2019 AFCON: Host nation conundrum, a concerning sight?

Benjamin Moukandjo and Pierre Webo of Cameroon wait to kick off after a goal during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group A match between Cameroon and Croatia at Arena Amazonia on June 18, 2014 in Manaus, Brazil.

(June 17, 2014 - Source: Stu Forster/Getty Images South America)

As African football wraps up the year, there couldn’t be a worse cloud than that of the AFCON 2019 event. At the beginning of December news broke about changes to the hosting country of the AFCON 2019 tournament. Cameroon, the initial hosting nation were stripped of the right to host the competition after security issues were cited as a leading factor to the unanimous decision agreed by the CAF executive committee during a meeting held in Ghana. Quite concerning if you ask me.

CAF stripped Cameroon of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament rights mainly because of security concerns hovering over the country. These include the horrific event that took place in 2010 in Cameroon, where a number of players were attacked by rebels from Angola, aside from the delays in infrastructure preparations, confederation President Ahmad Ahmad disclosed. To refresh the reader’s memory, gunmen attacked a bus transporting the Togolese national team to the 2010 AFCON in Angola, killing three people and wounding many others. As such, CAF alluded that they do not want a repeat of a similar situation, taking into account the political riots currently faced by Cameroon, which includes the Boko Haram insurgency in some parts of the country.

With all this in mind, one can't help but ponder a question as to whether CAF rather leave it too late before acting on this. Did they not see it when the hosting decision was made? I raise these questions because a lot of investments have gone into the preparations leading up to hosting the tournament in Cameroon, and to leave it up to the last minute before taking a stand is quite a cause for concern.

Democratic Republic of the Congo supporters arrive to attend the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations group C football match between Togo and DR Congo in Port-Gentil on January 24, 2017. / AFP / Justin TALLIS

(Jan. 23, 2017 - Source: AFP)

Now at the back of such disappointing news, South Africa have been approached to assist in taking up the offer of hosting the event which literally kicks off in mid-June. Hosting the AFCON would obviously mean Bafana book their spot in the 24-team competition automatically, taking pressure off coach Stuart Baxter who has had a not so convincing qualifying campaign despite remaining unbeaten.

Above all, Cameroon's failure to host the AFCON 2019 leaves a lot to be desired in terms of Africa’s readiness to not only host tournaments such as the AFCON tourney, but also some of the world’s biggest sporting events. Moreover, it also raises questions pertaining the ability of those in power on whether or not they are capable of driving the ship if such problems are still reacted upon and rather not proactively resolved. The final decision is expected to be made early January according to CAF. What do you make of the AFCON 2019 hosting dilemma?

“With all this in mind, one can’t help but ponder a question as to whether CAF rather leave it too late before acting on this. Did they not see it when the hosting decision was made? ”

— Siphosethu Thwala, FirstTouch Africa

Is Khama Billiat the most important footballer in South Africa?

Khama Billiat of Ajax Cape Town (L), Nick Powel (C) and Rio Ferdinand of Manchester United during the MTN Football Invitational match between Ajax Cape Town and Manchester United from Cape Town Stadium on July 21, 2012 in Cape Town, South Africa.

(July 20, 2012 - Source: Gallo Images/Getty Images Europe)

I vividly remember as an eight year old student in primary school being told that should your school play Gwinyiro Primary School, they wouldn’t a stand a chance because they had Khama. That was wisdom curated by slightly older brothers and sisters of mine in Mufakose, a suburb in Harare, Zimbabwe who had the privilege to be in his inner circle and see him dazzle the Mufakose crowd, young and old alike. Khama Billiat must have been just thirteen at the time, not enrolled in a fancy youth football academy but had made the dusty Mufakose streets and pitches his own. He was already the most important footballer in Mufakose, Harare and fast forward a few years, he has probably become Southern Africa’s pride and treasure. But who is he really?

Early Career

Noises about him definitely got louder as he finished primary school and soon became an Aces Youth Soccer Academy player in Harare where he continued developing into a professional footballer eventually grabbing the attention of Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League giants, CAPS United who handed him his first professional contract. He was so good that Makepekepe failed to keep Billiat for more than three months as South African Premier League side, Ajax Cape Town paid big money and snatched him from right under their noses. It was at Ajax Cape Town where his career really took off.

