corinthiano

2065/66 Season Review I did not expect us to win the league so early, but Stade Malien had a blip this season and we made the most of it, performing consistently well throughout and grinding results when the going got tough. I am not sure why the Champions League is not showing here, but this was also a highlight as it was the first campaign for Kojo in his career and he did well to guide the team to the Group Stages, where Avenir AC finished 3rd. The only disappointment this season is the Coupe du Mali, where there was an early exit in the Last 16 Stage. Squad by Appearances Again, rotation was the key here, especially with the added Champions League games this season. Strengthening the depth of the team really paid dividends as we had very good options in most positions that saw us through very busy periods in the season. To put this into context, amazingly only 2 players started more than 73% of our games this season, with one of them being a goalkeeper... Best XI Despite the amount of rotation this really was our Best XI when fit and available. Important to highlight that we didnt rely on few goalscorers this season with the distribution a lot more even. Awards Sira Kanadjigui did a clean sweep of Best Player, Best Young Player and Top Goalscorer, all deserved considering he is a midfielder! Kojo also bags his third Manager of the Year Award and we have five Avenir AC players in the Team of the Season, with Madiou Djibo an odd choice considering he didnt make the Avenir AC Best XI and was largely a squad player. Top Performers We have to talk about him first, what a wonderful player and still only 20! Not only was our top goalscorer, but also the league's top scorer all from a Mezzala role! Stepped up his goalscoring efforts this season as he played as an AF more often. Our one constant this season, played in pretty much every game and continuously delivered from AP. Finances We made decent money this season and this is with the club improving the training facilities and Youth Network. The key is to keep making the Champions League group stages for the money to continue to roll in. Progress This was a very fun spell in a league where a bit of money was in play and Kojo got to experience a Champions League campaign. Surprisingly it ended after only 3 seasons but we will take that at this stage. Now if we thought breaking Stade Malien's dominance was going to be hard, then the next one will be a lot harder as we need to dethrone ASEC Mimosas in Ivory Coast, who are the most domestically dominant team in the save!

July 2066 It was bumpy but we did it! Wer had a tough fixture against Elwidji FC and had a terrible game, with Stade Malien beating Yeelen Olympique this made me slightly nervous. We comfortably beat AS Police after that but were heading for a draw against LC Bamako, which would leave it to the last day, something we wanted to avoid. So I threw the kitchen sink and Decimus Pathinvo rewarded us with a last minute winner to clinch the title with a game to go, ending Stade Malien's run of 17 consecutive titles!

May/June 2066 I ended up playing the game in June as there is that weird 3 week break before the July fixtures. We managed to keep a 100% record, but it was no plain sailing as most wins were close and we had to score some goals in the 80+ minute to clinch some of those. This means we maintain a 6 point gap to Stade Malien with 4 games remaining. Next Fixtures The league rules sort teams by head to head, which means that we have the advantage over Stade Malien and just need to win 2 out of our last 4 games to clinch the title. Considering two of those games are against sides already relegated I would hope we can see it through now.

April 2066 What a mammoth month! It started with a predictable defeat at Wydad Casablanca, especially as I played a weakened side. I then was in two minds about who to play in the Coupe du Mali game as I wanted to make sure we were fit for the league game a few days later. I played a mixed team and in the end lost both games which was very frustrating. At this point I was very concerned as we were going into the two most important games of the season in a terrible run of form. But I didnt need to be worried as we put our two best performances of the season to beat both our title rivals and put us in a great position for the title. The rest of the month was tough as injuries, suspension and tired legs weighed on the team, but we managed to pick up most points other than a home draw with CS Duguwolofila, but luckily both Stade Malien and Yeelen Olympique also drew that weekend and so we maintain the 6 point cushion at the top with 9 games to go. Next Fixtures We go back to a game a week which is a huge boost to us, but our fixtures are still tricky so we need to make sure we are focused for the run in.

March 2066 The month started with a rotated team getting a comfortable win at Djoliba in the Coupe du Mali, before a full strength obviously struggling to earn a draw against the same team 3 days later...luckily both Yeelen Olympique and Stade Malien dropped points also and we end the month top of Ligue 1 after winning our remaining games. Particularly impressive was the drubbing of Eliwidji FC who were supposedly a title contender. We also earned our first group win in the Champions League but are out of the competition. Milestones Next Fixtures We finish our Champions League campaign and have a Coupe du Mali game before our focus turns 100% to Ligue 1 where we will have a marathon to catch up on the games in hand. We also play crucial games against Stade Malien and Yeelen Olympique, so if we can end the month still on top we have a great chance of competing for the title.

