From the AFCON Qualifiers to the UEFA Champions League: A Look At Your Daily Dose of Sports Making Headlines

Related image

Harambee Stars managed to qualify for Africa cup Of Nations and now they will be working on Qualifying for CHAN. On the Other side of the Mediterranean See, the European Champions League back on Tuesday, English Side Tottenham are away visiting German team Borrussia Dortmund while Manchester United are missing key players due to injuries will also play away against French Giants PSG on Wednesday.

Take a look at the top football stories:

Harambee Stars’ Schedule of Events Ahead of AFCON Game Is Out

Image result for harambee stars

Finally, Confederation of African Football; CAF has set the dates for the first round of the 2020 Africa Nations Championships; CHAN Qualifiers, where Kenya has been drawn against Burundi.

The first leg will be played in Nairobi between 26th and 28th July this year while the second leg has been slated for 2nd to 4th August in Burundi.

The winner of the tie-on aggregate will face off with either of Tanzania or Sudan in the second and final qualifying round, whose first leg will be played between 20th and 22nd September with the second leg scheduled to be played between 18th and 20th October.

Kenya will be looking to make a maiden appearance at the 16-team tourney, set to be held in Ethiopia in January 2020.

The tournament is reserved exclusively for players actively featuring in their respective National Championships.

Injury-Hit Man Utd Missing 10 As They Head For PSG Showdown

Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez were among 10 first-team absentees as Manchester United travelled to PSG looking to upset the odds on Wednesday night.

Already faced with a mountain to climb after losing the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash, Pogba misses the return fixture at the Parc des Princes because of his late dismissal at Old Trafford three weeks ago.

Sanchez, meanwhile, was forced off midway through Saturday’s 3-2 victory over Southampton and was seen limping away from United’s stadium seemingly wearing strapping on his right leg.

he Chilean joins a lengthy injury list including Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata and Ander Herrera.

Nemanja Matic, Matteo Darmian, Phil Jones and Antonio Valencia have also missed recent games and were not among the 20-man squad that travelled to the French capital.

Eight members who have represented the club’s academy – Tahith Chong, James Garner, Angel Gomes, Mason Greenwood, Scott McTominay, Andreas Pereira, Marcus Rashford and Brandon Williams – have been included in the group.

Tottenham plans to deploy Champions League power play away  against Dortmund

Image result for Tottenham

As Tottenham’s players trained in front of the cameras in a corner of the Westfalenstadion last night, two figures strode across the turf towards the other end of the stadium, deep in conversation.

When they reached the six-yard box at the foot of Borussia Dortmund’s infamous ‘Yellow Wall’, the end the hosts will hope to attack in the first half tonight, they turned to watch the drills and continued to talk.

Mauricio Pochettino has plenty to discuss with his chairman Daniel Levy and perhaps the Spurs manager was requesting help in lobbying the FA and Premier League, having accused them of handing Dortmund “an unfair advantage” in tonight’s Champions League last-16 second leg for leaving Spurs with 24 hours less rest than the Germans.

Image result for Tottenham

Pochettino may, too, have wanted to learn the latest on Tottenham’s new stadium, with the club increasingly optimistic that the draw with Arsenal on Saturday could be their final League game at Wembley.

There are less public settings for such conversations, however, and there is every chance the meeting between the two most influential men at Spurs was little more than a power play — one of the many small details demanded by Pochettino in his ongoing mission to alter the club’s DNA. You need only revisit Pochettino’s comments after the loss to Juventus at the same stage of last season’s competition to understand how important he will have considered Levy’s presence on the pitch.

Chelsea Confirm They Will Appeal Transfer Ban

Image result for chelsea

FIFA has confirmed it has received the Blues’ appeal against the charge.However, no decision has been taken on freezing the sanction while the legal process is ongoing.

Chelsea have previously stated that they “categorically refute the findings of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee”. The ban applied for two transfer windows which FIFA slapped down for breaching rules to protect young players.

Image result for chelsea

In addition, the Blues were fined £460,000 along with the Football Association who were given a £390,000 penalty.FIFA said in a statement: “The FIFA disciplinary committee has sanctioned the English club Chelsea FC and The Football Association for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18.

“Chelsea was found to have breached art. 19 of the Regulations in the case of twenty-nine (29) minor players and to have committed several other infringements relating to registration requirements for players.”

Liverpool staying positive despite blip, says Klopp

Image result for liverpool

Jurgen Klopp has vowed that Liverpool will remain positive as they battle for the Premier League title despite a wobble that has enabled Manchester City to seize the initiative.

Liverpool’s destiny is no longer in their own hands after a goalless draw in Sunday’s Merseyside derby allowed Pep Guardiola’s City to regain top spot with a one-point advantage.

Despite criticism over a lack of creativity, the club have notched five successive clean sheets in all competitions and a Premier League-best 17 shut-outs this season, with just 15 goals conceded in 29 matches.

Liverpool, who have not won the English top-flight since 1990, have drawn four out of their past six league games, leading to suggestions that may be feeling the nerves.

Image result for liverpool

However, with nine matches left to play, Klopp insists his side are not willing to give up hopes of a successful finale to the campaign.

“We are positive — how couldn’t we be positive?” he told liverpoolfc.com.

“There is a lot to come and a lot of games to play. What brought us here was the stability the boys showed. We are difficult to beat, which is very important in football. And we created, still, in difficult games, which is very important in football.

“Then you have to finish them off, which we did very often but not (at Everton).

“The dynamic (at the top of the table) changed a little bit — now we are second, they are first. The season is not over and we will not give up.”

Loew drops Germany stars Hummels, Boateng and Mueller

Germany head coach Joachim Loew dropped a bombshell on Tuesday by announcing that 2014 World Cup winners Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels and Thomas Mueller are no longer in his plans.

Loew told the Bayern Munich trio before he names the squad for the friendly against Serbia in Wolfsburg in two weeks and the Euro 2020 qualifier against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on March 24.

Between them, Hummels, Boateng, both 30, and Mueller, still only 29, boast 246 appearances for Germany and were at the heart of the team which won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

However, last year’s debacle at the World Cup finals in Russia saw Germany crash out after the group stages due to below-par performances from Loew’s trusted stars, including the trio.

Image result for german football squad 2018

“2019 is the year of a new start for the German national football team,” said Loew.

“It was important to me personally to explain my thoughts and plans to the players and managers of FC Bayern,” added Loew, who flew to Munich to speak to the trio.

The 59-year-old, who masterminded Germany’s World Cup triumph in Brazil, thanked “Mats, Jerome and Thomas” for “many successful, extraordinary and unique years together.”

Loew’s decision heralds the end of an impressive international career for Mueller, who broke through as a raw 20-year-old at the 2010 World Cup and went on to score 38 goals in 100 appearances.

Hummels and Boateng, Germany’s successful centre-back partnership before the disaster at the finals in Russia, have played in 70 and 76 internationals respectively.

Image result for boatengs german football

With a year to go before the European championships, Loew feels now is the time to remove more of his old guard having already last year dropped Sami Khedira, another 2014 World Cup winner.

Loew was heavily criticised in the wake of last year’s debacle in Russia for failing to give chances to the reserves, many of whom had won the 2017 Confederations Cup, when his World Cup plans fell apart.

“In the year of qualifying for the European Championship 2020, we are sending out a clear signal: the young national team players will have the space they need to fully develop,” said Loew. “They have to take responsibility now.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *