CAIRO: Sepp Blatter won more support on Monday as the Confederation of African Football advised its members to back the FIFA president in his re-election bid. However, the African endorsement was less emphatic than unanimous support Blatter received from football leaders in Europe, South America and Oceania. "Following a secret ballot, the CAF executive committee …

By AP CAIRO: The African football federation says its president and FIFA executive committee member Issa Hayatou denies the corruption allegations made against him in a British parliamentary hearing. CAF said Wednesday in a statement that Hayatou describes as “pure invention” claims he took money in return for voting for Qatar’s successful bid to host …

  Diving/Acting   Players diving in theater-like fashion inside the penalty box attempting to confuse referees into awarding them a penalty kick should be immediately red carded and suspended for two matches. Consequently, the team committing such an offense inside the penalty box would be required to play with a man down for the rest …

CAIRO: Ahly’s injury-prone striker Mohamed Fadl has been sidelined for six weeks after suffering another relapse with his calf problem. The former Ismaili man missed the weekend’s league match with Masri after aggravating his calf injury in training. The same injury also prevented him from featuring for Ahly in the Champions League clash at ZESCO …

  CAIRO: Egypt U-20 won the bronze medal in the African Championship after beating Mali 1-0 on Sunday.   Mohamed Hamdi hit the winner for Dyaa Al-Sayed’s men five minutes past the hour mark after converting a one-on-one chance. The young Pharaohs had lost to Cameroon on penalties in the semi finals to set up …

CAIRO: Egypt will kick-off their FIFA U-20 World Cup campaign with a big clash against Brazil after both teams were put in Group E. The draw, which took place in Colombian coastal city of Cartagena, also put Panama and Austria in the same group. Egypt hosted the tournament in 2009 and Brazil just lost out …

CAIRO: Ahly manager Manuel Jose still has faith in Mohamed Abou-Trika but believes the veteran playmaker will retire from professional football in a year or two. "Ahly have a lot of ageing players in the squad. They have vast experience but they are not as they used to be," Jose told reporters on Tuesday. "Abou-Trika …

By AFP SOWETO, South Africa: Egypt clinched second place in Group A of the African youth championship Saturday thanks to a gift-wrapped 1-0 victory over South Africa. A careless short clearance by goalkeeper Rowen Williams deep in first half stoppage time flew back into the net off the right knee of Egypt striker Mohamed Hamdy. …

JOHANNESBURG: The Confederation of African Football has fined Egyptian club Zamalek $80,000 and ordered it to play behind closed doors following a violent pitch invasion by fans in an African Champions League game in Cairo. CAF says on Wednesday that Zamalek is guilty of violating four articles of the body’s disciplinary code in the match …

CAIRO: Following a three-month suspension, the Egyptian football league resumed Wednesday with five matches amid tightened security measures by police. Al-Ahly beat Police Union 2-1 in Cairo, while Smouha beat Military Production 3-2 in Alexandria and Al-Gouna beat ENPPI 2-1 in Hurghada. Both games between Ismaily and Petrojet in Ismailia and Talae’ Al-Geish and Al-Masry …

CAIRO: A dozen Zamalek players made an official complaint to the Egyptian FA against their club over unpaid wages for several months. “It’s not like some reports claimed that they want to terminate their contracts. The players are just trying to have their late wages,” Zamalek chairman Galal Ibrahim told FilGoal.com. “We are trying by …

CAIRO: Egyptian football was thrown further into disarray after the African Football Confederation said Monday it will investigate a violent pitch invasion by fans of Cairo club Zamalek in an African Champions League match. CAF said in a statement that its disciplinary body will meet in Johannesburg in April to consider reports by match officials …

CAIRO: Prime Minister Essam Sharaf described Saturday’s events, when angry Zamalek fans stormed the pitch of Cairo Stadium during a home game against Tunisian side Africain, as an “act of thuggery.” In a meeting Sunday with Tarek Al-Adab, Charge d’Affaires at the Tunisian embassy in Cairo, Sharaf said what happened “does not represent the Egyptian …

CAIRO: Egypt’s prime minister has apologized to Tunisia after angry fans of Egyptian side Zamalek stormed the pitch during a home game against Tunisian side Africain, attacking players and the referee, local press reported on Sunday. Mobs of angry Zamalek supporters invaded the pitch three minutes from the end of a Champions League game in …

CAIRO: A little over a year ago, in February 2010, millions of jubilant Egyptians celebrated the national football team’s triumph at the African Cup, winning its third consecutive title in an unprecedented achievement. For Egyptians, football has always been a source of pride and solace amidst economic and political hardships; emotions that were heightened by …

