semi-final - The African Mirror

Jul

06

2024

Spanish delight, German heartbreak in Stuttgart!

FOOTBALL

IN a night of high drama that will be etched in European football history, Spain delivered a knockout blow to Germany's Euro 2024 hopes, sending shockwaves through the Stuttgart Arena and beyond. The pulsating quarter-final clash, which seemed destined for penalties, was dramatically decided in the dying embers of extra time, leaving the host nation in unprecedented despair. As the clock ticked past the 119th minute, substitute Mikel Merino rose like a phoenix from the ashes of a gruelling battle, meeting Dani Olmo's pinpoint cross with a thunderous header that silenced the partisan crowd. The late Spanish surge not only…

African club semi-final fails to take place following dispute over Moroccan club’s jersey

FOOTBALL

ALGERIAN side USM Alger's African Confederation Cup semi-final first-leg tie against Morocco’s Renaissance Berkane did not go ahead because of a political dispute over the visiting team’s jersey, leaving the outcome of the tie in doubt. The Berkane shirt features an expansive map of Morocco, including the disputed Western Sahara which has been a bone of contention between Rabat and Algiers, with the border between the neighbouring North African countries closed since the 1990s. When the Moroccan side arrived in Algeria on Friday, their kit was confiscated by customs and the team detained at the airport for several hours before…

Nigeria beat Angola to advance to Cup of Nations semi-final

AFCON 2023

NIGERIA were the first side to book a semi-final berth at the Africa Cup of Nations after Ademola Lookman's first-half goal ensured a 1-0 win over Angola in the last eight on Friday. Lookman finished off a flying run down the left by winger Moses Simon, who skipped the challenge of defender Kialonda Gaspar to break free and then teed up his team mate for his third goal of the tournament. The 26-year-old's 41st-minute strike at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium was enough to set up a semi-final meeting on Wednesday against either the Cape Verde Islands or South Africa, who…