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A National Hero

by Satish Sekar

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Bargain:

South Korean captain Park Ji-sung put in a spirited performance on and off the pitch at Loftus Road on Wednesday. He came into the match more in the second half and was denied the goal his performance merited by a deflection by Abdoulaye Meite with Ivorian keeper Boubacar Barry beaten after a good combination of passes between Ki Sung-yong and Ahn Jung-hwan carved open the Ivorian defence. Referee André Marriner missed the deflection and gave a goal-kick The South Koreans showed respect for the referee by not complaining, but they deserved better officiating.

Dreadful

by Satish Sekar

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Dream Start:

There were few positive that the Ivorians can take from their friendly against South Korea at Loftus Road this afternoon. Three stands were empty as the 6000 strong crowd witnessed a dismal display from the Ivorians, led by Chelsea’s Didier Drogba. Despite fielding a strong side – on paper at least – Drogba’s team was handed a football lesson by the well-drilled and slick South Koreans.

Manchester United’s Park Ji-sung led his side well especially in the second half as the Ivorians rarely threatened Lee Woon-jae’s goal. Meanwhile, former Middlesbrough striker Lee Dong-gook gave the Koreans a perfect start by volleying superbly in the fourth minute. His powerful shot gave Boubacar Barry – the Ivorians’ best player absolutely no chance, following Cha Du-ri’s free kick.

Fulham�s European Quest

by Satish Sekar

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The Return Leg:

Fulham face the most important match of their European run tonight in Donetsk. They defend a 2-1 lead that means UEFA Cup holders Shakhtar Donetsk must beat them in the Ukraine to stand a chance of progressing. The Cottagers take a thirteen match unbeaten run into the return leg and a new found appreciation of the fantastic job Roy Hodgson has done in West London since saving them from relegation and then leading them to Europe the next year.

The African Legends Edition

by Derek Miller

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Welcome to the latest issue of the magazine. A lot has happened since our last issue. John Terry has been stripped of the captaincy of England – replaced by Rio Ferdinand. CAF has treated Togo inhumanely over the outrage in Cabinda and Togo’s decision to ledave Angola and withdraw from the finals of the African Cup of Nations. Meanwhile, on the pitch Egypt has proved themselves Africa’s best. The Pharaohs will play England at Wembley next month after setting several African records during the twenty-seventh edition of the African Cup of Nations.

In this issue we pay a deserved tribute to Hassan Shehata and his remarkable team. In The Final Verdict (Part One) – Silencing The Critics Satish details how Egypt’s coach Hassan Shehata took hard decisions to prepare the Pharaohs for the campaign that would seal their legacy after the disappointment of failing to qualify for the World Cup, proving that he is the best coach in Africa by some distance. He is the only person to match the achievements of the legendary Ghanaian Nana Kumi Gyamfi. Shehata has become an African legend.

Satish and Edward Hunt were keen to tell the story of another African legend – one that doesn’t get the recognition he deserves – Zambia’s Sportsman of the Century Kalusha Bwalya. In Under-Appreciated – Kalu (Part One), they tell the story of Bwalya’s playing career, revealing that he deserves to be mentioned in any sensible discussion on Africa’s best players. It ends with the disaster of April 28th 1993 that almost destroyed Zambian football. Bwalya played a huge part in making sure that Zambian football was rebuilt.

We follow this with second part of our series on the Pharaohs. In The Final Verdict (Part Two) – The Master, Satish tells the story of Hassan Shehata’s humble beginnings in coaching through to matching Gyamfi’s achievement of being the only coach to retain the African Cup of Nations in Ghana two years ago. He earned the approval of Gyamfi, who explains why African coaches – Shehata and himself have been the most successful in the competition. But we haven’t forgotten that a young Ghana side defied the odds to contest the final on January 31st. In Under-appreciated – Kalu (Part Two). Seun Robert-Edomi joins Satish to tell the story of how Zambian football conquered the effects of the terrible crash and Bwalya’s role in that process. They go on to detail Bwalya’s coaching career and his forthright opinions on the difficulties faced by African coaches.

In The Final Verdict (Part Three) – Travesty, Satish details how Shehata became known as The Emperor. The Egyptian tactician is the only coach ever to win the African Cup of Nations three times in a row and explains what a travesty it is that the best team in Africa will miss the World Cup finals of Africa’s World Cup because of an unfair allocation of places in the World Cup to Africa. We conclude this edition of the magazine with The Future is Bright. Satish and Frankklin Anane Gyimah analyse Ghana’s performance in reaching the final with such a young team and detail the rivalry with Egypt through Gyamfi’s eyes.

