Five venues set to host matches at 2013 Nations Cup
The number of host venues will be expanded from four to five at next year's Africa Cup of Nations finals.
The South African media had widely reported in the
run-up to Wednesday's offical launch of the tournament that seven venues
would be used.
But the South African Football Association (Safa) said it will only be allowed to name one additional venue.
The venues themselves will be confirmed by 20 April, after the announcement of the host cities was delayed.
The hosts had originally been due to learn their fates on Wednesday at the tournament launch event in Johannesburg.
Safa says it was allowed some flexibility to use five venues, with the country spoilt for choice in terms of first-class stadiums, having hosted the World Cup in 2010.
"There are stadiums in abundance [here], but of course we have to stick to the rules," Safa President Kirsten Nematandani told BBC Sport.
"I must say, even if it's five, for this country, it's far less than what is out there.
"However we've got to abide by the rules
of the tournament, and they were flexible to accept us to go for five,
which we appreciate.
"We only have half the number of nations compared to what we had in the World Cup. Surely we have to stick to that number."
South Africa had 10 host venues for that tournament, eight of whom submitted bids for the 2013 Nations Cup.
Johannesburg, Cape Town, Polokwane, Rustenburg and Nelspruit joined fellow 2010 venues Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth and Durban in making bids.
There had been widespread speculation that seven venues would be used, but Safa's announcement confirmed that three bidders are to lose out when the final five are confirmed.
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) acknowledged the problems involved with having as many as seven venues.
"At one time we were told it was seven venues that will be used," Caf Vice President Suketu Patel told BBC Sport.
"Obviously we don't have a problem with that, but it will create organisational problems for Caf because every city will need an organisation committee and Caf will need to find sufficient personnel to be able to host tournaments in cities."
South Africa were granted the 2013 edition of the Nations Cup after original host nation Libya was deemed an unsuitable venue due to the civil unrest.
The 16-team tournament will take place from mid-January to mid-February 2013, with the winners representing Africa at next year's Fifa Confederations Cup in Brazil.
Africa Cup of Nations 2013
- The 32-match tournament will be played from mid-January to mid-February.
- Host nation South Africa will be joined by 15 other teams.
- The 2013 Cup of Nations will be the 29th edition of the competition.
- More than 20 stadiums in South Africa meet Caf standards.
- Five stadiums are now expected to be used for next year's event.
Strong leadership qualities, experience & the reasons why Marcel Desailly should take the Ghana job
The Ghanaian-born former French international is in line to become the coach of the 2010 World Cup quarter-finalists, but reports suggest that he is in a state of dilemma
The football-loving country of Ghana
is desperately looking for a coach to start working with the national
team before the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign begins.
Marcel
Desailly, a former France international, is the man heavily touted as
favourite to succeed sacked coach Goran Stevanovic. However, unconfirmed
reports have suggested that the 1998 World Cup winner is unsure about
his future if he accepts the Black Stars hotseat.
Don't Miss
Below, Goal.com outlines
a few of the reasons that should give the former AC Milan defender hope
as news becomes rife that the Ghana FA are in talks to persuade him to
take up the position.
5. ELOQUENCE
Desailly
is not a media-shy person and has been trained to face the cameras at
any given time. The Ghana job comes with a great deal of media grilling
and having a coach who is familiar with the intrusiveness and someone
who can think on his feet without fear will only add to the national
team’s advantage.
With such an attribute, Desailly can speak for
himself and get his points across precisely, rather than rely on a
spokesperson, who has often skewed answers or misrepresented former
coaches through badly translated statements.
4. BUSINESS ACUMEN
A
coach must view a football team like running a business in order to
yield results. One of the distinguished defender's accomplishments is
the establishment of the finest state-of-the-art sports centre in Ghana –
a place that the Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire used in times of political
crisis prior of their journey to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
Odenke,
which is Desailly's native name, is a business-minded person and with
his connections across the globe, Ghana is likely to benefit from a
great deal of sponsorship and opportunity because of his personality.
