News - AFRICAN SPORTS MONTHLY

Al Ittihad finding strength through adversity

3/31/2015

For Al Ittihad, the fear is that their entire season could come screeching to a halt on Sunday. Lose to ASEC Mimosas in their CAF Confederation Cup second round decider and the Libyan club's players will have contested their last game this term, with nothing to look forward to but a trip home and several long months of waiting. Having drawn the first leg 1-1 in Abidjan, however, the Tripoli side are hopeful of keeping their campaign alive.

"The situation is very simple," said Pierre Lechantre, the French coach of Libya's most titled outfit, who hope to avoid the fate of Al Ahli Tripoli after their CAF Champions League first round loss to Egyptian club Smouha. "If we lose, everyone goes home. For me, that means France, and for the players, Libya. The players would then have nothing to do, because the championship is not being held for reasons of security. But if we qualify, we carry on."

Cape Verde stun Portugal, Oranje beat La Roja

3/31/2015

A Portugal side missing Cristiano Ronaldo were shocked 2-0 by African islanders Cape Verde in Estoril.

The FIFA Ballon d'Or winner was released from international duty ahead of this international friendly meeting at the Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota and Portugal dearly missed his guile and killer instinct. Odair Fortes and Gege scored the Blue Sharks' goals before half-time and the dismissal of Portugal defender Andre Pinto on the hour mark made a comeback even more unlikely. It would not materialise.

Spain failed to avenge their FIFA World Cup™ humiliation by the Netherlands as they fell to a 2-0 defeat in Amsterdam. The Oranje hammered Vicente del Bosque's men 5-1 in the group stages back in Brazil and got the former world champions on the ropes again, with Stefan de Vrij and Davy Klaassen both notching inside the first 16 minutes.

Decisions of the Jury of Appeal following the appeal of the Tunisian Federation

3/31/2015

Cairo, 31st March, 2015. Following the CAF Disciplinary Board decision of 3rd February 2015 related to the events that occurred at the end of the quarter-final match of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations, Equatorial Guinea 2015 between Tunisia and Equatorial Guinea, the Tunisian Federation appealed through a letter dated 5 February, 2015, seeking the annulment of the decisions taken by the Disciplinary Board.

CAF Appeal Board on 13th March 2015 at the Hotel King Fahd in Dakar, Senegal. The Tunisian Federation was represented at the hearing by its 1st Vice President, Mr. Maher Snoussi.

The Appeal Board noted the the great dignity of the intervention of the Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) during that hearing.

Enyeama hits centenary mark

3/31/2015

Wednesday, 26 March 2015 will forever be remembered in the life of goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama.

The Super Eagles shot-stopper marked his 100th appearance in a Nigerian colours on that day in an encounter, which unfortunately they lost (0-1), against Uganda. And to crown it all, it took place in his native town, Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State. He is just a game shy away from his former teammate Joseph Yobo, who made a record 101 caps.

Enyeama was selected for the first time on 5 May 2002 during a preparatory match for the Japan/South Korea World Cup against Kenya, which Nigeria won 3-0.

Equatoguinean party-poopers hold Ivory Coast

3/31/2015

Equatorial Guinea became party-poopers on Sunday at the ongoing celebrations of new African football champions Ivory Coast by forcing a 1-1 international friendly draw in Abidjan.Spain-born teenage winger Ivan Salvador put the visitors ahead after 13 minutes at a vibrant, near-full Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny.

And dogged Equatoguinean resistance kept reigning African Footballer of the Year Yaya Toure, Wilfried Bony and other Ivorian stars at bay until 18 minutes from time when Max-Alain Gradel levelled.It was the second friendly match within four days for both countries after Ivory Coast defeated Angola 2-0 in Abidjan and Equatorial Guinea lost to Egypt by the same score in Cairo.

The Abidjan fixtures were designed to celebrate Ivory Coast winning the 2015 Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea last month after a penalty shootout against Ghana.

