Expert in law and sports disputes at FIFA: There is no point in appealing to Tunisia .. and Sikazoy will not be punished
Attorney Ali Abbas, an expert in law and sports disputes at FIFA, confirmed that CAF's decision to consider the financial team A winner against his Tunisian counterpart was an expected decision, and it did not violate the regulations. The referee of the match, Jani Sikazwe, ended the confrontation between the two teams at the opening of their campaign in Group Six of the African Cup of Nations yesterday, by mistake on two occasions, first in the 85th minute, then in the 89th minute, before the official time expired, which sparked great controversy.
Abbas said in exclusive statements to Koura: “It was clear from yesterday that the match would not be repeated.” He pointed out that Paragraph 5 of Article 7 of the Football Laws, which provides for the replay of any match that ends before the completion of its legal time, does not apply to the Tunisia-Mali match. And he continued: “The match is not repeated in one case, which is that the organizing committee takes a decision not to repeat it, and this is what happened. CAF has the authority to decide, and that does not violate the law.”
He explained: “The referees’ return to the field to resume the match means that the organizing committee had no intention of replaying the match. Rather, it was clear that the match would not be repeated.”
And he added: “This decision, from my point of view, is finished, and there is no point in the Tunisian Federation submitting an appeal, because it will take a long time, and we are in a final competition and matches are played daily, and it is impossible to decide on this decision in a short time, so the decision will be after the end of the tournament.” To no avail.” Abbas stressed, in his interview with Koura, that “CAF will not impose any sanctions on the Zambian referee, Sikazwe.” And he concluded: “The referee will not be subject to any punishment, because CAF said that he suffered from a pathological symptom, so it is unreasonable for him to be punished.”Al-Nusairi mourns the penalty kick..and promises to crown him
Youssef Al-Nusairi, the Moroccan national team player, bemoans the penalty kick he missed against the Comoros. Al-Nusairi had come on as a substitute in the second half, marking his return after a long injury absence, before he advanced to take the penalty kick, but the Comoros goalkeeper saved it. Al-Nusiri said in a televised statement, after the match: “Naturally, I feel sorry for wasting the penalty kick. I would have liked to score and double the score.” He added, "Such things happen in matches. The important thing is that we won, and the team worked as a group and showed great quality compared to the Ghana match." He concluded, "We dominated and left no room for the opponent to breathe, and we are here for one goal, which is to win the title."
Al-Kaabi: Morocco has not achieved anything yet..and the title is our goal
Ayoub Al-Kaabi, the Moroccan national team player, expressed his happiness after his country's victory over the Comoros, and booked a ticket to qualify for the final price of the African Cup of Nations, which Currently hosted by Cameroon.
The Moroccan national team defeated the Comoros, with a double scored by Salim Amlah and Zakaria Abu Khalil, in the match hosted by Ahmed Ahidjo Stadium, in the second round of the third group of the Cannes. Al-Kaabi said, in televised statements after the match, that the Lions team has not achieved anything yet, and that its goal is to go to the farthest point in the tournament. He added, "We were the best party in the match. We dominated and won, but the most important thing has not been achieved yet, which is to go far in this place, and why not compete for the title." Al-Kaabi continued, "We showed a great improvement compared to the first match, and things are not as easy as some might expect." He concluded, "With training, we will improve, and personally, I am satisfied with what I presented against the Comoros. We could have ended the match with a greater victory. We are on the right path."
Gyan nominates Nigeria to win the African Nations
Ghanaian star Asamoah Gyan, former English striker of Sunderland, has nominated Nigeria to win the African Cup of Nations currently being held in Cameroon.
Gian said on the South African “Super Sport” channel, that the Nigerian national team showed the character of the champion in the Egypt match, and it became clear that it has the ingredients for the coronation. He added, “The Nigerian national team has proven that a team has the will to overcome its rivals. The Eagles showed their strong character in the face of Egypt and they could have scored more goals, but they were not lucky.” Asamoah confirmed that the Nigerian national team was exposed to a difficult situation before the start of the African Cup of Nations, after it was confirmed that the trio Odion Ighalo, Victor Osimhen and Emmanuel Dennis were injured and played strongly and distinguished.
Msakni participates in the training session in Tunisia.. and “Corona” is 6 players away
The Tunisian national team continued its preparations for its second match in Limbe, against Mauritania, in the African Nations Championship hosted by Cameroon, in the sixth group matches.
