Brian Baloyi of Mamelodi Sundowns has been called up to South African senior national team as replacement for Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Joseph Moeneebs who suffered an injury in a weekend clash for his club side.
Media officer for the South African team, Sifiso Cele revealed this information, while also disclosing that 17 of the 23 players invited for the clash against Equatorial Guinea in Malabo this weekend have already arrived in camp.
Baloyi has not featured for the South African side in almost two years, and is getting his first call-up under the new Brazilain tactician.
Head Coach of Nigerian club side Enyimba FC of Aba, Maurice Cooreman is optimistic that his side can go to Cairo and get the necessary result that would see them move to the finals of the 2008 CAF Champions League tournament.
After watching his side play out a drab goalless draw with the visiting "Red Army" at the highly sub-standard Aba International Stadium in the Eastern part of the country, Cooreman is still certain that his side can up their game and move to the finals at the expense of strong favorites, Al Ahly. "Zero zero is not a bad result. It is just that we did not take our chances when we go them. I am sure we will do better in Cairo," Cooreman told kickoffnigeria.com
Portuguese born coach of Al Ahly, Jose Manuel believes the ugly state of the pitch contributed to the poor display on parade at the Aba International Stadium.
"We have a better side but I must blame the pitch for the low quality of play." Manuel was quoted as saying by the website.
"All through the match there were only two chances at goal, when Abu Treka failed to score and Worgu's cross that was headed badly by Akueme and that is because the pitch did not let us play.
"In Cairo, we will have a better pitch and better football." he added.
Manchester United youngster, Manucho has been given his first call up to the Angolan Squad for the ongoing 2010 World Cup/African Nations Cup qualifying campaign.
Manucho had been unavailable for the Palancas Negras throughout the qualifying stages after having to nurse an injury since posting an impressive performance in the 2008 African Nations Cup tournament, where his stinging strike in the quarterfinal encounter against eventual winners Egypt was undoubtedly the goal of the tournament. The Angolan team are currently lying in a distant second in group three, five points behind runaway group leaders, Benin Republic. Their qualifying campaign was also rocked by the departure of Luis Oliveira Goncalves, who led them to the 2006 World Cup in Germany about two years ago.
A victory in Luanda would see the Angolans ending the round of qualifiers in second place, and giving them a shot to fight for one of the eight best second placed teams.
Despite feeling a little sorry for Everton over their departure from the UEFA cup this season (and their dificult start to the Premier League Season), one can only marvel at the team that Standard Liege have put out in this seasons Champions League qualifiers and UEFA Cup.
Pushing Liverpool all the way, removing a strong team like Everton, and no doubt scaring every other competing team in this years UEFA competition, Liege are that most beautiful of things in Football: the team that is made up of players nobody really knew about before but everyone will recognise in years to come...like Ajax in the mid nineties and the Lyon team of the early to mid 2000's.
Crucial in Lieges success has been its Trio of African stars. Senegalese rock Mohamed Sarr has been simply sublime in all European competition, this season. Aerially he is dominant and has shown great game reading skills in dealing with attacks on the ground.
Nigerian-American Oguchi Onyewu has been similarly impressive. His stay at Fulham was surprisingly short, but he is demonstrating what an atheltic talent he is
Up front, the engimatic Dieudonne Mbokani has been a magnificent sole striker for the Belgian outfit. Though ably supported by the likes of Dalmat, Witsel and co, Mbokani skill and pace have enabled him to torment defences even when so support has been available.
Suffice to say, it would not be surprising to see Liege reach the latter stages of the UEFA cup this year
In this weeks round up- an absolute scorcher in South Africa, a look at some of Africa's finest goals at the World Cup and the irresistible Adebayor.
SCREAMING GOAL!
An absolute scorcher from the South African Premier League last week. Luntu Manzana scoring against his old club as Bay United beat Orlando Pirates 2-0.
Enyimba international midfielder, and top scorer in this year's CAF Champions League, Stephen Worgu is optimistic his side can overcome the threat posed by Egyptian League Champions Al Ahly when they come visiting this weekend at the Aba International Stadium.
The game, which is no doubt the biggest on the continent this weekend will afford Worgu an opportunity to add to his 13 goals scored so far in the tournament, and he hopes he can help his team grab a comfortable victory in the first leg so that the second leg would be a formality for the Aba millionaires.
Last weekend produced few goals for Africans playing in Scandinavia. In Sweden, Ghanaian striker Jones Kusi Asare scored after just five minutes on the pitch in the 71st minute to hand Djurgarden a 1-0 win over lowly placed Ljunskile on Sunday in the premiership, known as Allsvenskan. The strike was Asare's 5th of the season. In neighboring Norway, Ivorian forward Didier Konan Ya scored twice in the 2nd half as Rosenborg whipped Aalesund 2-1 in the country's top league.
