Football

28 February 2011 Football returned to Egypt on Sunday against a backdrop of both celebration and mourning but the continuing tensions elsewhere in North Africa sees the African under-20 championship likely to be moved from Libya and the planned restart of leagues in Tunisia called off. Zamalek, one of Egypts top two clubs, wore black armbands and held a minutes…

27 February 2011 African Football Confederation (CAF) chairman Issa Hayatou says he is stressed out and wants to stand down from his job. "I want to stop because it's (his post) restricting, it's not easy," he told French radio station RFI on Sunday. "I'ver had 37 years in football, that's a lot, and what's more I am a member of…

28 February 2011 Table-topping Dolphin recorded their first draw this season in the Nigeria Premier League, but it could have been worse for the Port Harcourt side had hosts Shooting Stars taken their chances especially in the first half. Pillars also held back title-chasing Warri Wolves with a lone goal home win, just as Kwara United pulled off the biggest…

28 February 2011 The Absa Premiership title race took yet another intriguing turn this past weekend and the top three teams in South Africas top flight are now separated by just two points. Ajax Cape Town moved into first place with a 1-0 win over Free State Stars on Friday evening, but they were leapfrogged by Orlando Pirates, who returned…

25 February 2011 Tunisia ended a seven-year trophy drought Friday when they outclassed Angola 3-0 in Sudan to lift the African Nations Championship. Midfielder Mejdi Traoui put the North Africans ahead just after half-time in hot and humid Omdurman, striker Zouhaier Dhaouiadi struck the second and substitute Oussama Darragi completed the scoring 10 minutes from full-time. The teams drew 1-1…

26 February 2011 Manchester United will seek to pile the psychological pressure on their absent Premier League rivals on Saturday with a victory against Wigan to increase their lead at the top of the table. With second-placed Arsenal preparing for the League Cup final against Birmingham, and defending champions Chelsea with no fixture, a United win at Wigan will leave…

26 February 2011 Nigerias Super Eagles are stranded in the United States of America after organisers of an invitational tournament again put off the weekend kick-off of the competition. Nigeria were to have kicked off the tourney Saturday against Panama. Tournament organisers now want the round-robin competition to be played on March 12 and 13th. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)…

25 February 2011 The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Issa Hayatou, announced Friday that a decision on whether troubled Libya would still host the African Youth Championship will only be taken in a weeks time. Libya is due to stage the 17th African Youth Championship from March 18, but the current uprising in the North African nation,…

24 February 2011 An 86th-minute header from Dirk Kuyt earned Liverpool a narrow 1-0 win over Sparta Prague on Thursday that took the five-time European champions into the Europa League last 16. Liverpool had enjoyed the lion's share of possession against the Czech side but, as in the first leg, they struggled to make their dominance count. Raul Meireles blazed…

24 February 2011 Tunisia have vowed to win the African Nations Championship final against Angola in Sudan Friday for the people who recently toppled dictator Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. "Our aim is to bring happiness and joy to the people who liberated Tunisia," coach Sami Trabelsi told reporters in Khartoum before the climax of the biennial tournament for home-based…

25 February 2011 Saturday is derby day as Plateau United battle JUTH FC in the frequently troubled northcentral city of Jos. A long drawn civil unrest in Jos has led to hundreds of deaths and injuries as well as huge loss of properties in the last couple of months that the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) was forced to move the…

24 February 2011 Kwesi Nyantakyi wants to help to give a new image to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after he was elected to serve on the Executive Committee of the continental governing body. The Ghana FA president defeated Anjorin Moucharafou of Benin in Khartoum on Wednesday to win a the West Africa B slot on the body. Other…

24 February 2011 A number of coaches at the 2011 African Nations Championship (CHAN) have come out in praise of the tournament that has been held in Sudan. With the final to be played on Friday between Tunisia and Angola, as well as the third-placed lay-off between Sudan and Algeria, the tournament will come to a close on what organisers…

23 February 2011 Carlo Ancelotti believes Chelsea's 2-0 win over FC Copenhagen proved his forwards are capable of firing the team to Champions League glory. After the misery of last weekend's FA Cup exit against Everton, Nicolas Anelka gave Blues boss Ancelotti some much-needed breathing space as his double-strike put Chelsea within touching distance of the Champions League quarter-finals. Defeat…

23 February 2011 The second leg fixtures of the UEFA Europa League Round of 32 have already gotten underway, with CSKA Moscow booking their place in the next round after a 1-1 draw (handing them a 2-1 aggregate win) against PAOK on Tuesday. Wednesday night sees just one fixture, with Porto looking to build on a 2-1 lead when they…