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Nigeria survived a second-half onslaught to beat Mali 3-2 at the African 2016 Olympic Games football qualifying tournament in Senegal and complete a joyful weekend for coach Samson Siasia. The mother of former national team star Siasia was released Saturday 12 days after being kidnapped from a southern Nigerian village by gunmen on a motorbike.

Siasia, who was in Gambia preparing the Olympic hopefuls when the abduction occurred, said he had spoken to his "happy" 72-year-old mother before the Mali match. The coach watched his team survive an early scare to build a 3-0 half-time lead at Stade Caroline Faye in coastal city M'Bour in the second match of a Group B double-header.

Nigeria survived a late scare from Mali with a 3-2 win in their Group B clash on Sunday at the Caroline Faye Stadium, M’Bour.
 
A three goal lead at half time put Nigeria on the path of victory only for a spirited second half performance by the Malians saw them reduce the deficit with two quick goals, but the equalizer remained elusive.
 
Tunisia-based Junior Ajayi scored the opener on 16 minutes by finishing off an assist from Sopuruchi Augustine, to give the Dream Team a deserving lead during the balanced opening minutes.

2015 Best XI Kei Kamara of Columbus Crew and Dax McCarthy of New York Red Bulls in photo above
Ten players earned first-ever nomination; Eight MLS clubs and seven nationalities represented 

NEW YORK (Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015) – Major League Soccer today unveiled the 2015 MLS Best XI, which recognizes the League’s top 11 players in a common soccer formation as nominated by MLS players, club management, and media. The 2015 Best XI features 10 first-ever selections and includes players from eight MLS clubs who have represented seven different senior national teams.  

Cheick Oumar Kone (Head Coach, Mali)
We started very badly, but in the second half we played collectively. We lifted up our game and scored twice. We could have equalized but we failed to convert some of the chances. Such is football; you get punished if you fail to take your chances. Our next game against Algeria will be equally difficult. They are beatable but we have to avoid mistakes like we did today.

Hossam Al Badri (Head Coach, Egypt)

The way we started gave Algeria space to play. They were very careful in the first half and defended well. They kept four players behind. Also, we couldn’t score from the chances that we created in the first half. The goal they scored came out of nothing. The first game is finished and we will now think of the next match, against Nigeria on Wednesday.

© AFP
Ammar Jemal scored in the first half to give hosts Etoile Sahel of Tunisia a 1-0 victory over Orlando Pirates of South Africa on Sunday to lift the CAF Confederation Cup. Etoile triumphed 2-1 on aggregate in the final of the second-tier African club competition following a 1-1 first-leg draw in Soweto last Saturday.

Jemal, 28, a centre-back who has played in Switzerland, Germany, France and Saudi Arabia, also scored in South Africa, both from set-pieces. His second-leg goal at Stade Olympique in Mediterranean resort Sousse was not pretty, but the most important of his nine-year senior career as it gave Etoile a ninth CAF title.

The Commonwealth sporting movement will play a key role in engaging and inspiring the next generation of Commonwealth citizens, its president pledged today. Addressing senior government and civic leaders at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Malta (Sunday, November 29) recently-elected Commonwealth Games Federation President, Louise Martin, shared the movement’s ambitions for transformational change – and an impact that reaches far beyond the Commonwealth Games spectacle. She urged Commonwealth leaders to support their Games Associations, sports leaders and athletes and put them at the vanguard of making Commonwealth goals a reality for citizens and communities.

Maria, Serena, Simona - they're the Top 3, but in what order? Three players who weren't Top 10 on the year-end rankings are in this Top 10 - who are they? Find out now!

Published November 27, 2015 12:15
All week we've been counting down the 50 most clicked on players on wtatennis.com this year. We covered 50 to 41 on Monday, 40 to 31 on Tuesday, 30 to 21 on Wednesday and 20 to 11 on Thursday, and we're finally at the countdown of all countdowns - the Top 10 Most Popular Players Of 2015.

So let's get right into it, and right now - here are your Top 10 Most Popular Players Of 2015!

