دوري أبطال إفريقيا 2010 : القرعة صـ65

Zanzibar teams prepare for CAF competitions

The Zanzibar Football Association (ZFA) believes the thirst for success at the international tournaments will spur its representatives on to victory against their Egyptian and Zimbabwean opponents in the preliminary round of the continental tournaments kicking later this month.



Zanzibar representatives in the Orange Confederation Cup Miembeni will host Petrojet of Zimbabwe in the first leg match on Friday next week, while the Isles champions, Mafunzo are scheduled to open their Champions league campaign against Gunners FC of Egypt two days later.

“Despite obvious financial crisis facing us, our teams are well prepared to face their opponents,” ZFA deputy general secretary Masoud Attai told the Daily News Newspaper here in Zanzibar.

He said that lack of funds had prompted them to use Dar es Salaam as Zanzibar’s home ground for the games, “We would have loved to use Gombani stadium in Pemba, but it is very expensive to care for our guests in Pemba,” he noted.

Why Chunga quit Gunners

Friday, 05 February 2010 13:17

HARARE- Normadic reigning coach of the year Moses Chunga quit champions Gunners following a .... (Pictured: coach of the year Moses Chunga) row with the team management over pay, The Zimbabwean on Sunday can reveal. Chunga affectionately known by his fans as Bambo three weeks ago left Gunners for rival Harare-based side Shooting Stars, a shock move that has divided opinion within soccer circles. Bambo who led Gunners to their maiden league title last year after only two years in the topflight league has not come out publicly to say the reasons behind his decision to part ways with Gunners saying he would do so at the appropriate time. He told journalists that there were a lot of issues which led him to throw in the towel ahead of the Gunners' maiden campaign in the African Champions League but declined to disclose further details. Bambo’s former assistant at Gunners Darlington Dodo has remained with the club and in charge of preparations for the upcoming season. A number of theories have been put forward regarding Chunga’s decision to quit the team he lead to the ultimate prize in domestic football with some suggesting that he did not have the pre-requisite coaching qualifications he would need in order to handle international matches like the Africa Champions League. According to this theory Chunga left Gunners so he could a join a new club not playing in the African league. Chunga does not have coaching qualifications required for Premier League coaches and at one time faced disqualification from coaching by the Zimbabwe Soccer Coaches Association. But he was given the green light by ZIFA who said the former Warriors captain was capable of coaching in the top division given his outstanding achievements and experience gained as a player at the highest level of the game both the domestic front and internationally. Chunga who holds an attendance certificate in coaching has publicly refused to go for coaching clinics arguing that he could not be taught basic skills like ball control and passing when he played at the highest level. However, a source close to Chunga revealed this week that Chunga fell out with Gunners president Cuthbert Chitima after he failed to match the coach’s salary demands. The source said Chunga was earning a monthly salary of US$1,200 last year which he had wanted upped to US$2000,00 per month after leading Gunners to The Promised Land. "The issue was all about the salary that he was demanding. He wanted to be paid US$2000,00 and the team management felt it was too much so he left,” said pour source. “The talks about him not having the necessary qualifications to coach in Africa are not true. If he was given that salary he was still going ahead leading Gunners in Africa because even if he was not allowed to handle those international matches he would train the team and on match day his assistant would take over. It will be him who will be coaching," added the source. Gunners president Chitima declined to comment on the matter. "That is history. Let us talk about the future we have a very important fixture in two weeks time and Dodo is in charge. We have confidence in him," he said. Gunners are set to play Mafunzo FC of Zanzibar in their first ever African Champions League match

Sofapaka win Kenyan SuperSport/Dstv Cup
Kenya League champions Sofapaka FC started the new season in style with more silverware as they lifted the SuperSport/Dstv Cup on Sunday.



The side which has only spent one season in top flight action of the premier league stopped holders AFC Leopards 1-0 to lift the season-opener Champions Cup in a match played at the National Stadium in Nairobi.



Humphrey Mieno scored in the important goal as early as the 19th minute when he unleashed a hard shot past AFC Leopards goalkeeper Lawrence Webo.

After the goal, Sofapaka dictated matters and Leopards had to then fight from a back foot to find an equaliser. AFC Leopards later after resumption created many good scoring chances and it was Kenya ‘keeper Wilson Oburu who saved Sofapaka from conceding.

