African Youth Games 2010 to be held in Morocco

Morocco will in May this year host the inaugural African Youth Games. The games, which will see participation from all the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) members, will be held in the cities of Rabat and Casablanca.

The Botswana National Olympic Committee CEO, Tuelo Serufho, told the Sunday Standard that the games had been organized by ANOCA, of which Botswana is a member, and would be held on the 9th to the 15th of May this year in Morocco.

Serufho noted that the games are targeting young African athletes, both girls and boys of 15-17 years, and about 14 sports codes will be featured at the continental event.

“A total of 14 sports codes will see participation at the games, among them athletics, basketball, boxing, fencing, football, gymnastics, Judo, rowing, swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, swimming and gymnastics,” he said.

He stated that all the other disciplines’ competitions will be held at Rabat whereas swimming and gymnastics will be held at Casablanca. He further stated that it may be possible for Botswana to partake in all codes except for fencing, which is not a familiar sport in the country.

Serufho also asserted that the Youth games will assist in preparing athletes for the upcoming Youth Olympics Games in August in Singapore.

“We believe that the games will also precisely prepare athletes for the Youth Olympic Games and, at the moment, we are engaging those eligible to participate in Singapore to use these games as a preparation platform,” he said.

Serufho explained that since there is a local Olympic organising committee, they are working closely with them and also considering what sports codes to take for the games as well as how many participants they can hopefully send.

The Africa Youth Games are also hoped to only be limited to sports encounters for the young across the continent but will also include a culture and education programme as well as act as a catalyst in promoting friendship, unity and peace.

The Games will come three months before the first ever Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and will give the young athletes a unique opportunity to train for the major event.

From : sundaystandard.

New Gary Player Course Opens in Morocco

Gary Player was on Morocco's Atlantic coast over the weekend to unveil his newest golf course design at Golf de Mogador, located in the historic port town of Essaouira. Player inaugurated the course by leading guests in a ceremonial opening round during the first Mogador Classic Tournament.

After the round, Player commented, "I am blown away by the beauty of what we have created here in Essaouira and my greatest hope is that the course increases tourism and creates jobs for the warm and gracious people of Morocco."

Built among the sand dunes, the ocean-view layout has generous fairways and reasonable putting surfaces to account for seasonal windy conditions, making the challenging course playable by all golfers. Player utilized the existing dunes and vegetation to define the holes and minimize the environmental impact.

The grand opening celebrated the completion of the first of two signature courses at Golf de Mogador. Also during his visit, Player inspected the second 18 holes currently under construction, and was pleased with the progress, commenting that it will complement the first course nicely. The second course is slated to open in late 2010, providing Morocco with 36 holes of championship golf.

For more information about the development, visit http://www.golfdemogador.com/.

Factbox: Rashid Ramzi

Factbox on Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi who was stripped of his Olympic 1,500 metres gold medal for doping at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Born July 17, 1980 in Safi, Morocco.

Early career

Won the silver medal for Morocco in the 1,500m at the African Junior Championships in 1999.

He moved to Bahrain at the end of 2001 where he was offered a job in the military and later gained citizenship.

Major achievements

In 2003 Ramzi won gold in the 1,500m at the Asian Championships before making his mark on the international scene with a silver medal at the world indoor championships in the 800m in 2004.

Ramzi ended Hicham El Guerrouj's 29-race unbeaten record in the 1,500m in July 2004 making him one of the favourites for the Olympic title in Athens.

He fell in his Olympic semi-final and finished 11th.

In 2005 Ramzi completed an unprecedented middle distance double winning the 800 and 1,500m titles at the world championships in Helsinki.

At the 2007 world championships in Osaka, he finished second behind Bernard Lagat in the 1,500m.

Ramzi won Bahrain's first Olympic medal when he beat Kenya's Asbel Kipruto Kiprop to take gold in the 1,500m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Doping violation

In April 2009, Bahrain's Olympic Committee announced Ramzi had failed a dope test from the Beijing Games for the banned blood-booster CERA, after frozen samples were re-tested specifically for that substance.

The International Olympic Committee announced on November 18 Ramzi was being stripped of his gold medal for anti-doping violations.

Reuters.

