NATIONAL TEAMS - OCTOBER 2019 - AFRICAN FOOTBALL STORIES IN SHORT

NEWS IN BRIEF
October's African football
 

SUNDAY 6 OCTOBER 

Midfielder Mario Lemina has been withdrawn from new Gabon coach Patrice Neveu's first squad because of injury, according to the Gabon Football Federation.

Gabon will play friendly internationals against Burkina Faso in France on 10 October and then Morocco five days later in Oujda.

Lemina, currently on loan to Galatasaray from Southampton, has been replaced by Clench Loufilou who plays for French club Ajaccio.

There is a first call-up for France-based former France youth international striker Kevin Mayi. 

A host of regular players are also on the list including Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Goalkeeper Didier Ovono is a notable omission. 

Ovono, capped 106 times, is overlooked because he is without a club.

Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy will miss his country's first ever clash with Brazil in Singapore on 10 October through injury.

Mendy, who plays for French club Rennes, injured his right knee at the end of their 1:0 Europa League loss to Lazio last Thursday.

He was part of a 23-man squad selected by Coach Aliou Cisse and it is not yet known if he will be replaced.

Mendy featured twice for Senegal at the recent Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt where they finished as runners-up after losing 1:0 to Algeria in the final.

Star players Sadio Mane of Liverpool and Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly are included in the squad.

 

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Portuguese coach Toni Conceicao and Francois Omam-Biyik have been given the task of leading Cameroon to the Africa Cup of Nations title in 2021

Details of new Cameroon coach Toni Conceicao's deal have been revealed. 

The new Indomitable Lions head coach has signed a two-year contract following his appointment last month.

The 57-year-old Portuguese tactician succeeds Clarence Seedorf and is expected to inspire Cameroon to a sixth continental triumph when they host the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

"Our prime objective is to win the 2021 Nations cup and qualify for the 2022 World Cup because this nation deserves it," Conceicao told local reporters in Cameroon.

"We have huge ambitions and we want to build a team of players who comprehend what it means to win, to play for this nation and make Cameroon proud."

Conceicao's two-year-deal stipulates that he has to live in the country.

His first game in charge of Cameroon will be a friendly against Tunisia on 12 October in Rades.

 

SATURDAY 5 OCTOBER

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Liverpool's Egyptian star, Mohamed Salah

Egypt's coach Hossam El Badry announced his 23-man squad to face Botswana in a friendly international later this month and, as expected, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah has been rested and is not included in the list.

El Badry, who said he had spoken to Salah, told local media that the Liverpool star "won't be with us at the training camp for Botswana, but God willing, he will be with us for the official matches."

"It is in his best interests and those of the national team that he rests," El Badry added.

Egypt begin their qualifying campaign for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations at home to Kenya in November.

Salah finished fourth in the recent Fifa best player awards, with two of Egypt's votes rejected by football's world body after they were signed in capital letters.

In-form striker Christian Kouame has been called-up by Ivory Coast for the first time.

The 21-year-old is among 23 players selected by Elephants coach Ibrahim Kamara for their friendly international against DR Congo in France on 13 October.

Kouame, who plays for Italian club Genoa, has scored three goals in Serie A so far this season.

Injured forward Maxwel Cornet, midfielder Jean Michael Seri currently on loan to Galatasaray and Wilfred Bony - who is without a club - are all left out.

England based trio of Wilfried Zaha, Nicolas Pepe and Serge Aurier are notable names included in the squad.

Ivory Coast are in group K of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers alongside side Madagascar, Niger and Ethiopia.

Tanzania beat Kenya 1:0 on Saturday to win the regional 2019 Cecafa U-20 Challenge Cup after an own-goal by John Otieno Onyango.

A floating cross in the box forced Onyango to divert the ball past his goalkeeper Brian Bwire Okoth.

"I am proud of my team and the technical staff," Tanzania's coach Katwila said.

Tanzania's Kelvin Pius John won the top scorer award with seven goals and was also voted player of the tournament.

Kenya's Bwire was the goalkeeper of the tournament, while the Uganda Hippos won the Fair Play Award.

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Emmanuel Adebayor

The former Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham and Real Madrid striker Emmanuel Adebayor has been left out of Togo's squad for a second consecutive time.

His name is not on coach Claude Le Roy's 22-man list for the friendly internationals against Cape Verde and then Equatorial Guinea in France later this month.

No official reason has been given for the omission of Adebayor, who has been in good form for his new Turkish club Kayserispor.

He was also overlooked for Togo's 2022 World Cup preliminary round double-header with Comoros last month.

Togo won 3:1 on aggregate to progress to the group stage of the qualifiers.

The manager of French club Nice, Patrick Vieira, has confirmed that Algeria international Adam Ounas has undergone a successful knee surgery.

The 22-year-old, who is on loan from Italian side Napoli, sustained the injury away to Monaco in the French Ligue 1 last month.

"He's had a knee surgery. It will take month-and-a-half to two months before Adam can return to action," Patrick Vieira confirmed.

WEDNESDAY 2 OCTOBER 

The Sierra Leone Football Association has expressed its deepest sympathy after the passing of former international Yayah Jalloh following a long illness, aged 38.

"The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) would like to inform the general public, especially football fans, that it has officially received the sad news about the death of a hero in the country's football, Yayah Jalloh, fondly called Mallam Yayah, a former national and East End Lions player," the SLFA said in a statement.

"To that end, the President, Executive Committee and staff of SLFA wish to express our deepest sympathy to the bereaved family and please know that we are also crying with you all in this moment of extreme sorrow and grief.

"May the Soul of our lost brother rest in peace."

Jalloh was part of the Under-17 Sierra Stars team that won the inaugural Under-17 Wafu Cup in Benin in 1997 before making his debut for the senior Leone Stars side in 2003.

At club level, he spent nearly his entire career with Sierra Leonean giants East End Lions whom he captained to the league title in 2005.

He was also part of the Lions coaching staff following his retirement.

TUESDAY 1 OCTOBER 

Sierra Leone coach Sellas Tetteh had just four days to prepare his team to face Liberia after replacing Morocco at WAFU 2019

Sierra Leone are into the quarter-finals of the 2019 Wafu Cup of Nations after beating Liberia in a first round match played over two days due to floodlight failure.

Suffian Kolokoh's goal in the 40th minute was enough to give Sierra Leone a 1:0 win in the Senegalese city of Thies.

The match kicked off on Sunday but was paused in the 70th minute because of a problem with the lights.

The same players who were on the pitch at the time played the final 20 minutes on Monday.

Sierra Leone will now face Mali in the last eight on Sunday while Liberia drop into the plate competition for first round losers.

Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, Togo, Ghana and Benin are the other teams who have qualified for the quarter-finals.