See Ya Amr Zaki!

Amr Zaki's stint at English side Wigan looks to be over.

Wigan manager Steve Bruce has confirmed he will not be signing the Egyptian striker on a permanent basis.

Zaki joined Wigan in July 2008 on a year-long loan deal from home-country club Zamalek and was an instant hit, with eight goals in his first 10 games.

But the goals dried up. Zaki's been hit by injuries and the 26-year-old angered Bruce after returning late from international duty on four separate occasions.

"We will not be taking the option to sign him when his loan ends,"Bruce said.

Zaki missed Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Stoke City because of a knee problem and he will not be fit for the final game of the season at home to Portsmouth.

He has not scored from open play since mid-October and his last goal came on December 28. Zaki has been affected by injuries but the deterioration of his relationship with Bruce has cost him a permanent deal.

In early April he was fined for the fourth successive time after returning late from international duty, leading to Bruce saying Zaki was "the most unprofessional (player) I have worked with."

Zaki has played only three times since then and a knee injury sustained at West Brom on May 9th means he's almost certainly played his last game for Wigan.

Bruce also felt the player, who scored twice in a 3-2 defeat to Liverpool in October, allowed his head to be turned by links to Real Madrid, Chelsea and Liverpool after making an early impact on the Premier League.

"The writing has been on the wall for a while now but it's a shame, it really is," he added.

"There was no doubt Zaki had the world at his feet last October when he scored those two goals against Liverpool at Anfield. He had a wonderful chance over here but he was badly advised I think, he listened to the wrong people.

"If he had listened to the people he should have done - his adviser is a decent fellow - he would have been okay. It's a shame it's worked out this way, he set us on fire with those goals earlier in the season. But Zaki hasn't scored from open play since Liverpool. We've missed him in that respect but there you go."

Bruce also has other major decisions to make as Zaki's compatriot and fellow striker Mido is coming to the end of his loan spell from Middlesbrough.

MY POV: Looks like Zaki let the accolades get to his head. His form dipped after the Liverpool match. Do you think a big club like Madrid would fancy his services after his precipitous drop? Might mean Zaki makes his way back to Egypt. Too bad.

Steven Cohen and the Hillsborough Tragedy

While I was away, a friend told me about this story concerning football 'shock jock' Steven Cohen and his foolish comments regarding the Hillsborough tragedy.

I'm not a Liverpool fan. But I can certainly sympathize with their anger regarding his comments.

So what happened? Here's a detailed account of the story by the Los Angeles Daily News.

On April 15, 1989, 96 Liverpool fans died when one end of Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England, became overcrowded at the start of an FA Cup semifinal game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

A crush ensued as too many people were allowed to enter two sections of the stadium, and victims were pushed up against perimeter fencing that kept them from jumping to safety on the field.

An official inquiry was conducted in England and produced the Taylor Report, which blamed poor policing for the tragedy and recommended the removal of standing-only areas and perimeter fencing.

On the 20th anniversary of the event a few weeks ago, Cohen, host on the World Soccer Daily show on Sirius Satellite Radio said Liverpool's fans should "share responsibility" in the blame.

"When people go to games without tickets and liquored up and 96 tragically die, at some point the fans have to share responsibility. You can't just blame the police," Cohen said.

"I'm not saying they went with evil in their hearts to do it. Liverpool brought the same number of fans as the year before (to Hillsborough) even though they were at the smaller end of the stadium this time.

"I have expressed an opinion that there was a shared responsibility."

As the story details:

Unfortunately for Cohen, an American-based soccer Web site picked up the story and said he "solely" blamed Liverpool's fans for the tragedy. Since then, he's received hundreds of death threats, threats to kidnap his fiancee's children and threats to burn down his house.

"It's spread like a virus," he said.

Cohen estimates more than 3,500 e-mails were sent to his show regarding the controversy.

"I've seen the Taliban less defensive," Cohen said. "If this was being done in Afghanistan or Pakistan, we'd call these people terrorists. A lot of them are little cowards hiding behind their computers.

"(But) I feel my life and my livelihood is at stake."

Some e-mails compare Cohen's comments to blaming the victims in the World Trade Center for Sept. 11.

"You almost wonder what they are protesting so much?" Cohen said. "Why do they care so much about what some nebbish in California in a soccer wasteland thinks? This is terror tactics from one club's fans that are hypersensitive."

A boycott organized by Liverpool supporter clubs in the USA is doing some damage.

FourFourTwo, a respected soccer magazine based in England, pulled its advertising, along with Fado, a chain of 14 Irish pubs in the United States.

Liverpool fans want an apology. I can't blame them.

Cohen (pictured,above) is a known instigator. He comes across as combative on his radio show and is known for trying to stir the pot and cause controversy. He may have gone too far this time.

Here's the official statement from the Liverpool FC New York Supporter's Club:

On the 15th of April 1989, 96 Liverpool fans died at Hillsborough due to police incompetence and inaction. It has been criminally negligent homicide. To this day, not a single person has been held responsible for this atrocity.

The death of these 96 fellow supporters is as much part of the DNA of Liverpool Football Club as any one of the 18 League Championships or 5 European Cups. These 96 were our fellow fans. Over the years, the fight for justice for the 96 has been constantly waged without much success. Over the years also, some in the media have found reason to lie about what really happened, despite the publication of the official report, The Taylor Report. The S*n newspaper in particular comes to mind.

Unfortunately there are also those in the USA who are looking to further themselves and their careers on the back of the deaths of our fellow fans. Your fellow fans.

Steve Cohen, who appears on Fox Football Phone In and on World Soccer Daily on Sirius, is attempting to make a name for himself slandering all Liverpool fans and the 96 in particular. Some years ago he made baseless claims and retracted them after protests. His apologies were all qualified. This time out he was at it again, claiming that Liverpool fans killed their own by turning up ticketless, a lie refuted by The Taylor Report. In follow up complaints, Cohen responded by linking Hillsborough with Heysel, with murdering Liverpool fans as the common theme. As Liverpool fans we cannot allow this atrocity to stand.

If Steve Cohen wants to smear all of us Liverpool fans with these lies, then let us exact a price on him. We want him gone off the air. Gone from Fox, gone from Sirius, gone from the airwaves. The LFCNY and all the North American Supporters' Branches recommend that you email Steve Cohen's advertisers, letting them know that you will not be using any of their services as long as they financially support this person. Below are a list of those advertisers.

