In other football news, African club champions Pyramids have lost ace forward Ibrahim Adel, and former Morocco star Ahmed Faras has died aged 78.

South Africa

Kaizer Chiefs, winners of a record 53 domestic trophies in South Africa, triumphed in only one of five friendly matches on a pre-season of the Netherlands. The Johannesburg outfit beat PEC Zwolle 1-0 but lost to Vitesse (2-1), Utrecht (4-0), NEC Nijmegen (1-0) and FC Twente.

Chiefs hired Tunisian coach Nasreddine Nabi last season, and he ended a 10-year trophy drought by winning the South African FA Cup, but they finished a disappointing ninth in the 16-club Premiership.

Ibrahim Adel, whose six goals helped Pyramids become surprise winners of the 2024/25 CAF Champions League in only their second appearance, is moving to United Arab Emirates club Al Jazira.

The 24-year-old missed the first leg of the final against Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa through injury, but recovered to come off the bench in the return match.

Another Pyramids star, Democratic Republic of Congo-born forward Fiston Mayele, has returned to the Cairo club after a proposed move to Saudi Arabian club Al Fateh failed to materialise.

Morocco

Ahmed Faras, who captained Morocco to their lone Africa Cup of Nations title in 1976, has died aged 78 after a long illness, the national football federation announced.

The forward scored 36 goals in 94 appearances for the national team and in 1975 became the first Moroccan to be voted African Player of the Year. Faras spent his entire 18-year club career with Mohammedia, helping them win the league, the national cup twice and the super cup.

Record 30-time champions Al Hilal slipped one place to second in the Sudan Elite League play-offs after drawing 3-3 with Al Wadi Nyala on matchday five.

Arch rivals Al Merrikh took over top spot by winning 2-1 against Al Mergani Kassala to boost chances of a top-two finish and qualification for the 2025/26 CAF Champions League.

The play-offs are being staged in the military-controlled northeast of a country where an ongoing civil war, which began in April 2023, has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions.

Guinea

French coach Hubert Velud is among the contenders to replace compatriot Michel Dussuyer as coach of struggling Guinea. Velud, 66, left Moroccan club FAR Rabat this year after a bizarre accident. Jumping to celebrate sealing a Champions League last-eight place, he fell awkwardly, was injured and could not work.

Despite being able to call on star Borussia Dortmund forward Serhou Guirassy, Guinea failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and lie fifth in a 2026 World Cup qualifying group.

Daan Rots

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