Tunisia fans will not be allowed to watch the matches until protesters are calmed

Tunisia league matches will resume next week for the first time since mass anti-government protests drove President Zine Abedine Ben Ali in January from power after 23 years in office.

Matches in the country’s top-flight will be played behind closed doors from 13 March.

The restricted lifting of the ban, imposed to prevent the soccer pitch from becoming an opposition rallying point, reflects government fears that soccer fans emboldened by their success alongside thousands of other Tunisians in throwing off the yoke of dictatorship could as yet use the field to press for further political and economic reform.

Demonstrations in Tunisia have continued since the fall of Ben Ali, forcing interim Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi and several of his Cabinet members to resign.

The lifting of the ban follows Friday’s African Champions League match between Tunisia’s Club Africain and Rwanda’s ARP—the first game to be played in Tunisia since the popular revolt drove Ben Ali into exile.

Club Africain advanced to the championship’s second round by beating ARP 4-0.

Its next challenge is storied Cairo club Al Zamalek FC, which is struggling with the winds of change in the wake of last month’s ousting of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak as a result of mass protests inspired by Tunisia’s success in toppling its dictator.

The match was widely viewed as a litmus test for a resumption of professional soccer.

The decision to exclude spectators from matches contrasts starkly with the fact that 10,000 fans were allowed to attend the African match in the Rades Stadium outside Tunis, which took place without incident.

Nonetheless, it constitutes a step forward compared to Egypt, where professional league matches remain suspended since late January.

Egypt’s military rulers, who took control of the government after Mubarak’s departure with a promise to return the country to democracy within six months, have yet to respond to a two-week old request by the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) to lift the ban.

Like in Tunisia, the military allowed an African championship match in Cairo’s Military Academy Stadium between Zamalek and Kenya’s Ulinzi Stars as a litmus test.

The military remains however reluctant to resume professional matches even though the African match in the presence of thousands of spectators was played without incident.

Kolo Toure fails drugs test

Manchester City defender Kolo Toure has been suspended after failing a drug test, the Premier League club said on their website on Thursday.

The Football Association (FA) informed City that an A-sample provided by the Ivory Coast international had tested postive for a specified substance.

The 29-year-old has been suspended from taking part in all matches pending the outcome of the legal process.

Ghana fans hoping to get U-20 tournament

Ghana is still undecided on whether they’ll want to take up the option to host the 2011 Africa Youth Championships after Libya was stripped off the hosting rights last week.

Protest all over the north African state geared toward ousting incumbent leader Muamar Gaddafi has raised serious security concerns with hundreds reported dead already.

Ghana has however been one of the few alternative options opened to Caf but must first accept the responsibility which according to Ghana FA boss Kwasi Nyantakyie is under consideration.

“It is an eight team tournament so you need two stadiums which we have” he said .

“There are other issues like hotels for the visiting teams and officials and the financial commitment required to do it. I spoke to the Minister about it and we will now have to make a decision whether we want to make that commitment now.”

Ghana last hosted the Africa Youth Championships in 1999. They were heading into the 2011 edition as defending champions.

Libyan situation not condusive for competitive tournaments

Libya has lost the rights to host the Africa Youth Championships originally scheduled to kickoff on 18 March according to reliable sources.

Ongoing anti-governmental protest aimed at ousting incumbent leader Muamar Ghadafi has left the north African state unsafe to host any sort of competition.

The new development could have serious implications as participating teams such as Nigeria have already injected huge investments to adequately prepare their team ahead of the tournament start.

Sources suggests South Africa and Ghana are already leading candidates to host the tournament which is likely to have a new start date by the time Caf takes a final decision.

Ghana are currently defending champions of both the Africa and World titles in this division.

Hosts Sudan left heartbroken as Angola books final date with Tunisia

Angola edged out hosts Sudan on penalties after an enthrawling 120minutes of football failed to produce a clear winner at the Championships for African Nations (CHAN) tournament.

The sides were pegged 1-1 at the end of regulation and extra time but Angola came up tops in the shootout to book a date with Tunisia in the grand finale to be played on Friday.

Sudanese supporters who packed the 42,000-capacity Al-Merreikh Stadium in Omdurman saw hopes of a first Pan-African title since the 1970 Cup of Nations triumph evaporate as Mohamed Tahir and Mudathir Eltaib failed from the spot.

Angola converted four of five kicks with Masunguna ‘Dani’ Afonso netting the penalty that took his team into the final despite winning just one of five matches in the tournament.

Sudan dominated the first half and moved ahead in stoppage time when Saifeldin Ali Idris scored off a corner before an audience including FIFA boss Sepp Blatter, UEFA counterpart Michel Platini and AFC football chief Mohamed Bin Hammam.

Although often back pedalling, the physically and mentally tough Angolans levelled after 71 minutes when a glancing header from substitute Arsenio ‘Love’ Cabungula steered an Osorio Carvalho free kick into the net.

Some of the crowd reacted by pelting stones and rocks on to the field and they did so again deep in extra time when Angolan goalkeeper Luis ‘Lama’ Joao was wasting time.