Blessing the South African PSL giants

Its generally considered a big break or breakthrough moment whenever a young player gets a chance to play for one of the big guns but for Khama Billiat, it was different. The big guns got a big break by winning his signature, he became an unfathomable blessing wherever he was. From 2010-13 at Ajax, Khama bagged a total 21 goals in 89 appearances for the Cape Town club. One of the memorable moments in that period was when Ajax welcomed Manchester United for a club friendly in July 2012. It was really a lowkey match as both teams fine tuned their methodologies before the new season, the match eventually ending in a 1-1 draw but Khama left a lasting impression on Manchester United legend, Rio Ferdinand. The retired England international described Billiat as an agile and exciting player to watch, with great speed and ball control.

It just got even better for the Zimbabwean as he eventually got a trial with Russian Premier League side, Lokomotiv Moscow in 2013 even though he signed for the Shoe-Shine Piano Boys, Mamelodi Sundowns.

2016, The Crowning Year

Khama Billiat of Mamelodi Sundowns controls the ball during the FIFA World Cup Quarter Final match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Kashima Antlers at Suita City Football Stadium on December 11, 2016 in Suita, Japan.

(Dec. 10, 2016 - Source: Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images AsiaPac)

At Mamelodi Sundowns, Billiat cemented his place not just as great footballer in the country but across Africa. Bafana BaStyle refined their attractive style of play nicknamed shoe-shine piano with Khama in their ranks as he eventually formed a formidable partnership with youth striker, Percy Tau who recently got signed by English Premier League side, Brighton & Hove Albion. With both of them not short of pace, trickery and killer instinct - it was like watching Messi and Suarez decimate their opponents at Barcelona. He played an indispensable role in the team as Sundowns marched on to glory, winning the CAF Champions League for the first team in their history in 2016, three Premier Soccer League titles, the 2017 CAF Super Cup, 2014-15 Nedbank Cup and the 2015 Telkom Knockout. It was a pretty solid five years from 2013-18 with many armpits raised moments as silverware came like running tap water for Khama and the Tshwane club. In total, he scored 39 goals for Sundowns in 99 appearances and was named the 2016 PSL Player of the Season, Players’ Player of the Season and Midfielder of the Season. He was pimped to the individual continental award by teammate goalkeeper, Denis Onyango who took home the 2016 CAF Player Of The Year Award (for players based in Africa).

“Khama Billiat must have been just thirteen at the time, not enrolled in a fancy youth football academy but had made the dusty Mufakose streets and pitches his own. He was already the most important footballer in Mufakose, Harare and fast forward a few years, he has probably become Southern Africa’s pride and treasure.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Still marching now, now unto legendary status

The 28-year-old parted ways with Sundowns in the summer for another PSL giant, Kaizer Chiefs, for a new challenge. He has already scored 5 goals and assisted 3 others in all competitions for Amakhosi who are currently sitting third on the PSL league standings, a point behind bitter rivals Orlando Pirates. Chiefs will be confident that Billiat can help bring to Soweto , some long lost silverware. The Amakhosi gaffer, Giovanni Solinas was not slow to heap praise on Billiat and highlight his importance to the team;

“Barcelona have ten players and Messi. Kaizer Chiefs have ten players and Billiat. Khama is the best player in the PSL and he’s one of those rare players who makes the difference.”

— Giovanni Solinas, Kaizer Chiefs Coach

Khama, the Warrior

He has been capped thirty times now by Zimbabwe and scored ten international goals. He is a major ingredient in the Warriors of Zimbabwe setup and a protagonist, as he oversaw the operation where most successful nation in the biggest Southern Africa Football tournament, COSAFA took home two more titles in 2017 and 2018. He is a crowd favorite and big game player for every club he has played in the most followed and competitive league in Southern Africa, he is a midfielder, a goal scorer, and a dazzler. He is Khama Billiat and perhaps the most important footballer in the Southern African football right now.

Khama Billiat of Ajax CT during the Absa Premiership match between Ajax Cape Town and Kaizer Chiefs at Cape Town Stadium on May 01, 2013 in Cape Town, South Africa.