Dramatic finale for Africa

If it was drama you wanted, African World Cup qualifying was the place to be this weekend. Nigeria and Cameroon became the latest teams through to the finals - joining Ghana, Ivory Coast and hosts South Africa - but in very different circumstances.

The Indomitable Lions booked their place at an African record sixth finals with a straightforward 2-0 victory in Morocco to win Group A, but Nigeria's passage from Group B was far more convoluted. The West Africans were facing another awkward World Cup failure until Obafemi Martins' late effort saw off Kenya 3-2 in Nairobi, meaning the Super Eagles leapfrogged a Tunisian side that lost in Mozambique.

But while this was dramatic, it was nothing compared to events in Cairo. Needing to beat Group C leaders Algeria by two clear goals to stay in the hunt for South Africa, Egypt's one-goal lead deep into injury time was not enough. But in the fifth minute of stoppage time, as a nation's heart sank, substitute Emad Moteab looped home a header for a famous 2-0 win.

"We achieved victory after having lost hope," government paper Al-Gomhuriya admitted in a front-page headline. Given that both Egypt and Algeria finished tied on points, goal difference, goals scored and head-to-head records, the bitter North African rivals must meet again in a sudden-death play-off in Sudan on Wednesday.

"We played under war-like conditions," said Mohammad Rawrawa, head of the Algerian FA. "It was difficult to perform well but we will win on Wednesday because the atmosphere will be calmer."

After Amr Zaki scored after just two minutes, both sides wasted opportunities and, as the fourth official signalled for added time, Algeria had a foot in their first finals since 1986 - qualifying on goal difference - until Moteab's late, late show. The result sparked rioting in the Algerian capital Algiers, where a handful of Egyptian businesses were ransacked, and in the French port of Marseille as tensions spilled over. In and around Cairo itself, there were also incidents with 12 Egyptians and 20 Algerians injured - some of the latter being wounded after their bus was stoned. That's been a familiar theme, with some Algeria players saying the match should not have gone ahead after their bus was attacked by Egyptian youths on Thursday.

"Allowing this game to go ahead was recklessness," said midfielder Khaled Lemmouchia, one of three players who reported injuries. "In our side, some players were pallid; others were effectively paralysed before the game. We played with injured players. I had three stitches on my scalp and nobody asked me if it was of any discomfort."

Just hours before, Egypt's World Cup grip was hanging by a thread, so too was Nigeria's. Trailing Group B leaders Tunisia by two points before the game, the Super Eagles were kissing the World Cup goodbye with just seven minutes left in Nairobi and the score locked at 2-2. Kenya's Dennis Oliech and Allan Watende had cancelled out strikes from Martins and Yakubu, but then Martins hooked in a close-range second to spark wild celebrations across Nigeria.

Yet the hard-fought win would have been academic had Tunisia triumphed in Mozambique, but the under-performing Carthage Eagles lost their first qualifier since June 2008 as they went down 1-0 in Maputo. Dario Monteiro was the local hero as he rifled home after 83 minutes to fire Mozambique to their first Nations Cup since 1998.

It meant the Super Eagles, who had contested three straight World Cups before missing out in 2006, topped Group B with 12 points, one more than a stunned Tunisia - although many Nigerian fans were in similar disbelief.

"We were determined to make Nigerians happy (and) I am proud to be part of this victory," said John Mikel Obi, who broke down in tears afterwards along with Kanu and Joseph Yobo.

The twists-and-turns of Nigeria's and Egypt's fortunes mean Cameroon's qualification, thanks to a 2-0 win in Fes, seems mundane in comparison. But in reality, the Indomitable Lions worked their magic in September, when twice beating Gabon to go from bottom to top of Group A in the matter of five days.

Against a dispirited Atlas Lions side, Achille Webo opened the scoring before superstar captain Samuel Eto'o doubled the lead shortly after half-time - Cameroon's fourth straight win ensuring they finished on 13 points, four clear of second-placed Gabon. It capped a marvellous five months for French coach Paul Le Guen, who revitalised the campaign of an African giant that had also missed Germany 2006.

