"Les Elephants", the footballers of the Ivory Coast, help captivate and
enthrall a nation while playing against Madagascar: large outdoor television flicker and the
metropolis of Abidjan rustles. Arouna Kone (PSV) crosses to Salomon Kalou (Chelsea) at the edge of
the area; the supporters swell in deliverance as he belts the ball into the Malagasy net.
After what we've seen at this year's Africa Cup of Nations it's perhaps a little foolish to talk
in terms of more shocks. Why should we continue to be shocked when our predictions are continually
thrown back in our faces time after time?
Sudan became the latest side to upset the African apple cart when they qualified for the quarter
finals last night.
Read any preview of the Africa Cup of Nations and you'll read expert after expert talk of
Senegal's striking talent. Football being football Saturday's tie between the Terranga Lions and
Chipolopolos didn't really turn out that way. The undoubted talents of Moussa Sow, Demba Ba,
Pappis Cisse and Mamadou Niang failed to fire and it was the trio of Christopher Katongo, Rainford
Kalaba and Emmanual Mayuka who impressed.
The African Nations Championship (or CHAN) is unique amongst international football tournaments
in that nations are restricted to selecting only domestic players in their squads. The 2011 edition
of this tournament begins this week in Sudan with the hosts taking on Gabon in Khartoum.
As the competition only allows the selection of domestically based players the standards of each
respective international side is a little different to "full internationals".
Imitation is the highest form of flattery and UEFA will know they've done something truly
remarkable, when football federations around the globe start naming competitions Europa League. For
the time being though, the Champions League remains the blue print for glamorous international club
competitions.
Selection of a goalkeeper was pretty easy this week. Ivory Coast international
keeper Boubacar Barry not only kept a clean sheet against Westerlo but he also
scored a 63rd minute penalty to help his side Lokeren win four goals to nil.
Famously Pele said that an African side would win a World Cup by the year 2000, but what about
their premier club side TP Mazembe? They will take the field against Pachuca on Friday in a quarter
final matchup that will decide the opponents for Internacional of Brazil inthe semi finals of the
FIFA World Club Championships.
The FIFA Club World Cup officially got under way today with two goals just before half-time
giving Kashiwa Reysol a 2-0 win over Auckland City in the qualifying play-off to send the Japanese
club through to the quarter-finals.
Kashiwa, who clinched the 2011 J-League title last weekend, had Junya Tanaka and Masato Kudo to
thank as the pair struck in the 37th and 40th minutes respectively to send the host nation's
representatives into the next round.
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa Veteran goalkeeper Muteba Kidiaba starred as Club World Cup runners-up
TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo collected a seventh African title Saturday.
Kidiaba saved a shootout kick against FUS Rabat from Morocco in southern Congolese city Lubumbashi
and then converted a penalty to give his team a 9-8 victory [.
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o was named African Footballer of the
Year a record fourth time at the annual CAF awards ceremony in Cairo Monday. The 29-year-old native
of central town Nkon finished ahead of first-time finalist Asamoah Gyan of Ghana and former winner
Didier Drogba of Ivory Coast in a poll [.
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — European champions Inter Milan lifted the Club World Cup on
Saturday after a 3-0 win in the Abu Dhabi final over African champions TP Mazembe. The Italians
largely dominated proceedings and had the match in their pockets once Goran Pandev and Samuel Eto'o
had bagged goals in quickfire succession [.
Seven teams the club champions on their respective continents have been competing in Abu Dhabi
over the past week in the FIFA Club World Cup: Inter Milan (Italy), Pachuca (Mexico),
Internacionale (Brazil), TP Mazembe (Congo), Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (South Korea), Al-Wahda Sports
Club (UAE), and Hekari United FC (Papua Ne Guinea).
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates African champions Tout Puissant Mazembe pulled off the biggest
shock in the 10-year history of the Club World Cup by beating Internacional 2-0 in the semifinals
here on Tuesday. The side from the Democratic Republic of Congo prevailed through fine second-half
strikes by Mulota Kabangu and Dioko Kaluyituka to [.
