News - AFRICAN SPORTS MONTHLY

New York City FC seeks its high octane offense for inaugural home playoff game on FS1

10/31/2016

In need of a victory, New York City FC hopes the beginner’s luck continues when hosting its franchise first playoff home match on Sunday at Yankee Stadium vs. Toronto FC (6:30 p.m. ET, FS1/FOX Deportes/TSN). After falling behind 2-0 in the first leg, NYCFC will try to become only the third team ever, and first since 2004, to come back from a two-plus goal deficit and win a playoff series. Goals can be expected with NYCFC scoring a league-best 62 goals this season, while conceding 57, tops among all teams qualifying for MLS Cup Playoffs this season. With the two-goal deficit in mind, New York City FC has recorded seven victories of two-plus goals this season, including three of its final four regular season matches. MVP candidate David Villa will look to continue his tremendous form at Yankee Stadium after finishing with five goals and three assists over the team’s final five home matches this season.

The fans take centre stage

10/31/2016

© Getty Images
The Best FIFA Football Awards 2016™ promises to be a landmark occasion in the history of FIFA award ceremonies. For the very first time since the inaugural FIFA World Player Gala in 1991, football fans will be given a starring role in proceedings.

Postseason soccer hits the Big Apple in decisive leg of MLS Cup Playoff Conference Semifinals

10/31/2016

Soccer fever is hitting New York this week. After a scintillating first leg of Conference Semifinal action, the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs continue with four pivotal matchups on Sunday highlighted by a pair of contests in the Big Apple. With all four home teams winning in the first leg, home-field advantage will be all the more important as Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, New York City FC and New York Red Bulls get their chance to host the second and final leg of the series.

Mehedi vaults into 33rd position after Mirpur heroics

10/31/2016

Australia and South Africa aim for upward movement in their three-Test series; predictor function available here

Teenager Mehedi Hasan has rocketed into 33rd position in the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers after bowling Bangladesh to its first-ever Test victory over England which earned the home side a 1-1 series draw in Mirpur on Sunday.

Lions in impressive victory

10/31/2016

Hardus Viljoen produced an excellent spell of bowling to destroy the Warriors and earn the bizhub Highveld Lions a 148-run final day Sunfoil Series win at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday.

The Proteas fast bowler claimed 5/29 in 11.1 overs to help blow away the Eastern Cape side for 139 after they were set a difficult 288 for victory earlier in the day.

Kano Pillars win Zone 3 Championship, dominate awards

10/31/2016

Kano Pillars secured spot for the FIBA ACC Final round after a 5-0 unbeaten run in Lome,Togo

LOME (FIBA Africa Champions Cup 2016) – Once again, regional dominant Kano Pillars of Nigeria retained the FIBA Africa Champions Cup (ACC) 2016 Zone 3 Qualifiers.

The team led by Sani Ahmed kept a clean sheet as they rolled over ASPAC of Benin in the last game of the qualification in Lome, Togo.

Gazzaniga, creator of World Cup Trophy, passes away

10/31/2016

© FIFA.com

Silvio Gazzaniga, creator of the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy, passed away today in his home city of Milan at the age of 95.

FIFA probes Zimbabwe again

10/31/2016

FIFA has asked Zifa to submit the controversial constitutional amendments proposed by the Southern Region for assessment to see if they are compatible with the world football governing body’s statutes.

Zifa Southern Region board member Tumediso Mokoena Ndlovu, acting Zifa Bulawayo Metropolitan Province chairman Francis Ntuta and Zifa Matabeleland North chairman Denis Tshuma are signatories of the controversial document titled “Proposed amendments to the constitution from the Southern Region” that was sent to the national association.

Madagascar's children reaping rewards from FIBA Foundation's development project

10/31/2016

The project undertaken by FIBA's Foundation to help impoverished children in Madagascar has entered its second phase

ANTANANARIVO - Earlier this year, the International Basketball Foundation (IBF) launched a humanitarian project to help impoverished children in Madagascar, by making a difference in their lives through basketball and the promotion of education.

Ferroviario Beira crowned Mozambican league champions

10/31/2016

Ferroviaro da Beira has officially been crowned champions of Mozambican elite division ‘Moçambola’ for the 2016 season.

Founded in 1924, Beira won the championship after defeating Desportivo de Maputo 2-1 in the ultimate match of the season on Saturday. The victory took their tally to 61 points from 30 games, six more than rivals UDS Songo who lost 2-0 at mid table side, Ferroviário Nacala.

Fate Tola has good reason to be cheerful after winning German title in Mainova Frankfurt Marathon

10/31/2016

Photo credit: www.photorun.net

After Fate Tola had closed the gap on the eventual women’s winner, Ethiopia’s Mamitu Daska, to just 15 seconds at the finish in Frankfurt’s Festhalle, she was asked if she might have made up the difference on another day. “Oh yes,” came the swift reply, accompanied by a beaming smile from the woman who had just won her first German marathon title with her time of 2:25:42 in Sunday’s Mainova Frankfurt Marathon.

