Planet Sport Football Africa

This week we talk about the surprise decision to delay the 2024 African Nations Championship to August, just 18 days before it was due to kick off in East Africa.Also we dig into one of the longest-running debates in African football – whether national teams are better off with local coaches or foreign coaches.While local coaches like Walid Regragui with Morocco and the late Stephen Keshi with Nigeria and Togo did great things, we still have European coaches coming in to the continent and usually receiving better treatment than local coaches.We speak to Emerse Fae, who won the AFCON last year with Cote d’Ivoire.And we have Stuart on the EPL, as Arsenal narrow the gap on Liverpool.

This week we catch up on the Caf Champions League, as holders Al Ahly of Egypt saw their 27-match unbeaten run coming to an end.Also, this week marked the 15th anniversary of one of the most dreadful incidents in the history of African football – the attack on the Togo team bus ahead of the 2010 AFCON in Angola, as shootings left two members of the Togo delegation dead and 10 others injured. Emmanuel Adebayor reflects on the incident.And we have listeners’ views on Manchester United and Stuart reflects on United’s improved performance against Liverpool.

This week we speak to one of the best female goalkeepers in the world, Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie, who won the African Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award for the second successive year last month.She tells us about her journey to Europe, to Paris FC. Also we take a look at the calendar for 2025 in African football, with a busy year ahead, and we have Stuart with the EPL latest, and a look at whether Man United coach Reuben Amorim should change his formation.

This week we look back at 2024 in African football, with a memorable edition of the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, a good football tournament at the Olympics for the men, but disappointing for the women.We spoke to many African football stars, including Emmanuel Adebayor, the 2008 African Footballer of the Year, shared the story of how he was unable to walk until he was five, and how a visit to a church in Ghana led to him starting to walk, and how it was the sight of a football that saw him spring up to his feet.Also Stuart on the EPL, with Marcus Rashford wanting to leave Manchester United.

This week we talk about Nigeria's Ademola Lookman, winner of the 2024 African Footballer of the Year award.Also we have an interview with Benin coach Gernot Rohr, the German who coached Nigeria from 2016 to 2021, and who has qualified Benin for the 2025 AFCON.And we have Stuart on Ahmad Diallo’s journey to success at Manchester United.

This week we talk about Morocco being confirmed as co-hosts of the 2030 Fifa World Cup.We analyse the draw for the Fifa Club World Cup, with some big games for the four African teams to look forward to.We catch up on the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup, and Stuart explains the significance of sporting director Dan Ashworth leaving Manchester United.

This week we talk about the stadium tragedy in Guinea, with at least 56 people killed in a crush at a match.We look ahead to Matchday 2 of the CAF Champions League, and with Mohamed Salah having one of his best seasons ever with Liverpool, we look at his future at the club beyond this season, with no new contract for the Egyptian as yet.Also we speak to one of Nigeria's most experienced players in European football Anthony Ujah, now based in Bulgaria. Ujah gives us insights into the various pressures that players face.Plus Stuart on the EPL title race.

This week we focus on the Caf Champions League, as the group stage got underway on Tuesday with an easy win for record 12-time champions Al Ahly of Egypt.Also we speak to Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong, on life at Saudi club Al-Kholood his Troost-Ekong foundation in Nigeria, and the tough road ahead for the Super Eagles in 2026 World Cup qualifying.Also Stuart looks at possible reasons for Man City’s crisis.

This week we catch up on the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, as Ghana and Guinea failed to make it, Botswana qualified for only the second time, Tunisia progressed but with a stuttering campaign, and Morocco did it in style.Also we have an interview with Nigeria midfielder Frank Onyeka, who’s on loan from Brentford to German side Augsburg. He tells us about life in the Bundesliga.And Stuart tells us about huge attendances in the English Championship.

This week we talk about the decisive few days in African football as the last two rounds of qualifiers for the 2025 AFCON are on.Senegal have already qualified, and we speak to their football federation president Augustin Senghor on the decision to part ways with the team’s most successful coach, Aliou Cisse.Also we talk about Amad Diallo’s great recent form with Manchester United, and whether the Ivorian can secure a place in the United starting line-up.And we have Stuart on Man City’s slump in form.

