Wary favourites I.Coast launch Nations Cup campaign

January 10, 2010

Title favourites Ivory Coast launch their 2010 African Nations Cup campaign on Monday against Burkina Faso in the Cabinda enclave where the Togo squad were attacked by separatists in a terror attack.

Togo had decided to withdraw late on Saturday but early Sunday the players opted to stay and play, one of them Thomas Dossevi told AFP.

The ‘Elephants’ finished second and fourth in the last two editions of the biennial African football showcase and the media jury have reached a unanimous verdict that they will go all the way this time in Angola.

A glance at the 23-strong squad reveals why the burden of favouritism must be carried by a team containing stars from some of the strongest and wealthiest European clubs.

Defensive general Kolo Toure receives his pay slip from super-rich Manchester City, midfielder Yaya Toure lines up with European and world champions Barcelona, and striker Didier Drogba plays for mighty Chelsea.

All the other players under the charge of Bosnian coach Vahid Halilhodzic are with European clubs bar third-choice goalkeeper Vincent de Paul Angban of perennial domestic champions ASEC Mimosas.

Burkina Faso, defeated 3-2 at home and 5-0 away by the Ivorians in the 2010 qualifying competition, have little to offer in return with only striker Moumouni Dagano creating international headlines last year.

He overshadowed Drogba and fellow African superstars Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon, Michael Essien of Ghana and Frederic Kanoute of Mali by finishing leading scorer with 12 goals in the Nations Cup qualifiers.

But captain Drogba has warned his team-mates to be vigilant, claiming over confidence contributed heavily to a stunning 4-1 semi-final drubbing by Egypt in Ghana two years ago.

“We will be treating every team coming our way in Angola with respect, humility and seriousness. There is no room for complacency as in Ghana. No match is won in advance,” warned Drogba in Abidjan.

“From the bottom of my heart I desire to return home with a glorious result which will give joy to the Ivorian people. My team-mates and I will be sweating it out as much as we can.”

Halilhodzic, who fears failure to win the Nations Cup will trigger calls for his dismissal five months before Ivory Coast go to the World Cup in South Africa, worries about the readiness of stars like Drogba for steamy Angola.

“We are concerned about all our players’ fitness, especially those like Drogba who are involved in so many matches,” he told the Daily News in Tanzania, where the Ivorians held a pre-tournament camp.

“Didier is a human being. he is not a machine. Even a machine needs to rest if it is to run effectively and efficiently. It is unrealistic to play two (English Premiership) matches within three days.”

Although Ivory Coast have played 68 matches in 17 Nations Cup appearances, it will be the first time they face the Burkinabe Stallions, whose best showing was fourth place under French coach Philippe Troussier as 1998 hosts.

LUANDA (AFP)

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African teams vie to complete W.Cup line-up

September 7, 2009

Cameroon, Tunisia, Algeria and Ivory Coast are looking good to join Ghana and hosts South Africa and complete the African line-up at the 2010 World Cup.

Ghana become the first African team to secure a place at the first World Cup to be staged on the ‘Dark Continent’ with a 2-0 triumph win over Sudan in Accra at the weekend courtesy of goals from Sulley Muntari and Michael Essien.

Cameroon, Algeria and Ivory Coast also took maximum points during the fourth series of games in the final qualifying round while Tunisia hit back twice to force a 2-2 draw with Nigeria.

The impact of recently hired French coach Paul le Guen on Cameroon has been immediate and if the ‘Indomitable Lions’ defeat Gabon for the second time in five days Wednesday they will become Group A leaders.

Not bad for a team that fell in Togo, lost German coach Otto Pfister and managed only a goalless home draw with Morocco under caretaker Thomas N’knono before Le Guen answered a distress signal.

This mini-league is the tightest of the five with three points separating pacesetters Gabon from bottom team Morocco and if Cameroon can win their two remaining home fixtures it could be sufficient.

After tackling Gabon, the ‘Lions’ host Togo on October 10 before visting Morocco the following month as they seek a record sixth World Cup appearance by an African country.

Le Guen, winner of three consecutive French titles with Lyon this decade, gambled by dropping long-serving defender Rigobert Song and passing the captaincy to star striker Samuel Eto’o.

The results speak for themselves with a 2-0 friendly win in Austria followed by another two-goal triumph last Saturday in Libreville via goals from Achille Emana and three-time African Footballer of the Year Eto’o.

Tunisia can clinch Group B honours if they beat Kenya at home and Mozambique away, an achievement that will be hard for Nigerians to accept after their shock failure to reach the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Nigeria have the same opponents with a visit from Mozambique followed by a journey to Kenya and if there is a glimmer of hope it would be that a fixture in Nairobi is probably easier than one in Maputo.