3. PLAYING EXPERIENCE
The
43-year-old has gone through the ranks as a footballer, distinguishing
himself as one of the finest defenders in the history of the game.
Although
he has never won the ultimate individual accolade in world football,
the former France captain was one of the leaders in the squad when his
European side lifted the highest collective prize in the beautiful game –
the World Cup.
He has seen it all as a player from club to
intercontinental championships to world tournaments. The experience and
knowledge that he has accrued as a player would be vital to his charges.
2. COACHING BACKGROUND
Many
pundits have argued that Desailly is a novice because he has no
practical experience in the coaching field. While that may be true, it
should not stand in his path to become Ghana’s coach.
Frank
Rijkaard took the Dutch national team to Euro 2000 with no concrete
experience as a coach and finished at the semi-final stage. In fact, his
side produced the biggest win of the competition in the quarter-finals
with a 6-1 victory over Yugoslavia. Another example of a player with
little experience taking on coaching responsibility is Dunga of Brazil,
and Desailly deserves to be given a chance with the Black Stars.
1. LEADERSHIP QUALITIES
Marcel
has carved a niche for himself worldwide as someone who carries an aura
of respect with him. He is an inspirational figure – and inspiration is
an attribute a coach should always possess to motivate the players or
guide the team through times of difficulty.
The fact that he has
become a Unicef ambassador speaks of his charisma and influence, two
characteristics that will come in very handy when dealing with all the
personalities of a star-studded Ghana squad.
Agent of Tottenham's Khumalo: Bongani has faith in his ability
Getty Images
The South Africa defender is looking to forge a path for himself in English football, and his agent is confident of his chances of doing well despite not yet playing at Spurs
The 25-year-old joined Spurs in January 2011 but has still yet to make a first-team appearance for the Londoners.
Khumalo
was on the bench for the Premier League matches against Newcastle and
Liverpool in February after returning early from his loan spell at
Championship side Reading.
Yet, with Harry Redknapp's side
fighting for Champions League qualification, his agent, Matt Kleinman,
acknowledges that he may have to find game-time elsewhere next season.
"It's going to be very difficult to get into the Spurs team but Bongani has absolute faith in his own ability," he told KickOff.com.
"He's
still relatively young and it was always going to take a little bit of
time to move on to the next level. Maybe he will go out on loan, who
knows? That's very much down to Spurs and how he gets on over the next
couple of months and in pre-season."
WHO'S NEXT FOR SPURS?
11/4
Jurgen Klinnsman and Brendan Rodgers are 11/4 favourites with Paddy Power to be the next permanent Tottenham manager
Khumalo spent the end of his first season on loan at Preston North End
before getting injured, while he played just four times for Reading in a
difficult spell. But, despite his struggle to establish himself in
England since leaving SuperSport United, Kleinman thinks that the
centre-back is now ready to make an impact.
"It takes players a
while to acclimatise to football over here but I think next season will
be very different for Bongani," he added.
"He now feels very comfortable and is settled in the country so hopefully he will get another chance soon."
Ba vs Shearer, Krul vs Given and Ben Arfa vs Robert: How Newcastle's class of 2012 compare to Sir Bobby's European adventurers
As the prospect of the Champions League beckons for the first time in almost a decade, Goal.com compares Alan Pardew's side with Sir Bobby Robson's team of 10 years ago
Newcastle United have gone from the Championship to the Premier League and now find themselves on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League in a remarkable change of fortunes at the Sports Direct Arena.
