African football tournaments: The CAF Champions League

The CAF Champions League is a football tournament controlled by The Confederation of African Football that happens every year in Africa. The top teams/clubs from Africa’s top football leagues are invited to this tournament. The resulting winner of the tournament also gets to play in The FIFA Club World Cup which also happens every year. The tournament was founded back in 1964. The tournament starts of with 52 teams in total which compete in knockout phases until only 8 teams are left. The remaining 8 teams are divided into two groups of 4 with the winner and runner up of each group facing each other in the semi final and then the resulting final.

Previous Winners of CAF Champions League 

The current champions of the tournament are TP Mazembe while the most successful club to win the tournament is The Egyptian club Al-Ahly that have won it a record 6 times. Egyptian dominance has pretty strong over the years but is fading the last couple of years as Zamalek also an Egyptian club are no 2 on the all time list having won the tournament 5 times. The DR Congo club TP Mazembe are third in the list having won it 4 times and have won the last 2 editions of the tournament in 2009 and 2010.

Profile: Famous football player of Manchester United football club: Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney is 25 year old English born footballer (born 24 October 1985) who plays his football for English giants Manchester United.  He plays primarily as a striker stands in at 1.76 meters (5 feet 9 inches) and wears  the number 10 shirt for his club. He started of his career at English football club Everton breaking into their senior team in 2002. He played 67 times for Everton scoring 15 goals. It’s at Everton where he caught the eye of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson who paid over 25 million pounds the highest fee for a player under 20 years old at the time. Rooney made his debut for Manchester United in 2004 and has won The Premier League title a remarkable 4 times with them. He’s also won The UEFA Champions League with Manchester United in 2007/2008 beating Chelsea on Penalties and has been a runner up another 2 times. Rooney is a typical English forward who is incredibly strong with great clinical finishing skills and great positioning skills which makes him one of the best strikers in the world.  He scores remarkable goals and has been given the goal of the season award twice and has also been named England player of the year twice in 2008 and 2009. Wayne Rooney was also voted in PFA’s Young Player of The Year award and The PFA Premier League Team of the year award twice. He has also won The FIFA Club World Cup in 2008 winning the golden ball in the process as well.

Appearances:

• 67 games for Everton football club and 15 goals
• 217 games for Manchester United football club and 102 goals
• 70 games for England and 26 goals
• (Also represented The England National Team on the U19 level)

Profile: Famous football player of Liverpool football club: Stewart Downing

Stewart Downing is a 26 year old English Footballer (born 22 July 1984) who currently plays his football for The English and Merseyside Club Liverpool FC. He’s also represented The England National team at the senior level. Downing started of his football career at Middlesbrough in 2001 where he broke in to the first team. In 2003 he had a short loan spell at Sunderland football club where he played 7 times scoring 3 goals. He later came back to Middlesbrough and stayed there till 2009 making a total of 181 appearances and scoring 17 goals in the process. He then signed for Aston Villa football club in 2009 and stayed there till 2011 making a total of 63 appearnaces and scoring 9 goals for the midlands club. He signed for Liverpool in July 2011 for a deal rumored to be worth about 20 million pounds. Downing usually plays on the left wing and is an ideal set piece taker. His left foot is considered one of the best in the English Premier League. His crossing is ideal for teams with target men strikers due to which he is usually deployed on the left wing to complement the strikers. He also carries bags of pace from which he can usually beat his opponent. His major weakness is his right foot and the indecision to shoot sometimes. Stewart Downing stands at an height of 1.80m making him an average heighted footballer. He has also represented The England Senior team 27 times but is still yet to score for the senior side.

Appearances:

• 181 matches for Middlesbrough and 17 goals
• 7 matches for Sunderland and 3 goals
• 63 matches for Aston Villa with 9 goals
• Yet to play for Liverpool
• 27 matches for England’s National Side

Profile: Popular football player of Arsenal football club: Samir Nasri

Samir Nasri is a 24 year old French born footballer (born 26 June 1987) of Algerian descent who currently plays his football for The English and North London football club Arsenal and has also represented France at the International Level. His preferred playing position is as an attacking midfielder but has performed exceptionally well as a winger as well he stands at 1.77 meters and wears the number 8 shirt for club. Nasri started of playing his football for the French football club Marseille. After staying in their youth system from 1997 to 2004 he finally broke into their senior team in 2004 and stayed their till 2008. He performed exceptionally well for Marseille but was occasionally hampered by a recurring foot injury. He was voted as UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of The Year of the year in 2006-07 and also in UNFP Ligue 1 Team of The Year in 2006-07. After signing for Arsenal football club in 2008 he had a couple of mixed seasons and took his time to settle finally performing exceptionally well in the 2010-2011 season due to which he was named in the PFA Team of The Year in 2010-2011. Samir is a technically gifted player with exceptional dribbling skills and great shooting power which enables him to get past defenders with ease. He has often been criticized for being inconsistent but he has improved that aspect of his game considerably with more playing time.  He is a regular started for The French National team now after missing out on the FIFA World Cup French Squad in 2010.