Colombo to host ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2017

10/31/2016

David Richardson: “I am confident that next year’s qualifying event will give further impetus to the women’s game”

With 100 days to go until the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2017 gets underway, Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo was today unveiled as the host of the 10-team event which will be staged from 7 to 21 February 2017.

Colorado Rapids banking on continued stellar home form in face of streaking LA Galaxy on ESPN

10/31/2016

While Colorado’s 1-0 loss at LA Galaxy was not an ideal outcome, the Rapids appear as likely as any team to climb out of its first leg deficit when returning home for the second leg on Sunday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, where it finished the season undefeated, just the fifth team in MLS history to accomplish the feat (2 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN Deportes/TSN).

Caps United opens two points lead in Zim PSL title run

10/31/2016

Caps United have opened up a 2-point lead at the summit of the premiership standings after Highlanders crashed to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Tsholotsho FC.

CMA elects new board members

10/31/2016

The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has confirmed that it has elected five new board members, in compliance with its constitution, at its annual general meeting on 26th October 2016. The electoral process was overseen by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa.

2016 MLS Cup host scenarios begin to unfold

10/31/2016

After the results of the first legs of the conference semifinals, possibilities have increased an Eastern Conference club could play host to 2016 MLS Cup.

Broadcast Schedule for Second Legs of Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs Conference Semifinals Announced

10/31/2016

NEW YORK, NY (October 31, 2016) – Major League Soccer, in conjunction with its national broadcast partners, tonight announced the schedule for the second legs of the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs Conference Semifinals, to be played on Sunday, November 6. All four match times have shifted one hour earlier than previously listed, with the first match of the day kicking off at 2 p.m. ET.

Bafana Bafana to face Mozambique in an international friendly

10/31/2016

28 October 2016 – Bafana Bafana will face Mozambique in an international friendly match on Tuesday, 15 November 2016.

The clash will take place at the 45-thousand seater Estadio do Zimpeto in Maputo.

Kickoff is at 19h00.

FC Dallas needs to make history vs. Seattle Sounders FC in order to continue elusive treble hunt on FS1

10/31/2016

While FC Dallas’ bid for a historic treble took a major hit in the first leg of the Western Conference semifinals with a 3-0 loss at Seattle Sounders FC the squad has continuously proven its mettle at home with an impressive 12-1-4 record this season and will need more of the same for Sunday’s second leg at Toyota Stadium (9 p.m. ET, FS1/FOX Deportes/TSN). No MLS team has ever completed a comeback from a three-plus goal deficit after the first leg of a playoff series, but Dallas is no ordinary squad, becoming the first club in league history to record consecutive 60-plus point seasons. It’s been a tale of two seasons for Dallas and Seattle depending on the host, with Sounders FC winning 5-0 at CenturyLink field on July 13 in addition to Sunday’s first leg victory, while Dallas has compiled a pair of home victories this season — a 2-0 result on May 14 and a 2-1 win on October 16.

Alisports invests with World Rugby in China

10/31/2016

Image: Brett Gosper'

Alibaba is set to invest £82m ($100m) into Chinese rugby over the next ten years in a joint initiative with World Rugby to grow the game in the country.

The Return of Joseph Agbeko

10/31/2016

Two-time world bantamweight champion, Agbeko ( 30-5,23 KO’s), defeated Juma in a clash at the Accra sports stadium on Friday night in a fight mainly targeted at promoting peace ahead of the 2016 general election.

Ghanaian boxer Joseph Agbeko put on a dominant performance to claim a unanimous decision victory over Tanzanian fighter Haji Mwalugo Juma Agbeko (30-5,23 KO’s), proved too slick and technically astute as he boxed his way to a unanimous points victory over the Tanzanian boxer in an entertaining affair in Accra.

Soweto derby ends in dull stalemate

10/31/2016

Much was expected from the first Soweto derby of the 2016/17 Absa Premiership season when Orlando Pirates hosted their all time rivals, Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium on Saturday. The fixture failed to match the previous exciting encounters that have seen this game being recognised across the globe.

Mashaba makes changes for Senegal WC qualifier

10/31/2016

27 October 2016 – Bafana Bafana head coach Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba has announced his 25-man squad to face Senegal in the second match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia qualifiers.

The clash is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 12 November 2016 at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

StarTimes Network To Support GHALCA G-6

10/31/2016

The Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) has agreed a four-year Television Right deal with Pay TV operators, StarTimes (Ghana) for the broadcast of the upcoming GHALCA G-6 tournament.

The deal is worth GH¢400,000 and as part of the agreement, all six participating clubs in the GHALCA G-6 competition will receive products from the StarTimes Network as well as each best player receiving a decoder after a match.

Teams converge on Los Angeles as USA hosts maiden ICC divisional event

10/31/2016

Oman captain Ajay Lalcheta: “This will obviously be much higher than Division 5 but we have prepared well”

Six international teams will be hoping to give the game an impetus in their countries by making a mark in the ICC World Cricket League Division 4 which gets underway at the Woodley Park in Los Angeles, as the United States of America plays host to such an event for the first time.