Connect with us

Africa

African players in Europe: Champion Mane sets up Liverpool winner

Published

on

Sadio Mane followed up helping Senegal win the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time by creating the goal that gave Liverpool a 1-0 Premier League win over Burnley at the weekend.

His header off a corner dropped into the path of Brazilian Fabinho, who scored at the second attempt after his initial shot was blocked.

Mane and Mohamed Salah led the Reds’ attack after being on opposite sides in the Cup of Nations final in Cameroon last Sunday when Senegal defeated Egypt on penalties.

Here, AFP Sport highlights Africans who starred in the major European leagues.

ENGLAND

MOHAMED SALAH, SADIO MANE (Liverpool)

Mane and Salah were kept quiet as the Reds struggled in the fierce winds at Turf Moor, but Mane did have a hand in the only goal as second-placed Liverpool maintained their title challenge, nine points behind Manchester City with a game in hand.

SPAIN

CARLOS AKAPO (Cadiz)

After playing every minute as Equatorial Guinea reached the last eight at the Cup of Nations, the defender started his first match for relegation-haunted Cadiz at home to Celta Vigo and helped the home team keep a clean sheet and secure a point in a goalless draw.

PIERRE EMERICK AUBAMEYANG (Barcelona)

The Gabon striker followed a 29-minute debut in the win against Atletico Madrid the previous week by coming on with 28 minutes to go and the scores level at Espanyol. Barcelona immediately fell behind, but in added time, as Luuk de Jong made a goal scoring-leap at the near post, Auba was distracting defenders and the goalkeeper at the far post.

ITALY

KALIDOU KOULIBALY (Napoli)

Napoli’s défensive rock started his first Serie A match since early December and showed why fans want him to become captain once Lorenzo Insigne leaves for Toronto in mid year. He was an imposing presence and, despite the 1-1 draw with Inter Milan, is keen to push Napoli’s dream of the title as his team sit just two points behind new leaders AC Milan.

GERMANY

CHRISTOPHER ANTWI-ADJEI (VfL Bochum)

The Ghana striker scored his side’s first goal in a stunning 4-2 win over league leaders Bayern Munich. Antwi-Adjei wrongfooted Niklas Suele to find the bottom corner and cancel out Robert Lewandowski’s opener.

RAMY BENSEBAINI (Borussia Moenchengladbach)

The Algeria defender scored his third goal of the season as Gladbach avoided a record-equalling fifth straight home defeat with a 3-2 win against Augsburg. Bensebaini fired a header into the top corner in the second half.

ANTHONY UJAH (Union Berlin)

The Nigerian forward made his first Bundesliga appearance since June 2020 after a knee operation when he came on as a substitute in Union’s 3-0 home defeat by Borussia Dortmund. The 31-year-old had a significant cameo in the second half, as Union had a consolation goal ruled out by VAR for his foul on Manuel Akanji.

FRANCE

KARL TOKO EKAMBI (Lyon)

Cameroon forward Toko Ekambi scored the second goal for seventh-placed Lyon seven minutes after the break in a 2-0 win over Nice, after former Fulham and Celtic striker Moussa Dembele converted an early penalty.

CEDRIC HOUNTONDJI (Clermont)

Benin defender Hountondji opened the scoring for Clermont six minutes before the break with his second goal for the club since joining from Levski Sofia in 2019 and first in Ligue 1 for the promoted side, who fell 2-1 against Saint-Etienne.

STEVE MOUNIE (Brest)

Benin striker Mounie struck in the final 10 minutes to cement a 5-1 win for Brest at home against Troyes. It was the eighth win this season for the Brittany side in 24 games as they sit 12th in the table.

GAEL KAKUTA, SEKO FOFANA (Lens)

Democratic Republic of Congo midfielder Kakuta set up Arnaud Kalimuendo for the opening goal and then scored from the penalty spot after 22 minutes. Ivory Coast midfielder Fofana added a third before the half hour for a 3-2 home win which condemned Bordeaux to bottom spot in Ligue 1 and lifted Lens to eighth.

Texas Guardian News
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Africa

Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso agree to create a joint force to fight worsening violence

Published

on

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — A joint security force announced by the juntas ruling Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to fight the worsening extremist violence in their Sahel region countries faces a number of challenges that cast doubt on its effectiveness, analysts said Thursday.

Niger’s top military chief, Brig. Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou said in a statement after meeting with his counterparts Wednesday that the joint force would be “operational as soon as possible to meet the security challenges in our area.”

