Sadio Mane-inspired Senegal hope history does not repeat itself when they host unfancied Togo on Wednesday as the group phase of 2022 World Cup qualifying in Africa kicks off.

The last time the Senegalese Teranga Lions attempted to make successive appearances at the global football showcase they were upstaged as the Togolese Sparrowhawks went to the 2006 tournament instead.

Senegal had to wait until 2018 to grace the World Cup stage again and suffered a heart-breaking first-round exit, losing out to Japan on fair-play points.

The west African nation begin Group H, which also includes Congo Brazzaville and Namibia, as hot favourites to win the six-round mini-league and secure a place in the final qualifying round.

It is easy to see why as Mane is one of many stars coach Aliou Cisse can call on for the clash with Togo in Thies, a city 70 kilometres (44 miles) east of the capital, Dakar.

The Senegal ‘spine’ consists of Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Idrissa Gueye and Liverpool forward Mane.

But France-born Claude le Roy, known as the ‘godfather’ of African coaches having spent four decades working in the continent, had a warning for the star-stacked squad.

“Senegal are clear favourites to win the group, but favourites were created to be beaten,” the former Togo coach told reporters. “Across six rounds, you can have shocks.”

Le Roy was replaced this year by Paulo Duarte, one of three Portuguese coaches handling teams in the group phase, who previously guided Burkina Faso twice and Gabon.

– Algeria record –

Senegal are among 10 top seeds who have home advantage against bottom seeds in the opening matchday, which spans three days, with the second round starting on Sunday and continuing through Tuesday.

Algeria, who created an African record 27-match unbeaten run with a friendly win in Tunisia two months ago, host Djibouti in a match between nations 152 places apart in the world rankings.

While many observers fear the Riyad Mahrez-captained African champions could bury the minnows under a goal avalanche in Group A, France-born Djibouti coach Julien Mette is upbeat.

“I believed before the draw there was a good chance we would get Algeria. It is a beautiful story for us, the ultimate minnows, to face the champions of Africa,” he says.

Seeking a fourth straight World Cup appearance, Nigeria will look to Premier League forwards Kelechi Iheanacho of Leicester City and Alex Iwobi of Everton for Group C goals against Liberia in Lagos.

This section is completed by the Central African Republic and Cape Verde, who get the group phase under way on Wednesday afternoon.

Cameroon were the unluckiest top seeds, being paired with equally powerful Ivory Coast in Group D, which is completed by modest southern Africa sides Mozambique and Malawi.

But Cameroon coach Antonio ‘Toni’ Conceicao is fully focused on Malawi, who they face in Yaounde on Friday, saying the visitors are “coming to cause us problems”.

“Malawi are physically strong and will fight from the first whistle to the last,” said the Portuguese. “Nowadays, there are no easy matches in Africa.

“We have to be creative, find space in what will probably be a crowded Malawi half of the pitch, and shoot at goal whenever the possibility arises.”

Source: AFP

Hosts Cameroon will kick off the delayed 2021 Africa Cup of Nations against Burkina Faso next year with Egypt – Nigeria and Algeria – Ivory Coast among the pick of the group stage matches following the finals draw in Yaoundé.

At a star-studded and colourful show, Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o and Asamoah Gyan were among the legends deciding the fate of the 24 participants who will seek to dethrone Algeria as the continent’s champions next January. In Group E, the reigning champions will face Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea.

The hosts were handed a favourable draw with the Indomitable Lions facing Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Cape Verde as they seek a sixth continental title. In 2017, Cameroon last won the Africa Cup of Nations when a young team led by Hugo Broos surprised Egypt in the final 2-1.

In Group C, there is an Arsenal clash with Ghana’s Thomas Partey meeting Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Morocco and debutants Comoros complete the group. The finals’ other debutants, Gambia, will need to take points of Mauritania to have any chance of progressing from the group stages with heavyweights Tunisia and Mali the favorites in Group F.

Gernot Rorh and Nigeria will face Mohamed Salah’s Egypt in Group D with Sudan and Guinea-Bissau the other opponents. Sadio Mane’s Senegal, the 2019 runners-up following their final defeat by Algeria, should dominate Zimbabwe, Guinea and Malawi in Group B.

