African Roundup

Senegal defeats South Africa on penaly kicks

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -- World Cup quarterfinalist Senegal won the eighth Nelson Mandela Challenge on Tuesday 4-1 in a surprising penalty shootout after playing South Africa to a 1-1 draw in regulation at Ellis Park.

The Dakar Lions had the majority of the possession, but the hosts had more scoring opportunities in the pulsating match before just 10,000 fans.

The friendly match ended in some confusion as the penalty shootout was completely unexpected. Sibusiso Zuma missed South Africa's first attempt in the shootout, and Bafana Bafana never looked like it would recover.

In regulation, Shaun Bartlett scored his 25th international goal in the 66th minute to gave South Africa a 1-0 lead.

The visitors hit back just two minutes later with a long-range strike from Mamadou Niang.

Throughout the match, Senegal's Habib Beye dueled with Zuma in a battle of speedsters while captain Aliou Cisse kept the ball going forward to his dangerous strikers.

Senegal goalkeeper Tony Sylva was under constant pressure in the match, turning away eight shots, while counterpart Andre Arendse also faced a strong Senegalese attack after the equalizer had been scored.

For South Africa, Zuma was a constant threat on the right, while Mbulelo Mabizela was solid in defense in the middle.

Both teams reached the World Cup finals earlier this year in South Korea and Japan. Senegal became just the second African team to reach the quarterfinals while South Africa was ousted in the first round.

Lineups:

South Africa: Andre Arendse (captain), Lucky Lekgwathi, Aaron Mokoena, Mbulelo Mabizela, Ashley Makhanya, MacBeth Sibaya (Benedict Vilakazi 76), Goodman Mazibuko, Sibusiso Zuma, Delron Buckley (Lucky Msilesele 84), Shaun Bartlett (Japhet Zwane 84), Patrick Mayo (Lesley Manyathela 57).

Senegal: Tony Sylva, Habib Beye, Aliou Cisse (captain), Lamine Diatta, Pape Malick Diop, Sylvain Ndiaye (Pape Sarr 53), Moussa Ndiaye, Khalilou Fadiga (Lamine Diabang 83), Souleymane Camara, Mamadou Niang, Souleymane Diawara (Makhtar Ndiaye 64).

Referee: Felix Tangawarima (Zimbabwe).

Nigeria, Jamaica promise to attack in Lagos friendly

LAGOS (Reuters) -- The coaches of Jamaica and Nigeria have promised an attacking game when their teams clash in Wednesday's friendly international in Lagos.

"We're going to play fluid, attacking football for the duration of the game," Jamaican coach Carl Brown told reporters on Tuesday at the team hotel.

"We want to entertain the crowd here in Lagos because football is about giving the fans their money's worth."

The Nigerians beat Jamaica 1-0 in May in London as part of their preparations for the World Cup in June in South Korea and Japan.

Christian Chukwu, Nigeria's newly appointed coach, said he planned to field a "crack attacking line-up."

"I have players who want to take the chance and prove what they can do with the ball when going forward," he told Reuters.

It is Chukwu's first home game since he was given the job in August and he dismissed fears that his team would be defensive to avoid defeat.

"On the contrary, my attack is even stronger than the defence," he said.

Since taking over the side, Nigeria have played two games, both ending in draws -- 0-0 against Angola and 2-2 with Senegal.

Chukwu did not call up any of Nigeria's top players for Wednesday's warm-up but World Cup striker John Utaka of French club Lens and Sweden-based Peter Ijeh are expected to lead the attack.

Utaka has hit a rich vein of scoring form this season while Ijeh has scored 33 goals in 32 games for FC Malmo.

Brown said his squad had been boosted by the inclusion of four of his England-based players, including Bolton Wanderers pair Jermaine Johnson and Ricardo Gardner.

Raja Casablanca storm into Champions League final

CASABLANCA (Reuters) -- Raja Casablanca stormed into the African Champions League final with a 4-0 thrashing of ASEC Abidjan as they overcame a two-goal deficit in a pulsating semifinal comeback on Sunday.

The home side dominated from start to finish, launching wave after wave of attacks at their visitors who eventually cracked under the sheer pressure of the onslaught, and beat them 4-2 on aggregate after losing the first leg 2-0 in the Ivory Coast.

