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

Africa Cup 2017 Qualifiers - Group Stage - 5th matches - so far

Africa Cup 2017 Qualifiers Mohamed Salah

 

Roma winger Mohamed Salah scored both of Egypt's goals in Tanzania
Egypt and Senegal qualified for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Gabon on Saturday as the penultimate round of fixtures continued.

Roma winger Mohamed Salah scored both of Egypt's goals in a 2:0 victory away to Tanzania as they returned to the finals of a Nations Cup for the first time since 2010.

Senegal sealed their place at Gabon 2017 thanks to goals from their English Premier League players, Sadio Mane and Mame Biram Diouf, who both scored in a 2:0 win away to Burundi.


Saturday's Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers:

Group C: South Sudan vs Mali 0:3 
Group D: Botswana vs Uganda 1:2 
Group E: Guinea-Bissau vs Zambia 3:2 
Group F: Sao Tome vs Cape Verde 1:2 
Group G: Tanzania vs Egypt 0:2 (Q)    
Group H: Rwanda vs Mozambique 2:3 
Group I: Sierra Leone vs Sudan 1:0 
Group I: Ivory Coast vs Gabon 2:1 (Friendly)
Group K: Burundi vs Senegal 0:2 (Q)    
Group K: Namibia vs Niger 1:0 
Group M: Gambia vs South Africa 0:4 

    
Saturday's game in Dar es Salaam was Egypt's final match in the qualifiers, following Chad's withdrawal from Group G.

Despite the absence of Al Ahly captain Hossam Ghaly, who was left out of the squad by Argentine coach Hector Cuper, Egypt secured the victory which ended Tanzania's faint hopes of qualifying.

Seven-time African champions Egypt knew that anything better than a 4:0 defeat would be enough for them to reach Gabon, having missed the last three Nations Cups.

Salah's opening goal for the Pharoahs came from a sweetly struck free-kick a minute before half-time.

Tanzania missed a chance to equalise in the 54th minute. 

They were awarded a penalty only for Mbwana Samatta to shoot over the bar.

Salah then sealed the victory for Egypt scoring his second of the game just four minutes later.

Stoke City's Mame Biram Diouf scored Senegal's second goal against Burundi.

Joining Egypt in Gabon will be Senegal who defeated Burundi 2:0 in Bujumbura to ensure they will top Group K.

Southampton winger Sadio Mane put Senegal ahead in the 16th minute.

His fellow England based compatriot, Stoke City striker Mame Biram Diouf, added a second three minutes before half-time to secure Senegal's qualification.

The Teranga Lions have won all of their qualifiers so far and top the group with a maximum 15 points, while second placed Burundi have just six.

The group's other fixture was a fight for survival with Namibia beating Niger 1:0 courtesy of a 15th minute goal from Peter Shalulile.

The win keeps Namibia's hopes of finishing as one of the best second placed sides alive but Niger cannot now qualify.

Guinea-Bissau are on the verge of their first ever appearance at an Africa Cup of Nations finals after securing a 3:2 home win over 2012 champions Zambia.

A Zezinho penalty gave the hosts an early lead before Collins Mbesuma equalised.

Arnaud Mendy restored Guinea-Bissau's lead which they held until the 48th minute, when Nations Cup winner Chris Katongo levelled the match to 2:2.

A 90th minute winner from Toni Silva put Guinea-Bissau four points clear at the top of Group E. They will qualify if second placed Congo lose in Kenya on Sunday.

Zambia now face a struggle to secure one of the best second-placed spots.

Uganda moved closer towards qualification with a vital 2:1 win away to Botswana to move three points clear at the top of Group D.

Luwagga Kizito put the Cranes ahead in the 10th minute, with Onkabetse Makgantai equalising in the second half for the home side.

It only stayed 1:1 for two minutes, as Khalid Aucho scored Uganda's winner in the 54th minutes to give his country hope of going through to the Nations Cup finals for the first time since 1978.

Group C leaders Mali also improved their chance of advancing to the finals with a 3-0 win away to South Sudan.

Goals from Abdoulay Diaby, Mobido Maiga and Mousa Doumbia gave Mali the victory which moves them five points ahead of second placed Benin who will now play their Group C match against Equatorial Guinea on Sunday 12 June after Fifa conditionally lifted Benin's ban.

Sierra Leone moved to within a point of reigning African champions and Group I leaders Ivory Coast with a 1:0 win over Sudan in Freetown.

Sheka Fofanah scored the only goal for the Leone Stars to keep their hopes of qualifying alive.

Two goals apiece from Thamsanqa Gabuza and Keagan Dolly gave South Africa an emphatic 4:0 win away to The Gambia.

It keeps alive Bafana Bafana's faint hopes of a best runners-up spot in Group M, won by Cameroon on Saturday.

In Group H, there was an eventful match in Kigali where second placed Rwanda lost 2:3 to visitors Mozambique who sit bottom of the group.

Domingues put Mozambique ahead in the 10th minute, with Jacques Tuyisenge equalising on the 37 minute mark.

Apson Manjate made it 2:1 to Mozambique with Tuyisenge scoring his second of the game to level the match at 2:2.

Helder Pelembe then scored a winner for the visitors eight minutes from time to record their first win of the campaign.

In Group F, Cape Verde boosted their hopes of qualifying as one of the two best runners-up with a 2:1 win away to Sao Tome e Principe.

Morocco have already qualified as Group F winners.

The final round of group matches will be played in September.

 

 

4 Jun 2016
(BBC Sport UK)

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