CAF Set To Increase Club competition Numbers

The group stage of the annual Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup competitions will increase from eight clubs to 16 from 2017, it was announced on Wednesday.

Caf president Issa Hayatou told a meeting of officials from the African football governing body in Mexico City that the new format will feature four four-club mini-leagues.

Since the creation of the flagship Caf Champions League in 1997, there have been two groups of four clubs.

Initially, the mini-league winners qualified for the final. Semifinals were introduced from 2001, allowing group runners-up to also be involved in the penultimate stage.

The Confederation Cup is the second-tier African club competition with a similar format to the Champions League.

Prize money in both competitions is expected to rise with Hayatou confirming a new 12-year media and marketing deal worth more than one billion dollars.

The Champions League winners currently receive $1.5 million and the Confederation Cup winners $660 000.

Caf officials are in Mexico to attend a Fifa congress.

CAF Set To Increase Club competition Numbers

Mazembe On Brick of Champions League Exit

Holders TP Mazembe of DR Congo must overcome a 2-0 deficit against visiting Wydad Casablanca of Morocco in the African Champions League.

The two clubs meet on Wednesday in the second leg of their tie with the winners progressing to the group stages of the tournament.

The losers get a second chance as they enter the draw for the play-offs in the second-tier Confederation Cup.

For the first time continental club matches are being played in midweek.

Mazembe’s French coach Hubert Velud described the club’s players as “incredible professionals” when he was hired this year.

The clubs also met in a last 16 tie five years ago with Wydad winning 1-0 at home and losing 2-0 away only to be reinstated when Mazembe were disqualified for using an ineligible player.

Wydad went on to finish runners-up, the second best showing by the club from the Moroccan commercial capital after winning the 1992 competition.

Mazembe have been much more successful, winning the premier African club competition in 1967, 1968, 2009, 2010 and last year.

But their African campaign this year has been less convincing.

Mazembe On Brick of Champions League Exit

CAF Champions League: Zesco United Too Strong For Stade Malien, TP Mazembe Fall In Morocco

The first leg matches of the second round of the 2015/2016 CAF Champions League were played today across the continent, with some interesting results produced.

The biggest surprise of the weekend happened in the Malian capital Bamako where Stade Malien were thumped by Zambian side Zesco United 3-1.

Moussa Koye Diallo shot the home side into the lead on 18 minute but Mwape Mwelwa equalized for Zesco just before the half time break.

Idris Ilunga Mbombo brace in the 75th and 85th minutes ensured that the Zambian outfit head into the second leg of the encounter with a 3-1 adavantage.

Elsewhere in Casablanca, Abdellatif Noussir and Reda El Hajhouj were bothe on target as TP Mazebe were beaten by Wydad Athletic Club.

The Congolese side will now have an uphill task to overturn the North African side’s 2-goal advantage in the return leg in Lubumbashi.

In the other games on Saturday, Ivorian giants ASEC Mimosa saw off Al-Ahly Tripoli from Libya by – goals to nil in Abidjan with Sudanese outfit, Al-Mareikh sharing the spoils against ES Setif in a 4-goal thriller.

Egyptian side Al-Ahly were also held to a 1-1 draw away at Young Africans while Zamalek saw off OM Bejaia 2-0 in Cairo.

 

CAF Champions League Second Round First Leg Results

Young Africans 1-1 Al Ahly

El Merreikh 2-2 ES Setif

Wydad Athletic Club 2-0 TP Mazembe

ASEC Mimosas 2-0 Al Ahli Tripoli

Zamalek 2-0 MO Bejaia

Stade Malien 1-3 ZESCO United

CAF Champions League: Zesco United Too Strong For Stade Malien, TP Mazembe Fall In Morocco

CAF CC: John Antwi Strikes To Send Ahly Through

Egypt based Ghanaian forward John Antwi came off the bench to book a place for Al Ahly in the last eight stages of the CAF Champions league with a late strike.

 

The 23 year old embattled forward confirmed the Reds progress into the final hurdle with a composed finish to end any slim hopes of their visitors Recreutivo do Libolo.

Dutch trainer Martin Jol forced a 0-0 stalemate in Angola with their dethroned visitors before a nervy 2-0 home win maintained their hopes of returning to continental dominance.

Egyptian sensation Ramadan Sobhy shot Jol’s men into a 10 minute lead after an explosive start to the second leg which threatened to end in a heavy defeat for the Angolan side.

Recreutivo however regrouped and came inches to drawing parity right on the stroke of half time when Senegalese forward bent a goal bound deadball only to be denied by Ahlys custodian Ahmed Ardel.

