GENEVA, Feb 27, 2008 (AFP) - The possible transfer of Egypt'South African Nations Cup-winning goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary to Sion took a new twist on Wednesday with the Swiss club asking FIFA for a temporary transfer certificate.

MADRID, Feb 18, 2008 (AFP) - Barcelona said Monday its star striker Samuel Eto'o is in the squad for this week's Champions League match at Celtic after recovering from an injury sustained in the African Nations Cup.

Eto'o told a press conference Monday he felt 'more or less well' with 'a huge desire to play.'

TUNIS, Feb 14, 2008 (AFP) - Roger Lemerre has been sacked as Tunisia coach, it was revealed on Thursday, following the team's exit in the last eight of the African Nations Cup in Ghana earlier this month.

The country's football federation FTF said his contract, which runs until the end of June this year, will not be extended.

MADRID, Feb 14, 2008 (AFP) - Barcelona said Thursday its star striker Samuel Eto'o may be fit for next week's Champions League match at Celtic despite injuring his leg playing for Cameroon in the African Nations Cup.

Eto'o felt a twinge in his left thigh at the end of Sunday's final which Cameroon lost 1-0 to Egypt.

LUANDA, Feb 13, 2008 (AFP) - Angolan football coach Oliveira Goncalves was rewarded Wednesday for the team's strong showing at the African Nations Cup by having his contract extended until the next tournament in 2010.

MADRID, Feb 11, 2008 (AFP) - Barcelona are concerned that star striker Samuel Eto'o has picked up a leg injury while playing for Cameroon in the African Nations Cup.

ACCRA, Feb 11, 2008 (AFP) - It was sometimes hard to know where to focus at the 2008 African Nations Cup with a feast of drama both on and off the pitch.

CAIRO, Feb 11, 2008 (AFP) - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was the first of thousands of fans to welcome the national football team home in Cairo on Monday after their record-breaking conquest of the African Nations Cup.

ACCRA, Feb 11, 2008 (AFP) - Egypt took the honours and Cameroon gallantly battled back after a slow start but pre-tournament favourites Ivory Coast froze in the African Natiions Cup spotlight when it mattered most.

ACCRA, Feb 11, 2008 (AFP) - In 2006 Mohamed Zidan chose club over country and missed out on Egypt'South African Nations Cup win in Cairo.

Fast forward two years to Accra on Sunday and the Hamburg striker was right in the thick of the Pharoahs' successful title defence.

ACCRA, Feb 10, 2008 (AFP) - Factfile for Egypt, who won a record sixth African Nations Cup title Sunday by defeating Cameroon 1-0 in the final:

4 - Mohamed Aboutraika, Hosny Abd Rabou, Amr Zaky

Burundi 4-1 0-0

Botswana 1-0 0-0

Mauritania 3-0 1-1

2 - Ahmed Hassan, Zidan

ACCRA, Feb 10, 2008 (AFP) - Collated gold, silver and bronze medalists from African Nations Cup tournaments after Egypt beat Cameroon 1-0 Sunday to become champions a record sixth time:

1. Egypt 2. Ethiopia 3. Sudan

1. Egypt 2. Sudan 3. Ethiopia

1. Ethiopia 2. Egypt 3. Tunisia

ACCRA, Feb 10, 2008 (AFP) - Champions Egypt supplied five of the 2008 Nations Cup all-stars team chosen by African Football Confederation officials and released Sunday.

They are goalkeeper Essam al-Hadary, defender Wael Gomaa, and midfielders Mohamed Aboutraika and Hosny Abd Rabou and striker Amr Zaky, who scored four goals each in the biennial tournament.

ACCRA, Feb 10, 2008 (AFP) - Leading scorers at African Nations Cup tournaments:

5 - Diab al-Attar (EGY)

3 - Mahmoud al-Gohary (EGY)

3 - Badawi Abdelfatah (EGY) and Worku Mengistu (ETH)

6 - Hassan al-Chazly (EGY)

3 - Ben Acheampong and Osei Kofi (Ghana) and Eustache Mangle (CIV)

6 - Laurent Pokou (CIV)

8 - Laurent Pokou (CIV)

ACCRA, Feb 10, 2008 (AFP) - Results of African Nations Cup finals:

Zaire 2 Zambia 0 (replay)

Morocco win mini-league with Guinea second

Ghana 1 Libya 1 aet, Ghana win 7-6 on penalties

Egypt 0 Cameroon 0 aet, Egypt win 5-4 on penalties

At Casablanca, Morocco

Ivory Coast 0 Ghana 0 aet, Ivory Coast win 11-10 on penalties

CAIRO, Feb 10, 2008 (AFP) - Girls wearing the Egyptian flag instead of the veil danced among tens of thousands in the streets of Cairo on Sunday night after their national team won a record-breaking sixth African Nations Cup.

