Shows
African Five-a-sideNigeria Super Falcons and Morocco Atlas Lionesses advance to 2024 WafconIn this episode of the African Five-a-side podcast, Maher Mezahi recaps the semi-finals of the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of NationsThis podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comThe specter of Bandung https://africasacountry.com/2025/07/the-specter-of-bandungWhose game is remembered? https://africasacountry.com/2025/07/whose-game-is-rememberedThe quiet violence of peace deals https://africasacountry.com/2025/07/the-quiet-violence-of-peace-dealsOrder our "Revelution Deferred" our physical edition here: https://africasacountry.com/store/product/revolution-deferredFollow us...2025-07-2322 minAfrican Five-a-sideWhat does the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup mean to Africa?In this episode of the African Five-a-side podcast, Maher Mezahi previews the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comCome join us in Nairobi for the '25 AIAC fest: https://africasacountry.com/festivalFollow us on social media:https://twitter.com/AfricanFiveSidehttps://www.tiktok.com/@african.fiveaside2025-06-1325 minAfrican Five-a-sidePyramids FC stun Mamelodi Sundowns in first leg of CAF Champions League final ⎸ AFR 2.43In this episode of the African Five-a-side podcast, Maher Mezahi recaps the first leg of the 2024/2025 CAF Champions League final. -----------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comThe other route to the American dream https://africasacountry.com/2025/05/the-other-route-to-the-american-dreamFollow us on social media:https://twitter.com/AfricanFiveSidehttps://www.tiktok.com/@african.fiveaside2025-05-2430 minAfrican Five-a-sideRS Berkane take convincing lead versus Simba in CAF Confederation Cup final ⎸ AFR 2.41In this episode of the African Five-a-side podcast, Maher Mezahi reviews the first leg of the 2024/2025 CAF Confederation Cup final. -----------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comGreen hydrogen, old colonialism: https://africasacountry.com/2025/05/green-hydrogen-old-colonialismFollow us on social media:https://twitter.com/AfricanFiveSidehttps://www.tiktok.com/@african.fiveaside2025-05-1922 minAfrican Five-a-sideCAF Confederation Cup final preview: RS Berkane vs Simba SC (1st leg) ⎸ AFR 2.40In this episode of the African Five-a-side podcast, Maher Mezahi previews the first leg of the 2024/2025 CAF Confederation Cup final. -----------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comPaul Biya the last Kaiser https://africasacountry.com/2025/05/paul-biya-the-last-kaiserFollow us on social media:https://twitter.com/AfricanFiveSidehttps://www.tiktok.com/@african.fiveaside2025-05-1536 minAfrican Five-a-sideSundows, Al Ahly, Pirates and Pyramids play goalless draws in CAF Champions League semis ⎸ AFR 2.36In this episode of the African Five-a-side podcast, Maher Mezahi recaps the first leg of the semi-finals of the 2024/2025 CAF Champions League. -----------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comAfter the uprising https://africasacountry.com/2025/04/after-the-uprisingFollow us on social media:https://twitter.com/AfricanFiveSidehttps://www.tiktok.com/@african.fiveaside2025-04-2042 minAfrican Five-a-sideSundowns v Al Ahly; Pirates v Pyramids - Egypt v South Africa in Champions League semis ⎸ AFR 2.35In this episode of the African Five-a-side podcast, Maher Mezahi previews the Egypt vs South Africa semi-finals of the 2024/2025 CAF Champions League. -----------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comTariffs, Trump, and the Global Southhttps://africasacountry.com/2025/04/tariffs-trump-and-the-global-southFollow us on social media:https://twitter.com/AfricanFiveSidehttps://www.tiktok.com/@african.fiveaside2025-04-1740 minAfrican Five-a-sidePirates hold MC Algiers and secure their spot for the CAF Champions League semi-final ⎸ AFR 2.34In this episode of the African Five-a-side podcast, Maher Mezahi recaps the last match of the quarterfinals of the 2024/2025 CAF Champions League. -----------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comRedefining Sahelian diplomacyhttps://africasacountry.com/2025/03/redefining-sahelian-diplomacyFollow us on social media:https://twitter.com/AfricanFiveSidehttps://www.tiktok.com/@african.fiveaside2025-04-1120 minAfrican Five-a-sideSundowns, Pyramids hold on in hostile crowds; Ahly defeats Al Hilal to qualify to semis ⎸ AFR 2.33In this episode of the African Five-a-side podcast, Maher Mezahi recaps 3/4 matches of the second leg of the quarterfinals of the 2024/2025 CAF Champions League. -----------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comRedefining Sahelian diplomacyhttps://africasacountry.com/2025/03/redefining-sahelian-diplomacyFollow us on social media:https://twitter.com/AfricanFiveSidehttps://www.tiktok.com/@african.fiveaside2025-04-0936 minAfrican Five-a-sideOrlando Pirates “last dance”? Sundowns, Esperance to tussle in 2025 CAF Champions League quarterfinals ⎸ AFR 2.32In this episode of the African Five-a-side podcast, Maher Mezahi previews the second leg of the quarterfinals of the 2024/2025 CAF Champions League. -------------------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comLiberal internationalism after USAIDhttps://africasacountry.com/2025/03/liberal-internationalism-after-usaidFollow us on social media:https://twitter.com/AfricanFiveSidehttps://www.tiktok.com/@african.fiveaside2025-04-0747 minAfrican Five-a-sideSundowns and Pirates score historic wins in CAF Champions League quarterfinals ⎸ AFR 2.32In this episode of the African Five-a-side podcast, Maher Mezahi recaps matchday 6 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Africa. This week, Nigeria squandered an opportunity to catch up with South Africa, while Ghana, Algeria, Cameroon excelled.