The Tyneside club became a laughing stock as they slipped out of the
top flight and into English football's second tier three years ago.
| DEMBA BA VS ALAN SHEARER |
|
2011-12
APPEARANCES: 27 GOALS: 16 STAR RATING:  CAREER NEWCASTLE APPEARANCES: 27 CAREER NEWCASTLE GOALS: 16 |
2001-02
APPEARANCES: 37GOALS: 23 STAR RATING: CAREER NEWCASTLE APPEARANCES: 404 CAREER NEWCASTLE GOALS: 206 |
No one will ever be able to replace Alan Shearer either in the record books or in the hearts of the Geordie nation, but Demba Ba has certainly given Newcastle fans as much to shout about as the club’s former skipper. Ba might not have added to his haul of 16 goals for the season in the last seven games but the Senegalese striker has helped bring the best out of compatriot Papiss Cisse, leading the line with the same bravery and physical presence as Shearer once did as he racked up 206 goals for his hometown club.
Like Shearer, Ba is a handful for any defence and the way he put Manchester United to the sword in December showed why he is, arguably, the best signing Alan Pardew has made since arriving on Tyneside.
While Cisse has been a superb foil for his countryman since arriving from Freiburg as Newcastle rely on fast-breaking, attacking football, targetman Shearer and speed-merchant Craig Bellamy also proved to be a massive hit together - despite never seeing eye-to-eye off the field.
| HATEM BEN ARFA VS LAURENT ROBERT |
|
2011-12
APPEARANCES: 23 GOALS: 5 STAR RATING: CAREER NEWCASTLE APPEARANCES: 27 CAREER NEWCASTLE GOALS: 6 |
2001-02
APPEARANCES: 36GOALS: 10 STAR RATING: CAREER NEWCASTLE APPEARANCES: 175 CAREER NEWCASTLE GOALS: 26 |
Sir Bobby Robson used to say that Laurent Robert was the "most difficult player I have ever worked with in my career" and you would expect Alan Pardew to feel the same about his own enfant terrible in the shape of Hatem Ben Arfa. Robson managed to get the best out of Robert following his £9m move from Paris Saint-Germain and was rewarded with a player capable of delivering devilish crosses to Alan Shearer and stupendous finishes but his defensive frailities down the left wing caused frustration.
Ben Arfa has emerged as an unlikely catalyst for the surge towards Champions League qualification on Tyneside, where he has gone from being a bit-part player who was being earmarked for a summer-time move to a winger who gives opponents sleepless nights.
Both players are certainly high-maintenance but they seem to be worth the effort as they provide what Pardew calls a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’.
| CHEIKH TIOTE VS GARY SPEED |
|
2011-12
APPEARANCES: 18 GOALS: 0 STAR RATING: CAREER NEWCASTLE APPEARANCES: 46 CAREER NEWCASTLE GOALS: 1 |
2001-02
APPEARANCES: 29GOALS: 5 STAR RATING: CAREER NEWCASTLE APPEARANCES: 284 CAREER NEWCASTLE GOALS: 40 |
Gary Speed was described as a ‘blue-chip’ player by Sir Bobby Robson and seeing him action made it easy to see why the late Wales midfielder was so highly-rated by his manager, as well as being vital to building the team spirit that bonded a squad of disparate figures. The tireless Speed gave a team that put an emphasis on attacking football a steely backbone, with his fearless performances and incredible energy in the midfield trenches. He also had a knack of scoring goals as his five league strikes proved in that charge towards a place among Europe’s elite.
Cheikh Tiote has his own place in the Magpies' Premier League history thanks to his sensational equaliser in the epic 4-4 draw with Arsenal last season but his combative qualities rather than his goal-scoring abilities are what make him such an influential figure.
They call him Mr T on Tyneside thanks to the Mohican he has cultivated this season and the comparisons with the A-Team character seem appropriate because Tiote is the sort of player who will strike fear into opponents.
He is not only a formidable presence, but he knows his role in the Newcastle team. That may mean he has not scored this season, but it also means that no one is better at halting opponents in their tracks and getting the likes of Yohan Cabaye and Ben Arfa on their way in attack.
