There is never a dull moment in African football. With the Champions League, the Confederation Cup, and the African Women's Championship, the race for honours is full on. National sides across the continent are readying themselves for the next round of 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ qualifiers too, amidst an atmosphere rife with rumours of imminent coaching changes. Join FIFA.com for a closer look at all the action and speculation.

Tunisian show of strength in Champions League
With one round of group matches still remaining, Tunisian big guns Espérance de Tunis and l'Etoile du Sahel are already through to the semi-finals of the African Champions League. Last week, beneath driving rain in the Tunisian capital, L'Espérance saw off South African challengers SuperSport United (2-0). Not for the first time, it was the young and highly promising Ali Zitouni who put his side ahead, before his international teammate Jaouhar Mnari doubled the advantage. With their twelve-point tally, four more than that of their closest rivals Jeanne d'Arc (Senegal), the Tunisians are assured of finishing top of Group B.

The same goes for l'Etoile du Sahel in Group A, leaders with 11 points ahead of Enyimbia (Nga), on seven. Despite a somewhat disappointing 1-1 draw against the Bakili Bullets of Malawi, Zoubeir Beya are now in the comfort zone, as the Nigerian title-winners suffered defeat in Côte d'Ivoire by Africa Sports. This result leaves the Nigerians sweating on their place in the semi-finals, as they will need at least a point on the last day in Malawi to claim a spot in the last four.

Desailly awaited in Ghana, Tigana likewise in Cameroon
Barely had Marcel Desailly hung up his playing boots than the offers started coming in. The former Les Bleus captain has been considering overtures from the Ghanaian Football Association, who are seeking to replace the Portuguese Mariano Barretto after his return home to take charge of Maritimo. "Marcelo", who has Ghanaian roots, has so far remained tight-lipped on the subject, so while they await his decision, the Ghanaians have named Sam Arday as interim boss for the match against the Democratic Republic of Congo on 10 October.

 

Desailly courted by Ghana
(AFP)
As for Cameroon, they do still have a coach in Winfried Schaeffer, but the knives have been out for the German since the Indomitable Lions' tame display at the African Cup of Nations in Tunisia early this year. The shadow of Frenchman Pierre Lechantre, who led Cameroon to the continental title in 2000, continues to loom large over Schaeffer, as does that of Jean Tigana, once a cornerstone of France's "magic midfield" of the 1980s and more recently coach of Monaco and Fulham. For the time being, however, there is no concrete evidence that the Frenchman of Malian extraction is set to rescue Cameroon. 

Women's football: Ethiopia the surprise package
At the end of the first round of the African Women's Football Championship, three established powers, Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon, have booked berths in the last four. The fourth occupant, however, is altogether more surprising, as most observers were tipping South Africa, generally one of the heavyweights of African women's football and playing at home to boot.

The Banyana Banyana made an utter hash of their campaign, losing all three games and leaving the door wide open for the Ethiopians, who beat them in the final group match (2-1). Behind runaway leaders Ghana, Ethiopia pipped Zimbabwe at the post courtesy of their superior goal tally, thereby qualifying for their first-ever appearance in the semi-final of the African women's football's showpiece event. The semi-final line-up sees Ghana take on Cameroon and Nigeria face Ethiopia.

Cameroon clubs on form
The first phase of the Confederation Cup, Africa's second biggest event after the Champions League, has just drawn to a close. In Group A, Ghana's Asante Kotoko and Nigeria's Enugu Rangers are the teams to beat, while in Group B, the Cameroonian clubs, Cotonsport and Sable Batie, are sitting pretty. But they cannot rest on their laurels yet, as Heart of Oak from Ghana and South Africa's Santos are hot on their heels.

The next round of matches, which commence in mid-October, will therefore be decisive. And the action is sure to be intense, as only the first team in each group goes through to the final of this event, which replaces the defunct Cup Winners' Cup and CAF Cup.

Goodbye Mawade Wade
An eminent member of CAF and a leading figure in Senegalese football, Mawade Wade passed away in mid-September. Aged 76, the former national technical director of Senegal fell victim to a heart attack. Wade was an enthusiast of the beautiful game, which he defended tooth and nail.

One of the founding fathers of the new African Football Confederation (CAF) constitution in 1972, he became a member of the Technical and Development Committee. A member of the Executive Committee during the 1990s, his impassioned pleas in speeches at continental meetings became the stuff of legend within CAF ranks.