-----------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comImperial belonging and the weaponisation of the sea https://africasacountry.com/2025/03/imperial-belonging-and-the-weaponization-of-the-seaFollow us on social media:https://twitter.com/AfricanFiveSidehttps://www.tiktok.com/@african.fiveaside2025-04-0244 minAfrican Five-a-sidePreviewing the CAF CL QF: Sundowns-Esperance, MCA-Pirates, Ahly-Al Hilal, Pyramids-AS FAR ⎸ AFR 2.31In this episode of the African Five-a-side podcast, Maher Mezahi previews the quarterfinals of the 2024/2025 CAF Champions League as Mamelodi Sundowns take on Esperance de Tunis, MC Algiers host Orlando Pirates, Al Ahly and Al Hilal clash and Pyramids play AS FAR.2025-03-3142 minAfrican Five-a-sideNigeria World Cup in jeopardy; Ghana, Algeria, Cameroon dominate World Cup qualifiers ⎸ AFR 2.30In this episode of the African Five-a-side podcast, Maher Mezahi recaps matchday 6 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Africa. This week, Nigeria squandered an opportunity to catch up with South Africa, while Ghana, Algeria, Cameroon excelled.-----------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comImperial belonging and the weaponization of the seahttps://africasacountry.com/2025/03/imperial-belonging-and-the-weaponization-of-the-seaFollow us on social media:https://twitter.com/AfricanFiveSidehttps://www.tiktok.com...2025-03-2644 minAfrican Five-a-sideOsimhen, Salah, Mofokeng, Amoura shine in 5th round of 2026 World Cup qualifiers ⎸ AFR 2.29In this episode of the African Five-a-side podcast, Maher Mezahi recaps Matchday 5 action of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in Africa. Over the last 72 hours, Egypt impressed versus Ethiopia. Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco managed narrow victories in Ramadan, while Nigeria and South Africa began their race to the 2026 World Cup in Group C.--------------------------------------------------------FIFA’s Double Standardshttps://africasacountry.com/2025/03/fifas-double-standardsThis podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comFollow us on social media:...2025-03-2240 minAfrican Five-a-sidePreviewing Matchday 5 and 6 of the African 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers ⎸ AFR 2.28In this episode of the African Five-a-side podcast, Maher Mezahi previews Matchday 5 and 6 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in Africa.--------------------------------------------------------FIFA’s Double Standardshttps://africasacountry.com/2025/03/fifas-double-standardsThis podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comFollow us on social media:https://twitter.com/AfricanFiveSidehttps://www.tiktok.com/@african.fiveaside2025-03-1943 minAfrican Five-a-sideParadou, Stellenbosch, Azam: Three African football clubs doing things differently ⎸ AFR 2.9TIMESTAMPS:02:07 - Maher Mezahi on Paradou 17:12 - Lorenz Kohler on Stellenbosch33:58 - Salim Masoud Said on AzamIn this episode of the African football round-up, we take a look at three non mainstream African clubs: Paradou, Stellenbosch and Azam. Maher Mezahi breaks down Paradou while Lorenz Kohler and Salim Masoud Said analyse Stellenbosch and Azam.-----------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comThis week's must-reads:2024-11-0451 minAfrican Five-a-sideAdemola Lookman, Serhou Guirassy, Achraf Hakimi? Who should be African player of the year? ⎸ AFR 2.8In this episode of the African football round-up, we analyse the 2024 CAF African player of the year longest and whittle it down to a few candidates that we think are deserving of the African player of the year award.-----------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comThis week's must-reads:The mine dumps of Silicon Valley: https://www.africasacountry.com/2024/10/the-mine-dumps-of-silicon-valleyFollow us on social media:https://twitter.com...2024-10-2831 minAfrican Five-a-sideSudan embarrasses Ghana Black Stars, Tunisia Carthage Eagles are leaderless and who will coach Senegal Teranga Lions? ⎸ AFR 2.7TIMESTAMPS:02:12 - Ghana vs Sudan breakdown15:57 - Reviewing Senegal's six points and previewing their big coaching decision20:21 - Tunisia are rudderless24:45 - Morocco are still flying27:16 - Algeria are coming along nicely28:44 - Egypt, Cameroon, DR Congo, Angola have qualified to the Afcon33:08 - Sudan, Mali and South Africa make good progress but not through yet37:15 - Match-ups to look out for in NovemberIn this episode of the African football round-up, we summarise what we learned from...2024-10-2140 minAfrican Five-a-sideFILM ANALYSIS: Sengal vs Malawi, Egypt vs Mauritania, Morocco vs C.A.R, Tunisia vs Comoros ⎸ AFR 2.6TIMESTAMPS:01:40 - Senegal vs Malawi analysis08:44 - Egypt vs Mauritania analysis15:08 - Algeria vs Togo analysis19:20 - Morocco vs Central African Republic analysis24:32 - Tunisia vs Comoros analysis29:57 - Ghana vs Sudan analysisIn this episode of the African football round-up, we head to the film room to break down some of the matches we watched in matchday 3 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiersWe were impressed by Pape Thiaw's Senegal, Vladimir Petkovic's Algeria, Walid Regragui's...2024-10-1336 minAfrican Five-a-sideHow to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations ⎸ AFR 2.5TIMESTAMPS:01:05 - Which countries have never qualified for the Afcon?04:10 - How teams have qualified for the Afcon over the last ten years11:54 - Does CAR have what it takes?16:24 - Raoul Savoy interview34:32 - Abdul Musa interviewIn this episode of the African football round-up, we ask the question: what does it take to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations?To answer the question we looked at what nations that qualified to their first Afcon did over...2024-10-0845 minAfrican Five-a-sideReacting to the 2024/2025 CAF Champions League / Confederation Cup drawAll across the continent, we had our eyes on the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup draw. We took the opportunity to give our first thoughts on how the groups are made up.-----------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.com2024-10-0722 minAfrican Five-a-sideMAILBAG: Improving CAF Champions League, Saudi-CAF partnership, Hilal & Mereikh in exile ⎸ AFR 2.4We're back with a mailbag episode of the African football round-up!We asked you, the listeners, for your questions on African football and you sent them in. In this episode, we talk about reforming the CAF Champions League, how smaller nations in Africa have improved, the Saudi-CAF partnership, as well as how Sudan's big clubs are playing in exile in Mauritania.