(April 30, 2013 - Source: Gallo Images/Getty Images Europe)

FT African Legends Series: The ultimate "markswoman", Portia Modise

As we draw closer towards the much anticipated 2018 Women's Africa Cup of Nations taking place in Ghana from the 17th of November to 1st of December, we celebrate some great legends of the game on the continent.

While the men’s South African team has been struggling to score goals. The women’s team, Banyana Banyana had a gem who used to score goals for fun in Portia Modise. Below we profile this unsung hero who knew what it meant to be a striker during her playing days.

blog, football, feature, Portia Modise, Arsenal Women’s team, Banyana Banyana, AWC,SAFA, CAF, Mali, Soweto, London Olympics

Background

Nicknamed “Bashin” after the football great Alfred “Bashin” Mahlangu, Portia was born in June 1983 in the famous township of Soweto in South Africa.

Contribution to the game

With a scoring prowess which was second to none, Portia Modise became the first African (amongst both men and women) to amass more than 100 international goals. Yes you read that right. She scored 102 goals in 119 appearances for Banyana Banyana in an unbelievable career which was filled with various accolades and achievements. Modise was named Player of the tournament at the Women African Championships held in 2006 for her stellar performances even though Banyana Banyana could only finish as first runner-ups. Moreover, “Bashin” was also part of the Banyana Banyana squad which represented South Africa at the 2012 London Olympic games.

Club Career

Professionally, Portia played for various South Africa teams including Soweto Ladies F.C where she scored 51 goals for the club . She also played for teams like Falcons F.C, and Croesus Ladies which were locally based teams. In 2007, Modise received an opportunity to play in Europe. She signed a two-year deal to play in Denmark for premier league team Fortuna Hjorring, before she returned to South Africa in 2009 to play for the Palace Super Falcons. Also worth noting is that back in 2003, Modise almost played for the Arsenal women’s football team, once upon a time in her glorious career. However, the move failed to materialize mainly due to finance and sponsorship details, despite Modise impressing the then Arsenal coach.

“With a scoring prowess which was second to none, “Bashin” became the first African (yes you read that right) to amass more than 100 international goals in 124 appearances. Such a record epitomized the true legend that she was in a male-dominated sport like football.”

— Siphosethu Thwala, FirstTouch Africa

International Career

Portia’s glimmering career was earmarked mainly by her amazing exploits at national team level. She began playing for Banyana Banyana back in 2000 aged 16. While playing for Banyana Banyana, she was instrumental in helping the team qualify for the 2008 African Women's Championship held in Equatorial Guinea. She also helped the team qualify for the 2012 London Olympic games where she scored the team’s only goal during the whole tournament. With a scoring prowess which was second to none, “Bashin” became the first African (yes you read that right) to amass more than 100 international goals in 124 appearances. Such a record epitomized the true legend that she was in a male-dominated sport like football. She finally hung her boots in 2015 after an illustrious career.

Career Accolades and Achievements

Portia Modise of South Africa celebrates scoring during the Women's Football first round Group F Match of the London 2012 Olympic Games between Sweden and South Africa, at City of Coventry Stadium on July 25, 2012 in Coventry, England.

(July 24, 2012 - Source: Sindy Thomas/Getty Images Europe) 

Portia’s amazing career was nothing short of achievements to back up her legendary status. For instance, Modise was nominated for the Women's FIFA World Player of the Year award back in 2005. She was also nominated for the 2006 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Women's Football of the Year award. Furthermore, Modise won the 2006 player of the year championship at the Women’s African Football Championship. She also went on to win the much coveted South African Sports Star award in the year 2014. What’s more, to close off a wonderful footballing career, “Bashin” was honoured by the South African Football Association (SAFA) after scoring her 100th goal for Banyana Banyana in the African Women’s Championship (AWC) in Namibia, 2014.

Women’s football still lags behind in coverage both in Africa and internationally, however those who did get the opportunity to see Modise in action will know that she had skill and inherent talent beyond that of many of her male counterparts. Not many have been able to mimic nor reach the class exuded by Portia Modise during her days. Nonetheless, the upcoming Women’s AFCON provides the appropriate platform for Africa and the rest of the world to see new talent that can take Women’s football by storm and reach the level  of Portia Modise. Will we see more of the Portia Modise, or was she one of a kind? You make the call.