The Final Verdict � Silencing the Critics

by Satish Sekar

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The Greatest:

Astonishingly the job of perhaps the greatest coach in African history was under threat when Hassan Shehata brought his new-look Pharaohs side to Angola last month. Shehata was never one to pander to players’ egos and reputations. Mido’s return to Egypt to play for Shehata’s old club El-Zamalek failed to win over the coach. Amr Zaki’s loss of form cost him dear and his indiscipline while at Wigan in the English Premier League will not have helped his cause. Zaki returned to Egypt. Shehata kept faith with him, but his form deserted him. His profligate finishing cost the Pharaohs dear as they lost their play-off against bitter rivals Algeria in the neutral city of Khartoum.

Under-Appreciated � Kalu (Part One)

by Satish Sekar and Edward Hunt

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An Exemplary Ambassador for Football:

At a time when footballers are in the news for the wrong reasons Empower-Sport Magazine is pleased to tell the story of one of football’s greatest ambassadors – Kalusha Bwalya. Not only was Bwalya an extremely gifted player, arguably the greatest produced by his country, Zambia, but Bwalya proved himself an articulate champion of his continent when it needed one most and talented enough to combine coaching with his role as an administrator. Bwalya is known as the Great Kalu in his homeland and was chosen as Zambia’s Sportsman of the Century, but Bwalya is a true gentleman with a social conscience.

The Final Verdict (Part Two) � The Master

by Satish Sekar

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Seal of Approval:

Egypt’s master-tactician Hassan Shehata arrived in Angola under absurd pressure to keep his job. He left, having sealed his legacy. Shehata’s third triumph in Africa’s most prestigious tournament was unprecedented – nobody had done it in consecutive tournaments and with significant changes of personnel. Not even the great Nana Kumi Gyamfi (previously known as Charles Kumi Gyamfi) – the only other coach to win the tournament thrice – won three in a row, although politics robbed him off the chance to try in 1968. It was a stupid non-footballing decision that contributed to one of the biggest upsets in African football and to Gyamfi being marginalised for years. Egypt learned that lesson well. Politics was never allowed to interfere during Shehata’s spell in the top job and far from marginalising their greatest ever coach they supported him against their star player.

Under-Appreciated � Kalu (Part Two)

by Satish Sekar and Seun Robert-Edomi

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Fighting Back From Disaster:

April 28th will always be a difficult day for Zambian football – African sport in fact. The Chipolopolo had to rebuild from scratch around their star player Kalusha Bwalya. He was determined to honour the memory of his fallen team-mates by performing for them – winning the African Cup of Nations that they should have played in as well. Unfortunately, they fell just short, losing 2-1 in the final to Nigeria. Nevertheless, reaching the final after the terrible tragedy that Zambian football had endured was a remarkable achievement. Bwalya recalls how they dealt with the tragedy.

The Final Verdict (Part Three) � A Travesty

by Satish Sekar

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The Emperor:

Hassan Shehata’s coronation as the Pharaoh of Pharaohs of Egyptian football – African perhaps – took place in Luanda on January 31st after becoming the only coach to win the African Cup of Nations for the third time in a row. The tactician labelled the Master at Ghana’s African Cup of Nations tournament two years ago has become the Emperor, but Shehata could not have achieved such success without the support of the Egyptian FA – a fact that he acknowledges. Read More...

The Future is Bright

by Satish Sekar and Franklin Anane Gyimah

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The Younger Ayew:
Ghana was supposed to host and win the twenty-sixth edition of the African Cup of Nations two years ago, but Claude le Roy’s squad fell just short – losing to Cameroon in the semi-final. The Black Stars had to settle for third place after beating the Ivory Coast 4-2. Le Roy quit soon after receiving an improved offer from the Ghanaian FA. Several eyebrows were raised when the top job was offered to an unknown Serb Milovan Rajevac. However, most Ghanaians were satisfied that the Black Stars were the first African team to qualify for South Africa’s World Cup. We expected to do well in Angola, but then disaster struck.

Negative issues threatened to derail the Black Stars’ preparation. Before the competition started there was an unseemly row over bonuses that flared up during the training camp in South Africa. Getafe’s reluctance to release Derek Boateng cost the player his place. Laryea Kingtson, John Paintsil, John Mensah, Sulley Muntari and Stephen Appiah, among others were all missing – Muntari for disciplinary reasons. Michael Essien was injured as the competition was about to begin, so expectations were dampened down. Read More...