The training witnessed only 22 players, after Osama Al-Haddadi, Naim Al-Sleiti, Johan Tuzgar, Muhammad Drager, Issam Al-Jabali and Dylan Brown were isolated, after it was confirmed that they were infected with the Corona virus. Youssef Al-Masakni recorded his presence in the group training, after he had trained alone yesterday. Mondher Al-Kabir, coach of the Carthage Eagles, chose to focus on some technical and tactical aspects during the session without raising the pace too much. Focus was also placed on set pieces, and the Tunisian national team will finish its preparations by conducting a final training session, after which it will choose the squad with which it will face the Al-Mourabitoun team.
On the other hand, Munther Al-Kabeer will hold the press conference on the confrontation, and the striker, Saif Al-Din Al-Jaziri, will be at his side. It is noteworthy that the Tunisian national team had lost in the first round to Mali with a goal without a response, which made it occupy third place with the Mauritanian national team without any point.
Former Egyptian national team striker Mohamed Zidane: Nigeria's meeting is a warning bell for the Pharaohs..and the personality of the stars is absent
Former Egyptian national team striker Mohamed Zidan expressed his grief over the poor performance of the Pharaohs against Nigeria in the Nations Cup kick-off African. The Egyptian national team lost its opening match in the continental championship with a goal without a response.
Mohamed Zidan said in exclusive statements to Koura, "There are many mistakes and negatives committed by the Egyptian coach Carlos Queiroz in managing the match, but where is the role of the players?"
He added, "There is no dispute about the unforgivable mistakes of the Portuguese coach, but the personality and experiences of the Pharaohs stars on the field have many question marks, because they made the Egyptian national team coveted by all teams."
And he continued, "During the period of the Egyptian national team's glow during the period of Hassan Shehata, the role of the big stars was prominent in reunion inside and outside the field in addition to their sense of responsibility, so I ask those with experience to show their personality."
And he revealed, "The previous generation of the national team used to meet teams better than it technically and physically, but understanding, harmony and spirit were among the most important factors that made us excel over any competitor, and this is my message to the current generation."
I hope that what happened in the Nigeria match will be a wake-up call for the Pharaohs, and there will be a commitment to adjust the scene in the upcoming confrontations, despite their difficulty due to injuries. The technical director needs to talk with his assistant staff to reach the best technical formation.
A heart problem keeps Aubameyang away from Gabon
The Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal striker, missed his country's match against Ghana, in the second round of the group stage of the African Cup of Nations; Due to heart problems related to his infection with the Corona virus.
Aubameyang was not present in Gabon's first match in the tournament against Comoros; for being infected with Corona virus. The Gabonese Football Federation said that, according to the medical committee of the Confederation of African Football, the trio Aubameyang, Axel Me and Mario Lemina are absent; Because of Corona, they cannot play the match; Because of heart problems, and Al-Kaf does not want to take adventure. This news comes after Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich fullback, stopped training with his Bayern Munich team due to heart problems also related to his infection with the Corona virus. It is noteworthy that Aubameyang was excluded from the last matches of Arsenal; Due to his late arrival from a trip to France, there is much speculation regarding his future with the Gunners.
Why didn't CAF consider Tunisia to withdraw?
CAF decided to adopt a Mali victory over Tunisia (1-0), in the first round of the group stage of the African Cup of Nations, after the crisis in the meeting due to the Zambian referee Janie Sikazoi. But at the same time, the Confederation did not consider the Carthage Eagles to withdraw from the match. Sikazoy had ended the confrontation before its official date, in an incident that sparked great controversy. The Tunisian national team refused to return to complete the remaining minutes of the match, after CAF officials asked it to do so, demanding that it be returned given that it did not end in its original time, before the African Union decided to adopt a financial victory.
The CAF refused to consider the Tunisian national team withdrawing from the match, so that the Carthage Eagles would not be expelled from the club. This is because Clause No. 82 of the Continental Competition Regulations stipulates that if a team withdraws from the competition, does not appear for the match, refuses to play, or leaves the field before the end of the regular time, without the permission of the referee, it is considered a loser and must be excluded from the tournament.
Morocco coach Wahid Halilhodzic: We missed a great victory and we have to deal with the problem of wasting opportunities
Bosnian Wahid Khalilozic, coach of the Moroccan national team, confirmed that his players missed a big victory over the Comoros national team, in the match that ended a short while ago with a victory. The Atlantic Lions scored a clean double, in the meeting that brought them together on Friday, at the “Ahmadou Ahidjo” stadium, as part of the second round competitions for Group C, of the group stage of the African Cup of Nations in its 33rd edition, which Cameroon will host until February 6.