Now the former Lyon and PSG boss is hoping for a contract extension from the Cameroonian federation, who had given him a short-term deal with a brief to reach South Africa. "I would like to continue," he said. "And if this is also the sentiment of Cameroon football leaders, then I will. It is very likely."

In the remaining Group A tie, Floyd Ayite made sure of Togo's Nations Cup place when his goal beat Gabon 1-0 in Lome - the Togolese finishing five points ahead of Morocco, who failed to register one win in the group. That just left the small matter of who would make the Nations Cup from Group E, which Ivory Coast had won long ago. And the Elephants ended unbeaten when thumping Guinea 3-0 in Abidjan, Siaka Tiene wrapping up the scoring after Gervinho's brace.

The Guineans thus finished bottom with three points, one less than Malawi who are celebrating a first Nations Cup since 1984 - despite losing 1-0 in Burkina Faso, where Moumouni Dagano's 12th qualifying strike separated the sides.

"I am proud to be a Malawian!," said Malawian fan Lawland Suzgo Mwale in an online celebration. "We can do much better than rich countries like the 2010 World Cup hosts. We salute you boys and keep on making us proud!"

With Group D's various qualifiers having been decided last month, World Cup-bound Ghana fielded some Under-20 world champions in the 2-2 home draw with Mali. Over in Khartoum meanwhile, Sudan's hapless campaign ended with a 2-1 defeat at home to Benin, meaning the Sudanese's solitary point was eight fewer than their nearest rivals. Ghana won the group with 13 points, Benin came second with 10, while Mali boasted nine.

For the record, the 14 teams joining defending champions Egypt and hosts Angola at January's Nations Cup are Cameroon, Gabon, Togo, Nigeria, Tunisia, Mozambique, Egypt, Algeria, Zambia, Ghana, Benin, Mali, Ivory Coast, Guinea and the Flames of Malawi.

From soccernet.espn.go.com.

BORDEAUX WAIT ON CHAMAKH

Bordeaux president Jean-Louis Triaud admits he remains in the dark about whether Marouane Chamakh will sign a new contract.

Chamakh's current deal expires at the end of the season and the Morocco international has been offered terms to stay with the French club.

He recently revealed that he would not rush into a decision over his future amid speculation he could move to the Premier League next summer.

Arsenal, Sunderland and West Ham have all shown an interest in the 25-year-old in the past, while Manchester United have recently been linked with a bid.

Triaud confirmed there have been no developments regarding Chamakh's future and acknowledged it is up to the front man whether he stays with the French champions.

"There is nothing new on that case so far," Triaud told Le Quotidien du Foot.

"Am I confident? I must admit I don't know what to say.

"Our improved contract offer is still valid. Now, it depends on him, rather than on me.

"You will have to ask him the question. It is up to him to make the decision."

By Patrick Haond sportinglife.

Iran wins 6 medals at World Karate Championships

Iran's karate practitioners have won three silver medals along with three previous golds at the World Junior and Cadet Karate Championships held in Rabat.

Sajjad Ganjzadeh won the silver after he was defeated by his Italian rival 5-2 in the 76 kg category final on Saturday.

In the 57 kg class, Shahin Jafari got the second silver for the Iranian side when he lost to his Egyptian opponent 7-0 in the final.

Abolfazl Shahjerdi took the third silver for Iran after being beaten 3-2 against a karate practitioner from Venezuela.

The Iranian Karate team had already won three gold medals at the three-day event to top the standings.

In 2008, Iran snatched the title at the 9th Asian Karate Federation (AKF) Junior and Cadets Karate Championships which was held in Malaysia.

The World Junior and Cadet Karate Championships has been held in Rabat, Morocco from November 12-15.

HRF/MMA presstv.

Cameroon, Nigeria qualify, Egypt to play again

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Cameroon and Nigeria reached the World Cup finals on Saturday but the last available African berth for the 2010 finals was left hanging by a dramatic last-gasp goal in Cairo.

Cameroon set an African record of six World Cup qualifications after beating Morocco 2-0 away to ensure their place in South Africa next June. Nigeria saw their fortunes turn around on as they came from behind to win their group.

Nigeria recovered from a halftime deficit to beat Kenya 3-2 away and overhaul Tunisia whose hopes crumbled in a lacklustre 1-0 defeat in Mozambique in their last Group B game.