-----------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comThis week's must-reads:The appearance...2024-09-3045 minAfrican Five-a-side2024/2025 African Champions League preview: Favourites, Surprises and Question marks!We are just about set for the group stages of the 2024/2025 CAF Champions League group stages. Before the draw, we figured it would be the perfect time to speak about the teams that qualified and point out who are favourites, surprises and "question mark" teams were.-----------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comThis week's must-reads:From Naija to Abidjan: https://www.africasacountry.com/2024/09/from-naija-to-abidjanThe freedom to move: https://www.africasacountry.com/2024/09...2024-09-2337 minAfrican Five-a-side2025 Afcon qualifiers: Cote d'Ivoire keep winning, Morocco back on track, Ghana trip up in Kumasi ⎸ AFR 2.2The international break has begun! Salim Masoud Said joins to speak about Emerse Fae and Cote d'Ivoire, Morocco and Regragui, and Tanzanian fans' no-show to support the Taifa Stars. Cameroonian journalist Giovanni Wanneh also joins to explain what is happening between the ministry of sport and the football federation in his country. -----------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comFollow us on social media:https://twitter.com/AfricanFiveSidehttps://www.tiktok.com/@african.fiveaside2024-09-0942 minAfrican Five-a-side2025 Afcon qualifiers: Regragui on hot seat? Saintfiet joins Mali, Johnny McKinstry interview ⎸ African football round-upWelcome to a new year in African football!We kick off year 2 of the African Five-a-side podcast with the first edition of the African Football-Round up and looking ahead to the upcoming international break! This year we'll be rotating guest hosts, and for our first show, we have brought on Salim Masoud Said to talk about Regragui, Morocco, Saintfiet, Mali, McKinstry, The Gambia, Algeria and Tanzania! We also speak to the new coach of the Gambian men's national football team, Johnny McKinstry.Enjoy!2024-09-0248 minAfrican Five-a-side5 African footballers that could impress in Europe this seasonThe 2024 Paris Olympics are over, and it's almost time for the beginning of another footballing season. We quickly recap how African countries did at the Olympics and highlight five Africans that have switched clubs that could impress this season in their respective leagues.2024-08-1220 minAfrican Five-a-sideImene Khelif, the Algerian champion knocking out boxers and bigotsIn this episode, we discuss women's welterweight boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and how Imane Khelif has found herself in the middle of a culture war with people calling her 'male' or 'trans'. We try to rectify some of those lies and delve into who Khelif is as a personMy take on the bullying Imane Khelif has faced: https://africasacountry.com/2024/08/rolling-with-the-punchesCheck out Africa Is A Country: https://africasacountry.com2024-08-0209 minAfrican Five-a-sideRhulani Mokwena to Wydad Casablanca: Good rebound or a case of happy feet?In just a matter of week, Rhulani Mokwena left his job at Mamelodi Sundowns and signed with Wydad Casablanca. Is this a great rebound for Africa's best young tactician or is it a case of happy feet?2024-07-1117 minAfrican Five-a-side2025 Afcon: An unnecessarily early, group-by-group preview of the qualifiersWe now know who is in what group of the 2025 Afcon qualifiers, and so we decide to do a group-by-group preview of the qualifiers with some initial thoughts just a few months before they kick-off2024-07-0733 minAfrican Five-a-side2026 World Cup qualifying (CAF): Cameroon to forfeit? Mahrez done with Algeria? Cote d'Ivoire ⭐️⭐️⭐️In this new episode of the African Five-a-side podcast, we preview the upcoming international break as the African continent gets set to host the FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Some of the dominant narratives take place in Cameroon, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco.2024-06-0423 minAfrican Five-a-sideREACTION: Al Ahly win their 12th CAF Champions League title, beating Esperance 1-0In the second leg of the 2023/2024 CAF Champions League, Al Ahly beat Esperance de Tunis 1-0. Ramy Rabia forced an own goal in the opening five minutes, giving Al Ahly their 12th Champions League title. Host Maher Mezahi analyzed the match to cap off our Champions League coverage.2024-05-2512 minAfrican Five-a-sideCAF Champions League final preview: Who will be crowned African champions? Esperance or Al Ahly?*WE APOLOGISE ABOUT THE AUDIO QUALITY OF THIS EPISODE, WE MADE A ONE-TIME MISTAKE THAT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN*Please check out www.africasacountry.comEsperance de Tunis and Al Ahly are set to battle it out during the second leg of the CAF Champions League final in Cairo. The first leg finished 0-0 in Tunis and with the away goals rule still in effect, all is to play for.2024-05-2419 minAfrican Five-a-sideCAF Champions League final: Can Al Ahly win their 12th title?Prior to the CAF Champions League final, we speak to Al Ahly fan Ahmed Assem about the prospects of the Red Devils securing their record-extending 12th title in the competition. We also ponder the existence of football DNA and ask: What makes Al Ahly Al Ahly?2024-05-1719 minAfrican Five-a-sideCAF Champions League semi-final: Sundowns, Mazembe crash out to more mature Esperance, Al AhlyIn the second leg of the 2023/2024 CAF Champions League, Esperance de Tunis and Al Ahly put in mature performances and managed to qualify past TP Mazembe and Mamelodi Sundowns2024-04-2725 minAfrican Five-a-sideCAF Confederation Cup semi-final: What happened between USM of Algiers and RS Berkane?This week we look back on what exactly happened between USM of Algiers and RS Berkane in the semi-final of the CAF Confederation Cup. Their scheduled match was never actually played because of a political controversy that we try to explain2024-04-2423 minAfrican Five-a-sideCAF CL semi-final: Esperance hit Sundowns with body blow, Al Ahly take advantage back to CairoDuring the first leg of the 2023/2024 CAF Champions League semi-finals, Esperance de Tunis nullified Mamelodi Sundowns' attacking threat and managed to win by a goal at home. Meanwhile Al Ahly left Lubumbashi with a nil-nil draw2024-04-2119 minAfrican Five-a-sideCAF Champions League semi-final preview: Esperance vs Sundowns, TP Mazembe vs Al AhlyWe're into the final four of the 2023/2024 CAF Champions League and so