Weekend Guide 12.9.2015

This weekend we are off for two South American spicy derbies, and a decisive match in the African Champions League. Don't waste your time, here we go!

(All times are in CET local time)

Amateur (Like this guy)

What? Independiente – Racing Club (Argentine Primera División)

When? Saturday, 21:10

Where? Estadio Libertadores de América, Avellanda

Why? A few hundred meters, that's the distance between the stadiums of these two teams. As one of the craziest derbies of Argentina, the Avellaneda derby will show you great football and an amazing atmosphere. Racing Club is in 4th place with 43 points, while Independiente are on 6th place with 38 points, both fighting for a Copa Libertadores place.

Key Players: Independiente will rely on Matías Pisano, a talented 23 year old player that could be the next big Argentine talent in Europe. Racing Club will put their faith on legendary Diego Milito, a former Champions League winner who returned to his youth club 11 years after leaving.

Always rivals: This rivalry doesn’t end with football. The clubs have teams in other sports as well. For example, check out how it looks in futsal.

Professional (like this guy)

What? Emelec – Barcelona SC (Serie A de Ecuador)

When? Monday, 00:00

Where? Estadio George Capwell, Guayaquil

Why? The immortal Ecuadorian football macth, unlike similar matches in South America, played far from the capital city. Guayaquil is ready for the match of Emelec and Barcelona SC. Emelec are in 4th place, Barcelona in 6th, but everything changes quickly, as there are only 7 points separating the 1st and the 9th place.

Key Players: Look for Miller Bolaños, Emelec's top scorer this season with 14 goals, which earned him a national team spot which he justified with 5 goals in 8 caps. For Barcelona, the leader will be Ismael Blanco, who made long career trip in Greece, Poland and Germany, and is a player who can make the difference for his team.

That's my name: There are nice stories behind the team’s names. Emelec is an acronym of Empresa Eléctrica del Ecuador, a local electric company who founded the team. Barcelona's name was given as honor to the origin city of the club’s founders.

World Class (like this guy)

What? TP Mazembe – Moghreb Tétouan (CAF Champions League)

When? Saturday, 15:30

Where? Stade TP Mazembe, Lubumbashi

Why? The last matchday of CAF Champions League will have a tight race for the two semifinal spots. TP Mazembe, the D.R. of Congo champions, and Moghreb Tétouan, the Moroccan champions, are both with 8 points, the same as Al-Hilal, the Sudanese champions.

Key Players: Mazembe key player is Rainford Kalaba, a Zambian midfielder who made 77 caps in his national team and played in Portugal for two years. The most dominant player in Moghreb is Yassine Lakhal, local player who left the team in 2011 to Wydad Casablanca, but returned last January.

Colonial Times: Both of the teams have interesting stories from colonial times. Moghreb Tétouan played as Atlético Tetouán in the Spanish Primera División in 1952. Mazembe's original name is Engelbert, named after a Belgian tires manufacturing company, who used to sponsor the club.

Weekend Guide 3.9.2015

This weekend we have a bunch of international clashes, and it is a great chance to take a tour to Asia. A top clash in Argentina will be our appetizer before we will roam to the east.

(All times are in CET local time)

Amateur (Like these guys)

What? Boca Juniors – San Lorenzo (Argentine Primera División)

When? Sunday, 23:15

Where? Estadio Alberto J. Armando, Buenos Aires (La Bombonera)

Why? The weird marathon called the Argentine league is close to its end. This week, the two leaders of the league will face off, on the 23rd matchday. Boca Juniors is leading the table with 49 points, as San Lorenzo is just 2 points behind, on 2nd place.

Key Players: In Boca Juniors, the absence of Carlos Tevez and Fernando Gago will be a great opportunity for Sebastián Palacios, to show his talent. San Lorenzo have an impressive defensive record of just 13 goals conceded, and one of the players that are responsible for that is the veteran Colombian, Mario Yepes, who is still playing in the age of 39.

Amazing Numbers: In August 2006, Boca Juniors defeated San Lorenzo in an unusual result - 7:1. Good old Martín Palermo scored a hat-trick, while Rodrigo Palacio scored twice.

Professional (like this guy)

What? China – Hong Kong (2018 World Cup Qualifiers)

When? Thursday, 13:35

Where? Bao'an Stadium, Shenzhen

Why? In 1997, Hong Kong became a Chinese territory and during the past year the tension between China and the region aroused. This World Cup qualifier match will be some kind of a derby. China started their campaign perfectly with an easy 6:0 victory against Bhutan. For Hong Kong it will be their third match, after defeating Bhutan (7:0) and Maldives (2:0).

Key Players: It's not common to find Chinese players in Europe, but they have one in their current squad, Zhang Chengdong, who previously played in Portugal and Germany, and now he is part of Spanish side Rayo Vallecano’s squad. The dominant player in Hong Kong is Huang Yang, who led his team Kitchee to another local championship title.

Amazing numbers: In 2004 Hong Kong lost to China 7:0, its biggest defeat ever.