Banker may be a dangerous word to use in the unpredictable world of football, but it surely applies to Ivory Coast, who need one point from encounters with Malawi (away) and Guinea (home) to top Group E.

The Ivorian ‘Elephants’ share with Ghana a 100 percent record after four rounds and having routed Malawi 5-0 in Abidjan last March, there is no reason to doubt that they can take at least one point from Blantyre next month.

It looks like African champions Egypt will have to defeat Zambia (away) and Group C leaders Algeria (home) to have any hope of reaching South Africa as they trail their fierce North African rivals by three points.

This race may not even go to Cairo in mid-November because it seems far more likely that Algeria will defeat visiting Rwanda next month than Egypt will achieve a similar result in Zambia.

The five group winners qualify for the World Cup between June 11 and July 11 while the top three finishers in each mini-league go the African Nations Cup in Angola five months earlier.

JOHANNESBURG (AFP)

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Hassan keeps Egypt´s World Cup hopes

September 5, 2009

Ahmed Hassan kept African champions Egypt in the hunt for a 2010 World Cup place by scoring the goal that defeated Rwanda 1-0 in Kigali Saturday.

The 34-year-old midfielder from Cairo giants Al-Ahly hammered an Ahmed Fathi pass into the net on 68 minutes before a near-capacity crowd at the 35,000-seat Amahoro Stadium in the Rwandan capital.

Victory lifted the ‘Pharaohs’ to seven points from four Group C qualifiers, level with fierce rivals Algeria, who host Zambia Sunday and are expected to triumph in Blida.

It was a must-win game for Egypt, who have lifted the African Nations Cup a record six times but qualified for the World Cup only twice with their last appearance 19 years ago in Italy.

The North Africans came close to scoring a few times in the opening half and then withstood an early second-half Rwandan attacking flurry before Hassan gave Egypt a double over Rwanda having won 3-0 in Cairo two months ago.

Goalkeeper Jean-Claude Ndori deprived Egypt of a second goal in stoppage time with a brave advance to block a Sayed Moawad shot at the expense of a corner.

Substitute Chiukepo Msowoya scored twice after coming on at half-time as Malawi came from behind to defeat Guinea 2-1 in a Group E game between World Cup also-rans.

Oumar Kalabane put the West Africans ahead seven minutes before half-time at the Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, Msowoya levelled a minute after half-time and snatched the 58th-minute winner.

Ivory Coast (nine points) and Burkina Faso (six), who clash later Saturday in Abidjan, have dominated the section while Guinea and Malawi have three each as they contest third place.

The five group winners join hosts South Africa at the first World Cup to be staged in Africa while the top three finishers in each mini-league go to the 2010 Nations Cup in Angola.

JOHANNESBURG (AFP)

Tags: 19 years, Abidjan, Africa, african champions, african nations cup, Ahmed Fathi, ahmed hassan, al ahly, algeria, Amahoro Stadium, Angola, blantyre, Blida, burkina faso, Cairo, capacity crowd, Egypt, group winners, Guinea, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jean-Claude Ndori, johannesburg, Kamuzu Stadium, kigali, minute winner, north africans, pharaohs, Rwanda, rwandan capital, seven points, South Africa, stoppage time, west africans, Zambia

Hannover sign Ivorian Konan-Ya

August 12, 2009

Bundesliga side Hannover 96 have signed 25-year-old striker Didier Konan-Ya from Norwegian club Rosenborg.

The Ivorian international has signed a contract which will keep him at the club until 2012.

Konan-Ya is set to fill the gap left in Hannover’s attack by Jan Schlaudraff, the former Bayern Munich forward who has been suffering with a groin problem.

“We’ve signed him reinforce our frontline. He’s extremely quick and a decent finisher,” explained Hannover Sporting Director Jörg Schmadtke.]

The former Rosenborg player began his career at homeland club ASEC Abidjan, and later made a switch for the Norwegian giants, making 40 appearances and scoring 27 goals in the process.

Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: abhimanyu, Abidjan, ASEC, attack, Bayern, Bundesliga, frontline, gap, giants, groin problem, hannover 96, ivorian, jan schlaudraff, norwegian club, rosenborg, striker, ya

Ivorians quash Halilhodzic exit rumours

June 26, 2009

ABIDJAN (AFP) – The Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) on Thursday dismissed reports that Franco-Bosnian coach Vahid Halilhodzic was due to step down from his role in charge of the Ivory Coast national team.