Gambian hurdle for reigning African champions Esperance
Title-holders Esperance can book their place in the African
Champions League second round with a win at home to The Gambia's Brikama
United on Friday.
A goalless draw will also be good enough to take the Tunisians through,
having scored an away goal in the 1-1 draw in the first leg.
They will play the match under Faouzi Benzarti, who took charge of the Tunis side for a fourth time late last month.
Compatriots Etoile du Sahel are also in action on Friday, against APR.
A score draw for the Rwandan visitors would take them through and create a major upset, after the first leg ended goalless in Rwanda.
The third game to be scheduled for Friday is the Sudan-based clash between Al Hilal and DFC 9eme Arrondissement, also known as Diplomats, of Central African Republic, with the visitors trailing 3-0.
Al Hilal's great rivals Al Merreikh have a
harder task, hosting FC Platinum with the first leg having ended 2-2 in
Zimbabwe.
Another Zimbabwean outfit also drew its opening game 2-2, with Dynamos hosting Muculmana de Maputo of Mozambique.
But the side with the greatest challenge this weekend is undeniably Raja Casablanca of Morocco, with the three-time African champions needing to overturn a 5-0 thrashing by Ghana's Berekum Chelsea.
Elsewhere, Nigerian challengers Dolphin and Sunshine Stars must fight for survival.
Sunshine must overcome a 4-1 drubbing when they host Recreativo do Libolo from Angola, who knocked out South Africa's Orlando Pirates in the previous round.
Meanwhile, Dolphin take a precarious 2-1 lead over 2008 runners-up Cotonsport Garoua to Cameroon.
"My boys may not have achieved the emphatic victory we hoped for, but I still believe in them and I am confident of a good result in the return match," Dolphin handler Stanley Eguma said.
Continue reading the main story
“We are going to Nigeria with just one thought - victory”Libolo coach Zeca Amaral
In other games, six-time African champions Al Ahly will play a rare competitive match when hosting Coffee,
with the game in Ethiopia having ended goalless.
The Cairo giants must be careful though, having drawn
against Coffee in Ethiopia in 1998 - only to be knocked out on away
goals when drawing 2-2 in the return leg.
There has been no domestic football in Egypt since the Port Said disaster, but Zamalek are also in action this weekend - taking a 1-0 lead over Africa Sports of Ivory Coast to Abidjan.
Also hosting in Ivory Coast this weekend are Amadou Diallo who will be trying to protect a 2-1 lead against Algeria's JSM Bejaia.
Two former champions from DR Congo are also in action as Vita Club and TP Mazembe host AS Chlef of Algeria and Zambia's Power Dynamos respectively - with both first legs having ended in draws.
Another team to draw their opening game away from home were Moghreb Fes, with last year's Confederation Cup winners hosting Horoya of Guinea with the aggregate balanced at 1-1.
Mali's Stade Malien and Djoliba are supposed to be in action, against Tonnerre of Benin and Uganda's URA respectively, although the latter side have not travelled to the match following governmental advice.
