Tottenham Hotspurs have confirmed the signing of Under 17 World Cup wonder-kid Souleymane Coulibaly.

The 16-year-old stole the show at the recent tournament in Mexico by finishing top scorer with nine goals in four games for the Ivory Coast.

His tally included a hat-trick against Brazil and four against Denmark as he equalled former Liverpool striker Florent Sinama Pongolle’s record from ten years ago in three fewer games.

Coulibally races to jubilate goal

The striker has been dubbed the new Didier Drogba and was reportedly being tracked by Real Madrid.

Coulibaly joins from newly promoted Serie A side Siena, where he failed to make a first team appearance.

He joins goalkeeper Brad Friedel and fellow youngster Cristian Ceballos in moving to White Hart Lane this summer.

2011 All Africa Games logo

Defending champions Cameroon will battle west African opponents; Ghana and Senegal at this year’s All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique.

Uganda rounds up Group B in what many believe is the ‘Group of Death’ at the draw which took place at the Caf headquarters in Cairo on Tuesday.

South Africa are in Group A with hosts Mozambique, surprise inclusions Libya and Madagascar.

Only Mozambique and Cameroon were seeded for the draw conducted by Confederation of African Football general secretary Hicham el-Amrani.

This heightened the risk of a lob-sided draw and that is what happened with Group B looking much stronger than Group A.

South Africa ousted Angola, Malawi and Zimbabwe to reach a second consecutive All-Africa Games after sneaking into qualifiers they forgot to enter thanks to the withdrawal of cash-strapped Namibia.

None of the other Group A contenders kicked a ball with Mozambique automatic qualifiers as hosts and Libya and Madagascar receiving walkovers when Egypt and Seychelles withdrew.

Former champions Egypt pulled out on the eve of the draw after receiving a walkover when Libya withdrew because of an ongoing armed rebellion against Colonel Gaddafi.

Cameroon have won four of the last five All-Africa Games football titles in a tournament restricted to under-23 footballers.

Mozambique, South Africa, Cameroon and Ghana appear favourites to occupy the top two places in the groups after the round-robin action and reach the semi-finals of a major attraction at the multi-sport African ‘Olympics’.

In the Womens division, Mozambique, Cameroon, Guinea and Algeria are paired in Group A while South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Ghana battles it out in Group B.

The All Africa Games will be held from 3-18 tournament in Mozambique capital, Maputo.

Coulibally races to jubilate goal

Souleymane Coulibaly has received the award for emerging top goalscorer at the just ended U-17 World Cup which was won by hosts, Mexico.

The budding talent grabbed the world’s attention with his early scoring spree which ended him with nine of the eleven goals scored by Elephanteaux.

The Ivorians appeared set on their way to the grand finale until their fine progress was halted by France in dramatic circumstances and Coulibaly was quick to recognize the role played by his teammates in making him the tournament’s star man.

“I want to thank all those who said good things about me,” Coulibaly told Fifa’s website after receiving his accolade.

“My team-mates and I had a wonderful moment in Mexico. The defenders ignored some spaces which I exploited to score those goals. But mostly, this recognition goes to my team-mates who assisted me.”

Coulibaly lives with his father in Italy where he plays for the youth team of Siena.

Tagged as the ‘new Drogba’, a host of top clubs have shown interest in the lad, including Real Madrid and Tottenham.

Ghana players celebrate second goal by Richard Mpong

Ghana beat Nigeria 2-0 on Sunday to qualify for the All Africa Games on the away goals rule.

Goals from midfielders Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu and Richard Mpong ensured the victory for the Black Meteors against their arch-rivals at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.

Ghana coach Akwesi Appiah named a totally unrecognizable squad for the game after losing several players to their European sides who are on pre-season.

But his squad, dominated by home-based players, managed to produce the desired result that dispatch the Dream Team.

Ghana FA officials pleaded with Udinese to release midfielder Agyemang-Badu and their effort brought the desired result as the ‘Bone Crusher’ produced a man-of-the-match performance.

The enforcer, who was released just two days before the game by Udinese, put the home side in the lead after firing in the free-kick.

Ghana could have been 3-0 before the half-time but striker Dominic Adiyiah failed to convert two glorious chances with one-on-one situations with the Nigerian keeper Theophilus Afelokhai.

Some resolute defending by Emmanuel Anyanwu and Amoda Usman also prevented Mpong and Sadick Adams from scoring in the half totally dominated by the Ghanaians.

There were some few anxious moments Nigeria playmaker Nnamdi Oduamadi caused the Ghanaian defence but Masawudu Alhassan and Edward Kpodo proved equal to the task.