The announcement is the latest in a series of actions taken by the three countries to strike a more independent path away from regional and international allies since the region experienced a string of coups — the most recent in Niger in July last year.

They have already formed a security alliance after severing military ties with neighbors and European nations such as France and turning to Russia — already present in parts of the Sahel — for support.

Barmou did not give details about the operation of the force, which he referred to as an “operational concept that will enable us to achieve our defence and security objectives.”

Although the militaries had promised to end the insurgencies in their territories after deposing their respective elected governments, conflict analysts say the violence has instead worsened under their regimes. They all share borders in the conflict-hit Sahel region and their security forces fighting jihadi violence are overstretched.

The effectiveness of their security alliance would depend not just on their resources but on external support, said Bedr Issa, an independent analyst who researches the conflict in the Sahel.

The three regimes are also “very fragile,” James Barnett, a researcher specializing in West Africa at the U.S.-based Hudson Institute, said, raising doubts about their capacity to work together.

“They’ve come to power through coups, they are likely facing a high risk of coups themselves, so it is hard to build a stable security framework when the foundation of each individual regime is shaky,” said Barnett.

—-

Associated Press writer Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria contributed.

Texas Guardian News
Continue Reading

Africa

Mexican Authorities say they saw a huge increase in migrants from Africa and Venezuela in 2023

Published

on

Mexican authorities say they saw a huge increase in the number of migrants from Africa and Venezuela entering the country in 2023.

Those migrants generally enter Mexico from Central America, and cross the country in a bid to reach the U.S. border.

Mexico’s Interior Department said year-end figures showed that nine times more migrants from Africa entered Mexico in 2023, with numbers rising from 6,672 in 2022, to 59,834 in 2023.

The report also showed the number of migrants from Venezuela more than doubled last year, rising from 96,197 in 2022 to 222,994 in 2023.

In part, that may reflect more rapid and more numerous movements of migrants through the jungle-clad Darien Gap that connects South America to Panama.

Smugglers are moving migrants more quickly through the dangerous route, which last year was traversed by over half a million migrants. Once in Panama, migrants make their way through Central America to Mexico.

Overall, the number of all irregular migrants found in Mexico in 2023 rose by 77%, going from 441,409 in 2022 to 782,176 last year.

Texas Guardian News
Continue Reading

Africa

Nigeria vs South Africa: AFCON prediction, kick-off time, TV, and live stream

Published

on

A meeting of two imperious defences will decide the first entrant to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final when South Africa and Nigeria meet on Wednesday.

The Super Eagles have conceded just one goal at this AFCON and dispatched Angola in a tight game to qualify for the semi-finals.

But Bafana Bafana matched their run of four consecutive clean sheets as goalkeeper Ronwen Williams delivered the heroics in their penalty shootout win over Cape Verde.

Only once since their last Cup of Nations title, which came just over a decade ago, have Nigeria reached the last four – and they have lost five of their last six AFCON semi-finals.

South Africa’s wait stretches back even further, with no title since 1996 and this their first run to the last four since 2000.

Date, kick-off time and venue

Nigeria vs South Africa is scheduled for a 5pm GMT kick-off on Wednesday, February 7, 2024.

The match will take place at Stade de la Paix in Bouake.

Where to watch Nigeria vs South Africa

TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on BBC Two, with coverage starting at 4.30pm GMT, as well as Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League.

Live stream: Sky subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app while the game will also be shown for free via the BBC Sport and iPlayer portals.

Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog.

What we know

♦ Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen was taken off late on against Angola with an abdominal injury and he did not join the rest of the squad in flying out to Bouake on Monday evening.

A team statement assured that he could yet be released to travel on Tuesday if he passes medical checks.

Hugo Broos has a settled line-up for South Africa, with the defence entirely made up of Mamelodi Sundowns players.

However, after failing to score against Cape Verde he could tinker with the attack.

♦ Both teams have been outstanding defensively throughout the tournament and it feels as though a single goal will prove the difference in this game.

Head to head (h2h) history and results

Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong scored an 89th-minute winner when Nigeria knocked Bafana Bafana out of the 2019 Cup of Nations quarter-finals, which was these two sides’ last meeting.

Nigeria wins: 7

South Africa wins: 2

Draws: 5

Nigeria vs South Africa match odds

Nigeria to qualify: 1/2

South Africa to qualify: 7/1

Texas Guardian News
Continue Reading

Trending