NEWS
A selection of FirstTouch's best football writing, brought to you by emerging journalists, collaborators, and fans.
2018 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations Qualifiers: Kenya draws first blood at home against Uganda
Kenya down Uganda in the opener
The qualifiers for this year’s continental showpiece of women football kicked off in Machakos, Kenya on Wednesday. Lilian Adera’s 53rd-minute strike was enough to secure a one-goal advantage for the Harambee Starlets over the Crested Cranes ahead of the second leg to be played this Sunday at Star Times Stadium, Kampala.
The right-back, Adera, curled in a beautiful cross into the box which flicked past Crested Cranes’ goalkeeper, Ruth Aturo. The overall winner of this tie will face Equatorial Guinea in the final qualification stage with a victory guaranteeing a spot at the finals to be held in Ghana from 17 November to the 1st of December 2018.
In other fixtures, Ethiopia thrashed Libya 8-0 away from home in a first leg match and Tanzania drew 3-3 with Zambia.
All the qualification matches and results are listed below:
4 April: Senegal v Algeria
10 April: Algeria v Senegal
FT: Libya 0 Ethiopia 8
10 April: Ethiopia v Libya
4 April: Congo v Central African Republic
10 April: Central African Republic v Congo
FT: Kenya 1 Uganda 0
8 April: Uganda v Kenya
FT: Tanzania 3 Zambia 3
10 April: Zambia v Tanzania
5 April: Namibia v Zimbabwe
TBC: Zimbabwe v Namibia
6 April: Morocco v Ivory Coast
TBC: Ivory Coast v Morocco
7 April: Sierra Leone v Mali
10 April: Mali v Sierra Leone
7 April: Burkina Faso v Gambia
10 April: Gambia v Burkina Faso
6 April: Lesotho v Swaziland
TBC: Swaziland v Lesotho
PSL Midweek Round-Up: Sundowns and Pirates keep their feet on the pedal
The ABSA Premiership title race has been nothing short of a spectacle
It is almost set and stone that the ABSA premiership title race down to the flamboyant duo of Masandawana and Amabhakabhaka. On match day 25, Mamelodi Sundowns comfortably beat Chippa United 2-0 at home while Orlando Pirates narrowly got past Bloemfontein Celtic, 2-1. Sundowns were not as slick they usually are against the Chilli boys but two goals from the SA POTY award favorite, Percy Tau and Zimbabwean playmaker, Khama Billiat settled the Brazilians nerves for the meantime, who have Pirates breathing down their neck on the standings. Zambia’s Augustine Mulenga wonder goal was the match winner for Pirates who have now played one more game than Sundowns.
In other fixtures, Kaizer Chiefs climbed up to third with a 1-0 win over Free State Stars courtesy of Teenage Hadebe’s injury time strike. Champions, Bidvest Wits, who were rock bottom for the greater part of the season continued their march to safety with a 2-1 win over fourth placed Maritzburg United. Benni McCarthy’s Cape Town City were stunned 1-0 at home by Golden Arrows and Matsatsantsha’s (SuperSport United) struggles continued they succumbed to a 1-0 loss against Polokwane City with the PSL top scorer, Rodney Ramagelela adding a goal to his tally.
Only five games remain. Who will win the title? Who will face the axe? Feel free to share your thoughts below.
Abroad: Obafemi Martins to sit on the sidelines for the next six or seven months
Get well soon Obafemi!
Nigerian forward, Obafemi Akinwunmi Martins picked up an injury on Tuesday during his club’s Asian Champions League group stage match. The Shanghai Shenhua forward had to leave the pitch halfway through the match due to a torn hamstring as revealed by his club on Wednesday. Martins, 33, will be out for at least six months meaning that he is ruled out of selection to join the Super Eagles’ squad for the 2018 FIFA World cup finals commencing on the 14th of June - a blow to the veteran and perhaps the inconsistent Nigerian frontline.
To literally add insult to injury, Martins’ Shanghai Shenhua did not make it to the knockout stages of the Asian Champions League as a result of that 2-2 draw against Kashima Antlers. A man in form, who grabbed a hatrick in Shenhua’s 4-2 win over Hebei China Fortune on Saturday will have to sit out the greater part of the 2018 Chinese Super League tournament.
The former Newcastle and Inter Milan striker joined the CSL side at the start of the 2016 season from Major League Soccer side, Seattle Sounders.