ACCRA, Feb 10, 2008 (AFP) - How African Nations Cup title holders fared when defending title following the end of the 2008 tournament won by Egypt here on Sunday:

Morocco (first round)

Nigeria (first round)

Cameroon (runners-up)

Cameroon (first round)

Algeria (first round)

ACCRA, Feb 10, 2008 (AFP) - African Nations Cup goals (total, number of matches, average per game) after the conclusion of the 2008 tournament won by Egypt here on Sunday:

7 2 3.50

8 3 2.66

18 4 4.50

33 8 4.12

31 8 3.87

52 16 3.25

51 16 3.18

ACCRA, Feb 10, 2008 (AFP) - Coaches of African Nations Cup-winning teams following the final of the 2008 tournament won by Egypt here on Sunday:

Egypt (Pal Titkos/HUN)

Ethiopia (Slavko Milosevic/SEM)

Ghana (Charles Gyamfi)

Ghana (Charles Gyamfi)

Zaire (Ferenc Csanad/HUN)

Sudan (Jiri Starost/Czech)

Congo (Amoyen Bibanzulu)

ACCRA, Feb 10, 2008 (AFP) - Egypt retained their African Nations Cup crown here Sunday when Mohamed Aboutraika lifted the champions to a 1-0 win over Cameroon and a record sixth title.

The defending champions ensured they held on to the trophy when, after a slick passing movement, Aboutraika struck in the 77th minute.

ACCRA, Feb 10, 2008 (AFP) - Factfile for 2008 African Nations Cup after defending champions Egypt beat Cameroon 1-0 in the final Sunday:

Seeds: 1. Ghana (hosts), 2. Morocco, 3. Guinea, 4. Namibia

Final standings (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, against, points)

Ghana 3 3 0 0 5 1 9 - qualified

ACCRA, Feb 10, 2008 (AFP) - Teams for the African Nations Cup final between Cameroon and Egypt here on Sunday:

NAIROBI, Feb 10, 2008 (AFP) - It is a hot, humid afternoon and the children of Nairobi's Mathare slum are once again playing football and trying to put behind the tribal violence that nearly tore them apart.

Like many other kids across Kenya, these children aged 12 to 18 were caught up in the turmoil that erupted after disputed presidential polls in late December.

ACCRA, Feb 9, 2008 (AFP) - The 2008 African Nations Cup at a glance after hosts Ghana beat Ivory Coast 4-2 in the third place play-off Saturday:

Ghana 4 (Muntari 10, Owusu-Abeyie 70, Agogo 80, Draman 85) Ivory Coast 2 (Sanogo 24, 32)

Cameroon v Egypt (holders) 1700GMT

Seeds: 1. Ghana (hosts), 2. Morocco, 3. Guinea, 4. Namibia

KUMASI, Ghana, Feb 9, 2008 (AFP) - The goals continued to flow at the 2008 African Nations Cup Saturday with a record created as hosts Ghana beat Ivory Coast 4-2 in the third place play-off.

A first-half equaliser by Ivorian striker Boubacar Sanogo was the 94th goal of the 2008 tournament - one more than the previous best set in Burkina Faso 10 years ago.

ACCRA, Feb 9, 2008 (AFP) - Cameroon defender Alexandre Song is set to give his side a welcome boost by securing a starting place in Sunday'South African Nations Cup final against holders Egypt.

Song was stretchered off after Thursday's semi-final win over Ivory Coast and skipped training on Saturday.

KUMASI, Ghana, Feb 9, 2008 (AFP) - Ivory Coast striker Boubacar Sanogo scored the 94th goal of the 2008 African Nations Cup in the third place play-off against Ghana Saturday - a record for the competition.

