Sports
AFCON: African countries unveil squads ahead of tournament
Published
1 year agoon
Ahead of the 34th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) which is set to kick off in Ivory Coast on 13 January, more teams on the continent have unveiled their squads in readiness for the tournament.
The countries have also intensified preparations by arranging top-class friendly matches to put their teams in shape for the battle ahead.
Below are the squads that have been unveiled so far by some countries.
Angola:
Goalkeepers: Antonio Dominique (Etoile Carouge, Switzerland), Kadu (Oliveira Hospital, Portugal), Neblu (Premeiro Agosto, Angola)
Defenders: Eddie Afonso, To Carneiro, Kinito (all Petro Atletico, Angola), Loide Augusto (Alanyaspor, Turkey), Jonathan Buatu (Valenciennes, France), Nurio Fortuna (Gent, Belgium), Kialonda Gaspar (Estrela Amadora, Portugal)
Midfielders: Beni (Casa Pia, Portugal), Estrela (Erzurumspor, Turkey), Fredy (Eyupspor, Turkey), Keliano Manuel (Estrela Amadora, Portugal), Bruno Paz (Konyaspor, Turkey) Show (Maccabi Haifa, Israel)
Forwards: Jeremie Bela (Clermont, France), Gelson Dala (Al Wakrah, Qatar), Zito Luvumbo (Cagliari, Italy), Mabululu (Al Ittihad, Egypt), Felicio Milson (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel), Zine (AEK Athens, Greece), M’bala Nzola (Fiorentina, Italy)
Cameroon:
Goalkeepers: Andre Onana (Manchester United, England), Fabrice Ondoa (Nimes, France), Devis Epassy (Abha, Saudi Arabia) Simon Ngapandouetnbu (Marseille, France)
Defenders: Christopher Wooh (Rennes, France), Junior Tchamadeu (Stoke, England), Nouhou Tolo (Seattle Sounders, USA), Darlin Yongwa (Lorient, France), Oumar Gonzalez (Al Raed, Saudi Arabia), Harold Moukoudi (AEK Athens, Greece), Jean Charles Castelletto (Nantes, France), Malcom Bokele (Bordeaux, France), Enzo Tchato (Montpellier, France)
Midfielders: Olivier Ntcham (Samsunspor, Turkey), Yvan Neyou (Leganes, Spain), Doualla Wilfried Nathan (Victoria United, Cameroon), Ben Njongoue Elliott (Reading, England), Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Napoli, Italy), Olivier Kemen (Kayserispor, Turkey), Leonel Ateba (Dynamo Douala, Cameroon)
Forwards: Vincent Aboubakar (Besiktas, Turkey), Francois Regis Mughe (Marseille, France), Georges-Kevin Nkoudou (Damac, Saudi Arabia), Clinton Njie (Sivasspor, Turkey), Karl Toko Ekambi (Abha, Saudi Arabia), Faris Moumbagna (Bodo/Glimt, Norway), Frank Magri (Toulouse, France)
Morocco:
Goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia), Munir Mohamedi (Al Wehda, Saudi Arabia), Mehdi Benabid (AS FAR, Morocco)
Defenders: Achraf Hakimi (Paris St-Germain, France), Noussair Mazraoui (Bayern Munich, Germany), Yahya Attiat Allah (Wydad Casablanca, Morocco), Nayef Aguerd (West Ham, England), Romain Saiss (Al Shabab, Saudi Arabia), Yunis Abdelhamid (Reims, France), Chadi Riad (Real Betis, Spain), Abdel Abqar (Alaves, Spain), Mohamed Chibi (Pyramids, Egypt)
Midfielders: Amir Richardson (Reims, France), Sofyan Amrabat (Manchester United, England), Oussama El Azzouzi (Bologna, Italy), Selim Amallah (Valencia, Spain), Bilal El Khannouss (Genk, Belgium), Azzedine Ounahi (Marseille, France), Ismael Saibari (PSV, Netherlands), Amine Harit (Marseille, France)
Forwards: Hakim Ziyech (Galatasaray, Turkey), Amine Adli (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany), Abde Ezzalzouli (Real Betis, Spain), Sofiane Boufal (Al Rayyan, Qatar), Tarik Tissoudali (Gent, Belgium), Youssef En-Nesyri (Seville, Spain), Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiacos, Greece)
Nigeria:
Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabili (Chippa United, South Africa); Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus); Olorunleke Ojo (Enyimba FC)
Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Chidozie Awaziem (Boavista FC, Portugal); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); William Troost-Ekong (PAOK Salonika, Greece); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal); Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal)
Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Joe Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Sivasspor K, Turkey); Victor Osimhen (Napoli SC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)
Tunisia:
Goalkeepers: Mouez Hassen (Club Africain, Tunisia), Aymen Dahmen (Al Hazem, Saudi Arabia), Bechir Ben Said (US Monastir, Tunisia)
Defenders: Hamza Jelassi (Etoile du Sahel, Tunisia), Yassine Meriah (Esperance, Tunisia), Alaa Ghram (Sfaxien, Tunisia), Ali Maaloul (Al Ahly, Egypt), Yan Valery (Angers, France), Ali Abdi (Caen, France), Montassar Talbi (Lorient, France), Wajdi Kechrida (Atromitos, Greece), Oussama Haddadi (Greuther Furth, Germany)
Midfielders: Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Ferencvaros, Hungary), Anis Ben Slimane (Sheffield United, England), Ellyes Skhiri (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Aissa Laidouni (Union Berlin, Germany), Houssem Tka (Esperance, Tunisia), Hadj Mahmoud (Lugano, Switzerland), Hamza Rafia (Leece, Italy)
Forwards: Youssef Msakni (Al Arabi, Qatar), Haythem Jouini (Stade Tunisien, Tunisia), Taha Yassine Khenissi (Kuwait SC, Kuwait), Sayfallah Ltaief (Winterthur, Switzerland), Bassem Srarfi (Club Africain, Tunisia), Naim Sliti (Al Ahli, Qatar), Mortadha Ben Ouanes (Kasimpasa, Turkey), Elias Achouri (FC Copenhagen, Denmark)
Remaining squads, including Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, DR Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia, are yet to be announced.