World Class (like this guy)

What? Palestine – United Arab Emirates (2018 World Cup Qualifiers)

When? Tuesday, 16:00

Where? Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium, Al-Ram

Why? Palestinian football has made an impressive progress in the past two years, and the UAE team would be one of the best visiting teams to play on Palestinian soil. The United Arab Emirates team, semifinalist’s of the last AFC Asian Cup, wishes for their first World Cup appearance since 1990, and opened their campaign with 1:0 against Timor-Leste. Palestine are the clear underdogs in this match, and they already lost 3:2 to Saudi Arabia and won 6:0 against Malaysia.

Key Players: Palestine will be missing Ashraf Nu’man due to injury, but will display a line of foreign-based Palestinian-origin players from Chile, Paraguay, Sweden and more. Slovenian-born Jaka Ihbeisheh, the 29 years old left back, who scored the historic goal for Palestine in the last Asian Cup, will be there as well. For the UAE it's clear that Omar Abdulrahman, the most promising player in Asian football, will dominate the game.

Amazing Numbers: The most capped player in the history of UAE is Adnan Al Talyani, who made 161 caps. He ranks as the 10th most capped player in the history of international football.

Weekend Guide 27.8.2015

Take your seats for the BabaGol weekend recap! We have three tremendous matches for you: a Mexican Clásico match, a top clash in Israel and a visit to an African superpower in Nigeria. Enjoy!

(All times are in CET local time)

Amateur (Like this guy)

What? Cruz Azul – América (Liga MX)

When? Sunday, 00:00

Where? Estadio Azul, Mexico City

Why? Two of the biggest teams in Mexico City will play in El Clásico Joven, the Juvenile Classic. After two defeats at the start of the season, América have won their last four matches and now they are in 3rd place. Cruz Azul are far behind in 14th place, but in this league the top 8 will qualify for the Liguilla, the tournament’s playoffs, so anything is possible.

Key Players: Marc Crosas is one of the biggest names for Cruz Azul. The former hot prospect at Barcelona has had much more success in Mexico than in European football. For, América, you should look out for Argentine forward Darío Benedetto, a real goal machine, with 6 goals in his first 5 league games.

Professional (like this guy)

What? Hapoel Be'er Sheva – Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israeli Ligat Ha'al)

When? Sunday, 19:45

Where? Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem

Why? Two teams with big title aspirations will play on the 2nd matchday of the league. Both of the teams won their first match, but Maccabi Tel Aviv had another great achievement as they qualified for the UEFA Champions’ League group stage. Maccabi Tel Aviv also want to win their fourth consecutive title, while Hapoel Be'er Sheva want to win their first title in 40 years.

Key Players: It's impossible to talk about Maccabi Tel Aviv without mentioning Eran Zahavi, the captain and the league’s top scorer for the last two seasons. One of the main players in Hapoel Be'er Sheva is Ovidiu Hoban, the Romanian national team midfielder, who as well as passing, knows how to score from long-distance.

World Class (like this guy)

What? Wikki Tourists – Sunshine Stars (Nigerian Premier League)

When? Sunday, 17:00

Where? Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi

Why? The race for the Nigerian title is still close with only 5 games left. Enyimba, maybe the best team in Nigeria, lead the league, but these two teams are still dreaming of the title. Wikki Tourists are i 4th place, 7 points off the top spot, while Sunshine Stars are in 2nd place, with a gap of just 2 points.

Key Players: Wikki Tourists’ good season is all about Mubarak Umar. As the team’s forward, Umar is one of the top scorers in the Nigerian league. At Sunshine Stars you can find Tunde Adeniji, the 19 year-old Nigerian youngster, who has the potential to star in Europe one day.

Weekend Guide 20.8.2015

The weekend is here and we have three great matches for you. For the beginners, we have a great Hungarian match. For the more experienced visitors, we have a North African derby in the CAF Confederations Cup. Finally, our Baba-Addicts will have a special match, a classic match with lot of passion from El Salvador.

(All times are in CET local time)

Amateur (Like these guys)

What? Debrecen – Ferencváros (Hungarian Nemzeti Bajnokság I)

When? Saturday, 20:30

Where? Nagyerdei Stadion, Debrecen

Why? An insane opening to the season led Ferencváros to the 1st place with 5 wins from 5 matches. The club is dreaming about a first title since 2004. Their opponents, Debrecen, are one of the expected contenders for the title and are in 4th place.

Key Players: Debrecen's forward, Geoffrey Castillion, who was part of the Ajax youth teams but failed to reach the senior team, now plays in Hungary after a great season in Romania. Ferencváros’ Dániel Böde is one of the top scorers in the league at the moment, with 6 goals so far.

Special figure: Brazilian midfielder Leandro played for Ferencváros for 4 years and 3 more years in Debrecen, before he left for Cyprus. He became a Hungarian citizen and won 13 caps for the national team. After 5 years, he returned to Ferencváros last summer.

Professional (like these guys)

Espérance de Tunis – Al Ahly (CAF Confederations Cup)

When? Saturday, 20:00

Where? Stade Olympique de Radès, Radès

Why? Two former African Champions League winners will play in order to clinch a semi-final spot. For Espérance it's the last chance to stay in the race. Al Ahly will have to win in order to complete their task of defending their title.