With this piece by new contributor Matthew Pentz, TSG kicks off it's African soccer
coverage.
The Forgotten Footie Continent
The African Champions League exists mostly, if not completely, on the periphery of the soccer
world. The tournament blends a strong history, passionate fans, and an up-and-coming class of young
players, however, and its semifinalists each have a bit of the underdog in them.
Game Intelligence digs up this week's buried treasure from the desert island of football news... TP
Mazembe kicked out of African Champions' League African giants Tout Puissant Mazembe have been
disqualified from this year's CAF Champions' League for fielding an ... Continue reading →
Wydad Casablanca, African champions back in 1992, were fearful of wasting home advantage as
their game against Nigerian champions Enyimba FC looked to be heading to a goalless stalemate.
With just one matchday to play in the group stage of the CAF African Champions League only
Nigerian champions Enyimba FC have secured a place in the semi-finals. Five teams kept alive their
ambitions of progression into the final four of this year's competition and thus ensure an
interesting finish to this stage of the tournament next weekend.
UEFA Champions League holders Internazionale FC of Milan are the new FIFA Club World Cup winners
having defeated surprise package TP Mazembe of Africa by a 3-0 scoreline in Abu Dhabi this evening.
Goals from Goran Pandev, Samuel Eto'o and late substitute Jonathan Biabiany sealed the deal for the
Nerazzurri and gifted coach Rafael BenÃtez with his second trophy as coach of the
Milanese giants having won the Italian Super Cup at the start of the season.
Positivity. Positivity is always a good thing. In this case however even blind, optimistic,
the-world-is-our-oyster-and-nothing-can-possibly-go-wrong Disneyland levels of positivity may not
be enough.
Al-Ahly 1-1 JS Kabylie: Canaries through to African Champions League semi final is a post from:
Just Football
JS Kabylie survived a hostile environment and an attacking onslaught from
opponents Al-Ahly to draw 1-1 and qualify for the last four of the 2010 African
Champions League.
The African Champions League remains competitive after Matchday 4 was completed this weekend
with every team hoping that they can still advance to the semi-finals. Meanwhile the CAF
Confederation Cup is now in full swing after all eight clubs played their Matchday 2 games in the
last few days. Stoppage Time International Football Blog reviews the latest action in
African continental club competition.
Given Singuluma scored twice for TP Mazembe in their 2-0 away win at Dynamos
The opening matchday of the African Champions League took place this weekend and it was a good
one for defending champions TP Mazembe whose campaign goes from strength to strength following a
2-0 win in Zimbabwe. Record champions Al Ahly, however, had to come from behind to snatch a draw
away at Nigerians Heartland FC.
The second round of the two major African club tournaments began this weekend with the first leg
of each tie played from Friday to Sunday. In both competitions there was a winner in all but one
match so a number of the clubs participating in Africa's club competitions can fancy their chances
of further progress.
Al-Merreikh - Sudanese spiritThe African Champions League is back on our radars at the moment after
the draw for the tournament's 2009 final eight group stage took place last week.And while...
While the protests in Egypt have subsided from their peak last week, hardy anti-Mubarak protesters
still occupy Tahrir Square in the capital, Cairo. While the world was enraptured with images
broadcast by organizations able to avoid the secret police, such as Al-Jazeera, what effect did the
protests have on football in the country?
CAIRO, Egypt Egyptian soccer authorities indefinitely suspended all soccer in the country Friday
until there is a "return of stability" to a nation convulsed by protests and violence. The Egyptian
Football Association said in a statement it was postponing league games across all four of its
professional divisions, as well as youth and junior [.
Eight days ago I tried to read up on African Champions League winners TP Mazembe, while keeping
an eye on the game between Hannover and Hamburg. It was a frustrating experience, because I had to
realize that neither my multitasking, nor Hamburg's ability to defend a lead was quite up to the
challenge.
