Archived News - 7th November 2006

African Cup of Nations News

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Archived News

African Soccer Comes To The UK

African football stars will descend en mass on London in three exciting interantional fixtures later this month. Phone the numbers for ticket info.

Ghana v Australia; Loftus Road, Queens Park Rangers FC

Tuesday November 14th
Tel: 0208 740 2536

DR Congo v Albania; Leyton Orient FC

Wednesday November 15th
Tel: 0207 5611604

South Africa v Egypt; Griffin Park, Brentford FC

Wednesday November 15th
Tel: 0845 3456442

Africans Dazzle at Fifa Beach World Cup

Cameroon and Nigeria both impressed as Africa's first ever representatives to compete at a Fifa Beach World Cup, held this year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Both West African sides bowed out in the group stages, but continental beach soccer champions Cameroon secured an historic maiden victory over Uruguay whilst Nigeria took fellow South American heavyweights Argentina very close to a shock defeat before being edged out by the odd goal in nine in a creditable 5-4 defeat.

"We've only been playing beach soccer for two months and my hardest task has been to convince my players that they could actually win a match here in Rio," confided Cameroon coach Joseph-Antoine Bell. "I'm very happy for them because by giving their all, they made things very difficult for an excellent Uruguayan side. We came here to learn and we'll take home nothing but happy memories."

Cameroon secured the first ever African victory at the championships, which have been staged by Fifa annually for over a decade. Pascal Mbeyo took the plaudits at the Copocabana stadium after an inspired goalkeeping performance, with the Indomitable Lions winning on penalties after a 3-3 stalemate in regulation time.

Drogba Reaps Rewards For Flying Start

Didier Drogba, presently in the form of his life for English Premiership champions Chelsea, has been rewarded for his efforts this term with a lucrative new four year contract that will tie him to the Stamford Bridge club until he turns 32.

After a blistering start to the season that has seen the Ivory Coast captain score ten goals in fifteen games, Drogba has silenced the critics that felt he might be frozen out after Andriy Shevchenko's summer transfer from Italian giants AC Milan.

Chaos Continues In Kenyan Football Administration

The Kenyan government's decision to dissolve the KFF and replace it with a centrally appointed administration has plunged their relations with football's world governing body "deeper into crisis," according to top official Jerome Champagne. "The difference between Kenya and her neighbours is that Kenya does not respect its own rules and agreements signed with Fifa and other authorities," he told Reuters News Agency. "It flouts its own rules on promotion and relegation of clubs," he said in the interview.

Champagne was referring to a 28 point agreement the federation signed with KPL in the presence of Fifa and CAF officials giving KPL the mandate to run the league.

According to its statutes, Fifa does not deal with government appointed caretaker committees unless they have played a part in the formation of such committees as was the case with the Kipchoge Keino led Normalisation Committee in which Champagne played a role.

Sports minister Maina Kamanda appointed a former Bahari MP, Mr Mtana Lewa, to act as chairman of the new committee that will oversee the reorganisation and development of the game last week. "I am left with no alternative but to conclude that Kenyan football needs a fresh start in the management of its affairs," Mr. Kamanda said upon disbanding KFF.

Kenya's chances of securing passage to ANC Egypt '06 were all but ended last year when Fifa docked the Cesafa nation qualification points for attempting to set up two parallel, professional domestic leagues. "I have heard about what the government has decided. We will give our official position later, but as it is now, it is getting more complicated," Champagne warned.

Jay-Jay's Biggest Ever Pay Day?

Former Super Eagles skipper and NAS columnist Jay-Jay Okocha has entered the record books yet again after it emerged that he is the highest paid player currently plying his trade in the oil rich Qatar league.

Okocha is netting just shy of £2million for two years service at Qatari Sports Club, according to Lagos paper This Day.

The former Bolton Wanderers, Paris St Germain and Fenerbache star held the title of most expensive African export for eight years following his £8million transfer from Turkey to France, a record that was only taken away from him after Roman Abramovich splashed out £25million to bring Ivorian Didier Drogba to Chelsea in 2004.

Despite all the riches, Okocha has struggled to be inspired in the Middle Eastern league, which averages attendance of merely 1,000. The 33-year-old has twice been rumoured of making an international comeback since his retirement in January, but has been dogged by niggling injuries.

Please forward all press releases and feature ideas to Barney Cullum on barney@newafricansoccer.co.uk