Ghana’s Black Stars have been excluded from the list of African teams chosen by FIFA for the inaugural FIFA Series international friendlies.
On Monday, FIFA announced its decision to trial the FIFA Series; a set of FIFA-backed international friendlies, in the next international window in March 2024.
In a statement on Monday, FIFA said four national teams selected from each confederation will converge in one country for the inaugural FIFA Series next month.
Although FIFA allocated six slots to African countries for the inaugural edition, Ghana’s Black Stars were somehow overlooked for the ‘‘tournament’’.
Algeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea and Central African Republic are the African countries selected for the inaugural edition.
Ghana were not the only big-name absentee for the inaugural event as Africa’s number one-ranked team, Senegal, AFCON 2023 winners, Cote d’Ivoire, and finalists Nigeria were all conspicuously missing.
FIFA says the initiative will ‘‘will provide member associations with a more regular opportunity to face national teams from other continents, which will serve to unlock technical development opportunities previously unavailable to many of them.’’
‘‘The FIFA Series will also provide the participating member associations with their own additional commercial opportunities and exposure.’’
The pilot Series will run from 18 to 26 March 2024.
Paris 2024Q: Black Queens didn’t lose to Zambia because of complacency – Freda Ayisi
Black Queens midfielder Freda Ayisi has set sights on her side overturning the first-leg deficit against Zambia on Wednesday, February 28.
Ghana will face Zambia in the second leg of their 2024 Olympic Games third-round qualifier in Ndola looking to advance at the expense of their hosts.
The Black Queens suffered a second consecutive defeat when they met the Copper Queens at the Accra Sports Stadium last Friday with Racheal Kundananji scoring the game’s only goal.
Ayisi made her debut for Nora Hauptle’s women during the game in Accra and was taken off after the opening 45 minutes.
Speaking ahead of the second leg, the Charlton Athletic player said, “It will be amazing for the team to go for the Olympics because it’s a big opportunity to show the world that Ghana can play football and also put us on the map again.”
“I feel that the team is good, the team is doing well, it wasn’t complacency that made us lose in Accra. We are focused, sometimes football can go either way and that’s what happened in the 1st leg.”
The 29-year-old was also quizzed about how quickly she’s adapted to the team after receiving her maiden call-up.
“I’m adapting and I feel like am doing well especially in training and that is the best way to adapt, just train and work hard with the girls and hope I will be on the same level and we can play football together permanently,” she added.
The return leg of the tie will be played at the Levy Nwanawasa Sports Stadium in Ndola.
Hasaacas Ladies striker Abdulai Mukarama will join the Black Princesses camp in a surprise call up for the Accra 2023 African Games.
The former Black Maidens captain, and Dreamz Ladies striker Stella Nyamekye are the two late additions to Princesses camp as they continue preparations towards the tournament.
On Monday, Ghana’s U-20 Women’s football team, the Black Princesses moved to Cape Coast to begin camping ahead of the 13th African Games.
Coach Yussif Basigi’s side will kick off their campaign against Ethiopia on March 9th at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium before playing against Tanzania and Uganda in the other Group A matches.
The Princesses have just returned from a training tour in France, where they trained at the National Football Centre in Clairefontaine.
Basigi’s ladies played out a goalless draw with the Under 19 female team, of Paris Saint Germain in the only friendly match they played in France.
The 13th African Games is scheduled to take place from March 8-23, 2024.
Twenty-one (21) players were present for the Black Queens’ second training session at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, February 20.
Nora Hauptle and her side continue to prepare for the first leg of their 2024 Olympic Games third-round qualifier which is set for Friday.
The 21 players who trained on Tuesday had Charlton Athletic’s Freda Ayisi available, Jacqueline Owusu of Real Sociedad was also involved with Linda Eshun also joining. The three players were missing from the first day of training.
Only goalkeeper Vivian Antwi Adjei and forward Gifty Assifuah, both of 1207 Antaly Spor, missed Tuesday’s session having arrived short before the team left for the Accra Sports Stadium.