Africanewswatch.com will bring you subsequent updates as more teams unveil their squads ahead of the January 3rd deadline.
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Sports
Former President of Moroccan club Raja sentenced to 3 years in prison
Published
3 weeks agoon
December 28, 2024The former President of Moroccan top club, Raja Casablanca, Mohamed Aouzal, has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison after he was found guilty of fraud by a Casablanca Ain Sebaa Court of First Instance on Friday.
According to court documents, the case involved charges of breach of trust and issuing a bounced check in connection with his role in the insurance sector.
Other charges against Aouzal included financial misconduct, specifically breach of trust and issuing a check without sufficient funds.
The documents stated that the legal action against Aouzal stemmed from a lawsuit filed by an insurance company and was found guilty of owing the company nearly MAD 400 million (around $40 million) as the legal representative of an insurance brokerage firm.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court also imposed a fine of MAD 20 million (approximately $2 million) in favor of the plaintiff company.
Aouzal was arrested following investigations by Morocco’s National Judicial Police Brigade after which he was charged before the Public Prosecutor at the Ain Sebaa Court and was placed in custody at Oukacha Prison.
The lawsuit, according to Morocco World News, pointed to significant financial irregularities in Aouzal’s brokerage firm, alleging that it failed to meet its financial obligations and caused substantial losses for the insurance company.
“The trial began on December 10 after Aouzal’s initial court appearance. The court examined the evidence and heard extensive arguments before entering deliberations earlier this week.
“On Friday, the judge ruled in favor of the insurance company due to the significant monetary damages incurred,” the report said.
Sports
Dumping England for Nigeria the best decision of my life— Ademola Lookman
Published
4 weeks agoon
December 27, 2024Current African Men’s Footballer of the Year, Ademola Lookman, has attributed his rise in the football echelon to his decision to dump the English national team, The Three Lions, to play for the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
The Atalanta striker, who was named the African Player of the Year after a sterling 2024 season where he kept putting up superb performances for both club and country, credited the success of his career to his decision to snub England and commit to Nigeria.
“I think ever since I put on the Super Eagles jersey, it’s been fruitful,” Lookman said in an interview on SportyTV.
“We’ve been able to achieve a lot as a team and we’re still going as a team. But the camaraderie is something that’s very special within the squad.
“It is an incredible achievement and an incredible moment. It is special to join a list of many great players who have achieved a lot in the game. They are legends.
“There have been many special moments this year, and I can speak about a lot of good ones. But also the tough moments, like when you don’t feel like hitting the gym, but you push through and end up doing that session—it gives you more strength. Those difficult moments have given me that extra strength,” he said.
The Atalanta forward believes that his decision to represent Nigeria has contributed to a significant personal and professional growth, allowing him to continue thriving with the national team.
Before switching allegiance to play for the Super Eagles in 2022, Lookman had represented England at youth level, including winning the U-20 World Cup in 2017 but he had a stop-start career with stints at Everton, Fulham, and Leicester City, before he was shipped to Atalanta, initially on loan, before the move was made permanent.
But the turning point in Lookman’s career came when he decided to switch allegiance to Nigeria and has never looked back as everything he touched turned to gold.
The London-born Lookman made his Super Eagles debut in March 2022 against Ghana, and he has since described this moment as a turning point in his career.
He has scored eight goals and provided four assists and was the star man at the 2023 AFCON tournament where he netted three goals and registered one assist, and was named in the tournament team.
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