JS Kabylie of Algeria came from behind to beat Libya's Al Ittihad 3-1 Friday and stay in contention for an African Champions League semi-final place.
The 3rd placed Algerians are now one point behind 2nd placed Al Ittihad in the Group A standings. The visiting Libyans had needed only a draw to effectively seal a berth in the last 4 and looked to be on their way when Salem Rewani got a touch to a cross from new signing Yohann Langlet in the 19th minute for his 6th goal of this year's competition.
But JSK were level within 3 minutes as Boubakeur Athmani slammed home a stunning left footed volley from outside the penalty area.
A diving header from Nabil Hemani 10 minutes into the 2nd half put the home team into the lead and substitute Youcef Saibi made sure of the 3 points with his 1st touch after coming on, powering home a header unmarked in the 69th minute.
The Algerians were playing their 1st game under new coach Moussa Saib, the former Spurs and Valencia midfielder.
The match was played in Kouba instead of Tizi-Ouzou on the orders of the Confederation of African Football after crowd disturbances at JSK's last home game in the competition.
Group A leaders Etoile Sahel of Tunisia, who are already through to the semi-finals, host Morocco's Royal Armed Forces in Sousse on Saturday.
02 August 2007
Libyan club Al Ittihad were fined $5,000 dollars by the African Football Confederation (CAF) for the violent scenes which marred their African Champions League Group A tie with Moroccan side FAR Rabat, it was said Wednesday.
During the encounter at Rabat, Morocco on 21 July, players and technical staff of Al Ittihad attacked 3 journalists and some opposition players. They also assaulted an assistant referee before wrecking the changing rooms.
The violent scenes had taken place following FAR's match winning goal in the 90th minute.
On top of the fine, CAF have handed down disciplinary sanctions to 3 members of the technical staff and player Mohamed Zubya, CAF's technical commission said as reported by Moroccan press agency MAP.
Zubya was suspended from all CAF competitions for a year.
Serb coach Branko Melnitch and team doctor Alexander Asto were banned from the bench and the changing rooms for the next match against FAR Rabat on 3 August in Tripoli.
31 July 2007
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has slapped a one year ban on defender Mohamed Zubya of Libyan side Al Ittihad.
Zubya was given the ban after he tried to punch assistant referee Peter Edibe during a Champions League clash against FAR Rabat of Morocco 2 weeks ago.
Several players and officials Al Ittihad were also involved in the incident after a controversial injury time winner secured win for the home side in Rabat.
Al Ittihad's Serbian coach Branko Melnitch and 2 other officials from the club were given a one match ban each for bringing the game into disrepute.
The trio will miss this weekend's return leg of the Champions League encounter in Tripoli.
Caf also fined Al Ittihad US$ 3,000 for the incident.
The triumph revived FAR Rabat 's expectations of reaching the semi finals as it was their 1st triumph of the group campaign.
The Libyan side, who are 2nd in Group A, are still favourites to advance as they are 3 points adrift of leaders Tunisian side Etoile, who have 7 points.
FAR are bottom of the group with 3 points, same as JS Kabylie of Algeria.
23 July 2007
The Al Ahly juggernaut marched impressively forward in the CAF Champions League at the weekend, keeping up their 100 per cent record with an emphatic 3-0 triumph over Tunisian opponents Esperance in Group B.
But such are the standards that the Egyptian giants are setting these days that they came in for a roasting from their Portuguese coach Manuel Jose after the encounter, who criticised them for not playing well inspite of the margin and manner of their win.
It is a measure of Cairo club that Jose felt his players did not take the encounter seriously enough. "We could have scored more goals," mentioned the taskmaster.
Al Ahly's triumph, which came courtesy of 3 superbly taken goals, means they are within 2 points of a securing semi-final place with 3 games left to go in the group phase.
They can secure their berth in the final 4 on the 1st weekend of August when they meet Esperance again, this time at the November 7 Stadium in Rades, Tunisia.
They look likely to be joined by surprise package Al Hilal, who Sunday won a 2nd successive Group B game and now sit 3 points behind Al Ahly.
It was not an easy triumph though for the hosts, who grabbed a 2-1 triumph over ASEC Abidjan with a last gasp winner.
The goal came 6 minutes from time from Yusuf Mohamed, who is chasing a 3rd Champions League winners' medal. He won the competition twice with his Nigerian club Enyimba in 2003 and 2004 and is one of 4 Nigerians imports at Al Hilal.
