Category: African News

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Coach Luís Boa Morte picks roster for Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso
by Football Sierra Leone

Coach Luís Boa Morte picks roster for Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso

Guinea-Bissau has added four new players to its squad for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso. Coach Luís Boa Morte has selected 25 players for these important matches.

Guinea-Bissau will play against Sierra Leone on March 20 at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Monrovia, Liberia. They will then return home to face Burkina Faso at the 24 de Setembro National Stadium in Bissau on March 24.

Babacar Fáti, a 25-year-old left-back who used to play for Sporting Lisbon in Portugal, is among the new players. He currently plays in Finland. Mario Junior, a 21-year-old centre-back from the Portuguese team Oliveirense, has also received his first call-up.

Midfielder Vando Felix, 22, has debuted in Portugal’s top league with Vitória Guimarães. He joins the national team alongside 24-year-old striker Tamble Monteiro from Portimonense.

Augusto Dabo and Bura Nogueira have been dropped from the squad following Guinea-Bissau’s 2-1 loss to Mozambique in November, which resulted in their failure to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Full Squad:

Goalkeepers: Manuel Balde (Penafiel, Portugal), Manuel Issufe Djalo (FC Koeppchen, Luxembourg), Fernando Embadje (Unión Collado Villalba, Spain)

Defenders: Gilberto Batista (Moreirense, Portugal), Sene Camara (Benfica Bissau), Jeferson Encada (Pharco, Egypt), Babacar Fati (SJK Seinäjoki, Finland), Sana Gomes (Omonia Aradippou, Cyprus), Mario Junior (Oliveirense, Portugal), Sori Mane (Academica Viseu, Portugal), Victor Rofino (Uniao Leiria, Portugal),  Sambinha (Maccabi Bnei Reineh, Israel), Opa Sangate (Dunkerque, France)

Midfielders: Zidane Banjaqui (Feirense, Portugal), Janio Bikel (Maccabi Netanya, Israel), Dalcio (Ankaragucu, Turkey), Vando Felix (Vitória Guimarães, Portugal), Jorginho (Omonia Aradippou, Cyprus), Carlos Mane (Kayerispor, Turkey), Alfa Semedo (NEOM, Saudi Arabia)

Forwards: Elves Balde (Farense, Portugal), Beto (Everton, England), Francelino (FC Midtjylland, Denmark), Tamble Monteiro (Portimonense, Portugal), Ze Turbo (AEL Limassol, Cyprus).

Ghana's head coach Otto Addo confirms squad for Chad and Madagascar
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Ghana’s head coach Otto Addo confirms squad for Chad and Madagascar

Ghana’s head coach, Otto Addo, has announced a 23-man roster for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Chad and Madagascar.

The squad, captained by Jordan Ayew, features three players from local clubs: Benjamin Asare from Accra Hearts of Oak, Kamaradini Mamudu from Medeama SC, and Razak Simpson from Nations FC.

Thomas Partey, the Arsenal midfielder, makes a return to the squad after being absent for six months, during which Ghana participated in four Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Kamal Deen Sulemana from Southampton F.C. is also back in the lineup, while C.D. Lugo’s Jerry Afriyie keeps his spot in the team following an impressive performance against Niger last November.

Christopher Bonsu Baah, who plays for Genk in Belgium, has received his first call-up. Bonsu is a left-footed right winger who is also capable of playing in an attacking midfield role.

Ghana will start their training camp on Monday, March 17, 2025, and will practice for four days before facing Chad in the first of the two matches at the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday, March 21, 2025.

Afterwards, the team will fly to Morocco for their next match against Madagascar, scheduled for Monday, March 24, 2025.

Currently, Ghana sits in second place in Group I with nine points from three wins and one loss.

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has revealed the players selected to compete against Lesotho and Benin in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers scheduled for March 21 and March 25, 2025, respectively.
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Hugo Broos names South Africa’s final squad for World Cup qualifiers

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has revealed the players selected to compete against Lesotho and Benin in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers scheduled for March 21 and March 25, 2025, respectively.

South Africa is set to face their neighbours Lesotho at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Friday, March 21, 2025. Following that match, the Bafana Bafana team, led by coach Hugo Broos, will take a charter flight to Benin to compete against the West African nation on Monday, March 24, 2025.

A week ago, Broos announced a 37-member preliminary squad, which included some new players such as Samukelo Kabini and Khulumani Ndamane from TS Galaxy and Siphesihle Mkhize from Sekhukhune United.

On Thursday, March 13, at the SABC television studios in Auckland Park, the preliminary squad was reduced to a final squad of 23 players.

Bafana Bafana is in Group C of the World Cup qualifiers alongside Rwanda, Benin, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho. To date, the Broos-coached team has played four matches, achieving two wins, one draw, and one loss.

Dr. Patrice Motsepe re-elected as Confederation of African football president
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Dr. Patrice Motsepe re-elected as Confederation of African football president

Dr. Patrice Motsepe has been re-elected as President of the Confédération African Football (CAF) for another four years. His re-election was confirmed at the 14th CAF Extraordinary General Assembly in Cairo on Wednesday, extending his term until 2029.

Motsepe’s first term improved CAF’s finances and raised its global reputation. Under his leadership, the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) held in Côte d’Ivoire in 2023 attracted a record 1.4 billion viewers worldwide.

Prizes for major tournaments, including the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, have increased. There is also more financial support for Member Associations.

Motsepe, who is 63 years old, ran unopposed after the nomination deadline in November 2024. He decided to run again based on requests from Member Association Presidents and key stakeholders.

His goals remain to make African football competitive worldwide, stabilize finances, and invest in infrastructure. Dr. Motsepe’s unopposed re-election shows confidence in his leadership and a desire to raise the standards of African football.

Fecafoot President Samuel Eto'o joins CAF Executive Committee
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Fecafoot President Samuel Eto’o joins CAF Executive Committee

Fecafoot President Samuel Eto’o has joined the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after a tumultuous journey that initially saw him barred from running for a seat. However, he successfully overturned that decision.

The former Barcelona striker was the only individual nominated from the Central African Football Federations’ Union (UNIFFAC) and was chosen unanimously. Eto’o will now begin a four-year tenure within CAF’s leadership, further reinforcing his increasing influence in the governance of African football.

Currently serving as the President of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), Eto’o faced a surprising ban from campaigning for the UNIFFAC seat, representing the Central African region. This ban was imposed by CAF due to alleged governance issues within FECAFOOT, leading to a contentious legal battle that reached the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Eto’o was determined to contest what he viewed as an unjust ruling and promptly appealed to CAS. In a favorable outcome for him, CAS overturned CAF’s decision and declared him eligible to run for election.

This ruling allowed the four-time African Player of the Year to be reinstated on the ballot, much to the relief of his supporters. With his reinstatement, Eto’o faced no challengers for the UNIFFAC position, ensuring his automatic election to the CAF Executive Committee, which was confirmed at the 14th CAF Extraordinary General Assembly held in Cairo.

Eto’o’s victory further solidifies his influence in African football administration and enhances his growing leadership role in the sport. His involvement comes at a crucial time as CAF moves forward with reforms, financial reorganization, and preparations for major competitions such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Eto’o’s extensive experience in football, both as a player and an administrator, is likely to be invaluable as CAF seeks to implement greater standardization across the continent’s game.