NOMINEES OF THE AFRICAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR (BASED IN AFRICA)

The following are the 20 names of the African based footballers, that has been nominated for the African Footballer of the year Award. The names are listed in an alphabetical order.

1.   Amr   Gamal                (Egypt, Al Ahly)
2.  Abdelrahman Fetri        (Libya, Ahly Benghazi)
3.  Akram Djahnit               (Algeria, ES Setif)
4.  Bernard Parker               (South Africa, Kaizer Chiefs)
5.  Bogani Ndulula              (South Africa, Amazulu)
6.  Ejike Uzoenyi                 (Nigeria, Enugu Rangers)
7.  El Hedi Belamieri           (Algeria, ES Setif)
8.  Fakhereddine Ben Yousef    (Tunisia, CS Sfaxien)
9.  Ferdjani Sassi                     (Tunisia, CS Sfaxien)
10. Firmin Mubel Ndombe      (DRC Congo, AS Vita)
11. Geoffery Massa            (Uganda, Pretoria University)
12. Jean Kasusula               (DRC, TP Mazenbe)
13. Kader Bidimbou            (Congo, AC Leopards)
14. Lema Mabidi                 (DRC, Congo AS Vita)
15. Mudathir Al Taieb        (Sudan, Al Hilal)
16. Roger Assale                (Ivory Coast, Sewe Sport)
17. Senzo Meyiwa              (South Africa, Orlando Pirates)
18. Solomon Asante           (Ghana, TP Mazembe)
19. Souleymane Moussa    (Cameroon, Coton Sport)
20. Yunus Sentamu            (Uganda, AS Vita)

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THE 2014 NOMINEES OF THE AFRICAN FOOTBALLERS OF THE YEAR

The Confederation of African Football (CAF), the body governing football in Africa has just released the names of 25 players, as the nominees for the 2014 African footballer of the year.

The award is divided into two categories - the first is only for Africans plying their trade outside Africa, while the second category is for players playing their club football in the continent.

Vincent Enyeama

Among the nominees of the foreign based players is Yaya Toure of Manchester City and Ivory Coast, who has won the last three of the award and is among the favourites to win the honour again.

Without much ado, the following names are the full list of the foreign based players, listed alphabetically.

1.  Ahmed Musa        (Nigeria, CSKA Moscow)
2.  Asamoah Gyan     (Ghana,  Al Ain Club)
2.  Dame N'doye       (Senegal, Lokomotiv Moscow)
4.  Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo, Tottenham Hotspur)  
5.  Eric Maxim Choup-Moting (Cameroon, Schalke)
6.  Fakhreddine Ben Youssef (Tunisia, CS Sfaxien)   
7.  Ferdjani Sassi      (Tunisia,  CS Sfaxien)
8.  Yao Kouassi 'Gervinho' Gervais (Ivory Coast, Roma)
9.  Islam Slimani           (Algeria, Sporting Lisbon)
10. Kwadwo Asamoah   ( Ghana, Juventus )  
11. Mehdi Benatia          (Morocco, Bayern Munich)
12. Mohammed El Neny  (Egypt, Basel)
13. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang  (Gabon, Dortmund)
14. Rais M'bolhi            (Algeria, Philadelphia Union)
15. Sadio Mane              (Senegal, Southampton)
16. Seydou Keita            (Mali, AS Roma)
17. Sofiane Feghouli      (Algeria, Valencia)
18. Stephane M'bia         (Cameroon, Sevilla)
19. Thulani Serero           (South Africa, Ajax)
20. Vincent Aboubakar    (Cameroon, Porto)
21. Vincent Enyeama       (Nigeria, Lille)
22. Wilfried Bony             (Ivory Coast, Swansea)
23. Yacine Brahimi           (Algeria, Porto)
24. Yannick  Bolasie         (DRC, Crystal Palace)
25. Yaya Toure                  (Ivory Coast, Manchester City)

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KILLER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOALKEEPER CHARGED

A 25 year old man, Zanokuhle Mbatha, has been charged to court with the murder of the South African goalkeeper -  captain, Senzo Meyiwa (27).

He will appear again in the court on the 11th of November, 2014.

The national football goalkeeper, Senzo, was shot dead when three men came into the home of his girl friend, and demanded for their mobile phones and valuables, in Vosloorus, Johannesburg.

 

Senzo Meyiwa

Meyiwa, the slained keeper played his club football with the Orlando Pirates, a top football club based in Johannesburg.

The South African Police Services had put up a financial reward for anyone that has information that will lead to the arrests and conviction of the perpetrators.

The Police appealed to the public to keep on assisting them with vital information concerning the case.

They said that they are still investigating and searching for the other two men involved in the murder of the footballer.

Read also: Melvinsports.blogspot.com

ZAMBIA WOMEN FOOTBALLERS PROTESTS AGAINST FAZ

The Zambia Women National Football team has occupied the Football Association's technical centre and refused to leave until they are paid their allowances due to them for representing the country in the just concluded CAF African Women Championships in Namibia.

The ladies have been at the centre since they came back from participating in the 9th African Women Championships in Namibia two weeks ago.

Kenneth Kalusha Bwalya President of (FAZ)

 

One of the players who did not want to be named, said that they were in camp for a month in preparation for the tournament and was two weeks at the mondial.

She also said that they only got US$15 for transportation. She further stated that since over one week they returned the officials of the Football Association (FAZ) did not see anything wrong in paying them just $15 for their services.

The player added that they made history by being the first set of women to qualify the country to the Championships.

One of her team - mate who was listening to the discussion
added, "Football is everything to us and we have families to support.''

''If these people (FAZ) have a heart for us, they should give us at least $2,000 for qualifying for the tournament for the first time in our country's history.''

