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International Football

ROHR, OSHOALA MAKE CAF AWARDS SHORT LIST

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BY FOLAKE OKEGBENLE.

 

The number of Nigerians jostling to be honoured at the CAF/Aiteo Award in Accra on January 4 next year has increased by two in individual categories and another two in teams’ category as CAF on Monday released the nominees for the other categories.  Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala and Super Eagles’ manager are among the latest hoping to win individual awards while the Super Eagles and Falconets are jostling for teams’ awards.

Super Eagles’ coach, Gernot Rohr has been nominated along with four others for the award for the Coach of the Year. Contesting the award with him are Hector Cuper of Egypt, Hugo Broos of Cameroon, L’Hussein Amoutta of Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco and Mihayo Kazembe of DR Congo’s TP Mazembe.

This is a loaded category as virtually all the nominees are eminently qualified. Nigeria’s Rohr had a smooth sail with his Super Eagles in what was perceived as Group of Death in the FIFA World Cup qualifying series, becoming the first team to pick a ticket even with a match to spare and never lost a match in the heavily loaded group.

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Cameroon’s coach, Hugo Broos came into reckoning for leading the team to win the Africa Cup of Nations earlier in the year while L’Hussein Amoutta of WAC of Morocco led his team to win the CAF Champions League just as Mihayo Kazembe of TP Mazembe did at the weekend, winning the CAF Confederation Cup.

Asisat Osoala of the Super Falcons looks head above all the other four contenders for the Women’s Player of the year.

Contesting with the Nigeria and Dalian Quanjian top scorer are:  Chrestina Kgatlana of South Africa and UWC Ladies, Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene of Cameroon and Rossyanka, Rutendo Makore of Zimbabwe and Black Rhinos as well as Tabitha Chawinga of Malawi and Kvarnsvedens.

Similarly, the Super Falconets, the U-20 women’s team Nigeria is nominated for the Women’s National Team of the Year. Contesting for the award with the Nigerian team are: Ghana U-20, Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

World Cup-bound Super eagles are shortlisted for the National Team of the Year Award. Also nominated are: Cameroon, Egypt, Mali U-17 and Zimbabwe U-20.

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The winners will be decided by votes from the members of the CAF Technical & Development Committee, CAF Media Experts Panel and Independent Media and TV Consultants.

But for the Referee of the Year Award, only members of the CAF Referees’ Committee will elect the winner.

 

 

THE FULL LIST OF THE LATEST NOMINEES: 

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Women’s Player of the Year

Asisat Shoal (Nigeria & Dalian Quanjian)

Chrestina Kgatlana (South Africa & UWC Ladies)

Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene(Cameroon & Rossyanka)

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Rutendo Makore (Zimbabwe & Black Rhinos)

Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi & Kvarnsvedens)

 

Women’s National Team of the Year

Ghana U-20

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Kenya

Nigeria U-20

South Africa

Zimbabwe

 

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Coach of the Year

Gernot Rohr (Nigeria)

Hector Cuper (Egypt)

Hugo Broos (Cameroon)

L’Hussein Amoutta (Wydad Athletic Club)

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Mihayo Kazembe (TP Mazembe)

 

National Team of the Year

Cameroon

Egypt

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Mali U-17

Nigeria

Zambia U-20

 

Club of the Year

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Al Ahly

Mbabane Swallows

SuperSport United

TP Mazembe

Wydad Athletic Club

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Youth Player of the Year

Eric Ayiah (Ghana & Charity Stars)

Krepin Diatta (Senegal &Sarpsborg)

Luther Singh (South Africa & Braga)

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Patson Daka (Zambia & Liefering)

Salam Giddou (Mali & Guidars)

 

Referee of the Year

Bamlak Tessema (Ethiopia)

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Ghead Grisha (Egypt)

Janny Sikazwe (Zambia)

Malang Diedhiou (Senegal)

Mehdi Abid Charef (Algeria)

Papa Bakary Gassama (Gambia)

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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International Football

Portugal call up same player named in England Under-18 squad

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Mateus Mane in England's colour

Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Mateus Mane has become hot property after Portugal named the 17-year-old in their Under-18 squad on Friday, one day after England included him in their squad.