February 2066 It hasnt been pretty but we have maintained our winning run in Ligue 1 and our now second, but able to go first if we win our games in hand. In the Champions League we just arent good enough to compete, we did well to hold Asante Kotoko to a draw but Al-Merreikh Omdurman and Wydad Casablanca were too much for us. Next Fixtures Another busy month as we fight on 3 fronts. Priority will have to be the league where I would like us to maintain our strong position.

January 2066 Three routine wins see us keep up the pace with the top sides. Next Fixtures We are drawn into a tough group in the Champions League and will be happy to just pick up a few points, whilst in the league we have a tricky game against Office du Niger before two winnable home games.

December 2065 Not winning any of the big three matches was frustrating, especially as we played better than the opposition in all 3 games. This has seen us trail the leaders by 3 points, but the surprising thing is that the leaders are Yeelen Olympique, with Stade Malien dropping quite a few points this month which seems them down in 4th, albeit only a point behind us and 4 behind Yeelen Olympique. Next Fixtures Three winnable games before the mid-season break.

November 2065 Two solid and straightforward wins to ease us into the season. Next Fixtures We get the first tough tests of the season as we host Yeelen Olympique and CO Bamako and travel to Stade Malien this month.

2065/66 Season Preview We are now predicted 3rd at good odds and at this stage it is the minimum we should expect as African football needs to be a regular thing if we are to close down the gap to Stade Malien, who are still overwhelming favorites for the title. Transfers In Out Not that much movement this off season as all decent players didnt want to join us, so we focused mainly on strengthening the depth of the squad whilst making some money on the fringe players of the squad. Only a couple of players will challenge for the first team. Our most expensive signing provides competition at right back and is younger than the incumbent. Not a guaranteed starter but provides a decent option at the back. Another one that is guaranteed to start but provides good options up front. Assistant XI Not a stronger first XI for this season, but we do have a stronger squad. Initial Fixtures Facing two promoted sides to get us started, which hopefully means a positive beginning to our campaign.

September/October 2065 Amazingly this was the first Champions League campaign in Kojo's 40+ year career and it will lead to a Group appearance as we made the most of the home ties to see us through ASC Kara and Primeiro de Agosto. The Group Stage is where the money is at with at least $550k for finishing in 3rd/4th plus money for wins and draws, so hopefully this helps us break even for the year without cash injections from the board.

2064/65 West African Review CAF Champions League We are a team down at this stage in relation to last year as 5 make it, but 3 teams make it to the Quarter FInals as opposed as the only one last year. After the poor performance last year it was nice to see an all West African Final and even nicer to see CNEPS Excellence claim their second title! CAF Confederation Cup Only three West Africans here is really poor, with 3 in the same group and only Hearts of Oak making it out of it. Hearts of Oak fall to eventual winners ES Tunis in the Semi-Final who clinch their second title by beating compatriots ES Sahel in the final/ West African League Rankings Poor year for West Africa as most leagues went down in the rankings. Within that the only movement was Guinea Bissau overtaking The Gambia. League Champions One new champion as a slightly poorer Man City triumph for the first time in Sierra Leone. In Senegal CNEPS Excellence are now joint record holders, which is impressive considering their first title was 25 years ago. Former Champions MC Breweries: Terrible year in the second tier as they finish 9th. In the LFA Cup they exit at the first round. Kamboi Eagles: Better as they finish third, 10 points from the top. Nô Pintcha da Brava: A better campaign in the Liga Brava as they finish second and they were runners-up in the Taça Brava. AFC Nhacra: Second in the league again, but go out early in the cup. Ayéma FC: Into the Relegation Group again and only finish 6 points above relegation. CNEPS Excellence: Equal the record number of title in Senegal and win their second Champions League, not too shabby. Banjul Utd: Up in 4th in what was a decent season. ASN NIGELEC: Back in relegation danger as they finish 11th and 7 points off safety. Out in the first round of the Coupe du Niger. Unisport: First time they miss out on the Championship group since Kojo left, terrible year. CFFEB: Closer to CF Rahimo this year as they finish 5 points off the top in 3rd, whilst reaching the Coupe du Faso Semi-Final. Flamme Olympique: Dropping off now as they finish 5th this season.

