Real de Banjul head coach Alagie Sarr has stepped down from his role as manager of the team with immediate effect.

Alhagie Sarr, who is arguably the most successful coach locally in The Gambia, guided the City Boys to their first title in five years last year after scooping the 2011/2012 GFA League Division One.

In a statement released on their website, the club said it is sadden to announce that their coach has resigned from his post but were quick to wish him well in his future as well as revealing that his assistant coach, Baboucarr Coker, will take charge of the team until the end of the season.

Sibusiso Zuma proved he is still a predator at 37 by scoring the two goals that took SuperSport United of South Africa into the final qualifying round of the CAF Confederation Cup this weekend.

The 2002 World Cup midfielder, who stood out in the past with his dyed blond hair, struck on 30 minutes and converted a stoppage-time penalty to earn his team a 2-0 home win over Angolan visitors Petro Atletico.

Unlucky not to win the goalless first leg in Luanda three weeks ago, United dominated most of the last-32, second leg at Lucas 'Masterpieces' Moripe stadium in Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria.

Tunisian referee Slim Jdidi is on Fifa's World Cup shortlist despite being suspended for his performance in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Jdidi was banned indefinitely by the Confederation of African Football after he made a series of errors in the semi-final between Burkina Faso and Ghana.

His biggest mistake was sending off Burkinabe Jonathan Pitropia but the decision was quickly overturned by Caf.

Since the 6 February match Jdidi has only refereed in Tunisia's Ligue 1.

But world governing body Fifa has invited him, along with six other prospective World Cup referees from Africa, to attend a seminar in Casablanca from 27-30 April, the latest in a series of training camps, seminars and tests for those being considered to officiate in Brazil next year.

Several of the favourites in Africa’s qualifiers for the 2014 Fifa World Cup Brazil struggled on the third matchday of the group stage, now at the half-way point.

Morocco's loss in Tanzania was the biggest surprise, while 2012 African champions Zambia were held to a draw in Lesotho and Senegal and new African kings Nigeria were held at home. As only the ten group winners advance to the final round of qualifying, the dropped points will undoubtedly increase the pressure and the chances of a major shock moving forward.

The Super Eagles were expected to enjoy a bit of a walk in the park at home against their East African opponents, however, it turned out to be anything but as 20-year-old Kahata gave the visitors the lead when he scored direct from a free-kick.

Cote D’Ivoire defeated visiting Gambia 3-0 on Saturday in Abidjan in the 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifying to consolidate their lead in Group C with seven points.

The Dutch Eredivisie current top scorer Bony Wilfried opened the scoring for the continent’s number one team before one each from Manchester City’s Yaya Toure and former Chelsea winger Salomon Kalou sealed the Elephants’ exhilarating victory that to some extent reconciled the team with local fans after their debacle at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

Team captain Didier Drogba was missing in action after he was dropped by coach Sabri Lamouchi due to an unconvincing form, and his absence was greatly felt during the first half when the home side struggled against the lowly Scorpions, who succeeded in impeaching the star-studded outfit to play a settled and constructive game.

African champions Nigeria can take complete command of Group F with a win at home to Kenya on Saturday in the second round of qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup.

The Super Eagles lead the way in their group on four points from two games and are 33 places higher than Kenya in the Confederation of African Football rankings.

Nigeria also have home advantage and there is a three-point gap between the teams.

The Super Eagles beat Namibia at home and held Malawi away last June, while the Harambee Stars secured only one after a home draw against Malawi and a loss in Namibia.

The Scorpions of the Gambia prepare for the resumption of their Brazil World Cup qualifier against the Elephants of Ivory Coast this weekend with a 3-1 thumping of Niger on Wednesday night. The win was Mancini's first since been appointed as coach last year.

The Gambian side under the tutelage of Italian Luciano Mancini has been preparing for the crunch game against the star-studded Ivorians with a four-day mini training camp in Niamey, Niger.

Just like The Gambia, the Menas of Niger are also involved in a World Cup qualifier and will play away to 2013 Nations Cup finalists, Burkina Faso on Saturday. And ahead of the weekend games, the two sides agreed to test their laurels against each other as preparations for the crunch ties.

Egypt's Ismaily needed two late goals to break down a resilient Terrible CO side, beating the Madagascar club 2-0 in Alexandria in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup round of 32 on Sunday.

The Dervishes scored in a three-minute second-half spell to ensure they would head into the second leg in a fortnight as favourites to reach the last 16 of Africa's secondary club competition.

Midfielder Ahmed Khairy broke the deadlock in the 77th minute with a precise shot from inside the area.

Ghanaian forward John Antwi, 20, doubled the lead with 10 minutes remaining when he skillfully skipped past a challenger, burst into the area and fired home from a tight angle.

Tunisian duo CS Sfaxien and Etoile du Sahel face daunting tests in this weekend’s first leg matches of the 1/16 th round of the 2103 Orange CAF Confederation Cup against West African opponents.
 
Sfaxien and Etoile, who both drew a bye at the prelims get their first feel of the second-tier continental club championship with home games against Gamtel and Onze Createurs of Gambia and Mali respectively.
 
The two clubs, both former winners of the competition find themselves in dicey situations against opponents ranked nowhere near the big guns of continental football.

Gambia international midfielder Dawda Bah has made a return to Finland by joining Veikkausliiga [top-tier] club, Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS) on a one-year contract, Modou Beyai's blog revealed.

Dawda Bah was forced to look for a new club after German Bundesliga side FC Augsburg decided in January to terminate his contract, apparently for disciplinary reasons.

The decision followed a long injury layoff by the Gambian midfielder who made only one appearance for Augsburg as a late second half substitute, after his move there in August 2011 from Finnish Veikkausliiga side HJK Helsinki

He was reported to be on trial in Serbia last month with a top club, FK Vojvodina Novi Sad but nothing solid, came out of it and it now appears he’ll be keeping busy with KuPS for one year.