And if you think that campaigns like this never accomplish much, we already have had success with the magazine 442 and the sportswear company 365-inc. agreeing already, before any campaign has really begun, to pull their advertising for this odious person. We want to be seen as responsive, so we also encourage everyone to email 442 and 365-inc. to thank them for supporting this campaign.

Email to sponsors of Steve Cohen:

To whom it may concern,

You advertise on either or both of Steve Cohen's shows on Fox and Sirius. Steve Cohen has, and not for the first time, told lies about the deaths the 96 fans at Hillsborough, claiming that Liverpool fans were responsible for killing their own, amongst other lies. Is this the type of person you want representing your company? Steve Cohen has done this before, apologising when the outrage grew too large. Clearly, he will not stop, so our objective is to see him being put off air permanently.

I urge you to reconsider your purchasing of advertising.

I will be boycotting all your products and services until your support for Steve Cohen and his lies ends.

Thank you,

Jack The Lad
Gary Allen
sales@jackthelad.us and garyah63@msn.com

Press Display
Alex Kroogman
akroogman@newspaperdirect.com

PSG Sports
Nick Roberts
nickr@psgsports.com

Ruffneck Wear
Jeff McIntyre
jeff@ruffneckwear.com

Sporting Glory
Michael Coyle
michael.coyle@lawdit.co.uk

The Fix
Declan Hill
declanhill2002@yahoo.com

VIP Communications
customerservice@joinvip.com

Who Are Ya Designs
Moki Williams
moki@whoareyadesigns.com

Email thanking the sponsors supporting the campaign:

To whom it may concern,

I would like to congratulate and thank you on supporting the ongoing boycott of Steve Cohen for spreading lies about the 96 Liverpool fans who died at Hillsborough. It is wonderful to see such corporate responsibility these days.

Whenever I have the chance, I will buy and recommend your products and services as my way of showing support for your company.

Thank you,

World Soccer Daily Shop
Jeff Stephens
JStephens@365-inc.com

Four Four Two Magazine
Ollie Stretton
Ollie.Stretton@haymarket.com

Amr Zaki's in Trouble

Egyptian striker Amr Zaki was the revelation of the English Premier League a few months ago.

With 10 goals through October for club team Wigan Athletic, Zaki was the leading scorer in England and being hotly pursued by clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester United.

Now? He's in the dog house. And not likely to get out any time soon.

Wigan manager Steve Bruce is set to hold talks with Zaki about his future on Friday.

The on-loan striker, who flew back to England on Thursday, had been expected back at Wigan last Tuesday following international duty on March 29th.

"I find it very difficult to contemplate where his future is at the moment, bearing in mind how I feel on the situation," said an irate Bruce.

"It's probably the fifth time (it has happened) and that cannot be the case."

Zaki is on loan at Wigan from Egyptian side El Zamalek until the end of the season.

Speaking ahead of his side's Premier League game against Arsenal on Saturday, Bruce was still clearly angry when he spoke about Zaki's behavior.

"Whether he has a problem at home, or he is missing home, then we will have to wait and see what his view of the situation is," he said.

"But my job is to manage the team, the club, and if everybody took his stance then we would be in a sorry mess.

"To not show up and show a lack of respect is unacceptable and as I've said, it's not the first time. It has been a recurring thing. In my opinion it's totally shocking. If you have an employee who does what he wants to do, then of course you're going to be upset and disappointed.

"For me, it's been a ridiculous challenge, particularly when you consider it wasn't so long ago he was everybody's cup of tea and playing well."

The striker's agent, Nader Shawky, told BBC Sport he could "fully understand" Bruce's anger.

"Amr was wrong not to return to Wigan on time," he said. "Now he is keen to discuss everything with the manager and hopefully move on.

"We have to remember that without Zaki, Wigan wouldn't be in the position they are now. Similarly, without Wigan, Zaki wouldn't be as highly regarded as he is."

Shawky said Zaki was keen to continue playing in England next season and that "several" clubs had made inquiries about him.

MY POV: If you were a club like Chelsea or Man U, would you want this guy on your team?

He's a malcontent. He does what he wants, when he wants and doesn't seem to respect the team or his manager, according to his actions. Maybe there's more to this than meets the eye. If so, I'm sure we'll find out when Wigan manager Bruce does.

Still, talk about devaluing yourself. Zaki better shape up or he's not going to stick around for long. He may have set England ablaze his first few months, but defenses have figured him out. He hasn't scored in open play since October 18th.

Shape up, Mr. Zaki!

Carling tonic leaves Foster primed

Reality will hit home for Ben Foster on Wednesday when Manchester United travel to take on Newcastle at St James' Park in the Premier League.

The Old Trafford understudy took his big chance against Tottenham in the Carling Cup final at Wembley last Sunday and grabbed it with both hands in the absence of Edwin van der Sar.

The 25-year-old was making only his seventh senior appearance for the world club champions and managed to steal the headlines by keeping out Jamie O'Hara's spot-kick to secure the Premier League leaders their second major piece of silverware this season.

However, Foster will return to bench warming duties when Sir Alex Ferguson's side look to restore their seven-point advantage over nearest challengers Chelsea and Liverpool.

Even the notoriously unsentimental Scot admitted the decision to leave out Foster was harsh.

He said: "It is not easy and after watching Ben's performance on Sunday, it would seem a bit unfair."

Ferguson has a case-hardened history when it comes to unceremoniously dumping goalkeepers, so his later assertion that Foster's best years are ahead of him should not be ignored.

Dutch veteran van der Sar has only just signed a new one-year contract, so Foster may also have to prove he has the patience to cope with waiting for his opportunity to finally oust the 38-year-old.

Ironically, Foster may feel his best chance of firing a reminder to Ferguson will come with England.

England coach Fabio Capello witnessed first hand Foster's heroics against Tottenham, although David James has kept goal in England's opening four 2010 World Cup qualifiers - conceding just three goals - and appears to have made the position safe.

However, the Portsmouth number one will be approaching 40 when England hopefully board the plane for South Africa and is still prone to the odd rush of blood.

Foster could yet jump the queue and emerge as his natural successor, but he may just have to bide his time.

Nick Walsh writes features and betting previews for Betfair.

