NATIONAL TEAM - SWITZERLAND - 2014 WORLD CUP - Goodbye, Ottmar Hitzfeld. All the best and take care.

Hitzfeld has made a positive impression wherever he has been stationed and his name is still regularly chanted in the stands at Bayern Munich.

“He put together a really good team that will last for many years to come,” Granit Xhaka told FIFA.com, before Josip Drmic added: “He’s done a great job.” 

2 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 19 - LAST SIXTEEN - ARGENTINA VS SWITZERLAND 1:0

LAST SIXTEEN
1st July 2014

Argentina vs Switzerland 1:0

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 19 - LAST SIXTEEN - BELGIUM VS USA 2:1

LAST SIXTEEN
1st July 2014

Belgium vs USA 2:1

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - ARGENTINA - KEY PLAYER - ‪LIONEL MESSI - PROFILE

Lionel Andrés Messi; born 24 June 1987, is an Argentine footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He serves as the captain of his country's national football team.

By the age of 21, Messi had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year, in 2009, he won his first Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. 

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - USA - KEY PLAYER - ‪JERMAINE JONES - PROFILE

Jermaine Junior Jones, born 3 November 1981, is a German-American footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Turkish club Beşiktaş. He has previously played for Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen, Blackburn Rovers and Schalke 04. He was born in Germany and represented them at U21 and senior level.

1 Jul 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - NIGERIA - COACH - STEPHEN KESHI RESIGNS AFTER EXIT

He becomes the sixth manager to leave his job during the World Cup, following the departures of Honduras's Luis Suarez, Iran's Carlos Queiroz, Japan's Alberto Zaccheroni, Italy's Cesare Prandelli and Ivory Coast's Sabri Lamouchi.

Keshi, who captained Nigeria at the 1994 World Cup finals, was previously in charge of Mali and Togo.

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 18 - LAST SIXTEEN - FRANCE vs NIGERIA 2:0

LAST SIXTEEN
30th June 2014

France vs Nigeria 2:0

30 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 18 - LAST SIXTEEN - GERMANY vs ALGERIA 2:1

LAST SIXTEEN
30th June 2014

Germany vs Algeria 2:1

30 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - GERMANY - KEY PLAYER - THOMAS MUELLER‬ - PROFILE

Müller's role can be described as an attacking all-rounder, a player able to play in a variety of forward positions. He can play in any of the attacking midfield roles but usually plays in the center for Bayern Munich, and on the right for Germany.

He has been used as an out-and-out striker on occasion. Müller has been praised for his maturity, pace, technique, awareness and positioning.

30 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - FRANCE - KEY PLAYER - ‪KARIM BENZEMA - PROFILE

He has been named French Player of the Year twice for his performances in 2011 and 2012. Benzema is a former French youth international and has represented his nation from under-17 level onwards. 

Benzema has earned over 65 caps and represented France at three major international tournaments; the 2008 and 2012 editions of the UEFA European Football Championship and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

30 Jun 2014

AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2015 - 2nd round / 2nd leg - all results

AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2015

 

Former winners Al Ahly and Esperance both suffered shock exits from the African Champions League, losing their last-16 ties.

Egypt's Ahly, record eight times former champions, lost 4:3 on penalties to Morocco's Moghreb Tetouan after the tie had ended 1:1 on aggregate.

Ahly, who lost the away leg 1:0, levelled the tie in Cairo thanks to a first half goal from Abdallah Said.

Tetouan went through to the group phase winning 4:3 in the decisive shoot-out.

Moghreb converted four consecutive kicks while Ahly failed twice with Mahmoud 'Trezeguet' Hassan blazing wide and Hossam Ghaly having his shot saved.

The match was played behind closed doors due to security concerns.

Ahly, coached by Spaniard Juan Carlos Garrido, drop into the Confederation Cup - Africa's second tier club tournament - a competition the Egyptians won for the first time last year.

Esperance of Tunisia also suffered a shock exit, losing on away goals to Sudan's El Merrikh.

After their 1:0 defeat in the first leg in Sudan, Esperance could only produce a 2:1 victory at home to leave the tie level at 2:2 on aggregate, with El Merrikh going through to the lucrative group stage.

Better news for Egyptian debutants Smouha who are through to the next stage of the Champions League after a 2:1 aggregate win over Congolese club AC Leopards.

Trailing 1:0 from the first leg, goals from Ahmed Shoukry and Salah Amin gave Smouha a memorable victory.

TP Mazembe, the most successful Democratic Republic of Congo club in Africa with four Champions League titles, went through after a 2:1 home leg victory over Stade Malien.

It follows their 2:2 draw in Mali which gave Mazembe a 4:3 aggregate win.

Holders Entente Setif squeezed into the group phase, after their goalkeeper Sofiane Khedairia saved two Raja Casablanca spot-kicks in the decisive shoot-out.

The Algerians defeated the Moroccans 4:1 on penalties after the second leg in Setif finished 2:2, leaving the North African clubs tied at 4:4 on aggregate.

Goals early in each half from El Hedi Belameiri and captain Mourad Delhoum earned Setif a two-goal advantage.

Abdelilah Hafidi halved the deficit and Adil Karrouchy equalised off a rebound on 95 minutes after his penalty had been parried, taking the tie to penalties.

Recalled goalkeeper Sofiane Khedairia, who was axed from a round-of-32 tie after refusing to travel to the Gambia, then became Setif's hero.

While Setif clinically converted four spot-kicks in a row, the France-born goalkeeper saved the first two Raja attempts to earn his club a memorable triumph.

Setif were joined in the next round by two fellow Algerian sides, making the country the first ever to have three representatives in the group stage.

USM Alger booked their place after a 1:1 draw with Guineans AS Kaloum - the match played in neighbouring Mali because of the Ebola epidemic - that gave them a 3:2 aggregate win.

And Mouloudia El Eulma overcame experienced Tunisian outfit CS Sfaxien 7:6 on penalties after losing the second leg 1:0 to be held to a 1:1 aggregate draw.

Elsewhere, Sudanese side Al Hilal beat DR Congo's Sanga Balende 1:0, just as they had in the first leg, to claim their place in the next round.

 

Not Qualified teams 

• AC Léopards
• SM Sanga Balende
• Al-Ahly
• AS Kaloum
• Stade Malien    
• Raja Casablanca
• CS Sfaxien
• Espérance de Tunis

 

 

4 May 2015
(afrofootball_bl)

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