The Confederation of African Football, CAF, has confirmed shifting qualifying matches for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations scheduled for September to March next year.

The decision was, as a result, to help the continental teams prepare for the World Cup in Qatar, CAF confirmed on Sunday.

“CAF Executive Committee has approved a revised TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 revised qualification calendar. This was necessitated by the Executive Committee’s commitment to making room for the African nations that have qualified for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in November/ December 2022 to prepare adequately.”

“Consequently, the September 2022 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire match day three and match day four qualifiers have been moved to 20-28 March 2023.

Matchday five will now be on 12-20 June 2023, while match day six will be played on 4-12 September 2023.”

Kenya’s most successful club Gor Mahi has unveiled former Sierra Leone coach Jonathan McKinstry as their new head coach.

Gor Mahia has won the Kenya top-tier league a record 19 times and FKF Cup a record 11 times.

McKinstry took over from Andreas Spiers of Germany, whose contract with the club expired early this month.

The Irish coach who led Sierra Leone to the top 50th in the World ranking, the country’s highest in 2014, expressed his delight after he was unveiled.

“The opportunity to lead Gor Mahia is something that has interested me for several years – ever since I first visited the club in 2016 whilst Head Coach of Rwanda. The stature of the club, combined with its significant and passionate fanbase place them as one of the leading clubs on the continent. To be trusted with the responsibility of guiding them back to success is a task that I relish,” he noted on his personal website.

“There can be no doubt that the last couple of years will have been deeply frustrating for everyone associated with the club, as results have not matched the expectations of this great club. We will be doing everything within our power to rectify that not only for this season, but also to lay strong foundations that will allow for the return of a sustained period of success in the club’s history.”

The Northern Irish man has coached in several countries; Northern Ireland, England, the USA, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Lithuania, Bangladesh and Uganda. His early career was focused on elite youth development through roles with Newcastle United, New York Red Bulls, the Right to Dream Academy and the Craig Bellamy Foundation.

His task is to revive the club back to its previous glory.

🟢 | New head coach McKinstry feels no pressure… listen! #Sirkal | @BetafriqKe pic.twitter.com/94OQuygZp6

— GOR MAHIA FC (@OfficialGMFC) July 29, 2022

Football Sierra Leone African Sports News – Connect With Us on Twitter @football_sierra, on Facebook/ Instagram Football Sierra Leone, writer Lamin Turay in Freetown.

New Bayern Munich acquisition Sadio Mane has expressed his delight after being named the 2022 African Player of the Year, emulating his idol El Hadji Diouf as the second Senegalese to win back-to-back awards.

The Senegalese forward was an instrumental figure in their historic first Africa Cup of Nations title in February. The former Liverpool attacker, also integral to the Teranga Lions’ qualification for FIFA World Cup in Qatar, beat strong opposition from his countryman Edouard Mendy and former teammate Mohamed Salah.

After scoring 23 goals for Premier League side Liverpool last season, Thursday’s award was Mane’s second following his 2019 Player of Year accolade held in Hurghada, Egypt.

“I am so excited to win this award. Some so many players deserved this award, but I have been chosen. I am honoured. I thank everyone for this,” he told CAF Online.

Four honours for the Teranga Lions of Senegal with Sadio Mane named African Player of the Year, Aliou Cisse Coach of the Year and Pape Matar Sarr Young Player of the Year. Senegal is named National Team of the Year.

Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala wins the record fifth African Player of the Year award. Wydad Athletic Club named African Men’s Club of the Year as Mamelodi Sundowns took home the Women’s Club of the Year.

🇸🇳 @SMane_Officiel of @FCBayernEN becomes the 10th player to win #CAFAwards multiple times.#AfricanFootball

🇨🇲 Eto’o 🏆🏆🏆🏆
🇨🇮 Yaya Toure 🏆🏆🏆🏆
🇱🇷 George Weah 🏆🏆🏆
🇬🇭 Abedi Pele 🏆🏆🏆
🇨🇮 Drogba 🏆🏆
🇨🇲 Roger Milla 🏆🏆
🇪🇬 Mo Salah 🏆🏆
🇳🇬 Kanu 🏆🏆
🇸🇳 Hadji Diouf 🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/k2O0eDmTGv

— Alie Bittar (@bittar32) July 21, 2022

WHAT A NIGHT! 🤩#CAFAwards2022 pic.twitter.com/HjWIxGaDrw

— #CAFAwards2022 (@CAF_Online) July 22, 2022

The Confederation of African Football, CAF, has trimmed the final list of nominees for the CAF Awards 2022.

The African football body also confirmed that the  Awards 2022 will take place in Rabat, Morocco, on 21 July 2022 at 9 pm CAT.

Former Liverpool teammates – Egypt star Mohamed Salah will be up against the Senegal duo of Sadio Mane and keeper Edouard Mendy for the men’s Player of the Year award.

Zambia’s Grace Chanda will compete with four-time winner Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria and Cameroonian Ajara Nchout Njoya in the women’s category.

National Team of the Year (Women)

Caf says due to the absence of a major women’s competition during the period under review, the Organising Team for the CAF Awards 2022 has reviewed the selection process for this important category.

The TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco will be factored as one of the criterion in deciding a winner befitting of the status of the award and women’s football in general. The winner will be announced on 23 July 2022 during the final match of the Women’s AFCON.

Here is the full list of top 3 nominees:

African Football News – Connect with us @football_sierra, on Facebook/ Instagram Football Sierra Leone.