2015 Africa Cup: dates & venues for Morocco 2015 announced

The final draw for Morocco 2015 will be held in Rabat on 26 November.

28 Apr 2014
2015 Africa Cup - draw is made

Three teams were drawn in each group at Sunday's ceremony. A fourth team will emerge from two more qualifying rounds. 

27 Apr 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - TANZANIA - COACH - Mart Nooij appointed as head coach

Martin Ignatius, popularly known as Mart Nooij, has been named as head coach of Tanzania's national team, the Taifa Stars.

27 Apr 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - RWANDA - COACH - Ratomir Dujkovic on shortlist for Rwanda coach position

Dujkovic, who also took Ghana to the 2006 World Cup, is believed to be in a strong position. 

27 Apr 2014
stars in Europe - Everton may seek to extend Lacina Traore's stay

Everton are open to extending Lacina Traore's loan spell despite the Ivorian's injury-ravaged time at the club since he joined from Monaco.

26 Apr 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - COACHES - Uganda coach Sredojevic targets 2015 Nations Cup finals

Sredojevic is scheduled to name his squad on 30 April and would not be drawn on who he may include. 

25 Apr 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - MOROCCO - COACH - Herve Renard plays down links to position

Sochaux coach Herve Renard has distanced himself from reports he could become the next coach of Morocco.

24 Apr 2014
stars in Europe - Nathan Sinkala keen to stay on at Sochaux

Zambia midfielder Nathan Sinkala hopes to stay at Sochaux beyond the end of his loan from TP Mazembe.

23 Apr 2014
stars in Europe - Ghana midfielder Jordan Ayew is focussed on Sochaux

Jordan Ayew is the son of Ghana great Abedi Pele and has so far won 11 caps and scored two goals for the Black Stars. Ayew has scored three goals for Sochaux since he joined from Marseille on loan in January and knows playing well for his club can only help his chances of getting into the Black Stars' squad for Brazil. 

22 Apr 2014
2015 Africa Cup qualifiers - Mauritania go through to next round

Mauritania coach Patrice Neveu said the tactics he put in place paid off. "We came to get the qualification and we knew we should not defend"

21 Apr 2014

AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2016 - FINAL - 2ND LEG - Preview

AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2016  Mamelodi Sundowns

Sundowns dominated Zamalek in the first leg a week agao

Mamelodi Sundowns are hoping that history repeats itself and that a three-goal advantage going into Sunday's second leg of the African Champions League final will be enough to secure the continental crown at the expense of their Egyptian hosts Zamalek.

The 3:0 win in last Saturday's first leg in Atteridgeville has put the South Africans in a comfortable position with only one club - Mouloudia Alger 40 years ago - ever previously able to overturn a three-goal deficit after the first leg of the final.

Sundowns were emphatic in their first-leg victory and might have won by a bigger margin.

They are expected to be able to score again as Zamalek will need to attack almost from the opening minute in their attempt to try and claw back the deficit, leaving the South Africans able to catch them on the counter-attack.

But coach Pitso Mosimane has to reshuffle his defence after Wayne Arendse was cautioned in the first leg and misses the return through suspension.

It means Thabo Nthethe will pair up with Ivory Coast import Bangaly Soumaharo in a combination of two central defenders who have rarely played together.

For the rest, Sundowns will field the same side with the midfield prowess of Hlompho Kekana and Tiyani Mabuda complemented by the forward pace of Khama Billiat, Keegan Dolly and Percy Tau.

Zamalek are hoping Ahmed Fathi might be able to make it back to fill their troublesome left-back position.

A long-term injury has kept him out since June and with no other natural left-back at the club, Zamalek have used a succession of different players in the position.

In the first leg of the final it was defensive midfielder Maarouf Yusuf who was given the left-back job and it was only in the second half when they switched him back into the centre, and brought Ramzi Khaled on as full-back, that Zamalek were able to stem Sundowns' midfield dominance.
 

Belief or bluster?

Zamalek coach Momed Soliman made much of being able to fight back when he spoke to reporters after the first leg but he appeared to lack genuine conviction.

Sundowns are seeking to become only the second South African outfit to win Africa's top club prize, some 21 years since Orlando Pirates achieved the feat.

It would complete for 'The Brazilians' a fairytale triumph, given they had been eliminated in the preliminary rounds but handed a berth in the group phase when the Congolese club AS Vita Club were found to have fielded a player supposed to be suspended after a red card.

Sundowns took their second chance with gusto and dominated their group, including beating Zamalek both home and away in July.

They have now won three in a row against the Egyptians, who are five-time African champions but have suffered a drought of more than a decade since they last had success.

 

 

 

23 Oct 2016
(BBC Sport by Mark Gleeson)

Related articles