CAF President Ahmad Questions Cameroon's Ability to host AFCON 2019

More doubt has been cast by the Confederation of African Football over Cameroon’s ability to host next year’s Africa Cup of Nations, with CAF President Ahmad Ahmad raising the possibility that the tournament may be moved.

This isn’t the first time President Ahmad has expressed doubt in Cameroon’s ability to hold AFCON 2019. With the Confederation of African Football’s decision to expand the tournament from 16 to 24 teams made back in July 2017, the demand for up to snuff infrastructure has been a source of increased tension between the federation and host nation.

After an inspection in February, CAF President Ahmad Ahmad urged Cameroon to improve their efforts to convince the federation of their viability as hosts after the inspection revealed that preparations were behind schedule.

CAF President Ahmad Ahmad AFP/Getty Images

Now a year after challenging Cameroon to prove they can host AFCON, taking place between June 7th and 30th 2019, President Ahmad has once again raised the possibility that the tournament could be moved.

"I am not sure Cameroon is ready to host the AFCON," he told KweséESPN. "There are many things which are still wanting and yet there is little time left.

"It would be dangerous to risk African players, especially the professionals plying their trade in Europe and other continents, to play under difficult conditions and facilities."

It must be said that there seems to be a small fount of pressure coming from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation’s official offer to support Cameroon’s hosting efforts. Even though in March, Fouzi Lekjaa, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation President, moved to end speculation regarding next year's AFCON during a press conference during the ongoing CAF Women's Football Symposium, let’s think about it from CAF’s perspective for a second.

With less than a year until AFCON 2019, to express doubt in a nation’s preparations suggests the federation may have contingencies to fall back on. Even though Morocco was eventually looked over by FIFA in their selection of North America as World Cup 2026 hosts, they proved during that process that they had the resources and infrastructure to ensure the potential of a positive, professional, and safe experience for the players and fans alike on that scale.

Dieudonne Happi, the chairman of the Normalisation Committee appointed to run the Cameroonian Football Association said it was a historical moment to see that Morocco is ready to come in and help them stage the biennial tournament.

““There must be no more of the rumours that have been circulating for some time,” he added. “The relationship between the governments of Morocco and Cameroon have come a long way.”

— Dieudonne Happi, the chairman of the Normalisation Committee FECAFOOT

FECAFOOT holding a press conference in Cameroon addressing AFCON preparation.

"This is real brotherhood because the governments of the two countries have always been close," added the FECAFOOT chief. "This puts an end to all rumours. There is no way we can fail to help each other."

In addition to the indirect pressure for Morocco, CAF President Ahmad further expressed the possibility of the tournament being moved by urging Cameroon to be ready.

"If you are not ready, come out open and say you are not ready," Ahmad urged, but will be ready next time.

"In 1996, Burkina Faso was supposed to host the AFCON but said they were not ready, and South Africa took up the chance to host."

Should Cameroon retain the 2019 event, it’ll be the first time they've hosted AFCON since the 1972 edition, which was won by the Republic of Congo after defeating Mali 3-2 in the final.

CAF Afcon inspection committee in Cameroon/Journal Du Cameroon

"If you asked me”, President Ahmad added,” Cameroon would be the best country to host the AFCON now because of their football history, but there are still some questions about their readiness to host a successful tournament.

"Cameroon are still having big problems with infrastructure like the pitches and even hotels," added Ahmad. "Equatorial Guinea jumped in at the last moment to host 2015 AFCON and this can also happen."

The CAF are expected to officially pronounce whether or not Cameroon will retain their hosting rights during the CAF Extraordinary General Assembly to be held on September 30 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. We wait with bated breath.

Zimbabwe: Referee hailed for rejecting a bribe

The Zimbabwean football association (ZIFA), commended the nation’s top referee, Norman Matemera for turning down a (USD) $10 000 bribe from Equatorial Guinea’s Desportivo Niefang. The club was working the Togolese match commissioner, Lawson Mawume to reach out to the Zimbabwean referee delegation led by Norman Matemera to influence the result of their decisive CAF Confederation play-off tie against Williamsville Athletic Club of Ivory Coast. The match eventually ended with Desportivo winning 2-1 but failing to progress as they lost 2-0 in the reverse encounter. After the match, the match commissioner and Desportivo dumped the vigilant referees to pay for their meals and transport themselves to the airport.

