CAF Confederation Cup

Amapakabo ‘Regains’ Rangers’ Job

Published

7 years ago

April 12, 2017

In a twist of fate, Enugu Rangers’ estranged coach, Imama Amapakabo, may have returned to his duty post as club owners, the Enugu State Government has denied ever sacking him.
This is coming on Wednesday even as the coach had apparently surrendered to fate, if his twits on Monday are anything to consider.
One of such read: “Purpose God sent me here completed. I thank you lord for your grace, enablement to accomplish your work. Next assignment loading. #Godleads.”
Another read: “Purpose God sent me here completed. I thank you lord for your grace, enablement to accomplish your work. Next assignment loading. #Godleads”
As if he had completely given up, he twitted: “I sleep on a couch for close to 2 years on a job a night out of a job and I sleep on my bed for the first time like a baby. Hmmm.”
But in a dramatic twist, the Enugu State Government on Wednesday debunked reports in the media suggesting that Amapakabo had been sacked.
The Commissioner for Youths and Sports in the state, Charles Ndukwe, at the end of the State Executive Council meeting spoke to the contrary.
He stated that Amapakabo was only suspended by the state government based on the club’s recent run of poor performance which was also evident in their home match, last Sunday, against Zesco United Football Club of Zambia. The match had ended 2 – 2 despite Rangers earlier taking a two-goal lead.
Noting that a sack letter could not have been issued to the coach without the state government’s consent, the commissioner said, “the general manager has no right to sack a coach, and Enugu State government cannot take an abnormal action”.
He informed journalists that Mr. Chukwuma Agbo is presently the chief coach of the club, adding that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is interested in the welfare of the club and will do everything possible to restore its glory.

CAF Confederation Cup

CAS rejects Algeria’s request of accelerated hearing in RS Berkane-USM case

Published

1 day ago

May 5, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Algeria’s hope of stalling the final matches of the CAF Confederation Cup has collapsed. This is sequel to the rejection of accelerated hearing put up by the Algeria football federation.

The final matches pitch RS Berkane against Zamalek of Egypt. The second leg of the final match will be held in Cairo on May 19. By that time, the appeal filed by Algeria would not have been heard.

On April 26, the CAS rejected the urgent request from the the Algerian federation to halt the final matches until their appeal has been heard.

“This request was rejected ex parte by the president of the CAS Appeals Chamber,” explains the body in a press release published last Thursday, May 2.

CAF Confederation Cup

Morocco’s RS Berkane get to Confederation Cup final with record aggregate scoreline but without kicking the ball!

Published

3 days ago

May 3, 2024

Kunle Solaja

The CAF Interclub Competitions and Management of the Club Licensing System Committee has awarded the unplayed Confederation Cup second leg semi-final fixture between RS Berkane and USM Alger to Morocco’s RS Berkane.

The same decision was taken on the unplayed first leg match in Algeria. Thus, without having to kick the ball, RS Berkane moved to the final matches, technically with a 6-0 aggregate, the highest semi-final scorelines since the competition began 20 years ago.

According to the CAF Inter-clubs committee, the case against Algeria’s USM Alger has been passed to the Disciplinary Board of CAF for possible additional sanctions.

CAF Confederation Cup

USM Alger’s coach resigns over jersey controversy

Published

3 days ago

May 3, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Spanish coach Juan Carlos Garrido has announced his resignation from coaching Algerian club USM Alger, Moroccan channel Medi1 TV reported. Garrido made the announcement in an exclusive statement to the channel.

Garrido’s decision comes after the African Football Confederation’s club committee announced the elimination of USM Alger from the CAF Confederation Cup.

The Algerian team decided to withdraw from the second leg game of the CAF Confederation Cup semi-final against Morocco’s RS Berkane last week.

As a result, CAF penalized USM Alger with a forfeit, awarding RS Berkane a 3-0 victory by default and securing their place in the tournament’s final against Egyptian club Zamalek.

This comes in the wake of a controversy that began when Algerian authorities confiscated RS Berkane’s equipment after they landed in Algiers for the first leg of their semi-final match against USM Alger.

The Algerian authorities notably confiscated the Moroccan club’s jerseys for featuring the full Moroccan map with the Western Sahara region.

Despite efforts by CAF to mediate the issue and assert the legitimacy of RS Berkane’s jerseys, the Algerian authorities refused to return the confiscated items.

This resulted in the match’s abandonment and CAF declaring RS Berkane winners of the first leg with a 3-0 scoreline.

In the subsequent second leg, scheduled to take place in Morocco, USM Alger opted to withdraw from the match, further fueling the controversy.

CAF subsequently penalized USM Alger with a forfeit, awarding RS Berkane a 3-0 victory and eliminating the Algerian team from the tournament.

Medi1 TV reported Garrido as indicating that he had no direct involvement in the jersey controversy and that his primary concern was solely focused on football matters.

The report added that the coach had expressed disapproval of the events surrounding the jersey dispute and emphasized his dedication to the game and his discomfort with being embroiled in off-field controversies.

-Morocco World News