this episode of the African Five-a-side podcast delves into a preview of Saturday's matches between Esperance de Tunis and Mamelodi Sundowns and TP Mazembe versus Al Ahly.2024-04-1924 minAfrican Five-a-sideCAF CL quarterfinals: Mazembe STUN Petro in Angola, Esperance survive penalties vs ASECThe second leg of the quarterfinals of the 2023/2024 CAF Champions League took place on Saturday evening as TP Mazembe travelled to Luanda to take on Petro and Esperance travelled to Abidjan to take on ASEC Mimosas.The Congolese and Tunisian champions came away victorious on the evening and now set up juicy quarterfinals against Al Ahly and Sundowns in two weeks' time.2024-04-0719 minAfrican Five-a-sideCAF CL quarterfinals: Young Africans (Yanga) ALMOST upset Sundowns, Ahly cruise through to semisFriday night's two matches had very different tones. While Tanzania's Yanga pushed AFL champions, Mamelodi Sundowns to the brink, their compatriots, Simba, couldn't muster up the same fight vs Al Ahly of Egypt.In this episode we discuss the general ideas of idealism versus pragmatism and if Sundowns are fit to overcome mental hurdles2024-04-0620 minAfrican Five-a-sideSimba SC 0-1 Al Ahly SC - Al Ahly and Ahmed Nabil Koka steal a victory in Dar El SalamThe first quarterfinal of the 2024 CAF Champions League took place on Friday evening between Simba and reigning champions, Al Ahly. It was a frustrating match for the hosts who peppered the Egyptian goal with countless chances, but could not convert a single one of them. We look back on the match and ponder themes such as collective psychology and what ask what the return leg has in store for us.2024-03-2915 minAfrican Five-a-sideNigeria Super Eagles, Bafana, Cameroon: Which African teams properly managed the post-Afcon period?Two months on from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations we have our first international window since the big tournament. We take a look at the state of 9 national teams and how they've attacked the post-Afcon period2024-03-1931 minAfrican Five-a-sideFaith and football: How to reconcile Ramadan and professional football?As the holy month of Ramadan begins, we ask a few questions about its place in professional football. Does fasting impede optimal athletic performance? How can clubs or leagues accommodate fasting players and make them feel welcome?2024-03-1517 minAfrican Five-a-sideCAF Champions League quarterfinal preview: Sundowns - Yanga, Ahly - Simba, Esperance - ASEC and moreThe draw for the 2024 CAF Champions League took place a couple days ago, and so we finally have our quarterfinal matchups. We take a preliminary look at each of the matches and give our thoughts.2024-03-1423 minAfrican Five-a-side5 African football talents to watch in the 2024 CAF Champions LeagueAs we prepare for the draw of the 2023/2024 CAF Champions League knockout stages, we decided to take a look at five up-and-coming youngsters that will be looking to impress and help their clubs to Africa's most prestigious trophy this year.2024-03-1020 minAfrican Five-a-sideDisappointment at 2023 Afcon and 2024 Champions League...Is North African football on the decline?With no quarterfinalists at the 2023 African Cup of Nations in Cote d'Ivoire and only 2 club sides in the quarterfinals of the 2024 CAF Champions League, the internet is telling us that North African football is on the decline. We take a forensic look at the performances of the national teams and the club sides and determine if this is a general geographic trend or if this is a case-by-case basis of misfortune.Check out Africa Is A Country: https://africasacountry.com2024-03-0422 minAfrican Five-a-sideMamelodi Sundowns, Al Ahly, TP Mazembe or Yanga? Who has impressed most in the CAF CL group stages?In this episode of the African Five-a-side podcast, we look back on what has been an enthralling six matchdays of the 2024 CAF Champions League. In this year's competition, teams that have defended well have been rewarded, and after this weekend the competition will finally begin!2024-03-0121 minAfrican Five-a-sideSuper Falcons, Banyana, Atlas Lionesses, Copper Queens... Who is going to Paris 2024?We're back after an Afcon hangover and for our first episode back, we talk about the 2024 Summer Olympic Games qualifiers in African women's football. Before we pick our winners, we talk about the fact that 29/54 of the sides in Africa failed to even enter their teams for qualifying.You can read more on Cote d'Ivoire's failure to field a team here: https://africasacountry.com/2024/02/a-forgotten-relic2024-02-2813 minAfrican Five-a-side2023 Afcon autopsy: Where do all 24 teams go from here?On the weekend after the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, we delve into where all 24 teams go from here. For some, like Senegal, little change is necessary. For others, such as Cameroon or Algeria, much change is needed, but can the changes be carried out successfully?2024-02-1636 minAfrican Five-a-sideNigeria 1-2 Cote d'Ivoire: Adingra and Haller propel The Elephants to their third Afcon titleAfter several peaks and valleys, Cote d'Ivoire sealed their tournament by beating Nigeria in the Afcon final, 2-1. Nigeria took a first-half lead into the break after William Troost-Ekong scored off of a corner. But in the second half Simon Adingra and Sebastien haller dominated for the hosts, scoring and assisting the goals that would give them their third star.2024-02-1214 minAfrican Five-a-side2023 Africa Cup of Nations third-place match preview: South Africa vs DR CongoPalestine at Afcon article: https://africasacountry.com/2024/02/palestine-at-afconLet's have a relaxing chat about third-place matches and how and why we think tonight's match will unfold as it will2024-02-1019 minAfrican Five-a-sideNigeria 1-1 South Africa: Bafana fall just short ⎸ Cote d'Ivoire 1-0 DR Congo: Haller leads chargeThe semi-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations were just as entertaining as the rest of the tournament. Nigeria eeked past South Africa in the first match of the day after tension-filled penalty kicks. Cote d'Ivoire's victory over DR Congo was a much more calm affair, as Sebastien Haller fired The Elephants into the final2024-02-0822 minAfrican Five-a-sideA tactical preview of the 2023 Afcon semi-finals: Nigeria vs South Africa, Cote