Youthful and enterprising, Ghana heap pressure on Amodu as Black Stars reach the Final

by Christopher Lay

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Super Eagles Coach Shaibu Amodu's pre-tournament mandate was to get his side to the semi-finals, but the manner in which he fulfilled this requirement will have impressed few.

From their woefully disappointing 3-1 defeat by Egypt in their opening group game to the listless, indifferent performance in the quarter-final 0-0 draw against unfashionable Zambia, Nigeria haven't looked close to being a side that could challenge at the World Cup and, considering the resources at his disposal, plenty of blame has to fall at Amodu's feet.

His Super-Eagles team has the talented John Obi Mikel at it's core, but the Chelsea midfielder has disappointed and his development seems to have stagnated since he starred at the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Youth Championships, winning African Young Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006. A team lacking any real creativity or ambition in midfield looks to Mikel to provide the impetus, but having been employed by Chelsea largely as a defensive midfielder, he seems to have lost many of the qualities that made him such an exciting, effective player at youth level and pales in comparison to the inspirational Sunday Oliseh, Nwankwo Kanu or Jay Jay Okocha of previous Nigeria sides.

As expected, Nigeria improved for the semi-final. Largely thanks to Obafemi Martins reintroduction to the starting line-up. The Wolfsburg striker harassing Ghana's young defence with his pace and willingness, but the support, the final pass, the shot, the composure or urgency was missing. Ghana took the lead through Asamoah Gyan after 21 minutes and the game slowly slipped away from Nigeria.

Ghana weren't perfect by any means, and their midfield could have done with the experienced Michael Essien, Stephen Appiah or Sulley Muntari but the defence was well organised and Richard Kingson offered a reminder of why he was voted All-Star Goalkeeper during the 2008 competition in Ghana. Gyan's first-half goal came against the run of play, as the Rennes forward crept in unmarked to head home a near post corner, and as against Angola, the Black Stars threw men behind the ball and seemed happier to protect their narrow lead than go in search of a second.

The future looks bright for this Ghana side, made up largely from young and fringe players including eight members of the squad who won the Under-20 World Cup in Egypt last year. The future for Shaibu Amodu and Nigeria, we shall see.

Ridiculous

by Satish Sekar and Edward Hunt

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Atrocious:

The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has brought African football into disrepute on the eve of its showcase final. The big story should have been Hassan Shehata being on the verge of proving himself to be the greatest coach in African sporting history and Egypt chasing African football immortality. Shehata matched the achievement of the great Charles Kumi Gyamfi two years ago by winning back-to-back African Cup of Nations trophies. It had taken over forty years for any coach to equal Gyamfi’s impressive record. The Ghanaian great won it three times – the best ever haul by any coach in the history of the African Cup of Nations competition. Shehata had the chance to match Gyamfi's tally and extend Egypts’ unbeaten record. If the Pharaohs beat Milovan Rajevac’s young Black Stars in Luanda's November 11th Stadium later today both Egypt and Shehata would have to be hailed as Africa’s finest. Read More...

Fantastic Pharaohs

by Derek Miller

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Empower-Sport Magazine congratulates Hassan Shehata and his fantastic Pharaohs squad on setting so many African records. Egypt is the only team in the history of the African Cup of Nations to have won the trophy three times in a row. Shehata is the only coach in African history to have won the trophy three times in a row and must be considered on a par with the great Charles Kumi Gyamfi as the best African coach ever.

We will be producing another African Cup of Nations Special shortly. We congratulate Egypt and Shehata on their great achievement. The World Cup will be poorer without them. The absence of the African champions – clearly the best team in the continent demonstrates the inherent unfairness of the allocation of World Cup qualification places to African teams.

Historic Rivalries Renewed Part One

by Christopher Lay

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Foxes hunt Elephants in Cabinda:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW_NQudHqps

Having qualified from Group A with help from the tie-breaking criteria, Algeria were underdogs in Estádio Nacional do Chiazi against a star-studded Côte d'Ivoire, but after a thrilling match Rabah Saadane's men defeated the pre-tournament favourites 3-2 thanks to an extra-time goal from Blackpool winger Hameur Bouazza.

Salomon Kalou at least had read the script. The Chelsea forward completed a neat move to put Ivory Coast ahead after just four minutes. Vahid Halilhod�i�'s side looked well on top and probably should have been awarded a penalty when Didier Drogba was fouled in the penalty area by Rafik Halliche but the referee waved play on.