FIFA extends 27 sanctions in relation to match manipulation to have worldwide effect

3/31/2015

FIFA confirmed today the worldwide extension of sanctions imposed on 27 players concerning match manipulation-related proceedings conducted by the Estonian Football Association (EFA), the Latvian Football Federation (LFF), the Swedish Football Association (SVFF) and the Czech Republic Football Association (FACR).

The EFA Disciplinary Committee, which met on 5 December 2014, sanctioned 21 players with bans from taking part in any football-related activities. The sanctions included: nine lifetime bans, two bans for six years (until 5 December 2020), six bans for four years (until 5 December 2018), two bans for two years (until 5 December 2016) and two bans for one year (until 5 December 2015). Some of the players sanctioned by the EFA Disciplinary Committee in December 2014 had been previously sanctioned on a provisional basis. Of the players sanctioned, 16 are Estonian nationals and the remaining five have “undefined citizenship” (which, according to the Estonian FA, is a term used to denote a post-Soviet form of statelessness).

Inexperience Cost Us The Game -Rwanda Coach

3/31/2015

Photo Courtesy; johnnymckinstry.com

Kigali, Rwanda, March 31: The national Soccer team head coach, Johnny Mckinstry has attributed his team Sunday loss to Zambia in an international friendly to inexperience of his charges.

Mckinstry made the comments in a newspaper interview published Tuesday hours after his team the Amavubi (The Bees) had lost 2-0 to Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets).

He explained that Zambia netted their first goal at the time when his side was one man down after defender; Ismael Nshutiyamagara was out of field of play receiving treatment for lower back strain.

New England Revolution Midfielder Kelyn Rowe Voted MLS Player of the Week

3/31/2015

NEW YORK (Tuesday, March 31, 2015) – New England Revolution midfielder Kelyn Rowe was voted Major League Soccer Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) for the fourth week of the 2015 MLS season.

With New England hosting its second home game on Saturday afternoon, Rowe played a starring role in the Revs’ first victory of the season, notching both goals in the club’s 2-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes. The two tallies marked Rowe’s second career multiple-goal game and were the first goals scored by the Revs this season.

Rowe got on the score sheet in the 21st minute when midfielder Lee Nguyen received the ball in the Earthquakes’ half and found Rowe at the top of the box. Rowe’s right-footed shot deflected off of San Jose defender Shaun Francis and swerved past goalkeeper David Bingham, breaking a New England scoreless streak of 346 minutes in league play.

Septet emerge for African Beach Soccer Championship

3/31/2015

The qualified teams for the African Beach Soccer Championship Seychelles 2015 emerged over the weekend following the completion of the qualifying series.

Morocco was the last team to book their place after a 16-1 victory over Djibouti on Sunday at the Ain Diab Beach in Casablanca in a one-off match.

The Moroccans joined Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana and Madagascar who confirmed their places earlier. Senegal and Nigeria sealed their spots without kicking a ball following the withdrawal of Mali and Libya respectively to join hosts Seychelles.

12 Women’s pools set for 10th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships

3/31/2015

Above are the group assignments for women's Pool Play after Monday's Drawing of Lots in The Hague for this summer's 10th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships to be held in four cities in the Netherlands.

The Hague, Netherlands, March 30, 2015 – With momentum rapidly building towards the most unique, memorable event in the history of the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) the pool assignments for 48 women’s teams were drawn by lots Monday in The Hague for this summer’s 10th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships which will be held in four cities in the Netherlands.

The drawing for 12 pools of four teams each for the women’s and men’s duos from 40 countries was held at the Mauritshuis Art Museum. It was conducted by representatives from the FIVB and Nevobo (national governing body for volleyball in the Netherlands) in front of sponsors, city officials, members of Beach Team Netherlands, Tournament ambassadors and media personnel.

2014-15 Generation adidas Cup kicks off in Texas

3/31/2015

While Major League Soccer’s Week Four action was in full swing, the league’s future stars were commencing the 2014-15 Generation adidas Cup in Frisco, Texas. FC Dallas and Dallas Cup are hosting the annual, week-long tournament that features 17 MLS Academy teams, the Chivas USA youth squad, and several international clubs including River Plate (Argentina), Athletic Club Bilbao (Spain), Pumas UNAM (Mexico), Palmeiras (Brazil), Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany) and Aspire Academy (Qatar).

