African soccer digest
© Reuters Limited 2001
JOHANNESBURG, July 10 (Reuters) - A digest of African soccer stories over the last few days:
GHANA
Former world junior champion Nii Odartey Lamptey has been included in the Ghanaian squad for the first time in five years. He was named among five foreign-based players for Sunday's World Cup qualifier against Sudan in Accra. Lamptey, who helped his country win the under-17 world championship a decade ago and was tipped to be the next Pele, was named on Monday by caretaker coach Fred Osman Duodu. The 27-year-old midfielder recently left German second division club Greuther Furth for Shandong in China. He started his career as a teenage sensation in Belgium with Anderlecht and later played at PSV Eindhoven in The Netherlands and in England with Aston Villa and Coventry City. But Lamptey's career has been in freefall since with unsuccessful spells at clubs in Italy, Turkey, Argentina and Portugal. His last appearance for Ghana came in the 1996 African Nations Cup finals in South Africa.
ZIMBABWE
Dutch coach Clemens Westerhof returned to coaching this week after seven months out of the game, signing a one-month deal with Harare club Dynamos. The 61-year-old has been coaching in Africa for more than a decade, taking Nigeria to their first-ever World Cup finals appearance in 1994, but has been inactive since being fired by South African club Mamelodi Sundowns last November. Westerhof, who lives in Harare, said he would be working for a short spell without payment before deciding on whether to proceed further with Zimbabwe's most popular team. Westerhof, also formerly national coach of Zimbabwe, has also previously worked in Egypt.
NIGERIA
Enyimba FC won their first-ever Nigerian Super League title on Sunday, finishing unbeaten in the four club play-off for the championship. The Aba-based club made sure of the title by beating Rangers FC 1-0 in Lagos on Sunday. Rangers had finished top of the standings after the completion of the main league competition, but in Nigeria the top four clubs then go through to a play-off series, with each side playing the other once in the capital Lagos. NPA FC finished second with four points to qualify for next year's Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup. Enyimba's triumph ensured a second championship in three years for coach Godwin Uwua, who took Lobi Stars to the 1999 championship. Enyimba qualify for next year's African Champions League. Each member of Enyimba's 27-man squad are to be given a new car by the state governor, reports on Monday said.
IVORY COAST
Police had to rescue the coaching staff of Ivorian giants Africa Sports from angry fans after the Abidjan club were beaten 4-1 at home by second division ASC Bouake in the semi-finals of the Ivorian National Cup at the weekend. ASC play AC Bouake in the all-provincial final after they upset Stade Abidjan 2-1.
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