Qatar World Cup - The African Mirror

May

2023

Jailed, deported and blacklisted: Qatar’s outspoken World Cup guards

ANDREW Maganga seized the chance to work as a World Cup security guard in Qatar last year, only to be fired along with some 200 others on the last day of the tournament, jailed for protesting over wages, and deported back to his native Kenya. At home in Mombasa, he has little to show for four years working various jobs in gas-wealthy Qatar, having spent his savings paying recruitment agents and supporting his family. Maganga's deportation order, seen by Reuters, cited a charge of "labour strike" and banned him from Qatar, which like other Gulf states forbids workers from organising…

Dec

2022

By The African Mirror

Are Moroccans Arab or African? Geopolitics, football, and the future of Africa

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

OPINION PIECE BY RICHARD ALI WHEN Morocco held firm with a 1-0 win over Portugal despite Portugal's dominance in the quarterfinal match at the Qatar World Cup, Africans worldwide roared their approval. An African side had made it to the World Cup semi-finals for the first time. However, a statement by team captain Sofaine Boufal following their round-of-16 win against Spain, acknowledging Muslim and Arab support and ignoring Africa altogether, ignited a virtual riot that touched on one of Africa's most dramatic fault lines—the identity question. Did the Moroccans not see themselves as African? Millions of African supporters said "no"…

Dec

2022

By The African Mirror

‘We are on this journey together’: Pele backs Brazil ahead of World Cup match

SPORT

SOCCER great Pele backed Brazil's national team ahead of their World Cup round of 16 match against South Korea, saying he will watch the game from hospital after being admitted there last week as he battles colon cancer. Pele, 82, said in an Instagram post that he wished to inspire Brazil's players by sharing a picture taken at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden when the then-teenager shocked the world leading the South American side to their first title. "I'll watch the game from here at the hospital and I'll be rooting for each one of you," Pele said ahead…

Dec

2022

By The African Mirror

Morocco’s Hakimi up against country of his birth at World Cup

SPORT

MARK GLEESON ACHRAF Hakimi was born in Madrid but will have little hesitation plotting the downfall of Spain when he and his Moroccan teammates take on the 2010 World Cup winners on Tuesday. The flying wingback is one of the key players in the north African outfit whose last-16 match in the Qatar World Cup against Spain, at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, gives them a chance to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time.Advertisement · Scroll to continue Hakimi could even have been on the opposite side, as he was called up when still a…

Dec

2022

By The African Mirror

‘Exploited’ Africa proving worthy of more World Cup berths, Ghana coach says

SPORT

MARTIN PETTY AFRICAN teams' strong World Cup showing so far demonstrates a need for the competition to be more inclusive with more places for the continent, Ghana's coach said, with four African sides still in play in Qatar. Of Africa's five qualifiers for the 2022 tournament, Senegal and Morocco have reached the last 16, Ghana can advance with a win in their final group match against Uruguay, while Cameroon still has a shot if they beat an already-qualified Brazil expected to rest their top players. Only Tunisia, who beat France 1-0 on Wednesday, have been eliminated so far. Speaking before…

Nov

2022

By The African Mirror

Morroco scores Africa’s 2nd win at World Cup 2022

SPORT

JULIEN PRETOT MOROCCO claimed their first World Cup victory in 24 years as they upset a hugely disappointing Belgium side 2-0 with goals by Romain Saiss and substitute Zakaria Aboukhlal in a boiling atmosphere on Sunday. The Morocco fans gave the match a vintage World Cup feel at the Al Thumama Stadium and Sabiri curled a wide free-kick past Thibaut Courtois before Aboukhlal netted in added time to put Morocco top of Group F with four points, one ahead of Belgium. It was Morocco's first win at a World Cup since they beat Scotland in 1998. They left the 2018…

Nov

2022

By The African Mirror

Ghana can have big impact at World Cup, says coach Addo

SPORT

INTERIM Ghana manager Otto Addo believes his team can make a significant impact at the World Cup in Qatar as the Black Stars prepare for their fourth finals at the global tournament. Addo, with no previous senior coaching experience, took charge of Ghana in February after the sacking of Milovan Rajevac following their early exit from the Africa Cup of Nations. "We can beat anyone. It's up to the players, not me. It’s their performances that have brought them this far. They have the quality, with or without me," Addo told the FIFA website "I’m responsible for putting them in the right…

Nov

2022

By The African Mirror

Ngadeu-Ngadjui left out as Cameroon name squad for World Cup

SPORT

CAMEROON left out long-serving centre-back Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui from their squad for the World Cup in a shock omission as coach Rigobert Song named his 26-man selection for Qatar. The coach also surprisingly included two home-based players -- Souaibou Marou and Jerome Ngom -- who had won their first caps just hours before in a friendly against Jamaica. The team will be captained by Vincent Aboubakar, who competed as a teenager at the 2010 World Cup and again in Brazil in 2014 when the Indomitable Lions last appeared at the finals. It will also be a third World Cup for defender…