Egypt and Algeria failed to settle the outcome in Group C and will play off in neutral Sudan on Wednesday.

Emad Moteab's 95th minute goal in Cairo saw Egypt beat Algeria 2-0 to ensure a deadlock at the head of the standings.]

Algeria were just a minute away from holding out for their first World Cup finals appearance in 24 years when Moteab struck with a looping header at the back post

He had come on a substitute for Amr Zaki who had given Egypt the lead in the second minute of the game

Samuel Eto'o scored his ninth goal of the qualifying campaign as Cameroon made sure of top place in Group A with a win over injury-hit Morocco.

SLIM HOPES

Achille Webo had handed the visitors a 1-0 halftime lead in Fes where Morocco were opening a new stadium. Cameroon eventually finished four points clear of Gabon whose 1-0 loss at Togo put paid to their slim hopes.

Nigeria finished one point ahead of Tunisia as the outcome of Group B see-sawed between the two countries. Their last matches were staged simultaneously.

Nigeria looked out of the running as they trailed at halftime to Kenya but two goals from Obafemi Martins and one from Yakubu Aiyegbeni enabled them to turn around their fortunes and ensure an emotive win in Nairobi.

"This is a typical Nigerian side which you can never rule out when it is faced with adversity," coach Shaibu Amodu told reporters.

Tunisia would have qualified had they won in Maputo but showed little attacking initiative and conceded a late goal to Dario as Mozambique kept up their unbeaten home record in the 2010 qualifiers.

Tunisia had qualified for the last three World Cup finals.

Saturday's matches also saw the final places at January's African Nations Cup finals determined with Malawi, Mozambique, Togo and Zambia grabbing the last available berths.

By Mark Gleeson Reuters.

Cameroon Qualifies for World Cup

Cameroon 2, Morocco 0

FES, Morocco, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Cameroon completed a fine recovery after a stuttering start to their World Cup qualifying campaign to reach the finals in South Africa with a 2-0 away win over Morocco on Saturday.

The Indomitable Lions have now qualified for an African-record six World Cup finals appearances.

Cameroon started the final day of Group A action just a point ahead of Gabon but their progress to South Africa was never in any doubt after they scored on 17 minutes against a depleted Morocco.

A shot from Spanish-based Achille Webo caught the home defence unawares.

Samuel Eto'o grabbed the second goal seven minutes into the second half with a shot from the outside of his boot after a header into the penalty box from Jean Makoun. It was his ninth goal in 11 starts in the 2010 qualifiers.

Cameroon had been bottom of the group standings in mid-year, leading to the firing of German coach Otto Pfister.

His replacement, Frenchman Paul LeGuen, engineered the recovery, appointing Eto'o as captain, and won four successive qualifiers to ensure top place in the group.

Cameroon finished on 13 points, four clear after Gabon lost away to Togo who won thanks to a 71st minute goal from Emmanuel Adebayor.

Before the match, Adebayor had promised to double his team mates' match bonus if they won.

Togo finished third in the group to secure an African Nations Cup final berth in Angola in January.

By REUTERS nytimes

American killed in Morocco rally

RABAT, Nov 13, 2009 (AFP) - An American taking part in an auto rally has been killed after his car plunged into a ravine in Morocco's Atlas mountains, the official MAP news agency reported Friday.

Frank Warren, 63, was killed and his British companion was badly injured and taken to hospital.

The accident happened between the towns of Midelt and Khenifra in the Atlas mountains as the pair were taking part in the Casablanca Challenge rally. The car came off the road near the village of Ait Oumina, MAP said.

The British woman was taken to hospital in Meknes.

© Copyright AFP 2009.

Soufiane Alloudi: RCA 'on course to do well' in GNF1

Returning from a year's play in the UAE, Raja Casablanca striker Soufiane Alloudi vows to raise the level of play in the Moroccan Premier League.

Raja Casablanca striker Soufiane Alloudi, who was named Morocco's top male athlete in 2007, has come home. After spending a year in the United Arab Emirates, the footballer has returned to play in the Moroccan Premier League. The former Moroccan forward spoke to Magharebia about his time at Al Ain Emarati and his ambitions for his team.

