Poland and Japan punched their quarter-final tickets at Dominican Republic 2024, while Kenya made history with a first ever World Cup win.
Kenya will forever remember the day as well, as they defeated Mexico for a first ever win in any World Cup, men’s or women’s, while Korea DPR continued to show their class in a dominating performance against England to win Group C.
On a still Caribbean evening, some 12,000 kilometres from home, Kenya made history. First half strikes from Valerie Nekesa and Lornah Faith were the nation’s first at any FIFA tournament, male or female.
They also led to the nation’s first win, the 2-1 result seeing them leapfrog the evening’s combatants Mexico into third in the group.
The first of those history-making strikes came on the quarter hour as a lofted ball from deep found Joan Ogola who raced free down the left before squaring for an unmarked Nekesa who tucked home from close range.
Kenya doubled the lead late in the opening term with Faith doing well to control a lofted ball and then laser a left-footed effort past Camila Vazquez.
Mexico, after a VS review, grabbed a stoppage-time consolation from the spot via Alexa Soto.
Kenya coach Mildred Cheche said after the game: “It feels great, I’m so happy for the girls because they gave it their all and at the end they got a win.
“I want to say thank you very much to all the Kenyan fans who were watching at 2am and now our motivation is to stay together, keep training and try to qualify for the next World Cup.”
Tabofa United Football Club has officially parted ways with head coach Francis Kimanzi and his assistant Yusuf Chipo following a series of disappointing results in the 2024/25 NBC Tanzanian Premier League season.
The club’s management cited underperformance as the primary reason for the dismissal, which comes after eight matches in which the team accumulated only eight points. Currently, Tabora United sits in 11th place on the league table.
Kimanzi’s departure marks the sixth coaching change in the NBC Premier League this season, further highlighting the high turnover of managers in Tanzania’s top-flight football.
The tipping point for Kimanzi came after Tabora’s 4-2 defeat at the hands of JKT Tanzania, a game that saw the team suffer their heaviest loss of the season.
Coach Nicholas Dupuis has officially announced the provisional 33-man squad for South Sudan’s national football team, the Bright Stars, as they prepare for the upcoming 2024 TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) Qualifiers.
The team is gearing up for an intense series of matches, with training sessions starting Tuesday, October 22, at Juba National Football Stadium.
In the CECAFA regional qualifiers, South Sudan will face Kenya in the first round of the knockout stages. The winner of this tie will advance to the second stage to play either Djibouti or Rwanda, with the victor securing a spot in the CHAN 2024 finals.
The first-leg matches are scheduled between October 25 and 27, 2024, while the return-leg matches will take place from November 1 to 3, 2024.
This edition of the CHAN tournament will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania from February 1 to 28, 2025—the first time in CAF history that three nations have co-hosted the event.
As the hosts, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have already qualified, leaving CECAFA with one additional representative at the tournament, alongside three teams from other African regions.
CHAN 2024 PROVISIONAL SQUAD
Juma Jenaro – GK, El-Merriekh SC BentiuGodwill Yugusuk – GK, Jamus SCNicolas Madeng – GK, Zalan FCMachakos Marko – GK, El-Huriya FCRehan Angier – RB, Munuki FCOman Mobil – RB, Malakia FCWani Ivan – LB, El-Merriekh SC BentiuEmmanuel Maku – LB, Jamus SCEmmanuel Sebit – LB, Malakia FCPal Paul – CB, El-Merriekh SC BentiuSamuel Taban – CB, Jamus SCAtir Thomas – CB, El-Merriekh SC BentiuBenjamin Laku – CB, Jamus SCMadut Chol – CB, Amarat UnitedChol Peter – DM, El-Merriekh SC BentiuMandela Malish – DM, Munuki FCSunday Peter – DM, Kator FCJoseph Malish – DM, Kator FCKenyi Shadrack – DM, Malakia SCChudier Abraham – AM, Kator FCNelson Victor – AM, Munuki FCOmar Luate – AM, Jamus SCYohanna Paulino – W, Jamus SCSijali Ismail – W, El-Huriya FCEmmanuel Jowang – W, Malakia SCEbon Malish – W, Jamus SCTito Lukciir – W, Simba FCPatrick Oleyo – F, Viva Stars FCAllan Museven – F, Nyakurón FCMabior Herijok – F, Malakia SCKeer Mangar – F, Atlabara FCMakueth Wol – F, Kator FCEmmanuel Udu – Position TBD
The Bright Stars are expected to bring their best form to the qualifiers, with key players from top local clubs aiming to secure a final spot.
Their opening match against Kenya will be a significant challenge, but South Sudan could make history by progressing further in the competition with the right preparation.
Hosts Tanzania are the winners of the TotalEergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) CECAFA qualifiers.
The Ngorongoro Boys put up a spirited fight to defeat Kenya 2-1 in the final played at the KMC Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.