The 35-year-old Zimbabwean Matemera reported the attempted bribery case to CAF who are expected to take appropriate action to bring the accused to book. Matemera is one of the top officials in Southern Africa (COSAFA) to resist a bribe after South Africa’s Victor Gomes did the same. Here is what the ZIFA official had to say about the issue:

"You must recognize that there are attempts to fix a match, you must resist those attempts and you must report those attempts. In this regard, we feel proud that our referees did just that. It is quite unfortunate that in this case, it involved a match commissioner and it is a situation which makes you wonder who is going to guard the guard when those entrusted to guard are the guilty ones because the match commissioner was the one being used as the go-between in the home team's bribery attempts.But really what Matemera did speaks volumes of our honesty as a country on such issues.The referee reported the matter to CAF and I believe CAF are already seized with it. We believe CAF have adequate machinery to deal with such issues.”  - Gladmore Muzambi, ZIFA Referees Committee Vice-Chairman

DR Congo: FA boss detained for embezzling funds

The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo Football Association, Constant Omari was taken into custody on Wednesday for allegedly embezzling public funds. Omari, who is also a member of the FIFA council and vice-president with the Confederations of African Football (CAF) was is being held together with the sports ministry secretary general and two vice-presidents of DR Congo Football Association (Fecofa).

The magistrate highlighted that the four men are “currently being heard” over how they used public funds in the organization of club and international matches on the African continent. The lawyer representing the four men mentioned that they were being questioned on the embezzled US $ 1 million meant for four matches.

What’s interesting is that the organizers of the Dr. Congo football league, Linafoot, have suspended activities in “solidarity” of the detained. This story comes a few weeks after we shared that of West Ham United’s Arthur Masuaku and two other teammates who left DR Congo citing poor management and planning by the national team.

Could there be a correlation?

Uganda: CAF Commissions FUFA Beach Soccer Arena ahead of the regionals in May

The CAF Committee for Development of Futsal and Beach Soccer Committee were in Uganda for a historic one-day meeting, the first to be conducted outside its Cairo, Egypt headquarters on Monday, 26 March. Amongst other things, the delegation discussed the preparations for the third edition of the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2018, Youth Olympics Futsal Tournament and bidding process for the Futsal Africa Cup of Nations 2020.

The delegation then signed off with a visit to the venue for the inaugural CECAFA Beach Soccer Challenge scheduled to take place in May featuring the east African nations. The proposed three-acre facility at Kitubulu on the shores of Lake Victoria in Entebbe is currently under construction and the project is earmarked at $200 000 and expected to have a 2000 sitting capacity.

CAF Champions League Draw: The battle lines have been drawn

With the second round matches scheduled for as early as 6-8 May 2018, the match-ups for the final 16 teams have been decided in a draw conducted in Cairo, Egypt.

The stand out fixture has to be between the 2017 and 2016 Champions. Wydad Casablanca(Morocco) and Mamelodi Sundowns(South Africa) are in Group C together with AS Port of Togo and Horoya of Guinea. Masandawana will be keen to settle a score with Wydad after the former was knocked out last year on penalties with the latter eventually claiming the prize. With several debutants like Mbabane Swallows (Swaziland), AS Port of Togo and seasoned competitors such as the eight-time champions, Al Ahly (Egypt) in the mix for the title hunt - the final stages of the tournament promises to be full of thrills and spills. In fact, reacting to the draw, Sundowns gaffer Pitso Mosimane highlighted how ready they are to take on any challenge but admitted that fresh boys like AS Port of Togo are closed books which will need to be studied.

““Horoya plays good football with great passing technique. They are a good team, tactical and have some good individual players. The team we don’t know much is AS Port (Togo), and we will have to conduct a research on them” ”

— - Pitso Mosimane

Here is the complete list of the groups....