Antwi, with one league goal to his name all season, was introduced midway through the second department to provide pace upfront and he executed that with a plumb, finished off the Angolan side with his first continental strike of the season.

The normadic forward however look set to cut short his ties with Martin Jols men in three months time with concrete interest from a number of serie B sides in Italy.

Ahly have been rewarded with a mouth watering tie against Tanzania side Young Africans for a place in the gruop stages.

CAF CC: John Antwi Strikes To Send Ahly Through

Absence Of Sold Players Won"t Affect AshGold - Bashir Hayford

Head coach of Ashanti Gold Sporting Club, Bashir Hayford is adamant the players who won the league for the club last season are still around.

The Miners ended almost decades wait to lift the Ghana Premier league title last year. A successful campaign ended with the defending selling about four key players: Lawrence Lartey, Didier Kore and Henry Traore.

Football pundits believes the presence of the trio could have made an impact their Africa Inter-club football campaign which ended abysmally and spur them to defend the league title.

But the former Kotoko technical brainer insist his team won’t miss them.

“Why should it affect my team?” Bashir Hayford quizzed in an interview with Ultimate FM.

“Lawrence Lartey didn’t play that many games with us last season, Didier Kore was mostly coming in as a sub and Henri Traore was not first choice and Yakubu (Mohammed) and (Bernard) Morrison left before the end of the season.

“So all those who helped us win the title are still here. Of course we will remember them but it won’t affect us that much,” Hayford said.

Ashanti Gold has four points out of possible six and will travel to Kumasi on Wednesday to play regional neighbours, Asante Kotoko.

Absence Of Sold Players Won"t Affect AshGold - Bashir Hayford

Champions League Exit Will Not Affect Us - Dabuo

Ashgold goal-keeper Robert Dabuo has ruled out any side effect of their exit from the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) Champions league on the domestic league.

The former Wa All Stars rued their missed chances at progressing in continental football, but believes it will not affect them on the local scene.

The 24 year old goaliee admitted to the missed opportunity at projecting the image of the club across the continent and has rallied his team mates to put their best feet forward when the local action returns on Sunday.

Ashgold threw away a first leg 1-0 win to crush out of the CAF Champions league after a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Algerian side OM Bejaia.

The former Black Satellites goalie revealed his side’s readiness to vest their CAF failure on their domestic rivals instead of collapsing as many are anticipating.

“We are out of the competition which is past and gone at least for now. We have to forget about it and concentrate on our league assignment. Our failure to qualify can never affect us in the league .

“Personally it can never affect my performance as I still have to concentrate and work hard for the team. If we do well in the league, the team also benefits.” Dabuo told sports crusader.

The soft spoken Robert then admitted to seeing his dreams end at the foetal stage of the competition.

“My dream was to reach the money zone but we couldn’t and it still pains me as a player. As a team we believe everybody is capable of representing the club as we returned to the drawing board.” Dabuo concluded.

Champions League Exit Will Not Affect Us - Dabuo

Kotoko Among Top 10 CAF CL Decorated Clubs

Ghana Premier League side, Kumasi Asante Kotoko has been ranked among the top 10 most crowned sides in the Orange CAF Champions League.

ual international club football competition which began in 1964, is run by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The top club sides from Africa’s football leagues are invited to participate in this competition, which is the premier club football competition in the continent and the equivalent to the UEFA Champions League.

And Kotoko, Ghana’s record premier league champions, and two-time winners of the continent’s flagship inter-club football competition in 1970 and 1983, has been ranked as the seventh most decorated club in the competition.

The Porcupine Warriors has also placed second in the competition five times in 1967, 1971, 1973, 1982, 1993 seasons.

Kotoko Among Top 10 CAF CL Decorated Clubs

Gov"t Not Good To Football - Jawula

Former Ghana Football Association president, Alhaji Lepowura MND Jawula has accused government of been a contributing  factor to the decline of local football.

Ghana’s sole representative in the CAF Champions League this year, Ashanti Gold were eliminated from the competition last Sunday and that has extended Ghanaian clubs failure to reach the Group stage of the CAF Champions League since 2012.

And Alhaji MND Jawula believes government’s failure to offer financial support to clubs when they qualify to represent the country is mitigating factor in their quest for success in the continental inter-club football competition.

“All governments have not been good to football and I have been saying this over and over and when we qualified for Africa we are among the few countries where government pays nothing to the clubs,” Jawula told Joy Sports

“If government should even handle the flight and accommodation for our clubs that qualify then they will have money to left over to pay extra bonuses which will motivate the players.

