JOHANNESBURG, March 1 - A digest of soccer stories
from around Africa in recent days:
MALI - French coach Pierre Lechantre is discussing final
details of a an offer to coach Mali's national side, officials
said on Tuesday. Lechantre is being sought to revive Mali's
fortunes after the west African country picked up just two
points in their five World Cup group qualifiers last year. They
are due to resume their campaign with a Group One tie at home to
Togo in Bamako on March 27. Lechantre, 54, took Cameroon to the
African Nations Cup title in 1990. He is also a former coach of
Qatar.
SENEGAL - Diaraf Dakar have filed a protest to the
Confederation of African Football alleging that Guinea's Fello
Star, who eliminated them in the African Champions League last
month, used a player with a false identity. Diaraf were
surprisingly eliminated on the away goals rule after losing the
second leg of their first round tie 1-0 in Conakry. Diaraf say
that the Guinea club used Seydouba Camara, who previously played
club soccer in Senegal, using the identity of another player in
the second leg. Camara had not been registered for the
competition. Fello Star are due to play in the second round of
the Champions League against JS Kabylie of Algeria this weekend.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO - The national team are heading
to France again next week to begin preparations for their World
Cup qualifier against Ghana later this month. Coach Claude LeRoy
has arranged a camp at Dolce Fregate in the south of France from
March 8 to 19. It will be primarily for squad members based in
Congo where the league has yet to start. Last year two players
absconded from Congo's training camps and disappeared into
France. Congo's Simbas are one point behind leaders South Africa
in Group Two of the African zone qualifiers. They play Ghana at
home on March 27.
EGYPT - A World Cup warm-up has been fixed for Egypt against
Saudi Arabia in Cairo on March 14, officials said at the
weekend. The match will be the fourth international of the year
for the side, who have beaten Uganda, South Korea and Belgium in
friendlies over the last four weeks. It will be the first
meeting between the two since Saudi Arabia's 5-1 triumph over
Egypt at the 1999 Confederation Cup in Mexico.