The previous best of 93 came in the 1998 edition of the biennial tournament in Burkina Faso - an average of 2,90 per match - while 73 goals were scored two years ago in Egypt.

KUMASI, Ghana, Feb 9, 2008 (AFP) - Ghana and Ivory Coast teams for 2008 African Nations Cup third place play-off Saturday:

Richard Kingson, Hans Sarpei, John Paintsil, John Mensah (capt), Eric Addo, Anthony Annan, Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, Haminu Dramani, Junior Agogo, Baffour Gyan

Coach: Claude le Roy (France)

ACCRA, Feb 9, 2008 (AFP) - Egypt coach Hassan Shehata has received a timely boost 24 hours before his bid to become only the second manager to capture consecutive African Nations Cup titles.

The vote of confidence ahead of Sunday's final with Cameroon came from the Egyptian Football Federation who have offered him a new contract up to the 2010 World Cup.

ACCRA, Feb 9, 2008 (AFP) - Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has tipped an African team to reach the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup to be hosted by South Africa.

ACCRA, Feb 9, 2008 (AFP) - The 2008 African Nations Cup in Ghana at a glance ahead of final and third place play-off this weekend:

Ghana v Ivory Coast 1700GMT

Cameroon v Egypt 1700

Seeds: 1. Ghana (hosts), 2. Morocco, 3. Guinea, 4. Namibia

Final standings (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, against, points)

ACCRA, Feb 9, 2008 (AFP) - Factfile for Cameroon ahead of 2008 African Nations Cup final against defending champions Egypt Sunday:

Tunisia 3-2 aet. Score after 90 minutes: 2-2

2 - Joseph-Desire Job, Stephane Mbia, Geremi Njitap

1 - Achille Emana, Alain Nkong, Mohamed Khider (SUD)-own goal

Feb 10 Egypt 1700GMT Accra

Nations Cup head to head

ACCRA, Feb 9, 2008 (AFP) - Egypt, who have defied predictions and proved themselves worthy defending African Nations Cup champions, are confident of retaining the title against Cameroon on Sunday.

ACCRA, Feb 9, 2008 (AFP) - Factfile for defending champions Egypt ahead of 2008 African Nations Cup final against Cameroon Sunday:

4 - Hosny Abd Rabou, Amr Zaky

3 - Mohamed Aboutraika

Feb 10 Cameroon 1700GMT Accra

Nations Cup head to head

1984 - Egypt 1 Cameroon 0

1986 - Egypt 0 Cameroon 0

1988 - Egypt 0 Cameroon 1

ABIDJAN, Feb 8, 2008 (AFP) - The Ivory Coast received a roasting from the national press over what was termed their 'humiliating' 4-1 semi-final defeat to Egypt.

The Ivorians turned up in Ghana billed as pre-tournament favourites but Didier Drogba and company were taken apart by Egypt in a repeat of the 2006 final.

KUMASI, Ghana, Feb 8, 2008 (AFP) - It was supposed to be the dream final of the 2008 African Nations Cup, hosts Ghana against all-star Ivory Coast.

But instead of a Sunday showdown in Accra for the greatest African football prize, the Black Stars and the Elephants face the mental and physical torture of a third place play-off here 24 hours earlier.

ACCRA, Feb 8, 2008 (AFP) - Nobody died but there was a distinct air of sorrow across Ghana on Friday as the nation woke up to the harsh reality that their African Nations Cup dream was at an end.

ACCRA, Feb 8, 2008 (AFP) - Factfile for Cameroon ahead of 2008 African Nations Cup final against defending champions Egypt Sunday:

Tunisia 3-2 aet. Score after 90 minutes: 2-2

2 - Joseph-Desire Job, Stephane Mbia, Geremi Njitap

1 - Achille Emana, Alain Nkong, Mohamed Khider (SUD)-own goal

Feb 10 Egypt 1700GMT Accra

Nations Cup head to head

ACCRA, Feb 8, 2008 (AFP) - Factfile for defending champions Egypt ahead of 2008 African Nations Cup final against Cameroon Sunday:

4 - Hosny Abd Rabou, Amr Zaky

3 - Mohamed Aboutraika

Feb 10 Cameroon 1700GMT Accra

Nations Cup head to head

1984 - Egypt 1 Cameroon 0

1986 - Egypt 0 Cameroon 0

1988 - Egypt 0 Cameroon 1