Arsenal Linked With Steven Appiah

Looks like Arsenal are the latest club to be linked with Ghana skipper Stephen Appiah, who is out of contract and available on a free transfer.

Appiah trained with Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur for almost a month, but coach Harry Redknapp has failed to sign him up.

The 28-year-old has had persistent knee injuries that have brought his club career to a halt, but he continues to feature for the national side and scored in the Black Stars’ 2-2 draw with Egypt in Cairo yesterday.

Appiah has previously played for Fenerbahce, Juventus, Parma and Udinese.

MY POV: Would be a nice pickup. His persistent injuries haven't helped his career but he's a good player and needs consistent play to achieve his former level. I love this move.

Mido Moves to Wigan

Remember Mido?

The temperamental Egyptian striker is set to join England's Wigan Athletic from England's Middlesbrough until the end of the season.

The 25-year-old will replace striker Emile Heskey, who looks to be on the verge of signing for Aston Villa. Mido will join fellow Egyptian Amr Zaki, who has been a revelation for the Latics this season, scoring 11 goals in all competitions.

Wigan manager Steve Bruce said: "Mido has played for some huge European clubs, where he gained Champions League and UEFA Cup experience."

Mido has scored four goals in 13 appearances for struggling Middlesbrough this season.

But with all the positives come negatives. He's known for being an extraordinary diva.

In 2004, Egypt coach Marco Tardelli dropped Mido from the squad after the striker claimed to be unavailable due to an injury. But he played in a friendly match for Roma 24 hours later. A day later, Mido rejected accusations that he refused to play for his country.

Ultimately, the Egyptian Football Federation announced that he would not play for the team again. However, Tardelli was sacked as Egypt coach and in January 2005 the Egyptian Football Association said they would consider bringing Mido back into the team if he were to apologize for his past behavior. Mido flew to Egypt, apologized and the following month he was recalled by the national team.

Oh, but that's not all ...

Mido was thrown out of the Egypt team during the 2006 African Cup of Nations because of an argument with coach Hassan Shehata in the semi-final game against Senegal, which started after Mido reacted badly to being substituted.

His replacement and now Wigan team mate Amr Zaki came on to score a header with his first touch, putting Egypt into the final.

A day later, Mido reconciled with Shehata, but was given a six-month suspension from the team. He was eventually recalled in time for 2008 African Cup of Nations qualifying.

Mido was included in the Egypt squad to play South Africa in London in November 2006, despite suffering from a knee injury at the time. He was however left out of the Egypt squad to play Mauritania in an African Cup qualifier in March 2007.

He was not part of the squad that won the 2008 African Cup of Nations in Ghana.

Talented? Yes. Moody? Very much so. Should be interesting to see how he fits in with Zaki at Wigan. You never know with the diva known as Mido ...

Diouf Chased by Blackburn, Wigan

Sunderland forward and Senegal internationl El Hadji Diouf has revealed that English premier league clubs Blackburn Rovers and Wigan Athletic are chasing him.

Remember when this guy was one of the most sought-after talents in football? Especially after the 2002 World Cup and Senegal's shock upset of '98 champions France?

My, how times have changed ...

Take a look at this excerpt from Diouf's Wikipedia page:

Liverpool bought Diouf from Lens for £10 million, prior to Senegal's impressive 2002 World Cup run. Then coach Gérard Houllier put his faith in Diouf and made the choice to sign him and not take up the option of permanently signing loan star Nicolas Anelka. Diouf was originally signed as a striker but ended up being utilised mainly on the right wing. Diouf scored just six goals in his first season including three in the Worthington Cup. Liverpool went on to defeat Manchester United 2-0 in the final at the Millennium Stadium that year, ensuring he got a medal.

In the 2003/04 season, he became the first Liverpool player to wear the number nine shirt to fail to score a goal in an entire season. He made 33 appearances and went over 14 months without a goal. Despite his impressive start to his Liverpool career where he scored a brace on his Anfield debut against Southampton F.C, he only managed 6 goals in 80 appearances, failing to live up to expectations. His spell at Liverpool was marred with controversy, most notably when he spat at a Celtic fan in a UEFA Cup tie. After a series of disciplinary problems Diouf was then off-loaded by new manager Rafael Benítez on a season's loan to Bolton Wanderers.

Yikes ... not the most impressive of records.

Nevertheless, he's gotten chances. He's been at Bolton, where did did quite well. And now he's at Sunderland, where first team chances have dried up after the departure of coach Roy Keane.

When he's played, he hasn't done much. He's goal-less in his last 13 outings and doesn't appear to feature in the long-term plans of current Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia.

Diouf believes he may be forced to leave during the January transfer window, and admits there would be no shortage of takers for his services.(Diouf's got quite the belief in himself, eh?)

Blackburn have already shown an interest, with Rovers manager Sam Allardyce having worked with Diouf during their days at Bolton, while ambitious Wigan are also keeping tabs on his availability.

"Sam Allardyce wants me to join him and Wigan's manager (Steve Bruce) has called me as well," said the 27-year-old forward.

"I am not allowed to make two transfers during the same season (oh ya?) but can leave if the clubs agree.

"I signed a four-year contract with Sunderland and don't want to leave on bad terms. I hope they will find a solution."

MY POV: Diouf's got talent but he can be a head case. That's why he's mired at the bottom rung of the Premier League and not with the upper echelon. Why would anyone want this guy on their team? He seems your typical self-obsessed superstar athlete ... unfortunately, he doesn't deliver like a superstar athlete.

He had a good run. But I'd stay far away from this spitting diva.

Arsenal's Eboue Aims to Please

You have to feel for Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboue.

The Ivorian right back has been mercilessly booed the past few weeks by Arsenal supporters for poor play. His confidence has obviously been shot, as evidenced by his demeanor after being substituted against Wigan a few weeks back.



Now, Eboue wants everyone to know he'll be back stronger than ever ...

"At the moment I am not at my best performances, but I try to give more and do my best when the boss puts me on the pitch. If I continue to work hard in training, then I am confident I can get to my best," the Ivory Coast international said.

He told Arsenal TV Online ahead of Sunday's home game against Liverpool: "I do not know why the fans did not back me, but that is football and you cannot do anything about it.

"They pay money to watch Arsenal to win. Then when we do not play well, not give our best performances on the pitch, they are very angry.