After a well-balanced first half that ended goalless, the Kenyan team got off their blocks first after recess to score through Hassan Kitsao after 48 minutes. He capitalised on a well placed Aldrine Kibet through pass to place the ball past Tanzanian goalkeeper Anthony Mpemba.
The home side pushed forward and pinned the Kenyan defending line. After a defensive lapse with the Kenyan defenders failing to clear their lines, Valentino Kusengama netted his fifth goal of the tournament after 64 minutes to make it 1-1.
The Ngorongoro Boys continued to dominate play in the midfield and gave no room for the Kenyan attacks to get space.
With the clock ticking away Sheikhan Khamis put Tanzania ahead with a well taken shot from outside the box that the Kenyan goalkeeper failed to stop.
It was all celebration for the Tanzanian team after the final whistle as they also celebrated revenge against the Kenyan team that beat them by the same score in the group stages.
Harambee Stars duo of Bryne Omondi and Geoffrey Ochieng aver that the team would be on the brink of sealing a ticket to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals had the team not been staging home matches in Uganda.
Stars are staring at the possibility of spectating in the 2025 finals, set for Morocco, as Zimbabwe are closer to punching the remaining ticket in Group J of the qualifiers. Should Zimbabwe hold Stars to a draw when the two sides meet next month in the second leg, the Warriors will sail through at the expense of Stars, with a match to spare in the group.
The two players feel Kenya would not be in this position had rounds one and four of the qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Cameroon been played in Nairobi rather than Uganda. Kenya has been hosting her home matches at the Mandela Stadium in Namboole, Uganda due to the ongoing renovations at Kasarani Stadium and the inability of Nyayo to stage the qualifiers.
PLAYING IN UGANDA HURTING STARS’ CHANCES
The two players believe that the team would not have dropped five points had the matches against Zimbabwe and Cameroon had the matches been played in Nairobi. Stars were held by Zimbabwe to a barren draw and lost 1-0 to five-time African champions Cameroon in what would have been home matches.
The two matches were staged in Uganda with Football Kenya Federation locking out fans in the tie against Cameroon which would have attracted fans in their droves given the big names in the Indomitable Lions’ team.
Omondi, who has started in three of the four qualifiers played so far, regretted that the support from the 12th man hasn’t been coming forth, much to the disadvantage of the team. “I don’t think we would have dropped points in the two matches played. We played well in the two matches against Zimbabwe and Cameroon but honestly, it felt like we were honoring an away assignment. I am sure Kenyans would have shown up in big numbers to push us to get maximum points,” said Omondi in an exclusive interview with SportsBoom.
His sentiments were backed by Ochieng, who claimed that Cameroon were already through to the finals because of partly, playing home matches in front of fans. Ochieng, who was part of the last round of qualifiers against the former champions, said he was conscious of the magic fan support can do in getting positive results having witnessed it firsthand at Gor Mahia.
“I really wish the team would have played in an atmosphere like the one we encountered in Yaounde. The connection between the Cameroonian players and fans was there for all to see. They pushed the team throughout and in the end, they won the match convincingly. Fan support is always crucial and the lack of it in the two matches played has been felt,” said the Gor left back.
THERE IS STILL HOPE
Despite the back-to-back losses the team suffered at the hands of Cameroon, the two players are far from losing hope of getting the ticket to Morocco. Their aspirations will only come to pass if Kenya beats Zimbabwe and Namibia next month, in matches that will still be played in away territory as Kasarani has not been passed fit as of yet.
Beating the two teams will not be enough as Stars will have to hope that Cameroon will do them a favour by flooring Zimbabwe in Yaounde. Omondi acknowledges that the team owes Kenyans redemption and a ticket to Morocco just as promised before the start of the qualifiers.
“We have to redeem ourselves in the remaining two matches. We were expecting to get something from the matches against Cameroon but we didn’t despite playing well in the second leg. We are capable of winning the two matches and qualifying for the AFCON,” said the Bandari shot-stopper.
An opening encounter with tournament debutantes Kenya in Group C tested England’s mettle throughout, but a composed penalty conversion from Lola Brown and a late strike from Lauryn Thompson did the trick at CFC Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros.
England found their stride just shy of the half-hour mark when Omotara Junaid’s fizzing ball hit the hand of Kenya’s Halima Imbachi in the area.
Brown was tasked with penalty-taking duties and calmly tucked home for the goal.
The chairman of the National Team Committee, Michael Daniel, and the Secretary General of SSFA, Victor Lawrence, met with the South Sudan Senior National Team, Bright Star, after their match against Uganda in the AFCON qualifiers.
The team lost the game 2-1, and the meeting was held to discuss the issues facing the team and the reasons behind their loss in the last two games against Uganda, both home and away.
According to Michael, the meeting was fruitful as all players spoke frankly about the way forward.
The administration of SSFA has promised to work hard to ensure that everything is in place for the upcoming match against Congo and South Africa.
Michael confirmed that the team is given 48 hours before it resumes training ahead of the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 against Kenya.
Kenya maintained their unbeaten run in the TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) CECAFA Qualifiers with a 4-0 victory against Djibouti.