Oburu kept out good attempts from Sebastian Muchera, Gregory Nyapala and Dimonde Selenga. Sofapaka coach Robert Matano said: “This team (Leopards) is different from the one that struggled throughout last year. Indeed I am glad we came out with the win. The new faces gave us a hectic time. But I wish them a good season, which they will deserve if they play to the promise evident today.”

Besides shaping up for the start of the premier league on February 20, the game also helped the two teams prepare for continental football. AFC Leopards will host Banks of Ethiopia in the CAF Confederation Cup, while Sofapaka clash with Ismailia of Egypt in CAF Orange Champions league.

اختار الجهاز الفني للنادي الإسماعيلي، أحد ممثلي مصر في بطولة دوري أبطال أفريقيا هذا الموسم، 20 لاعبا للسفر إلى كينيا مساء الثلاثاء لمواجهة فريق سوفاباكا الكينى يوم السبت المقبل فى مباراة ذهاب الدور التمهيدي للبطولة.
ويترأس بعثة الإسماعيلي نصر ابوالحسن رئيس النادى وسيغب عنها الحارس الدولي عصام الحضري.
وفضل عماد سليمان عدم ضم الحضري الذي لم يتدرب بما فيه الكفاية مع الفريق فيما ضم زميله الدولي المعتصم سالم.
وتضم القائمة:: محمد صبحى - محمد فتحى - ايمن رمضان - محمد حمص - محمد محسن ابوجريشة - عبدالله السعيد - عمرو السولية - احمد عبدالعزيز مودى - عمر جمال - معتصم سالم - مصطفى طلعت - احمد الجمل - عبدلله الشحات - احمد سمير فرج - احمد حجازى - احمد صديق - مهاب سعيد - عبدالحميد سامى - احمد على - عبدالله كوليبالى.
ويمثل مصر في هذه البطولة الأهلي حامل لقب بطولة الدوري الموسم الماضي والذي لن يلعب في الدور التمهيدي، ووصيفه الإسماعيلي. وسيقام لقاء العودة أمام سوفابلكا يوم 28 فبراير في مدينة الإسماعيلية. والفائز من مجموع اللقائين سيتأهل لدور الـ32.

Succession Of TP Mazembe Opens
52 teams will this weekend engage in the battle to succeed TP Mazembe, champion of the last edition of the Orange Champions League. Six other teams, Al Ahly (Egypt), ASEC Mimosas (Ivory Coast), Heartland FC (Nigeria), El Hilal (Sudan), Dynamos (Zimbabwe) and the defending champion, Mazembe, will only enter the competition at the sixteenth final.
Which team will emerge champion of this long annual marathon? One of the old names or an outsider as last year witnessed a big outsider. More and more, the contenders are separated by their financial resources. In recent years, many clubs came forcefully to the fore thanks to new financing, which is often lacking, and which are equally capable of attracting money from sponsors. The consequences are most often immediate; these clubs recruit foreign players either from their immediate neighbours or very far from their area. And this year we will probably discover new ambitious teams.
Several matches seem to be detached from the preliminary round like the encounter between the Rwandan side, APR FC and Recreativo of Libolo of Angola, which is among highly rated clubs, determined to make a name on the continental scene. We are also waiting with particular interest the match between Djoliba of Bamako, which dreams of emulating the example of Stade Malien, winner of the last Orange Confederation Cup, and the Libyan side, Al Ahly Benghazi that hopes to cross a stage for their club. The Senegalese people will support Linguere of Saint Louis to the end, since the team is the flag bearer of a football which is in full renovation. The team will have a difficult task to meet Ashanti Kotoko, which is in search of reawakening following several fruitless seasons. The Algerian team, Entente of Setif will enter the tournament when it clashes against the Red Devils of Congo, while Sofakapa FC of Kenya, for their first participation in a pan-African competition will have to get rid of Ismaily of Egypt.

Besides TP Mazembe, many former champions ; Al Ahly, ASEC Mimosas, Ashanti Kotoko, Ismaïly, Union of Douala, JS Kabylie, Raja of Casablanca and Espérance of Tunis will be seeking a new crown. But, this year again, many think that after a year’s pause, Al Ahly is capable of doing all to reclaim its sceptre. In mid tournament, the Egyptian club presented a positive balance sheet with 15 consecutive matches played without defeat, thanks largely to an iron-like defense. In 2010, it will again be a team to reckon with.