World football ruling body, Fifa has finally cleared Shola Ameobi and Victor Moses to play for
Nigeria’s Super Eagles at international level after months of wait.
Spokesman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ademola Olajire, confirmed that two separate documents were sent by Fifa on Monday evening stating that the two players can now feature for the West African country.
The clearance came against the backdrop of documents made available by the English Football Association and the NFF.
“In separate documents on the two players sent to the Nigeria Football Federation on Monday evening, Fifa declared that both players have been cleared based on the entire documentation remitted by the NFF and the Football Association,” Olajire informed.
Nathaniel Asamoah of Asante Kotoko
Some of African club football’s venerable old names are back to the fore in domestic action as early season leaders in Egypt are Africa’s most successful club Al Ahly, closely followed by perennial rivals Zamalek. In Ghana, it is former continental champions Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak who are at the helm. SuperSport United remain unbeaten in South Africa as they seek a fourth title in five seasons, and the race is Kenya is reaching fever pitch – with two clubs left in the race.
Egypt Premier League: Al Ahly edge in front
Seven-time champions on the trot, Al Ahly have moved to the top of the table, going one point clear of a host of teams after beating Al Ittihad 2-0 in Alexandria. Zamalek are in second ahead of Police Union after beating them 3-1 to already re-establish the traditional pecking order in Egyptian club football. Zamalek also have a game in hand and have sent out a clear warning about their attacking potential with 10 goals scored in their first three games.
Mauritius
Mauritius have pulled out of qualifying for the qualifiers for
2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The decision means their opponents Liberia get a bye into the group stage of the qualifiers for Africa.
Fifa announced the 189th-ranked Mauritius' withdrawal without specifying reasons.
"Mauritius have announced their withdrawal from the preliminary competition for the 2014 Fifa World Cup," Fifa said in a statement.
Mauritius, which was chosen to host the 2013 Fifa Congress, was drawn to play Liberia in a home-and-away series on 11 and 15 November.
Salomon Kalou
Didier Drogba, the Toure brothers, and Salomon Kalou have been named in
Ivory Coast's squad for next month's Nelson Mandela Challenge clash with South Africa.
The Elephants, ranked number one in Africa, will tackle Bafana Bafana at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on 12 November.
In last year's friendly duel, Bafana lost 1-0 to USA at Cape Town Stadium.
Dr Robin Petersen, the CEO of SAFA, expects a tough encounter.
He said: "We are really delighted to have managed to secure an opponent of the calibre of the Ivory Coast. They are number one on the continent, which is a clear indication that it will not be an easy day in the office.
Stanley Tshosane
Botswana coach Stanley Tshosane says they will take all their confidence from a superb qualifying campaign into the 2
012 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Zebras were drawn alongside Ghana plus Guinea and Mali in Group D of Equatorial Guinea and Gabon 2012.
"We have confidence because when we started [qualifying] we were underdogs, just like we are now," Tshosane said.
Botswana sailed through
Group K of the preliminary competition, beating teams like Tunisia and Togo on the way.
The coach said the secret to their qualification campaign had been good preparation and he planned to continue the same way at the tournament.
Chems Eddine Chtibi
A stoppage time goal by Chemseddine Chtebi Sunday night lifted Maghreb de Fes of Morocco to the final of this year’s CAF Confederation Cup at the expense of Angola’s Interclube.
MAS won the CAF Confederation Cup semi-final return leg 1-0 to qualify for the final against Club Africain of Tunisia on the away goal rule having lost the first clash 2-1 in Luanda.
They will now be aiming to become the third Moroccan club to clinch Africa’s second-tier club competition after the conquest of Royal Armed Forces of Rabat in 2005 and FUS Rabat last year.
Chtebi, who missed the first leg in Angola through suspension, finally broke a resolute Interclube defence five minutes into stoppage time to take ‘The Tigers’ into an historic Confederation Cup final.
Emmanuel Emenike
It was a tale of two Nigeria forwards when Spartak Moscow hosted Lokomotiv Moscow in a Russian Premier League game on Saturday.
Emmanuel Emenike was the hero for Spartak netting a superb hat-trick to seal a 3:0 win, while compatriot Obinna Nsofor was given the marching orders for a second yellow card late on.
Emenike opened scoring with a simple tap-in in the second minute before doubling his side's advantage in the 15th minute. The Super Eagles star completed his hat-trick six minutes after the restart.
The goals took Emenike's haul to six in eight league appearances.
Tokelo Rantie
A goal three minutes from time from substitute Tokelo Rantie saw Orlando Pirates beat Jomo Cosmos 2-1 in an Absa Premiership match at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The loss for Cosmos means they are still yet to win a game in the PSL this season while Pirates are up to fifth on the table.
From the outset Cosmos knew chances would be few and far between and consequently they resulted to shooting on sight early on, but with very little effect.
Two such examples came from Siyabonga Nhlapo in the third and fifth minute respectively, but both shots from just outside the 18-yard area went well wide of the target.
Nyasha Mushekwi
Mamelodi Sundowns racked up their biggest win under the tenure of coach Johan Neeskens with a 5-1 thrashing of Black Leopards at Loftus Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Inspired by a brace from Nyasha Mushekwi, the Brazilians scored three goals in the last quarter of the match to bring up a morale-boosting victory that draws a line under their embarrassing defeat to Moroka Swallows in the Telkom Knockout last weekend.
Sundowns enjoyed more of the ball from early on but they struggled to find a rhythm in their attacking play, allowing Leopards to settle into the game and set out their stall to defend well and look to hit the hosts on the counter attack.
RSS Feed