The Black Queens are chasing a first-ever appearance at the Olympic Games and have had to beat Guinea and Benin en route to reaching the third round of the qualifying stage.
Former Ghana international Tony Baffoe has fired the Sports Ministry over their refusal to pay monies owed the Black Queens ahead of Friday’s Paris 2024 Olympic Qualifier against Zambia.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tony Baffoe who visited the team’s training on Tuesday, said the Sports Ministry ought to respect the Black Queens.
Respect them and pay them !!they have gone all out all this while ! they have done a fantastic job ..players -Coach and the technical team !the match against Zambia is crucial ..respect them and pay them !!! https://t.co/cmUBsokg0T— Anthony Baffoe (@AnthonyBaffoe) February 21, 2024
The Queens are owed qualification bonuses from two rounds of qualifying in the Paris 2024 Olympic Qualifiers and the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations Qualifiers.
They have only been paid for the two-legged affair over Guinea (Olympic Qualifier) while bonuses from wins over Benin (Olympic Qualifier), Rwanda and Namibia – both Africa Women’s Cup of Nations Qualifiers, have not been settled.
In all, the Sports Ministry owes each Black Queens player, a total of $7,500 from the six qualifying matches.
Sources inside the Black Queens camp have told JoySports that the ladies are contemplating boycotting Friday’s qualifier against Zambia.
The Black Queens have been training since Monday despite gov’t refusal to pay their bonuses
Since the team started camping on Monday, no official from the Ghana Football Association or the Sports Ministry have visited the team.
It is unclear whether officials have stayed away from the team in order to avoid a possible confrontation with the ladies over the bonus situation.
Emerse Fae has been appointed as Ivory Coast coach on a permanent deal after leading the Elephants to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations title.
The 40-year-old took over on an interim basis after Jean-Louis Gasset departed during the group stage of the finals, where the West Africans had lost two games including a record 4-0 home defeat by Equatorial Guinea.
But the Ivorians progressed as the last of the four best third-placed teams and Fae oversaw an incredible turnaround for the tournament hosts in the knockout stages.
The Elephants saw off holders Senegal on penalties and then came from behind with 10 men to beat Mali in the quarter-finals after extra-time.
After defeating DR Congo in the last four, Ivory Coast recovered from a goal down to beat Nigeria 2-1 in the final in Abidjan on 11 February and win their third continental title.
Meanwhile, Liberia have appointed former Malawi coach Mario Marinica as their boss on a two-year deal ahead of the start of their 2025 Nations Cup qualifying campaign.
The Lone Stars will face Djibouti in a two-legged preliminary round tie next month.
The winners of the four preliminary ties will join the 44 highest-ranked African sides in the main qualifying draw for the 2025 finals, which will be held in Morocco.
The Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) Technical Study Group (“TSG”) has released the Best XI for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Cote d’Ivoire 2023.
The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023, widely regarded as the best “AFCON” ever, concluded on Sunday in epic fashion with hosts, Cote d’Ivoire completing one of the greatest comebacks by winning against Nigeria at Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan.
The CAF Technical Study Group has been following and analysing the tournament and its trends from day one.
Hosts Cote d’Ivoire, the new African champions, have three names in the Best Xl: Ghislan Konan, Jean Michael Seri and Franck Kessie. Kessie’s goal in the final helped the home side to secure the title.
Nigeria, who came oh-so-close, also have three names on the list: Ola Aina, William Troost-Ekong and Ademola Lookman.
South Africa, who entered the competition as underdogs but marched gallantly to a third-place finish have keeper, Ronwen Williams and Teboho Mokoena. Williams made history when he saved four penalties in one match during the competition.
DR Congo, fourth-place, also had two names: Yoane Wissa and Chancel Mbemba.
The Best Xl:
With Williams in goals, Nigeria’s Aina and Troost-Ekong showcased their defensive prowess, earning spots in the backline alongside Cote d’Ivoire’s Konan and DR Congo’s Chancel Mbemba.
In midfield, a diverse array of talent emerges, with South Africa’s Mokoena providing defensive stability alongside Cote d’Ivoire’s Jean Michael Seri and Kessie.