Khalilosic spoke after the end of the match, saying: “We missed many chances and were able to finish the match with four or five goals.” He added, “In the upcoming matches, we must eliminate the phenomenon of wasting easy opportunities, but it is necessary to congratulate the players on their victory with two goals and their qualification for the next round.” Morocco became the second qualifier to the round of 16 of the African Cup of Nations, after hosts Cameroon. The Moroccan national team finished the first half of the match, excelling with a goal scored by Salim Amlah in the 16th minute of the match, with a powerful shot to the left of the goalkeeper. The Comoros model denied the Atlantic Lions the second goal in the 37th minute, after blocking Nayef Akrad's header. In the second half, Youssef Al-Nusairi, the Spanish star of Seville, missed the opportunity to add the second goal of the Atlantic Lions, after he missed a penalty kick that was saved by the Comoros goalkeeper in the 83rd minute.
Zakaria Abu Khalal scored the second goal for the Moroccan national team, in the 89th minute. The Moroccan national team strengthened its lead in Group C in the African Nations, with 6 points, while the Comoros national team remained without a balance.
FIFA suspends Senegalese player Pape Gay and prevents him from completing the match
The Senegal national team received a painful blow after it was confirmed that midfielder Pape Gay was absent from the rest of the African Nations Cup competitions currently being held in Cameroon, after the International Federation of Football Associations decided The footballer, “FIFA”, suspended the player due to an administrative error in his transfer from Watford, England, to Marseille, France. And the Senegalese “Tele Dakar” website stated that the Senegalese Federation received a notification, on Friday, from FIFA, to suspend the player Pape Gay, which caused his absence from the confrontation with his Guinean counterpart, which ended in a goalless draw in the second round of the group stage.
The report added that the player's suspension by FIFA will not affect the outcome of the first Zimbabwean confrontation, which was decided by the Teranga Lions with the goal of Liverpool star Sadio Mane from a penalty kick, especially since Babe Jay participated in this match.
In another context, a negative tie settled the events of the Senegal match against Guinea, which brought the two teams together, in the second round of the group stage of the African Cup of Nations.
Senegal defeated Zimbabwe in the first round in the 95th minute with a clean goal scored by Sadio Mane from a penalty kick, bringing the result to the fourth point.
Drogba trains with the Côte d'Ivoire national team before facing Sierra Leone
Côte d'Ivoire legend Didier Drogba was keen to train with the Elephants national team, in preparation for the match against Sierra Leone next Sunday, in the second round of the group stage competitions of the Nations Cup African, currently residing in Cameroon.
The Côte d'Ivoire Football Association decided to invite former stars Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure to support the coaching staff of the elephants team, led by French Patrice Baumel, during the 2021 African Cup of Nations. The match that took place between them at the “Japoma” stadium last Wednesday. The only goal of the match came from Max Gradel in favor of the elephants with a missile shot from the edge of the penalty area, which the goalkeeper was unable to stop. Côte d'Ivoire took the lead in the group with 3 points, and the Algerian national team came in second place with a point, which is the same as the third-place Sierra Leone, while the Equatorial Guinea team bottomed the group without points.
Tunisian analyst: Al-Ahly is stronger than the Egyptian national team
The former Tunisian international player, Samir Al-Sulaimi, confirmed that Al-Ahly Club is stronger than the Egyptian national team, when he attended a program on the Tunisian “Carthage Place” channel, in which he works as an analyst. Having previously worked on various Tunisian channels, as well as BN Sports channels. Commenting on the performance of the Egyptian team, after the first match against his Nigerian counterpart, Al-Sulaimi appeared displeased with the performance of the Pharaohs during their first appearance in the African Cup held in Cameroon, and considered that the team did not provide the expected return from it.
Al-Sulaimi said: “I think that the Egyptian Al-Ahly team is stronger than the Egyptian national team, and if Mohamed Salah joins Al-Ahly and participates with him in the African Cup, Al-Ahly will be a serious competitor for the title.” The Egyptian national team failed to present a good level during the first match, which it lost against Nigeria, as it failed to create opportunities that might help it score goals, and was unable to respond to the Nigerian goal. The national team is facing great criticism from the fans, who were angry at the players' performance throughout this match, and Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz was also the target of criticism.
The referee's decisions sparked a protest from the Tunisian national team, led by coach Mounzer Al-Kabir. Because the original time of the match (90 minutes) did not end and the stoppage time was not counted, but Sikazoy stuck to his decision, and ended the confrontation before admitting the mistake after the players entered the dressing rooms, before the referees’ staff asked the two teams to return to complete the remainder of the match time, which is Which was rejected by the "Carthage Eagles".
