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African football digest [Tue Sep 13th, 2005]
Johannesburg (Reuters) - A digest of football stories from around Africa in recent days:
ANGOLA
World Cup-bound Angola have arranged friendly matches against three Portuguese Premier League teams later this month as part of their preparations for their final qualifying match.
The Angolan squad will travel to Portugal on September 28 and play champions Benfica, FC Porto and Sporting Lisbon, the Angolan coach Luis Oliveira Goncalves said. No dates for the matches have been announced.
Angola regularly use Portugal as a base for preparations before major international assignments. The southern African country will qualify for a first World Cup finals appearance if they beat Rwanda in Kigali on October 9 in their last match in the African zone qualifying Group Four.
TOGO
Striker Robert Malm has declared his availability for Togo after an enquiry from coach Stephen Keshi.
The 32-year-old, who plays for Brest in France's Ligue 2, was born in France but is of Togolese origin. He had turned down a previous approach because of perceived disorganisation in the Togo Football Federation but told the magazine 'France Football' he would now not hesitate if a call-up to play for the west African country was forthcoming.
Togo are on the brink of World Cup qualification and will reach the finals in Germany if they win away at the Congo in their last qualifier in Brazzaville on October 9. Malm was among several French-based players approached to play for Mauritania in the World Cup preliminaries in late 2003 but turned down the offer of a fast tracked nationality and a brief international career.
GHANA
National team goalkeeper Sammy Adjei has been sold by champions Hearts of Oak to the Israeli club Moadan Sport Ashdod. No fee or details of his contract were given but Adjei becomes the latest member of Ghana's national team to head overseas in the wake of the side's imminent success.
Ghana are on the brink of World Cup qualification, needing just a draw in their final match at the Cape Verde Islands. Adjei joins compatriot Emmanuel Pappoe, also a member of Ghana's national team, at the Israeli club, who also have Cameroonians Ernst Eben Etchi and Jean Dika Dika on their books.
ALGERIA
Ali Fergani, who resigned as Algerian national team coach in June, has returned to champions USM Alger. But club president Saïd Allik said Fergani had only signed a short-term contract and that USMA were considering two possible foreign candidates for the coaching job.
News headlines from around the world.