TRANSFER - IVORY COAST - Ex-Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou joins Hertha Berlin

Kalou, scored 23 goals in 67 appearances for Ivory Coast - He has proved his class in the Premier League, Champions League and with his national team. 

1 Sep 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - TOGO - 1ST MATCHES - PREVIEW - Emmanuel Adebayor

The Tottenham Hotspur striker, 30, refused call-ups for World Cup qualifiers last year following a spat with then coach Didier Six after the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

1 Sep 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - Sierra Leone - 1ST MATCHES - PREVIEW

Sierra Leone move tie with DR Congo to Lubumbashi - because of the ebola outbreak.

31 Aug 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - IVORY COAST - 1ST MATCHES - PREVIEW

Ivory Coast striker Seydou Doumbia has been coaxed out of international retirement by coach Herve Renard and named in the squad for September's Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

29 Aug 2014
TRANSFER - MOROCCO - Bayern Munich sign Roma defender Mehdi Benatia

The 27-year-old, who helped Roma finish second in Serie A last season, had been linked with a move to Premier League sides Chelsea and Manchester United.

28 Aug 2014
TRANSFER - Mali - Modibo Maiga signs for Metz on loan from West Ham

The 26-year-old will spend the rest of the season at Metz, who also have an option to buy the player. The deal is the second between the clubs this month after Diafra Sakho joined West Ham in a permanent move.

27 Aug 2014
TRANSFER - CAMEROON - Everton set to sign former Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o

Talks are ongoing but Everton could sign Eto'o in time for him to be in line for a debut against his old side at Goodison on Saturday.

26 Aug 2014
AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS - Ethiopia and Kenya bid to host 2017 Africa Cup

Ethiopia Football Federation president Junedin Basha told BBC Sport: "We already have two ready venues, the Addis Ababa and the Bahir Dar stadiums, and the construction of the other venues has also reached to a good level.

26 Aug 2014

2015 AFRICA CUP - GROUP D - COACHES - Mali vs Guinea - a draw will decide

Africa Cup 2015 GROUP D

Mali vs Guinea 1:1

 

Lots were originally due to be drawn after the match but it was announced during the first half that the draw had been moved to Thursday. 

The Mali and Guinea managers insist the drawing of lots should not be how their Africa Cup of Nations fate is decided.

A draw on Thursday afternoon will decide which side reaches the quarter-finals after they finished joint second with identical records in Group D.

Lots have been drawn before

In a 1954 World Cup qualifying match in Rome, Turkey and Spain were tied after 90 minutes. At that point, a 14-year-old boy, the son of a stadium employee, was summoned to draw lots from a trophy, sending Turkey to compete at the tournament in Switzerland while Spain were sent home. 

Some reports suggest balls were drawn, others say it was a slip of paper.

In the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, Algeria profited at the expense of Ivory Coast after the drawing of lots.

At the 1990 World Cup in Italy, the Netherlands and Ireland were tied for second place in their group. Straight after the match, Sepp Blatter, then second-in-command at Fifa, conducted a drawing of lots ceremony live on TV in Rome. 

Both teams were guaranteed qualification for round two but an attendant drew a ball from two bowls to determine their ranking.

 

Mali coach Henri Kasperczak. said:

"We have to solve the problems of qualification without a drawing of lots," 

"We must find a more sporting way, fairer.

This does not correspond to a sporting spirit."


Guinea coach Michel Dussuyer added: 

"Mali do not deserve to be eliminated in this way, just as we do not."

Coach Michel Dussuyer is in his second spell in charge of Guinea

Guinea winger Ibrahima Traore echoed his manager's thoughts after the two sides drew 1:1 in their final group match and said it would be "really difficult to sleep" on Wednesday night.

"It's not fair for both teams," he said, suggesting the outcome could have been settled by penalty kicks or extra time.

"The team who deserve to win would do it on the pitch," he added.

Lots were originally due to be drawn after the match but it was announced during the first half that the draw had been moved to Thursday.

It will now take place at a hotel in Malabo at 15:00 GMT, with the successful team playing their quarter-final against Ghana on Sunday.

 

 

29 Jan 2015
(BBC Sport UK)

Related countries

Related articles