Secound Round First Leg Results
- AS Chlef 0-0 AS Vita Club
- DFC 9th Arrondissement 0-3 Al Hilal
- Zamalek 1-0 Africa Sport
- Horoya 1-1 MAS
- JSM Bejaia 1-2 AF Amadou Diallo
- APR 0-0 Etoile du Sahel
- Ethiopian Coffee 0-0 Al Ahly
- Tonnerre 0-0 Stade Malien
- Recreativo de Libolo 4-1 Sunshine Stars
- URA 0-2 Djoliba
- Muculmana de Maputo 2-2 Dynamos
- Brikama 1-1 Esperance
- Dolphins 2-1 Coton Sport
- Berekum Chelsea 5-0 Raja Casablanca
- FC Platinum 2-2 Al Merreikh
- Power Dynamos 1-1 TP Mazembe
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| |
Chelsea's Obi Mikel on Barcelona threat
|
Africa's football fixtures
2012
06-08 April: African Champions League, second round, second legs 06-08 April: African Confederation Cup, second round, second legs
20-22 April: African U-20 Championship, first qualifying round, first legs
27-29 April: African Champions League, third round, first legs 27-29 April: African Confederation Cup, third round, first legs
23 April: 2012 Olympic Games play-off qualifier, Senegal v Oman, Coventry, England
24 April: Draw for 2012 Olympic football tournaments, Wembley, England
04-06 May: African U-20 Championship, first qualifying round, second legs
11-13 May: African Champions League, third round, second legs 11-13 May: African Confederation Cup, third round, second legs
01-05 June: 2014 World Cup qualifying
08-12 June: 2014 World Cup qualifying
15-17 June: 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, second round, second legs
26 July-11 August: Olympic Games football tournament, United Kingdom
07-09 September: 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, third round, first legs07-09 September: African U-17 Championship, first qualifying round, first legs
21-23 September: African U-17 Championship, first qualifying round, second legs
12-14 October: 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, third round, second legs
2013
21 Jan-12 Feb: Africa Cup of Nations, South Africa
16-30 March: African U-20 Championship, Algeria
22-26 March: 2014 World Cup qualifying
13-27 April: African U-17 Championship, Morocco
07-11 June: 2014 World Cup qualifying
14-18 June: 2014 World Cup qualifying
06-10 September: 2014 World Cup qualifying
11-15 October: 2014 World Cup qualifying final round, first leg
15-19 November: 2014 World Cup qualifying final round, second leg
related internet links:
SAFA makes three coaching appointments | |||
| 2012-04-05 | |||
 The South African Football Association (SAFA) has made three vital coaching appointments.Free State Stars’ head coach Steve Komphela has been appointed Bafana Bafana assistant coach and, together with Brazilian Jairo Leal, will assist Senior National Team Head Coach Pitso Mosimane. SAFA has also appointed Simon Ngomane as the head coach of the Men’s Under 17 National Team. His responsibilities will also include national talent identification and development. Ngomane has been in charge of the CHAN team (Development Team), which will now be played by the Bafana local-based players. It will still be coached by Pitso Mosimane and his technical team. Both Komphela and Ngomane’s appointments are with immediate effect. Completing the trio, former Men’s Under 20 National Team coach, Khabo Zondo, is in charge of the Transnet Football School of Excellence. “We are extremely pleased to strengthen the technical team with such quality coaches and SAFA would specifically like to acknowledge Free State Stars for making a really significant contribution to the national cause at this critical stage of the season by making their coach available to Bafana Bafana,” said SAFA CEO Dr Robin Petersen. “We are entering a crucial phase for Bafana Bafana in which we will play the first two World Cup qualifying matches in addition to commencing preparations for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations which will be hosted in South Africa,” added Petersen. Komphela, who will remain as coach of the Free State Stars and assist Mosimane on a part-time basis, has been contracted through until the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Mosimane played alongside Komphela in the 1993 Bafana team, and also worked together with him in the pre-Parreira Bafana Bafana coaching era. The Senior Men’s National Team mentor said he was delighted to be able to partner again with Komphela. “We share the same football philosophy and vision, having played and coached together. Steve brings extra passion, determination, skills and insights and is respected by the players. I am delighted to have him in my technical team,” said Mosimane. | |||
CAF, SAFA sign agreement for 2013 Orange Africa Cup of Nations | |