Appearances:

• 121 games for Marseille and 11 goals
• 85 games for Arsenal and 18 goals
• 22 games for France’s National Team at the International Level and 2 goals
• (Also represented U16/17/18/19/21 French Sides at International Level)

Profile: Popular football player of English football club Arsenal: Gervinho

Gervinho whose real name is Gervais Yao Kouassi is a 24 year old Ivoirian Footballer (born 27 May 1987) who plays his football for The English North London Club Arsenal F.C.  He has also represented his national team Cote D’Ivoire or Ivory Coast on the international level. Gervinho started off his football at the football club Beveren who he signed for in 2005. He made 61 appearances for the club scoring 14 times before moving to French club Le Mans. Gervinho is a forward but usually plays on the wings. He made 59 times and scored 9 goals for Le Mans the two years he was there then moving to French football club Lille. It is at Lille where Gervinho came to prominence scoring 28 goals in 67 matches and helping The French side complete a historic double in 2010/2011 season. He was the only player in the French league in 10/11 season to have reached double figures for both goals scored and assists made. Gervinho’s strengths lie in his pace and dribbling skills and his clinical finishing which make him a great player to have on the wings. He’s often criticized for disappearing in and out of games but when he does pop up he makes it count with his clinical finishing. In July 2011 after his amazing season at Lille he caught the eye of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger who signed him from Lille to Arsenal for a deal reported to be worth around 12 million pounds. He has also represented the Ivory Coast and is their first choice winger.

Appearances:

• 61 matches for Beveren football club and 14 goals
• 59 matches for Le Mans and 9 goals
• 67 matches for Lille football club and 28 goals
• Yet to Play for Arsenal football club
• 27 matches for Ivory Coast and 6 goals

Profile: Famous football player of Tottenham Hotspurs football club: Gareth Bale

Popular football player Gareth Bale (born 16 July 1989) is a 22 year old Welsh footballer who currently plays for The North London Club Tottenham Hotspurs. He was voted as The PFA’s Player’s Player of The Year during The 2010/2011 English Premier League season for his outstanding performances down the left wing for Tottenham Hotspurs. Bale started his club career at Southampton and became the second youngster player ever to represent the club after Theo Walcott.  In May 2007 Gareth Bale signed for Tottenham Hotspur football club after interest from many clubs like Arsenal and Manchester United football clubs. Bale originally started out as a left back for Tottenham and played in that position for the club for over two years he went a record 24 games for Tottenham without a win and finally broke that curse against Burnley. In the 2010/2011 season he was employed in a more forward position and was played as a left winger. It’s in this position where his true skills were demonstrated as he destroyed defenses in Europe and The Premier League. Along with his club career he’s also represented The Welsh side on the international stage for The U-17s, U-19s, U-21s and The Senior International side. Bale’s strength lies in his strong dribbling skills and his terrific pace which makes him one of the fastest footballers in the world. Because of these two attributes he made the switch from Left Back to Left Wing as his weak defensive skills were exploited as a LB. The transformation from an LB to a winger took time but Bale took it on with great confidence and excelled in the role.

Appearances:

• 40 matches for Southampton with 5 goals.
• 77 matches for Tottenham Hotspur with 12 goals
• 27 matches for The Senior Wales team with 3 goals
• Club Honors – Runner Up League Cup 2009

Profile: Famous football player of Spanish football club Real Madrid: Fabio Alexhandre da Silva

Fabio Alexandre Da Silva Coentra is 23 year old Portuguese born (born 11 March 1988) footballer who currently plays his football for Spanish and La Liga giants Real Madrid football club. He has also represented The Portuguese National Side at International level and stands at a height of 1.79m. His preferred position is wingback and he can play on either side of the wings. Fabio started of his playing career for the club Rio Ave in 2005 where he made 29 appearances and scored 5 goals. He stayed there till 2007 after which he made the move to Portuguese giants Benfica football club where he stayed till 2011. He made 52 appearances for Benfica scoring 2 goals in the process.  While at Benfica in 2008 he out on loan to two football clubs Nacional and Zaragoza and then in 2009 he made the return to Rio Ave on loan playing 16 times and scoring 3 goals. He came back to Benfica then and stayed there till 2011 finally making the move down to Real Madrid. He also helped Benfica win the Portuguese League in 09/10. Fabio is known for his fast runs down on the wings along with his dribbling skills that make him one of the best young fullbacks in European football at the moment. His major weakness can be described as his defensive skills and leaving gaps open just behind which opposition winger’s are known for exploiting.