d'Ivoire vs DR CongoMy 2023 Africa Cup of Nations is over, but the tournament rolls on. Today we're back with a semi-final preview of Wednesday's matches. We delve into the Nigeria vs South Africa match in particular detail with a tactical breakdown of the match-up.2024-02-0625 minAfrican Five-a-sideNigeria 1-0 Angola: Lookman propels Naija to victory ⎸ DR Congo 3-1 Guinea: Leopards in semisIn the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals Victor Osimhen and Nigeria got a goal past Angola and qualified to the semi-finals. And DR Congo comfortably advanced past Guinea into the final four as well.2024-02-0212 minAfrican Five-a-sideA statistical preview of the 2023 Afcon quarterfinals: Cote d'Ivoire vs Mali, Nigeria vs Angola, South Africa vs Cape Verde, DR Congo vs GuineaThe 2023 Afcon quarterfinals are set to kick off tomorrow and so we break down the four matches including Cote d'Ivoire vs Mali, Nigeria vs Angola, DR Congo vs Guinea and Cape Verde vs South Africa2024-02-0131 minAfrican Five-a-sideMorocco 0-2 South Africa: BAFANA ARE BACK, Morocco are home ⎸ Mali 2-1 Burkina: Eagles find identityIt was a fascinating tactical battle between the Moroccan Atlas Lions and the South African Bafana boys. Both sides played cautiously, but it would be the South Africans that made less technical errors and came away with a victory. In the early match, Burkina Faso were no match for Mali who found their identity with a diamond 4-4-2.M2024-01-3018 minAfrican Five-a-sideCote d'Ivoire 1-1 Senegal: Kessié penalties send The Elephants through ⎸ Cape Verde 1-0 MauritaniaLast night, the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations served us an instant classic when hosts Cote d'Ivoire took on Senegal in the round of 16. Despite a terrible group stage performance, Cote d'Ivoire bounced back by eliminating defending champions Senegal in Yamoussoukro.2024-01-3021 minAfrican Five-a-side2023 Afcon preview: Cote d'Ivoire vs Senegal and Cape Verde vs MauritaniaThe third day of the round of 16 will feature the biggest match of this Africa Cup of Nations so far when Cote d'Ivoire host Senegal in Yamoussoukro. In the other match of the day the two 'giant killers' Cape Verde and Mauritania will do battle in Abidjan.2024-01-2911 minAfrican Five-a-sideDR Congo 1-1 Egypt: Leopards slay Egypt ⎸ Equatorial Guinea 0-1 Guinea: Bayo-bye Nzalang NacionalOn the second day of Round of 16 play, Equatorial Guinea made a couple critical errors and lost to Guinea-Conakry. Egypt and DR Congo duked it out, but Sebastien Desabre's men came away victorious after penalty kicks.2024-01-2915 minAfrican Five-a-side2023 Afcon preview: Egypt vs DR Congo and Equatorial Guinea vs GuineaToday's matches in the round of 16 feature a Salah-less Egypt taking on a red-hot DR Congo national team. The early match will feature the tournament's cinderella story, Equatorial Guinea versus Guinea-Conakry2024-01-2811 minAfrican Five-a-sideNigeria 2-0 Cameroon: Osimhen and Super Eagles beat Cameroon ⎸ Angola 3-0 Namibia: Dala is king!In the first matchday of the round of 16, Nigeria put Cameroon to the sword as Ademola Lookman scored a brace and the hapless Indomitable Lions couldn't respond. The other match of the day saw Angola take care of Namibia despite facing some early adversity when their goalkeeper was sent off in the 17th minute2024-01-2714 minAfrican Five-a-side2023 Afcon preview: Cameroon vs Nigeria and Angola vs NamibiaWe start the round of 16 today as the Nigerian Super Eagles take on the Cameroonian Indomitable Lions in Abidjan, but before that heavyweight bout Angola will host Namibia in Bouaké.2024-01-2718 minAfrican Five-a-side2023 Afcon Diary Day 13: My Afcon team of the round, and my day at the FIFA workshopOn Day 13, we had our first day off of the Afcon. We spent the day at a FIFA workshop learning about the FIFA Forward program and the Talent Development Scheme. Finally, we finish today's diary with a team of the round for the tournament so far.2024-01-2618 minAfrican Five-a-side2023 Afcon Diary Day 12: Morocco save Cote d'Ivoire, Tunisia exit pitifully, Zambia fall shortIn the final day of matchday 3 and the group stages we saw a real lack of goals. South Africa and Tunisia went scoreless, Namibia and Mali also played a nil-nil, as did Tanzania and DR Congo. Morocco scored the day's only goal against Zambia which ensured they finished first and the group and also sent Cote d'Ivoire into the round of 16.2024-01-2524 minAfrican Five-a-side2023 Afcon Diary Day 11: ALGERIA OUT and Cameroon find a wayOn Day 11 of the Africa Cup of Nations, we went to Bouaké to watch Algeria vs Mauritania and Cameroon vs The Gambia. Algeria crashed out in the group stages for the second consecutive year, while Cameroon squeaked past The Gambia in Group C.2024-01-2426 minAfrican Five-a-side2023 Afcon Diary Day 10: Côte d'Ivoire calamity, Egypt squeak through as Ghana crash outDay 10 of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations was the craziest in a very long time. It started off with Côte d'Ivoire losing at home 4-0 as Nigeria beat Guinea-Bissau 1-0. The evening fixtures saw Egypt draw with Cape Verde 2-2 and Ghana draw with Mozambique 2-2.2024-01-2317 minAfrican Five-a-side2023 Afcon Diary Day 9: Congo tie up Morocco, Tanzania stay alive vs Zambia and BAFANA ARE BACKIn the final day of matchday 2, Morocco were tied up by DR Congo and it finished with a dust-up between Walid Regragui and Chancel Mbemba. Tanzania made their return after coach Adel Amrouche was suspended by CAF and fired by the Tanzanian Football Federation. Finally, South Africa trounced Namibia and won 4-0.2024-01-2216 minAfrican Five-a-side2023 Afcon Diary Day 8: Bounedjah saves Algeria for now, Angola beat Mauritania, Mali and Tunisia tieIn the penultimate day of matchday 2 Algeria nicked a draw against Burkina Faso, but we discuss how it is that Algeria have become so stale. We also discuss the entertaining match between Mauritania and Angola, and how Mali and Tunisia shared the spoils2024-01-2120 minAfrican Five-a-side2023 Afcon Diary Day 7: Senegal humiliate Song and Eto'o, Cape Verde score screamers, Guinea throughToday's matches in Abidjan and Yamoussoukro were crackers! Cape Verde scored two great goals against Mozambique en route to a 3-0 rout. In the marquee match of the