The tournament’s Champions Division, which includes the top three finishers from three regional qualifiers, got underway on Sunday. Of the six MLS academies in the Champions Division, only Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas secured wins in their opening matches. Toronto FC, Real Salt Lake, the San Jose Earthquakes, and Philadelphia Union will look to rebound from their opening-day losses on Monday.

22 referees, 7 support referees and 44 assistant referees appointed for FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015™

3/31/2015

The FIFA Referees Committee, under the chairmanship of Jim Boyce (Northern Ireland), has appointed 22 referees, 7 support referees (one of them local), and 44 assistant referees representing 49 different countries for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015™.

FIFA has implemented a comprehensive programme to ensure that the referees for this very important competition will be in peak condition come 6 June.

Just as it did for the 24 participating teams, the road to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015™ began for an initial group of referees and assistant referees from all over the world in September 2012, when FIFA took the important decision to create a women’s refereeing project. One of the key objectives was match control and consequently to prepare this group of prospective referees for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015™. The referees selected for the tournament in Canada have been chosen based especially on their personality and their quality in terms of football understanding by being able to read the game and the teams’ tactical approaches towards each match.

2015 VIRGIN MONEY LONDON MARATHON: THE RUNNERS’ STORIES

3/31/2015

The Virgin Money London Marathon is the world’s largest one-day annual fundraising event and more than 70 per cent of the 36,000+ runners on Sunday 26 April will be raising money for charity, adding to the incredible total of £716 million raised in the first 34 years of the event.

Here are some of their stories:

The Wimbledon trio of Richard Brambly, Colin Dow and Stephen McNicol make up Team Finlay and are running for the charity RP Fighting Blindness. Stephen’s 12-year-old son Finlay suffers from retinitis pigmentosa (RP), an inherited disease of the eye which gradually leads to loss of sight. Finlay was diagnosed two years ago and since then Stephen, Colin and Richard, who is also Finlay’s Deputy Head Teacher, have joined together to raise funds for the charity that has supported Finlay and his family since his diagnosis.

Mashaba lauds his players but rues missed chances

3/31/2015

30 March 2015 – Bafana Bafana coach Ephraim Shakes Mashaba praised his players for a good display of football that saw them hold their nemesis Nigeria to a 1-1 draw.

The match took place at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Sunday, 29 March.

Both sides wore black armbands and observed a moment of silence before kick-off in memory of former legend Steve Kalamazoo Mokone who passed was away on March 20 in the United States.

The hosts went a goal down following an Ahmed Musa strike but Bongani Zungu scored late in the second half with two minutes of added time left on the clock.

Diane Nukuri of Burundi credits Iten training debut with success in Sportisimo Prague Half Marathon

3/31/2015

Photo credit: www.photorun.net

By Andy Edwards

When Burundi’s Olympic marathoner Diane Nukuri crossed the finish line at the Sportisimo Prague Half Marathon on Saturday (March 28), her third place in 1:09:33 was a vindication for a bold move in preparation for this race and her return to the London Marathon next month, where she ran 2:33:01 last year.

Burundi’s national record holder for the marathon with 2:29:35, set in Amsterdam last October, had decided to prepare for Prague and her return to the Virgin Money London Marathon on April 26 by training at one of world’s renowned training venues, Iten in Kenya. Following her national record in Amsterdam in 2014, she accepted Lornah Kiplagat’s invitation to get a taste of the Kenyan training regime at her sports centre. It has paid off handsomely so far, as Nukuri talked about renewed mental and physical strength shortly after the half marathon in Prague.

“Iten is one of the hardest places to train. For my first couple of weeks, I honestly didn’t think I was going to make it. You’re not going to find anywhere to run without hills. People talk about drugs and stuff but there are people there who work so hard. It’s not like other places, an easy run is hard, you can get fit by just running and it’s very motivating to see world record holders who also work hard but are laid back as well.”

