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. 

10 May 2014
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.

7 May 2014
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

Al Ahly has accepted the resignation of coach Mohamed Youssef on Thursday. Youssef had been in charge of Al Ahly since May last year following the resignation Hossam El Badry.

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

NATIONAL TEAM - LIBERIA - NEW COACH DEBBAH PROMISES DISCIPLINE

AFRICA CUP 2015 PRELIMINARIES

The former international, who signed a three-year contract on Friday, has promised a no-nonsense approach.

"We intend to use a more professional approach to instil discipline in the team and everybody will have to follow my instructions," he told BBC Sport.

"In other words, it's going to be my way or no way at all."

Liberia's all-time leading goalscorer replaces caretaker coach Thomas Kojo, who was unable to lead Lone Star past the preliminary rounds of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

"There will be no free meals under my watch, so every player has got to earn their red, white and blue shirt," Debbah added.

"My main goal is to recruit and develop local talents from the annual county sports meetings and the domestic league.

"But as you know we can only do that when the country has been declared Ebola free.

"In the interim, we will be put together strategies and action plans for how we intend to go about this national assignment when the 'green light' has been given by health authorities and the FA for us to start work."

Liberia suspended all football activities in August in order to help prevent the potential spread of Ebola through bodily contact on the pitch and the gathering of large crowds at football matches.

Debbah has a wealth of playing experience having spent time in France for Monaco, Lyon, Nice and PSG as well as in Belgium with Anderlecht before retiring in 2004 with Al-Jazira in Abu Dhabi.

However, his only coaching role so far is with his Liberian club Mighty Barrolle.

Meanwhile, his former team-mate Christopher Wreh, who played for English club Arsenal, has been appointed to take charge of the Under-20 team.

Wreh hopes to raise the profile of Liberian football by producing quality players to feature for the national side.

Liberia have never reached the World Cup finals and only ever been to two Nations Cup tournaments in 1996 and 2002.

 

24 Nov 2014
(BBC Sport, Monrovia by Hassan Kiawu)

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