Former Champions Through To Group Phase of CAF Champions League

Former Africa champions Zamalek of Egypt and Entente Setif of Algeria have joined Zambia’s Zesco United in the group stages of the African Champions League.

Zamalek grabbed a late equaliser against Mouloudia Bejaia of Algeria to progress 3-1 on aggregate.

Setif, African champions in 2014, were held to a goalless draw at home by Sudan’s Al Merreikh but go through on the away goal rule having earlier drawn 2-2 in the first leg.

Zambia’s Zesco beat Mali’s Stade Malien 2-1 on Tuesday to complete a 5-2 victory on aggregate to reach the Champions’ League group stage for the first time.

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

In that competition, former African champions Esperance of Tunisia booked their place in the play-off round of the competition on a 4-2 aggregate win over Tanzania’s Azam.

They have been joined in the next stage by fellow Tunisians, Stade Gabesian who beat Zambia’s Zanaco 3-0 on aggregate while Sagrada Esperanca of Angola went through at the expense of  V Club Mokanda of Congo.

Former Champions Through To Group Phase of CAF Champions League

Former Player Says LVG Can Succeed At Man Utd

Javier Hernandez believes Louis van Gaal is still capable of turning Manchester United’s fortunes around – despite being told he was surplus to requirements by the Dutchman.

The Mexican striker has taken the Bundesliga by storm this season since leaving Old Trafford for Bayer Leverkusen in September.

Hernandez was named Bundesliga player of the month three consecutive times in November, December and January and has scored 16 goals in 25 league games so far this season.

In contrast, United have struggled in front of goal and are currently in danger of missing out on Champions League qualification as they trail both Arsenal and Manchester City by four points with five games to play in the race for the top four.

Many would forgive Hernandez for harbouring resentment towards Van Gaal for the manner in which he was forced to leave Old Trafford.

But the 27-year-old still respects the beleaguered United manager and says he can guide the club back to the summit of English football if he is given more time.

“He is a really good manager to be honest,” Hernandez said, speaking exclusively to Sky Sports News HQ. “He has his own ways like all the managers in the world.

“You will not find the new Sir Alex Ferguson in the next 50 or 100 years because he was unique. He was special.

“Van Gaal can do it but in football, time and results are going to speak about if he is the main man or if he is not.”

After being loaned out to Real Madrid during Van Gaal’s first season in charge, Hernandez was told by the Dutchman that Wayne Rooney would be his first-choice striker and his chances in the United first team would be severely limited if he stayed.

While Hernandez has scored freely for Leverkusen, United have struggled in front of goal and are on course to shatter their record for lowest goals scored in a Premier League season.

The Red Devils have managed just 40 goals from their 33 games so far, while their previous low of 58 goals was set in 2004/05.

Anthony Martial is United’s top scorer in the league with eight goals while Rooney is second with seven. Their combined total of 15 league goals is one less than Hernandez has managed for Leverkusen.

Given how the season has gone for both parties, many United fans have questioned the decision to sell Hernandez but he says it was made clear to him that he was no longer wanted at Old Trafford.

“He just told me that my chances to play would be very hard,” Hernandez said. “I appreciate that he was very honest since the beginning.

“When I left, he told me my chances and my opportunities were going to be less because his main striker was going to be Wayne Rooney.

“If he wasn’t fit for example, I was going to play but when he was ready he would play.”

Credit: Skysports

Former Player Says LVG Can Succeed At Man Utd

Former Italy Manager Cesare Maldini Dies At 84

Former AC Milan defender and Italy coach Cesare Maldini has died, aged 84.

As a player, Maldini won four Serie A titles with Milan, as well as their first European Cup in 1963. He then managed the club between 1972-1974.

In 1996, he became the coach of Italy – with son Paolo captaining the team – before going on to lead Paraguay in the 2002 World Cup.

AC Milan tweeted: “Goodbye dear Cesare. Today the world loses a great man and we lose a page of our history.”

Credit: BBC

Former Italy Manager Cesare Maldini Dies At 84

Influx of Arms, Ammunition Worrying – Former Security Coordinator

A Former National Security Coordinator, Kofi Bentum Quantson, has described as worrying the seizure of arms and ammunition in recent times by the security agencies.

 

 

A vehicle with a huge number of cartridges was  on Monday impounded by custom officials at the Aflao border in the Volta Region last week.

 

Custom officers in the region impounded the vehicle which was carrying over one million packs of short cartridges or bullets together with sealed packs of dried leaves believed to be Indian hemp.

 

 

According to officials, the same vehicle has made about six entries into Ghana per the records, and it is feared the same items were being cart into the country from either Nigeria or Togo.

 

 

The items were concealed in a compartment on the floor of the vehicle.

 

 

About a fortnight ago, police in the Ashanti Region also arrested an Ivorian national with a large cache of arms and ammunition.

 

The suspect, 72-year old Moro Sata, claims to have received the arms from Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Niger. Also arrested were four Ghanaian accomplices whose names were not disclosed by the police for security reasons.

 

 

 

 

 

The arms included anti-aircraft guns. Other arms and ammunition seized were 11 AK 47 assault rifles, 10 G3s, 45 automatic sidearm, 9mm AK 47 tracer ammunition, one machine gun, one clocking handing, 45 automatic G3 ammunition, four firing pins and five 12.7mm ammunition.

 

 

Sata was said to have mentioned Abdul Kadri Aria, another Ivorian, as the source of the arms supplies.

 

 

According to the police, some of the automatic guns can fire continuously for six hours unless they are destroyed by rocket-propelled grenades.

 

 

 

 

Speaking on these developments, the former National Security boss described the news as disturbing particularly when the country will go to the polls in 2016.

 

 

“It is worrisome if it is 1 million cartridges; but I noticed that it is the cartridges for the short gun . All the same, I would like to find out whether they were meant for local consumption or they went for re-smuggling outside Ghana. Everything that has to do with arms and ammunition being smuggled, and that is a cause for worry,” he said.

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Citifmonline.com

 

 

Influx of Arms, Ammunition Worrying – Former Security Coordinator