Weekend Guide 22.4.2016

Hurry up, you really wouldn't like to miss the new Weekend Guide. An Argentine hot derby in La Plata, past champions meets future champions in Kazakhstan and a crazy race for the post-season games in Panama.

(All the hours are in CET local time)

Amateur (Like these fans)

What? Gimnasia La Plata – Estudiantes (Argentine Primera División)

When? Sunday, 0145

Where? Estadio Juan Carmelo Zerillo, La Plata

Why? The weird system of two groups providing us with an interesting season so far, and this week we have a super match - the Clásico Platense. With 5 games left, Gimansia are in 6th place of group A, but they are just 4 points behind the leaders, Godoy Cruz. Meanwhile, Estudiantes are 2nd in group B, 3 points behind Lanús.

Key Players: Gimnasia's Lucas Licht, the former left back of Getafe, making his historic 10th season for his home team. Gastón Fernández came back to Estudiantes after two years in MLS and he’s doing well with 4 goals and 4 assists this season.

The Forest: Gimnasia stadium is nicknamed El Bosque, which means "The Forest", because it is located in a city park by the same name.

Professional (like this goal)

What? Irtysh Pavlodar – FC Astana (Kazakhstan Premier League)

When? Saturday, 1400

Where? Central Stadium, Pavlodar

Why? FC Astana, with two consecutive titles and a Champions League journey, start its journey for another title. Their opponents, Irtysh Pavlodar, was the biggest team in Kazakhstan during the 90's and now want to restore its big days, with 2 points less than FC Astana.

Key Players: Irtysh Pavlodar's Gerogian striker,Gogita Gogua, played for years in his home nation and in Russia and now opens his first year in Kazakhstan with 3 goals in 6 matches. Don't miss FC Astana captain, Tanat Nusserbayev, who play for his team since 2011 and have 24 caps for Kazakhstan national team.

The Other Continent: Before Astana’s Champions League campaign, Irtysh Pavlodar had one of the greatest achievements of a Kazakh team in a continental level, when they reached the Asian Cup Winners' Cup semi finals in 2001.

World Class (like this shoot)

What? Tauro - Árabe Unido

When? Saturday, 0400

Where? Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City

Why? Three matches left to the end of the Clausura regular season and the situation is crazy. 6 points only, this is the difference between the 2nd and the last place, as the top 4 teams will qualify to the semi finals. Among these teams, Árabe Unido, the Apertura champions, are now in 4th place, while Tauro are 7th.

Key Players: Tauro have Jan Carlos Vargas, the talented 21 years old defender that have great role in the team defense. With the shirt numbered 99, Árabe Unido's striker Armando Polo is one of the best scorers in the league with 14 goals.

The Brothers: In Panama, there are two managers with legendary brothers - Tauro's Jorge Dely Valdés, the brother of Armando, and Atlético Chiriquí's Javier Wanchope, the brother of Paulo.

Weekend Guide 15.4.2016

The clock is ticking and the end of the season is near, so every match is decisive.

Our Weekend Guide presents you two teams who fight against relegation in Qatar, a race for the title in Armenia and Baba's favourites from Brazil will play their match of the season.

(All hours are in CET)

Amateur (Like this fight)

What? Al-Wakra – Qatar SC (Qatar Stars League)

When? Friday, 17:15

Where? Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Stadium, Al-Wakra

Why? The final game in the Qatari league and everyone is trying to escape the relegation spot. A draw will be enough for Al-Wakra, who is ranked in 11th place, 3 points above Qatar SC. Qatar SC are one step from a first ever relegation.

Key Players: Al-Wakra’s main player will be Sebastián Sáez, the Argentine striker who scored 16 goals this season. The experienced Algerian Rafik Halliche will try to help Qatar SC to avoid the relegation.

Score More: Another great race will be for the season top scorer as Rodrigo Tabata of Al-Rayyan and Abderrazeak Hamdallah of Al-Jaish are tied with 20 goals each. Top notch.

Professional (like this goal)

What? Alashkert – Pyunik (Armenian Premier League)

When? Saturday, 14:00

Where? Alashkert Stadium, Yerevan

Why? After winning 12 of the last 15 Armenian titles, Pyunik are close to lose their title. In Saturday, they travel to Alashkert, the aspiring league leaders who dream about a historic title.

Key Players: Mihran Manasyan was the league’s top scorer two years ago, and while taking Alashkert for glory, he leads the scorers’ table once again with 14 goals. Homegrown player, 23-year-old Taron Voskanyan, will lead Pyunik as he plays for the senior team since 2010.

Non-League Football: Alashkert’s story is amazing. The club was dissolved in 1999, played in regional tournament a few years ago and registered again to the league only in 2012.