| 2012-04-04 | |
 The
South African Football Association (Organising Association) has signed
the Organising Association Agreement (OAA) with the Confederation of
African Football (CAF).The symbolic signing took place on Wednesday, 04 April 2012 in Johannesburg following bilateral talks between the two organisations in Sandton. The discussions during the two-day meetings centered on the specifics of the OAA – covering all aspects of the tournament including accommodation, transport, security, media, marketing, broadcast matters and ticketing amongst many other related logistics involved in staging the event. One of the objectives of the visit was to meet the AFCON 2013 Local Organizing Committee (LOC) CEO, Board members, and staff members, to set the framework for an effective and smooth organization of the upcoming competition. “This visit by the CAF delegation signifies that there is no turning back for us. We have covered so much ground over the last two days, and will continue to discuss various issues to ensure a successful event. We believe we are now at a point where it’s now all systems go for the Orange Africa Cup of Nations 2013, and we are looking forward to welcome again all African football fans to our beautiful stadiums” said SAFA President, Kirsten Nematandani. Among others, the meetings were attended by CAF 1st Vice President Suketu Patel, Secretary General of CAF Hicham El Amrani; SAFA President Kirsten Nematandani; SAFA Vice President Dr Danny Jordaan, SAFA CEO Dr Robin Petersen and some AFCON 2013 LOC Board Members. “On behalf of the Confederation of African Football and its President Issa Hayatou, I would like once again to convey my sincere gratitude to the South African Government, the South African Football Association and the people of South Africa for taking up the challenge of hosting this tournament at such a short notice, following the decision to switch the event with Libya – who were the initial AFCON hosts for 2013. As CAF, we have full confidence in South Africa to do a wonderful job – just as they did with the staging of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It will be a wonderful celebration of African football” said Mr. Patel. The Final Draw will take place in the 3rd week of October 2012. The Opening Match will take place on 19 January 2013 and the Final on 10 February 2013. The announcement of the host cities is set to be made by latest 20 April 2012. Five Venues will be selected to host the flagship African competition.
related internet links:
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CAF Champions League 2012 
| African Confederation Cup 2012 |
| Friday 6 Apr 2012 | |||||||||
| 14:30 | FC Saint Eloi Lupopo - Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The | Black Leopards - South Africa |
| ||||||
| 15:00 | Warri Wolves - Nigeria | FC Kallon - Sierra Leone |  Warri Township Stadium 27°CHome match
| ||||||
| 15:30 | ASEC Mimosas Abidjan - Ivory Coast | Etoile Filante de Ouagadougou - Burkina Faso | Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny 27°C Home match
| ||||||
| 17:00 | ES Setif - Algeria | Simba - Tanzania | Stade du 8 mai 1945 9°C Home match
| ||||||
| 17:00 | Cercle de Bamako - Mali | Renaissance - Chad |
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| Saturday 7 Apr 2012 | |||||||||
| 14:30 | US Tshinkunku - Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The | Royal Leopards - Swaziland |
| ||||||
| 15:00 | Club Africain - Tunisia | St. George SA - Ethiopia | Stade El Menzah 16°CHome match
| ||||||
| 16:00 | Club Sportif Sfaxien - Tunisia | AC Leopards - Congo | Stade Taieb Mhiri 16°C Home match
| ||||||
| 17:00 | Enppi - Egypt | Lydia LB Académi - Burundi | Petro Sport Stadium 21°CHome match
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| 17:30 | Wydad Athletic Club - Morocco | Invincible XI - Liberia | Stade Mohammed V 11°C Home match
| ||||||
| Sunday 8 Apr 2012 | |||||||||
| Heartland FC - Nigeria | Union Sportive de Douala - Cameroon | Dan Anyiam Stadium Home match
| |||||||
| 14:30 | GD Interclube - Angola | TANA - Madagascar |
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| 15:00 | Alamal Atbara - Sudan | Hwange - Zimbabwe | Atbra Staduim Home match
| ||||||
| 16:00 | CODM Meknès - Morocco | FS Sequence - Guinea | Stade d'honneur de Meknes Home match
| ||||||
| 17:00 | Ahli Shandi - Sudan | Ferroviario de Maputo - Mozambique | Shandi Staduim Home match
| ||||||
| Monday 9 Apr 2012 | |||||||||
| 17:00 | AS Bamako - Mali | GAMTEL - Gambia | Stade Modibo Keita Home match
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