After examining all the information received, and studying the case, the executive office decided to approve the result of the match with a financial victory with a goal without a response, and rejected the Tunisian protest to restart the match from its beginning, explaining the reason that the referee suffered from a health problem (sunstroke) that forced him to go to the hospital from treatment order. Winwin sources confirmed that some members of the CAF Executive Committee; They intended to vote on the decision to exclude the Tunisian national team from the African Cup of Nations and consider it withdrawing, had it not been for the intervention of the president of the Moroccan Federation, Faouzi Lakjaa, who is a member of the CAF Executive Office, as well as his Egyptian colleague Hani Abu Raida, who threatened to withdraw from the tournament in the event that the Tunisian national team was excluded.
These are the negative aspects that threaten the African Cup..a catastrophic failure in the first round?
After the end of the first round of the African Cup of Nations, with its good and bad times, and with many events between the positives and many negatives, the observers did not expect it, given the promises made Cameroon presented her for an honorable appearance, through a major competition that the world is watching with interest.
Some teams shone in their first matches, including Morocco, Nigeria and Senegal, who started their career with an important victory, and surprises represented in the draw of the defending champion, Algeria, against Sierra Leone, as well as the defeat of Egypt and Tunisia.
And speaking of the negatives, most pessimists did not expect that the first week would be so bad, in several respects, starting with the deteriorating security situation in some areas, which caused Algerian media professionals to be attacked with knives, and then an armed clash near the residence of the Mali national team. During a training session, after which threats were directed at the Tunisian national team, forcing it to cancel a recovery session, for fear of an attack on them.
Organizational problems appeared on the floors of some stadiums that do not amount to competition in the value of the African Nations Cup, as the Algerian national team suffered great difficulty in applying a modern ball, given the poor ground, and the Mauritanian national team was also subjected to great injustice by not playing its national anthem, and the matter appeared to be a defect Technically unexpected, but it damaged the reputation of Cameroon and the brown continent as well. Some scenes showed the mismanagement of the health protocol during the competition, so the beginning was by changing the nature of the detection of the Corona virus for the players of the Burkina Faso national team, and announcing that a number of its players had been infected with an insufficiently effective detection, while the statistics confirm that only 7 percent of the Cameroonian people underwent the vaccine, at the time Everyone is allowed to enter the stadiums.
Until the last match of the first week, the African teams did not provide enough performance for the fans to enjoy the popular game, as the teams scored only 12 goals in 12 matches, while the poor public attendance in most of the matches constituted embarrassment for the organizers, which makes the tournament a candidate to be among the The worst in the history of “Alkan”, if it continues in this way.
The search for the positives during the beginning of this tournament is difficult, as it is limited to the appearance of some teams for the first time in the competition, including the Comoros national team, and the reaction of the Sierra Leone goalkeeper with tears of joy when he confronted the attempts of the Algerian stars, and then crowned him as a man of the match.
Gabon holds Ghana's accounts with a deadly draw
The Gabon national team snatched a draw from its Ghanaian counterpart, with a goal for each of them, in the second round of Group C, at the Ahmadou Ahidougou Stadium in the Cameroonian capital, Yaounde.
Gabon maintained its second place with 4 points, while Ghana got the first point to advance to third place in the group led by Morocco with 6 points. The Gabon national team increased its chances of qualifying for the round of 16, before facing Morocco, while Ghana's hopes became difficult, before its next match against the Comoros. Ghana's national team excelled in the first half and was able to translate that into the first goal in the 18th minute through Andre Ayew with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area that Gabonese goalkeeper Amutomi did not succeed in dealing with.
The offensive attempts from Gabon through Bouanga and Buendza did not know the path of goalkeeper Joseph and Lacotte. In the second half, the Gabonese national team tried to equalize and was the better party by making a change in the attacking side, with the exit of Bwanga and the descent of Al-Vienna. Ghana's national team responded to him with Edmund Addo replacing Kamal Suleiman, amidst a great advantage from the Black Stars' defense. And every coach tried to support the midfield after Olric from Gabon, and push Joseph Paintsil. Gabon coach Patrice Novo supported the right front by descending Musonda instead of Achunga. Gabon's attempts to equalize continued, with Ghana relying on counter-attacks.
In the fatal time, substitute Alvina managed to equalize for Gabon in the 88th minute. Serbian coach Rajvic tried to activate the offensive side of Ghana, with Benjamin Tate coming down instead of Jordan Ayew, but to no avail.