Morocco vs. Liberia African Cup of Nations qualifier postponed following massive earthquake

It is not clear when Morocco and Liberia will play, but Gambia vs. Congo is still scheduled for Sunday in Marrakech

An African Cup of Nations qualifier between Morocco and Liberia has been postponed in the aftermath of a horrific earthquake on Friday night.

The 6.8-magnitude quake’s epicenter was 47 miles from Marrakech, in the High Atlas mountain range. A 4.9-magnitude aftershock was recorded around 20 minutes later.

Morocco’s Interior Ministry told the Washington Post that over 1,000 people are dead, with thousands more injured. A preliminary report from the U.S. Geological Survey said that it had been over 100 years since a quake of this strength had occurred in the region.

Morocco’s qualifier against Liberia, the final game in Group J, was set for Adrar Stadium in Agadir, a city on the Atlantic coast a little over 100 miles southeast of the earthquake’s epicenter.

“Following the earthquake that struck some areas in Morocco, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation announces the postponement of the match that was scheduled to take place on Saturday evening, September 9, 2023,” read a statement from the Moroccan federation. “After this great injury, the national football family extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims, and wishes a speedy recovery to all those injured.”

The statement said that the qualifier would be played “at a later date” once the federation and Moroccan authorities could work out a suitable option with the African Football Confederation (AFC).

Gambia vs. Congo match in Marrakech to go ahead

The match between Morocco and Liberia was not the only game impacted by the earthquake. Gambia, obliged to play its home qualifiers in Morocco and Senegal after the AFC determined that no Gambian stadium was suitable to host, is due to take on Congo in Marrakech on Sunday in Group G’s final game.

Reuters reported on Saturday that both teams spent the night sleeping outdoors after evacuating their hotels, and that the AFC had confirmed that the game would go ahead as planned.

“We have been told our match on Sunday must go ahead. It’s quite strange that the Morocco game is off but ours is not… we think it is best this game is postponed because the mood among the players is understandably somber and everyone is a little scared.” said Gambia manager Tom Saintfiet.

“We are okay but still in shock,” added Paul Put, Congo’s manager. “Mentally it’s difficult to keep up the concentration. We had to sleep outside, near the swimming pool. It was very scary and even now a complicated situation for the players.”

[lawrence-related id=11534,11247]

FIFA to investigate Zambia coach Mwape over sexual misconduct claims

Mwape is accused of inappropriately touching one of his players during the World Cup

FIFA has confirmed it received a complaint over Zambia women’s national team head coach Bruce Mwape, who has been accused of inappropriately touching one of his players at the World Cup.

The Guardian reported that several Zambia players saw Mwape rubbing his hands over the chest of a player at training last Friday.

In a statement to multiple media outlets, FIFA confirmed it will investigate the claims.

“We can confirm that a complaint has been received in relation to the Zambian women’s national team and this is currently being investigated,” FIFA said. “We cannot provide further details regarding an ongoing investigation for obvious confidentiality reasons.”

In response, Zambia’s FA released a defiant statement, claiming no players had raised any issues over Mwape’s behavior and that the coach would be exonerated by video evidence.

“We wish to state the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has not received any such complaint from any of the players or officials in the delegation that travelled to the World Cup. It has therefore come as a surprise for us to hear of such alleged misconduct by the coach as reported in the said online publication (The Guardian),” said FAZ general secretary Reuben Kamanga.

“As a matter of fact, all the training sessions for the Copper Queens were filmed by the FAZ media team and offers no such footage as envisioned by The Guardian. Additionally, a FIFA film crew attached to the Zambian team at the World Cup was present at all training sessions.”

In its first ever World Cup, Zambia was eliminated after the group stage, which saw the team lose to Spain and Japan before notching its first ever World Cup win in its finale against Costa Rica.

Mwape entered the World Cup already carrying allegations of sexual misconduct, which The Guardian reported on last month.

“If he [Mwape] wants to sleep with someone, you have to say yes,” one player who did not want to be named told The Guardian. “It’s normal that the coach sleeps with the players in our team.”

[lawrence-related id=24666,23410,18420]

Morocco’s Benzina becomes first player to wear hijab at World Cup

The defender made history when she played the full match in a win over South Korea

Morocco made history in more ways than one in its 1-0 win over South Korea at the Women’s World Cup.

Playing at their first Women’s World Cup, the Atlas Lionesses scored their first goal and won their first game at the tournament in Adelaide. The win over South Korea came after they fell 6-0 to Germany in their opener.

Morocco defender Nouhaila Benzina, who didn’t play against Germany, also made some history of her own, becoming the first player to wear a hijab while competing at a senior-level World Cup.

FIFA allowed religious head coverings to be worn in sanctioned matches for the first time in 2014, which led to Benzina making history when she started and went the full match in Morocco’s vital win.

Morocco, the first team from an Arab country to play at a Women’s World Cup, got a goal in the sixth minute from Ibtissam Jraïdi and held on to keep its hopes alive in Group H.