JOHANNESBURG: Striker Katlego Mphela scored three minutes into injury time to steal a 1-0 win for South Africa over Egypt in their African Cup of Nations qualifier at Ellis Park on Saturday. Mphela fired a low shot across goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary with just seconds remaining to give Bafana Bafana a first-ever win over the seven-time …

  JOHANNESBURG: Political turmoil has affected the third round of qualifiers for the 2012 African Cup of Nations with Libya and Ivory Coast losing home advantage and Egypt facing a crucial match with doubts over the readiness of its team.   Libya’s Group C game against Comoros was moved by the Confederation of African Football …

  CAIRO: The London 2012 London Olympics are 500 days away and Egyptian triathlete Omar Nour just received the confidence boost he needs in his quest to become the first Egyptian triathlete to make it to the Olympic Games.   The businessman-turned-pro-triathlete stormed to a second-place finish at the prestigious Abu Dhabi International Triathlon last …

CAIRO: The Egyptian football league will resume on April 15 after a break of nearly three months due to the crisis in the country that led to the resignation of former president Hosni Mubarak. The Egyptian Football Association says the league will end on July 10. The league was suspended in early February because of …

CHENNAI, India: Egypt fulfilled all expectations by brushing aside defending champion England 2-0 to win the squash World Cup on Saturday. World No. 2 Ramy Ashour beat No. 4 James Willstrop 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 in the opening match of the best-of-three final, then Raneem El Weleily sealed the contest with her first win in five …

CHENNAI, India: Title favorite Egypt and defending champion England booked semifinal slots in the squash World Cup on Wednesday. Top-ranked Egypt swept aside Sri Lanka and France 3-0 both times to top five-team Pool A with four victories. Meanwhile, No. 2-ranked England defeated Mexico 2-1 for its second win in four-team Pool B. Third-seeded Australia …

CHENNAI, India: Title favorite Egypt started strongly in the squash World Cup in winning both of its matches on the opening day Tuesday of the mixed team competition that has been revived after 12 years. Egypt, with three men ranked in the world’s top 10, beat fifth-seeded Malaysia 2-1 then swept eighth-seeded South Africa 3-0 …

JOHANNESBURG: Crack Cairo club Zamalek host Kenyan military outfit Ulinzi Stars Sunday in an African Champions League tie that marks the return of competitive football to Egypt. The first round, second leg qualifier is set for the 22,000-seat Military Academy Stadium in the capital city after plans to stage the game in Libya were scrapped …

CAIRO: The Egyptian football association will ask to have next month’s African Cup of Nations qualifying match against South Africa postponed because of unrest at home. Egypt is scheduled to play in South Africa on March 24 in Group G of the qualifying tournament. Association spokesman Azmey Mejahed says Egypt will ask African federation officials …

CAIRO: Egyptian striker Ahmed “Mido” Hossam is set to rejoin Cairo club Zamalek on a three-and-a-half-year contract. The Egyptian club’s website said Thursday the much-traveled Ajax player arrived in Cairo on Thursday and is expected to complete the deal after Zamalek’s Egyptian Premier League match on Friday. The 27-year-old said he would end his career …

MEDINAH: Davis Love III had to share his big day with Chicago’s beloved Bears. If he leads the Americans to the Ryder Cup in the fall of 2012, he’ll have the whole town to himself. An emotional and enthusiastic Love was introduced Thursday as the next U.S. captain of the Ryder Cup, then spent the …

Women wearing the hijab cannot get a break these days. In Tunisia, land of the shock and awe-inspiring ultra-swift coup, the supposed Law No. 108 of 1981 bans Tunisian women from wearing the hijab inside state-run bodies. There are stories of Tunisian police randomly making their way into markets and ripping the hijabs from women’s …

MELBOURNE: Andy Roddick was cracking crude jokes. Kim Clijsters stunned the crowd by trying a running chest-bump with Sam Stosur. Rafa and Roger took time out from their rivalry to exchange high-fives and play on the same side of the net. The sold-out fundraiser for Australia’s flood victims—dubbed the “Rally for Relief”—came on the eve …

LAS VEGAS: The sport that has given Andre Agassi everything is giving him something more. The baseliner known for his aggressive returns and career Grand Slam announced Thursday that he will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, telling hundreds of students at a prep school he runs in Las Vegas that tennis …

DOHA: FIFA executive committee member from Qatar is now open to discussing changing the 2022 World Cup from summer to winter. Mohammed bin Hammam, also president of the Asian Football Confederation, has repeatedly said he wants the World Cup during summer. But on Thursday, he softened his stance. “I’m not opposed, but I’m not proposing,” …