2018 Champions League groups:

Group A: Al Ahly (Egypt), Township Rollers (Botswana), KCCA (Uganda), Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia)

Group B: TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Mouloudia Alger (Algeria), Difaa El Jadidi (Morocco), Entente Setif (Algeria)

Group C: AS Port of Togo (Togo), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Wydad Casablanca (Morocco), Horoya (Guinea)

Group D: Zesco United (Zambia), Primeiro de Agosto (Angola), Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia), Mbabane Swallows (Swaziland)

Kenya: Tough times ahead for KFF

The Harambee stars recently released their head coach, Paul Put, three months in his contract over possible challenges in meeting his salary. This came after the government’s decision to increase the tax on gaming revenues which saw SportPesa withdrawing their sponsorship of the Kenyan Football Federation (FKF) in January. Now, the country’s two CAF approved stadiums which are currently under renovations might not be ready for the FIFA World Cup and AFCON qualifiers in September as a result of extended politics, short rains, and payment delays. To add insult to injury, China-based, Ayub Timbe will likely miss the Morocco friendly after arriving late in Marrakech and Maritzburg United’s Brian Mandela is a doubt after picking an injury in PSL action in South Africa.

Perhaps the possible matchup of Tottenham’s Victor Wanyama and his returning elder brother, McDonald Mariga will be the silver lining in Kenya’s dark clouds.

Domestic League: Egypt’s Al Ahly has become on the most successful clubs in the world

Last year’s CAF champions league finalists have wrapped a fantastic season in style by winning the Egyptian league title with six weeks to spare. The red devils have now 40 league titles since the club’s inception in 1907 and have their eyes set on bagging the Egyptian cup and reclaiming the champions league title from Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca. They may not be as wealthy as some global clubs, but this landmark win resembles a well-managed club which knows how to appease their fans. The leading club in England, the Red Devils of Manchester United, have won the EPL title 13 times which is only a third of the North African Red devils, perhaps the real red devils. Well, you just have to give credit where credit is due.

CAF: Liberia’s First Lady, Clar Weah, Named CAF Ambassador for Women Football

"It is a task that I am ready to do because I know the importance of football right from what it did for my husband and now my family." - Clar Weah

It has been quite the week for the Weahs. George Weah’s son, Timothy recently made his debut for PSG in their 2-0 win against Troyes. This was 23 years after his father made his debut for the same club. Now, Clar Weah, the mother of the Liberian first family has been ordained with the task of promoting women’s football at the first CAF symposium for women football in Marrakech, Morocco.

AFCON : Morocco Backs Cameroon to Successfully Host the 2019 Tournament

There were doubts as to whether the West African nation would be able to host next year’s AFCON, the first to feature 24 teams, after the CAF President had remarked that they had “work to do.” And now, Cameroon will be happy to learn that Morocco, who are looking forward to land the bid to host 2026 world cup, are fully behind them. This is what the president of the Moroccan Football Federation (FMRF) had to say about the matter at CAF’s first ever symposium for women football:

"We wanted to put an end to rumours making rounds in the media for a while. The FMRF is at the disposal of the Cameroonian federation to make the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon an African football festival.” - Faouzi Lekjaa
Read more about 2019 here.

From king of the pitch to king of a nation: George Weah

“My fellow Liberians, I deeply feel the emotion of all the nation. I measure the importance and the responsibility of the immense task which I embrace today. Change is on.” George Weah tweeted these words on the night of Thursday, 28th of December 2017 as he waltzed into history books once again but now as the first ex-football star to become president of a nation.

Yes, his story is a typical success story of “came from a humble background and then made it in life through hard work and perseverance,” but Mr. Weah is no ordinary successful man. He is idolized in the West African nation as “Mister George.”

The beginning

It all started from Clara Town slum of Monrovia, one of the poorest counties in the nation founded by freed American slaves, Liberia. George was born to William T. Weah, Snr. and Anna Quayeweah but raised mostly by his paternal grandmother. Like any other child with decent opportunities in Africa, he attended middle school at Muslim Congress and Wells Hairston in high school before but at the time, only himself knew that he was firstly a footballer before he was a student. Mister George’s football career started off quickly in the domestic leagues where he won few titles and some personal accolades including the Liberian Premier League title. Sometime during his domestic football career he had to work as a switchboard technician at Liberia Telecommunications to get by in life but his successes would soon catch the attention of Arsene Wenger. He was quickly brought to Monaco by Arsene and then the conquest began.