The Atlas Lionesses are in third place, level with Germany on three points but well behind on goal differential after their heavy defeat to the European power to kick off the tournament. They’ll need at least a draw, and most likely a win, in their finale against Colombia to advance to the knockout round.

“We are just so pleased our efforts have paid off. This victory is for Morocco and Arabs — it’s the fruit of our hard work,” Jraïdi said after the game.

[lawrence-related id=23410,21229,18420]

Please enjoy this spectacularly dumb red card from Martin Caceres

It’s important to remember that video reviews are for referees, not for players

In the pantheon of dumb red cards, the second yellow for taking one’s jersey off after scoring is usually top of the list.

But on Saturday night, LA Galaxy defender Martin Cáceres introduced a new, possibly even dumber category: the second yellow for interfering with a referee during a VAR review.

It’s important to remember that video reviews are for referees, not for players. The referee, not the player, is called over to the monitor to review a play. Players don’t get to watch the replay and tell the referee what they think. The video control room is staffed with referees, not with players.

Cáceres is a veteran, and probably knew all of this. And yet, the Uruguayan defender still managed to earn one of the all-time dumbest (and funniest) red cards in MLS history in a 3-0 away defeat to the Houston Dynamo.

With LA down 1-0 in the second half, referee Alex Chilowicz was called over to the monitor to check out a potential penalty against the Galaxy.

Cáceres, who, it should be emphasized, has 116 caps for Uruguay and has featured in four World Cups, decided that Chilowicz needed a little help.

As it turned out, Chilowicz did not need a little help.

The Galaxy went down a man and two goals after the penalty was awarded and Houston converted. From there it was simply damage control for the visitors, who also saw Douglas Costa sent off in stoppage time for slamming Brooklyn Raines to the turf with the ball out of play.

Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney, as you might imagine, was not enthused with the unforced errors from two of his most experienced players.

“Yeah, it’s unacceptable. They know it’s unacceptable,” Vanney said in his post-game press conference. “They apologized to the group, but it’s not acceptable. It can’t happen. These guys are veterans in our team. They’re supposed to be leaders in our team. They need to set examples. They need to, again, control their emotions, and we need them available always, and they understand that, and it’s not acceptable.”

Vanney is right to be upset but for the neutrals, discovering a new category of dumb red card is nothing short of a resounding success.

[lawrence-related id=17141,14724,16717]

Kudus pays tribute to Atsu — and referee lets him off without a yellow

“This is beyond football. We are talking about life and death”

Mohammed Kudus scored a free kick for Ajax against Sparta Rotterdam on Sunday, and proceeded to celebrate by lifting his jersey over his head.

According to the laws of the game, that would necessitate an automatic yellow card. But this wasn’t an ordinary celebration, and referee Pol van Boekel knew it.

Kudus scored late in Ajax’s 4-0 win and revealed a shirt with the message “R.I.P. Atsu” — a tribute to Christian Atsu, who was found dead under the rubble in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria earlier this month.

After a 12-day search, Atsu’s body was finally found on Saturday, the day before Ajax took the pitch.

Speaking to ESPN after the game, Kudus said that Van Boekel allowed his tribute to go unpunished because the message went beyond sport.

“We all know what’s going on in Turkey and that part of the world,” the 22-year-old said. “Atsu was the one close to me but I dedicate that goal to him and everyone who had families and all the people involved in the Turkey earthquakes.

“We are footballers but this is beyond football. We are talking about life and death. The ref told me this is not allowed but he understands because this is a bigger situation than just playing football.

“A big respect from me to the referee for understanding the whole situation.”

Kudus said that his fellow Ghanaian had served as a mentor to him.

“I learned a lot from watching him, he also regularly gave me advice. Everything I gave today was for him.

“If I hadn’t have scored, I would have shown the shirt after the game.”

[lawrence-related id=14262,13889]

Mohammed Kudus said he’s as good as Neymar. That’s not looking totally nuts.

The 22-year-old is looking like one of the World Cup’s breakout stars

Mohammed Kudus came to this World Cup full of confidence. Two games in, it’s easy to see why.

Kudus has been one of the breakout stars in the early going, tallying an assist for Ghana in an opening loss to Portugal before scoring a pair of goals in a wild 3-2 win over South Korea on Monday.

The 22-year-old playmaker netted a first-half header to give his side a 2-0 lead. But South Korea struck back in the second half, with Cho Gue-sung scoring two quick goals to equalize.

Kudus was not done, however, and he swept home a 68th-minute goal to complete his brace and give Ghana the winner it so desperately needed after falling in its opener.

Prior to the World Cup, Kudus told The Guardian of Neymar, a player he and his teammates could see in the knockout round: “He’s not better than me. He’s just a higher profile player, that’s all,”

Kudus has made a name for himself at Ajax after his 2020 arrival from Danish side Nordsjælland. The 22-year-old operates as a No. 10 who is equally comfortable scoring goals or creating them. His exploits in the Netherlands has led to interest from big clubs abroad, which will only be amplified by his first two games in Qatar.

