Maher Mezahi

FIFA continues to stall and misrepresent over Israel sanctions FIFA’s ongoing failure to enforce sanctions against the Israeli Football Association (IFA) despite long-standing and irrefutable evidence that the IFA is in violation of FIFA Statutes is further evide...

FIFA’s ongoing failure to enforce sanctions against the Israeli Football Association (IFA) despite long-standing and irrefutable evidence that the IFA is in violation of FIFA Statutes is further evidence of the organisation’s ad hoc and selective enforcement of its rules. fairsq.org/fifa-continu...

Is AFCON a major tournament? AFCON doesn’t need European validation to be major—it already is. But the real danger lies in how dismissive narratives shape the value of African football and its players.

AFCON doesn’t need European validation to be major—it already is. But the real danger lies in how dismissive narratives shape the value of African football and its players. @mahermezahi.bsky.social responds to the row over comments by @23carra.bsky.social africasacountry.com/2025/02/is-a...

Elon Musk’s South African fantasy Musk’s outrage over land reform in South Africa isn’t about fairness—it’s about fueling right-wing paranoia and preserving economic privilege.

Musk’s outrage over land reform in South Africa isn’t about fairness—it’s about fueling right-wing paranoia and preserving economic privilege.
africasacountry.com/2025/02/elon...

YouTube video by African Five-a-side podcast Reflections on interviewing Ismael Bennacer & Amine Gouiri; racism in European football ⎸ AFR 2.27

🔔New episode🔔

- Reflections on interviewing Ismael Bennacer & Amine Gouiri at Olympique de Marseille
- Thoughts on four African internationals racially abused in European leagues

youtu.be/zPLw4LV7Kfo

YouTube video by African Five-a-side podcast Which African players and clubs won the winter transfer window? ⎸ AFR 2.26

Now that the winter transfer window has closed all across the African continent, we recapped some of its biggest moves and examined which clubs best re-tooled for the CAF Interclub competition knockout stages

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdZc...

Algeria and France’s endless rift France and Algeria remain locked in a cycle of reconciliation and rupture as the wounds of colonization continue to shape their uneasy relationship.

France and Algeria remain locked in a cycle of reconciliation and rupture as the wounds of colonization continue to shape their uneasy relationship. @mahermezahi.bsky.social explains recent happenings. africasacountry.com/2025/02/alge...

YouTube video by African Five-a-side podcast Pirates upset Ahly, MC Algiers and Sundowns draw and advance to CAF CL knockout stages ⎸ AFR 2.23

The group stages of the CAF Champions League concluded over the weekend. Here are my thoughts on the matches that took place:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR8b...

YouTube video by African Five-a-side podcast Al Ahly, Pirates tussle for CAF CL supremacy; Yanga, MC Algiers for knockout stages ⎸ AFR 2.22

🔔NEW EPISODE🔔

There are two spots up for grabs for the 6th and final matchday of the CAF Champions League

- Young Africans host MC Algiers in a tense match with all on the line
- Orlando Pirates go to Cairo to cap off a perfect group stage vs Al Ahly

youtu.be/7cxjexcw1OM

YouTube video by African Five-a-side podcast CAF Champions League: Al Ahly streak snapped, Sundowns & Pirates need wins, Yanga in survival mode

🔔 New episode 🔔

CAF Champions League: Al Ahly streak snapped, Sundowns & Pirates need wins, Yanga in survival mode

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZAz...

The end of fear in Syria Al Jazeera’s Justin Salhani recounts his experiences in the first days after al-Assad.

"Walking under pomegranate & lemon trees in the streets of Old Damascus and peering into abandoned courtyards brought to life so many stories I’d heard from Syrians of what had been taken away from them in exile"

I wrote about my experiences in Damascus & Aleppo.

www.aljazeera.com/features/202...

On rebuilding Algeria’s oceans, @mahermezahi.bsky.social produced a short visual to accompany @zahrarahmouni.bsky.social's piece on artificial reefs in Algeria. Read the whole thing here: africasacountry.com/2024/12/rebu...

Fewest minutes per goal involvement among Serie A players since the start of last season (2000+ mins):

◉ 92.5 - Ademola Lookman
◎ 110.9 - Lautaro Martínez
◎ 114.8 - Paulo Dybala
◎ 115.5 - Marcus Thuram
◎ 117.4 - Charles De Ketelaere

The best player in Italy right now. 💯

YouTube video by African Five-a-side podcast CAF CL recap: Esperance unstoppable, Sundowns pip past Raja, Pirates held in CIV... VAR?! ⎸ AFR 2.17

🔔NEW EPISODE🔔

CAF Champions League matchday 3 recap:

🔸TP Mazembe and Yanga hold one other to draw
🔸Al Hilal shock MC Algiers in 🇩🇿
🔸Pirates held in check in 🇨🇮
🔸Esperance play best match yet vs Pyramids
🔸Cardoso passes first test with Sundowns

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE3O...

