International Football
NIGERIA’S JUNIOR AJAYI LEADS AL AHLY TO EGYPT SUPER CUP TRIUMPH
Egyptian giants, Al Ahly, profited from the exploits of Nigeria’s Junior Ajayi to emerge once again victorious in the infamous “Cairo Derby”, involving Zamalek.
Junior Ajayi scored two in the 3-2 defeat of Zamalek in the Super Cup at the Alexandria based Borg El Arab stadium.
The one match playoff was delayed from last season due to organizational reasons, and was used a curtain raiser for the new domestic season. The Cairo rivals will clash again in the 2019-20 Egypt Super Cup next January.
Nigerian import Junior Ajayi scored in each half, with Hussein Elshahat scoring inbetween for The Red Devils. Mahmoud Alaa scored twice from the spot to initiate a probable comeback for The White Knights but they couldn’t find the goal that could have forced the game to penalties.
It was Ahly’s 11th glory in the history of Egypt Super Cup compared to Zamalek’s three titles. Arab Contractors and Haras El Hodod has one title each in the competition that started in 2001.
After a slow start, Zamalek had to deal with an early blow when defender Mohamed Abdel Ghany suffered injury after just five minutes and was substituted by Mahmoud Hamdy.
Ahly had the first chance when Elshahat tried to make use of goalkeeper Mohamed Awwad blunder at the quarter hour mark but his shot was handled easily by the keeper.
Four minutes later Awwad came to rescue Zamalek again deflecting Mohamed “Afsha” Magdy’s shot over the line. But from the resulting corner Ajayi sent a powerful shot from close space giving Al Ahly the lead after 19 minutes.
Ahly had a similar blow at the half hour mark with defender Mahmoud Mitwally injured and leaving the field to Mohamed Hany. But the Red Devils continued controlling possession. And just before the break Elshahat was their hero. After passing brilliantly from Hamdi Naguez, he sent a powerful shot that was stopped by Awwad, but the rebound ball fell again to him from Mohamed Abdelshafy’s poor clearance to send both sides into the break with Ahly having a two goal lead.
The Red Devils started the second half from where they ended the first, and just three minutes after the restart Ajayi completed his brace, connecting well to Ramadan Sobhy’s pass before firing into the net, sending frenzy to Ahly supporters in the stands.
Zamalek fought back and had a penalty three minutes after the hour mark when Ahly’s goalkeeper Mohamed Elshenawy fouled substitute Mostafa Mohamed. Alaa stepped to reduce the deficit and give the White Knights hope again.
Ahly’s defensive problems worsened with defender Yasser Ibrahim also injured, leaving the field to veteran Hossam Ashour. And 15 minutes from time Zamalek had another penalty, with Alaa sending Elshenawy the wrong way to make it 3-2.
But the possible memorable comeback was never completed as Ahly remained solid in the remaining minutes to claim the trophy.
Meanwhile the 2019-20 season of Egyptian Premier League kicks off on Saturday (21 September 2019) with 18 teams competing for the title Al Ahly holds in the past four seasons.
Representatives from four national players’ unions on Thursday launched a new global organisation in Madrid, which they say will strengthen footballers’ rights and improve dialogue with governing bodies.
Opening a new front in the battle over who speaks for players, the International Footballers’ Association (AIF) was unveiled, with David Aganzo, president of Spain’s Association of Footballers (AFE) and a former head of the global union FIFPRO, appointed to lead the organisation.
Players’ unions from Brazil, Mexico and Switzerland were also represented.
The initiative drew a swift rebuke from FIFPRO, which said in a statement that Aganzo was acting out of self-interest and aligning himself with organisations linked to football governing bodies, as well as groups expelled from FIFPRO over alleged mismanagement.
Aganzo rejected the criticism, saying he “will not seek confrontation with FIFPRO”.
The launch comes amid strained relations between players’ unions and football authorities, particularly over the expanding international match calendar.
Relations between FIFA and FIFPRO deteriorated in 2024 after the union lodged a complaint with the European Commission, arguing that the global governing body was abusing its dominant position by adding competitions without sufficient consultation.
Aganzo denied suggestions that the new initiative was backed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, but said “direct dialogue with FIFA” was essential.
AFE’s Extraordinary General Assembly approved the initiative in February with 99.8% of votes cast in favour of spearheading the creation of the AIF.
The same assembly also backed AFE’s withdrawal from FIFPRO, citing what it described as a “complete lack of transparency, as well as its total lack of dialogue with international bodies.”
“We represent over 30,000 footballers, and we come here with a new model aimed at safeguarding players’ rights and facilitating direct communication with all international bodies,” Aganzo told reporters.
“We are in contact with 15 to 20 unions already who were very aware of this moment and waiting for this announcement to make their move and join our initiative.”
He declined to identify any unions beyond those present.
Asked about a report that a senior envoy to U.S. President Donald Trump had urged FIFA to replace Iran with Italy at the upcoming World Cup, Aganzo urged caution.
“These are more political issues; on April 30th, I’ll be speaking to Gianni (Infantino) at the FIFA Congress, and we will discuss those things,” Aganzo said.
“People who want to go to the World Cup have to earn their place on sporting merit.”
-Reuters
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A new trial over the death of Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona will begin on Tuesday, with seven members of his medical team charged with negligent homicide nearly a year after a previous case collapsed in a mistrial.
An enduring presence in Argentina – from towering murals to tattoos, opens new tab – Maradona died on November 25, 2020, at 60, after a heart attack while he was recuperating from brain surgery to remove a blood clot.
A court in San Isidro, near Buenos Aires, will hear testimony from just under 100 witnesses as it tries Maradona’s medical team over alleged negligence in the death of the 1986 World Cup champion.
His medical team has denied wrongdoing. The defendants are psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychologist Carlos Angel Diaz, physician Nancy Edith Forlini, nurse Ricardo Almiron, head nurse Mariano Ariel Perroni, and physician Pedro Pablo Di Spagna. An eighth defendant, nurse Dahiana Madrid, will be tried in a separate jury trial, with no date yet set.
Two months into the first trial, which started last March, a mistrial was declared when one of three judges, Julieta Makintach, resigned after video surfaced showing her being interviewed by a camera crew in the corridors of the courthouse and in her office as part of a documentary, in breach of judicial rules.
The retrial will require both prosecutors and defense lawyers to reassess their strategies after the first trial aired photographs, videos, audio recordings and forensic evidence. Many witnesses, including Maradona’s children and his former wife, Claudia Villafane, have already testified.
Prosecutors argued in the initial trial that medical professionals broke treatment protocols and that the home where Maradona was recovering from surgery amounted to a “theatre of horror,” where necessary care was not provided.
The defense countered that his death was inevitable given his longstanding health problems. Maradona struggled for decades with cocaine and alcohol addiction.
The negligence charges emerged in 2021 after prosecutors appointed a medical board to investigate Maradona’s death. The panel concluded his medical team acted in an “inappropriate, deficient and reckless” manner.
-Reuters
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Aliou Cisse has been named coach of the Angola national team, the country’s football federation (FAF) announced on Thursday, 24 hours after the Senegalese left his post in Libya.
The 50-year-old coach, who led Senegal to their maiden Africa Cup of Nations title in 2022, ended his short stint with the Libyan national team on Wednesday, after taking charge in March 2025.
“Welcome, Aliou Cisse, head coach of the Angola national team,” the FAF said on Facebook. Angola, which failed to reach this year’s World Cup, will start their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign in September.
-Reuters
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