FIFA rankings - Egypt makes big leap in latest rankings

Egypt have climbed up more places than any other African country in Fifa's latest world rankings for March.

14 Mar 2014
2014 World Cup - warm up - Ghana

Ghana Sports Minister Elvis Ankrah is confident the team will prepare in the right way for a successful World Cup.

12 Mar 2014
2014 World Cup - warm up - African sides ready

All five of Africa's World Cup finalists are in action this week as they continue their preparations for this summer's tournament in Brazil.
(Algeria; Cameroon; Ghana; Côte d'Ivoire; Nigeria)

5 Mar 2014
stars in Europe - Yaya Toure's incredible journey

He won the Champions League and two La Liga titles while with Barca. Toure also won league titles in Greece and England, and domestic cups in each country too. According to the people who know him best, Yaya Toure always had the ability and ambition he needed to make his journey from a barefooted boy footballer to one of the best players in the world. 

22 Feb 2014
stars in Europe - AC Milan set to sign Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien

Chelsea have agreed a deal with AC Milan to sell midfielder Michael Essien to the Italian side. Essien has flown in for talks and a medical with Clarence Seedorf's underachieving Serie A club.

25 Jan 2014
NATIONAL LEAGUE - TUNISIA - COACH - Ruud Krol appointed as new Esperance coach

The 64-year-old former Dutch World Cup captain joined the Tunisian side only a day after leading CS Sfaxien to glory in the Confederation Cup with a 3:2 aggregate win over TP Mazembe. Krol's departure ends a successful year at the club in which he also led the Tunisians to a first league title in eight years in May. "It was my decision to leave. 

20 Jan 2014

STARS IN MLS - SIERRA LEONE - CLUB - Alhaji Kamara cleared to play

DC United Alhaji Kamara

 

Alhaji Kamara helped IFK Norrkoping win the Swedish championship in 2015

Sierra Leonean striker Alhaji Kamara has been given medical clearance to resume his career after heart tests and has signed for DC United in MLS.

The 22-year-old's former club IFK Norrkoping said he had a heart defect.

DC United's general manager Dave Kasper said: "The MLS cardiology consultant and a heart specialist at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital determined he could resume playing.

"Kamara will undergo testing at the end of each season."

The Sierra Leone international's move to DC United comes at a time when two Cameroonian players Patrick Ekeng and Jeanine Christelle Djomnang died of suspected heart problems.

Kasper added: "The player had a potential cardiac issue that could have eliminated him from playing. 

He was evaluated and found this was not the case.

"We went through proper medical testing and approvals from two top cardiology specialists.

"Certainly we went through a rigorous process, but once they cleared him to play, it gave us peace of mind."

A transfer fee has not been paid for Kamara but Norrköping will be compensated if the player meets performance incentives or if he is sold in the future.

He was originally examined as part of a UEFA requirement because IFK Norrkoping are due to take part in the qualifiers for next season's Champions League.

'He is a strong guy'

Experts from both UEFA and FIFA had advised Kamara against continuing playing football.

This initially forced Norrkoping to remove Kamara from their 2016 season squad to stop him from playing more matches.

Kamara, who scored six goals to help Norrköping win the 2015 Swedish league, is delighted that his career can resume.

"He is so happy and excited to be able to play again," Kamara's local agent Chernor Musa Jalloh told BBC Sport.

"Physically and mentally he is prepared and he knows everything as he is a strong guy.

"He went through a difficult path and thanks to everyone who supported him."

 

 

12 May 2016
(BBC Sport By Mohamed Fajah Barrie)

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