Kpodo also ensured that the few passes dangerous striker Emmanuel Igiebor had, were not utilized, which highlighted Nigeria’s frailties.

Nigeria put some urgency into their game after the break but when Adiyiah burst on the left and set up Mpong, the diminutive striker did not miss from eight yards out as he shot to give the Ghanaians the 2-0 cushion.

The Dream Team’s misery was compounded by injury to Oduamadi which gave the Ghanaian defenders the chance to move forward to create chances.

But Nigeria failed to punish them on the break which ensured that the Black Meteors’ qualification to the competition in Maputo.

Squad:

Ghana line-up: Daniel Agyei, Samuel Inkoom, Masawudu Alhassan, Edward Kpodo, Adams Ahmed, Emmanuel Agyeman-Badu, Isaac Cofie, Latif Salifu, Richard Mpong, Saddick Adams, Dominic Adiyiah.

Nigeria line-up: Theophilus Afelokhai-Anyanwu Emmanuel, Lawal Raheem, Amoda Usman, Igiebor Emmanuel-Ekigho Ehiosou, Eneji Otekpa, Suswam Peter Terna, Otubanjo Ussif- Udoh Kingsley, Nnamdi Oduamadu.

Ghana line-up: Daniel Agyei, Samuel Inkoom, Masawudu Alhassan, Edward Kpodo, Adams Ahmed, Emmanuel Agyeman-Badu, Isaac Cofie, Latif Salifu, Richard Mpong, Saddick Adams, Dominic Adiyiah.

Ivory Coast U-17 sensation Coulibally races to jubilate goal

Ivory Coast coach Alain Gouamene has blamed his team’s capitulation at the 2011 Fifa U-17 World Cup to the country’s recent political crisis.

The Young Elephants quickly raised hopes at the ongoing Mexico 2011 when its wonder kid Coulibaly Souleymane, 16, powered the West Africans to the knockout stage, scoring a record eight goals in the process.

However the then only standing African side in the tournament surrendered a two-goal lead to get beat 3-2 by France at the round of 16 stage.

But Gouamene says their eventual loss stemmed from lack of preparatory competitions as a result of the five-month post-election crisis that hit the west African nation early this year.

“After the African Youth Championship held last January, my team was plunged into a state of inactivity for five months due to the political crisis in the country,” Gouamene told the Ivorian FA website.

“I only maintained the framework of the squad and added some few professionals before we went for a two-week fine tuning in France and Mexico ahead of the competition. Nothing more than that,” he said.

However, the former Cote D’Ivoire international believes his team has a bright future.

“I’m happy because technically, my boys produced a beautiful football and this generation will be heard of in the near future,” he added.

Ivory Coast surrendered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to France early Friday to crush out of the 2011 Fifa U-17 World Cup.

French players celebrate feat as Ivorians lay in dejection

Two goals on any day should be enough to win a football match but the Young Elephants inability to defend well proved to be their achilles hill with their thrilling 3-3 draw against Brazil in their final group game serving enough caution.

Early strikes from inform Souleymane Coulibaly who by the way is all but certain to grab the top scorer award with nine goals in four games and Diarrassouba gave a wrong impression of a stroll in the park for the remaining African team in the tournament.

However an impetus goal from the penalty spot before the end of the first half by Yassine Benzia.

After an even first 20 minutes in the second half, Benzia became the hero of the French attack, first playing a vital part in France’s equaliser.

His piercing pass found space behind the defence of Les Elephanteux, and Lenny Nangis exhibited a tremendous burst of pace to run onto it in the left side of the box. He also showed strength and a powerful shot to hold off two defenders and blast the ball past the keeper.

Benzia switched back to scorer from provider in the 74th minute, and this time there was no question about the quality as he gathered the ball at the end of some loose play and snapped a 25-yard shot past the diving goalkeeper. The dramatic winner gives him five goals in four matches, and he is the second-top scorer in Mexico behind Coulibaly.

In the final 10 minutes, the tiring Africans pushed forward as best they could and the match opened up at both ends.

Jean-Eudes Aholou’s long-range effort screamed past the bar from a tight angle in the 80th minute and shortly after Ibrahim Coulibaly ran strongly into the French box only to be let down by his final touch when he seemed likely to test the keeper.

Things got even more harried after Nangis was sent off in the 86th minute for a second yellow card, but Côte d’Ivoire‘s Guy Bedi was unable to convert a good chance from the middle of the area in the dying seconds as their hopes drifted away.

This tournament has been one of the poorest showings by African teams with all (Congo, Burkina Faso and Rwanda) but one (Ivory Coast) leaving the competition at the end of the first round.