Mane was called up for a second successive England youth camp by coach Liam Bramley before the team travel to Marbella for a four-team tournament this month.

Mane is eligible for both teams having played for the Portugal Under-17 side last season. As the Under-18 team is a non-UEFA age group, both nations are entitled to call the player up.

He made his England international debut last month against the Portugal Under-18 side who have named Mane in their squad for a four-nation tournament this month.

With both tournaments running concurrently, Mane can only play for one team and Wolves and England confirmed he would feature in Bramley’s side.

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Reuters has contacted Portugal’s football association for clarification.

While players with multiple nationalities have played for more than one country if they are eligible, they are not allowed to switch allegiances at senior level – unless they have played only in friendly matches for the first country.

-Reuters

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Soon Cisse ceases to be Senegal’s Coach

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After 107 matches spanning nine years, Aliou Cisse will not have his contract renewed as Senegal coach, officials confirmed on Wednesday. Of the 107 matches, Cisse’s team won 70, drew 24 and lost 13.

But the impressive scorecard is not enough to impress his employers.

Thus, the end beckons for Cisse’s successful nine-year spell in charge of the side that included a first Africa Cup of Nations title and two World Cup qualifications.

He had been under increasing pressure after Senegal’s surprise last 16 exit at the 2023 Cup of Nations when they lost on penalties to hosts Cote d’Ivoire.

Senegal are unbeaten in six matches since then, but home draws with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burkina Faso, and criticism from certain quarters over their style of play, made up the mind of the country’s sports ministry, who fund the salary of the national team coach, that a change was needed.

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“The FSF would like to thank Aliou Cisse for his good collaboration and his brilliant results at the head of the various national selections that he has managed since his arrival in 2011 and wish him every success for the future,” the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) said in a statement.

FSF added Cisse’s exit stemmed from a failure to fulfil the targets in his last contract, which expired at the end of August, which included victory at the 2023 Cup of Nations and reaching the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup.

They also said the “regression of our national team in the FIFA rankings and the risk of disaffection between our national team and the Senegalese (public)” had played a role.

The FSF will appoint an interim technical team to lead the side in Cup of Nations qualifiers against Malawi at home on Oct. 11 and away four days later.

Cisse, 48, was captain of Senegal when they reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup with what is heralded as a golden generation of players.

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He briefly had a spell as caretaker coach of the national team in 2012, but took over full time three years later.

He led Senegal to 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualification, making the last 16 in the latter before losing to England. They were beaten in the final of the 2019 Cup of Nations by Algeria.

The side made up for that disappointment when they beat Egypt in the final two years later to be crowned African champions for the first time.

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Why  FIFA banned Samuel Eto’o

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Always in the news for bad reasons, Samuel Eto’o has again made global headlines. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has banned the former striker and the current president of the Cameroon Football Federation.

He is banned from attending Cameroon’s matches for the next six months for violating conduct rules during the recent U-20 Women’s World Cup, where his national team faced Brazil in the round of 16.

According to FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee, Eto’o was found to have breached articles 13 (“Offensive behaviour and violations of fair play principles”) and 14 (“Misconduct of players and officials”) of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code.

The sanction stems specifically from the match between Brazil and Cameroon, held on September 11 in Bogotá, Colombia. As a result, Eto’o will be prohibited from attending any matches involving Cameroon’s national teams, both male and femaleacross all age groups.

“Mr Eto’o has been notified today, the date on which the sanction comes into force,” stated the FIFA press release.

This is not the first time Eto’o has faced controversy. He previously drew attention for his behavior towards players and national team coach Marc Brys, whom he allegedly threatened in front of cameras if his directives were not followed.

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During the Qatar World Cup, the former Real Madrid, Mallorca, and Barcelona player made headlines again after assaulting a fan who filmed him outside a stadium after a match.

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