FOOTBALL - The African Mirror

Jun

09

2024

Cameroon put turmoil behind them with emphatic win

FOOTBALL

CAPTAIN Vincent Aboubakar scored twice as Cameroon put weeks of turmoil around their national team behind them to beat the Cape Verde Islands 4-1 in a World Cup qualifier in Yaounde. They moved level with Libya at the top of Group D on seven points from three matches. In Saturday’s other qualifier in Africa, Gambia hammered the Seychelles 5-1 in Group F, a winning start for their new Irish coach Johnny McKinstry. Centre-back Michael Ngadeu marked his return to the team after a two-year absence to put Cameroon into a 13th-minute lead, rising to power home Nicolas Ngamaleu’s corner. The…

Jun

09

2024

By MARK GLEESON

Important wins for Ivory Coast, Morocco in World Cup qualification

FOOTBALL

AFRICAN champions Ivory Coast and World Cup semi-finalists Morocco both won important points in World Cup qualification but Nigeria were held at home by South Africa and is still to win a match in the 2026 preliminaries. Seko Fofana’s 36th-minute strike marked a successful homecoming for the Ivorians, playing their first home match since winning the Africa Cup of Nations in February, as they beat Gabon 1-0 in Korhogo to go clear at the top of Group F. A soft-looking penalty saw Hakim Ziyech put Morocco ahead after six minutes against Zambia in Agadir in Group E but there was…

Jun

07

2024

By MARK GLEESON

Penalty hands Tunisia victory as Africa’s World Cup qualifiers resume

FOOTBALL

TUNISIA needed a late penalty to beat Equatorial Guinea 1-0 and move to the top of the standings in their World Cup qualifying group as Africa’s preliminaries for the 2026 finals resumed. Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane struck the 81st-minute spot kick to deny Equatorial Guinea a deserved point as they looked to shrug off the FIFA sanctions that stripped them of the six points from their opening two qualifiers in November. FIFA found striker Emilio Nsue, a former Spanish junior international, was ineligible to play for the small central African nation despite being in the team over the past 11…

Jun

07

2024

By ROHITH NAIR

Amnesty urges FIFA to assess human rights risks before awarding World Cups

FOOTBALL

FIFA and countries bidding to host the 2030 and 2034 World Cups should agree to binding commitments and legal reforms to prevent human rights violations connected to the tournament, Amnesty International said. In October, soccer's world governing body awarded the 2030 World Cup to Morocco, Spain and Portugal while Saudi Arabia is the lone bidder for the 2034 edition, with Amnesty saying there are "serious human rights" risks that must be addressed. "FIFA should ensure a rigorous and transparent bidding process, based on meaningful stakeholder participation, including genuinely independent human rights risk assessments and comprehensive human rights strategies," human rights organisation Amnesty…

Jun

06

2024

By The African Mirror

Africa Cup of Nations put back six months to early 2026

FOOTBALL

THE next Africa Cup of Nations finals will be put back six months to the start of 2026, the Confederation of African Football said . The 2025 finals in Morocco were due to be played next June but that clashed with the expanded 32-team Club World Cup, which will be held in the U.S. from June 15-July 13. Africa will have four teams at the Club World Cup and many of those players are likely to be picked for the Cup of Nations. CAF was repeatedly asked about the obvious clash but failed to offer a solution until General Secretary…

Jun

05

2024

By OLIVER OCHIENG AND BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

bird TenX: 10 African players who dominated European leagues in the 2023/24 season

FOOTBALL

THE 2023/2024 Champions League final pitting Spanish giants Real Madrid against German Bundesliga side, Borussia Dortmund, at the Wembley Stadium in London on June 1 marked the end of an eventful 2023/2024 season in major European leagues and tournaments. From England to Germany; from Spain to Italy to France, players of African descent played huge roles in aiding their clubs to silverware. The following is a list of ten African players who had a significant impact on clubs across Europe in the 2023/24 season. 1. Amad Diallo - Ivory Coast - The 21-year-old Ivorian winger, was key to Manchester United…

Jun

03

2024

By FERNANDO KALLAS

Real Madrid come full circle with second great European dynasty

FOOTBALL

Real Madrid added another chapter to their already astonishing love affair with European soccer's elite club trophy by claiming a 2-0 win against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final as they were crowned for the 15th time. The story of the season they finished at Wembley was about two generations of players who met, bonded as a group and connected on the pitch like a well-oiled machine to establish the second great dynasty Real spent half a century looking for. It all started at the dawn of the competition when, during the Alfredo Di Stefano years, the Madrid side won the…

Jun

03

2024

By The African Mirror

Mourinho unveiled as new Fenerbahce manager

FOOTBALL

JOSE Mourinho was unveiled as the new manager of Turkish Super Lig club Fenerbahce in front of thousands of enthusiastic fans on Sunday. Mourinho, 61, has been out of a job since he was sacked by Serie A side AS Roma in January. The Turkish club held a signing ceremony for Mourinho in Fenerbahce's Ulker Stadium in Istanbul as thousands of supporters cheered the Portuguese coach's name and sang songs. "Normally a coach is loved after victories, in this case, I feel that love before victories. And that for me is a big responsibility that I feel and I promise…

Jun

02

2024

By MITCH PHILLIPS

Real Madrid strike late to beat Dortmund and win 15th European Cup

FOOTBALL

REAL Madrid were crowned kings of Europe for a record-extending 15th time with a trademark 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at a raucous Wembley on Saturday as they were outplayed for an hour but then showed their class. After Dortmund had made, but spurned, several good chances, particularly in a one-sided first half, Real turned the game around with goals by Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Jr after 74 and 83 minutes to delight their fans. It gave them the trophy for the sixth time in 11 seasons, matching the run of the team that started…

May

30

2024

By The African Mirror

Osimhen out of Nigeria’s World Cup qualifiers due to injury

FOOTBALL

NAPOLI striker Victor Osimhen will miss Nigeria's two upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers due to injury, the Nigeria Football Federation said. The federation gave no details about the injury but said the 25-year-old would be out for four weeks. Osimhen will miss the clashes against South Africa in Uyo on June 7 and Benin in neutral Ivory Coast three days later. His absence will make it difficult for recently appointed head coach Finidi George to get the side's qualification campaign back on track after surprise 1-1 draws with tiny Lesotho at home and Zimbabwe in neutral Rwanda.