YouTube video by African Five-a-side podcast 5 draws and many tight matches in matchday 2 of the CAF CL ⎸ AFR 2.16

Matchday 2 of the CAF Champions League was a bit of a snooze fest. On this episode of the African Five-a-side podcast, we try to find reasons why and also review 7/8 matches that took place over the weekend

youtu.be/pJ1A7WpPIbA

YouTube video by African Five-a-side podcast Can Orlando Pirates stun Al Ahly and Matchday 2 preview ⎸ AFR 2.15

🔔 NEW EPISODE 🔔

CAF Champions League, matchday 2 preview: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IToH...

YouTube video by Africa Is a Country Taking a Stand: Al Ahly football ultras in Tunisia

Our post from @mahermezahi.bsky.social on the Egyptian football ultra group Al Ahly, and their activities after being banned during the revolution, now has an accompanying video! Check it below, and the original post here: africasacountry.com/2024/05/taki... youtu.be/8rM8_n0Xjqw

YouTube video by Africa Is a Country Taking a Stand: Al Ahly football ultras in Tunisia

Last May, we went to the CAF Champions League final to learn more about how Al Ahly ultras are finding a home away from home since being banned from Cairo International Stadium

Full video, for @africasacountry.bsky.social : youtu.be/8rM8_n0Xjqw?...

YouTube video by African Five-a-side podcast REACTION: Top young African talent shines in Matchday 1 of CAF Champions League ⎸ AFR 2.14

The main observation from yesterday's matches is: There's a good crop of young African talent shining in CAF Champions League

Ibrahim Adel, Adama Coulibaly, Mohau Nkota, Relebohile Mofokeng, Oscar Kabwit, Issa Fofana, Koussay Maacha all impressed in their respective matches

youtu.be/VQ2mU7HzjsI

CAF Champions League begins today

Was expecting a more raucous crowd in Lubumbashi to support TP Mazembe versus MC Algiers, but it is a 14h kick off on a Tuesday afternoon

Mazembe were stripped of top players and look sluggish, MCA looking to impress in their return to the CL which they won in ‘76

YouTube video by African Five-a-side podcast 2024/2025 CAF Champions League preview: Matchday 1

Previewing matchday 1 of the 2024/2025 CAF Champions League group stages, which kicks off tomorrow

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyyx...

YouTube video by African Five-a-side podcast Ranking all 24 teams that qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations ⎸ AFR 2.12

Ranking all 24 teams that qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations

youtu.be/JGE-rJu473U?...

3/5

No organisation, leadership or direction: Ghana are wasting a generation of talent | Jonathan Wilson They should be one of the favourites for the Africa Cup of Nations, instead Ghana are counting the cost of another chaotic failure

Partey, Kudus, Semenyo, Fatawu, Lamptey, Williams, Ayew… yet Ghana won’t be at the Cup of Nations.

www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Predictions: Botswana, Libya, Sudan, Mozambique and Guinea to qualify

Underdogs Sudan and Botswana are in prime position and just have to avoid defeat to qualify, however both teams are respectively travelling to group leaders (Angola and Egypt) for their final matches

Questions may be asked about squads Angola and Egypt will field now that qualification is secured

Benin is in the same situation as they travel to Libya for the sixth and final matchday. The North African would be making a real comeback as they were only sitting on 1 point prior to this international break.

5/24 slots for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will be determined tomorrow and Tuesday:

Mozambique and Guinea just need to avoid defeat against Guinea-Bissau and Tanzania in straight head-to-head matches

Easier said than done, however, as both matches are to be played away from home for the leaders

YouTube video by African Five-a-side podcast FILM STUDY: Nigeria defend poorly vs Benin, Sudan collapse vs Niger + more observations ⎸ AFR 2.11

Here’s some film breakdown on some of what I saw during match day 5 of the 2025 Afcon qualifiers

youtu.be/KbiLgGrX6nw?...

Yes! One-nil

YouTube video by African Five-a-side podcast FILM STUDY: Nigeria defend poorly vs Benin, Sudan collapse vs Niger + more observations ⎸ AFR 2.11

Here’s some film breakdown on some of what I saw during match day 5 of the 2025 Afcon qualifiers

youtu.be/KbiLgGrX6nw?...