"I do not blame them, and I hope they will all come out to support us on Sunday, when we will try to do our best and try to win the game for them.

"I try to forget that now. I was disappointed, but I am happy now.

"After the game, my friends gave me a ring and helped me a lot. The next day in training, I saw the boss and he gave me confidence.

"Now I am feeling very well. I am going to try to give my best every time in training and to get confidence, then if I play in the next game, I will give my best."

Arsenal's traveling fans backed Eboue in the subsequent Champions League clash in Porto, which lifted the Ivory Coast international.

He added: "Before the Porto match, I said to myself I was going to do that for the fans because they know me, they know I can give more for the team.

"When we went there, I was very happy because the fans were singing my name - that made me really happy and gave me more power on the pitch."

MY POV: Poor Eboue! You have to feel for the lad, who'd been injured for a bit before the booing episode. I'm confident Emmanuel will lift his spirits in the coming weeks and be back stronger than ever.

But what's up with Arsenal's fans? Talk about giving the word 'supporter' a new definition ... not too much support for their player in that video eh?

Arsenal Pain: Adebayor Will Miss Time

Things aren't going so well for Arsenal these days.

While they've struggled in their last three matches, Arsenal are still in 4th place in the Premier League.

But now word that striker and Togolese star Emmanuel Adebayor will miss three weeks with an ankle injury suffered in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Stoke.

The 24-year-old sustained the injury after a tackle from Ryan Shawcross.

The Stoke defender's challenge drew a furious response from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger who accused the home side of overly aggressive tactics.

And Adebayor will now miss league games against Manchester United, Aston Villa, Manchester City and possibly Chelsea, who they play November 30.

Stoke City chairman Peter Coates strongly rejected Wenger's claims that his team played in a dirty manner.

"I'm sure that none of our players would deliberately go out to injure anyone," Coates said.

Fellow forward Theo Walcott was also injured in Saturday's defeat.

Adebayor has nine goals this season, five in the league, and is Arsenal's top scorer.

Get well soon, Emmanuel. The soccer world is poorer without you!

Best Current African Player?

So who is the best African footballer right now?

The debate rages ...

Over on MTN African Football, one of the premier African football news sites and sponsor of both the African Cup of Nations and African Champions League, there's a vote updated daily tracking the Top 20 African players in world football.

So who is #1 right now?

That would be Egyptian striker Amr Zaki, currently on loan from Egyptian squad El Zamalek with English Premier League side Wigan.

The guy's on fire, having scored 7 goals in just 9 games with the Latics. Not bad ...

People are raving about the 25-year old international.

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan compared him to a certain former English international:

When you look at this lad and his build, he is the same height, weight, everything about him, he is like Alan Shearer. He has the same confidence when he gets the ball, he knows where the goal is, he doesn't need to look up, he has this instinct. Strikers like that have an instinct as to where the goal is. You can't describe it, you can't give it to anybody.

That's a very nice compliment!

Numbers 2-5 are Didier Drogba, Egyptian Mohamed Zidan, Samuel Eto'o and Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor.

No surprises there.

The Toure brothers, Yaya and Kolo, come in at #5 and #6 with the injured Michael Essien at #8 and Sevilla scorer Frederic Kanoute at #10 ...

So? What do you think? Who is the best right now???

Premier League Destroying African Football?

Cause and effect. It's something we learned about as young kids.

Now, we get to see cause and effect in motion in the world of professional football.

The cause: The rise of African football, coupled with the advent and wide use of satellite teleivion.

The effect? The crippling of the African game.

What causes one to be so successful is also it's eventual downfall.

This report by Andrew Walker of the BBC draws light on the strange conundrum of African soccer.

Matches between English Premier League sides are widely watched across Nigeria.
But as the popularity of the English game goes up, the domestic game slips.

As an executive for a local club says, "Whenever we play at the same time as an Arsenal game, nobody shows up."

In a country of 140 million people, where crowds will stop and watch amateurs playing in the park, professional league games struggle to get more than 20,000 paying fans to come on match days.

What can be done?

Please read the entire article by the BBC here. Here's a small preview.

Tony Collins is from Anambra State in south-eastern Nigeria - and he supports Manchester United. "I like Man Utd because they're winners. Actually I like any club that wins in Europe. Nigerians like winners, we're simple people. Nigerian clubs? Can you really compare? They're rubbish, I don't waste my time with that."

Only one or two teams have the following to sell out their home grounds, says Ismaila Lere, sports editor at the Daily Trust newspaper.

"When you look at the stadiums you'll find that the stands are virtually empty, while the bars and the joints that have satellite TV are full. People will pay to watch the Premier League on TV but not to watch Nigerian football live," he says.

The trouble started back in the early 1990s, he says.

Economic reforms meant many teams went bust and were not able to pay their players.

Those players started looking towards Europe for employment.

Initially, they went to Italy and Germany.
Most Nigerians first got wind of the Premier League when Celestine Babayaro joined Chelsea in 1997.

"In the 1980s, I was the only person in my area who was watching English football," Mr Lere says. Now Nigerians are, like most of the world, obsessed with the English Premier League.

But in Nigeria the obsession is now going too far - after the Champions League final in May, seven people in Nigeria died in clashes between Manchester United and Chelsea fans.

USA World Cup 2018?

As the soccer community prepares for a USA-England friendly today at Wembley Stadium, word comes out that the United States may be prepared to bid for the 2018 World Cup finals.

England travel to Trinidad tomorrow before Sunday's friendly. The primary motivation behind the trip is to get on FIFA vice-president Jack Warner's good side and back the FA's (England's Football Association) World Cup bid.

Warner is also president of the North, Central American and Caribbean Confederation (CONCACAF). Warner has long indicated that he would prefer to see the tournament held in his region, and confirmation that the US is preparing its own bid to host the finals appears to damage the FA's prospects.

"We will be making a decision in the next two or three months, but we are looking very seriously at (making a bid)," said US Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati yesterday.

"I can't think of any reasons why we wouldn't bid for the tournament. We've done this before (1994) and been successful at doing it before. The bid process has become very competitive and whether playing a game in Trinidad has anything to do with that I am not sure. But I think the FA are more sophisticated than to think they are going to get Jack Warner's vote on the back of playing one game. There aren't any CONCACAF bidders at this point, and Mr Warner is the president of CONCACAF."