South Africa: Sundowns and Pirates continue their title charge
Who do you think will win the 2017/18 South African Premier Soccer League title?
We are spoiled with appetizing Absa premiership matches on the night of the 4th of April. Mamelodi looking to extend their unbeaten run, Orlando Pirates seeking to extend their winning streak and both sides running towards claiming the ultimate prize, PSL league title. Sundowns (Masandawana) return to league action since the second of the match and will be looking to add more breathing space at the top of the standing when they face the challenge of the Chilli boys (Chippa United) whom they have never lost to in 9 league matches, since the 2012/13 season. Masandawana are currently a point above the Buccaneers (Orlando Pirates) with a game in hand advantage. Chippa are currently 11 on the table and most people would fancy Masandawana to get the three points
Amabhakabhaka are tackling Bloemfontein Celtic, who they beat 1-0 in their last time out at Celtic. Pirates will be keen to keep the pressure on the Sundowns especially now that only five games remain in the season. They will be feeling pretty confident, having won seven of their last nine games. The most recent win being a 3-1 victory against their bitter rivals, Kaizer Chiefs. However, Punye Sele Sele can prove to be a stubborn team on their day, having frustrated Chiefs to a 0-0 draw in their last match. They currently occupy the ninth spot on the league table.
Zambia: First team head coach, Nyirenda, dares his employers to sack him
"I don't think there is need for technical review when you have already judged and made up your minds."
The Chipopolo (Copper Bullets) head coach, Wedson “Weda” Nyirenda feels underappreciated, unwanted and disrespected by the Football Association of Zambia(FAZ). According to a letter circulating in the Football House, Weda highlighted that he would not appear before the Technical team set to review his performances.
The letter reportedly obtained by Times Sports state that Nyirenda was tired of being belittled and that he would be prepared to part ways with FAZ only if they pay their dues to him.
The following is an excerpt from the reported letter....
“The past week, I have been wanting to meet you (FAZ President Andrew Kamanga) but it has not been possible due to circumstances. I want to make it clear that from inception, I was not wanted. It has been so evident in the way my office and person has been disrespected.”
Nyirenda was appointed head coach in January 2017 and has built a youthful Zambian team who has an attractive attacking style of play second to a few on the continent. Zambia failed to qualify for the world under Nyirenda but finished second, ahead of Algeria and Cameroon, in the group won by Nigeria. Their recent second-place finish came to the Four Nations Tournament when they beat 2-0 by South Africa in the final. He is unfortunate not to have silverware to show for his hard work but many can tell he has been building a formidable Chipolopolo side.
“I don’t think there is a need for technical review when you have already judged and made up your minds. You would be doing me a great favor if you terminated my contract. I have been injured for so long now and I am only human. We cannot go on pretending.”
Ivory Coast: FIF plays down Frank De Boer links to vacant managerial position
Is De Boer next in line for the Ivory Coast job?
The Elephants are on the hunt for a new manager to replace the Belgian, Marc Wilmots who left his job by mutual agreement in November. A report by the West African country’s popular local news website, Linfodrome, suggested that the former Crystal Palace manager, Frank De Boer could be named the Elephants gaffer.
In a statement, the FIF vice-president, Sory Diabate denied the legitimacy of the reports.
"It's no secret that FIF is searching for a new Elephants coach to replace Marc Wilmots. The Federation is working hard on this and will announce the name of the coach in due course." - Sory Diabate, FIF vice-president
The two-time African champions, Ivory Coast, are still licking their wounds after failing to qualify for the world cup finals in Russia. They were also knocked out in the group of stages of the 2017 Total Africa Cup of Nations, meaning a new manager will need to restore the nation’s footballing pride. Whether or not De Boer would be the right candidate, it is debatable, especially after the Dutch got fired by the South London club after losing his first seven premier league games with the club.
Do African nations seem to always looking out to get the least prefered coaches in the most competitive football leagues? Feel free to share your thoughts below.
Russia 2018: El-Hadary eyes historical appearance at the age of 45
Egyptian goalkeeper eyes historical appearance at the age of 45
The Pharaohs veteran goalkeeper, Essam El-Hadary is hopeful of making into the team’s squad for the FIFA World Cup finals to start on the 14th of June in Russia. El- Hadary, 45, would become the oldest player in history to appear in the world cup finals after Faryd Mondragon of Colombia featured against Japan in Brazil in 2014 aged 43 years and 3 days.