Ndubuisi Eze and Kelechi Osunwa were the other 2 who played Sunday at the Al Hilal stadium and were a constant thorn in the side of the ASEC Abidjan defence.
Eze got the 1st goal early on in the game, profiting from ASEC's failure to clear a long ball through the midfield.
But the Ivorian champions, who have suffered a mini slump in recent weeks, gamely fought back and looked to have secured a valuable away point when Idrissu Abdul Nafiu fired in an equaliser in the early part of the 2nd half.
ASEC's Ghana born forward is looking among the best players in the Champions League this year however his club are now in desperate trouble.
ASEC, along with Esperance, remain firmly rooted to the bottom of the standings and if the Ivorian side are still to make the semis, as they did last year, it will take a dramatic turnaround.
Esperance, too, are facing difficult times, not totally unsurprising given the tur over of 3 coaches in 5 weeks at the club. Their problems in Cairo were also exacerbated by the suspension of their captain Moyin Chaabani for internal disciplinary reasons.
But there does remain a bright light for Tunisia with Etoile Sahel going top of Group A in emphatic fashion.
It had taken all of 50 seconds for the home side to take the lead at Sousse over Algeria's JS Kabylie, with Amine Chermiti signaling his return from playing with Tunisia's U-23 side at the All-Africa Games with a swift run onto a speculative ball from midfield.
JSK had their chances to equalise in the 1st half, however Etoile wrapped up the triumph with 2 quick 2nd half goals, the last of which was a breathtaking piece of skill from winger Ja, an import from the Cape Verde Islands.
He was a constant thorn for the Algerian defenders and then showed his deadly class by jinxing his way past 2 of them, cutting inside and then sticking the ball into the net from an acute angle with the outside of his foot.
Etoile said their pre tournament status as group favourites as they moved onto 7 points. "We have the side that is able to march on and attain its objectives," assures their French born coach Bertrand Marchand.
Etoile have won all of Africa's other annual club competitions however never the Champions League, even though they played in 2 of the last 3 finals. They currently have a 3 point lead over Al Ittihad of Libya, who suffered defeat at Morocco's Royal Armed Forces in Rabat.
The next round of Champions League games will be played on the weekend of 3-5 August.
22 July 2007
An early goal set up Tunisia's Etoile du Sahel for a comfortable 3-0 home triumph over JS Kabylie of Algeria in their Champions League Group A match on Saturday.
The result preserved Etoile's unbeaten run in the group and kept the Tunisians on course for the semi-finals for the 3rd time in 4 years.
Amine Chermiti slid home the ball after chasing on to a long pass from the centre line, getting 1st to Khaled Melliti's speculative drive forward to beat JS Kabylie's keeper Faouzi Chaouch.
JS Kabylie had several chances to pull back a goal before half time, the best being Tayeb Berramla's free kick which struck the crossbar.
Etoile scored 2 goals in 5 minutes shortly after half time to seal the win.
Captain Mejdi Ben Mohamed scored from close range in the 48th minute after Cape Verdian import Ja had his initial shot blocked and the rebound fell perfectly for Ben Mohamed.
Ja added the 3rd in the 53rd minute with a touch of individual brilliance, twisting past 2 defenders and hitting the ball home on the outside of his foot from an acute angle.
In the other Group A match also on Saturday, Morocco's FAR Rabat scored a dramatic injury time winner to secure their 1st points of their group campaign.
But the controversial nature of the goal against Al Ittihad of Libya set off a 10 minute fracas nearer to the end of the match.
Forward Jawad Ouaddouch got a glancing header to a long range effort however looked to be in an offside position, setting off an invasion of officials and a fight between players.
Libyan substitute Mohamed Zubya, who did not play in the match, was sent off for running onto the pitch to take part in the uproar.
Al Ittihad's Serbian coach Branko Smiljanic had to be restrained from attacking the referee and then players from the opposing team.
Television replays showed Ouaddouch's goal to be legitimate and came only as FAR Rabat seemed condemned from a 3rd successive group game without scoring.
Nigerian referee Emmanuel Imiere was besieged by players and officials of the Libyan team at the final whistle and had to be rescued by security officials.
FAR Rabat remain bottom of the standings whilst Al Ittihad are 2nd with 4 points from their 1st 3 matches.
