Mali include Auxerre's Coulibaly

30/09/2011

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Adama Coulibaly
Mali coach Alain Giresse has included Adama Coulibaly in his squad to play Liberia in a crucial 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on 8 October.

The Auxerre defender is only due to return from a thigh strain a few days before the game in Monrovia.

He has missed two league games so far and will sit out Saturday's clash with Saint Etienne.

The Eagles top Group A and a win in Liberia guarantees them a place at the finals in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Barcelona's Seydou Keita is once again included in the 24-man squad but there is still no place for Freiburg striker Garra Dembele.
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El Amrani new CAF Secretary General

30/09/2011

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Hicham El Amrani
Hicham El Amrani has been confirmed as the new Secretary General of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). 

The Confederation announced the appointment at its executive committee meeting in Cairo, Egypt. The 32-year-old Moroccan joined the continental body in March 2009 as deputy Secretary General and had been acting secretary general for nearly a year after Egypt's Mustapha Fahmy left to join FIFA as the global body's director of competitions.
 
In other news from the meeting, CAF confirmed that it would introduce a new licence for clubs from the start of the 2012-13 season.
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Gervinho has faith in Arsenal

30/09/2011

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Gervinho
Cote d'Ivoire international Gervinho believes Arsenal will bounce back from their current pains occasioned by the exodus of some of the club's top players in the summer transfer window.

Gervinho arrived from Lille this season only to witness the exits of key players like Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy, with skipper Robin van Persie reportedly set to join the departing lot in January.

But the former Lille star,  who believes he can help the Gunners end their protracted trophy drought, is unfazed, insisting it's the way of the game.
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Obi relishes huge role at Inter

30/09/2011

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Joel Obi (L)
Young Nigeria midfielder Joel Obi says he is excited about his growing influence in the first team of Inter Milan, but is under no illusions as to the difficulty of keeping his place.

The 20-year-old has become a starter for the Nerazzurri in the current campaign, but with left-footed midfielders like Ghana's Sulley Muntari and Argentina's Ricardo Alvarez circling, Obi knows he has his work cut out for him.

"I am doing to the best of my abilities. It is a great feeling and a good thing to play regularly and play in the first team of Inter Milan but I will confess to you that it is not easy playing in the Inter first team," he told Mtnfootball.com.
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Africans on target in Europa Cup ties

30/09/2011

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Joseph Akpala
It was a mellow evening for African goal poachers as only four found the back of the net in the UEFA Europa Cup games played on Thursday.

Zimbabwean striker Mike Temwanjira helped his side Vaslui earn a point at home to Swiss side FC Zurich after a 2:2 draw. The 29-year-old struck on 77 minutes to give the Romanians a 2:1 lead, but Zurich leveled two minutes later.

Nigeria striker Ideye Brown netted after just nine minutes for Ukrainian side Dynamo Kyiv who drew 1:1 at Israeli side Maccabi Haifa. The goal ended a barren run for the 22-year-old that stretched eight games in all competitions.
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Trabelsi picks Tunisia squad for Togo qualifier

29/09/2011

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Saber Khelifa
Tunisian national team coach Sami Trablesi has announced a 24-man roster that will begin preparations next week for the Carthage Eagles’ final 2012 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against Togo on October 8.

A notable addition to the team is Evian striker Saber Khelifa who was absent from the national team setup due to a long period of inactivity at club level due to contractual issues with Esperance. However, more recently, he’s been stringing together positive performances for his new side in France and his return to form has not gone unnoticed.

Another returnee is Montpellier’s Jamel Saihi whose continued omission from Trabelsi’s otherwise widely accepted roster decisions were confounding observers who believed the team could have benefitted from the player’s presence in their last qualifier against Malawi in Blantyre.
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Caf postpones decision on Zengue's eligibility

29/09/2011

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Herve Zengue
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has delayed making a decision upon the eligibility of Cameroon-born Herve Zengue to play for Burkina Faso.

Zengue's nationality is key to deciding whether Burkina Faso or Namibia qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

Caf has revealed that it has postponed any decision 'in order to obtain more information and determine [Zengue's] qualification or non qualification'.

Namibia stand to qualify for January's finals should their protest be upheld.

At present, Burkina Faso's nine points are good enough to qualify them from three-team Group F.
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Ghana drop Ayew, Kingson for Sudan

29/09/2011

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Richard Kingson
Ghana coach Goran Stevanovic has dropped key players Andre Ayew and goalkeeper Richard Kingson for next week’s crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sudan.

The Serbian handed debuts calls to Genoa left-back Massawudu Alhassan and Asante Kotoko right-back Yaw Frimpong.

Norway-based midfielder Abu Mohammed is also in the squad to face to play the 8 October game in Khartoum.

As predicted by MTNFootball.com on Wednesday morning, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie returns to the squad after one-year absence.
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Ayew two solid in Dortmund rout

29/09/2011

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Alou Diarra and André Ayew
Ghana midfielder Andre Ayew was dangerous for Olympique Marseille all evening and fittingly bagged a superb double as they spanked Borussia Dortmund 3:0 in a UEFA Champions League tie at the Stade Velodrome on Wednesday.

Both goals were the 21-year-old's first in Europe and came either side of a fine Loic Remy strike. The win kept Marseille at the summit of their group with a maximum six points from two games.

Andre's beautiful evening was slightly marred by the sending off of younger brother Jordan Ayew for a second yellow in the 92nd minute after joining the action in the 72nd minute.
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Premier Soccer League: Game week 7 - Review

29/09/2011

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Glen Salmon and Moffat Mdluli
Round seven of the Absa Premiership wrapped up on Wednesday evening and SuperSport United still top the log, though their lead is a slim one – the top six teams are separated by just two points.

Matsatsantsa were held to a 1-1 draw away to Moroka Swallows, with Glen Salmon’s first goal of the season cancelled out by a strike for veteran midfielder MacBeth Sibaya. That result should have been the open door Kaizer Chiefs needed for a return to the top of the log, but they were stunned by Golden Arrows at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.

First half goals from Collins Mbesuma and Musa Bilankulu put the Durban team in charge of the game, and though Amakhosi pulled one back through George Lebese early in the second stanza, it was enough to deny Abafana Bes’thende a result which hands coach Ernst Middendorp a stay of execution.
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