Football wrap: Morocco confirm CHAN participation, FIFA best player nominees

Morocco to participate in the CHAN

Morocco will finally participate in the African Nations Championship CHAN, a tournament reserved for local players, which begins this Friday in Algeria. The Atlas Lions, who are the two-time defending champions, had initially threatened not participate on the tournament citing Algerian authorities' refusal to allow a Moroccan plane to enter the country amid a political crisis over the Western Sahara issue.

FIFA best players nominations

FIFA has unveiled the list of nominees for the best players and coaches of the year 2022. 

Lionel Messi is the overwhelming favourite to win 'The Best' FIFA men's player of the year award after the nominations were announced on Thursday.

Messi captained Argentina to glory in the World Cup final as they eventually beat France on penalties following an enthralling 3-3 draw.

PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick in the game, is also on the list together with his French international team-mate Karim Benzema.

Benzema, who won the Ballon d'Or for the first time in his career in October last year, helped Real Madrid seal the Champions League following victory over Liverpool in June.

Luka Modric is also nominated alongside goalscoring Premier League duo Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah.

Two Africans are part of the list. The Senegalese Sadio Mané, who transfered from Liverpool to Bayern and but was absent from the World Cup, and his former teammate at the Reds, the Egyptian Mohamed Salah and Achraf Hakimi.

Other nominees include Neymar, Vinicius Jr, Julian Alvarez, Robert Lewandowski, Kevin de Bruyne and Jude Bellingham.

Cristiano Ronaldo was left off the the 14-player shortlist for the annual Best FIFA Men’s Player award for the first time.

Portuguese league

Yan Eteki's deflected strike in the 3rd minute ensured Portuguese Primeira Liga side Casa Pia overcame third tier Vitoria Setubal 1-0 in the Taca de Portugal at the Estadio do Bonfim on Thursday.

Casa Pia will now face second tier Nacional in the quarter-finals next month

Some African goals last night in Portugal, the Indomitable Lion Yan Eteki scored a crucial goal for his club Casa Pia a setubal. The Cameroonian got his first goal since his arrival from Granada last summer. With this success Casa Pia remain 5th behind the Portuguese big teams.

Qatari African players performance

Al Arabi moved back to the top of the Qatar Stars League standings on Thursday, following a 2-1 win at previously unbeaten Al Wakrah.

Tunisian international Youssef Msakni opened the scoring for Al Arabi on 31 minutes, but Al Wakrah equalised deep into first half stoppage time when Mohamed Benyettou converted a penalty following a foul by visiting goalkeeper Jassim Al Hail.

Msakni restored Al Arabi's lead midway through the second half and Younes Ali's side held on for maximum points.

They now have 22 points from their nine games so far this season ahead of Al Duhail, who beat Umm Salal 3-1 on Wednesday, by a point.

Al Wakra's first defeat of the campaign leaves them in third, seven points off the pace, but they do have a game at hand.

Meanwhile, Youssef Msakni continued to pile up more goals. The Tunisian was the main architect of Al Arabi's victory over Al Wakrah

He opened the score well offset by the former Parisian, the Brazilian Rafinha

The Algerian Mohamed Benyettou later equalized on penalty before Youssef Msakni sealed a win with a fantastic goal.

He has 7 goals in 9 matches in the Qatari league.