Upfront, the striking duo of Yoane Wissa from DR Congo and Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman bring flair and potency to the forward line, complemented by Equatorial Guinea’s Emilio Nsue, whose attacking threat kept defenders on their toes.
Nsue stands out as the competition’s top scorer with five goals, despite his team not reaching the semi-finals.
Goalkeeper:
Ronwen Williams (South Africa)
Defenders: Ola Aina (Nigeria), Ghislan Konan (Cote d’Ivoire), William Troost-Ekong (Nigeria), Chancel Mbemba (DR Congo).
Midfielders: Teboho Mokoena (South Africa), Jean Michael Seri (Cote d’Ivoire), Franck Kessie
Racheal Kundananji was playing on the sparse pitches of Zambia’s Copperbelt Province six years ago – but now the 23-year-old is the world’s most expensive female footballer in history.
t has been a remarkable ascent for the forward, an explosive talent who convinced Bay FC of the American National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) to part with $860,000 (£685,000) in order to prise her away from Madrid CFF.
Significantly, Kundananji is the first African player, male or female, to break a world transfer record.
She is moving to the United States after a prolific 18-month spell in Madrid in which she scored 33 Liga F goals in 43 games.
The Zambia international is still coming to terms with the enormity of her transfer fee but knows the first place she can find support is from her homeland.
“People in Zambia will be surprised but they will be so happy,” Kundananji told BBC Sport Africa.
“A lot of people have encouraged me to work hard and some even said ‘maybe one day you’ll break some records’.
“This is the first one and I know there are more coming. I will do my level best and fight every time I play, like I always do.
“I want to give the [Bay FC] fans what they want – to enjoy the games, to enjoy seeing me playing and scoring.”
Keeping secrets
The most surprised person in Zambia may well be Kundananji’s mother, who she decided to keep in the dark ahead of the big announcement.
“I just told her that I signed a new contract and that there was something big coming, but I didn’t tell her about becoming the most expensive player,” Kundananji said with a smile.
“I wanted that to be a surprise. My mum is my biggest influence.
“I learned a lot from her – to work hard and never give up on anything. If you’re good at something, then you need to follow your dreams.”
While Kundananji’s mum worked a physically demanding job in one of Zambia’s myriad copper mines, Bay FC’s new recruit would slope out to play football with local boys.
She and her friends created makeshift balls out of plastic and cotton from flour sacks.
“When I was growing up, I kept it a secret from my family that I was playing football,” Kundananji recalled. “They would think I was going to my friend’s place.”
When her family eventually found out, they assumed football was just a pastime that would eventually fall by the wayside. Kundananji says this sort of response is still heard by girls across Zambia.
“What I really want to say to girls is that they just need to follow their dreams and do what they love doing. Many of our parents will force us to do what we don’t love but then we end up with regrets,” she added.
“Choose your own path and work hard; then, as time goes on, your parents will support you.”
Teaming up with Oshoala
One of Kundananji’s new team-mates is someone who has been an example to her for several years.
Oshoala, six times Africa’s player of the year, has been newly acquired from Barcelona.
“She’s been a great African player for a long time. A lot of us in Africa try to play like her,” Kundananji said, beaming.
Kundananji is endearingly modest and needs some convincing that she is now also a role model to young Africans.
The talented forward grew up as a Chelsea fan – watching Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard in the Premier League, dreaming that one day she might emulate them.
“Every time I watched Chelsea I would see the camera following the individual players. I thought, ‘I just want to play football in front of a camera’,” she said.
“I thought about my face coming up on TV and my mum thinking, ‘Oh that’s my child’.”
Having scored in the Uefa Women’s Champions League and Women’s World Cup, and faced the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid in Liga F, Kundananji is certainly no stranger to the TV cameras.
Watching closely as her prowess and profile have grown has been Chris Atkins, her agent since 2018.
He was first alerted to her ability after watching some grainy YouTube footage of the then talented teenager scoring a hat-trick against Ghana in a friendly ahead of the 2018 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
“Racheal is dedicated, humble and obviously an unbelievable goalscorer,” Atkins said.
