2017 CAF Champions League: Get to Know the teams

Author: Salma Sassi

16th September 2017, 12 PM +02:00

Before the Quarter-Finals of CAF champions league why won't we take a look at the teams competing and best of stats provided before the quarters ?

Clube Ferroviário da Beira

Clube Ferroviário da Beira is a Mozambican football club based in Beira. They play in the top division in Mozambican football, Moçambola. Their home stadium is Estádio do Ferroviário. and they will be fighting for a semi-final spot against USM Alger.

USM Alger

Union Sportive Médina d'Alger known as USM Alger or simply USMA for short, is a football club based in the city of Algiers. The club was founded in 1937 and its colours are red and black. Their venue, the Omar Hamadi Stadium, has a capacity of 12,000. The club is currently playing in the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1.

Al Ahly

Al Ahly Sporting Club is an Egyptian sports club based in Cairo, Egypt. It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Egyptian Premier League, the top tier in the Egyptian football league system. Founded in April 24, 1907 as a gathering place for Cairo's students' unions, having won a record 39 national titles, 36 national cups and 9 national super cups. In addition, Al Ahly has never been relegated to the Second Division. On the continental side, The club has 8 CAF Champions League titles, 1 CAF Confederation Cup title, 6 CAF Super Cup titles and 4 African Cup Winners' Cup titles. Internationally, Al Ahly has won the Bronze medal in FIFA Club World Cup 2006. And will be facing ES de Tunis for the semi-finals.

Espérance Sportive de Tunis

Espérance Sportive de Tunis also known as EST, ES Tunis, Espérance ST, Espérance de Tunis or Espérance, is a sports club based in Tunis, Tunisia.

Mamelodi Sundowns

Mamelodi Sundowns are a South African football club based in Pretoria that plays in the Premier Soccer League.

Wydad Athletic Club

Wydad Athletic Club (abbreviated WAC)‎‎ commonly known as Wydad Casablanca, also called Wydad al Ouma is a Moroccan sports club based in Casablanca, Morocco, best known for its football casablanca team. The team is well known in Africa by its Fans called 'Winners'. The rival team Raja Casablanca makes the derby between Raja and Wydad one of the most popular derbies in the world.

Al Ahli SC

Al-Ahli Sports Club known as Al Ahli Tripoli, is a Libyan football club based in Tripoli, Libya. The club is the second most successful Libyan club in history, having won 12 Libyan Premier League titles, six Libyan Football Cups and a Libyan SuperCup. Alahly is known as the leader of Libyan Football clubs and has the largest number of fans in Libya.

ESS

The Étoile Sportive du Sahel or Étoile du Sahel is a sports club from Sousse in the Sahel region of Tunisia, known primarily for its football and basketball team. The club also has sections for handball, volleyball, judo and wrestling. In English the name means Sport (or Athletic) Star of the Sahel.

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Senegalese allege racism in Diack corruption verdict

Author: Salma Sassi

17th September 2020, 11 AM +02:00

Senegalese allege racism in Diack corruption verdict

Dakar residents alleged racism and said Wednesday’s verdict by a Paris court was unjust.

Senegal and the sporting world has been shaken after the former head of the world athletics body, Lamine Diack, was found guilty of corruption by a Paris court.

Residents in Dakar alleged racism and said Wednesday's verdict by a Paris court was unjust.

"As a Senegalese, I think it was an injustice to condemn him. African people are tired because if Lamine Diack was a white person, he would not be sued, arrested," said Cheriphe Toure.

"It is not normal, he is a Senegalese, he is about 80 years old and they want to put him in prison, he is tired. The trial (against Diack) is not a real trial, it's just politics."

Lamine, an 87-year-old Senegalese, was charged for his role in a scheme that allowed Russian athletes to pay bribes to keep competing when they should have been suspended for doping after they paid bribes.

Prosecutors said Diack solicited $5.5 million in bribes and paid off other officials at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to help with the cover-up.

The court handed Diack a four-year prison sentence, two years of which are suspended and a fine of $590,000.

He was also ordered to pay €5 million in damages to World Athletics (formerly IAAF) with his son and co-accused, Papa Massata Diack.

From 1999-2015 Diack was the head of the IAAF and was influential in the world of Olympic sports.

Diack's lawyers said they would appeal the verdict.