Key Players: The Espérance leader is Hocine Ragued, the French-Tunisian midfielder who arrived in Tunisia after playing in Belgium, the Czech Republic and Turkey. The star of Al Ahly is Emad Moteab, who scored the winning goal in the last CAF Confederations Cup final.

World Class (like this guy)

What? Águila – Alianza (Salvadoran Primera División)

When? Sunday, 03:00

Where? Estadio Juan Francisco Barraza, San Miguel

Why? El Clásico Centro Oriente, El Salvador’s mid-east derby.

After 4 games, Águila are leading the table with 10 points. Alianza are in the 3rd place with 8 points. Moreover, both teams are the only 2 teams who haven't lost yet.

Key Players: Take a look at Deris Umanzor, the 35 year-old defender of Águila, who is in his ninth season with Águila and had a short spell in the MLS. Alianza will be led by Rodolfo Zelaya, a 27 year-old striker, who is one of the best-known Salvadoran players today.

Special Figure: Mario Mayén Meza was one of the greatest names in El Slavador's football during the 90's. He won three national titles with Alianza and three more with Águila. He also played for FAS, which means he’s played for 3 of the 4 biggest clubs in the country. Bravo loco

Weekend Guide 13.8.15

Another weekend full of great football from all around the world is here. We’d like to remind you of our new

Levels Format – if you are new to our recap, take a look for our

Amateur recommendation; for the more experienced followers, we have the

Professional level ; and for our addicts we have our special

World Class delicacy. Enjoy, and feel free to leave your feedback about our choices.

(All times are in CET local time)

Amateur (Like this player)

What? Spartak Moscow – CSKA Moscow (Russian Premier League)

When? Friday, 20:30

Where? Otkrytiye Arena, Moscow

Why? Despite what many tend to think, the Spartak and CSKA Derby gained in importance after the collapse of the Soviet Union. During the USSR era, Spartak was a rare case in Soviet football, as it was an independent club, a unique format at the time. CSKA was the Red Army's team, with the most fans' until today. In addition, the fact the match was moved from Saturday to Friday just one week in advance, after ticket sales had begun and without Spartak being notified, is an outrageous move by CSKA. Expect a hot environment in the stands.

Key Players: Spartak Moscow's leading player is the Armenian Yura Movsisyan, who grew up in the United States and played for 3 years in the MLS. At CSKA, there are two players to watch out for: Seydou Doumbia, the Ivorian striker who has come back from an unremarkable spell in Rome and is supposed to play, and Bibars Natcho, the Circassian-descent Israeli midfielder, who dictates the team’s play.

Spotlight Persona: Spartak´s coach is the former Russian football legend, Dmitri Alenichev, who played in Italy for years and won the Champions League with Porto and Jose Mourinho in 2004. Alenichev is a hero to Spartak's fans and he's a Spartak fan himself. As it's his first Moscow derby as a coach, all eyes in the city will be on him. Good luck Dima!

*(Many thanks to Michael Yokhin for his insightful comments on this part).

Professional (like this guy)

What? ES Sétif – MC Oran (Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1)

When? Saturday, 18:00

Where? Stade 8 Mai 1945, Sétif

Why? Last season’s photo finish in Algeria was unbelievable. With 4 matchdays left, each one of the teams could have won the title or faced relegation. ES Sétif, the reigning CAF Champions League holders, eventually won the title, while MC Oran finished 3rd, 4 points behind. Hopes for another close race are high.

Key Players: The leading name at Sétif is Abdelmalek Ziaya, a homegrown player who left to play in Saudi Arabia and Tunisia, who has returned for the grand finale of his career. Oran’s Libyan striker Mohamed Za'abya will try to keep on scoring, like he has done in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Economics: The Algerian economy is suffering from a severe financial crisis. The Algerian Football Federation decided to join the attempts to improve it by banning clubs from hiring foreign players, due to the lack of foreign currency in the country.

World Class (like this guy)

What? Alga – Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi (AFC Cup qualifying round)

When? Saturday, 17:00

Where? Spartak Stadium, Bishkek

Why? The AFC decided to change the AFC Cup qualifying system. In the first round there are two groups with 3 teams from the lower ranked nations. In group B, Alga, the Kyrgyz representative, will face Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi, champions of Bangladesh, in a match for the only spot in the next round. Both teams won their first matches against Benfica de Macau.

Key Players: Alga have Ildar Amirov, a local player who has 31 caps for the national team and won the AFC President's Cup twice with Dordoi. Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi’s captain, Mamunul Islam, is one of the greatest players in Bangladeshi football, who has 35 international caps and has attracted attention from the Indian Super League.

The Suspended Dutchman: the Kyrgyzstan and Bangladesh national teams had played in a World Cup qualifier back in June. During the match, Bangladesh manager, Lodewijk de Kruif, was suspended after abusing the referees. On Wednesday, FIFA decided to extend his suspension so he will not guide the team in their next match against Australia.