18 July 2007
Inter veteran Luis Figo said that that he would like to win the Champions League at San Siro before ending his career.
The former Portuguese international had originally been set to join Al Ittihad in the summer, however the move collapsed when he terminated his agreement with the Arabian club.
'I am very happy to be here, even though the next year will be very different from the 6 months I could have lived in Arabia,' Figo informed La Gazzetta dello Sport.
'We all would like to do well and we have good objectives. It is logical that my main target remains the Champions League,' continued the former Real Madrid star.
'Even if I am 35, I still dream of winning as much as I can. I really hope I will be able to play often, especially the important matches. That is every player's wish.'
Figo explained that the main reasons behind his decision to remain at Inter were the supporters' affection and President Massimo Moratti's wish to keep him at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
'After it became clear that there were some problems with Al-Ittihad, I started to consider different options. During the party for the Scudetto I was moved by the fans singing my name and asking me to stay. Then I spoke to Moratti, it is not easy to say no to him, think me. He is a unique person in football, once you know him you cannot avoid helping him make his dreams come true,' concluded Figo.
18 July 2007
Aberdeen were offered the opportunity to link up with Egyptian side Al Ittihad to secure some of Africa's most promising players.
The Dons are currently on tour in Egypt, and Al Ittihad director Sherif Ibrahim said, "We can send the best skill to Aberdeen for our benefit. We are seeking Aberdeen's help to establish a more professional structure to make us the leading side in Egypt."
Dons manager Jimmy Calderwood added, "I think this can only help Aberdeen."
Aberdeen take on Arab Contractors, Al Aliminum and Al Ittihad to shape up in time for the new Premier League season, and Ibrahim informed the Scottish Daily Express of his club's wish to learn from their Scottish visitors.
"Some of our players would in the future, be sold on to larger clubs in Europe to the mutual benefit of Aberdeen and Al Ittihad. We are the eyes of Africa and there are lots of players only as talented as Mido, however they must be developed," he added.
"We have contacts throughout the continent, especially in Tunisia and Algeria, however these players need to move abroad to improve."
The idea will be discussed by the Pittodrie board next week.
04 July 2007
AFC Champions League quarter-finalists Al Karama claimed a domestic double after winning the Syria Cup thanks to a 2-1 win over Al Talia.
Al Karama, who won the league title in May, came from behind as 2nd half substitute Abdalrahman Akkari headed home the winner in the 3rd minute of stoppage time to bag their 5th Syria Cup title.
The triumph means Al Karama will be joined in next season's AFC Champions League by league runners up and this year's fellow qualifiers Al Ittihad for the 3rd consecutive season.
Al Talia nearly opened the scoring after 10 minutes however Firas Kashoush saw his powerful header from inside the area saved by Al Karama goalie Mosab Balhous.
But they had taken a deserved lead 3 minutes before the break when Yamen Aboud's powerful drive inside the area was blocked by Balhous however he knocked in the rebound.
Al Talia's joy lasted only 2 minutes as defender Hossam Al Rifai fouled Al Karama's Senegalese forward Senghor Koupouleni inside the area and Fahd Aodi drove home the resultant spot-kick only before the break.
Al Karama's display enhanced in the 2nd half and Jihad Al Hussain hit the woodwork in the 79th minute.
However, Al Karama struck at the death as Brazilian defender Fabio Santos' flighted free kick was headed home by Abdalrahman Akkari.
30 June 2007
The J-League 1st division side Kashiwa Reysol acquired Brazilian forward Reinaldo from Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad, club officials mentioned Friday.
The 28 year old striker, whose complete name is Reinaldo Da Cruz Oliveira, once played for Kashiwa and scored 6 goals in 12 games in 2005.
The terms of his contract was not immediately known.
Kashiwa have currently 7 wins, 5 draws and 5 losses for 26 points to lie in 6th place in the 18 team league competition.
26 June 2007
Algerian club JS Kabylie sack their coach Azzedine Ait Ajoudi.
He has become the 1st casualty of the group phase of this year's African Champions League JS Kabylie lost 1-0 to Libya's Al Ittihad at the weekend.
Ait Ajoudi was removed after only 8 months as coach and no replacement has yet been named.
Last year JS Kabylie used 3 different coaches in 6 games in the group phase of the Champions League, where they finished bottom of their group.
