Latest news with #Caf
BBC News
05-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Stadium security in Kenya a concern as CHAN looms
The Swahili word 'pamoja', meaning together, has been used to describe Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda hosting the African Nations Championship (CHAN), but the neighbours are not in sync when it comes to their level of preparedness for the finals in is set to be the first time a continental competition is co-hosted by three countries, yet the tournament for domestic-based players has already been postponed once because works on infrastructure and facilities had not been top Confederation of African Football (Caf) official says Kenya is "90%" ready, but has warned progress must continue and that stadium safety and security issues need addressing."Uganda we can play yesterday, Tanzania we can play tomorrow, Kenya we can play tomorrow," Caf general secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba told BBC Sport Africa on a visit to Nairobi on Wednesday."In Kenya I have seen training pitches ready, changing rooms ready, stadium seats put in place."They have to keep the momentum."If they stop momentum, we don't want CHAN to be here." Stadium safety Crowd control during big matches in Kenya has been an area of concern in recent March fans forced their way into the Nyayo National Stadium during Kenya's 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Gabon by breaking a incident came during what was the Harambee Stars' first game on home soil in almost two admits that while such a lapse after a long absence of hosting international football is "understandable", it is "not acceptable".With the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) also set to be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, Caf is already taking measures to ensure security standards are met for CHAN."We've launched courses to train policemen, because the way that you manage security in the crowd in the stadium and outside the stadium are different," Mosengo-Omba added."So we train the police how to maintain safety security in stadium and we also train members of federation in order to improve the security."We will continue until the end of CHAN and Afcon." Infrastructure works Kenya will use two multi-purpose venues in Nairobi for CHAN; the 60,000-capacity Kasarani Stadium and the 22,000-seater Nyayo National to the country's local organising committee chief executive Mike Rabar, it is the latter that has concerned Caf the most."The biggest infrastructural set-backs so far are things like the perimeter wall in Nyayo, which should be ready by end of this month," Rabar told BBC Sport Africa."That is why Caf is not 100% giving us go ahead. There are small things."Entrances around the stadium have to be contained with turnstile infrastructure to make sure the traffic is managed in a way that flows in an organised manner."These are things that Caf is adamant about - safe security of the fans."Regarding the Kenya-Gabon game in March, where e-ticketing had been used and sales had ended a day before the game, Rabar said organisers "did well" in some elements."Of course there was infringement from weak infrastructure around the stadium," he added."Those are the spaces we want to focus on."Caf president Patrice Motsepe, who toured East Africa to check progress on CHAN preparations in December, will be expected to visit the region again trip will serve as a crucial deadline for the three host their part, Kenya's local organising committee is eager to be ready by the end of June."What is pending are small things like [computer] connectivity, power issues, communications," Rabar."Caf has set very high standards for us so we are trying to see how do we meet these standards and make sure that by the time we get to the first week of July we can host a game comfortably."Meanwhile, sports ministers from the three host nations have affirmed their commitment to hosting a successful tournament with a budget of $ for a 'Pamoja visa' to facilitate entry and movement are ongoing, and the three countries are also working on providing tax exemptions for equipment brought into their territories.
TimesLIVE
22-05-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
'The design is amazing,' Sundowns keeper Williams quips after Caf reveals a new Champions League trophy
The winner of the Caf Champions League will not only get to be called champions of Africa but would have had extra motivation to win after Caf revealed a brand new modernised trophy in Johannesburg on Thursday. The winners of this competition in 2016, Mamelodi Sundowns, will lock horns with Egyptian side Pyramids FC in the first leg final at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday with the return leg a week later at 30 June Stadium in Cairo. 'It looks amazing and it's much bigger than the previous one, but it looks good. The design is amazing,' Bafana Bafana and Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams said on Thursday after having had a glimpse of what the Brazilians will be fighting for in their third final in the Champions league. 'Now it's settling in that it's [the trophy] here now, it's showtime. But I'm happy they didn't allow me to touch it because I wouldn't have liked to touch it before my captain Mshishi (Themba Zwane). 'He deserves that honour to lift it in 10 days or so, but we can't wait to get our hands on it.'
The Citizen
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Why missing out on the top eight will be 'disastrous' for Chiefs
'You can categorise it as one of the biggest games of the season, it is like a cup final,' said Solomons. Dillan Solomons says Chiefs need to bring a cup mentality into their last Betway Premiership fixture of the season. Picture: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix Kaizer Chiefs right back Dillon Solomons says it will be 'disastrous' if Amakhosi do not make it into next season's MTN8. ALSO READ: Chiefs midfielder yet to discuss new Amakhosi deal Chiefs head into their final Betway Premiership game of the season on Saturday at home to Polokwane City knowing only a victory is likely to be enough for them to get into the top eight in the table. Chiefs' poor run Nasreddine Nabi's side are on a run of eight consecutive Premiership games without a victory. Chiefs have won the Nedbank Cup, their first trophy in ten years. And they will play in next season's Caf Confederation Cup. But Solomons says a top eight finish is still hugely important 'We had goals for this season and haven't reached them in the league, so for us that is already a downer,' said Solomons on Wednesday at the Chiefs Village. 'Winning the Nedbank Cup was fantastic, it is something we have been striving for a long time. But … we want to be in every competitions next season. Our goal was to get into the top eight, to get into Caf (competition) and to get into the top eight. 'Not getting into the top eight will be disastrous for us.' Since beating Magesi FC 1-0 at home in the Premiership on March 4, Chiefs have taken down the league's top three in the Nedbank Cup. Amakhosi won away at Stellenbosch in the quarterfinals, and then beat Mamelodi Sundowns in the semifinals and Orlando Pirates in the final to lift the trophy. In the Premiership, however, they have managed to pick up just four points out of a possible 24. 'I think it's a mentality thing,' said Solomons. 'Playing in cup games and league games is totally different. In cup games we know we have to win (to stay in it). I think if we can take that mentality into league games it will get better for us. In the cup no one can compare to us, we have gone all out.' 'We know how important it is' Chiefs must hope the pressure of having to win on Saturday brings the best out of them at FNB Stadium. ALSO READ: Ncikazi praises Pirates youngsters 'You can categorise it as one of the biggest games of the season, it is like a cup final,' added Solomons. 'We know how important it is … we have to get the three available points.'