“There are a lot we are not getting right and I think our football authorities should sit with government and to avoid quarreling and fighting over unnecessary World Cup money, let us make the government know where the difficulty is so they can support.” He opined.

Ashanti Gold lost out their place in the competition after suffering a 3-2 aggregate loss to MO Bejaia. Medeama SC remains Ghana’s only Africa representative in the continental inter-club football competition.

Gov"t Not Good To Football - Jawula

Player Exodus Caused AshGold"s Africa Failure - Saani Daara

Communication Director of the Ghana Football Association, Ibrahim Saani Daara has attributed Ashanti Gold’s failure to reach the second round of the CAF Champions League to players thirst for lucrative offers abroad.

Ashanti Gold were knocked out of the continent’s flagship inter-club football competition on Sunday after suffering3-2 aggregate loss to Algerian side MO Bejaia.

And the former British Broadcasting corporation said had they kept all the key players that helped them to bamboozle other Ghana Premier League Clubs to win the league, they would have done better.

“Ghanaian Clubs failure in Africa is worrying to all of us because we were expecting AshGold will do well for us to regain the two slots we’ve lost in the competition,” Ibrahim Saani Daara told Nhyira FM.

“And where their participation ended won’t help matters. There are a lot of factors that contributed to their poor show and the key factor is the exodus (of players abroad).

“A team like AshGold who did very well in domestic front last season you would have expected that they get hold on their star players and compete, but we saw the opposite because of the financial burden on the clubs they had no option than to sell to be able to stay afloat.

“And maybe the players they bought as replacement for those who helped them win the league are not up to their standard.” He said.

Lawrence Lartey and Didier Kore were some of AshGold’s key players who won the league for the Miners last season, but they’ve left the shores of Ghana for greener pastures.

Player Exodus Caused AshGold"s Africa Failure - Saani Daara

Lack Of Concentration Cost Us - Fatau Dauda

Ashanti Gold Sporting Club goalkeeper, Fatau Dauda says the club failure to go past the first phase of the CAF Champions League was down to lack of concentration.

Ashanti Gold were knocked out of the continent’s flagship inter-club football competition, after a 3-1 loss to MO Bejaia in Algeria on Sunday.

And the Black Stars shot-stopper believes they played well and deserved a better result, but lack of concentration cause them dearly.

“We did very well, but just that we were unlucky. All the players gave off their best but the luck was not on our side,” the former Chippa United goalkeeper told Kumasi-based Angel FM.

“We had the game under control but along the line, we lost concentration and they took advantage of that. If you look at the first half, we equalised when they scored and could have even gone ahead.

“When we equalised the referee took certain decisions, but it wasn’t bad. The officiating was not bad. We played well and could have gotten at least a favorable result to qualify,” he noted.

Ashanti Gold booked the ticket to represent Ghana at the CAF Champions League.

Lack Of Concentration Cost Us - Fatau Dauda

Gallery: AshGold In Bejaia

Ghana Premier League side Ashanti Gold left Accra on Thursday night to Algeria for the second leg of the CAF Champions League preliminary qualifier against M. O Bejaia.

The Ghanaian champions touched down to a heroic welcome by the Algerian football fans and media. 

The Miners are expected to train at the Stade de Algerie 24 hours prior to kick off, which is 1700 GMT

Gallery: AshGold In Bejaia

AshGold Arrive In Algeria

A 30-man contingent made up of players and management of Ashanti Gold has arrived in Algeria safely for the second leg of the CAF Champions League preliminary qualifier against M. O Bejaia.

The Ghana Premier League defending champions left Accra on Thursday night via Turkish Airline to Algiers and the official social media handle of the club has confirmed the arrival of the team for the all important encounter.

“Touchdown Ashgold arrives in Algeria. #ashgoldwin #kakai #trashmob” the official Twitter handle wrote.

AshGold won the reverse fixture 1-0 at the Obuasi Len Clay stadium a fortnight ago, a win head coach Bashir Hayford was not impressed with, but remained optimistic of winning the over two legs.

M.O Bejaia on the had described the loss as a win for them and reckon they stand the chance of dropping the Ghanaians out of the continent’s flagship inter-club football competition.

Ashanti Gold are expected to train at the Stade de l’Unité Maghrébine,

Béjaïa , On Saturday, 24 hours to match.

The Confederation of Africa Football, named Sudanese officials Sabri Mohamed Fadul, Mohammed Abdallah Ibrahim (first assistant), and Elmoiz Ali Mohamed Ahmed (second assistant) for the match.