Only last year Warner described England as "an irritant" in an interview conducted with the BBC's World Service and said he'd "fight" moves to bring the competition to England for the first time since 1966. "Nobody in Europe likes England," he said.

He was more conciliatory in interviews earlier this year, but his long-standing belief that the 2018 tournament should be held in the CONCACAF region would suggest he will side with any bid mounted by the US.

While Major League Soccer (MLS) is just coming to prominence, the United States clearly boasts the infrastructure to host the finals with Gulati confident all rival bids from Europe can be deflected. "Clearly England will have a very strong bid, Spain and Germany would be formidable candidates," he said. "But we are going to focus on the quality in the US. There is no country in the world in a better position in terms of stadium facilities and size than us.

"We have got 50 stadia of 70,000 capacities capable of hosting the World Cup. We could have hosted the competition in 1998 in stadiums that didn't even exist in 1994, and the same goes for 2002 and not use any stadiums that existed in 1998.

"We are determined to finish what we started in 1994. We are the most diversified nation in the world. If Nigeria and Ghana played each other, it would sell out. If Australia played Costa Rica, it would sell out. When we staged a third-place play off between Sweden and Bulgaria in 1994 there were 85,000 people there. My point is that it is not a question of fearing any country. We think we'd have a great bid, great structure and a great landscape."

Gulati also hinted at the intriguing possibility that the Community Shield, the traditional curtain-raiser to the new Premier League season, could be held in the US in the future. Such a plan would reopen the furious debate over the Premier League's controversial scheme to play a 39th league match abroad, though it remains a possibility attractive to the American game.

"We hosted the Italian equivalent of the Community Shield in the mid-1990s," added Gulati. "It would be very different to holding a Premier League game, but we would consider it and be open to the idea."

MY POV: Interesting comments by Gulati. Looks like the USA is very adamant that they (we?) have the infrastructure, the manpower and the money to host the '18 tournament.

As an American, I'd love to see the World Cup in my backyard. Certainly, Gulati is spot on when it comes to comments regarding the stadia and the fact about our diversity.

Speaking of the Community Shield, it was announced today that the Italian Supercoppa between Roma and Inter Milan will be played at Giants Stadium this August. The game was played at Giants Stadium in 2003.

Still, one must think England will be strong competitors for the finals. What do you think? Who would you like to see hosting the 2018 finals?

The Craig Bellamy Foundation

West Ham and Wales striker Craig Bellamy has had an interesting career.
From spats with teammates to public wrangling with coaches and trainers, Bellamy has never been far from the spotlight.

It's with interest I saw the story of Bellamy planning to build a football academy in Sierra Leone to try to help develop the country's young talent.

There's a dose of skepticism, of course. What are his intentions?

But at the core of it, it's a very touching, heartwarming move.

Bellamy visited the war-torn country last year and was so impressed by the local playing talent that he vowed to help them improve facilities.

He has now set up the Craig Bellamy Foundation, which will start to build an academy in the capital Freetown.

"Because of the war, children haven't had any opportunity," he said.

"They haven't been thrown a football, they've been thrown a gun. Now we can give them a chance that their fathers or grandfathers never had. That's the buzz for me. I'm not looking to find and sell players. I'm not an agent. I want to make it clear that if any player does make it, any fee goes straight back into the academy."

Bellamy has reportedly invested nearly £650,000 (about $1,269,000) of his own money into the foundation and the academy is set to include 14 new leagues and 68 new boys' teams and employ 141 managers and coaches.

While improving the country's football is Bellamy's primary motivation, he also hopes the foundation will lead to more youngsters receiving health awareness education.

MY POV: This sounds like a riveting, exciting project. It's nice to see a footballer using his money for good instead of instant gratification. Many think Bellamy is a bit of a malcontent based on his history. But whomever he may be, he should be applauded for trying to help.

Adebayor - Next Year is Our Year ... Or Maybe This Year??

Arsenal and Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor is many things - fashion icon, man of many hairstyles, lanky goal scorer.

He's also a sage who can see into the future.

Adebayor insists Arsenal will not finish empty-handed next season.

Arsene Wenger's troops have given themselves a mathematical, if highly improbable, chance of overtaking Manchester United and Chelsea following their 6-2 mauling of bottom-club Derby on Monday night.
MY POV: Highly doubtful ...

However, with just two games left, Arsenal face a four-point deficit and also an inferior goal-difference to leaders United.

For most of the season, it was the Gunners who set the pace, before their challenge fell apart following four straight draws and then defeat at Stamford Bridge, while also crashing out of the Champions League to Liverpool.

Adebayor came off the bench at Pride Park to net a second-half hat-trick - having also chalked up 3 goals against the outclassed Rams earlier in the campaign - which took his overall tally to 30.

While the 24-year-old accepts it would now take "something amazing" to see the Gunners come back to win the title at this late stage, the Arsenal striker maintains it will be a different story in 12 months' time.

"I am praying for a miracle now, but miracles do happen," Adebayor said.
MY POV: Not this season, my friend.

"We have put pressure on the top two and it is not too late for something amazing to happen.
Obviously we have to hope that Chelsea and United make mistakes at the weekend - but I can promise we will not make any."

Adebayor added: "We showed with our win we have character because it might have been easy just to look at the table and give up on trying to be champions - but that is not who we are. What was also important is that we sent out a message to our rivals that despite all the disappointments we have had in the past couple of months we are sticking together and showing that we are getting better and better.

"This season we may end up with nothing - but it will not look the same this time next year."

MY POV: Adebayor shows a maturity way above his years on the pitch. His grace and balance have helped Arsenal plenty of times during the season.
For his sake, I hope his promise comes true. I'd love to see the Gunners mount a late challenge and pip the two giants Manchester United and Chelsea (who could be meeting in Moscow May 21st in the Champions League final) to the Premier League title ...
If not, look out for Adebayor's Gunners next season ...

Kevin Keegan Talks About African Players

The legendary Kevin Keegan, former Liverpool star and current manager of Premier League side Newcastle United, has hailed the impact of his side's African players, saying they are 'vital' for the future.

It's nice to see African players making an impact.

"I'm lucky, most of my African players have experience of big leagues; they're very important to us," Keegan told the BBC last week.

The Newcastle side have struggled since Keegan took over a few months back. But things are starting to change. Nigeria's Obafemi Martins and Geremi of Cameroon have played key roles in Newcastle's recent turnaround in form.

