International Football

MOSES, TROOST-EKONG, JUNIOR AJAYI MAKE CAF AWARDS SHORTLIST

Published

7 years ago

November 1, 2017

BY BOLAJI OKUNOLA.

African football governing body, CAF has listed three Nigerian players among the 60 shortlisted for two topmost categories of the awards for the overall African Footballer of the Year and the African Player of the Year Based in Africa.

In the 30-man shortlist for the topmost category, the African Footballer of the Year, arranged in alphabetical order, two Nigerian players, Victor Moses of English Premiership side, Chelsea and the Super Eagles as well as William Troost-Ekong of both Super Eagles and Turkish club, Bursaspor are listed numbers 25 and 27.

In the next category for players based in the continent, Junior Ajayi of Al Ahly of Egypt is listed as number 16. He former Flying Eagles player is also eying the CAF Champions League trophy with the Egyptian side.

Sports Village Square gathers from the media release from CAF that the winners will be decided by votes from the Head Coaches/Technical Directors of the National Associations affiliated to CAF, members of the CAF Technical and Development Committee and a panel of media experts.

Nwankwo Kanu, the 1999 winner, was the last Nigerian to win the award. The Awards Gala will be held on Thursday, January 4, 2018 in Accra, Ghana. Nigerian energy giants, Aiteo, are the headline sponsors of next year’s edition that will see players, officials and administrators who distinguished themselves exemplary during the year under review being honoured for their efforts towards the development of the game on the continent. The full list reads:

African Player of the Year

Ali Maaloul (Tunisia & Al Ahly)
Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso & Lyon)
Cedric Bakambu (DR Congo & Villareal)
Christian Atsu (Ghana & Newcastle)
Christian Bassogog (Cameroon & Henan Jianye)
Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Eric Bailly (Cote d’Ivoire & Manchester United)
Essam El Hadary (Egypt & Al Taawoun)
Fabrice Ondoa (Cameroon & Sevilla)
Fackson Kapumbu (Zambia & Zesco)
Jean Michel Seri (Cote d’Ivoire & Nice)
Junior Kabananga (DR Congo & Astana)
Karim El Ahmadi (Morocco & Feyenoord)
Keita Balde (Senegal & Monaco)
Khalid Boutaib (Morocco & Yeni Malatyaspor)
Mbwana Samata (Tanzania & Genk)
Michael Olunga (Kenya & Girona)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)
Moussa Marega (Mali & Porto)
Naby Keita (Guinea & RB Leipzig)
Percy Tau (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Borussia Dortmund)
Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)
Thomas Partey (Ghana & Atletico Madrid)
Victor Moses (Nigeria & Chelsea)
Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon & Porto)
William Troost-Ekong (Nigeria & Bursaspor)
Yacine Brahimi (Algeria & Porto)
Youssef Msakni (Tunisia & Al Duhail)
Yves Bissouma (Mali & Lille)

African Player of the Year – Based in Africa

Achraf Bencharki (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
Ahmed Fathi (Egypt & Al Ahly)
Alkhaly Bangoura (Guinea & Etoile du Sahel)
Ali Maaloul (Tunisia & Al Ahly)
Aristide Bance (Burkina Faso & Al Masry)
Ayman Majid (Morocco & FUS Rabat)
Aymen Mathlouthi (Tunisia & Etoile du Sahel)
Ben Malango (DR Congo & TP Mazembe)
Dean Furman (South Africa & Supersport United)
Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Elsamani Saadeldin (Sudan & Al Merreikh)
Fackson Kapumbu (Zambia & Zesco)
Fawzi Chaouchi (Algeria & MC Alger)
Geoffrey Serunkuma (Uganda & KCCA)
Jeremy Brockie (New Zealand & Supersport)
Junior Ajayi (Nigeria & Al Ahly)
Karim Aouadhi (Tunisia & CS Sfaxien)
Mohamed Meftah (Algeria & USM Alger)
Mohamed Ounnajem (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
Muaid Ellafi (Libya & Ahly Tripoli)
Nasr Eldin Ahmed (Sudan & Hilal Obeid)
Oussama Darfalou (Algeria & USM Alger)
Percy Tau (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Sabelo Ndzinisa (Swaziland & Mbabane Swallows)
Saber Khalifa (Tunisia & Club Africain)
Saladin Said (Ethiopia & Saint George)
Sylvain Gbohouo (Cote d’Ivoire & TP Mazembe)
Tady Etekiama (DR Congo & AS Vita)
Taha Yassine Khenissi (Tunisia & Esperance)
Tarek Hamed (Egypt & Zamalek)

