sign in sign up
<<
Home , Abedi Pele, Frank Rijkaard, Lakhdar Belloumi, Michael Laudrup, Mustapha Hadji, Rabah Madjer

Media Release Route de Genève 46 Case postale Communiqué aux médias CH-1260 Nyon 2 Union des associations Tel. +41 22 994 45 59 européennes de football Medien-Mitteilung Fax +41 22 994 37 37 .com [email protected]

Date: 01/02/2001 No. 13 - 2001

European and African All-Stars to meet in Bari

Living legends from the two continents to provide grand finale to Meridian Cup

Friday 2 February is the last of the four matchdays in the Meridian Cup youth tournament in which Under-17 sides from Europe and Africa have been vying for the title in a new format similar to golf’s Ryder Cup. After three matchdays, Europe head Africa 26 points to 5.

But, in order to bring down the curtain in great style, the event will close with an All-Star Match between Europe and Africa to be played in the Stadio San Nicola in Bari. The gala match is scheduled to kick-off at 20.30.

It is the second such confrontation. The first was played in SL Benfica’s Estádio da Luz in on 29 January 1997, when the ink was still drying on the newly-signed co-operation agreement between UEFA and CAF, known as the Meridian Project. The game was televised in 100 countries worldwide, including 30 in Africa, where the audience was around 60 million. The result was a 2-1 win for Africa. Abedi Pelé put the visitors ahead with a stunning goal early in the first half and, after Vincent Guérin had equalised for Europe just before half-time, it was the 1998 African Player of the Year, , who struck Africa’s 78th-minute winner.

That match was played by active full-time professionals. This second All-Star Match has been designed to bring together great players aged between 35 and 45 who now revel in their ‘veteran’ status and play the game purely for pleasure. The squad lists make emotive reading and spark off memories of great footballing moments at club and international level. They will be in Bari as role models for the African and European youngsters who have taken their first steps towards the top during the Meridian Cup tournament and who will presented with their trophies and medals during the half-time interval of the All-Star Match.

Direct telephone line to the UEFA Media Services: ++41 22 99 44 55 9 All-Star Match

EUROPE AFRICA

Thomas RAVELLI (Sweden) Ahmed SHOBEIR () Borislav MIHAILOV (Bulgaria) Thomas N’KONO (Cameroon) Roland NILSSON (Sweden) (Cameroon) Pietro VIERCHOWOD (Italy) Stephen KESHI (Nigeria) Guido BUCHWALD (Germany) Augustine EGUAVON (Nigeria) Bernard CASONI () Taoufik HECHIRI () Moreno MANNINI (Italy) François AMEGASSE (Gabon) Bruno CONTI (Italy) Idrissa TRAORE (Mali) (Belarus) Abedi PELÉ () (Netherlands) Ismail YOUSSEF (Egypt) () Zied TLEMCANI (Tunisia) Hansi MÜLLER (Germany) Abdoulaye TRAORE () Fausto SALSANO (Italy) ABDUL RAZAK Karim (Ghana) Dariusz DZIEKANOWSKI (Poland) Ahmed EL KASS (Egypt) Bruno GIORDANO (Italy) Mohamed TIMOUMI () Fernando GOMES (Potugal) () Maurizio IORIO (Italy) (Algeria) Alessandro ALTOBELLI (Italy) Jules BOCANDE (Senegal) Youssouf FOFANA (Ivory Coast) (Cameroon)

Head Coach Head Coach (Italy) Abdel Majid CHETALI (Tunisia)

Technical Director Technical Director Andy ROXBURGH (Scotland / UEFA) Mawade WADE (Senegal)

REFEREE Stéphane MOULIN (France)

ASSISTANT REFEREES Attilio UGOLINI and Denis CRESPO (France)

FOURTH OFFICIAL Codja COFFI ()

DELEGATE Justino José FERNANDES (CAF)

REFEREES’ OBSERVER Laurent PETTCHA (Cameroon)