(Reuters (Eng) 09/12/17)
Olympic boxing’s governing body, AIBA, has banned African confederation head Kelani Bayor for three years for allegedly provoking the crowd at the continental championships in Brazzaville last June. Bayor is an AIBA vice-president and executive committee member as well as chairman of Togo’s national Olympic committee. “The Disciplinary Commission found that a hostile and threatening reaction to AIBA officials by spectators after the result of a bout on the last day of the competition was exacerbated by comments from Mr Bayor,” AIBA said in a statement on Monday. It found Bayor had “committed serious and unacceptable violations of the AIBA Disciplinary Code” at the tournament in Congo Republic. AIBA said the ban was from all...
(Reuters (Eng) 08/08/17)
Tuesday's action at the World Athletics Championships sees two of the most intriguing races of the program as South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk bids for the first half of his 400/200 meters double and Nigel Amos goes for gold in the men's 800m. World record holder and defending champion Van Niekerk should be unbeatable in the 400m but faces a stiff challenge, not least from Botswanan duo Isaac Makwala and Thebe Baboloki. Another Botswanan, Amos, will also have to be at his best in the 800m, where a clutch of athletes are suddenly dreaming of glory in the absence of Kenya's injured champion David Rudisha. Kenya is expected to continue its dominance of the men's 3,000m steeplechase - though American...
(APA 08/03/17)
The new president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Ahmad Ahmad is expected in the Burkinabe capital Ouagadougou on Thursday for a visit which will last until 6 August, the country’s football federation told APA on Wednesday. During the course of his trip, the new Malagasy boss of CAF will meet the authorities, the executive committee of the Burkina Faso Football Federation and the Mogho-Naaba or supreme leader of the Moose ethnic groups. The head of the African football...
(AFP (eng) 07/21/17)
The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations will expand from 16 to 24 teams and be staged in June and July, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Thursday. The tournament has traditionally been held in January and February, with the timing of the tournament a source of frustration to European clubs forced to release players in the middle of the season. The CAF executive committee confirmed the changes to the format following a two-day symposium in Rabat, although the...
(APA 06/27/17)
Burkinabe international forwarder Bertrand Traore, 21, has signed a 5-year contract with the French club Olympique Lyonnais, media sources disclosed on Monday. Recruited earlier by the English Premier League club Chelsea and later lent to the Dutch side Ajax of Amsterdam, Traore is believed to be signed by the French club to the tune of more than €19 million for 5 years excluding his bonuses. The talks between Chelsea FC and Olympique Lyonnais lasted nearly two months. Lyon chattered a...
(AFP (eng) 03/16/17)
Africa will host a Commonwealth Games one day despite the blow of Durban being stripped of hosting the 2022 edition, David Grevemberg, the chief executive of The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), told AFP. Durban lost the right to host the Games on Monday -- just 18 months after being awarded them -- when it failed to meet criteria laid down by the CGF, primarily over costs. "I wouldn't want to make a judgement call," Grevemberg told AFP on the sidelines...
(AFP (eng) 02/10/17)
Up to 18 players at the just-completed Africa Cup of Nations could be involved in the new-look CAF Champions League when it kicks off this weekend. Among them is Georges Bokwe, one of two unused goalkeepers in the Cameroon squad that defeated Egypt in the final last Sunday in Gabon. Bokwe was kept out of the starting line-up by the consistent brilliance of Spain-based Fabrice Ondoa, who was included in the team of the tournament. But Bokwe is the first...
(AFP (eng) 02/04/17)
Alain Traore scored with one minute left to give Burkina Faso a 1-0 win over Ghana Saturday and third place in the Africa Cup of Nations. The Turkey-based attacker thumped an angled free-kick over goalkeeper Richard Ofori and into the net in Gabonese coastal city Port-Gentil. It was the second highest finish in the biennial African football showcase for the Burkinabe Stallions, who finished runners-up four years ago. The Black Stars of Ghana have played in five third-place play-offs, losing four. Ghana could have been several goals ahead by half-time as they dominated possession only to be let down by poor finishing and bad luck.
(AFP (eng) 02/01/17)
Burkina Faso's Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte says Jose Mourinho is "like a father" to him and revealed he received a phone call from his illustrious compatriot ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals. Duarte's side take on record seven-time champions Egypt in the first semi-final in Libreville on Wednesday after beating Tunisia 2-0 in the last eight at the weekend. "He is like a father to me. He is someone who completely changed the mentality of Portuguese football," said...
(AFP (eng) 01/31/17)
With his giant frame and his instantly recognisable hairstyle, it is hard to miss Aristide Bance, the man who fired Burkina Faso into the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations. And yet it has been a case of blink and you might miss him when it comes to his club career, which has seen the 32-year-old turn out for sides in a dozen different countries. The player who came off the bench in Saturday's quarter-final in Libreville against Tunisia...