day, Senegal outclassed Cameroon in almost every aspect of the game, winning 3-1. Finally, Guinea scraped past The Gambie despite not having key players available to them.2024-01-2020 minAfrican Five-a-side2023 Afcon Diary Day 6: Nsue is a hat-trick hero, Kudus is a starboy and Salah is injuredThe sixth day of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations saw Equatorial Guinea take the battle of the Guineas in Group A. Nigeria got a much-needed three points versus hosts Cote d'Ivoire and Egypt slugged it out against Ghana for a 2-2 draw.Follow Alex Cizmic here: https://twitter.com/AlexCizmicFollow Alasdair Howorth here: https://twitter.com/ahoworth972024-01-1920 minAfrican Five-a-side2023 Afcon Diary Day 5: Morocco smash Tanzania, DR Congo frustrated by ZambiaDay 5 of the Africa Cup of Nations saw Morocco take on Tanzania and DR Congo play Zambia. Morocco confirmed what they showed a year and a half ago in Qatar, while DR Congo showed a lot of promise but were held by the Chipolopolo.2024-01-1815 minAfrican Five-a-side2023 Afcon Diary Day 2: Down go Nigeria, Egypt and GhanaDay two of the Africa Cup of Nations was full of surprises, as Nigeria started the day by drawing with Equatorial Guinea, Egypt followed that up by drawing with Mozambique, and Ghana finished it off by falling to Cape Verde. 2024-01-1519 minAfrican Five-a-side2023 Afcon Diary Day 1: Cote d'Ivoire take care of business versus Guinea-BissauOn the opening day of the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the host nation Cote d'Ivoire took care of business in beating Guinea-Bissau, 2-0. the Ivorian midfield was dominant, however, there are still outstanding questions regarding the rest of the team. here are my thoughts after an impressive day, one of the Africa Cup of Nations.2024-01-1415 min
Because FootballAFCON Stories Under the Radar | Maher MezahiWelcome to Episode 24 of the Because Football Podcast! Our guest is Maher Mezahi, an Algiers-based football journalist who has covered North African football for nearly a decade. His work has been published in international publications such as the BBC, The Guardian, The Telegraph, ESPN Africa and Al Jazeera English. He is also the host of the African Five-a-side podcast, which educated the football world about the African continent through the prism of its favorite pastime: football.
If you want a deep dive into African football, Maher is the guy to talk to. We talk about this upcoming AFCON in...2024-01-1227 minAfrican Five-a-sideZambia 2023 Afcon preview: The Copper Bullets resurge with arrival of GrantZambia were surprisingly good in Afcon qualifiers going head-to-head with Côte d'Ivoire. Their resurgence has been credited with the arrival of coach Avram Grant, who brings a cool and calm demeanour. At the Afcon they'll be exciting when attacking, but they need to shore up their naive defence.We spoke to Buster Kirchner about the Chipolopolo. You can follow Buster here: https://twitter.com/BusterEmil2024-01-1120 minAfrican Five-a-sideCameroon 2023 preview: An experienced and talented squad looking for direction?As hosts of the 2021 Afcon, Cameroon were one of the strongest sides in the tournament. Despite their brilliant showing, FECAFOOT president Samuel Eto'o decided to sack the manager and hire his former captain Rigobert Song. Since then the results have been mixed: Song helped the team qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but has also faced criticism for lacklustre results in qualifying.To break down the Indomitable Lions, we spoke to Giovanni Bambe, a Cameroonian freelance journalist.You can follow Giovanni here: https://twitter.com/BambeWanneh2024-01-0935 min
The Window: An International Football Podcast2023 Africa Cup of Nations Preview feat. "Made In Africa" & Maher MezahiWe welcome a great group of panelists to help us break down every group and every country at AFCON. We're thrilled to be joined by Ed Aarons (Made In Africa/The Guardian), Rahman Osman (Made In Africa/LondonWorld), and Maher Mezahi (BBC) as we go in-depth for the tournament!2024-01-082h 02African Five-a-sideAngola 2023 preview: A mix of youth and experience for the Palancas NegrasAngola make their return to the Africa Cup of Nations with coach Pedro Goncalves at their helm. Goncalves led the Angola U17 team to a Round of 16 berth at the U17 World Cup in 2019. Now he takes that same generation of players, with a few experienced players to Cote d'Ivoire to try and build on that success.We speak to Eurico Costa who breaks down Angola's expectations for us. You can follow Eurico here: https://twitter.com/passevertical2024-01-0722 minAfrican Five-a-sideGhana 2023 Afcon preview: Can Mohamed Kudus spark a lacklustre Ghanaian attack?After a disastrous 2021 Afcon, and an improved 2022 FIFA World Cup performance, Ghanaian fans head into the 2023 Afcon with a healthy dose of skepticism.Over the last six months, Ghana have really struggled to score and have been known as a cautious outfit under Chris Houghton. The solution? We spoke Ghanaian journalist Gary Al Smith to see what it is that he'd recommend.You can follow Gary on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/garyalsmith2024-01-0730 minAfrican Five-a-sideSouth Africa 2023 Afcon preview: Bafana quietly confident due to strength of domestic clubsAfter missing out on the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, South Africa are returning to Africa's biggest party with some renewed confidence. Part of that is due to the success of Mamelodi Sundowns in Interclub competitions, and another part of it is the good work Belgian coach, Hugo Broos, has done with Bafana Bafana.To discuss all of this we speak to SABC journalist Velile Mnyandu. You can follow Velile on twitter here: https://twitter.com/Velile_Mnyandu2024-01-0635 minAfrican Five-a-sideMorocco 2023 Afcon preview: After a record-breaking World Cup, Morocco hungry for Afcon successDuring the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Morocco shocked the world when they became the first African nation to qualify for the semi-finals. Walid Regragui and co played organised, coherent football and are naturally favourites for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d'Ivoire.To speak about Morocco, we invited Amine El Amri, a journalist that writes for Le Matin newspaper