Matlaba fine but will be out of action for some time

3/31/2015

30 March 2015 – Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana defender Thabo Matlaba has been declared fine after he was stretchered off and rushed to hospital on Sunday night (29 March).

Matlaba was elbowed on the chest in the latter stages of the second half of the international friendly match against Nigeria at the Mbombela Stadium which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Left-back Sibusiso Khumalo took his place in the 80th minute.

“The initial diagnosis was that he had a lung contusion (bruise) because he was in serious pain at the stadium and at the hospital this was confirmed after a CT Scan of the chest and lungs.

Men’s Pool Pairings Announced for 2015 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships

3/31/2015

The Hague, The Netherlands, March 30, 2015 - The men's pool matchups for the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships The Netherlands 2015 were determined here Monday at the Mauritshuis art museum with the Drawing of Lots for the 12 groups of four teams each for the preliminary phase of the competition.

THE COMPETITION

With men’s pairs from 28 countries from the five FIVB confederations competing in the 10th annual FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, the 48 teams will start play June 26 at four sites in The Netherlands - The Hague, Amsterdam, Apeldoorn and Rotterdam. The 48-team women’s competition will be held at the same time.

MLS and Abu Dhabi Sports Channel Partner to Broadcast MLS in the Middle East and North Africa

3/31/2015

Four-year deal includes regular season, Playoffs, AT&T MLS All-Star Game and MLS Cup rights

NEW YORK (Monday, March 30, 2015) – Major League Soccer (MLS) announced today that it has partnered with Abu Dhabi Sports Channel, owned by Abu Dhabi Media Company, to televise league matches live across the Middle East and North Africa, reaching 25 countries throughout the region. This marks the first time MLS matches will be telecast on Abu Dhabi Sports Channels.

As part of this four-year agreement, starting with the 2015 season, the United Arab Emirates based broadcaster will telecast at least two MLS regular season matches per week, as well as the AT&T MLS All-Star Game, the MLS Cup Playoffs and MLS Cup, on the Abu Dhabi Sports Channels (Abu Dhabi Al Riyadiya and Abu Dhabi Al Riyadiya 2). In addition, the broadcaster will have exclusive rights to pay and free-to-air (FTA) TV, including digital live streaming of MLS matches, allowing for unprecedented coverage across the region.

MLS and adidas to Host Inaugural U-12 Small-Sided Tournament as Part of the 2014-15 Generation adidas Cup

3/31/2015

7-v-7 tournament to feature eight MLS academies, along with Mexican side Queretaro FC and Club America’s U.S. affiliate

NEW YORK, NY (Monday, March 30, 2015) – Major League Soccer today announced that it will host an inaugural small-sided U-12 tournament in conjunction with the 2014-15 Generation adidas Cup in Frisco, Texas from April 2-4. Eight MLS academies will participate in the 7-v-7 competition, along with Mexican club Queretaro FC and Club America USA – the U.S.-based affiliate of the Mexican giant. The three-day tournament will be held at FC Dallas’ Toyota Soccer Center.

“MLS supports the small-sided game initiative and believes it to be a cornerstone of the development of future elite soccer players. It is important for MLS clubs to identify the most talented and skillful players at a young age and, through small-sided games, begin to guide their technical and tactical understanding of the game,” said MLS Technical Director of Player Programs Alfonso Mondelo.

The Hague - the new capital of beach volleyball

3/31/2015

The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships host city The Hague has been a regular site for the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour

The Hague, the Netherlands, March 30, 2015 – The President of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Dr. Ary S. Graça F° declared The Hague as the new capital of sport as he addressed guests at the Drawing of Lots for the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships The Netherlands 2015 in the Mauritshuis on Monday.

President Graça congratulated the initiative of the Netherlands Volleyball Federation for organizing the most important event in beach volleyball, which is held every two years, across four cities with Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Apeldoorn joining chief host city The Hague in staging the event from June 27 to July 3. The Hague will host the opening ceremony and matches on July 26 and the semifinals and finals from July 4 to 5.