TimesLIVE
20-05-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Amajita not yet assured of their bonuses as Safa waits for Caf to pay
The South African Football Association (Safa) will decide after receiving the R6.3m payout from Caf how much they will give to the Amajita players crowned U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) champions in Egypt on Sunday. Coach Raymond Mdaka's team beat Morocco 1-0 at the June 30 Stadium in Cairo on Sunday to become the third South African football side to win an Afcon after Bafana Bafana (1996) and Banyana Banyana (2022) in the senior men's and women's competitions. Amajita not only won the trophy but also joined the South Africa U-17 team in qualifying for their World Cup this year. Amajimbos, who reached the quarterfinals of the U-17 Afcon this month, will be one 10 African teams in the 48-side U-17 World Cup in Qatar from November 7 to 27. Amajita will be one of four African sides in the 24-team U-20 World Cup in Chile from September 27 to October 19. 'We have not received any money from Caf yet,' Safa president Danny Jordaan said on Tuesday. 'When we have the money, we'll decide.' Welcoming back the Champions of Africa! Amajita 🥹🇿🇦 — luka 🇿🇦 (@lukadupreez) May 20, 2025 Despite numerous episodes where Safa have had well-documented challenges with cash flow, including this year when staff at Safa House received their salaries late, Jordaan tried hard to paint a picture of a stable association that has always fulfilled its obligations to the players and technical staff. In November last year there were reports of Banyana and Bafana not being paid on time. 'One thing we know is South African football has not missed a football match,' Jordaan said. 'We comply with our commitments to even play in Chan. In the past we didn't play in Chan but we play in Chan now. 'We're playing in every competition under Caf and Fifa. That means there's travel and accommodation, daily allowances and everything and we've fulfilled our commitments. HUGO BROOS IS HERE! 🇿🇦❤️ Bafana's head coach has arrived to welcome Amajita! 👏🏻 #AirMobile #BetwayPrem #CastleLager — SoccerBeat (@SoccerBeatZA) May 20, 2025 'There's great respect for what South African football has achieved and we continue to work hard to get the ultimate goal when one of our teams win the World Cup. 'With this U-20 together with other players who didn't play, we hope we'll have full co-operation of our clubs to give the coach all the possibilities in player availability [for their World Cup]. 'These players should include those who play in Europe such as Shandre Campbell and other local players, [Orlando Pirates'] Mbekezeli Mbokazi and [Mamelodi Sundowns'] Siyabonga Mabena [who missed the Afcon because they were withheld by their clubs or injured]. 'We have a team that can compete with the best in the world and we look forward to the World Cup in Chile,' Jordaan said. [WATCH] #U20AFCON goalkeeper of the tournament Fletcher Smythe-Lowe tells Newzroom Afrika's @vuyo_macoba that it's a great honour to be compared to the likes of Ronwen Williams. #Amajita — Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) May 20, 2025 Mdaka and Amajita skipper Patrick Autata credited the Premier Soccer League's DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) U-23 reserve league for playing a huge role in giving young South African young players a platform to fine-tune their skills on a professionally-run stage. Mdaka said without the DDC it would have been difficult to identify the players he had in Egypt. That his players were playing regularly at club level showed in the Afcon, where Amajita bounced back from a 1-0 defeat to hosts Egypt in their group opener match to win the tournament, beaten Nigeria in the semifinals and Morocco in the final. 'The suitable place to see the players playing was the DDC. We went to most of the games and were fortunate that by the beginning of our first camp the core of this team we see today was there in March when we started preparing the team,' the coach said. Let's hope we qualify for the World Cup and we can start maybe to integrate some of these young players into the senior national team. Hugo Broos 'We appreciate [the DDC] because it would be difficult sometimes. Seeing them play made it easy for us to come up with this team.' Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos, also in attendance to welcome the U-20s, said the players stand a good chance of progressing to the senior team. 'We've seen the performances at Afcon and there are certainly players we have to watch in the next months. But on the other side it should not be a decision we make in haste because they will play in the World Cup and after that we're playing in the [senior] Afcon [in Morocco in December and January]. 'Let's see what happens in the next months and we'll follow up closely on what's happening, not only with the national team but with the players in their clubs. This is something we have to watch in the next six months and we'll see after the new year. 'Let's hope we qualify for the World Cup and we can start maybe to integrate some of these young players into the senior national team.'
SowetanLIVE
11-05-2025
- Sport
- SowetanLIVE
Molefi Ntseki's local-based Bafana qualify for Chan
Coach Molefi Ntseki's local-based Bafana Bafana have qualified for the African Nations Championship (Chan) for the first time since 2014 with their 2-0 victory against Malawi at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday. The South Africans lost the first leg in Lilongwe 1-0 so progress 2-1 on aggregate in the Confederation of African Football's (Caf) competition for local-based national teams. The Bafana developmental side, consisting mostly of fringe players not being featured much recently at their Betway Premiership clubs, took the lead in the second leg and levelled the tie via TS Galaxy striker Victor Letsoalo's 12th-minute strike.
