Sports

WWC: Morocco get baptism of fire as rampant Germany routs debutants 6-0

Published

9 months ago

July 24, 2023

It was a debut to forget for the Atlas Lioness of Morocco as two-time champions, Germany showed no mercy on the way to putting the north Africans to the sword with a thumping 6-0 hammering at the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Women’s World Cup Group H match played at the
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

The 6-0 loss is the second heaviest defeat suffered by African teams in the World Cup after Japan trounced Zambia 5-0 on Saturday, and also means that the Super Falcons of Nigeria are the only team from the continent to pick a point in the first round of matches so far played, with South Africa also losing 2-1 to Sweden on Sunday.

Wolfsburg striker, Alexandra Popp scored twice in the one-sided encounter to set the Germans on their way to an emphatic victory, while Klara Buhl and Lea Schuller were also on target.

Morocco also contributed to their own downfall via two own goals to complete the rout.

Two headed goals from Popp in the first half set the tone for what was to follow and in the second half, it took 10 seconds for Klara Bull to add another for Germany and end the game as a contest, before Moroccan defender, Hanane Ait el Haj, scored an own goal in the 54th minute to make it 4-0.

The Moroccans further compounded their woes in the 79th minute when Yasmin Mrabet and Zineb Reedouani combined to send the ball into their own net from a corner to make it five, before Lea Schuller added a sixth.

With the victory, Germany leads Group H and play Colombia on Sunday, while Morocco will face South Korea on the same day.

Related Topics:Featured FIFA Germany Morocco Women's World Cup

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Sports

Al Ahly, Esperance to clash in CAF Champions League final

Published

1 day ago

April 27, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Two of Africa’s club giants, Egypt’s Al Ahly and Esperance of Tunisia, will do battle next month over two legs for the right to be crowned champions of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

Title-holders Al Ahly and their long-standing rivals Esperance both booked their places in the final with dramatic semi-final victories over DR Congo”s TP Mazembe and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa respectively on Friday night.

While Al Ahly, winners of five of the last seven editions of the continent’s top draw tournament, with a record 11 in total, overcame TP Mazembe with a 3-0 aggregate victory in the semi-final second leg after a goalless first leg last Saturday, Esperance surprised Sundowns with a 1-0 victory in Pretoria to wrap up a 2-0 aggregate win.

The two-legged final will mark the third encounter between Ahly and Esperance in the Champions League final, with the Egyptians winning in 2012 and the Tunisians triumphing in 2018.

In 2023, the two clubs clashed in the semi-finals with Ahly emerging victorious home and away, securing a 4-0 aggregate triumph.

Esperance who are aiming for a fifth Champions League title, will host the first leg in Rades on May 18, with the return fixture scheduled in Cairo seven days later.

Sports

Former Zambian captain Rainford Kalaba discharged from hospital after near-fatal accident

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Former Zambian national team captain, Rainford Kalaba, has been discharged from hospital weeks after he was involved in a near-fatal accident where he sustained serious injuries.

The accident which involved a head-on collision between a Mercedes-Benz car in which Kalaba was in, and a truck, had initially sparked fears for his life and has since been in the Intensive Care Unit of the Zambian University Teaching Hospital (UTH).

The good news on the footballer’s progress was released by the UTH Public Relations Officer, Nzeba Chanda, who informed that the Chipolopolo legend has been discharged after showing positive signs of recovery.

“Mr. Rainford Kalaba has been discharged from the UTH-Adult where he was admitted after being involved in a road traffic accident two weeks ago,” Chanda said, adding that Kalaba will continue his recovery at his family home.

According to local media reports, the 37-year-old was a passenger in a Mercedes Benz when it collided with an oncoming truck in the south-eastern Zambian town of Kafue a week and five days ago.

In his active playing days, Kalaba spent the majority of his club career at TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo, winning the CAF Champions League with the club in 2015 and the CAF Confederation Cup in 2016.

He also had a spell with clubsides in Portugal including FC Braga, and was a major part of the Zambian squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012 under Frenchman, Herve Renard.