Both scored in the Magpies recent 4-1 away win against Tottenham Hotspur.

"They are all very experienced. Obafemi Martins has played in Italy (Inter Milan), Habib Beye in France (Strasbourg and Marseille), and Abdoulaye Faye (Bolton Wanderers) and Geremi (Chelsea and Middlesbrough) have played in the Premier League for a long time," Keegan added.

"They're all great trainers and very professional - and that's something you don't always get with young players from elsewhere."

DR Congo's Kazenga LuaLua, brother of Lomana, has broken through the youth ranks this season and with the recent signing of Senegal's Lamine Diatta, Keegan now has six players from Africa at his disposal. (My POV: Keegan's side will rival Chelsea's soon. Jose Mourinho was synonymous with drafting Africans into his side, players like Didier Drogba and Jon Obi Mikel.)

Keegan continued fawning over Africa, saying the African profile in world football has heightened since his last time in charge.

"Africa is a place you can't ignore now because there are so many talented players there. You just have to look at the Premier League which is just littered with players from the continent. There's evidence of players who have come to England and performed very, very well."

Super Eagles' striker Obafemi Martins thinks Keegan has been like a 'breath of fresh air' to the side.

"Things weren't going right with Sam Allardyce so the owner decided to do something about it.
Our training now is sharper and we look to attack more when we have the ball, so that's been good for me. It's good to have Kevin Keegan here."

Former Real Madrid and Chelsea star Geremi was signed by former manager Allardyce and made club captain. But despite his recent demotion the Cameroonian has relished the opportunity to prove himself to Keegan.

"It is always difficult because every manager has their own mind. I respect that and the fact that it took some time for him to get to know the squad. But now he knows us all better and we hope we are going to do a lot of good things together," Geremi said.

After a stuttering start to his reign, Keegan is now targeting a top 10 finish for the Magpies.

If he achieves his aim, Newcastle's African contingent will surely have played a big part in that success.
(My POV: It's great to see another Premier League side relishing the contributions of their African contingent. In time, many more will feel the same. This is only the tip of the iceberg ... Africa is indeed the 'wave of the future.')

Cup of Nations Leave English Cupboards Bare

The exodus of players from English Premier League clubs to the African Cup of Nations in Ghana has been widely reported.

This, a great article in yesterday's Guardian Unlimited about the potential ramifications of the player exodus.

Teams suffer in many ways. They lose their stars and fragile teams fighting to stave off relegation could see their hopes dashed. We'll see what happens. Have a read at the article here or at the above link. It's well worth it, as are the reader comments below the article.

It brings up some interesting debates.

For one, there's the foreign player investment issue by English clubs. It's a hot debate now that the English national squad is struggling so, especially in light of their elimination from the lucrative Euro 2008 tournament this summer. Fans have long said the domestic game suffers because of the heavy spending in foreign markets. And let's not forget how some of the biggest clubs in England are owned by foreigners, specifically Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City.

Then there's European centrism. Europe is where the money's at in football. And European clubs are seen as the glamour teams in the sport. The Champions League rakes in substantial overseas profits and players from all over the world flock the European shores to play with the best. But when is enough enough? Should Europe and its governing body UEFA also dictate when international competitions are scheduled? Should they hold sway over the plethora of foreign players plying their trade on European shores?

Interesting debates.

Have a go at the article and let me know what you think!

The Premier League's dressing rooms became quieter places this week after almost 40 players left their clubs for Ghana and the African Cup of Nations, a tournament that ignites national pride but also sparks despair in managers who find themselves short of players. David Moyes and Sam Allardyce have led the now common calls for the competition, which kicks off on January 20, to be moved to the summer. Their protests are not surprising: between them, Everton and Newcastle will lose seven players this month.

The Nigerian Football Association gave Yakubu Ayegbeni permission to play in Everton's Carling Cup semi-final tie at Chelsea but there was no such dispensation for Steven Pienaar who was told by South Africa to ignore his club manager's demands and join up with the squad immediately. Moyes's desire to keep players for as long as possible is born out of past experiences; he knows the effect a new year exodus can have.

In January 2004, he lost Joseph Yobo to the African Cup of Nations in Tunisia. The Nigerian was a regular in Everton's defence and without him the side lost four league games, including a 4-3 reverse to Manchester United and a 3-0 loss to Birmingham. Everton had only conceded three or more goals in three of their 29 previous matches that season, without Yobo, they did it twice in five days.

Yobo's return stabilised a side that was close to being relegated, they lost just once in their next nine games, kept three clean sheets and managed to stay in the division by just six points. Had the African Cup of Nations been longer, or Nigeria progressed further than the semi-finals, Everton could now be in the Championship.

Allardyce's despair is also based on past experiences. As the manager of Bolton, he lost four players to the 2006 tournament, held in Egypt, including El Hadji Diouf. The Senegal forward's departure coincided with the club's Uefa Cup tie at home to Marseille. They drew 0-0 before losing the second leg 2-1, a result that ended their first European campaign. Diouf also aggravated a hernia in Egypt, which meant he could not play again until late April. Bolton failed to qualify for Europe that season by seven points.

Diouf could have been an important source of goals then and could be even more so now should the club, as expected, sell Nicolas Anelka to Chelsea. But Diouf will be on international duty again and Senegal's gain could prove to be Bolton's ruin. They are only three points off the relegation zone and the loss of two regular strikers this month could see them slide into the bottom three.

"The African Cup of Nations is never going to move. It makes life difficult for Premier League clubs because more teams are taking more players from Africa," Allardyce said last week. "I don't think Fifa will contemplate shifting the tournament because it is such a big thing for the African boys and it's when they want it."

The African Cup of Nations, being held for the 26th time this year, is held in January through necessity. Most grounds in the continent do not have floodlights meaning matches have to be played during the day, impossible during the searing heat of June and July across much of the continent.

There is an obvious retort to managers who complain about scheduling: stop buying African players. According to a Uefa survey, 204 African players were playing in Europe in 2006, 24 in England. That figure surged to 40 last year and the success of the likes of Didier Drogba at Chelsea and Kolo Touré at Arsenal will only see more arrive. As Joe Jordan, Ports- mouth's assistant manager, said as his club lost four players to this year's Cup of Nations, "We're signing players from Africa because of their ability and that outweighs the handicap of losing them for a few weeks."