“The executive committee of the FIF would like to clarify that Mr Vahid Halilhodziv is under contract with Ivory Coast until the end of qualification for the 2010 African Cup of Nations and World Cup,” read a statement from the FIF seen by AFP.

“In any case, the FIF is committed to safeguarding the interests of the national team and reaffirms its strong will to make qualification for the African Cup of Nations and World Cup its main priority.

“Vahid Halilhodzic informed the president of the FIF, Jacques Anouma, after the match against Burkina Faso (a 3-2 victory for Ivory Coast on Saturday) of informal contact he had made with an English club.”

Halilhodzic, who has coached Ivory Coast since May 2008, has reportedly been offered a three-year contract by Premier League side Portsmouth.

‘The Elephants’, as the Ivory Coast’s national side are known, currently top Group E, the joint qualifying group for next year’s African Nations Cup and World Cup, having won their three matches to date.

Tags: Abidjan, african cup of nations, african nations cup, anouma, bosnian, burkina faso, coach vahid, elephants, executive committee, fif, football federation, Franco, Franco-Bosnian, ivorian, Ivory Coast, Jacques Anouma, Portsmouth, premier league, qualifying group, vahid halilhodzic, World Cup

Halilhodzic set to quit I.Coast post

June 24, 2009

ABIDJAN (AFP) – Franco-Bosnian veteran handler Vahid Halilhodzic is to quit as Ivory Coast coach even though the country is well set to qualify for next year’s World Cup finals, the Ivorian Football federation (FIF) said Wednesday.

Halilhodzic is understood to have told the FIF he hopes to take up a post in England where he is reportedly on the radar of English Premiership side Portsmouth.

Halilhodzic took over his current post in May last year with a mission to guide the “Elephants” through to the World Cup finals in South Africa and land the African Nations Cup.

Ivory Coast currently top qualifying Group E with three wins from three matches to date after last weekend’s key win in Burkina Faso.

Tags: Abidjan, African, african nations cup, bosnian, burkina faso, elephants, England, english premiership, fif, football, football federation, Franco, Franco-Bosnian, Halilhodzic, I.Coast, ivorian, Ivory Coast, Portsmouth, premiership side, qualifying group, South Africa, vahid halilhodzic, veteran, World Cup, world cup finals

Ivorian football official faces rap for deadly stampede

May 23, 2009

ABIDJAN (AFP) – An Ivorian football official and three security men will be prosecuted for manslaughter following a March stampede at Abidjan’s main stadium in which 20 people died, the public prosecutor said Friday.

Albert Kacou Anzouan, chairman of the national football federation (FIF)’s competitions organising committee, will be tried alongside three security officers, Raymond Tchimou said.

Last month Anzouan was released from police questioning in connection to the stampede together with FIF acting head Ardiouma Kone and federation chief accountant Jean-Baptiste Beugre.

The fatal stampede on March 29 also left more than 130 people injured.

Fans, desperate for a rare chance to see football idols who normally play for European clubs, forced their way through the gates of the 35,000 capacity stadium and tumbled down the steps of the terracing inside to be crushed by those behind.

Many of the supporters had tickets and were angry at being refused entry, witnesses said, accusing the security forces of taking bribes to let many ticketless people into the match.

Tags: Abidjan, Albert Kacou, bribes, chief accountant, competitions, fif, football official, gates, jean baptiste, Jean-Baptiste Beugre, kone, manslaughter, match, national football federation, public prosecutor, rap, rare chance, Raymond Tchimou, security forces, security men, security officers, stampede, UEFA Champions League

Ivorian officials held over deadly stampede

April 10, 2009

ABIDJAN (AFP) – Ivorian football officials were in police custody Friday as part of a probe into last month’s stampede at Abidjan stadium that killed 19 fans, the national football federation, the FIF, said.

Albert Kacou Anzouan, chairman of the federation’s competitions organising committee, was arrested late Wednesday by police investigating his role in ticket sales, an FIF official told AFP.

Also held were the printer of the tickets for the Ivory Coast-Malawi World Cup qualifier and FIF chief accountant Jean-Baptiste Beugre, the official said.

They were the first arrests since an inquiry was launched on March 31, two days after the tragedy which also left more than 130 people injured.

Fans, desperate for a rare chance to see their idols who normally play for European clubs, forced their way through the gates of the 35,000 capacity stadium and tumbled down the steps of the terracing inside to be crushed by those behind.

Many of the supporters had tickets and were angry at being refused entry, witnesses said, accusing the security forces of taking bribes to let many ticketless people into the match.