Algeria slowly began to control the game and were rewarded after forty minutes when Karim Matmour's smart first time shot flew past Boubacar Barry for the equaliser. The French-born Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder netting just his second goal for his paternal nation.

The second half was a turgid affair, the pragmatic Algerians canceled out the counter-attacking Ivorians, the only clear-cut chance falling again to Matmour, but Barry was a match for him. The game sprang to life in the ninetieth minute with a sensational strike from substitute Abdul Kader Keïta. Picking the ball up thirty yards from goal, the Galatasaray winger unleashed a fierce left-footed drive which flew past Faouzi Chaouchi for what was surely to be the winner. Players and fans alike celebrated as though that were the case, but in the dying seconds of stoppage time a deep cross into the Ivorians' penalty-box was met by the head of Madjid Bougherra to level the score once more and send the game into extra time.

Captain Hassan subdues Indomitable Lions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOF1_SVfSSg

Algeria will face the much fancied Egypt in the semi finals after the holders defeated Cameroon at Estádio Nacional de Ombaka in Benguela. Cameroon took a surprise lead when Achille Emana's corner was headed past his own goalkeeper by the Pharaohs' captain Ahmed Hassan. The 34-year old Al-Ahly midfielder was making his 170th international appearance and becoming Egypt's most capped player. He made amends with a long range equaliser ten minutes later.

Hassan has won the African Cup of Nations three times and his experience proved crucial as the game went into extra time at 1-1. Cameroon had goalkeeper Idriss Carlos Kameni to thank for keeping them in the game as Egypt dominated, but he was left helpless as Geremi Njitap's poor back-pass was seized upon by Mohamed Gedo who put Egypt ahead two minutes into extra-time. Hassan completed a memorable, record breaking evening for himself by scoring a third with a powerful long-range free-kick.

A listless Cameroon performance was further compounded when Aurélien Chedjou was sent off for bringing down Gedo, after the Egyptian was put clean through. Egypt will face Algeria in Benguela for Thursday's semi-final, a rematch of November's controversial World Cup play-off clash.

Historic Rivalries Renewed Part Two

by Christopher Lay

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Young Ghana edges out Hosts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib6GP05ZlEY

A clinical early goal on the counter-attack from the normally profligate Asamoah Gyan was enough to secure Milovan Rajevac's experimental Ghana side a place in the semi finals.

Angola, and in particular Manucho, by contrast will be ruing their performance in front of goal as the hosts dominated and would have won the game easily, but for poor finishing and some nice saves from Ghana and Wigan Athletic 'keeper Richard Kingson.

Rajevac has given opportunities to several of Ghana's 2009 African Youth Championship and FIFA U-20 World Cup winning squads and the inexperience could have cost them as Angola had them pinned in their own half for much of the game. It was a perfectly weighted through pass from 21-year-old Udinese midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah which let Gyan in behind the Angolan defence and the 24-year old Rennes striker, the first Ghanaian Player ever to score a goal at the FIFA World Cup Finals, made no mistake with his finish.

Super Eagles survive Copper Bullets in shoot-out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh7pN_FKLAo

Nigeria earned their place in the semi-final after they beat Zambia 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out. A poor game with few chances was taken to the drama of penalties with the score tied at 0-0, Super Eagles goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama took centre stage in celebrations as he saved Thomas Nyirenda's spot-kick before scoring the winning penalty himself.

The semi final will be an all West African affair as Nigeria will face Ghana to renew a historic rivalry that began before either country achieved independence decades ago. Nigeria had a fifteen year jinx over the Black Stars that was broken emphatically in London in February 2007 with a 4-1 thrashing. Ghana also ended the reign of Berti Vogts by beating the Super-Eagles in the quarter finals of the African Cup of Nations two years ago. New coach Shaibu Amodu has at least made Nigeria hard to beat, but Rajevac's team are no pushovers either.


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A National Hero

Dreadful

Fulham�s European Quest

The African Legends Edition

The Final Verdict � Silencing the Critics

Under-Appreciated � Kalu (Part One)

The Final Verdict (Part Two) � The Master

Under-Appreciated � Kalu (Part Two)

The Final Verdict (Part Three) � A Travesty

The Future is Bright

Youthful and enterprising, Ghana heap pressure on Amodu as Black Stars reach the Final

Ridiculous

Fantastic Pharaohs

Historic Rivalries Renewed Part One

Historic Rivalries Renewed Part Two