The match will be played on Sunday February 28 and kick off time is 17:00 GMT.

AshGold Arrive In Algeria

Dreams FC Wish AshGold Well

Dreams Football Club have sent a goodwill message to  sister Ghana Premier League side Ashanti Gold ahead of their CAF Champions second leg tie against Algerian giants MO Bejaia on Sunday.

The defending league champions won the first leg 1-0 and left Accra on Thursday night to Algeria and Dreams Football Club, through its Executive Chairman, Kurt Okraku has sent a message to the Miners to do Ghana proud.

Read the full statement below

Dreams Football Club wishes to extend its goodwill to fellow Ghana Premier League club, AshantiGold SC as they embark on a trip to Algeria to face M.O Bejaia in the second leg of their CAF Champions League preliminary round tie.

We believe the quality of the Miners and the sheer desire of their players and officials will be enough to steer the side into qualifying to the next round of the flagship continental club competition.

As the sole representative of Ghana in the CAF Champions League, we believe all Ghanaians must and will rally behind the Obuasi-based club with their prayers and support to help propel the side in their quest to achieve success.

Though a difficult game, especially with a slim 1-0 advantage being carried onto the return encounter, the management, technical and playing body of Dreams Football Club remain confident in the ability of AshGold to cause a massive upset far away Algeria at the weekend.

We wish our brothers the best of luck on their trip to Algeria. STILL BELIEVE!!

Sporting Regards,

Kurt E.S Okraku,

Executive Chairman.

Dreams FC Wish AshGold Well

Ghanaian Clubs Don"t Prepare For Africa - Bashir Hayford

Ashanti Gold head coach, Bashir Hayford has accused Ghanaian clubs of lack of proper preparations when it comes to participation in Africa inter-club football competitions.

Bashir Hayford and his team left Ghana on Thursday night to Algeria for the second leg of the CAF champions league qualifiers against Algerian side MO Bejaia with a slim 1-0 advantage from the first leg.

But the former Asante Kotoko trainer is not impressed with the preparations  of his team, and he reckon the failure of other clubs in Africa is due to what he is experiencing.

“Let’s face facts. We[ Ghanaian clubs] don’t prepare well for Africa. When TP Mazembe wanted to annex the trophy, what did they do?

“They surveyed the whole Africa and signed the best players from there. They were even playing friendly matches with some European teams,” Hayford told Kumasi-based Ultimate FM.

Ghanaian Clubs has not made it to the money zone in Africa since 2012, and Bashir Hayford believes club owners do not invest in the competition.

“Even in Ghana when Chelsea wanted to do well, Mr. Kyeremeh (the owner of Berekum Chelsea) bought players with big names all across the country and they did well. So if you’re going to play against teams like TP Mazembe who have bought players from all over the continent, and you’re also preparing with your local players, do you think you will not do well?” Hayford quizzed.

Ashantigold will face M.O Bejaia on Sunday February 28.

Ghanaian Clubs Don"t Prepare For Africa - Bashir Hayford

Weather Won"t Favour Ashgold - MO Bejaia

Mouloudia Olympique de Béjaïa club captain, Zahir Zerdab has revealed their CAF champions league opponent, Obuasi Ashantigold will have the North African weather to contend with when the two sides meet at the Stade de l’Unité Maghrébine on Sunday.

 

The Algerian side host Ashgold in the return leg tie after losing the first leg by a lone goal at the Obuasi Len Clay stadium and MO Bejaia believe just as the hot weather played to their guests advantage; the second leg at home and with the cold weather should play to their favour.

 

“The weather in Algeria now is good actually, it is around 20-23 degrees and that is a good temperature for play football. Maybe it will be cold for Ashgold as the temperature went against us in Ghana; it was about 28 degrees celsius. This weather will be good for our team but not your team (Ashgold),” Kumasi based, Boss FM.

 

“I want my team to qualify and obviously that is normal,” he added.

Weather Won"t Favour Ashgold - MO Bejaia

Our Morale Is Down - Mo Bejaia

Zahir Zerdab, captain of Algerian club, Mouloudia Olympique de Béjaïa, referred to commonly as MO Béjaïa has  revealed morale in their camp is very low after a disappointing run of defeats going into the second leg tie of the CAF champions league clash against Ashgold.

 

MO Bejaia lost the first leg at the Obuasi Len Clay stadium in Ghana by a Tijani Joshua lone goal in the second half of a game that saw missed chances for either side. The ‘Crab’ as Bejaia is commonly referred to has lost their last two games at home losing to NA Hussein Dey and USM Alger in the Algerian league.

