Sports

CAF congratulates Morocco for joint 2030 World Cup hosting rights

Published

7 months ago

October 5, 2023

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has hailed the 2030 FIFA World Cup hosting rights granted to Morocco alongside Portugal and Spain by the world football governing body.

In a congratulatory message by CAF President, Patrice Motsepe, it said securing the hosting rights for the 2030 World Cup further highlighted the immense potential that the African continent held in terms of football which would contribute significantly to the development of African football.

“CAF believes that Morocco’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup 2030 will contribute significantly to the development and growth of football in Africa, particularly amongst the African youth whose population is the fastest growing youth population in the World,” Motsepe said in the message.

The CAF President expressed his confidence that Morocco would give Africa a very good representation along with Portugal and Spain, believing that the 2030 World Cup would be a great successful.

He stressed that the collaboration between the three neighbouring countries reflected the unity that existed between Africa and Europe in football, which he says will “inspire all of us to work together and make the World a better place.”

Motsepe also praised Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, as well as the government, the President of the Moroccan Royal Federation of Football, Fouzi Lekjaa, and people of the North African country for supporting the 2030 World Cup bid.

The 2030 World Cup, which will be the centenary edition of the tournament, will mark the first time that three continents host the tournament.

Asides Morocco, Portugal and Spain, which are the original hosts of the competition, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina will host one match each to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first-ever World Cup that was held in Uruguay in 1930.

Morocco will dedicate six stadiums to host matches in the 2030 World Cup, according to Lekjaa.

“To date, we have identified six locations to host the 2030 World Cup, namely Rabat, Tangier, Marrakech, Agadir, Fez, in addition to the Grand Stadium of Casablanca, which will be built soon,” Lekjaa said in an interview on Thursday.

Related Topics:CAF Featured FIFA Morocco World Cup

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Sports

Al Ahly, Esperance to clash in CAF Champions League final

Published

3 hours 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

1 day 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.