Sports

AWC Qualifiers: Nigeria stunned by Lesotho as Salah nets four against Djibouti

Published

5 months ago

November 17, 2023

The African edition of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers continued to throw up some surprising results as the star-studded Super Eagles of Nigeria were held to a 1-1 draw at home by the less-fancied Lesotho.

Nigeria, which paraded a team made up of Europe-based players had to come from behind to draw against the 153-ranked Lesotho which had stunned the Eagles with a shock lead early in the second half.

Despite dominating the entire match, it took defender Semi Ajayi’s late equaliser to spare Nigeria’s blushes after a Motlomelo Mkhwanazi opener.

The shock result in the Group C encounter at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Thursday evening ended Nigeria’s four-match winning streak against their visitors
who managed to hold on to secure a vital point in their World Cup qualifying journey.

In other qualifying games, Egypt spanked Djibouti 6-0, with star man, Mohamed Salah scoring four goals in front of a packed Cairo stadium to launch their bid for a place at the expanded 2026 finals.

The Liverpool star has now scored 53 goals in 93 games for his country.

It was a rare away win for Mozambique who defeated Botswana 3-2 at the Francistown Stadium, while Algeria thrashed visitors Somalia 3-1 in Group G.

Burundi won their first game in years with a 3-2 defeat of Gambia, while Sudan and Togo played out a 1-1 draw in their match played in Libya.

In Group D, Cape Verde and Angola drew 0-0, while Gabon defeated Kenya 2-1 with late goals from MLS top scorer, Denis Bouanga and Guelor Kanga.

With 40 African countries vying for the nine direct World Cup spots allocated to the continent, plus one inter-confederation playoff place, the stakes are enormous from the outset, going by the results in the opening two rounds of games.

Related Topics:Africa Egypt Featured Lesotho Super Eagles World Cup Qualifiers

Click to comment

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.