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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 Jan. - 2 Feb. 2000 Issue No. 466 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 Jan. - 2 Feb. 2000 Issue No. 466
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters African briefs
Hayatou re-elected
ISSA Hayatou, president of the Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) was re-elected at the 24th CAF General Assembly in Accra for another four-year term. Hayatou polled 47 votes against only four votes for his opponent Armando Machado, president of the Angolan Football Federation. Hayatou was first elected in Morocco in 1988 and won two successive elections, Senegal in 1992 and South Africa in 1996.
The position of first vice president was won by Farah Addo of Somalia, whose lone challenger, Joab Omino of Kenya, withdrew at the last minute.
Vice President of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) Hamada Imam suffered a humiliating defeat in the elections of the CAF Executive Committee, achieving only six votes out of 52. Imam's defeat could affect Egypt's chances of organising the 2004 African Nations' Cup. The CAF congress has not taken any decision yet concerning this issue because the two candidates, Togo and Benin, who are bidding as joint hosts, and Egypt have not yet sent their govenments' approval.
Salim Aloulou of Tunisia retained the post of African representative in the FIFA Executive Committee. Aloulou polled 39 votes against his challenger, Abdel-Raouf Al-Serri of Libya.
Breaking records
ALAIN Gouamene made a record seventh appearance at an African Nations' Cup final when he played against Togo on Monday. Gouamene, 33, was chosen as Côte d'Ivoire's first goalkeeper for his country's opening Group A match in Accra. Gouamene bettered records held by Cameroon defender Emmanuel Kunde, Algeria's Rabah Madjer, Ethiopian Worku Mengistu and striker Abdoulaye Traore from Côte d'Ivoire, who have all played in six finals of the biannual championship.
Gouamene first played at the 1988 finals in Morocco and has participated in every African Nations' Cup since. He is particularly remembered for his penalty shoot-out save in 1992 when Côte d'Ivoire won the event at the end of a marathon game with Ghana in Dakar, taking the trophy 11-10 on penalties after extra time.
Nevertheless, Gouamene has to play in all three of Côte d'Ivoire's group games in Accra if he is to better the record of the most games played at the Nations' Cup -- currently held by Kunde. Gouamene has played 21 games since his first appearance in the championship, while Kunde played 23 games during his career with Cameroon which ran from 1982 to 1992.
Nigeria shrugs off fears
CHOLERA and violence have struck Nigeria's cup venues since the beginning of the finals on Saturday, but organisers say spectators and some of the world's leading players should not fear. Nigerians point to the false prophecies of disaster before last year's World Youth Cup, which passed off with all but a few minor glitches in a country of 108 million with a reputation for chaos.
"We successfully hosted the world during the Youth Cup last year. I do not think hosting Africa for its Nations' Cup will be a big deal for us," Paul Bassey, spokesman for the Nigerian organisers, said.
Amokatchi wins the bet
NIGERIA'S former captain Daniel Amokatchi will have some explaining to do at home after Nigeria blasted Tunisia 4-2 in the opening game of Group D in the cup. Before the game, Amokatchi's Tunisian wife, Nadia, told her husband that Tunisia would beat Nigeria's Super Eagles and prove the North African team's supremacy in the continent.
"My wife Nadia was bragging about Tunisia beating us on Sunday. She told me that they recently beat Ajax Amsterdam in their preparation for the championship. I tried to persuade her that beating the Eagles is something hard to do, but she did not believe me and was living a dream that turned into a nightmare," Amokatchi told reporters after the match.
Kick polio out
FIFA and the CAF will use the African championship to support the World Health Organisation (WHO) and its partners in their campaign to rid Africa of polio. Special messages during radio and television coverage of the championship, as well as in-stadium messages and signage are among the ways in which FIFA and the CAF will use Africa's prime football event to help the WHO "kick polio out of Africa". The international campaign to eradicate the disease by the end of the year 2000 is sponsored by the WHO, Rotary International and UNICEF.
(Compiled from news dispatches)