Coulibally races to jubilate goal

Coach of Cote d’Ivoire’s U-17 team Alain Gouamene has told his boys not to solely depend on top scorer Souleymane Coulibaly.

The Young Elephants battle France on Friday in the round of 16 in the ongoing Fifa U-17 World Cup in Mexico.

With his popularity soaring having scored each and every single goal for the Ivorians, many believe the 16-year-old is reaching the status of an indispensable player – a notion the coach would quickly want to correct.

“If a team wants to win matches it has to count on all its players and not just one of them,” Gouamene told Fifa.com.

“That was the message I told my players before the encounter against France on Thursday. We can’t wholly depend on Coulibaly to move on. It’s impossible. Don’t forget the kid is just 16 and the tournament is yet to conclude,” he explained.

Coulibaly, who plays at Italy’s A.C. Siena youth team, is the author of all eight of Cote D’Ivoire’s  goals at Mexico 2011, prompting local fans to dub him the “New Drogba”, with reports suggesting Real Madrid have set their eyes on him.

Congolese goalkeeper rushes out to clear danger

Congo’s run at the Fifa U-17 World Cup in Mexico was halted with a 2-1 defeat at the hands 0f Uruguay on Thursday.

The South American side will now move on to the quarter-final stages of the tournament, where they will take on Asian first-timers Uzbekistan, who routed Australia earlier in the day.

Uruguay began the game pushing four players up into the Congo half in the hopes of keeping the Africans from creating and building chances with the ball.

The plan worked for a time, and the Congolese patiently waited in hopes of hitting out on the counter-attack. They managed the first chance of any note after five minutes, when Bel Epako fired in a shot from distance that was well handled by Jonathan Cubero.

Just four minutes later, Congo had a let-off as Cisse Bassoumba’s defensive header very nearly went into his own goal. Shortly after, Uruguay almost got a goal of their own creating, but Rodrigo Aguirre’s wicked shot in from the left side was saved by Chill Ngakosso.

As the half wore on, Uruguay began to resort to hitting long balls out of the back. The new tactic gave an advantage to Congo, who began to take the initiative through Hardy Binguila and Justalain Kounkou.

However, it was the Celeste who finished the period with the two best chances. Maximiliano Moreira and Aguirre both rattled the crossbar with excellent opportunities to open the scoring.

Congo came out like a house on fire early in the second half, and they took the lead in the 53rd minute. Epako raced down the left and crossed dangerously into the area.

Gianni Rodriguez side-footed the ball out of the danger zone, or so he thought. Binguila came racing up through midfield and pounded the ball on the volley past Cubero, who had no chance.

Uruguay, though, were not to be outfoxed so easily and they drew level just 12 minutes later when Aguirre crossed into the penalty area. Moreira made no mistake with his finish and Uruguay nearly took the lead a minute later only for Elbio Anvarez’s shot to rebound off the post.

The South Americans persevered and eventually got their winner four minutes from time. Gaston Silva’s free-kick took a wicked deflection and left the despairing Ngakosso with no hope.

Congo walked off to a standing ovation from the fans, but it is Uruguay who move on to the quarter-finals, where they will meet Uzbekistan in Torreon on 3 July.

Samuel Inkoom

Samuel Inkoom has revealed West Ham and Tottenham are interested in signing him.

The 22-year-old defender only linked up with Ukrainian outfit Dnipro in January, completing a big-money move from FC Basel.

He is, however, the centre of transfer speculation once more, with a switch to England being widely touted.

The Ghana international admits the option to try his luck in the Premier League or Championship is there, but claims he is fully prepared to honour his contract at Dnipro should the club be reluctant to sell.

“Yes, it’s true, Tottenham and West Ham and other English sides want to sign me, but at the moment I’m a player of Dnipro and will leave my agent to sort that out for me,” the full-back is reported to have said by MTNfootball.

“I will be going back to Ukraine and then I will decide what to do next.”

Mohammed in action for Evian TG

Midfielder Rabiu Mohammed has sealed a permanent move to newly promoted French club Evian TG.

The 21-year-old who spent last season on loan at the then League 2 side from Italian club Udinese signed a five-year contract on Monday.

The acquisition was announced by Evian President Patrick Trotignon.

“I’m happy this has been done and it comes as a big relief to me. I will now look ahead to the French Ligue 1. I’m extremely happy,” the former Liberty Professionals player told GHANAsoccernet.com.

Mohammed scored the opener in the Ghana Under-23 team which lost 3-1 to Nigeria last Saturday in an All Africa Games final qualifying round first leg tie.