Tempers also flared on the pitch after the equaliser with Sudan goalkeeper Baha Eldin escaping punishment when he injured the impressive Regio ‘Mingo Bille’ Zalata with a kung fu-style kick.

Sudan skipper Haitham Mostafa was less fortunate 23 minutes into extra time when he elbowed an opponent and this time the Ivory Coast referee flashed a red card.

It also took penalties for Tunisia to edge out north African rivals Algeria in the earlier kickoff.

Tunisia scored from all five mandatory penalties at Khartoum Stadium with Khaled Korbi converting the crucial last one after Hocine Metref failed to net his attempt with Algeria 4-3 behind.

Slama Gasdaoui put the Tunisians ahead on 18 minutes with his third goal of the championship as he stabbed a low cross from the left past goalkeeper Mohamed Zemmamouche.

Algeria introduced ‘super sub’ Hadj Aissa nine minutes into the second half and persistent pressure paid dividends on 62 minutes when Abdelmoumene Djabou scored via a long-range shot.

Tired legs and minds meant extra time produced few chances to break the stalemate and both sides settled for a shootout long before the Mauritian referee blew for full-time.

SAFA presses for CAN tie fixture with Egypt

The South Africa Football Association (SAFA) will not allow next month’s crucial 2012 Africa nations Cup qualifier with Egypt to be postponed.

The Egyptian FA are in the process of sending a written request to Caf to have the tie postponed due to the recent political protests back home which forced President Hosni Mubarak to relinquish power.

Though the tie tie originally fixed for March 26 would be played in South Africa, the Egyptian FA are holding onto the excuse of not being adequately prepared to face the Bafana Bafana and wants the tie delayed till June but SAFA is having none of it.

Safa communications director Morio Sanyane says: “In matters like these, Fifa and CAF do not usually postpone matches, they usually take matches like these to neutral venues if the home team is unable to meet guarantees around security.”

The Egyptian League was suspended recently and their friendly match against the United States in Cairo on February 9 was cancelled, in the wake of political disturbances.

Algeria through to CHAN semi's with win over South Africa

Algeria were 2-0 victors over South Africa to be the first team to qualify to the semi finals of this year’s Championship of African Nations, CHAN.

Goals from Maiza Adel and Hocine Metref late in each half ended the winless run of the South Africans in the first quarter final match played in Khartoum on Friday.

Algeria will now play the winner of the match Friday’s other quarter-final game between hosts Sudan and Nigeria in the semi final.

But it was the South Africans who dominated the early exchanges with their quick passing game.

Mkhwanazi Already forced Algerian goalkeeper Zemmamouche Lamine into a fine save on five minutes before Leonard Shabangu’s effort went just wide.

But the Algeria took control of the game late in the first half and South Africa goalkeeper fouled Algerian striker Djallit Moustafa in the box for a penalty.

Adel expertly converted the kick before Metref finsihed off Hadj Aissa’s pass to seal the comfortable victory.

The match was to have taken place in Madany but has been moved to Khartoum because of problems with the pitch.

Friday’s other quarter-final is across the Nile in Omdurman and features Niger against the hosts, Sudan.

The two remaining knock-out games take place on Saturday, and feature Cameroon against Angola and Tunisia against the reigning champions DR Congo.

Zambia national team

The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has confirmed that the Zambia national team will camp in South Africa ahead of their 2012 Africa Cup qualifier away to Mozambique.

The Chipolopolo currently lie third in Group C and are well bent on victory ahead of the March 27 tie.

“The coach has submitted his final week training programme as we countdown to the end of March, Faz communications officer Erick Mwanza said during the weekly press briefing at  Football House in Lusaka.

“The squad should set a training base in South Africa from where all players will join at the team hotel, train and fly into Maputo a day before the game.”

Zambia are a point less than their hosts next month and leaders Libya who are tied on 4 points but are separated on goal difference.

Michael Essien returns for Ghana

Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has confirmed his return to the international scene after being sidelined for over a year through injury and other factors.

The 28-year-old suffered a serious knee injury during the 2010 Nations Cup match against Ivory Coast – the last time he featured for the Black Stars.

He did not recover in time to join the team for the World Cup in South Africa and afterwards  was granted permission of leave for national assignments.

This sparked widespread speculations that the former Lyon man was ready to completely retire internationally but hes no confirmed he’ll return to the Black Stars fold though he did not state the exact time of return when he spoke to new Ghana coach Goran Stevanovic.

“I told him I will definitely return to the Ghana squad but we didn’t talk about dates and I didn’t tell him I was available to play in March,” Essien said on his official website.

“I don’t want Ghanaians to believe these stories and then in March be disappointed that I am not in the team.

“I will definitely return to the team at some point in the future however it won’t be for the upcoming games.

“I haven’t told the coach or anyone else that.

“When I decided to take a break I knew some Ghanaians will be disappointed but I felt at the time it was the right decision after two horrible injuries.

“Hopefully when I come back into the Ghanaian team the break will be beneficial for the Ghana team and I.”

It is however believed Essien is likely to be available for Ghana’s double header against Congo and England in the 2012 Nations Cup qualifier and international friendly on the 26th and 29th March respectively.