Category: Football Africa

USM Alger set for RS Berkane CAF Confed first-leg cracker
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

USM Alger set for RS Berkane CAF Confed first-leg cracker

On Sunday, April 21, 2024, USM Alger and RS Berkane will compete against each other in the semi-final of the CAF Confederation Cup. The first-leg match will be held at the Stade du 5 Juillet in Algiers, which is the capital and largest city of Algeria.

Referee Abdel Aziz Mohamed Bouh from Mauritania will officiate the first leg match between Alger and Berkane.

Alger made it to this tournament stage by defeating Rivers United, the Nigerian club, 2-1 on aggregate in the quarterfinals. Having won the Confederation Cup last season, the Algerian team will be looking to defend their title successfully by winning it again this season.

On their part, Berkane qualified for the semi-finals by defeating Abu Salim of Libya 3-2 on aggregate in the quarterfinals. 

Having won the trophy in 2020 and 2022, the Moroccan side hopes to win it again this season and claim a joint record of three titles.

Alger needs goals from Abdoulaye Kanou. Berkane’s captain, Issoufou Dayo, could be key.

The first leg semi-finals of the 2023/24 CAF Champions League campaign will take place on Saturday, April 20th.
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Fascinating first-leg CAF Champions League Semis this weekend

The first leg semi-finals of the 2023/24 CAF Champions League campaign will take place on Saturday, April 20th.

The remaining four African football clubs, Al Ahly (Egypt), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Espérance Sportive Tunis (Tunisia) and Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) are all vying for the highly-coveted African club football title.

The first leg semi-finals are scheduled for 20th April, while the return leg will be played on 25th and 26th April 2024.

TP Mazembe, a former FIFA Club World Cup finalist from the Democratic Republic of Congo, hasn’t made it to the finals of the CAF Champions League in the last decade. 

This weekend, they will face a challenging match against the current champions, Al Ahly from Egypt, in Lubumbashi.

Four clubs have won 21 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League titles. Al Ahly leads with 11 titles, followed by Mazembe with 5, ES Tunis with 4, and Mamelodi Sundowns with 1. 

ES Tunis seeks their 5th title in Tunis after winning in 2019. They’ll play Mamelodi Sundowns, who won in 2016 and recently triumphed in the African Football League. 

All four clubs have proven their championship mettle and have an equal chance of winning this season.

 

All four football clubs will be competing for a spot in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Final.

The first leg of the final is scheduled for Saturday, May 18th, 2024, with the second leg taking place on Saturday, May 25th, 2024.

Defender Antonio Rudiger to help create jobs in Sierra Leone
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Defender Antonio Rudiger to help create jobs in Sierra Leone

During an interview with Real Madrid, Antonio Rudiger, a Sierra Leonean-German defender, shared his aspirations. 

He dreams of creating several job opportunities in Sierra Leone, which is his mother’s homeland. He plans to achieve this goal in the next ten years.

The Antonio Rudiger Foundation – which supports underprivileged individuals – has been engaged in philanthropic work in the West African nation. 

Rudiger’s foundation aims to improve education, infrastructure, inclusivity in sports, and literacy in a country with a population of 8 million.

The ex-Chelsea player donated over USD 100,000 to fund free quality education and used his World Cup earnings to sponsor life-changing surgeries for physically challenged children in 2022.

Rudiger's foundation aims to improve education, infrastructure, inclusivity in sports, and literacy in a country with a population of 8 million.
Rudiger's foundation aims to improve education, infrastructure, inclusivity in sports, and literacy in a country with a population of 8 million.
Six arrested over Kaizer Chiefs' Luke Fleurs killing
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Six arrested over Kaizer Chiefs’ Luke Fleurs killing

Six suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of South African soccer player Luke Fleurs, who was shot and killed during a carjacking at a petrol station in Johannesburg last week.

Fleurs, who was 24 years old and had previously played for SuperSport United, passed away on April 3rd, 2024. He had also represented South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics.

The police have stated that the suspects were apprehended in Soweto on Wednesday morning, and they believe that they are part of a syndicate responsible for car hijackings in Gauteng province.

The authorities are still actively searching for additional suspects. The officers recovered the footballer’s car, which had been stripped, on Monday. 

Mr Fleurs, a football player for Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa, was fatally shot in an attack while waiting at a petrol station. The suspects have been arrested and will appear in court soon.

The South African football community is mourning the loss of Luke Fleurs, a promising talent who was fatally shot during a car hijacking in Johannesburg, leaving the nation in shock and grief.

Nigeria pick Paris Olympics ticket after eliminating South Africa
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Nigeria pick up Paris ticket after eliminating South Africa

Nigeria’s Women’s Football Team has qualified for their fifth Olympics, securing their place at the Paris 2024 event after drawing 0-0 in Pretoria, South Africa on Tuesday, 9th April. 

The Super Falcons required only a draw to qualify for the Olympics, having won the first leg in Abuja by 1-0. Nigeria’s strong defense prevented South Africa’s current African champions from scoring, despite Thembi Kgatlana coming close to scoring in the 48th minute.

Amogelang Motau missed a chance to equalize in the 85th minute, but Nigeria’s defence held on to secure the win. 

After the match, South Africa’s Lebohang Ramalepe was awarded her 100-cap milestone jersey by the South African Football Association, having been part of the winning squad in the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and the team that reached the Round of 16 in the recent FIFA Women’s World Cup™.

The Super Falcons have been grouped with world champions Spain, former world champions Japan and Brazil in Group C at the Olympics. Their first match is against Brazil, scheduled for July 25th in Bordeaux.

Zambia, the other African nation in the tournament, will play in Group B alongside former champions the United States and Germany and World Cup semi-finalists Australia. They are set to play their first match against the USWNT in Nice, also on July 25th.