Cameroon’s head of state Paul Biya and Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe were among the dignitaries attending the draw ceremony. The African football supremo expressed his confidence once again that the hosts will deliver a successful finals, repeating that Cameroon had always been plan A and plan B and that “there was no other plan”.

Cameroon had been due to host the finals in 2019, but the tournament was shifted at the eleventh hour to Egypt because the West Africans had fallen behind with their preparations, not least because the tournament format had been expanded to 24 teams. The 2021 finals then had to be postponed twice because of weather concerns and the global health crisis.

Motsepe also added that CAF wants “to increase the prize money” for the tournament and is “in discussions with sponsors”.  At the last Africa Cup of Nations, champions Algeria were rewarded with $4.5 million in prize money, the runners-up Senegal got $2.5 million. He also wants to introduce prize money that will be reserved for players specifically to prevent teams haggling over bonuses.

Yaounde, Bafoussam, Douala, Garoua and Limbe will serve as host cities for the finals. The tournament kicks off on January 9 and will culminate with the final on February 6.

Africa Cup of Nations draw:

Group A: Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Cape Verde

Group B: Senegal, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Malawi

Group C: Morocco, Ghana, Comoros, Gabon

Group D: Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan, Guinea-Bissau

Group E: Algeria, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast

Group F: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Gambia

Culled from Insideworldfootball

Record-setters Algeria, led by Manchester city winger Riyad Mahrez, will be the team to avoid when the draw for a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations seriously disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic is made in the Cameroon capital of Yaoundé on Tuesday evening.

Defending champions Algeria set an African record for an unbeaten run by a senior national team in June when they won a friendly match in Tunisia to reach 27 matches without a loss.

That victory away at North African neighbour Tunisia eclipsed the record set by a Didier Drogba and Yaya Touré-inspired Ivory Coast side in February 2013.

Since losing a Cup of Nations qualifier in Benin 34 months ago, Algeria have won 20 competitive and friendly matches, drawn seven, scored 58 goals and conceded 17.

That sharp form makes the Desert Foxes early favourites to retain the Cup of Nations next February in Cameroon and conquer Africa for a third time.

Hosting Cup of Nations ‘irreversible achievement’ for Cameroon

They are among 24 qualifiers who will be split into six groups with the winners and runners-up in each plus the best four third-placed teams advancing to the knockout phase.

Algeria won the premier African national team competition for the first time in 1990 when they hosted an event then composed of eight teams and edged Nigeria 1-0 in the title decider.

A goal from Baghdad Bounedjah with less than two minutes on the clock in Cairo enabled Algeria to triumph again two years ago, this time over Liverpool winger Sadio Mané’s Senegal.

Algeria will be among the six top seeds for the Yaoundé draw and however bold other coaches’ public declarations may be before the event, privately they will be happy to dodge Mahrez and his teammates.

As one national coach, who requested anonymity, told AFP: “We say we do not fear any rivals, but desperately want to play potentially weak teams for as long as possible in any tournament.”

Premier Leaguer Mahrez is the star attraction in a squad composed of footballers, many born abroad to Algerian parents, who perform for European and Middle East clubs.

Full-back Aïssa Mandi, a long-time regular, recently swapped La Liga clubs, moving from Real Betis to Villarreal, and missed a penalty in the UEFA Super Cup shootout loss to Chelsea.

Belmadi ‘a national treasure’

Mandi is set to play in the upcoming Champions League group stage, as will other Algerians, including Mahrez and AC Milan midfielder Ismaël Bennacer.

Captain Mahrez says much of the praise for the 27-match unbeaten run and the 2019 Cup of Nations triumph must go to coach Djamel Belmadi, now 45 and a one-time Manchester City midfielder.

“He is a national treasure. You cannot exaggerate his importance to the team. The work of Djamel is deeply respected by all Algerians,” says the 2016 African Footballer of the Year.

It bears noting however that favourites have not succeeded in the Cup of Nations since 2010, when Egypt became the first country to win the competition three times in a row.

Zambia were shock winners in 2012. Nigeria exceeded expectations by finishing first in 2013 (when the tournament switched to odd-numbered years). And after many failures when favoured, it came as a surprise when the Ivory Coast finally triumphed in 2015.