The African Cup of Nations' effect on the Premier League title race has been negligible and this is perhaps why Arsène Wenger remains calm despite Arsenal regularly seeing a January exodus.

The Gunners lost two players, Nwankwo Kanu and Lauren, in 2002 yet still won the championship, beating Liverpool, who lost no one, into second place. Arsenal's invincibles then stormed to the title in 2004 despite losing Kanu again. Touré and Emmanuel Eboué missed matches at the start of 2006 but so did Drogba and Chelsea still won their second consecutive title.

"I consider the players who go away to be injured," Wenger said. "The day they return, they are no longer injured and I put them back in my team."

The price of going

Rigobert Song's departure to the African Cup of Nations in 2000, which was co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, was the start of the end of his Liverpool career. The Cameroon captain competed with Sami Hyypia for a place in the centre of defence before the tournament but played only four more times in the league that season after he returned. He lost his place to Stéphane Henchoz, who went on to form a formidable partnership with Hyypia over the next few seasons.

Frédéric Kanouté's participation in the 2004 African Cup of Nations gave Jermain Defoe the chance to establish himself in the Tottenham side. Defoe scored four goals in three games while Kanouté was away and Kanouté lost his place as a regular and joined Sevilla in May 2005, still angry that Spurs had tried to stop him competing in the tournament. The former France Under-21 international had registered with Mali just beforehand, which went down badly with club officials.

Ghana bound

Arsenal

Kolo Touré and Emmanuel Eboué (Ivory Coast),

Alexandre Song (Cameroon)

Birmingham

Richard Kingson (Ghana), Mehdi Nafti and Radhi Jaidi (Tunisia)

Blackburn

Aaron Mokoena (South Africa)

Bolton

El Hadji Diouf (Senegal), Abdoulaye Méïté (Ivory Coast)

Chelsea

Mikel John Obi (Nigeria), Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast), Michael Essien (Ghana)

Everton

Joseph Yobo and Yakubu Ayegbeni (Nigeria), Steven Pienaar (South Africa)

Liverpool

Nabil El Zhar (Morocco), Mohamed Sissoko (Mali)

Middlesbrough

Mohamed Shawky (Egypt)

Newcastle

Obafemi Martins (Nigeria), Geremi (Cameroon), Abdoulaye Faye and Habib Beye (Senegal)

Portsmouth

Pape Bouba Diop (Senegal), Nwankwo Kanu and John Utaka (Nigeria), Sulley Muntari (Ghana)

Reading

André Bikey (Cameroon), Emerse Faé (Ivory Coast), Ibrahima Sonko (Senegal)

Sunderland

Dickson Etuhu (Nigeria)

Tottenham

Didier Zokora (Ivory Coast)

West Ham

John Pantsil (Ghana), Henri Camara (Senegal)

Wigan

Salomon Olembe (Cameroon), Julius Aghahowa (Nigeria)

Defender Gallas Thinks Arsenal Will Survive Cup of Nations

England's Arsenal FC have torn up the English Premier League table this season, leading Manchester United by two points at post time. Many expected the 'Gunners' to fall back to the pack this season, with star striker Thierry Henry making a big money move to Spain's FC Barcelona.

Instead, the young squad have pulled together and surprised many pundits with their cohesion and exciting play.

With the 2008 African Cup of Nations a mere 17 days away, many English clubs are feeling the pain of their African players leaving to represent their countries, least of all Arsenal, who have lost 3 main components.

Still, Arsenal captain William Gallas maintains his squad have enough strength in depth to cover the loss of Kolo Toure and others during the Cup of Nations and sees no reason why the club have to spend big during the transfer window.

The Gunners consolidated their lead at the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 win over West Ham at the Emirates Stadium on New Year's Day.

It was the last league match before centre-back Toure, winger Emmanuel Eboue and utility man Alex Song head off to Ghana next week with their respective nations for what could be more than a month away.

"I don't really expect us to sign anyone. I think everything is fine," the Arsenal captain said.

"Perhaps if one player does leave then we have to buy, but if that is not the case then I think everything is okay as we are."

Gallas added: "Kolo is very important for the squad because he is very strong. He has good qualities and my relationship with him has been very good.

"But we have good players in the squad and someone else will be able to play.

"If you play for Arsenal you are very good and I hope my relationship with them will be good too.

"We will miss Kolo, but I can only say how much after a few weeks."

More Hit Out at African Cup of Nations Scheduling

The chorus of people against the African Cup of Nations schedule continues to grow.

Today, a significant article in the BBC about the wave of African players leaving English shores for the Cup come mid-January.

Portsmouth assistant manager Joe Jordan made it clear what he wants.

"I don't know all the arguments behind staging it at that time, but from our point of view a switch to a summer date would suit us," Jordan told BBC Sport.

"It would benefit a lot of clubs with African players and give the players and coaches more time to prepare."

The Cup is traditionally staged in the first two months of the year because of the continent's unpredictable weather conditions in the summer months.

The rainy season hits western and central Africa in June and July, while the weather in South Africa, which will be hosting the 2010 World Cup in those two months, is usually cool.

Former Chelsea striker and BBC Sport's Gavin Peacock has little sympathy for those clubs affected by the loss of African players for the 2008 tournament, which will be staged in Ghana from January 20 to February 10.

"They know when they sign African players every two years a large proportion of them will be missing," Peacock told BBC Sport. "I'm sure if it could have been switched, they'd have done it by now. The tournament needs to benefit African football, not European football and if that means it's played in January and February then it needs to be played then."

Good statement. To read the full article, please click the link above.
Below, a list of African players in England about to leave for the Cup in Ghana. Extensive list.