Football career

The story goes on, the wheels wouldn’t just come off in this man’s illustrious career, there was no stopping him. He went on to win a four major titles in France with Paris St Germain in the 1989-1995 period before moving to Italy. George Weah then bagged two Italian Serie A titles in four years with AC Milan playing alongside Roberto Baggio in the frontline. His European successes were also coupled with dominance in Africa, winning three CAF African Player of the Year titles in 1989, 1994 and 1999 and became the first and up to now, the only African player to have won the coveted Ballon d’Or and FIFA’s World Player of the Year in 1994. He is known for his strength, speed and dribbling ability. Most people remember the goal he scored at Milan against Verona where he dribbled past seven players from his own box until he scored. FIFA described him as the “precursor of the multi-functional strikers of today.” He became popularly known as King George. Mr. Weah’s decorated football career ended with short spells at Chelsea, Manchester City and finally Al-Jazira in UAE in 2003. He was voted Africa’s Player of the century by sport journalists, the same recognition that the Brazilian Pele got for South America and Johan Cruyff for Europe. But the story is only half done. He was always a patriotic, who went back home to Liberia when he won his first CAF award while he was at Monaco to celebrate with his country. Watch what happens next.

Off the pitch

He was always a person of goodwill, even though there was an incident where he broke the Portuguese, Jorge Costa’s nose in the tunnel after a Champions League match at Porto in 1996. He alleged that Jorge had made some racist comments on which he never got any witnesses. George later apologized to Costa but the Portuguese wouldn’t have any of that. He was however named FIFA Fair Player of the year that year and also became UNICEF and UN Goodwill Ambassador later. Back home, Mister George was a President of Junior professionals, a football club that required school attendance for entry. Most of the recruits have gone to play for the national team. In 2016, he partnered with Indian Entrepreneur, Nirav Tripathi in a multi-million deal that would set up global football academies to assist youth in impoverished and emerging nations.

Mr. President

In 2005, George Weah announced his intentions to run for Presidency against the Nobel Peace Prize Winner and Harvard educated, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Some people probably thought he was biting more than he could chew right there. Surprisingly he was leading the race in the first round of elections with 28.3% of the votes. He however eventually lost the presidency to Sirleaf getting 40.6% and his rival 59.4% in the second round of elections where he accused the opposition for voter intimidation and ballot tampering which was brushed aside by the African Union. He humbly took the loss. Weah was always criticized for lacking formal education to govern a nation by opposition leaders, they called him “a babe in woods.” He once replied to the critics in a statement, “With all their education and experience, they have governed this nation for hundreds of years. They have never done anything for the nation.”

After pursuing a business administration degree at DeVry University in Miami, Mister George returned home and successfully campaigned for the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) in Montserrado County senatorial by-election. In 2011, CDC unsuccessfully contested in the elections selecting Weah as the Vice-President with Winston Tubman as the presidential candidate. Three years later, Weah was elected into the Senate after overwhelmingly beating the president’s son, Robert Sirleaf. He became the first international athlete to make to represent a county in the Liberian legislature.

2017 has been the year when it all comes together outside the pitch for Mister George. He is officially the President of Liberia in historic election which saw the first democratic transition of power. He beat Vice President Joseph Boakai by getting 61.5% of the 98% votes counted with Boakai getting 38.5%.

He is the only African player to have won the FIFA World Player of the year in 1995, the Ballon d’Or in the same year and the first ex-football star to lead a nation, his is George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah and this is FirstTouch Football.

Africa’s Best Footballing Moments in 2017

Cameroon wins bragging rights at AFCON 2017

The African cup of nations(AFCON) kicked off in Gabon with 16 finalists battling it out for one prize. Ivory Coast were holders of the trophy heading into the tournament and clearly one of the favorites alongside Gabon, Senegal, Algeria and Egypt. (change nations to reflect thes player changes). These nations are historically revered for their experience and star studded line ups with players lighting up the world’s major football leagues such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez, and Mo Salah. We also saw some of the continents young starlets getting their feet wet in the competition with the likes of Wilfried Zaha, Keita Balde, and Christian Bassogog getting their AFCON debuts. But ultimately none of that mattered, as it was Cameroon’s time to steal the headlines. Hugo Broos fielded a young side who went past Burkina Faso, Senegal and Egypt to be crowned Africa cup of nations winners for the fifth time. The Indomitable Lions certainly redeemed their big brothers who failed to win a single game in the 2015 tournament. The next African champions are scheduled to be crowned in Cameroon 2019.