Magharebia: Could you tell us a little about your experience with Al Ain?

Soufiane Alloudi: I learned a lot of things with the club in the United Arab Emirates, of course. Every experience is an asset and a bonus. I can honestly say I gained valuable experience at this club, which is highly professional in terms of technique, marketing and football tactics, especially the relationship between the players and the manager. I really loved playing for the team. I was with some great people and was well trained. The club is managed by a team of professionals who know exactly how a football team should be run. Basically, everything was geared towards getting players to give the best of themselves.

But I must also say that I still need the Moroccan league to raise my game, in particular by acquiring a new and more effective pace. At the same time, I really hope our league will move forward and develop. I want our league, like the European leagues, to achieve a better, exciting and convincing tactical standard. I think my return will not contribute a great deal to the national league, but the return of other international players like Amine Erbati, Bouchaib Lmabareki and Abdelhak El Arif will raise the standard of the league.

Magharebia: What's your view of Raja Casablanca following the departure of Mozer and the return of José Romao?

Alloudi: I think the players didn't have a great rapport with their manager, Carlos Mozer. In fact, the players and the manager weren't getting on. There were always problems, which were often useless. The team couldn't go on like that. In my view, harmony between the players and their manager is necessary and essential if we are to move forward.

Magharebia: Does that mean that José Romao is the right man for the job at the moment?

Alloudi: Definitely. As for myself, I have a very good relationship with all the staff at my club, Raja, and particularly with our Portuguese manager, José Romao, who is a friend to me and my team-mates. I think this manager has the respect of both the players and the management of the club. Everyone within a team has to get on, in my opinion. You have to have a rapport and friendship between the players and the manager so that both sides can discuss things.

Magharebia: Do you think RCA is ready for the challenges of the next few matches, especially against Arab and African sides?

Alloudi: I believe Raja Casablanca now has everything it needs to move forward, so I'm absolutely certain that our team will meet the challenges of these matches. We're not going to give up. The players want to win all these competitions, both national and Arab, for our wonderful fans who always support us and also for the image of this great Moroccan football club. In a nutshell, I can tell you and reassure all of Raja's fans that we're on course to do well in all of our competitions this year.

Magharebia: And what about the Moroccan national team?

Alloudi: First of all, I should point out that I've been out of the national team for a year because of my injury, but I always follow all their matches. In general, the problem that the national team has is that there is no consistency in terms of which players are selected. And that's no secret. All the matches for the combined World Cup and 2010 African Cup of Nations qualifiers were played by different line-ups. But it's acceptable for our national team to be lacking a certain consistency in terms of its players. All I can say is that the players all respect one another, and that's fundamentally important for any team. I hope their match against Cameroon in Fes will have a positive outcome and that it will help reconcile the fans and the team. We really need that to happen.

By Hassan Benmehdi for Magharebia in Casablanca

Geremi - 'we are almost ready'

Cameroon star Geremi says the squad are focussed on beating Morocco in Rabat on Saturday - a result which will take them to the World Cup in South Africa.

But he admits that the current generation harbour hopes of beating the Indomitable Lions' record at the tournament in Italia '90.

Then they were beaten by England after extra-time in the quarter finals in Naples.

"We are looking to try to do better than we did in '90," he told the BBC.

But Cameroon have to beat Morocco in Fez on Saturday to secure a place at the global showpiece.

The Indomitable Lions lead Group A by a point from Gabon, who play Togo in Lome.

Togo and Morocco are vying for the remaining Africa Cup of Nations spot from the group.

Cameroon have turned around their qualifying form after a defeat and a home draw in their first two games.

New coach Paul Le Guen, who replaced Otto Pfister in the job midway through the campaign, has brought a new professionalism to the squad, according to Geremi.

"We started very badly, and we know that is not good," he told the BBC's African sports programme Fast Track.

"The first thing [the coach brought with him] is professionalism.

"If things are working now it's because he brought us this kind of mentality.

"He is a top professional and a great manager."

The squad have been camping in Portugal ahead of the game on Saturday and will travel to Morocco on Friday.

From BBC

Three players pull out of Morocco squad injured

Three players have withdrawn from Morocco's squad for their final World Cup qualifier against Cameroon in Fes because of injury.

