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

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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