Appearances:

• 29 matches for Rio Ave with 5 goals
• 52 matches for Benfica with 2 goals
• 16 matches for Nacional with 4 goals (Loan)
• 1 match for Zaragoza (Loan)
• 16 matches for Rio Ave with 3 goals (Loan)
• No Matches for Real Madrid as of yet
• 15 matches for The Portugal National Team

Profile: Greatest football player of Barcelona football club: Eric Abidal

Greatest football player Eric Abidal (born 11 July 1979) is a 32 year old footballer who plays for The French National team with Martiniquan Decent. He currently plays his club football for The Spanish/Catalan club Barcelona FC. He was diagnosed with cancer in the 2010/2011 season his tumor was operated upon and he made a remarkable recovery to play in The Champions League Final the same year against Manchester United. Barcelona football club won the final and he was later handed the captain’s armband to collect and raise the winning trophy by his teammates. Abidal started of his club career with Monaco making 25 appearances where he was mainly deployed as a leftback. He later moved to Lille football club making 60 appearances and being primarily deployed as a left back. After Lille he finally made his move down to Lyon making 76 appearances and winning The French League title 3 times and The French Supercup 3 times as well. Abidal then made his move to Barcelona FC in 2007. He was primarily deployed as a leftback for the team but later due to a couple of injuries the team faced he was used as a central defender where he also excelled. He won The Spanish League title with Barcelona a total 3 times, The Copa Del Rey once, The UEFA Champions league twice in 09 and 11 and finally The Fifa World Club Championship in 2008. He’s also represented France at the highest international level helping the French side reach the 2006 World Cup final against Italy where they eventually lost on penalties. He’s a tall defender known for his excellent positioning and tackling skills.

Appearances:

• Played 25 matches for Monaco.
• Played 60 matches for Lille.
• Played 76 matches for Lyon
• Played 99 matches for Barcelona.

Profile: Famous football player of Manchester City football club:Sergio Augero

Sergio ‘Kun’ Aguero is a 23 year old Argentina born (Born 2 June 1988) Argentinean Footballer who currently plays his football for The Spanish and La Liga club Atletico Madrid (now has been transferred to Manchester City football club). He has also represented Argentina on the international level.  He was voted FIFA Young Player of The Year in 2007 and he’s won The UEFA Europa League with his football club Atletico Madrid in 2009-10 beating Fulham FC from England in the final. Aguero started of his club career at Independiente making a total of 54 appearances and scoring 23 goals from 2003 to 2006. It’s here where Sergio Augero caught the eye of Atletico Madrid who bought him in 2006. He’s made 175 appearances for Atletico Madrid as of yet scoring 74 times. At the age of 23 he’s already represented the Argentina National side a remarkable 30 times and scoring 13 goals in the process. His  favorite playing position is as a striker but he can also be deployed just behind the striker as a supporting role or on either of the wings. Sergio’s fast dribbling skills on the ball and clinical finishing make him a potential threat in almost every match. He’s also known for his mazy runs and samba skills that make him get through the defender easily. His goals scored ratio compared to his games is always stated as one of his weaknesses but playing as a supporting striker he makes up for them in assists for his fellow team-mates as he is not an out and out target man. He stands at a height of 1.72 meter.

Appearances:

• 54 matches with Independiente with 23 goals scored.
• 175 matches with Atletico Madrid with 74 goals scored.
• 30 matches with The Argentina National Team with 13 goals scored.
• *Olympic Gold Medalist with Argentina’s National Team in 2008 Beijing.

Profile: Famous football player of Inter Milan FC: Wesley Sneijder

Wesley Sneijder is a 27 year old Dutch footballer (born 9 June 1984) who stands at 1.70 meter. He plays his club football for Inter Milan who he helped win The Champions League in 2010. He’s also represented Spanish Giants Real Madrid football club and Dutch Giants Ajax. He’s also played for Netherland’s national team 76 times. Wesley started of his career at Ajax in 2002 after breaking in from their youth. He played for Ajax 127 times and scored 48 goals for them during his stay at the club. He then made his move down to Spain for Real Madrid where he stayed two years making 52 appearances and scoring 11 goals. His stay at Real Madrid was considered pretty disappointing and he did not feel at home so made a move to Italy in 2009 for Italian giants Inter Milan. Wesley Sneijder made 51 appearnaces for The Italian giants scoring 8 goals and helping them complete a remarkable Triple in 2010.  Wesley’s preferred position is in the centre of midfield as an attacking midfielder but can also play his football on either of the wings but is rather weak on the wings.  His strengths are his fine clinical passing which find his teammates in great positions and his game changing playmaking skills. His goal tallies compared to his passing is not as good which makes it one of his major weakness. He was also voted as UEFA Club midfielder of the year because of his outstanding form in The Champions League in the 2010 campaign.

Appearances:

• 127 matches for Ajax and 48 goals.
• 52 matches for Real Madrid and 11 goals.
• 51 matches for Inter Milan and 8 goals.
• 76 Matches for Netherlands and 21 goals.

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