Al Merreikh of Sudan and Djoliba of Mali could this weekend become the first qualifiers for the 2012 CAF Confederation Cup semi-finals. Merreikh, the only Sudanese club to win a Pan-African club competition, can clinch a last-four spot from Group A if they win at compatriots Al Ahly Shandy and fellow Omdurman club Al Hilal do not lose at home to InterClube of Angola.
The scenario for Group B pacesetters Djoliba is simpler — a win at Wydad Casablanca of Morocco will assure the Bamako outfit of featuring in the knockout stage of the second-tier competition that offers a US$660,000 first prize.
AC Leopards of Congo Brazzaville, the surprise side this season, host 2009 Confederation Cup winners Stade Malien of Mali in the other matchday four fixture with the action spread over three days from today.
Merreikh, winners of the now defunct African Cup Winners Cup in 1989, won 2-0 at home to Ahly two weeks ago in a match marred by post-match stone throwing which hospitalized legendary Egypt goalkeeper Essam Al Hadary.
Ahmed Al Basha claimed his fourth goal to put the match beyond the reach of Ahly, competing in Africa for the first time with the usual Sudanese mix of local and imported talent and coached by Tunisian Mohamed Kouki.
Hilal were held 1-1 in Luanda, Angola, by 2011 Confederation Cup semi-finalists InterClube with Zimbabwe-born striker Edward Sadomba equalizing after Kialunda have nudged the Luanda police team ahead.
However, steamy Omdurman will be less to the liking of the under-performing policemen, who have captured just one point from a possible nine, and any result other than a Hilal victory would be an upset.
Merreikh have seven points, Hilal five, Ahly three and InterClube one halfway through the six-round mini-league phase of a competition dominated by Moroccan clubs recently with FUS Rabat and Moghreb Fes winning the last two editions.
Wydad were runners-up to Esperance of Tunisia in the more challenging CAF Champions League last season and appeared a sound bet to go all the way this year and maintain a record of winning a CAF club competition every 10 years.
However, two draws followed by a stoppage-time loss at Djoliba have left them five points adrift of the leaders and they need maximum points at home to rein in the Malians and boost their own titles chances.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two
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