"I think if the law is valid in France, it will be overturned because it's really unfair," Abdoulaye Diagne, Coordinator of the support committee for Lamine Diack.

Africans Marking Football Around the Globe

Author: Salma Sassi

7th September 2020, 1 PM +02:00

Africans Marking Football Around the Globe

A brief spotlight on some notable African players making an impact on international football.

Riyad Mahrez, hailing from Algeria - the Manchester City star has tested positive for coronavirus, according to the club’s spokesperson. Although asymptomatic, he is currently self-isolating.

The 29-year old 2016 Best African Player titleholder, is due to begin the Premier League season with the team's first fixture on September 21st. As yet, it is still unclear as to when he contracted the virus and whether he will be able to play.

Ansu Fati, the football prodigy born in Guinea Bissau, broke a 95-year record after only 311 days - as at just 17 years old he has become the youngest ever goal-scorer of the Spanish National Team.

He made his historical mark in the winning 4 nil match against Ukraine in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday.

After he became Barcelona’s youngest goalscorer in La Liga last season and the youngest to ever score in the European Champions League, he is viewed by many as the next Lionel Messi.

Cedric Bakambu continues to shine in China. The Congolese striker added a new goal to his 2020 collection a week after scoring 4 goals in a single game.

Despite a 2-goal lead against Wuhan Zall, his team Beijing Guoan had to concede a 2-2 draw. This was thanks to a late equaliser from the other African star of the league, Ivorian striker, Jean Evrard Kouassi.

Drogba’s FIF Presidential Candidacy Bid Rejected

Author: Salma Sassi

27th August 2020, 6 PM +02:00

Drogba’s FIF Presidential Candidacy Bid Rejected

Didier Drogba has been announced unsuccessful at filing a FIF presidential candidacy bid.

Access Denied

International football star, Didier Drogba, received some bad news on Thursday when the Electoral Commission of the Ivorian Soccer Federation (FIF) rejected his candidacy for the presidency of the federation. "The electoral commission (...) rejects the candidacy of Mr. Drogba Tébily Didier Yves Tébily," reads a section of Article 5 of the negative decision of the commission.

This rejection was based on criticisms of the former striker for several eligibility requirement breaches and highlights the challenges the star faced in trying to establish himself within the Ivorian football industry in spite of his international status, athletic track record and personal wealth — and beyond just being a player on the field.

Eligibility Requirements

Drogba, who was partly trained in France and once played for European clubs, Chelsea and Marseille, only managed to obtain sponsorship of two first division clubs — one short of the three required.

Although he does, in fact, have three club sponsors on file, the third technically did not count as it came by way of the vice-president and not the president himself who gave his support to the president of the League, Sory Diabaté (who boasts the support of six Division 1 clubs).

Interest groups also must follow the same rules as each candidate is required to obtain sponsorship of at least one of five in particular. Drogba was unable to garner support from neither the Alumni Association nor the Ivorian Players Association.

Likewise, on file, he did have the support of the association of referees (AMAF). However, it was a similar situation of falling short by a technicality as "the sponsorship" was from a person "who does not have the capacity to legally commit the AMAF," according to the electoral commission.

Public and Peer Opinion

One of the most famous and celebrated public Ivorian personalities, Didier Drogba, has been a treasure to the country's national football team and has received from many of his former teammates and peers such as Eugène Diomande, the Yaya and Kolo Touré brothers, Aruna Dindane and many others.

On the other hand, some of his other industry colleagues have shown support for Idriss Diallo, the former 3rd vice-president of the Fif (supported in particular by the current vice-president of the Fif), such as Cyril Domoraud, Bonaventure Kalou or Ahmed Ouattara.
Still more colleagues such as Didier Zokora, Youssouf Fofana and Abdoulaye Traore (known as Ben Badi) supported the president of the League, Sory Diabaté.

The Ivorian football icon has five days to make an appeal to the governing commission.

US Black Pro Athletes Boycott Games to Say #BLM

Author: Salma Sassi

27th August 2020, 11 AM +02:00

US Black Pro Athletes Boycott Games to Say #BLM

Pro athletes in the United States are protesting African-American man Jacob black being shot seven times by police while unarmed.