2064/65 Season Review After a shaky start in the league we had an excellent second half of the season and clinched our place as best of the rest in Mali, all whilst reaching a Coupe du Mali final. Our Champions League campaign starts in 40 days time which will throw a challenge as we already had to register a squad before making any transfer moves and with players leaving the club shortly... Squad by Appearances With plenty of injuries and suspensions due to Mali's strict disciplinary rules this has to be the year Kojo used the most players, which further highlights the need for more depth at the club. Best XI A very solid first XI with us, with our front two particularly deadly. Awards Some recognition for Avenir AC this season as Kojo retain the Manager of the Year Award, Kanadjigui is the second best Young Player and the league and three players make it into a Stade Malien dominated Team of the Season. Top Performers The youth product just gets better and better and played a crucial role in midfield this season. Kept up his excellent goal scoring form this season. Did a lot better than I expected from DLF this season with almost a goal contribution per game. Finances We made $100k this season but only because the board keeps plowing money into the club. Hoping a Champions League or Confederation Cup run can generate some money. Progress We achieved an important step of getting into Africa, which will be crucial to maintain as we go forward. Now we'll have to address the small issue of having to cut down on a 19 point gap against an all conquering Stade Malien...

June/July/August 2065 We didnt play particularly well in the Coupe du Mali Semi-Final but got through it, only to be outclassed by Stade Malien in the final. In Ligue 1 two wins saw us comfortably finish in second and clinch Champions League football!

May 2065 We continued getting decent results this month before the big two games, although the Black Stars and Coupe du Mali Quarter Final were not exactly convincing. Against Stade Malien we actually gave them a good game, scoring first before they turned it around in the second half. Needing a draw to make us comfortable against Yeelen Olympique it looked like we were going to lose before a very quick double at the end put us on the brink of continental football next season. Next Fixtures Now weirdly there is a month gap until the next Ligue 1 fixture, which has been shortened by the Coupe du Mali Semi-Final, where we were happy to have avoided Stade Malien. Just a point to guarantee second place and hopefully we can end the season with a Coupe du Mali final.

April 2065 Wow, we have really hit a sweet vein of form here as we go the entire month only conceding one goal and winning all games along the way. With 7 games to go we are now amazingly in a Champions League place and still in the Coupe du Mali. Next Fixtures We get a decent draw in the Coupe du Mali as we get 2nd tier side Réal Bamako in the Quarter Final. The end of the month will be tough as we host Stade Malien and go to Yeelen Olympique, hopefully we will have some sort of cushion in the race for continental football by then.

March 2065 We keep the good form going, getting past US Bougouba in the Cupe du Mali and remaining unbeaten in Ligue 1 to get closer to 2nd and 3rd place. Next Fixtures The last 16 of the Coupe du Mali are now over a single tie, away at Onze Créateurs does give us a chance to progress. In the league I feel we have a chance to keep putting good results too.

February 2065 Drubbing against Stade Malien aside this was a great month and it feels like we are back! Transfers In Out I forgot to report on this in January but noting special, with a couple of fringe players going on loan and a Stade Malien striker coming in to provide more cover. Transfer window is shut now so no more transfer activity this season. Next Fixtures Not the easiest of draws in the Coupe du Mali, but we do have a chance to get through. In Ligue 1 we need to keep our winning momentum.

January 2065 We put in an excellent performance against a strong Yeelen Olympique side to end our winless run, but then follow that up with a terrible game at lowly AS Nianan, losing in the last minute. Next Fixtures Some tricky fixtures this month which doesnt help with turning around our form.

December 2064 With the media prediction of 4th and the good start of the league I was cautiously optimistic we could push for a top 3 finish, but this month brought us back to earth. We did have an injury to our GK and bids from Senegal have unsettled our star AP Keita, but we should have done a lot better this month and are currently in a terrible rut with no win in 4 games, which has seen us slip to mid-table. Next Fixtures We need to get back to winning if we want to stay in touch with the sides at the top of the league.

