NEWS
A selection of FirstTouch's best football writing, brought to you by emerging journalists, collaborators, and fans.
Moussa "The Beast" Marega, Africa's biggest winner in the UCL so far?
Salah and Mane have not been at their best in the 2018/19 Champions League season so far. However, the show must go on and in have stepped FC Porto and Mali’s Marega along with a few others.
“His slick combination up top with Algerian, Yacine Brahimi has seen him bag three Champions League goals and an assist in just four matches. As a result, Porto are unbeaten in group D, occupying first position and needing at most a point to qualify for the knockout stages.”
One of the most watched football tournaments in the world, Europe’s UEFA Champions League is currently underway and even yet to reach the climax. Like in times past, where names such as Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba and George Weah stole the show, many African footballers continue to headline this tourney. After matchday 4/6 of the 2018/19 group stage, Malian Moussa Marega is arguably the biggest winner as far as impact and continuity is concerned.
Hakim Ziyech of Ajax is challenged by Ljubomir Fejsa of Benfica (L) and Gedson of Benfica during the Group E match of the UEFA Champions League between Ajax and SL Benfica at Johan Cruyff Arena on October 23, 2018 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
(Oct. 22, 2018 - Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images Europe)
The most celebrated Africans participating in Europe’s elite club competition in Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have started slower than expected and are very much at risk of bowing out early in their Liverpool colors, even though they were finalists in the 2017/18 UCL season. An impressive 3-2 win against PSG at home blindsided everyone to think it was all going to be a walk in the park for Jurgen Klopp and his Redmen. We know how Senegalese international, Kalidou Koulibaly and Napoli stopped them in their tracks in Naples, though eventually responding in the ensuing match by thrashing Red Star Belgrade, 4-0 at Anfield. Now, on Tuesday, the pendulum swung once more and Liverpool’s inconsistency manifested again in a shock 2-0 loss away at Red Star in Serbia. Both Sadio Mane and Mo Salah have been deserving of the praise and stick for the two sides of Liverpool we have seen so far in the Champions League. None of them qualifies to be the main man, they are still yet to hit that 2017/18 record-breaking form.
We have also seen some African talents, relatively new to the UEFA Champions League, showing up big time for their sides. Morocco’s Hakim Ziyech and Cameroonian goalkeeper, Andre Onana who represent the Eredivisie’s Ajax look like they are on a brink to reach the knockout stages after some disciplined performances in the first four games. Ajax is still yet to lose a champions league game this campaign and one more win will most certainly guarantee them a spot in the last 16. The Dutch League’s 2017 Player of The Year has been doing his playmaker job very well for Ajax while 22-year-old Andre Onana has been commanding from between the sticks as they rubbed shoulders with the likes of Bayern Munich and highly rated Portuguese side in Benfica. Koulibaly, arguably the world’s best center back, has been equally instrumental for Napoli who unfashionably top group C, above both Liverpool and PSG. All he is been up to requires a separate piece and even though some we have written on the Senegalese “man mountain” go a long way in describing him and his many talents.
Moussa Marega of Porto runs with the ball during the UEFA Champions League group G match between RB Leipzig and FC Porto at Red Bull Arena on October 17, 2017 in Leipzig, Germany.
(Oct. 16, 2017 - Source: Martin Rose/Bongarts)
Ultimately, my pick of the African who has had the most going his way is none other than the Malian Beast, Moussa Marega. I had always thought that Adama Traore, the fastest player on FIFA 19, is the only buff and lightning fast Malian, I was actually so wrong. Marega looks like he is the big brother of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Traore. In the absence of FC Porto’s main striker, Cameroonian Vincent Aboubakar due to injury, Marega has stepped up and done just as good a job. His slick combination up top with Algerian, Yacine Brahimi has seen him bag three Champions League goals and an assist in just four matches. As a result, Porto are unbeaten in group D, occupying first position and needing at most a point to qualify for the knockout stages. After having a slow start to his career that featured several loan spells and short stints at several French and Portuguese lower league and top flight clubs, Marega’s wait is now paying dividends. The ‘’Beast” is shining at the biggest stage of them all. Seeing that a last 16 place is most certain for Porto, it will be interesting to see how far Marega will lead the Portuguese side’s frontline.