 

Zahir in an interview with Boss FM, said, “our morale is not very well as we have recorded three defeats in a row including the first leg defeat to Ashgold in Ghana.”

 

“We have to immediately halt this poor run of form as the pressure coming in from the fans means they need a win and qualification into the next round in our next game against Ashgold,” he added.

 

This news in addition to an opening game win the 2015/16 Ghana Premier League against Medeama SC should boost the confidence of Ashgold going into the game though Ghanaian clubs don’t have a good record against North African clubs.

Our Morale Is Down - Mo Bejaia

Pictures: AshGold At Kotoka

Players, technical team and management of Ashanti Gold Sporting Club are at the Kotoka International Airport to finalize documents before flying to Algeria for the second leg of their CAF preliminary qualifier against M. O Bejaia.

The team will fly to the North African country via Turkish Airline at 21:25 GMT.

Ashanti Gold, Ghana Premier League defending champions, won the first leg payed a fortnight ago 1-0 at the Obuasi Len Clay courtesy of Joshua Tijani’s strike on the hour mark.

Players await finalization of documents at Kotoka International Airport

AshGold will arrive in Algeria early Friday morning and are expected to lodged in a 5-Star Hotel currently occupied by the ambassador of Ghana to Algeria.

The second leg will take place on Sunday February 28.

Pictures: AshGold At Kotoka

We"re Prepared For MO Bejaia Return Leg - Ashgold

Ashantigold SC defender, Mohammed Kadir has assured fans of the club and all Ghanaians of victory for Ghana’s sole representative in the 2015/16 CAF champions league in their return encounter against Algerian side, MO Bejaia. 

 

The Ghanaian premier league club go into the away the fixture with the advantage after defeating MO Bejaia in the first encounter at the Len Clay stadium by Tijani Joshua lone goal.

Kadir believes with the crop of players available in addition to the preparations made there’s no stumbling block to ensure qualification into the next phase of the knock-out competition.

 

Mohammed in an interview Kumasi based Boss fm said, “we are determined to ensure we secure a victory back home. We very prepared and though we scored just one we will still sure we can score a goal. We’ll target a goal within the first 10 minutes and it won’t be difficult to do that as MO Bejaia are not better off than we are.”

 

“We’ve experienced players within our squad who are used to playing in the North African terrain and that makes us overly confident going into the second leg,” he added.

 

Ashgold left Ghana for Algeria on Thursday morning to acclimatize with the North African weather in readiness for the game on Sunday, February 28 at the Stade de l’Unité Maghrébine.

We"re Prepared For MO Bejaia Return Leg - Ashgold

AshGold To Train At Tema Sports Stadium

Ashanti Gold Sporting Club will hold their final training session in Ghana at the Tema sports stadium before flying to Algiers for the all important CAF Champions League second leg preliminary qualifier against M.O Bejaia.

AshGold won the first leg at the Obuasi Len Clay stadium a fortnight ago by a slim margin.

They will leave Ghana on Thursday evening to the North African country amd continue preparations for the fixture.

Bashir Hayford is certain he has the qualities at his disposal to win in Algiers on Sunday but he was quick to add that the task awaiting the Miners is a herculean one and they must play above the their standard to qualify to the next phase of the competition.

AshGold Ghana Premier League fixture against Asante Kotoko has been moved to March 9 due to their participation in Africa.

AshGold To Train At Tema Sports Stadium

O M Bejaia Welcomes Ashgold For Return Leg With Another Home Defeat In The League

Algerian side OM Bejaia fine tuned their preparation for the visit of Ashgold in the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) Champions league with a second successive home defeat on Tuesday night.

The struggling Algerian top flight campaigners slummed to another 0-1 reverse to league leaders USM Algiers after their midweek elimination from the league cup by NA Husein Dey.

Bejaia succumbed to a lone goal deficit in the first leg of the CAF Champions league away to Ghanaian champions Ashgold ahead of Sunday’s return leg in Algeria.

Mohamned Rabbie Meftah inflicted a third straight defeat on the Algerians and the second successive home defeat with an 84th minute spot kick in the Algerian top flight.

The defeat has now extended Bejaia’s poor run of results to one win in the last six outings, scoring four goals in the process.

USM Alger now opens up a title winning 13 point lead at the top of the pile whiles Bejaia stays a distant 14 on the third place.

Ashgold will be looking to defend their solitary lead when they head to Algeria for the return leg on February 28, 2016 with a vital win over Medeama SC in the GPL season openers.

O M Bejaia Welcomes Ashgold For Return Leg With Another Home Defeat In The League