World Class (like that goalkeeper)

What? Bangú – Flamengo (Campeonato Carioca)

When? Sunday, 21:00

Where? Estádio de Moça Bonita, Rio de Janeiro

Why? Bangú, BabaGol's favorite in Brazil, will try to clinch a spot in the Brazilian national Serie D. In order to do that, they need to beat Flamengo, one of the top clubs in Brazil - who wants to qualify to the Carioca semifinals.

Key Players: Bangú have the tournament’s top scorer, Almir, who previously played in Botafogo and Atletico Mineiro, even spending a few years in Korea and Kuwait. Among the veteran players of Flamengo it's nice to see a big name like Juan, the former Brazil international player with 82 caps, who played in Bayer Leverkusen and AS Roma.

Our Team: Why are Bangu Baba’s favorites? That's easy, just read it.

Weekend Guide 9.4.2016

An African Champions League group stage spot, a glorious Yemenite derby from Israel, and the title battle of Botswana. Yallah, Let's go!

(All hours are in CET)

Amateur (Like this goalkeeper)

What? Stade Malien – ZESCO United (CAF Champions League)

When? Saturday, 20:00

Where? Stade Modibo Kéïta, Bamako

Why? Stade Malien was the African Champions League runner-ups in 1965 but never qualified for the top-8 since the introduction of the group stage. Their opponents, ZESCO United, participated in the 2009 group stage, the last Zambian team to so.

Key Players: Mamadou Coulibaly led Stade Malien to this stage with 3 goals and was part of runner-up national team squad in the African Nations Championship. In ZESCO United you can find Kondwani Mtonga that played also in the Indian Super League.

Fans Abroad: It's rare to find an African team with support from different continents, but ZESCO United has a fan club in Colombia. Sensacional!

Professional (like this goal)

What? Hapoel Marmorek – Maccabi Sha'arayim (Israeli Liga Alef)

When? Saturday, 20:00

Where? Haberfeld Stadium, Rishon LeZion

Why? The great derby of Rehovot city is one of the hottest football rivalries in Israel. Marmorek and Sha'arayim are two neighborhoods in Rehovot, who share the same origin. Both of them are populated by large Yemenite-Jewish communities. Maccabi Sha'arayim leads the table by 5 points and they are close to promotion for the first time since they were relegated from the second tier in 1993. Hapoel Marmorek is in the 4th place, trying to assure a playoff spot.

Key Players: Hapoel Marmorek’s main player is Sahar Shabtai, the team’s top scorer with 10 goals. Maccabi Sha'arayim has Gil Itzhak, who arrived in December and since then scored 8 goals in 15 matches.

The Oldies: Maccabi Sha'arayim might have one of the older squads in Israel, as in their last match half of the players were above 30 years old.

World Class (like this play)

What? Centre Chiefs – Township Rollers (Botswana Premier League)

When? Saturday, 20:00

Where? Botswana National Stadium, Gaborone

Why? Four games are left before the end of the season in Botswana and the title is on the stake for this match. Township Rollers are leading the table by 4 points ahead of Orapa United and their hosts for this match, Centre Chiefs. The Chiefs will try to close the gap on way to a 4th title in 5 years.

Key Players: Lemponye Tshireletso is the guy to watch in Centre Chiefs, as he is one of the best scorers in the league. From the other side, you can't run to the title without a great goalkeeper like Township Rollers' Kabelo Dambe, who’s also the Botswana national team goalkeeper.

Like Your Nickname: Botswana national team nickname is ‘Dipitse’, which means "The Zebras". In 2012 they launched a new kit with a black and white pattern.

Weekend Guide 1.4.2016

After the international break, the Weekend Guide is back on track. This week we’ll watch two of Japan’s best teams, Zimbabwe’s underdog champions, and a race for the title in Barbados.

(All the hours are in CET)

Amateur (Like these scenes)

What? Kawasaki Frontale – Kashima Antlers (Japanese J.1 League)

When? Saturday, 08:00

Where? Todoroki Athletics Stadium, Kawasaki

Why? The double-stage system of the Japanese league results in each team dreaming about a title. After four games, Kawasaki Frontale leads with 10 points and Kashima Antlers are in the 3rd place with 9 points.

Key Players: Kawasaki’s leading player is Kengo Nakamura, the veteran captain that plays for the team since 2003 and made 392 league appearances for the club. In Kashima Antlers you should look for Mu Kanazaki, who already scored three goals since the beginning of the season.

Race for the Record: Hiroshima Sanfrecce's Hisato Sato and Kawasaki Frontale's Yoshito Okubo are both trying to be the all-time league top scorers. Both scored 158 so far.

