Hapoel Be’er Sheva and Levski Sofia face a crucial match in their Europa Conference League, but both failed to score. Each team had its own problems before the next match.
Hapoel Be’er Sheva and Levski Sofia in tame Europa Conference League draw
Levski Sofia's former player will try to save his club
Levski Sofia was close to a big crisis, as their previous owner Vasil Bozhkov escaped the country after he was charged with tax fraud and bribery. Now the former top club in Bulgaria wants to get back to business with their new owner, former Levski player, Nasko Sirakov.
Weekend Guide 28.11.2015
There are people who like to travel the world and see new places; the Weekend Guide is here to make your travels even more interesting.
This week we will visit the derby of Sofia, a high profile match in Qatar and finally, a glorious final in Africa.
Amateur (Like these dancers)
What? Levski Sofia – Slavia Sofia (Bulgarian A Football Group)
When? Sunday, 16:45
Where? Georgi Asparuhov Stadium, Sofia
Why? The biggest team in Bulgaria, Levski Sofia, didn't win a title since 2009. They are currently leading the table after 16 matches. Slavia will try to hold them back, even though they are just in 5th place.
Key Players: Levski's Radoslav Tsonev is one of the hot prospects of Bulgarian football, as he is just 20 years old and already has an important role in the team. Don't miss Slavia's Ivaylo Dimitrov, who played for years in the lower divisions of Bulgaria and now is a rising star in the league with 5 goals.
In the name of the hero: Slavia is a common name for Eastern European clubs, but Levski is a unique one. The club is named after Bulgaria’s national hero, Vasil Levski, who was one of the Bulgarian liberation movement leaders from the 19th century.
Professional (like this goal)
What? Al Rayyan – Al Jaish (Qatar Stars League)
When? Saturday, 15:30
Where? Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
Why? Al Rayyan opened the season with an insane record - 9 consecutive wins. Al Jaish will try to stop them and close the gap while they are in 2nd place, 4 points behind.
Key Players: The Qatari league always produces unstoppable scorers, and Al Rayyan has the Brazilian-Qatari of Japanese background Rodrigo Tabata, who scored 10 goals in 9 matches. Al Jaish has a much younger star than the 35 year old striker - Abderrazak Hamdallah, a 24 year old Moroccan who came in a free transfer from China, and scored 8 goals.
International Coach: Al Rayyan's manager, Jorge Fossati, won the Qatari title in 2007, after he triumphed at 3 other countries – Uruguay, Ecuador and Paraguay.
World Class (like these fans)
What? Étoile du Sahel – Orlando Pirates (CAF Confederation Cup)
When? Sunday, 19:30
Where? Stade Olympique de Sousse, Sousse
Why? After a 1:1 tie in the first leg, the tension is high in the CAF Confederation Cup final. Étoile du Sahel won the tournament in 2006, and a year later won the CAF Champions League. They wish to continue the Tunisian dominance in the tournament with 5th title for their country. Orlando Pirates was the first South African club to win the CAF Champions League in 1995 and now they can be the first South African club to win the secondary club tournament in the continent.
Key Players: Aymen Mathlouthi is Étoile du Sahel’s goalkeeper since 2003 and one of the indispensable players of the club. In Orlando Pirates you should look at Thamsanqa Gabuza, the player who scored in the first leg, and has 5 more goals in the tournament, making him a real contender for the Golden Boot award.
Lost and Found: Orlando Pirates' all-time league top scorer Benedict Vilakazi played for some interesting clubs during the past years. He played in Swaziland, Botswana and his current club is Botswana Meat Commission F.C. Sounds like it is BBQ time!
Nomadic Pastoralism
An Interview with Adrián 'Carucha' Fernández, a real 'football worker', about the darkest corners of the beautiful game.