"My age is 45 years old, but for me, this is just a number on paper. I train hard every day, I don't know what the word 'impossible' means. I will keep fighting until the World Cup to have the chance to play and defend my homeland colours." - Essam El-Hadary
The Egyptian shot stopper has build his name on the continent, mostly remembered for amazing reflexes, vocal attitude and penalty stops in the Pharaohs’ three consecutive African Cup of Nations triumphs in 2006, 2008 and 2010. He currently plays for Al-Taawoun FC in the Saudi Professional League and did feature a lot in Egypt’s world cup qualifying rounds, most notably in the 2-1 win against Congo Brazzaville that sealed their spot.
When asked about what he thinks of their group stage opponents in Russia, he said;
"All the teams in our group are very strong. Saudi Arabia is an Arabic team and our matches with them will be very interesting, so it will not be easy.Russia will play in front of their fans and in their grounds, and when you talk about Uruguay you talk about an amazing team and big names like Edinson Cavani and Luis Suárez, so it will not be easy at all." - Essam El-Hadary
Even with so much respect for an opponent, we have to know El-Hadary to be a competitor and certainly a winner. June promise to produce nothing but fireworks.
Colombia: Footballs are worth more than rifles; a case of the reintegration of ex-rebels.
"Soccer is a way for us to win hearts and minds"
After over 50 years of civil conflict between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC in Spanish) and the Colombian government, a peace agreement was signed in November 2016. Wounds inflicted over decades, marked by bloody massacres, kidnappings, extortions and intense fighting are now being slowly healed by the power of sport through football. A lot of young people recruited into the FARC at ages of 17-20 who had their dreams of playing professional football dashed at the time are believing again. In fact, even during the period of the huge turmoil, they would still sacrifice to play football.
““We would carry 70 kilos [154 pounds] on our backs and walk up to 30 km [19 miles] a day upon the mountains. The first thing we would do before camping would be to clear a field with our machetes so we could play soccer. Sports have always been part of our guerrilla way of life.””
After the peace agreement, close to 7, 000 former rebels are now organized into 26 transitional settlements who are run by the former commanders. Both men and women’s football teams have been neatly set up. From time to time, they play friendly matches with other villages, both civilian and other former rebels’ villages. As the ex-rebels await approval from Dimayor (Colombia's professional soccer authority) to include two B division teams, one for men and the other for women to make their footballing dreams a reality; they remain self-sustained.
The former rebels sell rifles to cover tournament travel costs and buy soccer equipment. At times they still travel for kilometers in metal boats for matches in distant villages, players, and supporters alike. The feared former FARC commander sees sports as well to reintegrate into civilian life and win hearts again as talks of forming a democratic political party continue.
““We’ve started to see an increase in local communities participating in sports events. Soccer is a way for us to win hearts and minds. For example, women’s soccer teams’ participation has increased. The fact they see our [FARC] women play has empowered women in these remote communities to organize and play.” ”
The transitional residences are a hive of activity ranging from late night briefings on the peace process, internal issues, world global news; tutoring and jobs to maintain the living conditions. The close to 7, 000 demobilized rebels receive monthly food rations and 700, 000 Colombian pesos(around USD $250) payment each, from the government to purchase essentials.
During the time of the visit by ESPN journalists, one ex-rebels team were in an ecstatic mood after beating 94th Infantry Battalion of the Colombian Armed Forces, 11 - 5. They once met on the battlefield but now go toe to toe on the soccer pitch. The former rebels continue to wait for more support from the government and integration into civilian life is not slowing down for the beloved sons and daughters of Colombia.
FIFA drops racism investigation on Batshuayi’s claims
When will we "Start Saying No" to racsim?
The cases of racism continue. This time, UEFA has decided to drop their investigation into the claims of racial abuse directed towards Michy Batshuayi in a match between Dortmund and Atalanta in the Europa League last month. UEFA have done so without giving any reason why they were dropping the case which brings suspicion to the way they handle issues of racism. Many players have been racially abused in the past and these include Mario Balotelli, Samuel Eto’o, Muntari, Roberto Carlos, and Everton Luiz among others. UEFA are clearly not doing enough to end racism because many players are being affected by it and the abusers know that little action will be taken against them. In this instance, Batshuayi’s case has been dropped for no reason and the player has responded to that decision by posting, “LOL. It was probably in my imagination,” on his Twitter account. The Belgian striker on-loan at Dortmund from Chelsea laughs it off because of disappointment. This is the second time in less than a month that UEFA have decided to close the investigation on claims of racial discrimination after a black player publicly drew attention. Hefty fines and bans are placed on the players that take matters into their own hands when racially abused and leave the pitch like Kevin Prince-Boateng did. What is UEFA waiting to be done so that they could take serious measures against these inhumane characters who discriminate against other human beings of different race, religion, gender, sex etc?