“Black Lives Matter,” a message being reiterated by professional athletes across diverse sports in the United States as stadiums see some players showing visual displays of solidarity while others are refusing to play at all as a form of protest

Basketball games were postponed as the league grappled to handle the player boycotts inspired by the most recent known racially-charged incident of 29-year-old African American Jacob Blake who was shot seven times by police officers in Wisconsin. Milwaukee Bucks led the boycott, opting out of their playoff against the Orlando Magic. The game's governing body, the NBA, later announced in a Tweet that the other matches in the series had been postponed.

Three major league baseball matches were called off. The Mets clash with Miami Marlins went ahead but one player staged his own protest. Dominic Smith, New York Mets player, tearfully expressed his frustrations, "People still don't care. For this to continuously happen, it just shows just the hate in people's heart. That just sucks. Being a black man in America, it's not easy."

In addition to baseball, even tennis saw half Haitian-American champion Naomi Osaka withdraw from a major tournament to support the movement as more and more athletes use their platforms to fight racial injustice in the country.

A series of events that are reminiscent of the now blackballed American football player, Colin Kaepernick, who took a stand against police brutality against black people in the nation by taking a knee in 2016 — in line with the Black Lives Matter movement.

A dynamic movement birthed in 2013 by three black women — Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, to combat police brutality taking black lives.

The #BLM hashtag has since been revived tenfold on a global scale following the slayings by the police of George Floyd and Breona Taylor in the Spring of 2020 in the United States with protests occurring across the globe demanding an end to racial injustice suffered by black people in every sphere of life.

The recent athlete boycott in the United States in a show of solidarity with the movement is yet another step in the global marathon towards true racial equality.

Fans react as Football star Lionel Messi triggers Barca departure

Author: Salma Sassi

26th August 2020, 3 PM +02:00

After nearly two decades with the Spanish giants, Lionel Messi has told Barcelona he wants to leave the club.

Some fans are protesting. But these are not the usual protesters you'd find on a political train. They are football lovers gathered outside their favourite club Camp Nou to clamour for their idol to stay.

After nearly two decades with the Spanish giants, Lionel Messi has told Barcelona he wants to leave the club.

The club confirmed on Tuesday the Argentine sent a document expressing his desire to activate a release clause that would end his contract.

"The strange thing is that he has not left the club before. It is absolutely disgraceful what this board of directors have been doing since 2010. Even with Sandro Rosell, before the arrival of Bartomeu. They have lost all valuable things at the club. Guardiola, (Johan) Cruyff and now Messi. So this ends with Messi leaving and a shameful 8-2 defeat (against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League)." 25 year old Adria Corchero, a journalist and fan of Messi said.

For Sergi Riera, a 36-year-old restaurant worker, "this cannot just be allowed. Because in the end, Messi is the little happiness that we can have right now. They must do something. They should resign and try to talk to him tomorrow (Wednesday). Anything."

Baracelona have not officially replied yet but are understood to be preparing one.

The announcement comes 11 days after Barcelona's humiliating 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals, one of the worst defeats in the player's career and in the club's history.

The defeat capped a difficult season for Barcelona - the first without a trophy since 2007-08 - and ignited one of their worst crises ever.

Messi has won a record six Ballon d'Or awards during his time at Barcelona as the top player in the world, and has helped the club win 10 Spanish league titles and four Champions Leagues.

Any club in the world, surely, would jump at the opportunity to recruit the Argentine superstar, but it remains to be seen what club can afford him and where indeed hed love to go.

2017 CAF Champions League: Get to Know the teams

Clube Ferroviário da Beira

USM Alger

Al Ahly

Espérance Sportive de Tunis

Mamelodi Sundowns

Wydad Athletic Club

Al Ahli SC

ESS

See also

2017 CAF Champions League: Get to Know the teams

Clube Ferroviário da Beira

USM Alger

Al Ahly

Espérance Sportive de Tunis

Mamelodi Sundowns

Wydad Athletic Club

Al Ahli SC

ESS

See also

Senegalese allege racism in Diack corruption verdict

Africans Marking Football Around the Globe

Drogba’s FIF Presidential Candidacy Bid Rejected

Access Denied

Eligibility Requirements

Public and Peer Opinion

US Black Pro Athletes Boycott Games to Say #BLM

Fans react as Football star Lionel Messi triggers Barca departure