Cameroon mocked the form book by succeeding in 2017. Finally, two years ago, hosts Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia were all considered stronger contenders to bring the cup to North Africa than the ultimately victorious Algeria.

Some coaches will be under extreme pressure in Cameroon to go far, notably Bosnian Vahid Halilhodzic with Morocco and German Gernot Rohr with Nigeria.

A condition of the Halilhodzic contract is that he must reach the semi-finals at least while Nigerian football bosses have told Rohr to win the competition.

Besides Algeria, the other first seeds and strong title contenders are Cameroon, Senegal, Tunisia, Nigeria and Morocco.

Record seven-time champions Egypt, Ghana and Ivory Coast are other possible winners and those looking for a long-shot could consider Mali, who were runners-up to Congo when Cameroon last hosted the tournament 49 years ago.

Cameroon were selected to stage the 2019 tournament, but fell behind with stadia and other preparations and Egypt had to take over at short notice.

Given a second chance, the central African nation have had to postpone the tournament twice due to wet weather concerns and the Covid-19 pandemic and even the draw, originally set for June, was delayed by the pandemic.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

The African Cup of Nations (CAN) will take place as planned in Cameroon in January 2022.

During a 48 hour visit to the Central African country, CAF Secretary General Véron Mosengo-Omba dismissed rumours that said Cameroon could once more be stripped of hosting the continent’s biggest sporting competition by the Confederation of African Football, as it was the case in like it did in 2019.

“The African Cup of Nations will be organised in this beautiful country in January 2022. That is clear. We have to be clear about that,” Véron Mosengo-Omba said during a press conference.

“Cameroon is a football country like no other. It is a great football country and Cameroon deserves to celebrate Africa at a very important level. But I am speaking on behalf of and under the control of the Secretary General to say and affirm, I repeat here: there is no alternative,” Cameroon Football Federation President Seidou Mbombo Njoya added.

The African Cup of Nations will begin on January 9 and conclude on February 6 with the final in capital city Yaounde.

Source: Africa News

The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations draw, scheduled for Yaounde on June 25, has been postponed due to Covid-19, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed on Monday.

A CAF official said the delay of the ceremony to an undecided date was due to “logistical reasons related to Covid-19”.

The seeded draw will create six groups of four teams with the winners and runners-up in each plus the four best third-place sides advancing to the knockout second round.

Among the 23 countries who have qualified are defending champions Algeria, hosts Cameroon and record seven-time title-holders Egypt.

Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tunisia and Zimbabwe have also secured places.

The last place will be filled by Sierra Leone or Benin, who meet between June 12-14 after a dispute over coronavirus tests prevented the qualifier taking place last March.

Benin refused to play in Freetown because five of their stars were barred having tested positive for Covid-19 in tests conducted by Sierra Leone medical officials.

All five tested negative for the illness before travelling to Freetown and when they returned to their clubs in Europe.

The Cup of Nations was originally set for January and February this year only to be postponed because of the pandemic.

Source: AFP

Aside the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League (UCL) is by far the most prestigious football competition across the world – by virtue of its popularity and reach.

The pool of players participating means that an there is always a medley of playesr from across all continents represented on the field.

This adds to the UCL vibe as people across the world support nationals from their country who play in the league.

On May 29, 2021, the final of the 2020 / 2021 edition of the UCL took place in Porto with Manchester City facing Chelsea.

The African interests were squarely in Algeria (Riyad Mahrez of City) and Senegal and Morocco (Edouard Mendy and Hakim Ziyech respectively of Chelsea).

In the end, Mendy in the Chelsea goal kept out Mahrez and all of City’s attacking power to ensure that Thomas Tuchel’s side emerged victorious – winning their second UCL. Ziyech on the other hand played a less prominent role in the win.