2019 AFCON Qualifiers: What we learned from Matchday 3 & 4
Did you miss the 2019 AFCON Qualifiers’ Matchday 3 & 4? No worries, we summarised the most important things we learned.
“The Changchun Yatai forward’s form has been really shocking and with resemblance of Jesus’ water into wine stuff, especially after having a barren 2018 world cup campaign.”
The much anticipated 2019 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, the first to have 24 teams participating in the finals is drawing closer. If the events that came with matchday 3 and 4 are anything to go by, the world is poised for a real treat come the 15th of June all through to the 13th of July 2019. With two more match days to go before the 24 finalists are confirmed, we took time to reflect on the just ended matches. Here are the three things we learnt.
Familiar and an unfamiliar face
Uganda's goalkeeper Denis Onyango (R) challenges Egypt's forward Mohamed Salah during the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations group D football match between Egypt and Uganda in Port-Gentil on January 21, 2017. / AFP / Justin TALLIS
(Jan. 20, 2017 - Source: AFP)
Five teams have since booked a place in the finals after an impressive run in 4 of the 6 qualifiers. Of the five, The 2017 Champions in Cameroon are flexing, sitting pretty at the top of group B even though they have automatic qualification by virtue of being hosts. Senegal, Egypt and Tunisia - the trio who were part of Africa’s 2018 world cup five, were also among those to book early tickets. Senegal and Tunisia were a bit humble in their approach, getting some modest wins over the likes of South Sudan and Niger. But not Egypt. The Pharaohs continue to be some of the biggest entertainers, humiliating Niger and eSwatini to 6-0, 4-1 respectively in some of the fixtures. Madagascar is one unfamiliar face that booked a finalist spot. The Indian Ocean Islanders will appear in their first ever Africa Cup of Nations finals tournament in their history. They recorded some important wins against Equatorial Guinea and South Sudan in the process, also pulling off a famous 2-2 draw against Senegal at home. What a real boost of confidence for the Malagasy CAF president, Ahmad Ahmad. Niger, eSwatini, Equatorial Guinea and South Sudan were effectively eliminated from the AFCON contest as a result of the above qualified teams.
Shot-stoppers club run by Khune and Onyango
Ahmed Musa of Nigeria celebrates victory following the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group D match between Nigeria and Iceland at Volgograd Arena on June 22, 2018 in Volgograd, Russia.
(June 21, 2018 - Source: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images Europe)
The South African and Ugandan international goalkeepers are yet to concede a goal in the four qualifiers played so far. The Kaizer Chiefs shot stopper, Khune has been in charge of the goal for Bafana since 2008 even setting a record of second most appearances against for the national side against Seychelles with 90 caps, a few caps shy of record-holder Aaron Mokoena with 107. His ABSA Premiership counterpart, Denis Onyango who plays Mamelodi Sundowns has also been doing a similar job for the Ugandan Cranes. Both sides only need at most 3 points in their remaining fixtures to book spots at the 2019 Cameroon AFCON finals.
Ighalo a man in form, Musa the playmaker
One man who cannot stop scoring is Nigeria’s Odion Ighalo. After getting a hatrick against Liberia in Nigeria, he got two more goals in just a few days in the return fixture to go top of the scoring charts with 6 goals. The Changchun Yatai forward’s form has been really shocking and with resemblance of Jesus’ water into wine stuff, especially after having a barren 2018 world cup campaign. Perhaps Ahmed Musa is the reason why the 29-year-old is singing the blues. Musa provided assists two both of Ighalo’s goals in Liberia, also adding his name on the scoresheet. The 26-year-old is continuing from where he left off at the world cup and has been at the forefront of more mature performances by the Super Eagles since he got the captaincy in the absence of John Obi Mikel. Nigeria’s 4-0 and 3-2 wins over Liberia have seen them take control of group E, with a lucrative chance of booking a finals spot.
Bonus lesson we got is the prospect of exciting final rounds of matches as some groups look to be going down the wire. Zambia, the 2012 AFCON champions, have a lot to do as they currently sit bottom of group K and still to face a determined Namibia and proud Mozambique. Group G currently led by Zimbabwe is my personal favorite with all the teams, DR Congo, Liberia and Congo being knitted close together in terms of points gained. Anything can happen, prepare to be wowed.
Here is a complete list of all the group standings.