Serigne Saliou Dia (Head Coach, South Africa)
It was not easy for us because South Africa played well and they created good chances, but we managed to defend well. It was important that we started with a win as host. Coming into the game, we knew little about the South Africa team but as the match went on, we knew how to play them. We changed our player (Ibrahima Diedhiou) because he could have been shown a straight red card for the penalty he gave away, but that was to protect him for the coming games.

Host Senegal got off their campaign to a winning start beating South Africa 3-1 in their opening Group A match of the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday at the Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium, Dakar.
 
Leading marksman Ibrahima Keita netted a first half brace before substitute Issa Sarr sealed victory in the dying embers of the game. In between, Phumlani Ntshangase grabbed a consolation for the South Africans.

29 November 2015 – Head coach of the South African Men’s u23 National Team Owen da Gama believes all is not lost after his side went down 3-1 to Senegal in the opening match of the CAF u23 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

The clash took place on Saturday, 28 November at the Leopold Senghor Stadium in Dakar.

“There is no excuse, we all have to shoulder the blame. At the end of the day we should have taken our chances. People are saying we played well but then again you don’t get points for playing good football. Unfortunately on the day some players did not pitch up which had a massive influence on the game and impacted on the rest of the team,” said Da Gama.

28 November 2015 – The South African Men’s u23 National Team got their Olympic dream campaign off to a bad start when they lost 3-1 to hosts Senegal in the opening match of the CAF u23 Africa Cup of Nations tournament currently underway in Senegal.

The clash took place on Saturday, 28 November at the Léopold Senghor Stadium in Dakar.

Played in front of a very poor crowd, the visitors were punished as early as the 15th minute when captain Kwanda Mngonyama was beaten for pace and pulled his man down – the referee Redouane Jiyed from Morocco didn’t hesitate and gave a penalty.

MIES, Switzerland - FIBA on Friday announced the suspension of the Mexican Basketball Federation (ADEMEBA) due to the unresolved institutional situation that the national governing body is currently experiencing.
 
Over the summer, FIBA and FIBA Americas representatives met with the Mexican Minister for Sport who confirmed that the Mexican state authorities in charge of sport (CONADE) would be in a position to formally recognise ADEMEBA within a period of several weeks. 

Striker Haithem Jouini scored in either half to power Tunisia to a 2-1 win over Zambia in their Group A match on Saturday at the Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium, Dakar.
 
The Esperance forward scored the winner six minutes from time to hand the Olympic Carthage Eagles a perfect start at the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations underway in Senegal. Earlier, Ronald Kampamba had cancelled Jouini’s fourth minute opener with a spectacular long shot just around the centre mark.

Kazakhstan's 2014 Asian Games champion Anton Pinchuk and Germany's David Graf went toe-to-toe in Dusseldorf on Saturday evening in the APB heavyweight ranking curtain-raiser for the hotly anticipated bout between Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschko.

Graf had won both his recent APB bouts over the summer and Pinchuk had gone 5-2 since October 2014 in the run-up to the match, and it was a suitably tight affair in the city’s Esprit Arena between two superb boxers.

Former ASBC Asian Champion Pinchuk began at a more considered pace as he looked to conserve his energies for the latter stages of the eight-round contest, but he soon found his range and rhythm in the second round, delivering several powerful blows that the German could not reply to.

Ahead of the opening matches of Group B, Cafonline.com has been talking to the coaches of the four teams on their expectations;
 
Egypt vs Algeria, 15H00 GMT, Caroline Faye Stadium (M’Bour)00
Hossam Al Badri (Head Coach, Egypt)
It will be a very difficult match. There is always a tradition in matches between the two sides, at any level. A very difficult match to start a competition with, but we are hoping for a positive start. We had a few injuries, Saleh Gomaa, who is out and the replacement is equally capable. We are looking forward to a good game against Algeria.

Ibrahima Sory Keita and Haithem Jouini scored twice each as hosts Senegal and Tunisia made winning starts in the African 2016 Olympic Games football qualifying tournament.