in Morocco. You can follow Amine on twitter here: https://twitter.com/Amine_Elamri2024-01-0530 minAfrican Five-a-sideTunisia 2023 Afcon preview: Africa's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?How will the Carthage Eagles fare in Côte d'Ivoire? The North Africans have perfected the art of qualifying for the Afcon - they haven't missed a tournament since 1992. Yet, they are also to win the tournament off of home soil. We talk to Arafat Hamrouni, a Tunisian journalist that works for www.foot24.tn about how Tunisians are bored of the same old small successes and how they really want to make a final of the Afcon or win it.However, over the past year, Msakni a...2024-01-0524 minAfrican Five-a-sideNigeria 2023 Afcon preview: Much expected from Victor OsimhenThe Nigerian Super Eagles come to Côte d'Ivoire with one of the most stacked squads in the tournament, especially in attack. Yet, results in recent times have been disappointing.We speak to one of the most well-respected journalists in Africa, Oluwashina Okeleji, about Nigeria and their prospects in the upcoming Afcon.2024-01-0329 minAfrican Five-a-sideEgypt 2023 Afcon preview: Can Mohamed Salah finally win the elusive Afcon trophy?Egypt were Afcon finalists in 2017 and 2021. They missed out on the last Afcon title and the 2022 World Cup after losing to Senegal in penalty shoot-outs. So what does this year's Egypt look like? Are they a continuation of those sides which were much more pragmatic, or - under the tutelage of their new coach, Rui Vitoria - are they more a callback to the golden age of Egyptian football?To dissect all of these questions, we have Mohamed Quotb on as a special guest. You can follow...2024-01-0331 minAfrican Five-a-sideAlgeria Afcon preview: Can Coach Belmadi recover from a tough two years and recapture the Afcon?As we close in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, the African Five-a-side podcast has decided to put aside matchdays for now and, instead, focus on previewing every.single.team that will compete in the tournament.First up? Algeria. The 2019 champions have had a tough two years, so we invited Hamza Rahmani - a commentator for Bein Sports - to come on and break down how confident Algeria are at the moment and how he thinks they'll do in Cote D'IvoireYou can follow Hamza here: https://twitter.com/hmzrhmnAnd...2024-01-0219 minAfrican Five-a-sideKenneth Kaunda loved football more than any other African president - Matchday 1"Kenneth Kaunda was a rarity: an African President who not only backed football, but [also] actually liked it" - David Goldblatt. In the final episode of Matchday 1 of the African Five-a-side podcast, we profile Zambia's first president, Kenneth Kaunda. Kaunda so loved football and supported the national teal that they were nicknamed the "KK11" in honour of him. We also explore how Kaunda got parastatal conglomerates in Zambia's Copperbelt to sponsor domestic clubs and spur local football development.*Special thanks to the research of Dr. Hikabwa Chipande and his extensive research on this subject which served as...2023-12-1721 minAfrican Five-a-sideEarly 2023 Afcon predictions - African Football Round-upThe 2023 CAF Awards were largely uneventful, and so this week we're using the African Football Round-up for some tier talk. We take a brief look at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations which will kick-off in about a months' time and categorise the 24 teams into four categories: favourites, contenders, dark horses, and "happy to be here".2023-12-1223 minAfrican Five-a-sideAhmed Sekou Touré said "No" to France and "Yes" to football - Matchday 11958 Ahmed Sekou Touré campaigned so that Guineans would vote "No" in a referendum on whether to adopt the new French constitution or reject it and opt for independence. As the first leader of independent Guinea, Touré focused on wide-ranging educational reform which included encourage sport for the masses at a grassroots level. Yet, after witnessing the success of Kwame Nkrumah's Black Stars, Touré decides that it's time to use football as a diplomatic tool. Cherif Souleymane, Petit Sory, Papa Camara, Bengally Sylla, Maxime Camara and N'Jo Lea are some of the names that end up comprising the great Guinean gene...2023-12-0831 minAfrican Five-a-sideWhy I voted Victor Osimhen for African player of the year - African Football Round-upWith the 2023 CAF Awards just a week away, Maher Mezahi explains that he was selected as part of a media panel to vote on the awards and reveals how he voted. 2023-12-0514 minAfrican Five-a-sideJohn Obi Mikel's "Black Tax", the portrayal of Emmanuel Adebayor and a chat with Didier Drogba - African Football Round-upIn this episode we'll revisit John Obi Mikel's appearance on Rio Ferdinand's podcast where he talks about family manipulation. From there we trace some of the challenges star African footballers face on a day-to-day basis and why that can make them vulnerable, but also capable of much more than your average footballer.Side note: Apologies for not releasing a podcast last Monday, I was in Tunis on a shoot for the Africa Cup of Nations. As a result, we're going to skip an African Five-a-side podcast this Friday and pick it back up next week.2023-12-0121 minAfrican Five-a-sideMobutu helps Zaire to two Afcon titles and a World Cup appearanceEpisode 3 of Matchday 1 of the African-five-a side podcast continues to explore the stories of five African heads of state and their influence on football. This week, we're introducing our striker: the practical and manipulative Mobutu Sese SekoAfter consolidating power in Congo-Kinshasa during the Congo Crisis, Mobutu utilised a spike in copper to invest in the national football team, following a humiliating 3-0 loss to the Ghanaian Black Stars in May 1966. Mobutu's first point of order was to recall the "Belgicains", Congolese footballers that were poached by European clubs during the Congo Crisis. He also instituted his...2023-11-2426 minAfrican Five-a-sideBafana are back! Will Nigeria sack Peseiro? Is Hughton the man for Ghana? - African Football RoundupIn this episode of the African Football Roundup we recap the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Africa and outline some of the good we saw as well as some of the bad.Egypt, Senegal and South Africa displayed