ARSENAL
Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue (Ivory Coast), Alexandre Song (Cameroon)

BIRMINGHAM
Richard Kingson (Ghana), Mehdi Nafti and Radhi Jaidi (Tunisia)

BLACKBURN
Aaron Mokoena (South Africa)

BOLTON
El-Hadji Diouf (Senegal), Abdoulaye Meite (Ivory Coast)

CHELSEA
John Obi Mikel (Nigeria), Didier Drogba and Saloman Kalou (Ivory Coast), Michael Essien (Ghana)

EVERTON
Joseph Yobo and Ayegbeni Yakubu (Nigeria), Steven Pienaar (South Africa)

LIVERPOOL
Nabil El-Zhar (Morocco), Muhammed Sissoko (Mali)

MIDDLESBROUGH
Mohamed Shawky and Mido (Egypt)

NEWCASTLE
Obafemi Martins (Nigeria), Geremi (Cameroon), Abdoulaye Faye and Habib Beye (Senegal)

PORTSMOUTH
Papa Bouba Diop (Senegal), Nwankwo Kanu and John Utaka (Nigeria), Sulley Muntari (Ghana), Lauren (Cameroon)

READING
Andre Bikey (Cameroon), Emerse Fae (Ivory Coast), Ibrahima Sonko (Senegal)

SUNDERLAND
Dickson Etuhu (Nigeria)

TOTTENHAM
Hossam Ghaly (Egypt), Didier Zokora (Ivory Coast)

WEST HAM UNITED
John Pantsil (Ghana), Henri Camara (Senegal)

WIGAN
Salomon Olembe (Cameroon), Julius Aghahowa (Nigeria)

Nigeria Cup of Nations Plan to Affect English Clubs

English Premier League clubs will not be too happy with Nigeria's plans ahead of January's African Cup of Nations.

Nigeria plans to call up their players a full two weeks before the African Cup of Nations begins in January. This will affect several English Premier League clubs.

Those set to lose their African stars for up to six weeks include Newcastle United, Portsmouth, Chelsea, Manchester City, Sunderland, Everton and Wigan Athletic.

Nigeria's team manager, Berti Vogts, announced his plans and made it clear that attending the training camp will not be optional for players, but mandatory.

Former Scotland boss Vogts, a World Cup winner as a player with (West) Germany, told the Liverpool Echo: "That is the way that things have to be and there will be no exceptions.

"There will be a two-week training camp and all the players will be there.

"They will not be allowed to arrive later."

The Premiership players likely to be called up for the Nigeria squad are: Joseph Yobo, Victor Anichebe and Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Everton), Kelvin Etuhu (Manchester City), Dickson Etuhu (Sunderland), Nwankwo Kanu and John Utaka (Portsmouth), Obafemi Martins and Celestine Babayaro (Newcastle United) and Julius Aghahowa (Wigan Athletic).

The Cup of Nations is a great boon to Africa. But it affects all the major football leagues. When will the governing body of African football see fit to move the Cup to a more appropriate month? Will there come a time when clubs don't allow players to suit up for their countries? It's a very interesting club vs. country debate that isn't going away any time soon.

Adebayor Speaks

Emmanuel Adebayor has quickly filled the shoes of the departed French international Thierry Henry at Arsenal.

The Togolese striker has scored five goals in his last two games and is maturing at a rapid rate. He's one of Africa's brightest young talents and may feature at next year's African Cup of Nations, if his differences with the Togolese football federation can be resolved.

Here, an interview conducted by ESPN's Soccernet.com website and writer Bruno Salla. To read the original piece, please click here!

Q. Arsenal have been the target of many critics during the off season but now lead the Premier League with 16 points. Is this revenge for the team?

A. No it's not. We are just very happy. At the start of the season, people wouldn't give us a chance to finish ahead of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea. We accepted it, but we really wanted to show those people that they were wrong.

We have a very talented team, that plays attractive football and which can win a trophy this season. Predictions don't interest me much, in May we will see who will be Champions.

Q. One of the main differences with last season is that Arsenal are competitive at home, impressive I should even say. What has changed?

A. The confidence. It is getting better and better each day, as last season we were struggling on the pitch due a lack of confidence. We started the championship with two or three draws and it affected us. We didn't know what to do, we were not playing intelligently. So far this season, the team is playing without pressure, just focusing on its football and with confidence. It is a good thing for the players and the coach. We are happy all together; we always try to go forward on the pitch with the desire to win.

Q. Does this make Arsenal a serious contender for the title this season?

A. It is too early to say that. The road is still very long. We just want to keep on improving and going one step further each game. We are playing very well currently and we learn a lot. Everybody has seen how mature we have been so far and now each player knows how to play for 90 minutes. Even when we are behind, we don't panic. We have to keep this dynamic. We control the ball, that makes everything easier and makes it more difficult for our opponents.

Q. When Thierry Henry left, it's fair to say some of the players and fans were expecting the worst. Were you also worried?

A. When Thierry left, I guess many players, like me, had doubts. Thierry was very important for the team and the club. He was carrying all the pressure on his shoulders when the team wasn't playing well, although he wasn't responsible for it he was the one that was criticised. And he was OK with that. He didn't complain. This season, there is no star in the changing room, if there's something wrong the whole team is criticised and not only one man. We are all in the same boat.

Q. Did you fear that Arsène Wenger would not extend his contract?

A. Yes. If he also left, then we would have been knocked out, like a hammer to the head. He stayed and that is great news, a relief. He is doing an excellent job.

Q. When talking about Henry's successor, people pointed out Robin Van Persie and Eduardo but not yourself. Did that upset you?

A. It's just part of a footballer's life I guess. You have to give the people the freedom to judge. And for most of them, it is still Robin or Eduardo, there's nothing I can say about that. I can only play well and we will see the outcome at the end of the season. Then we will see who has replaced Thierry. It is useless to say 'It's me' or 'It's him'. The squad is young; we are willing to win trophies together and not to think about who is going to be the new Thierry.

I don't ask myself too many questions, I'm focussed on the pleasure I can get from playing on the field. Against Tottenham, for example, I scored a beautiful goal and I was very happy afterwards. But gaining the three points for the team was the most important thing and we also achieved that.

Q. Are you back in your best shape after the injury troubles you have been through over the summer?

A. I was feeling really well physically and mentally before my injury in Austria. That was really hard to accept and to live with at the start. It really affected me. I knew I would miss the first two or thee games of the season and there's nothing more important than the summer's preparation. But now I'm back and I'm playing. I can't play three games a week yet as I'm not at 100% - perhaps only 80% I'd say. It will take some time but I will get there.

Q. Since the World Cup in Germany, you have been refusing to play with the Togolese team. What's going on and will you change your mind?

A. There were many controversies surrounding the bonus issue. The problems are still there and though we are trying to solve it will take time. When you are African you have to learn to handle these things (laugh). We have a very important game at home against Mali in October and we have to concentrate on winning to qualify for the African Nations Cup.