This week we talk about the Caf Women’s Champions League, which starts on Saturday in Morocco, with increased prize money.We look at the career of African football legend Emmanuel Adebayor, who recently had a testimonial in Togo to mark the end of his career. And Adebayor tells us about his faith - how he sleeps with his Bible under his pillow, and how he was unable to walk until he was 5, and how a visit to a church in Ghana led to him starting to walk, fittingly at the sight of a football.Also Stuart on the new Manchester United coach Reuben Amorim – is everything now in place, or are there still issues of concern at the club?

This week we zoom in on the Ballon d’Or ceremony, as Rodri took the men's award ahead of Vini Junior, amid allegations of racism.We also look at the nominees for the CAF Awards, with Victor Boniface, Mohamed Salah and Mohammed Kudus all missing out.Also, CAF president Patrice Motsepe says he is looking to secure a second term, and Stuart on Manchester United’s future following the sacking of Erik Ten Hag.

This week we talk Beach Soccer, with Senegal playing Mauritania in the final of the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt on Saturday.We find out more about the game and hear from Nigerian Abu Azeez, an African legend of beach soccer. Also we have a look at the Caf Congress, with positive financial developments reported, and lots on the Uefa Champions League, as plenty of African players impressed this week.

This week we look at the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, with Nigeria pulling out of their game in Libya in controversial circumstances, and with Ghana in serious trouble and looking unlikely to qualify.Also we look ahead to the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, and Stuart analyses Thomas Tuchel’s appointment as England manager.

This week we look at the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, with teams in back-to-back qualifiers in the space of a few days, and a lot at stake.We also talk about the Egyptian who’s outscoring Harry Kane in Germany – Egypt forward Omar Marmoush, and we analyse the Ballon D'Or nominees, with Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman the only African player on the 30-man shortlist.And Stuart assesses the situation at Manchester United, as the poor results continue.

This week we analyse the surprise decision by the Senegal Football Federation to part ways with national team coach Aliou Cisse, after a long and successful time in charge.We also look at the Fifa ban for Cameroon Football Federation president Samuel Eto’o, which bars him from attending any Cameroon international matches for six months.We speak to Ivorian defender Cedric Kipré, who moved to Reims in France as he hopes to make it to the Cote D’Ivoire national team.And lots on the Uefa Champions League, as Mohamed Salah becomes the highest-scoring African player in Champions League history.

This week we catch up on the teams that made it through to the group stage of this season’s CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup, with some tough qualifying ties and lots of big teams making it through.We speak to Ivory Coast defender Emmanuel Agbadou, was named as captain of French club Stade de Reims at the start of the season. We talk about some of the other Africans who have captained teams in Europe's top five leagues.And lots on the EPL, as Thomas Partey and Nicolas Jackson impress, and an assessment of Real Madrid and Barcelona’s seasons so far.

This week we look at the plans and preparations for the 2024 African Nations Championship, the CHAN, with the dates announced for the tournament, which will take place in February in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. We hear from CAF president Patrice Motsepe.Also we talk about the issue of national teams and clubs in continental action having to play home games away from home because of not having approved stadiums – is the CAF crackdown working?And we have Stuart on the new-look Uefa Champions League.

This week we catch up on the opening games in qualifying for the 2025 AFCON, with North African teams making great starts, while Ghana have only one point from their first two games.Also we speak to young Gambian talent Adama Bojang, who’s moved on loan to Grasshopper Club Zurich in Switzerland as he looks for first team football to get into the Gambia senior national team.And with the EPL back this weekend, Stuart looks at some of the notable transfers, and highlights how the sale of Scott McTominay and Conor Gallagher was effective in helping Man United and Chelsea to balance their books.

This week we dig into the Victor Osimhen saga, as the African Footballer of the Year has ended up at Galatasaray, with a move to Chelsea falling through.We pay tribute to Ivory Coast defender Sol Bamba, who died last week aged 39.With the 2025 AFCON qualifiers underway, we hear from Ghana defender Alidu Seidu, and we have Stuart on the EPL and on Ivan Toney’s move to Saudi Arabia.