North Africans bossed the year

It certainly was the year of the Arabs on the continent who showed signs of revitalizing their place as Africa’s elite. It kicked off with 7 time African Champions, Egypt becoming 1st runners up in the AFCON finals after their latest appearance in the tournament dated back to 2010. Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca then won the CAF Champions League in an all North African final against Egypt’s Al Ahly for the first time in 25 years. The year capped off with North Africans winning 3 of the 5 spots to represent the continent at next year’s World Cup finals in Russia. Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and Senegal make up the list with notable absentees such as Ghana and Ivory Coast losing out to Egypt and Morocco in the group stages.

The emergence of Mo Salah

What a 2017 it was for Mohamed Salah! The Egyptian arrived at the Merseyside club, Liverpool for a record transfer for an African player of 42 million euros which was then eclipsed by the same club for the signature of Guinean ace, Naby Keita. Mo Salah had scored 34 goals and 24 assists for Roma in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 season, and scarily, his form has only improved. In a league considered the world’s toughest, he has scored 20 goals in all competitions at the half mark of the season, only Harry Kane is above him in the Premier League goals tally and Salah is not even an outright striker, as Klopp usually deploys him on the left side of Liverpool’s front three. His impact also spread to his national team, as he  helped the Pharaohs of Egypt reach the world cup finals for the first time since 1990 and was named BBC’s African Footballer of the year. He is also part of the 3 finalists for the CAF Best Player to be crowned in January 2018 together with teammate Sadio Mane and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang. With such a pedigree, it is understandable when rumors linking Mohamed to clubs like Real Madrid surface.

TP Mazembe gives DRC something to smile about

DRC might be war torn because of the long standing dispute between the controversial president, Joseph Kabila’s government and rebels for the country’s rich mineral resources but its football stars certainly give the citizens something to cherish. The national team did put up a good show at the AFCON finals making it to the knockout stages and also in the world cup qualifiers where they finished second in a group marginally won by Tunisia. The Congolese scored the most goals in these qualifiers more than any other African team. They eventually got some silverware for their all-round performances in the CAF Confederation finals, a tournament for domestic club cup winners on the continent. TP Mazembe beat South Africa’s high flying SuperSport United in a thoroughly entertaining two-legged final to win the cup in two consecutive years. A lot of things might not be right on the continent but football certainly plays a huge role in healing nations.

George Weah wins Liberia’s presidency in a historic democratic election

The only African player to have won the much coveted Ballon d’Or (1995) and FIFA’s award for World Best Male player in the same year, 1 Champions League title, 2 Italian Serie A titles, a Ligue 1 title and now Mr. President! The Liberian is now undoubtedly one of the most influential men in football history. You don’t want to miss this full feature about Mister George here on FT Football.

Special

Ronaldo equals Messi’s record

The Portuguese star beat Lionel Messi and Neymar to the 2017 Ballon d’Or award equaling Messi’s record of 5 recognitions as the best player in the world. Christiano Ronaldo also won the inaugural FIFA BEST player award ahead of Messi and Neymar. Ronaldo helped Portugal win their first European title in 2016 and won 5 trophies with Real Madrid including the Champions League trophy, Club World cup and Spanish League gold. Messi and Ronaldo have officially dominated the football world for the past decade.

Kaka hangs his boots

“It was much more than I could ever imagined. Thank you!” he said. “I’m now ready for the next journey. In Jesus’ name. Amen.” – Kaka

On Sunday, the 17th of December 2017, the world woke up to this news on Twitter. The 35-year old Brazilian announced his retirement after a career that most people will remember. He joined AC Milan from Sao Paulo in 2003 where he spent six years where he helped Millan to Champions League success in 2007, scoring 10 goals in the process. He then transferring to Real Madrid for then record transfer fee of 56 million pounds. He won Spanish League title and the Copa Del Rey cup before returning to Millan in 2013 and then finishing his career in MLS at Orlando City.

Kaka is the last player to have won the Ballon d’Or in 2007 before Messi and Ronaldo took over the show. He now plans to return to AC Milan for an off the pitch role.

The Brazilian Magician might have not won as many individual trophies as Messi or Ronaldo but he certainly is a footballer that everyone will remember, not only for his immense skill, but also for his humility and influence off the pitch.