Category: Football Africa

Pape Gueye nets an extra time stunner as Senegal win AFCON title
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations is set for the June–July slot

June and July next year will see the Confederation of African Football (Caf) president Patrice Motsepe reveal the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

According to the South African, rumours that the event, co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, would be postponed or moved were utterly untrue. Doubts have been cast regarding the time frame for the readiness of the necessary infrastructure in the three East African nations to host the finals.

Meanwhile, Nicholas Musonye, the head of Kenya’s local organising committee, informed AFP on Thursday that postponing the event until 2028 would be beneficial for Kenya since the nation is preparing for general elections in August 2027.

According to Motsepe, the Afcon next year in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will be really well received.

“I have great assurance. Challenges abound always. As Africans, we must have faith in ourselves and in our people. World class are the calibre of people leading African football.”

Following a meeting of Caf’s executive committee in Dar es Salaam on Friday, Motsepe was addressing a news conference as an inspection of infrastructure and facilities in the three host countries by officials from the governing body would continue till Tuesday.

Starting in 2019, Caf vowed to hold Afcon mid-year, but the previous three tournaments have been scheduled for January-February or December-January.

Scheduling the competition during the European club season has caused arguments about player release dates; from 2028, Afcon will be run every four years rather than biannually.

The exact dates of the 2027 Afcon will be made public in due time, Motsepe said. While stating he hoped to grow Afcon from 24 to 28 teams in the future, the Caf president made no mention of offers to host the 2028 finals.

Still set for Morocco WAFCON

Motsepe elsewhere states that Caf still have a connection with Morocco to stage the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), set to start on 17 March.

Early this month, South Africa’s deputy sports minister said that her country would intervene toorganisee the championships.

South African sports minister Gayton McKenzie eventually clarified her remarks by saying that Wafcon 2026’s formally designated host is Morocco.

Some other nations said, “Please, can we host it?” but they want to move the date, Motsepe reported.

The [2027] Women’s World Cup qualifier demands the date; we cannot alter it.

The Wafcon continues; it will be a success. It must occur inside that window.

Inform Ademola Lookman nets in Atletico Madrid's win over Barcelona
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Inform Ademola Lookman’s nets in Copa del Rey win over Barcelona

Atletico Madrid showcased an impressive first-half performance, dominating La Liga leaders Barcelona in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final.

The visitors faced an uphill battle when a potential goal by Pau Cubarsi was ruled offside after an eight-minute VAR review. This was the second consecutive year the teams met at this stage, with Barcelona winning last season.

This time, Atletico exacted revenge by scoring four times before halftime. The rout began with an error from Eric Garcia, whose backpass slipped under goalkeeper Joan Garcia for an own goal.

Antoine Griezmann soon doubled the lead with a fine strike against his former club. Atletico continued to press, with Nigerian International Ademola Lookman adding a third goal, following a superb setup from Julian Alvarez. Just before the break, Alvarez thumped home a long-range effort, ending his goal drought.

In the second half, Barcelona thought they had scored when Cubarsi tapped in from a Robert Lewandowski assist, but VAR disallowed it for offside after a lengthy review.

Things only worsened for Barcelona, as Garcia received a red card for a foul on Alex Baena late in the game. With this defeat, Barcelona faces a challenging task in the return leg on 3 March.

Midfielder Thomas Partey facing two additional rape charges
by Football Sierra Leone

Ghana’s Thomas Partey is facing two additional rape charges

Former Arsenal footballer, Thomas Partey has been hit with two new charges of rape involving a different alleged victim.

This development adds to his existing situation, as the 32-year-old had already pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape connected to two women, along with one count of sexual assault related to a third woman. In total, Partey now faces accusations of sexual offences against four women.

The latest charges pertain to incidents that allegedly took place in 2020, first reported to authorities last August. These allegations stem from a new investigation by the Metropolitan Police. Partey is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on March 13 for an initial hearing regarding these new counts.

After entering his not guilty pleas to the initial five charges, Partey was granted conditional bail by Southwark Crown Court in September. The allegations against him have been linked to events occurring between 2021 and 2022, during his time with Arsenal. Notably, he was charged just four days after his contract with the club expired at the end of June. The investigation that led to these charges began in February 2022, following the first report of rape.

A trial is scheduled to begin under a High Court judge on November 2 of this year. Since leaving the Premier League, Partey has signed with Spanish football club Villarreal on a one-year deal, with the announcement coming after he had been charged with rape.

Partey, who joined Arsenal for £45.3 million from Atletico Madrid in October 2020, made 130 Premier League appearances for the team under manager Mikel Arteta. His lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire, has consistently maintained that he “denies all the charges against him” and looks forward to “the chance to finally clear his name.”

Ghana's Antoine Semenyo takes tally to five since arriving Manchester City
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Ghana’s Antoine Semenyo takes tally to five since arriving at Manchester City

The Ghanaian International has recored five goals in his last games since joining Manchester City.

Ghana’s Antoine Semenyo made a significant impact once again as Manchester City cruised to a 3-0 victory over Fulham at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday in the English Premier League.

After struggling to break through during the first twenty minutes, Semenyo opened the scoring with a sharp finish, capitalising on Fulham’s failure to clear a cross into the box.

Just six minutes later, City doubled their lead. Nico O’Reilly picked up a loose ball in midfield and set up Semenyo on the left flank. The former Bournemouth player then returned the favor, finding O’Reilly, who made no mistake putting the ball past Fulham keeper Bernd Leno.

The Sky Blues showcased their efficiency, with Phil Foden assisting star striker Erling Haaland to secure a dominant first-half performance, which all but sealed the three points for the title challengers. With this win, City now sits just three points behind league leaders Arsenal, who are set to play against Brentford on Thursday.

Semenyo’s impressive form at Manchester City continues, as he now boasts 3 goals in his first 5 Premier League matches for the club. Overall, he has scored 5 goals and provided 2 assists in 8 appearances since joining in January.

The team is now gearing up for a FA Cup match this Saturday at home against League Two side Salford.

Pyramids, Stade Malien pick CAF Champions League quarter-final spots
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Pyramids, Stade Malien pick CAF Champions League quarter-final spots

Pyramids FC secured top spot in Group A of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League with a commanding 4–1 win over Rivers United.

After trailing 1–0 at halftime due to Stephen Manu’s long-range strike, Pyramids turned the game around in the second half.

Mostafa Fathi equalised in the 53rd minute, and Marwan Hamdi converted a penalty in the 77th minute to give them the lead. Late goals from substitute Awda Al-Fakhoury and Nasser Maher sealed the victory.

Pyramids advance to the quarter-finals with 13 points, while Rivers United are eliminated.

In Group D, Stade Malien earned a 1–0 win against Esperance de Tunis, securing their spot in the quarter-finals.

Koro Kouyali’s goal in the 54th minute proved decisive as Stade Malien’s sturdy defence held firm against Esperance’s attempts to equalise.

Mamelodi Sundowns faced Saint Éloi Lupopo in Group C, where they were held to a 1–1 draw. Enock Moila scored for Lupopo early on, and despite Sundowns dominating possession, they failed to find a winning goal, leaving the group open as they seek qualification.