Keita struck twice within six first-half minutes to help Senegal overcome South Africa 3-1 in the opening match of Group A and the 15-day competition at Stade Leopold Sedar Senghor in Dakar. The second game of a double-header at the 60,000-seat national stadium was closer with Jouini completing his brace six minutes from time to earn Tunisia a 2-1 win over Zambia.

South Africa were the more impressive side before falling behind when Keita converted a 16th-minute penalty after flying winger Ismaila Sarr was pushed off the ball. When the visitors conceded possession cheaply in midfield soon after, Samba Ndiaye set up Keita to score again with a close-range flick past goalkeeper Ricardo Goss.

Fighton Simukonda (Head Coach, Zambia)

The game was 50-50 but Tunisia used their last chance and they scored. Otherwise, we could've also carried the day. We had about two/three chances which we missed.

In football, you miss some and you convert some but we regretted that we've lost the game. We had chances to score but at the end of day Tunisia were lucky and they scored.

After losing today's game, we've to go back to the drawing board and make sure that we win the two remaining games to be in contention.

The International Cricket Council today confirmed that an independent assessment has found the bowling action of West Indies Sunil Narine to be illegal and, as such, the off-spinner has been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect.
 
In accordance with Article 6.1 of the regulations, Narine’s international suspension will also be recognised and enforced by all National Cricket Federations within domestic cricket events played in their own jurisdiction, save that, with the consent of the West Indies Cricket Board, Narine may be able to play in domestic cricket events played under the auspices of the West Indies Cricket Board.

The next generation of Commonwealth sports stars and leaders will gain a first taste of representing their nations and territories in the next two editions of The Commonwealth Youth Games which the Bahamas and Northern Ireland have each formally expressed interest in hosting, it will be announced today (Sunday, November 29).

In her address to delegates at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Malta, Louise Martin CBE, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is to reveal that the Bahamas has formally expressed interest to host the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games, with Northern Ireland keen to host the 2021 Commonwealth Youth Games.

Photo Courtesy: Soccerladuma.com

28 November 2015 – Head coach of the South African Men’s u23 National Team, Owen da Gama has announced his starting eleven for the CAF u23 Africa Cup of Nations opening clash against hosts Senegal.

The tournament gets underway this afternoon (Saturday, 28 November) at the Léopold Senghor Stadium in Dakar.

Kickoff is at 17h00 South African time (15h00 local time).

Three teams namely Egypt, Mali and Nigeria have made changes to their squad lists ahead of the opening matches of the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations Senegal 2015.
 
The changes were done in accordance with Article 66.2 of the regulations of the tournament which states “A player on the final list cannot be replaced unless seriously injured at the latest twenty-four hours (24) at least before the beginning of the first match of his team. The CAF medical Committee must approve his substitution in writing, after reception and approval of a detailed medical certificate. CAF medical Committee shall write a certificate attesting that the wound is sufficiently serious to prevent the player from participating at the U-23 AFCON and will submit this certificate to the organizing Committee for approval.

When Africa's eight best teams meet in Senegal to contest the CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations beginning this weekend, they will be playing for much more than continental bragging rights. On offer is a much bigger prize: three tickets to the Men's Olympic Football Tournament next summer in Rio de Janeiro.

The two finalists and the winner of the third place play-off match will represent the continent at next year's Olympic games, and one thing is for sure: Africa will not be sending a rookie to Rio as all eight teams participating in Senegal have already competed at the Olympics and therefore firmly know what is at stake.

The second edition of the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on Sunday, 28 November 2015 with host Senegal facing South Africa at the Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium, Dakar.
 
An interesting encounter will be expected with both teams eyeing a positive start to their campaign at the tournament that will give birth to the three continent’s representatives for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The South African Football Coaches Association (SAFCA) has acknowledged with deep regret and outrage a series of unacceptable policies, procedures and actions employed by several foreign programs that allegedly are offered to assist in the development of South African (SA) youth football and coaching. The large scale of negative reactions from SA coaches, parents and football fans attest to this predicament.