Zimbabwe: Outspoken Chiyangwa could leave office soon
Is time running out for President Chiyangwa?
There is a possibility that the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) president, Philip Chiyangwa, would be forced to vacate office after the immediate resignation of two federation’s board members, Piraishe Mabhena and Felton Kamambo. The resignation has left ZIFA with only three executive leaving them short of the five man quorum required to run the body. The board was already operating with three vacant positions after the passing on of Zimbabwe’s footballing legend, Edzai Kasinauyo and the delayed appointments of the PSL and women’s football seats.
Given the current situation, constitutionally, the secretary general would dissolve the whole body and assume the top position for a two month period awaiting general elections.
However, Philip “Big Phidza” Chiyangwa seems to be having none of that as they are reports citing that he was working on a plan to appoint two people to occupy the vacant positions. The ZIFA boss is also the president of the Southern African body of football, COSAFA which he assumed only a few months after winning the ZIFA top job. Millionaire, Chiyangwa, is your typical outspoken President Donald Trump kind of guy who was also influential in pushing for the replacement of the long serving AFCON former president, Issa Hayatou.
Do you think Chiyangwa has been backed into a corner this time?
EPL returns: Iheanacho could play for Leicester with broken hand
Leicester boss Claude Puel is still depending on the Nigerian striker
Super Eagles and Leicester forward, Kelechi Iheanacho suffered a broken hand whilst on international duty for his country in the midweek friendlies. The 21-year-old featured in Nigeria’s 1-0 victory over Poland when he sustained the injury but couldn’t take part in their 2-0 humbling by Mitrovic’s Serbia.
Kelechi returned to England on Thursday and the Leicester boss, Claude Puel confirmed the injury pointing out that its gravity would need to be assessed before their Saturday match against Brighton.
"I think he fell. It's not an important injury. We will see if this injury prevents him from playing in this game. Perhaps it might be strange for him to play with a cast." - Claude Puel, Leicester City Manager
Iheanacho joined the Foxes in the summer from Manchester City in a 20 million pound deal but has struggled to get regular game time, starting only 3 times in his 12 appearances for the club in the EPL scoring once. He has thrived in cup competitions where he played six times scoring four goals.
Russia 2018: FIFA chooses six African referees
6 African referees make the cut for Russia 2018
Amongst the 99 officials at this year’s FIFA World Cup finals in Russia, 19 are from Africa. Of the nineteen, six are referees while the rest are assistants. FIFA has also confirmed that Video Assistant Refereeing will be used in the June tournament with the VAR officials due to be chosen from the pool of the 99 selected officials. The chosen officials representing 46 nations of the world will attend a two-week seminar in Italian Football Association’s base in Coverciano this April.
The following is the list of the six African referees:
Mehdi Abid Charef - Algeria
Malang Diedhiou - Senegal
Bakary Papa Gassama -The Gambia
Gehad Grisha - Egypt
Janny Sikazwe - Zambia
Bamlak Tessema Weyesa - Ethiopia
Nigeria: Asisat Oshoala not in Nigeria’s squad for France friendly
Asisat Oshoala snubbed from Nigeria’s squad for France friendly
The three-time women’s African footballer of the year, Asisat Oshoala has been left out of the Super Falcons’ squad to face France in Le Mans on 6 April. A Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) official highlighted that her Chinese club Dalian Quanjian refused to release her on the grounds that she had once missed pre-season training after returning late from international duty. Oshoala was originally in the 23 women’s squad together with other five high profile internationals who have also been omitted. The NFF official also added that some players had passport and visa issues hence the omission. The former Arsenal and Liverpool striker refused to acknowledge any alleged acts of indiscipline and insisted that she is missing the friendly to sort out her work permit.
Asisat Oshoala helped Nigeria to their record eighth Women’s African Nations title in Cameroon 2016. The friendly is part of Nigeria’s preparations to ace the qualifiers for the 2018 African Women Cup of Nations to be held in Ghana this November. Their performance in the tournament will also determine if they will secure a spot at the 2019 Women’s FIFA World Cup in France. The Super Falcons have appeared in the world cup since 1991 but have failed to reach the last four on any occasion.