Midfielders Mbark Boussoufa from Belgium's Anderlecht and AJ Auxerre's Kamel Chafni plus defender Abdeslam Ouaddou have all pulled out of Saturday's match with valid medical certificates, coach Hassen Moumen told a news conference.

Their withdrawals further weaken a team already hit by the absence of Girondins Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh through suspension and the dropping of Nancy's Youssef Hadji.

Moumen named Mourad Aini of Raja Casablanca and Azzedine Hissa of HUS Agadir as cover.

Morocco, bottom of the group, must win the match to have any chance of qualifying for January's African Nations Cup finals in Angola in while leaders Cameroon need victory to ensure their progress to the 2010 World Cup finals.

From soccernet

Morocco lose CAS appeal over Togo player

Morocco have lost an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for the award of a 3-0 victory in a World Cup and African Nations Cup qualifier with Togo, who they believe fielded an ineligible player.

Togo defender Abdul Mamah played in the 0-0 draw in Morocco, two weeks after appearing against Gabon in a game he should have missed due to the accumulation of yellow cards.

Morocco suggested Mamah's one-match ban should have applied to the following match - their fixture with Togo in Rabat - and requested a win by forfeit in the contest which acted as a World Cup and African Nations Cup qualifier.

FIFA, however, ruled Togo's match with Gabon should be forfeited 3-0 - Gabon were 3-0 winners anyway - and CAS supported the ruling made by world football's governing body.

A CAS statement read: ''The FIFA regulations do not mention the player who failed to serve a game suspension is automatically suspended for the next game.''

Morocco are bottom of qualifying Group A and require a win over group leaders Cameroon - themselves chasing group victory and a place at the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa - to have any hope of advancing to the African Nations Cup finals in Angola.
From soccernet

Morocco Coach Counting On Youth Against Cameroon

Hassan Moumen has revealed that he is certain his new look squad can get a good result in Fez on Saturday...

Moroccan national team coach Hassan Moumen has told liondelatlas.net that he is feeling confident ahead of his side’s final World Cup qualifier against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, even though he is relying on a team that is missing no less than 14 players who he has overlooked for the match.

“We acknowledge the absence of 14 senior players but we’ll do everything in our ability to win this match with the players we’ve called up, I think that the seniors here and the 12 locals will do everything possible to win even though the challenge will be a bit difficult,” he said.

Meanwhile, the tactician also indicated that he had spoken to a few players from the team that failed miserably in its task of qualifying for the World Cup. Now they have to at least make it to the African Cup of Nations in Angola.

“I spoke to Taarabt, Baha, Dirar, and Benatia who are all young but are still the ones in the group who have been with us the longest. They’re all motivated and will have it in their heart to get a good result,” he explained.

Rami Ayari, Goal

2010 CAN qualifiers: Morocco to play Cameroon with a faint hope

Rabat - Never in its history of World and African cup of nations qualifiers has the Moroccan squad been in such a difficult situation. Having been eliminated from the World Cup, the Atlas Lions cling to a faint hope of qualifying for the African Cup.

The Lions have been the weakest link in their group. They close the rear with 3 points from five games: 2 defeats against Gabon (at home 1-2) and away (1-3), and three ties with Togo (0-0, 1-1), and Cameroon (0-0). The last game provided a good opportunity for Morocco to win, in view of the poor performance of Cameroon, but the Lions missed it again.

These qualifiers are then the worst in the country's football history since 1962. One would find it hard to explain why a squad, only recently a runner-up of the 2004 African cup of nations in Tunisia, slips in such a downward trajectory, being unable to score a single win.

However, the squad is clinging to a glimmer of hope, which can only be achieved if they defeat Cameroon and wait for Togo to lose before Gabon, which is a difficult equation, all the more so because the squad is suffering from the absence of the majority of key players for injury or for the accumulation of yellow cards.

Moreover, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, in shape, are set on grabbing the points of the game to qualify for 2010 South Africa.

The two teams met eight times. The Indomitable Lions won in four games, with the other four ending in a tie. History is then in favour of Cameroon, so will the Atlas Lions tip the balance in their favour or are they raising their hopes too high?

From map