Gabonese international Daniel Cousin scored the winner for HullCity in a shock 2-1 victory against Arsenal at The Emirates.
Amr Zaki scored again, netting the winner for Wigan against bottom club Tottenham. The Egyptian is the Premier League’s top scorer with 5 goals so far this season.
…AND IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Nigerian born Victor Moses scored the equaliser for CrystalPalace in their 1-1 draw away to IpswichTown.
Quincy Owusu-Abeyie scored BirminghamCity’s second as they won 2-1 against CardiffCity, the Ghanaian also set up the first.
Football in Africa: Conflict, Conciliation and Community
Richard Giulianotti (Editor) & Gary Armstrong (Editor)
This groundbreaking collection provides the first detailed social analysis of football within Africa. The book features case study essays that draw heavily on detailed fieldwork to examine the distinctive football cultures that have grown up in African communities. The book should be compulsory reading, for social scientists in sport studies and African studies, and for informed football followers everywhere.
This round-up we take a look at the silky skills of Pascal Feindouno, see why Amr Zaki is making a big impact in the Premier League and look back to 1972 final of the African Nations Cup between Mali and Congo.
FRENCH SAY FAREWELL TO FEINDOUNO
Guinea midfielder Pascal Feindouno has left La Ligue and St Etienne after his controversial transfer to Quatari side Al Sadd eventually went through. Initially the French side was furious claiming that despite never agreeing to the transfer Feindouno had signed a contract with the Quatari side. They ordered Feindouno to return but after he refused the clubs managed to agree a deal. Despite his acrimonious exit with skills like these France will sorely miss this mercurial talent.
The First Black Footballer: Arthur Wharton, 1865-1930 - An Absence of Memory
Phil Vasili
A biography of the world's first black professional footballer, set in the cultural and political context of Victorian England. Offers new insight into the onset of sport professionalism, the class divide and the roots of institutionalized racism.
Arthur Wharton was the world's first black professional footballer. He was also the first 100 yards world record holder and twice amateur sprint champion of Britain. He came from a wealthy Gold Coast/Ghanaian family, enjoyed national celebrity in England as an all-round athlete, but died a pauper in a South Yorkshire pit village. Recounted within the social, cultural and political context of Victorian England, Wharton's story not only remembers the turbulent personal and professional life of an eminent sportsman but offers fresh insight into the onset of professionalism in British sport, the class divide and the beginnings of institutionalized racism. The author is collaborating with Irvine Welsh on a dramatization of Wharton's life which Channel 4 will broadcast next year.
A sending off, the conceding of a vital goal, an untimely defeat: disaster is a much used term in sport. Yet soccer has also been the victim of real disasters: events where people lost their lives. When compared to tragedies such as the Munich air disaster and the Heysel stadium disaster, the results of games become insignificant. Football is not more important than life and death.
This book looks at soccer disasters from across the globe. From the loss of talented young players in air crashes in Munich and Zambia to fatal overcrowding in South Africa, Moscow, and the UK, the game and its fans and players have been the victims of negligence, complacency and misfortune. The causes, consequences and legacies of these and other disasters are explored here in a book that reveals frightening parallels and important lessons.
Africa, Football & FIFA: Politics Colonialism & Resistance
Paul Darby
The emblem of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is claimed to symbolise a ‘global fraternity united in sport’. However, the relationship between FIFA and the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has been underpinned by anything but fraternity.
This book explores the development of African football within the context of FIFA. The relationship between the world body’s core European members and its expanding African constituency during the colonial period is given detailed treatment. This demonstrates that the game not only functioned as a form of resistance against European colonialism but also made a practical contribution to the movements for independence.
The subsequent development of African football has been such that the continent is no longer on the periphery of the world game. This is apparent not only on the field of play but also within the world football’s corridors of power. However, as Paul Darby demonstrates convincingly, economic inequalities between the first and the third world seriously restrict the development of African football and continue to hinder its advance within the world game.
Amr Zaki, Egyptian international and player of Wigan Athletic FC has been voted the winner of the English Premier League’s African Player of the Month of August 2008.
Brian Baloyi of Mamelodi Sundowns has been called up to South African senior national team as replacement for Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Joseph Moeneebs who suffered an injury in a weekend clash for his club side.
Enyimba international midfielder, and top scorer in this year's CAF Champions League, Stephen Worgu is optimistic his side can overcome the threat posed by Egyptian League Champions Al Ahly when they come visiting this weekend at the Aba International Stadium.
The First Black Footballer: Arthur Wharton, 1865-1930 - An Absence of Memory
Soccer and Disaster: International Perspectives
Amr Zaki, Egyptian international and player of Wigan Athletic FC has been voted the winner of the English Premier League’s African Player of the Month of August 2008.