Professional (like this goal)

What? Chicken Inn FC – Dynamos (Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League)

When? Saturday, 14:00

Where? Luveve Stadium, Bulawayo

Why? The new season in Zimbabwe is here and the champions Chicken Inn wants to defend their title. Last season they won their first ever title, after finished 4 points above Dynamos, the 22-times Zimbabwean champions and their opponents for Saturday’s match.

Key Players: One of Chicken Inn leaders is Edmore Chirambadare, who scored 11 goals last season. Dynamo’s main player is Rodreck Mutuma that rejoins his youth team after a short period in South Africa.

No World Cup for You: Zimbabwe was the only team that was expelled from the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. It was due to their failure to pay to their former coach, José Claudinei.

World Class (like this shot)

What? BDF – UWI Blackbirds (Barbados Premier League)

When? Sunday, 22:00

Where? Wildey Astro Turf, Bridgetown

Why? The race to the title in Barbados is getting closer to its end. BDF and UWI Blackbirds, alongside with Paradise FC, are in a three-way race and only one will win it. BDF are the league leaders and UWI Blackbirds are only 2 points behind.

Key Players: BDF have the league’s top scorer, Shaquille Stewart, who scored 11 goals this season and he is one of the leading players in Barbados. Keep your eyes also on Ramon Manning, the only representative of UWI in the current national team squad.

Make It Shorter: What do team acronyms stand for? BDF are Barbados Defence Forces, and UWI are University of West Indies. So the question is who will be the champions – the soldiers or the students?

Weekend Guide 18.3.2016

A visit to a thrilling African Champions League clash, the island of Macau will welcome us with a top match and finally, a chill-out match from Cuba with few cigars and new names in the local title race.

(All the hours are in CET)

Amateur (Like  these guys)

What? Al-Hilal Omdurman – Al Ahli Tripoli (CAF Champions League)

When? Sunday, 18:00

Where? Al-Hilal Stadium, Omdurman

Why? Al Ahli Tripoli is one step from making one of the biggest sensations in the African football. The Libyan champions won the first leg at a neutral ground 1:0, and now they will travel to Sudan for the second leg against Al-Hilal Omdurman. Al-Hilal are last season’s semifinalists, and finished as runner-ups twice in the history.

Key Players: Mohamed Ahmed Bashir, known as Bisha, is the leading player of Al-Hilal and the Sudanese league top scorer with 8 goals in 9 matches. In Al Ahli you should look at Ali Salama, the Libyan national team captain.

Touching History: In the 1984 African Cup Winners Cup, Al Ahli Tripoli qualified to the finals. Due to the complicated relations between Libya and Egypt, Al Ahli Tripoli refused to play against Al Ahly from Cairo, so they were disqualified and replaced by their semifinals opponents, Canon Yaoundé of Cameroon.

Professional (like this goal)

What? Benfica de Macau – Sporting Macau (Macau Primeira Divisão)

When? Saturday, 07:00

Where? Estádio Campo Desportivo, Taipa

Why? No, this is not the derby of Lisbon, but rather the match of the day in Macau. Benfica are the reigning champions in the past two seasons while they lead the league with 24 points in 8 matches. Sporting Macau will try to be the first team to defeat them, as they are in the 2nd place with 20 points.

Key Players: After playing in Portugal’s lower divisions, goalkeeper Rui Nibra seems to be Benfica’s most dominant player, thanks to his good performances. Sporting’s main man is local forward Miguel Botelho, one of the club’s great scorers in recent years.

Lock the Gates: Not only that Benfica haven't lost yet, they also didn't concede a single goal this season. They continue their insane run of 13 league matches without a goal conceded.

World Class (like this goal)

What? Guantánamo – La Habana (Campeonato Nacional de Fútbol de Cuba)

When? Saturday, 21:30

Where? Estadio Rogelio Palacios, Guantánamo

Why? The lovely island of Cuba has an interesting domestic league and the two leaders are ready for a hot date. Guantánamo are in the 2nd place, two points behind La Habana. Both teams want to make another step towards a rare title. For Guantánamo it will be the debut title, while for La Habana it will be first since 1967.

Key Players: Alberto Gómez, or 'Beto', of Guantánamo is the guy to watch, as he was one of the leaders of the national team in the historic Caribbean Cup title in 2012. In La Habana you can't miss Jaime Colomé, a 36 year old veteran midfielder that represented Cuba in five Gold Cups and plays for the club since 2002.

Long Tradition: Cuba is one of the oldest football nations in the world. The league is playing since 1912 and this is the 101st edition of the competition. Cuba even played in the 1938 World Cup.