The spokesman for the Zambia Football Association (FAZ),
Nkweto Tembwe, said that they know that they owe them money, but it will only be paid to them, when the money is ready.

''We owe them money - and we have never said we don't owe them. The money shall be paid to them as and when it is ready,'' Mr Tembwe said.

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SOUTH AFRICA NATIONAL GOALKEEPER SENSELESSLY KILLED

The South Africa national football goalkeeper and captain, Senzo Meyiwa (27), was senselessly killed yesterday, sunday night in his girl friend's house in Vosloorus, Johannesburg.

The South Africa Police Service said in their statement that two men entered the house and demanded for their mobile phones and valuables around 20.00 hours.

According to the police a third man of the gang waited outside the house and they said that it was a robbery case.

Senzo Meyiwa was shot at the chest by one of the men and made away with one mobile phone. The three men ran away on foot.

The player was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

His girl friend Kelly Khumalo is a musician and a celebrity in South Africa.

Senzo Meyiwa

Senzo was the goalkeeper of the Orlando Pirates football club and played on Saturday in the South African League Cup, in which they beat Ajax Cape Town 4 - 1 to advance to the semi - final.

He also kept a clean sheet in the four games the country played in the African Cup of Nations qualification games.

The African football community is still in a shock as regards to the unfortunate news.

Ephraim 'shake' Mashaba, Senzo's national coach, said tearfully in a press conference on Monday that Senzo was a kind person and he never saw him angry in the camp.

''Senzo is a very kind person. I have never seen Senzo being sad or angry in the camp.'' He added, ''Senzo is a team player, Senzo is everything.''

The chairman of his club, Irvin Khoza said that in whichever way you look at the incident, it is a sad loss to his family, his club and the country - South Africa.

''This is a sad loss whichever way you look at it, to Senzo's family, his extended family, Orlando Pirates and to the nation,'' Mr Khoza said.

Reacting to the tragic incident, the President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma said in a statement on Monday:
''We mourn the death of this young footballer and team leader whose life has been taken away at the prime of his career. Words cannot express the nation's shock at this loss.''

Indeed words cannot express this kind of senseless killing. The government and the law enforcement officers must leave no stone unturned until the wicked criminals are caught and given appropriate punishment.

May Senzo's soul rest in peace and may the Almighty God give his family the hearts to bear their lose. I pray that our Lord Jesus will take care of his young family, amen.

Read also: Melvinsports.blogspot.com

NIGERIA'S FALCONS LIFTS 7th AWC TITLE

The Nigeria Women Football team popularly known as the
(The Falcons) defeated the Cameroonian women team (Les Lionesses) 2 - 0 in the final of the 9th CAF African Women Championships on Saturday at the  Sam Nujoma Stadium, Windhoek Namibia.

The two countries which had already qualified to represent Africa for the 2015 Fifa Women World Cup in Canada along with Ivory Coast began the match with each team determined to lift the trophy.

African Women Championships Champions

Both teams were very impressive throughout the tournament
with the Falcons having won all their games without dropping any point, while Les Lionesses only lost one game in the group phase.

While the Cameroonians were hoping to upset the Nigerians which were slightly billed before the match as the favourites, and win their first title since the inception of the tournament in 1991, the Nigerians were determined to win their 7th title.

Nigeria lost the title in 2012 as the defending champions, when South Africa knocked them out 1 - 0 in the semi - final in the Equatorial Guinea.

Equatorial Guinea won the title that year but surprisingly did not qualify to participate in this year's tournament, so they could not defend their title.

Anyway, in the Saturday finals, it was the two top Nigerian strikers, Desire Oparanozie and Assisat Oshoala, who each scored a goal in the first half of the game.

Oparanozie who was the highest goal scorer of the tournament, scored Nigeria's first goal in the 12th minute of play while her team-mate Oshoala who again won the Most Valueable Player (MVP) of the tournament doubled Nigeria's scoreline just before the interval.

Assisat Oshoala had already won the MVP award and the Golden Boot award this summer in the Fifa Women Under - 20 World Cup tournament in Canada.

The Cameroon goalkeeper, Annette Ngo Ndom who produced good saves in the match and also throughout the Championships won the Best Goalkeeper award.

Tournament's Individual Awards:

Golden Boot Award:  Desire Oparanozie (5 goals, Nigeria)

Most Valueable Player:  Assisat Oshoala (4 goals, Nigeria)

Best Goalkeeper Award: Annette Ngo Ndom

Read also: Melvinsports.blogspot.com

IT's NIGERIA Vs CAMEROON IN THE AWC FINAL

AFRICAN WOMEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

The semi-finals of the African Women Championships tournament that is on-going in Namibia were played on Wednesday at the Sam Nujoma stadium in Windhoek.

In the first semi - final of the day, the six time champions, Nigerian ladies nicknamed the Falcons laced their boots against their arch rivals Bayana-Bayana of South Africa.

Assisat Oshoala with her Fifa Awards

Before the match the Falcons said that they want to revenge losing 1 - 0 to South Africa in the semi-final of the 2012 tournament.

The Falcons won the match 2 - 1 through a brace from Assisat Oshoala in either of the halfs.

Assisat who turned 20 years old last week, also played in the Fifa Women Under-20 World Cup in Canada this summer, where she won the Golden boot and the MVP of the tournament.

In the second semi - final game Cameroon won Ivory Coast 2 - 1 and will meet Nigeria in the final on Saturday.

The three top teams in this tournament will represent Africa in the Fifa Women World Cup in Canada next year.

On Saturday, the third country to join Nigeria and Cameroon will be decided in the third place match between South Africa and Ivory Coast.
Read also, Africanfootie.blogspot.com