STARS IN EUROPE - ENGLAND - SUNDERLAND - Black Cats flourishing in Africa

If ambition had a league table, English Premier League club Sunderland would top it.

28 Mar 2015
NATIONAL TEAMS - FRIENDLIES - Algeria lose in Qatar, as Ivory Coast celebrate

Algeria lost their first game since exiting the Africa Cup of Nations in the quarter-finals, losing 1:0 to Qatar in a friendly.

27 Mar 2015
NATIONAL TEAM - NIGERIA - COACH - NFF offer former coach Stephen Keshi two-year deal

Stephen Keshi will return to take charge of Nigeria following lengthy contractual talks.

26 Mar 2015
NATIONAL TEAM - SENEGAL - Coach Aliou Cisse recall "experienced" Demba Ba for Ghana friendly

Besiktas striker Demba Ba has been recalled to the Senegal squad by new Teranga Lions coach Aliou Cisse.

24 Mar 2015
U-20 AFRICAN CUP 2015 - Nigeria win record seventh title

Nigeria won a record seventh African Under-20 Championship title.

24 Mar 2015
NATIONAL TEAM - RWANDA - COACH - Johnny McKinstry named new coach

Northern Irishman Johnny McKinstry has been named as the new coach of the Rwanda national football team.

23 Mar 2015
AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2015 - MOROCCO - Tetouan's Mouhcine Iajour hits a hat-trick against Pillars

Mouhcine Iajour scored a 22-minute hat-trick as Moroccans Moghreb Tetouan beat Nigeria's Kano Pillars 4:0

22 Mar 2015

Olympic Games 2016 - Qualifiers - CAF U23 - 3rd round - 1st leg - all results

OLYMPIC GAMES 2016 Qualifiers
(2015 CAF U-23 Championship qualification)
3rd round / 1st leg

 

Gabon vs Mali 0:1
18 July 2015
15:30 UTC+1

Stade Augustin Monédan de Sibang, Libreville
Referee: Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo (Congo DR)

 

Ivory Coast vs Zambia 0:0
18 July 2015
15:00 UTC±0

Stade Robert Champroux, Abidjan
Referee: Boukari Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso)

 

Egypt vs Uganda 4:0  
19:15 UTC+2
18 July 2015

Borg El Arab Stadium, Alexandria
Referee: Hassan Mohamed Hagi (Somalia)

 

Nigeria vs Congo 2:1
16:00 UTC+1
19 July 2015

Sharks Stadium, Port Harcourt
Referee: Anthony Ogwayo (Kenya)

 

Algeria vs Sierra Leone 2:0
19 July 2015
20:45 UTC+1

Stade Mustapha Tchaker, Blida
Referee: Wahid Tamuni Salah (Libya)

 

Zimbabwe vs South Africa 1:1
19 July 2015
15:00 UTC+2

Rufaro Stadium, Harare
Referee: Stanley Hachiwa (Zambia)

 

Morocco vs Tunisia 1:0
19 July 2015
18:00 UTC+1

Stade de FUS, Rabat
Referee: Fidel Gomes (Guinea-Bissau)

 

Congo coach Claude LeRoy wants to inflict further misery on Nigeria this weekend when he takes his side to Port Harcourt for a 2016 Olympic Games football qualifier.

The Red Devils stunned the Super Eagles 3:2 last year in a 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

It was the first home Nations Cup qualifying loss suffered by Nigeria and ultimately denied them a place at the finals and a chance to defend their title.

Now, the consistently successful 67-year-old Frenchman hopes to repeat at under-23 level what he achieved at senior level and edge Congo closer to Rio de Janeiro and a first Olympics football appearance.

"We are in an identical position to last year with no one beyond Congo giving us a chance," LeRoy said during a training camp in Atlantic city Pointe-Noire ahead of the third-round first-leg tie.

"But my team have a huge chance of not only eliminating Nigeria, but qualifying for the Rio Olympics.

"There is no reason why we should fear Nigeria.

Congolese football has made tremendous progress recently and we must maintain that improvement."

LeRoy can call on four of his senior squad for the third-round, first-leg clash - goalkeepers Christoffer Mafoumbi and Pavelh Ndzila, defender Sagesse Babele and striker Sylvere Ganvoula.

While Nigeria received first and second-round byes, Congo have already claimed a notable scalp in former Olympics football bronze medallists Ghana.

Both nations won 1:0 at home and Congo squeezed through after a penalty shootout at Stade Municipal in Pointe-Noire.

Nigeria boast a proud Olympics football record, winning the 1996 Atlanta gold medals after a thrilling final against Argentina and finishing runners-up to the same country at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Former star national team striker Samson Siasia coached the 'Dream Team' in China and will be in charge Sunday at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in south-east Nigeria.

He has called up Tottenham midfielder Musa Yahaya - nicknamed 'Iniesta' as his style resembles that of the Barcelona star - and Sweden-based goal-poacher Taiwo Owiniyi.

The striker got Nigeria out of jail this year in a 2015 All-Africa Games qualifier against Zambia, scoring both goals in a second-leg away triumph after the Dream Team were held at home.

South Africa, whose previous Olympics appearance was in Sydney 15 years ago, are upbeat ahead of a Harare showdown with neighbours Zimbabwe at Rufaro Stadium Sunday.

"This team has what it takes to go all the way to Rio," believes coach Owen da Gama. 

"The training camp is buzzing with excitement."

Uganda coach Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevic says he is looking forward to proving Egyptian TV analysts wrong after they labelled his team a "punching bag".

The countries face off in Mediterranean city Alexandria Saturday and the stars on show should include two consistent goal scorers, Egyptian Mahmoud 'Kahraba' Abdel Moneim and Ugandan Farouk Miya.

Elsewhere, Gabon host Mali and Ivory Coast host Zambia on Saturday, while on Sunday Morocco host Tunisia and Algeria host Sierra Leone.

 

 

 

19 Jul 2015
(BBC Sport UK)

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