Below is a list of winners (countries, clubs and season)

26 – Hakim Ziyech (Morocco) : Chelsea FC, 2020 – 2021

25 – Edouard Mendy (Senegal) : Chelsea FC, 2020 – 2021

24 – Naby Keita (Guinea) : Liverpool FC, 2018 – 2019

23 – Mohamed Salah (Egypt) : Liverpool FC, 2018 – 2019

22 – Sadio Mane (Senegal) : Liverpool FC, 2018 – 2019

21 – Joel Matip (Cameroon) : Liverpool FC, 2018 – 2019

20 – Achraf Hakimi (Morocco) : Real Madrid FC, 2017-2018

19 – Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) : Chelsea FC, 2011-2012

18 – Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast) : Chelsea FC, 2011-2012

17 – Michael Essien (Ghana) : Chelsea FC, 2011-2012

16 – John Obi Mikel (Nigeria) : Chelsea FC, 2011-2012

15 – McDonald Mariga (Kenya) : Inter Milan 2009 – 2010

14 – Sulley Muntari (Ghana) : Inter Milan, 2009-2010

13 – Seydou Keita (Mali) : FC Barcelona, 2008-2009, 2010-2011

12 – Yaya Touré (Côte d’Ivoire) : FC Barcelona, 2008-2009

11 – Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon) – FC Barcelona, 2005-2006, 2008-2009, Inter Milan, 2009-2010

10 – Djimi Traoré (Mali) : Liverpool FC, 2004-2005

9 – Benni McCarthy (South Africa) : FC Porto, 2003-2004

8 – Samuel Kuffour (Ghana) : FC Bayern Munich 2000-2001

7 – Geremi Njitap (Cameroon) – Real madrid, 1999 -2000, 2001 -2002

6 – Ibrahim Tanko (Ghana) : Borussia Dortmund 1996-1997

5 – Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria) : Ajax, 1994-1995

4 – Finidi George (Nigeria) : Ajax, 1994-1995

3 – Abedi Pelé (Ghana) : Olympique de Marseille, 1992-1993

2 – Rabah Madjer (Algeria) : FC Porto, 1986-1987

1 – Bruce Grobbelaar (Zimbabwe) : Liverpool FC, 1983-1984

Culled from Ghanaweb

The Nigeria Football Federation have opened talks with Fédération Camerounaise de Football (FECAFOOT) over the possibility of the Super Eagles and the Indomitable Lions facing off in an international friendly in Austria next month, Bill Tchato, General Coordinator of the Cameroon national teams has revealed.

At the request of the Confederation of African Football, FIFA has postponed the first two matchdays of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, earlier scheduled for June, to September 2021.

FIFA postponed the qualifiers so that work could be completed on some of the stadiums that do not meet international standards.

Nigeria were due to face Liberia and Cape Verde before the 2022 World Cup qualifiers schedule was revised last week.

Source: Sunnewsonline

South Africa will name a new national coach Saturday, with former Real Madrid manager and Manchester United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz favourite to return for a second spell in charge.

Now 68, the Portuguese was in charge of Bafana Bafana for two years from 2000, taking the team to the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals and qualifying them for the 2002 World Cup.

He was axed before the World Cup in South Korea and went on to lead Portugal (2010) and Iran (2014, 2018) in subsequent editions.

Queiroz guided Real Madrid for one year from 2003, either side of spells as senior assistant to Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

His most recent post was coach of Colombia, who sacked him last December with the nation lying seventh in the 10-team South American 2022 World Cup qualifying group.

The South African media have installed him as favourite to succeed Molefi Ntseki, who was fired after South Africa lost in Sudan and failed to qualify for the 2021 Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

Ntseki had been a controversial choice as he had no senior-level coaching experience before succeeding England-born Stuart Baxter in the top post.

South Africa launch their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign in June with Group G matches against Zimbabwe (away) and Ghana (home).

Ethiopia are also in the section and only the winners of the six-round mini-league advance to the final qualifying stage where two-leg playoffs will determine which five African nations go to Qatar.

Source: AFP

Three-time champions Nigeria qualified for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Saturday after Lesotho and Sierra Leone drew 0-0 in Group L.

The result in Maseru guaranteed the Super Eagles a top-two finish in the section ahead of their top-of-the-table clash away to Benin in Porto-Novo later Saturday.

Nigeria have eight points, Benin seven, Sierra Leone four and Lesotho three. The countries finishing first and second qualify for the 24-team tournament in Cameroon next January.

Benin need one point from the match against Nigeria to also secure a place at the finals of the premier African national team competition.

Nigeria travelled by sea to west African neighbours Benin on Friday after players raised concerns about the poor road network linking the countries.

Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Comoros, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia and Zimbabwe have qualified, leaving seven places to be filled.

Source: AFP