“She always had raw speed but has improved so much in terms of her finishing, her tactical awareness and her physicality in the past few years.
“It is great to see someone who started with nothing has managed to reach the level she has.”
From Kazakhstan to the USA
Kundananji made her Zambia debut in 2018, and scored three goals at that year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations
Kundananji’s success has required a few career steps.
The first significant one was in 2019 with a transfer from Zambia’s Indeni Roses to BIIK Kazygurt, the biggest women’s club in Kazakhstan.
It was a dramatic shift for the then 18-year-old, who was delighted to be earning a guaranteed $1,500 per month – with free accommodation included.
She secured a move to Liga F side Eibar in 2021 before her abilities were spotted by Madrid CFF, and it is in the Spanish capital that Kundananji has really flourished.
Fellow Zambia forward Prisca Chilufya is confident her team-mate can handle the pressure that will inevitably accompany her record price tag.
“She’s very determined and very hard-working. That’s why she has been dominating in every league she has played in,” Chilufya told BBC Sport Africa.
“She is someone you want on your team because she has a good heart and she also makes life easy on the pitch.”
Chilufya is hopeful that Kundananji’s high-profile move to the USA will help to further the growth of women’s football in their homeland.
“I think this news will be shocking to many because Zambia has never had any expensive players and women’s football is still developing in the country,” Chilufya said.
“It’s amazing to know that Zambia has the most expensive player in the world. Players like Racheal have played a big role in inspiring people.”
Although Kundananji has made history with her move, Atkins is expecting the world transfer record to tumble regularly in the coming years.
“We’ve taken a big leap up now in the record, but that could easily be broken in the next six to 12 months,” Atkins said.
“The NWSL is now reacting after perhaps realising it had slipped down the pecking order in terms of women’s leagues.”
It is a huge move for Kundananji, who is swapping the 3,500-seater Estadio Fernando Torres in Madrid for the 18,000-capacity PayPal Park in San Jose.
She admitted she will miss life in Spain but is relishing the prospect of proving herself in the NWSL.
“My team-mates in Madrid have been my family and it was so difficult for me to make this decision,” Kundananji said.
“I won’t put myself under pressure. My goal is to continue where I ended in Madrid and to achieve bigger things.
“I’ll never give up because if I give up, I’ll disappoint the young girls who message me asking advice about how they can get the best out of themselves.”
Kenya’s President William Ruto has sent engineers to the home of the late marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum, with instructions to build a three-bedroom house.
Kiptum had planned to build a home for his family before he was killed in a road accident last Sunday.
The president’s office has denied local media reports that the house has to be ready by Kiptum’s funeral next week.
Excavations have already started, the family spokesman said.
The house is being built on a four-acre farm which Kiptum had bought about 16km (10 miles) from the family home in the Rift Valley, where he was planning to construct his home later this year.
“There are three engineers here who are being supervised by senior government officials,” family spokesperson Philip Kiplagat told the BBC.
It is hoped that the house will be ready by the end of the 40-day mourning period.
Kiptum’s funeral is due to take place on 24 February.
Police said Kiptum, a 24-year-old father of two, was killed after the car he was driving veered into a ditch.
His Rwandan coach Gervais Hakizimana also died in the accident while a woman passenger was injured.
Kiptum’s father has called for an investigation, saying that four unidentified men had visited his son days before his accident.
The suspects are currently in police custody for questioning after being arrested, according to local media.
Kiptum’s death, just four months after he broke the marathon world record, shocked Kenya and the world of athletics.
He had been planning to attempt to become the first person to run a marathon in under two hours at the Rotterdam marathon in April.
After winning over a century of caps for South Africa during her playing days, Amanda Dlamini broke new ground at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
The former midfielder became the first woman employed by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) to be an analyst on its official international TV commentary of the continent’s showpiece men’s tournament.
Dlamini says the role is a “major win for women”, but acknowledged the weight of her position scared her at first.