reasons for optimism. Egypt under Rui Vitoria are one of Africa's most coherent sides, Senegal have a new midfield pairing with Pape Matar Sarr and Lamine Camara - that's not fair. And with the Sundowns boys, are Bafana back?The bad comes from West Africa. Nigeria come away from the qualifiers with just 2 points in 2 matches, while...2023-11-2019 minAfrican Five-a-sideAfrican Football Roundup: Are the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers a new era for African Football?Welcome to a special episode of the African football round-up as the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers kick off!Throughout the history of the FIFA World Cup, Africa has often found itself underrepresented. We trace back the journey to guaranteed qualification including the continent boycotting the 1966 FIFA World Cup. We then ask if 9.5 qualifying places is the right number. We think that 9.5 ensures there are enough places for top African sides and doesn’t dilute quality.Finally we recap the first day of qualifying including three David vs Goliath matchups including: Egypt vs Djibouti, Al...2023-11-1717 minAfrican Five-a-sideAfrican Football Roundup: Sundowns are African champions, and how I voted during the CAF AwardsThis week we discuss the second leg of the African Football League final between Wydad Casablanca and Mamelodi Sundowns. We reflect on how Rhulani Mokwena passed his toughest test with flying colors and what that means for his future. Host Maher Mezahi also justifies how he voted for Club of the Year during the 2023 CAF Awards. We also name our team of the week and highlight the performances of Ivorian defenders who could be stalwarts for the host nation at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.2023-11-1313 minAfrican Five-a-sideMatchday 1: How Kwame Nkrumah boycotted the 1966 FIFA World Cup and won two AfconsEpisode 2 of Matchday 1 of the African-five-a side podcast continues to explore the stories of five African heads of state and their influence on football. This week, we're introducing our central defender: the intellectual, inspiring, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.As the first head of state of an independent Ghana, Nkrumah quickly understood the power of football as a unifying tool. He appointed Ohene Djan as the director of sports in 1960, and put in place structures to support the success of the national team, sometimes to the detriment of local clubs. Nkrumah's interest in soccer was so great that he...2023-11-1018 minAfrican Five-a-sideAfrican Football Roundup: Can Sundowns and Mokwena navigate the intangibles of African football?This week we discuss the first leg of the African Football League final between Wydad Casablanca and Mamelodi Sundowns. The match gives us a perfect opportunity to profile their star young coach and ask: Do the South African champions have what it takes to hurdle that final obstacle and win a continental trophy?We also name our team of the week and highlight the performances of a couple of Braga stars that are underrated on the continent.2023-11-0716 minAfrican Five-a-sideMatchday 1: Gamal Abdel Nasser and the establishment of CAF and AfconEpisode 1 of Matchday 1 of the African-five-a side podcast continues to explore the stories of five African heads of state and their influence on football. This week, we're introducing our goalkeeper: the tall, suave, chain-smoking Gamal Abdel Nasser.Why did we choose such a prominent figure in the non-aligned movement as our goalkeeper? Well, Nasser was known for his height, charisma, and exceptional communication skills—although his interest in football remains uncertain.Nasser came from a humble background, with a postal worker father, and spent much of his childhood in rural areas. He entered the military ac...2023-11-0220 minAfrican Five-a-sideAfrican Football Roundup: African football league kicks off, and talking football in PalestineAll of the goings on in the world of African football, week of 10/16-10/23.Over the weekend, the African football league kicked off and we discuss if the competition is good or bad for African football. We also ask the question: is this a FIFA or CAF competition?We also take a little time to speak to Bassil Mikdadi of Football Palestine, who tells us about the challenges facing the Palestinian national team and its players.2023-10-2334 minAfrican Five-a-sideMatchday 1: Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ahmed Ben Bella and Muammar Gaddafi named substitutes because of their football legaciesMatchday 1, our first set of episodes of the African Five-a-side podcast, takes a look at African football’s most influential politicians. Before we name the five most important politicians in African football history, we will draw up a list of honorable mentions.The father of Nigerian nationalism, Nnamdi Azikiwe, is the first name on the team sheet. In this episode, we dissect how he used the media and his own sports club to galvanize support for Nigerian independence during the goodwill tours of 1941 and 1942.Algeria's first president, Ahmed Ben Bella, takes up a seat next to...2023-10-2022 min
Talking TacticsTalking with... Maher MezahiIn this episode of "Talking with..." Daniel sits down with Maher Mezahi.They discuss how Maher navigated playing football in Windsor, Ontario, and the general setup of Canadian football. His early love for Arsenal, Emmanuel Petit, and Thierry Henry. The ups and downs of being an Algeria supporter, and how the country's freedom struggle was different than most African countries of the era. How does one go from studying philosophy and political science in Canada to moving across an ocean to cover football in Algeria, and later France? Maher tells his path. Also a quick-fire round which...2023-02-201h 07
Gol BezanDiscussion with Maher Mezahi on Tunisia & Algeria, Iran's upcoming friendly opponents!Maher Mezahi, African football expert, broke down and gave a great insight into Iran's two upcoming matches between Tunisia and Algeria.
He further discussed how Iran will benefit from playing against these sides to prepare them for the upcoming World Cup.
Panel: Pasha Hajian and Maher Mezahi
Twitter: @pashahajian,@mezahimaher, @golbezan
Facebook: @golbezan
Website: www.golbezanpodcast.com
Email: mail@golbezanpodcast.com2018-03-1745 min