STARS IN THE UAE - MOROCCO - ASSAIDI MOVES FROM LIVERPOOL TO DUBAI

Liverpool winger Oussama Assaidi's disappointing spell at Anfield is over after he joined Al Ahli Club in Dubai.

13 Jan 2015
STARS IN EUROPE - IVORY COAST - BONY JOINS MAN CITY

Wilfried Bony - Swansea agree £28m deal with Man City

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2015 AFRICA CUP - SOUTH AFRICA - COACH MASHABA CALLS UP GCABA

Orlando Pirates defender Ayanda Gcaba was called up to replace injured team-mate Patrick Phungwayo for South Africa's 2015 Africa Cup of Nations squad on Sunday.

12 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - SENEGAL - SADIO MANE INCLUDED IN SQUAD

Senegal coach Alain Giresse has included Sadio Mane in his final squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations despite his calf injury.

11 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - CAMEROON - FINKE STICKS WITH CORE GROUP

Cameroon coach Volker Finke has kept faith with the players he used in the qualifiers in his final 23-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.

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2015 AFRICA CUP - CONGO - LE ROY FINALISES SQUAD

Congo coach Claude LeRoy has finalised his squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations after cutting three players from the provisional list.

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2015 AFRICA CUP - TUNISIA - MIKARI & TOUZGHAR CUT FROM SQUAD

Striker Yoann Touzghar and defender Yassine Mikari have not made it into Tunisia's final squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

10 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - EQUATORIAL GUINEA - SQUAD ANNOUNCED

Africa Cup of Nations hosts Equatorial Guinea have included 14 players who were born in Spain in their final 23-man squad for the tournament.

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2015 AFRICA CUP - ZAMBIA - KALABA TO LEAD NATIONAL TEAM

Zambia coach Honour Janza has given the captain's armband to Rainford Kalaba after naming his 23-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.

8 Jan 2015

AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2015 - PRELIMINARIES - Enyimba target Champions League glory

African Chamopions League 2015

 

The African Champions League kicks off this weekend with former title holders Enyimba facing a tricky tie.

The Nigerian side take on relatively weak and inexperienced opponents, Buffles Borgou of Benin.

Enyimba, continental champions in 2003 and 2004, were expected to go far in the competition last year.

But they lost at home to Real Bamako of Mali and a second leg recovery could not prevent an early exit.

Coach Kadiri Ikhana, who also coached the 2003 Champions League-winning team, believes that disastrous campaign is now behind them.

He said: "I am confident that we will do better than last year and progress very far in the Champions League this time.

"However, we must be careful not to underrate Buffles.

The key is to prepare adequately so that we are not taken by surprise.

"There are no small teams in the CAF club competitions and we must treat our opponents seriously in order to achieve a good result.

"It is a good tie for us because of the limited travel involved," said Ikhana, referring to Benin and Nigeria being west African neighbours.

Enyimba prepared for the Champions League by playing in a six-team domestic tournament as the national league has not kicked off.

Kano Pillars, the other half of a twin-pronged Nigerian challenge for the biggest prize in African club football, tackle Al-Malakia in South Sudan.

The northern club are guided by Okey Emordi, coach of Enyimba when they retained the Champions League title in 2004.

It is 20 years since Orlando Pirates became the only South African winners of the competition.

Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns believe they can go all the way this year.

"We have a team that can compete against anybody in the world," boasted Chiefs official Bobby Motaung ahead of a home game against Township Rollers from Botswana.

Sundowns are away to Saint Michel United in the Seychelles and coach Pitso Mosimane has high hopes of bettering second place in 2001 behind Egyptians Al Ahly.

"I want to win the Champions League, the club president (Patrice Motsepe) wants to win it, the players want to win it, and our supporters want us to win it," said Mosimane.

An attractive east African fixture pits Azam, who ended the Young Africans and Simba's monopoly of the Tanzanian title last year, against vastly experienced Sudanese visitors El-Merrikh.

 

 

13 Feb 2015
(BBC Sport UK)

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