Category: Football Africa

by Alie Bittar @bittar32

CAF Strategy Conference Concludes Second Day in Cabo Verde

The 54 Member Associations of the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) wrapped up a successful second day of the CAF Strategy Conference, chaired by CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe, in Sal, Santa Maria, Cabo Verde on Thursday, 8 October 2026.

The opening session featured notable attendees, including Cabo Verde’s Head of State, Dr. Janira Hopffer Almada, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, both of whom delivered remarks addressing the significance of the event.

Day three of the CAF Strategy Conference is set to kick off on Friday, 9 October 2026, at 09:00 local time / 10:00 GMT / 13:00 Cairo time. FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development and former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger will participate in an engaging panel discussion alongside several successful coaches from Africa’s National Teams at the FIFA World Cup 2026, including Cabo Verde’s Bubista, Egypt’s Hossam Hassan, and DR Congo’s Sébastien Desabre.

A major goal of the CAF Strategy Conference is to elevate football in each of the 54 Member Associations to a world-class level and to ensure that it becomes self-sustaining, all while enhancing the competitiveness of CAF competitions on the global stage.

In recent years, CAF has significantly boosted its investment in football development and the growth of its Member Associations, leading to hundreds of millions of US dollars in funding. This includes increasing annual subsidies to CAF Member Associations and Zonal Unions, consistently bringing in new sponsorship and partnership agreements, finalizing mutually rewarding deals with television and other broadcasters, and continually enhancing the quality of the broadcasting product.

by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Guirassy Strikes as Guinea Edge Kenya in Conakry

Serhou Guirassy scored the lone goal as Guinea bounced back from an opening defeat to secure a 1-0 victory over Kenya in their TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 qualifier in Conakry on Thursday.

The Borussia Dortmund forward struck in the 32nd minute, earning Paulo Duarte’s team their first points in Group D after a 2-1 loss to South Africa in their previous match.

With this win, Guinea moved into second place with three points, three behind leaders South Africa, who triumphed 5-0 over Eritrea. Kenya remains at one point after their earlier 1-1 draw against Eritrea, yet they have already qualified for PAMOJA 2027 as co-hosts.

This situation leaves South Africa, Guinea, and Eritrea contending for the highest-placed non-host nation in the group to secure the remaining qualification spot.

Guinea started strong, coming close to scoring when Guirassy’s free-kick hit the crossbar. They kept the pressure on, with Guirassy eventually breaking through to score just after the half-hour mark. Kenya’s Byrne Omondi made key saves to keep the scoreline from widening before halftime.

In the second half, Kenya’s coach Benni McCarthy made tactical changes, bringing on Ryan Ogam and Timothy Ouma in search of an equaliser, but despite their efforts, Guinea’s defence held firm.

Duarte’s team successfully protected their narrow lead, clinching their first victory of the campaign, while South Africa leads Group D with six points.

by Alie Bittar @bittar32

QUEIROZ SACKED AFTER GHANA’S POOR AFCON QUALIFICATION START

Carlos Queiroz has been sacked as Ghana head coach following a disappointing start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

The Black Stars suffered back-to-back defeats, losing 2-0 to Côte d’Ivoire before a 4-2 home defeat to The Gambia, leaving them without a point from their opening two Group C matches.

Ghana had taken a 2-0 lead against The Gambia through Ernest Nuamah and Felix Afena-Gyan, but the Scorpions staged a dramatic comeback to claim all three points.

The Ghana Football Association has announced that both parties have ended their contract by mutual agreement. Queiroz had previously led Ghana to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they lost to Colombia.

CAS confirm Senegal appeal over CAF AFCON final decision
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

CAS to Hear Senegal-Morocco AFCON Final Appeal on October 8

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will hear Senegal’s appeal against the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) on October 8, 2026, in Lausanne, Switzerland. The hearing will be closed to the public.

Senegal and Morocco will attend, while CAF will be represented by its legal team. The dispute concerns the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, where Senegal initially won 1-0 but later had the match forfeited under Article 84, resulting in a 3-0 victory for Morocco.

Senegal is seeking to have this ruling overturned and to be recognised as the official 2025 AFCON champion. The three-member CAS panel will be chaired by Professor Gérald Simon from France. The hearing will be in French.

The panel will deliberate after the hearing, but they won’t announce a decision the same day. Senegal’s appeal was registered on March 25, 2026.

by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Equatorial Guinea Coach Annese Says Sierra Leone Win Is Key to Campaign

Equatorial Guinea’s coach, Vincenzo Alberto Annese, said the team’s 1-0 win over Sierra Leone was an important response after losing to DR Congo in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

In an interview via WhatsApp, Annese, who started his continental coaching career in Ghana with Bechem United for the 2017 season, expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance at the Stade Omnisport Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaoundé on Monday.

“I knew taking this job would be a good challenge for me since Nzalang Nacional is in Group E with DR Congo, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe,” he explained. “We were more organised defensively than Sierra Leone.”

“We made changes in the second half to control the game. We created many chances but didn’t take advantage of them. Still, the goal was to win, and now we need to focus on our next important games against Zimbabwe.”

“Just like Sierra Leone is going to DR Congo, we will host Zimbabwe in the next round of matches. This is a very competitive group, and every team still has a long way to go. The win is crucial because it gives us confidence.”

Early Coaching Career

Annese started his coaching career with the youth team at Fidelis Andria in 2010. In 2012, he joined Foggia as a coach for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. From 2015 to 2016, he coached abroad in Latvia with JFK Saldus and worked with the Armenia U-19 and U-17 national teams.