International Football

Two Moroccan football players lost at sea, says club official

Published

3 weeks ago

July 8, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Abdellatif Akhrif, IRT player reported missing off the coast of M'diq this Saturday, July 6, 2024. © COPYRIGHT: IRT

Two Moroccan players from top-flight soccer side Ittihad Tanger have been missing at sea since Saturday after strong currents drifted their small yacht, a club official said on Sunday.

They were in a group of five players from the club who went cruising off the northern city of Tangier when strong currents and heavy winds drifted their yacht away as they were swimming in deep waters, club deputy president Anass Mrabet told Reuters.

“Three players have already been rescued on Saturday, while research is still ongoing for the missing Salman Harraq and Abdellatif Akhrif,” he said.

The players did not have buoys on them when they jumped from the small yacht to swim, he said citing recounts by rescued players.

While Akhrif, 24, is already a full member of the squad, Harraq, 18, was about to move up to the senior team this year, Mrabet added.

Ittihad Tanger have been in the Moroccan top flight since 2015 and won the league title for the first and only time in their history in the 2017-18 season. However, they have struggled in the lower half of the standings in recent years.

-Reuters

International Football

FIFA launches ‘Football Manager’ World Cup with $100,000 in prize money

Published

4 weeks ago

June 27, 2024

Kunle Solaja

FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development and former soccer manager Arsene Wenger speaks during the 74th FIFA Congress at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, in Bangkok, Thailand, May 17, 2024. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

FIFA will host its first ever FIFAe World Cup of Football Manager this year to crown the best virtual manager on the highly-popular video game, world soccer’s governing body said on Thursday.

FIFA is partnering with Sports Interactive, the developers of the game that has sold millions of copies and has also been used by several football clubs to scout players and opponents thanks to its extensive database.

Players will compete for $100,000 in prize money in the final event from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1.

“This competition requires participants to demonstrate a profound understanding of football strategy and tactics,” said former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who is the ambassador for the esports event.

“Success demands not only mastery of game mechanics but also in-depth football knowledge, making this format a fascinating blend.”

FIFA said in the inaugural year of the event, selected member associations will be invited to be represented at the final event.

Member associations from all six confederations are expected to be invited while players can sign up on FIFA’s website.

-Reuters

International Football

Former Italy international Roberto Baggio robbed at gunpoint

Published

1 month ago

June 21, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Former Italy international Roberto Baggio was assaulted and robbed at gunpoint at his home in northern Italy while watching his country’s match against Spain in the Euro 2024 tournament on Thursday, local police said.

Burglars broke into Baggio’s house near Vicenza, hit him on the head with a gun butt and locked him and his family in a room while they stole jewellery, watches and cash, daily Il Corriere della Sera reported. It said he suffered a deep wound.

“Luckily, the violence I suffered only resulted in a few stitches, bruises and a lot of fear. Now it is to overcome the fear,” Baggio was quoted as saying by Italian news agency ANSA.

Baggio, 57, played for clubs including Juventus (JUVE.MI), opens new tab, AC Milan and Inter Milan. He also played 56 times for Italy, scoring 27 goals, and is widely seen as one of his country’s all-time greats.

After the robbery, Baggio, widely known as the “divine ponytail”, was treated at a local hospital where he received stitches for the head wound, Italian media reported.

Italy lost to Spain 1-0 on Thursday and now must avoid defeat by Croatia to guarantee progression in the tournament.

-Reuters