Two clubs enter Week Five riding winning streaks

3/31/2015

D.C. United heads to Florida for the first time since 2001

Eras collide in this week’s edition of Viernes de Futbol (7 p.m. ET, UniMás), as Orlando City SC hosts one of Major League Soccer’s charter clubs, D.C. United. The Lions found themselves down 2-0 in the 27th minute of Saturday’s match in Montreal, but responded with a pair of goals in the 29th and 30th minutes. D.C. United may pose Orlando’s toughest task to date, however. The Black-and-Red have accrued six points through its first three matches, good for second-best in the Eastern Conference. Reigning Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year, Bill Hamid, picked up his second clean sheet of the season in Saturday’s dramatic 1-0 win over LA Galaxy. With both clubs coming off emotional matches, the stage is set for a fiery meeting under the lights on Friday night.

Unique new trophy unveiled for Beach Volleyball World Championships

3/31/2015

The Hague, the Netherlands, March 30, 2015 – A brand new FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships trophy was unveiled at The Netherlands 2015 Drawing of Lots in The Hague on Monday, with the first winners set to be crowned at the tournament later this year.

The new trophy, which took over 200 hours to create, takes on a similar concept to the FIVB Volleyball Men’s and Women’s World Championship trophy, but includes several elements to make it unique to beach volleyball.

Key stats

- Height: 43.95 cm

- Width: 14.34 cm

- Weight: 8.5 kg

Made of sand cast bronze, different refinement techniques were used to give the trophy a distinctive look.

Women's African Club Champs quarterfinal line-up complete

3/31/2015

Al Ahly were celebrating after reaching the African Club Championship last eight

Cairo, Egypt, March 29, 2015 – Egyptian sides Al Ahly and organisers Shams, defending champions GS Petroliers of Algeria, FAP of Cameroon, Revenue Authority of Rwanda and Uganda's Vision all booked their place in the 2015 Women's African Club Championship quarterfinals on Sunday.

They join Kenya Pipeline and Tunisia's Carthage, who had already qualified for the last eight that will take place in the October Hall in Cairo on Tuesday following a rest day on Monday. Shams will play Vision, Carthage meet Revenue, Ahly face FAP and Pipeline line up against GSP.

In Pool A hosts Shams secured their second win, against Saltigue of Senegal 3-0 (25-18, 25-13, 25-16) ahead of Rwandan side Revenue Authority, who finished second. Al Ahly meanwhile overpowered Kenya Commercial Bank 3-0 (25-18, 25-10, 25-23) to lead Pool B, followed by GSP in second place.

World’s Greatest Players Join Land Rover to Lend a Hand to the World’s Smallest Rugby Club

3/31/2015

International rugby stars including Land Rover ambassadors Jonny Wilkinson, Sir Clive Woodward, and Bryan Habana go back to their roots to lend a hand at a grassroots game
Event marks the global launch of Land Rover’s Rugby World Cup 2015 sponsorship campaign, ‘We Deal In Real’
Land Rover, a Worldwide Partner of Rugby World Cup 2015, is putting grassroots at the heart of its campaign
Land Rover shares the same passion, resolve and integrity that sits within the core of Rugby

Whitley, UK, March 29th 2015 – Land Rover yesterday launched its Rugby World Cup 2015 campaign by asking some of its most high-profile Rugby ambassadors to lend a hand at a grassroots match in Hampshire, England.

Rewarding amateur side Racal Decca RFC, recognised as the 'Smallest Rugby Club in the World', for its commitment to Rugby, Land Rover provided a host of the game’s biggest names to assist in the routine matchday preparations and give the side a once in a lifetime experience.

African friendlies round-up: Senegal beat Ghana, DRC lose

3/30/2015

Substitute Moussa Konate scored twice as Senegal confirmed their dominance over Ghana with a 2-1 friendly international victory in France on Saturday.

Konate replaced recalled Demba Ba just past the hour mark and struck twice within 11 minutes as the Teranga Lions repeated a 2-1 win over the Black Stars at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

Switzerland-based Konate brought his impressive club form to the Stade Oceane in the northern city of Le Havre having scored 11 goals in 17 appearances for Sion this season.