“I was nervous to make sure that I leave a good impression. I cover all my stats and tactics because that is my job,” Dlamini told BBC Sport Africa.
“The realisation of being the first woman at an Afcon, where the centre stage is mostly about men’s football, and having a female voice, surely matters. I thought to myself, ‘Wow, this is history’.
“It’s not just a major win for me personally in my career, but for many other aspiring women who want to be in the commentary space.”
Dlamini was based in the south-western coastal city of San Pedro, and found herself in a unique position for her final co-commentary game at the tournament.
The 35-year-old called the match, which saw South Africa send the continent’s top-ranked team out of the finals, a “super special” moment.
“I’m South African before anything, and this is our national team,” Dlamini added.
“As a former footballer, I know what it’s like to be on the pitch. The emotions were running high, but it’s South Africa at the same time. It was a whole rollercoaster of emotions.”
Dealing with criticism
Dlamini says there was a largely positive reception to her role at the tournament, but she was not immune to negative responses despite her historic achievement.
“We received a number of negative comments. I think the most recent one said, ‘She’s just there to tick a box’,” Dlamini said.
But, as a former player, she is not new to criticism of her performances – whether on the pitch or on microphone.
While Dlamini welcomes constructive feedback and uses it to improve her craft, she has found ways to “rise above” criticism over time.
“If a negative comment comes through, of course it will impact you because you’re a human being,” she explained.
“I think I’ve just learned that through meditation, through worship as well, it calms me. I feel like it’s always one of those things where you take it as well with the good criticism and you just have to move on.”
Amanda Dlamini captained South Africa women at the 2012 Olympic Games in London
Dlamini’s journey into co-commentary is rooted in her illustrious career as a professional footballer.
After calling time on her playing career in 2018, having featured 105 times for Banyana Banyana, she began her broadcast career with TV punditry on domestic matches in her homeland.
“Interpreting a game is not always easy. It comes with confidence,” she said.
“Personality wise, I’m not someone who talks quite a lot, and having to speak for 90 minutes was pushing me out of my comfort zone. I didn’t think that I would do it.
“The 2013 Afcon was my first big tournament [as an in-studio TV pundit].
“I can’t tell you how nervous I was. I thought everyone could just feel how my heart was pumping through the microphone.”
“It was my birthday the previous night, it was the best birthday present ever,” Dlamini said as she looked back at the country’s achievement.
“I was crying for two minutes; I couldn’t say a word in commentary.
“It was just such a beautiful moment – not just for that group, or class of 2022, but for all the other women that have been trying to win this important accolade.”
Athletics dream
Since retiring Dlamini has been involved in initiatives with world governing body Fifa
Dlamini’s sports career may have been on the football pitch but growing up in KwaZulu-Natal province she competed in many sporting codes and wanted to become a sprinter.
Economic hardship hindered her pursuit of that dream and instead turned her attentions to football.
“I was a sprinter [over] 100m, 200m and 400m but a lack of resources back in the rural areas hampered my progress into athletics,” the former midfielder explained.
“I fell back into soccer, because at every corner boys were playing football and I just stood out as the only girl.
“I just continued and pursued it until I had to move from home at 14 to try and follow this footballing career, because I needed to find an all-girls team so that I can progress and make it into the national team.
“That on its own was very difficult, to leave my parents and my family behind.
“Every milestone, every achievement every opportunity for me, it’s almost like it’s a full circle moment of coming back to the young Amanda who was always dreaming of those opportunities.”
Dlamini’s pioneering role at the men’s Nations Cup this year underscores her determination and resilience in chasing her dreams.
And she hopes this milestone can have an impact with other women across the continent in pursuing their aspirations.
“I started this journey simply because when I looked around back home, young girls who were my age back then, 12 or 13, were being forced to drop out of school because they had to go get married at a very young age,” Dlamini reflected.
“And I thought, ‘Aren’t their dreams valid? Does anyone care what it is that they want to do for themselves?’
“So, I’m hoping that with this opportunity that I’ve been afforded they can see that it’s okay to chase their dreams. But also, when the platform is there, don’t be afraid to be the first.”