Kelvin Wangaya scored a brace, while Hassan Kitsao and Lawrence Okoth also had their names on the score sheet.
The win sent Kenya to seven points as they now await the last important match against Sudan (six points) on Tuesday to decide which team makes it to the last four. Rwanda who are yet to score a goal in the tournament will face Djibouti in their last Group match on Tuesday.
Uganda and Burundi are the other teams that have already made it to the semi-final stage.
Meanwhile, hosts Tanzania became the third team to book a place in the semi-finals. Going into the Group A match against Rwanda in need of a win, Tanzania made no mistake stopping their opponents 3-0 in a match played at the Azam Complex on Sunday.
Zidane Sereri gave the home side the lead after only 3 minutes with a well-timed diving header to beat Rwanda’s goalkeeper Fils Francois Habineza.
Rwanda tried to settle and fight back, but their attack of Erirone Yangiriyeneza and Jesus Paul Sindi failed to break through the Tanzanian defending line.
After recess substitute Sabri Kondo netted a brace for the home side to ensure they went top of the group and automatically book a place in the semi-finals.
The best two teams will qualify to represent the Zone at the TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to be played next year.
A five-year-old child has been mauled to death by a hyena in Kenya, the East African country’s wildlife service said Thursday, promising that it was tackling the “rising hyena attacks”.
“Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) deeply regret the tragic loss of a 5-year-old child caused by a hyena attack,” it said.
The KWS said the attack occurred on Wednesday evening in Juja, Kiambu County, around 35 kilometres (21 miles) from the capital Nairobi.
The service said it was “intensifying efforts to mitigate human-wildlife conflict in the area” and had launched an operation to “address the hyena threat”.
Since August 8, “following a similar incident in Juja”, the KWS said it had captured and relocated around 38 hyenas.
Local media said a 10-year-old child was also killed by a hyena in the area earlier in the year.
Reports of wildlife straying into human habitats in Kenya have increased in recent years as the animals come under growing pressure from cities expanding into ancient migration and hunting grounds.
In December 2021, hyenas killed two people in 24 hours in a village just 50 kilometres (31 miles) east of Nairobi.
AFP
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]
Kenyan police fired volleys of tear gas Thursday in the heart of the capital Nairobi as small groups of protesters gathered on what was billed as a fresh day of action against embattled President William Ruto.
Riot police patrolled the streets of the central business district, roadblocks were set up on major arteries and many shops were shut down, but barely dozens of demonstrators turned out, AFP journalists said.
The East African nation, one of the most stable in the region, has been rocked by weeks of sometimes deadly protests against Ruto’s two-year-old administration, mostly led by young Gen-Z Kenyans.
While Ruto was overseeing the swearing-in of a revamped cabinet, just a few kilometres (miles) away police lobbed tear gas in the central business district and detained several people.
But otherwise, the streets appeared largely quiet, with a few people going about their normal business.
Television footage from the Indian Ocean city of Mombasa also showed traffic flowing normally and no signs of trouble, and the western lakeside city of Kisumu was also reported to be calm.
Kenya’s acting police chief, Gilbert Masengeli, warned on Wednesday that “criminals” intended to infiltrate the demonstrations and advised people to stay away from protected zones such as the main international airport and Ruto’s official residence and take precautions in crowded areas.
What started as peaceful youth-led rallies against controversial proposed tax hikes have ballooned into wider action against Ruto and what many see as profligate government spending and corruption.
At least 60 people have been killed since the protests began in mid-June, with police accused of using excessive force, sometimes firing live bullets, while dozens of people have gone missing, according to rights groups.
While the rallies have become smaller in recent weeks, posters shared online called for fresh demonstrations on Thursday, dubbed “Nane Nane” or Eight Eight in Swahili, to signify the date, August 8.
In the past, organisers have accused “goons” of hijacking their plans for peaceful action and of stoking violence.
In a bid to tackle the worst crisis of his presidency, Ruto has taken a series of measures to address public anger including scrapping the tax hikes, rejigging his cabinet, and making deep budget cuts.
He said Thursday’s installation of a new “broad-based” cabinet – which includes four opposition stalwarts but also a number of previously sacked ministers, represented the start of a “new chapter” for Kenya’s governance and development.
Ruto took office in September 2022 after winning a closely fought and divisive election against veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, pledging to work for Kenya’s poor and downtrodden.
But he has found himself caught between the demands of international lenders to shore up government finances to enable it to service its massive $78bn debt, and ordinary Kenyans who are struggling with a cost-of-living crisis.
While economic growth has remained relatively strong, estimated by the central bank at 5.4 per cent this year, a third of the country’s 52 million people live in poverty.
AFP
Welcome to DopeReporters, the leading resource for accurate, timely, and influential news. Covering important events in Nigeria and around the world is part of our mission to create stories that have an impact. Giving you a comprehensive perspective on politics, sports, entertainment, current events, and more is our goal.
©2022 DopeReporters. All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by multiplatforms