Raja, coached by former Belgian national team trainer Walter Meeuws, overcame treacherous conditions, where rainy weather had turned the pitch at the Mohamed V stadium into a virtual mud bath, to secure their third final appearance in six years.

They meet Zamalek of Egypt in the final over two legs next month. Zamalek beat TP Mazembe Englebert of the Democratic Republic of Congo 3-1 on aggregate in the other semifinal.

But it took until stoppage time at the end of the first half for Raja Casablanca to score when Hicham Aboucherouane converted a square cross from midfielder Tajeddine Sami.

Aboucherouane had instigated several chances from the left wing before that, but the Moroccan hosts looked set for a frustrating night as they squandered gilt-edged opportunities, slipping at vital moments on the wet surface.

Cameroonian-born striker Francois Endene Elokan was guilty of missing most of those chances but made up for his earlier indiscretion by scoring the second goal in the 63rd minute.

He reacted quickest to a header from Mohamed Ali Diallo in the ASEC Abidjan penalty area and just touched the ball wide of ASEC goalkeeper Brahima Kone, who had come on minutes earlier for the injured Joe Kante.

The goal tied the aggregate score at 2-2 and Endene Elokan then got a third for Raja a minute from time. Substitute Omar Zoubit made sure of a place in the final with a neat chip over the goalkeeper in injury time.

Raja's win sets up a classic confrontation with Zamalek, who have won a record four titles. Raja will be seeking to match that statistic and continue their recent dominance by matching previous triumphs in 1997 and 1999. They also won in 1987.

The first leg of the final will be played in Casablanca on December 1 with the return in Cairo on December 13.

African Digest

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -- A digest of soccer stories from around Africa in recent days:

SOUTH AFRICA

World Cup captain Lucas Radebe has told South African newspapers he intends to finish his career at Kaizer Chiefs, the club where he started out as a professional.

The 33-year-old defender, who suffered a groin injury last week and will be out of action for Leeds United for several months, said he was hoping to return to the Chiefs when his contract at the English premier league club expired next year, Johannesburg's City Press reported on Sunday.

Radebe made his debut at Chiefs in 1990 and was signed by Leeds four years later. He is due a testimonial season at Elland Road and then says he wants to close his career in the South African premier league.

Radebe is South Africa's most capped international and has made 210 appearances for Leeds in league and cup competition in an injury-hit career.

KENYA

Nzoia Suger will represent Kenya in next year's African Champions League after AC Nakuru said they did not have enough money to participate, the Kenyan Football Federation said on Monday.

Nakuru won the Kenyan championship this year, using the name of their sponsor Oserian Fastac, but have since lost their corporate backing and told Kenyan football officials they cannot afford to participate in the continental tournament.

Runners-up Nzoia Suger have been nominated in their place and their entry is to be forwarded to the Confederation of African Football before the November 30 deadline for entries into next year's continental club competitions.

Nzoia Sugar will also replace Nakuru in January's East and Central African Club Championship.

ZAMBIA

Mufulira Wanderers, one of the most successful sides in Zambian soccer history, were relegated for the first time at the weekend after failing to win their last premier league match of the season.

The Copperbelt club, whose past players include former African Footballer of the Year Kalusha Bwalya, drew 0-0 with Nkhwazi on Saturday to finish fourth from bottom and join Lusaka City Council, Forest Rangers and Zamsure in next year's first division.

Wanderers had previously won 10 Zambian league titles and a further 10 cup titles in a long-standing history of success but the club have struggled in recent years.

They were also semifinalists in the African Champions Cup in 1977.

TOGO

Maranatha de Fiokpo have reached the final of Togo's Royals Cup after beating Etoiel Filante of Lome 2-1 in their semifinal on Sunday.

But Maranatha will have to wait until Wednesday to find out the identity of their opponents after AS Douanes and Dyto de Lome played out a 1-1 draw in the other semifinal tie at the weekend. The two clubs replay in Lome on Wednesday.

BENIN

Mogas '90 and JS Pobe will replay the Benin Cup final this coming weekend after playing out a 0-0 draw in Cotonou on Sunday.

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