Kudus knows he hasn’t reached the heights that Neymar has during his career. But he’s making steady progress and as his first two World Cup games have shown, it may not be a good idea to bet against him.

“What makes [Neymar] better, for now, is that he has achieved a lot,” Kudus said. I’ll get there soon.”

Watch Kudus score two vs. South Korea

[lawrence-related id=10590,10564,10555]

Senegal star Sadio Mane ruled out of World Cup with leg injury

It’s a huge blow for the African champions

Senegal star Sadio Mané has been ruled out for the World Cup with a fibula injury.

Mané suffered the injury in a game with Bayern Munich on November 8 and though he was subsequently named to Senegal’s World Cup squad, a federation official said earlier this week the 30-year-old would miss the “first games” of the tournament.

On Thursday, Senegal team doctor Manuel Afonso confirmed at a press conference that Mané was not responding well to treatment and the forward would be forced to undergo surgery.

“Sadly, today’s MRI has shown that the evolution is not as favorable as we’d imagined, and so we’ve resolved, sadly, to declare that Mané is out for this World Cup, and a surgical intervention will be scheduled very shortly,” Afonso said at a press conference.

Bayern announced later that Mané had undergone surgery in Innsbruck, Austria.

Mané was instrumental in leading Senegal to the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year and hopes were high that he could help his country to a deep run at this World Cup.

Though Senegal still has a strong squad including England-based stars Édouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, Idrissa Gueye, and Ismaïla Sarr, the absence of Mané will be a major blow to the team’s chances.

Senegal has been drawn in Group A with Ecuador, the Netherlands and Qatar, and should still have a strong chance to get out of the group even without its superstar.

But losing a player who just finished second in the Ballon d’Or voting will always be difficult to overcome. Mané’s absence will be a blow not only to Senegal, but to the World Cup itself.

[lawrence-related id=9762,9708,9692]

Sadio Mane will miss Senegal’s ‘first games’ of the World Cup with injury

The African champions may have to make do without their superstar in Qatar

It’s not sounding great for Senegal star Sadio Mané’s chances of playing at the World Cup.

Mané was forced out of Bayern Munich’s game against Werder Bremen last week with a fibula injury, putting his status for the World Cup in doubt.

On Tuesday, Senegal federation board member Abdoulaye Sow offered an update on Mané. It wasn’t positive.

“We will have to rely on playing the first games without Sadio and win without Sadio because we have 25 players apart from Sadio,” Sow said in quotes published by the AP. “No one would have wanted it, but that’s what’s happened to us.”

That’s “games,” as in plural. Senegal, of course, will only play three group games and without Mané, its chances of advancement and a fourth game will diminish.

However, even without Mané, Senegal should still be a force. The African champions feature Chelsea duo Édouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly, Everton’s Idrissa Gueye, and Watford star Ismaïla Sarr, among a host of other European-based players.

Senegal will play Qatar on Sunday in the World Cup opener, before also facing the Netherlands and Ecuador in Group A.

[lawrence-related id=9692,9682,9676]

Missing for over 50 years: Long-lost elephant shrew resurfaces in Africa

For over 50 years, the Somali sengi (or elephant shrew) has been considered a ” lost species” – until now. The furry, mouse-sized creature with a trunk-like nose is still very much alive, according to researchers in a peer-reviewed study published …

For over 50 years, the Somali sengi (or elephant shrew) has been considered a "lost species" — until now.

The furry, mouse-sized creature with a trunk-like nose is still very much alive, according to researchers in a peer-reviewed study published last week in the journal PeerJ.

"While the species is historically documented as endemic to Somalia, these new records are from the neighboring Republic of Djibouti and thus expand the Somali Sengi’s known range in the Horn of Africa," the four authors wrote, adding that evidence suggests the elephant shrew is also a current inhabitant of Ethiopia.

The Somali sengi was last documented by international researchers in 1968. It since made the Global Wildlife Conservation's "25 Most Wanted Lost Species" list.

But people in East Africa easily recognized the animal when shown pictures of it, Steven Heritage, a Duke University Lemur Center researcher and co-author of the study who credits Djiboutians for a large part of the rediscovery, told NPR.

"Now, the international community will have an eye on our biodiversity," added Houssein Rayaleh, an ecologist from Djibouti and co-author of the study.

Their research team set 1,259 traps — made appetizing with a mixture of rolled oats, peanut butter, and yeast spread — in 12 locations throughout Djibouti last year. It wasn't long before elephant shrews were caught.

What is an elephant shrew (or sengi)? According the the American Wildlife Foundation, not an elephant or shrew, but a small mammal closely related to elephants, sea cows, and aardvarks.

In additional to their iconic trunk-noses, they have a hunchback posture and move in a hopping fashion like rabbits. Sengis live in couples (forming monogamous pairs) and their lifespan is about years.

Sengi fossil records extend back at least 45.6 million years — making the species older than animals like lions or giraffes. Analysis suggest that the Somali sengi has inhabited the Horn of Africa for more than 5.4 million years.