeni. 

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2014 World Cup - squad - Shola Ameobi in provisional Nigeria squad

Stoke striker Peter Odemwingie and Newcastle forward Shola Ameobi are in Nigeria's provisional 30-man World Cup squad for Brazil 2014.

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stars in Europe - Wilfried Bony - Ivory Coast striker happy at Swansea City

The Ivorian has scored 24 goals in all competitions since joining the Swans from Vitesse Arnhem for a club-record fee of £12m last summer. Bony, 25, has been the bright spot in a disappointing Premier League season. 

4 May 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - MOROCCO - COACH - former player Badou Zaki confirmed as new coach

Zaki takes charge of the Atlas Lions for the second time in his career.

3 May 2014
club - coaches - Youssef resigns as Al Ahly coach

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2 May 2014
African Champions League 2014 - DR Congo rivals drawn together

TP Mazemebe, runners-up in last year's Confederation Cup, and AS Vita Club are fierce rivals

30 Apr 2014
African Confederation Cup 2014: play offs - 2nd leg - fixtures & results

Fixtures and results for the 2014 Confed Cup.
2013 champions: CS Sfaxien (Tunisia)

Winners advance to group stage

29 Apr 2014

AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2014 - SEMI FINALS - 1St LEG - ALL RESULTS

AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2014

• Entente Sétif  vs TP Mazembe 2:1
• AS Vita Club vs CS Sfaxien 2:1

A late individual goal from Abdelmalek Ziaya helped Algerian club Entente Setif win 2:1 against Congolese side TP Mazembe in their African Champions League semi-final first leg.

Ziaya's goal came on 89 minutes and gave the home club victory in a match which was seemingly destined to end in a draw.

Receiving the ball on the edge of the penalty area with his back to goal, Ziaya turned Mazembe defender Chongo Kabaso and struck the ball past veteran goalkeeper Robert Kidiaba into the net.

The goal earned Setif a first win over Mazembe in five Champions League and second-tier Confederation Cup matches in five years.

TP Mazembe will regret not making the most of their good start.

The Congolese went ahead soon after half-time when Algerian defender Said Arroussi deflected a low Rainford Kalaba cross past goalkeeper Abdelwahab Khedairia.

Setif levelled three minutes later as 38-year-old Kidiaba allowed a Sofiene Younes header - off a Sid Ali Lamri cross - to slip over the goal-line.

Zambia star Kalaba wasted several stoppage-time chances to create an equaliser when he crossed poorly and over-hit a free-kick.

The match was played behind closed doors on the orders of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). 

Spectators were barred because of their behaviour during previous home matches.

Despite Setif's win, four-time African champions TP Mazembe host the return match in the Democratic Republic of Congo mining city of Lubumbashi next Sunday, and they remain favourites to reach the final.

The other semi-final produced an identical scoreline to Setif as a second Congolese club, AS Vita Club, used home advantage to build a slender advantage over Tunisians CS Sfaxien.

Leading Vita scorer Firmin Ndombe Mubele ended a 557-minute Champions League goal drought with the only goal of the opening half.

Luvumbu Nzinga doubled the lead nine minutes after half-time at Stade Tata Raphael with his first goal of the Caf campaign.

But Ali Maaloul halved the deficit with a goal that leaves Sfaxien in a similar situation to Mazembe. - 1:0 home wins next weekend will secure final places.

In contrast to the eerie emptiness of Setif, the 35,000-capacity Kinshasa stadium was packed, creating a vibrant atmosphere.

Sfaxien and Mazembe clashed in the final of the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup last season with a late second-leg goal giving the Tunisians a 3:2 overall victory.

 

22 Sep 2014
(BBC Sport UK)

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