(AFP (eng) 01/23/17)
Burkina Faso and Cameroon secured progress to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday as hosts Gabon crashed out. Gabon were held to a 0-0 draw by Cameroon in Libreville, and their opponents went through to the last eight as runners-up in Group A. Burkina Faso won the group on goal difference after a 2-0 victory against Guinea-Bissau in Franceville. A Rudinilson Silva own goal and a Bertrand Traore effort gave 2013 runners-up Burkina Faso the win...
(AFP (eng) 01/19/17)
Cameroon closed in on the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations by beating Guinea-Bissau 2-1 on Wednesday while hosts Gabon were left still waiting for a win despite another goal from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Indomitable Lions came from behind to defeat Guinea-Bissau with Sebastien Siani and Michael Ngadeu netting after Piqueti's contender for goal of the tournament had given the debutants the lead. Cameroon now know a draw against Gabon in their final Group A game on Sunday will secure them a place in the last eight after a build-up to the finals marred by the refusal of several
(AFP (eng) 01/09/17)
Gabon witnessed one of the most sensational finishes to an Africa Cup of Nations tournament when no-hopers Zambia stunned the Ivory Coast to win the 2012 final. Zambia failed to qualify this time, but the Ivorians will be among the favourites again when the competition returns to the central African state with the first fixtures scheduled for Saturday. AFP Sport rates the chances of the 16 challengers for the $4 million (3.8 million euros) first prize (last three competitive results...
(AFP (eng) 01/06/17)
Burkina Faso coach Paulo Duarte on Friday named a 23-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon from January 14 to February 5. Defenders Ernest Congo and Issoumaila Lengani were cut from the initial 25-man team named on December 21. Burkina Faso -- drawn in Group A along with tournament hosts Gabon, Cameroon and Guinea-Bissau -- continue their preparation with a friendly against Mali on Saturday. Squad: Goalkeepers: Moussa Germain Sanou (Beauvais/FRA), Herve Koffi (ASEC Mimosas/CIV), Aboubacar Sawadogo...
(AfricaNews 12/05/16)
Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses failed to use home advantage and revenge in the final of the Women African Cup of Nations (AWCON 2016) losing by a goal to Nigeria’s Super Falcons. The Super Falcons thus successfully defended the title they won in 2014 by defeating Cameroon in Namibia. The hosts entered the final aiming to win their first title and avenge two previous defeats by Nigeria. But a late goal by Oparanozie Desire dashed hopes and sent disappointment through the teeming...
(AFP (eng) 11/10/16)
All CAF competitions will offer increased prize money from 2017, the Cairo-based African football body said Wednesday. The announcement came months after French oil-gas company Total signed an eight-year sponsorship deal with CAF reportedly worth more than one billion dollars (915 million euros). Winners of the biennial Africa Cup of Nations will receive $4 million, up from the $1.5 million pocketed by 2015 champions the Ivory Coast. CAF Champions League title-holders are going to collect $2.5 million -- $1 million...
(AFP (eng) 11/03/16)
African champions Mamelodi Sundowns won for the first time in the South African Premiership this season Wednesday and climbed off the bottom of the table. The Pretoria club triumphed 2-0 at Polokwane City thanks to goals from Percy Tau and Zimbabwean Khama Billiat, two stars of the 2016 CAF Champions League triumph. Sundowns became African champions for the first time 11 days ago by defeating Zamalek of Egypt 3-1 on aggregate in the final. But a domestic fixture backlog meant...
(AfricaNews 09/19/16)
The agreement on African games signed in Cairo over the weekend between the African Union and the Association of National Olympic committees of Africa will be implemented after validation by the Africa Union commission. The two parties are expected to mobilise renowned African athletes and the best teams to help raise their level of performance. Sources say the African Union will continue to manage the African games while the Union of African Sports Confederations will take care of its technical...
(AFP (eng) 07/22/16)
French petroleum giant Total signed an eight-year deal to become the new sponsor of African football and its showpiece event, the Africa Cup of Nations, on Thursday. The sponsorship of the tournament will start at its next edition in Gabon from Jan 14 to Feb 5, 2017. "This partnership is a major milestone in our ongoing search for additional resources to accelerate African football’s development, bring its governance up to date, upgrade its sports infrastructure and advance its performance globally,"...
(AFP (eng) 06/16/16)
Fortified by a diet of goat meat and millet beer, Idrissa and Eloi train hard all year long to help maintain Burkina Faso's colourful and age-old traditional wrestling. But the two 25-year-olds, both over 80 kilos (176 pounds) and boasting impressive physiques, believe that rigorous physical preparation is not enough to win tournaments: sorcery, mysticism and the power of their ancestors also play a part. "It is the only sport that has not been imported like football or karate," said...