Tags: Abidjan, Albert Kacou, bribes, capacity, chief accountant, competitions, fif, football officials, gates, Ivory Coast, jean baptiste, Jean-Baptiste Beugre, Malawi, match, national football federation, police custody, rare chance, security forces, stampede, ticket sales, tragedy, World Cup

Liverpool´s strike duo can KO Chelsea says Torres

April 7, 2009

LIVERPOOL, April 7, 2009 (AFP) – Fernando Torres believes his lethal partnership with Steven Gerrard will help Liverpool hand Chelsea another dose of Champions League misery in Wednesday’s quarter-final first leg.

After watching Robbie Keane struggle to gel with Torres earlier this season, Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez decided to move England midfielder Gerrard into a move advanced position just behind Spain striker Torres.

The switch has transformed Liverpool as an attacking force. For much of Benitez’s reign they have focused on a safety-first philosophy that delivered results but few thrills.

But with Gerrard in tandem with Torres, Liverpool’s two best players have formed a formidable double act which has provided the firepower to keep the Reds hot on Manchester United’s heels in the Premier League title race and set up yet another European showdown with Chelsea.

The two English powerhouses will be meeting in the Champions League for the fifth successive season and, for once, it is Benitez’s men who have painful memories to avenge.

After eliminating Chelsea twice at the semi-final stage in 2005 and 2007, it was Liverpool’s turn to suffer the heartache of a last-four exit when the Blues won 4-3 on aggregate last season.

That narrow victory kept up the pattern of tight ties between the increasingly bitter rivals and Torres knows it will be hard to separate them again, making the potency of his partnership with Gerrard even more important.

“Stevie has been getting a lot of praise from some of the best players in the world,” Torres said.

“That is quite right because I think he is the best in the world. He is a great team player but he can also win a game on his own when maybe we are not playing so well.

“I cannot think of a player I would rather be playing with. We know it is not going to be easy against Chelsea but both Stevie and I are happy with our form.”

While Manchester United’s dramatic victory over Aston Villa on Sunday took some of the wind out of Liverpool’s sails following their own late win against Fulham on Saturday, Benitez’s side still have a realistic chance of winning the title.

For Chelsea, who sit four points behind United with a game more played, Europe represents their best chance of a memorable campaign.

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard, who scored in Saturday’s 2-0 victory at Newcastle, is convinced his team are in the right frame of mind to cope with the sound and fury of a European night at Anfield.

“We know how tough Liverpool is going to be. It is going to be a very tight game, both legs, and we are ready. We are in the right mood for it,” Lampard said.

Chelsea’s hopes of taking a positive result back to Stamford Bridge for next Tuesday’s return would be improved if Didier Drogba can recover from the ankle injury that kept him out of the Newcastle match.

Drogba, who terrorised Liverpool in last season’s semi-final second leg, has been in fine form of late after an inconsistent season and Blues boss Guus Hiddink was relieved to see the Ivory Coast striker play a full part in training on Monday.

If Drogba features on Merseyside it will be his first game since he played in the Ivory Coast’s traumatic World Cup qualifier against Malawi, when the collapse of a stadium wall caused the deaths of 19 fans in Abidjan.

Like all of his Ivory Coast team-mates, Drogba has found it hard to come to terms with the tragedy, but Hiddink believes he will be able to put it out of his mind for a while and concentrate on Chelsea’s challenge.

“We’ve talked about the tragedy in Abidjan with the whole squad,” Hiddink said. “Winning and losing are very important but this showed there are other things in life to put them into some kind of perspective.”

Written by: AFP

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DR Congo shock Ghana to win African Nations Championship

March 9, 2009

ABIDJAN (AFP) – Democratic Republic of Congo shocked Ghana 2-0 Sunday to win the maiden African Nations Championship final.

Dioko Kaluyituka put the ‘Leopards’ ahead one minute into the second half at Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in the Ivory Coast economic capital and Mbenza Bedi added a second 14 minutes from full-time.

It was the first triumph for DR Congo in an African Football Confederation (CAF) national team competition since they defeated Zambia 2-0 in a replay of the 1974 Nations Cup final in Cairo.

The result dashed Ghanaian hopes of a CAF national team title cleansweep having won the Nations Cup four times, the youth championship three times and the junior championship twice.

Top seeds and pre-tournamnent favourites Ghana entered the final as the team to beat having outclassed DR Congo 3-0 eight days ago in the mini-league phase of a competition for local-based footballers.

Kaluyituka scored for the third time in the tournament to finish runners-up behind five-goal Zambian Given Singuluma while it was the first strike by Bedi.

Written by: AFP