Planet Sport Football Africa

Liverpool and England legend John Barnes shares his thoughts on why an African nation has yet to win the World Cup and what needs to be done for that to happen.

We review the latest matches in the CAF Champions League and assess the differing fortunes of African defenders in the English Premier League. With the World Cup just three months away we visit the Maracana Stadium in Rio where the final will be played. And we discuss this week's Big Question: Is the South African Premier League good for African football? Tempted by high salaries many of Africa's top players head for the SAPL but end up sitting on the bench and missing game time. We ask for your thoughts on the subject.

With the World Cup less than 100 days away we consider the differing fortunes of the five African teams who have reached the finals after Wednesday's friendly matches. We review the unfolding CAF Champions League and Confederations Cup competitions and reflect on Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho's apparent criticism of striker Samuel Eto'o.

Two months ago a football fan in Kenya killed himself when his team Manchester United lost to Newcastle. How much do you love your team, how do you react when they win or lose and do we take football too seriously? We talk to fans in Mombasa and hear from former England striker, Cyrille Regis.

Has the flair gone out of African football since the 1980s and 90s when African side played with an entertaining style that captivated the crowds? Is the style today too predictable and safe? Steve Vickers leads a discussion with correspondents Solomon Izang Ashoms in South Africa and Stuart Weir in the UK and we hear from former Nigeria star Nwankwo Kanu.

We look at the challenge facing small teams at club and international level to improve against all the odds. What if anything can be done to help them or will they be perpetual losers? And in this light we explore success, which may mean winning a trophy for one team and simply qualifying for the next round for another.

We review Libya's success at the African Nations Championship and look forward to the start of the CAF Champions League and Confederations Cup.

We reflect on the African Nations Championship ahead of the final between surprise package Libya and Ghana and review the big transfers featuring African players in Europe.

We report from the African Nations Championships in South Africa where home-placed talent is having the chance to shine on the international stage and look at the contrasting last seven days for Samuel Eto'o, Emmanuel Adebayor and Nicklas Anelka in the English Premier League.

We consider the challenges facing referees in Africa who often experience pressures from fans and officials to make decisions in their favour and consider whether fans should be more understanding.