South Africa: PFA continues to use football to bring social cohesion and bridge socio-economic gap
The prestigious English association uses football to bring social cohesion and bridge socio-economic gap
English football’s Professional Football Association has recently made a visit to Cape Town for a grassroots social development programme.In partnership with PFA’s visits which have become regular since 2009 aim to equip impoverished communities with a platform to pursue their passions and possibly reap economic gains from such pursuits. In their most recent, partnering with Tackle Africa, PFA ran coaching clinics and most notably grilled a U14 Making Impact Through Sports (MITS) boys team which will attend a cultural tour in Germany. The PFA also visited the infamous Robben Island where former president, Nelson Mandela was imprisoned and capped off their visit by hosting a Homeless World Cup selection tournament in conjunction with an NGO called Oasis.
South African POTY Award: “Give it to Percy.”
“Percy Tau must win player of the year award”
The outspoken Mamelodi Sundowns coach, Pitso Mosimane, has openly declared whom he thinks should PSL ’s player of the year award. Mosimane has expressed disbelief over the “campaigning” he has observed on the media for such awards, saying that it’s not healthy for South African football. According to Mosimane, no one comes close to the 23-year-old Sundowns player when it comes to South African football matters this season.
““For me, you can’t compare Percy Tau with anybody, give it to him. He plays Champions League and he’s scoring. He is scoring for Bafana, he is scoring in the league, he is scoring in the Nedbank Cup. Who do you want to compare him to? No, let’s be honest, who do you want to compare him to? Okay you can have nominees, which is good, but give it to Percy.””
Guinea: Football Federation ties down three exciting talents
Guinea's national team just got a whole lot better
Guinea Football Federation (Feguifoot) has announced that the midfield trio of Amadou Diawara, Abdoulaye Traore and Ibrahima Cisse have committed their international football careers to the National Elephants (Syli Nationale). The 20 year-old Diawara who plies his trade with Napoli had won the attention of Italy’s youth teams while Traore, 24, had played for French youth teams by virtue of being born in that country. Whether or not he would have made it into the star studded Les Blues squad is debatable but the West African nation is more than delighted to have the FC Nantes 2017/18 season’s breakout player in their ranks. The former Belgian youth international and Fulham’s Ibrahima Cisse, 24, has also joined the two most recent Guinea loyalties.
The trio will team up with Liverpool bound, Naby Keita and the Belgian gaffer, Paul Put as they eye to get a ticket to Africa’s biggest soccer showcase, AFCON 2019, in Cameroon.
The Football Governing board to probe allegations of racism between France and Russia’s recent friendly match
FIFA to investigate on alleged racism in France vs Russia friendly. When will this stop?
The match between France and Russia showcased a fine performance from Paul Pogba, however the 90 minutes were overshadowed by the ugly side of the game. It has since been reported that monkey chants could be heard from the crowd and these were obviously directed at the black players in the France national team. The Russians do not seem to be learning from their mistakes and this probed the intervention of FIFA. Evidence from the pitch-side photographer’s testimony and the audible abuse on a television broadcast after Pogba’s goal are to be considered before any decision is to be made. FIFA have also contacted the anti-discrimination Fare Network to help them investigate the racism case. No comment will be released until they have reached a conclusion on that investigation. This incident is one of the many that has been raised against Russian teams and FIFA’s punishment does not seem to work. Football is becoming toxic to the victims and this needs to be stopped. What does this mean for the World Cup which is going to be hosted in Russia? If racism is failing to be curbed in these friendlies, what more when thousands of black people tour the country during football’s premier tournament?
South Africa: Ajax Cape Town striker suspended pending FIFA’s resolution
Ndoro may be facing an extended period on the sidelines
Zimbabwean international, Tendai Ndoro is currently caught up in a case that has seen him being suspended from playing for Ajax. Orlando Pirates and Polokwane City lodged a protest to the South Africa’s PSL arguing that the Urban Warriors had violated FIFA rules by fielding the forward. Ndoro featured for Orlando Pirates before leaving for Saudi Arabian side, Al Faisaly before returning to the PSL in Ajax colors - ensuring he had played for three clubs in a single season which is prohibited by FIFA.
In the ruling on Wednesday, 28 March 2018, Arbitrator Cassim SC escalated the case to FIFA, arguing that the PSL’s Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) does not have jurisdiction over the matter because it involved an international club.