FOOTBALL - The African Mirror

Mar

24

2023

Egyptian FA suspend referee after he watched replay on mobile phone

FOOTBALL

AN Egyptian referee has been suspended indefinitely after using a mobile phone before disallowing a goal in a second-division match last week, the Egyptian Football Association said. With the video assistant referee (VAR) system not in use in second-tier games, referee Mohamed Farouk used the phone of a crowd member to watch a replay of a goal during the match between Suez and Al-Nasr. Al-Nasr thought they had scored a late equaliser, but the hosts protested due to a handball, and after a long time spent reviewing the video on the phone, the referee decided to rule it out. The Egyptian FA…

Mar

29

2023

By The African Mirror

Algeria win to join teams qualified for 2024 Africa Cup of Nations

FOOTBALL

MARK GLEESON ALGERIA secured a place at the next Africa Cup of Nations finals with a 1-0 away win over Niger that ensured a top-two finish in their qualifying group with two games to go. They will join neighbours Morocco, who qualified last Friday without kicking a ball, in the field of 24-team for the finals in the Ivory Coast next January. Nigeria, Congo, Guinea, Sudan and the Central African Republic, who have never previously qualified for the finals, were also winners on Monday. Algeria's Baghdad Bounedjah slipped through the defence in the fifth minute to put the visitors ahead…

Mar

28

2023

By MARK GLEESON

Daka double puts Zambia on brink of Cup of Nations qualification

FOOTBALL

PATSON Daka scored a double to guide Zambia to a 2-0 away win over Lesotho in Africa Cup of Nations qualification and strengthen their chances of qualifying for next year’s finals. The Leicester City attacker played a centre-forward role for his country and tucked away opportunities in the 14th and 69th minute, both set up by Scottish-based Fashion Sakala. It was a second successive win since Avram Grant took over as coach and puts Zambia top of Group H, from which only one team qualifies. The group also includes the Ivory Coast, who are participating in the qualifiers but already…

Mar

18

2023

By The African Mirror

The city of Barcelona lives and breathes football

FOOTBALL

THERE is so much for football fans to see in the Catalan capital, and not just at the Camp Nou or RCDE Stadium. While the whole world looks to the Catalan capital every time it hosts an ElClásico match, the city lives and breathes football 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, even if you don't play football. However, there is much more football than living in Barcelona. Most of the most popular tourist attractions have links to FC Barcelona or other football clubs in the city (RCD Espanyol, for example). The focal point of most football fans' visit…

Feb

14

2023

By BIRD STORY AGENCY

Africa is building its sporting legacy

FOOTBALL

THE just-concluded 2023 Club World Cup in Morocco is just one of a series of major regional and international sporting events that have resulted in major upgrades to the continent's sporting facilities - seen as key to ensuring Africa's further success in the international sporting arena. With the semi-finals in Tangier and the finals in Rabat - 217 kilometres apart - Morocco inaugurated a high-speed train connecting the two towns. Down south, South Africa is looking to make history again by becoming the first African country to host a Women's World Cup if its bid for the 2027 event gets…

Dec

31

2022

By The African Mirror

World soccer to fall silent in memory of Brazilian legend Pele

FOOTBALL

THE sporting world expressed its sorrow at the death of one of its greatest heroes, bidding farewell to Brazilian soccer legend Pele with a flood of heartfelt tributes. Brazil's Pele, a prolific goalscorer who won the World Cup an unprecedented three times as a player in 1958, 1962 and 1970, died on Thursday aged 82 after a long battle with cancer. "Flags at the home of FIFA in Zurich are flying at half-mast today, as we remember the eternal king: Pele," world soccer's governing body FIFA said on Twitter. FIFA has also written to its over 200 member associations asking competition organisers…

Jul

08

2022

By The African Mirror

Women’s Afcon final stage is underway with a new challenge – testosterone testing

FOOTBALL

THE 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) opened in Morocco with several storylines that include challenges to perennial giants, broadcast to a global audience, increased monetary payout to the winner and an expanded number of finalists. There are 12 teams left standing. Author CHUKA ONWUMECHILI, Professor of Communications, Howard University The competition is the biggest women’s football tournament on the continent and it has brought excitement before sizeable stadium crowds and those watching via television all over the world. Morocco is one of the teams expected to challenge for the title that Nigeria has dominated since winning the debut…