November 2064 Great start to the season, winning the two first games as expected and then putting in a great performance at CS Duguwolofila to beat the easily. The only sour note to that game is that Ibrahim Konaté broke his ankle and will be out for 5-7 months, missing almost the entire season. Luckily midfield is where we have a lot of cover so we can manage without him. Next Fixtures Busy December as usual, lets see if we can continue the good start.

2064/65 Season Preview Financially things werent looking good until we got a huge bump in sponsorship money, going from $40k to $500k a year. This meant the board gave us an oversized wage budget which we used fully. I tried balancing the purchases as the club will go massively into the red over the season, but we still had the highest net spend in the league. This means we are now predicted to finish 4th and I have to say I fancy us to challenge for the continental spots this season. Transfers In Out We almost signed an entire new team, as well as getting plenty of back-up where we needed. We still have some gaps in the squad as the number of affordable Malians is limited but I feel we did well in the transfer market. On the outgoing front only Kounandi Sidibé is a significant loss as we did not find a replacement as good as him up front. Here are the guys who will fight for First team slots. Considered the best GK in the league so a great coup for us. We could have signed a 17 year old which was as good, but he had a determination of 1 and cost more than 3x the price of Moussa so this was the more sensible option. Another older player but at $8k it make sense to bring him back from Guinea. Best signing of the transfer window, the Mozambican international is versatile but will feature as DLP for us. Was great for Flamme Olympique so when his contract expired it make sense to rejoin him with Kojo. Not as good as Sidibé up front but he is relatively young and at a decent prize considering the market. Best XI Dont agree with my Assistant 100% but this shows how much more balanced the team is now. Initial Fixtures We start with two winnable home games before our first test of the season at CS Duguwolofila.

2063/64 West African Review CAF Champions League We have 6 teams from West Africa in this stage like last year, but the performance was not good this year with only Enyimba Aba making it to the latter stages. No West Africans in the final as Enyimba Aba lose to Wydad Casablanca. Egypt's Zamalek win their 8th title and first one in 25 years. CAF Confederation Cup 6 West Africans here too, but 3 of them make it to the Quarter Finals, including the Ghanaian duo that seems to be spending most of their time at this level now. And its the gigantic duo that make it to the final with Hearts of Oak winning their record extending 9th title. West African League Rankings Senegal overtake Nigeria to become the second strongest league in the region. League Champions The biggest shock of the year is in Ghana where Berekum Chelsea won their second title to add to the one they won all the way back in 2011! Former Champions MC Breweries: Back to the dark days as they are relegated to the second tier. In the LFA Cup they exit at the first round. Kamboi Eagles: Average season again from them as they finish 9th in the SLPL. Nô Pintcha da Brava: Terrible in the Liga Brava again finishing 4th, but won the Taça Brava and got to the final of the National Cup. AFC Nhacra: A season of almosts as they finish second in the league and runners-up in the cup. Ayéma FC: Third year in a row they go into the Relegation Group, this time at least they finish top of it. CNEPS Excellence: Really dominant in Senegal at the moment as they win another title and the Coupe du Senegal. A little disappointing defence of their Champions League crown though as they exit in the Group Stage. Banjul Utd: A slight step down from last season but still a good effort to finish in 5th. ASN NIGELEC: Slight improvement from last season as they finish 9th. Out in the first round of the Coupe du Niger. Unisport: Back towards the bottom of the Championship group as they finish 5th. CFFEB: Not in the title race this season as they finish in 4th. Did get to the Coupe du Faso final but lost to CF Rahimo. Flamme Olympique: Strong year but couldnt quite defend their title as they finish in second.

2063/64 Season Review I could not have imagined us having such a good season, the squad was built in a rush and lacked quality at the back, but the team gelled well and went on an excellent run towards the end of the season. In the Coupe du Mali it would have been nice to have gotten further but we did get unlucky with the draw. Squad by Appearances We had a lot of injuries and the suspension rules in Mali are very aggressive, with a one game ban after every yellow card after the 5th in the season...this meant we used a fair few players and the back-ups were not great. Best XI Awards For the first time in the save Kojo wins a Manager of the Season award without winning the league. Top Performers Our best signing, such a strong creative force for us as the AP. Really exciting youngster I started giving a chance in the first team in the second half of the season and he delivered with some great goals from midfield. A goal machine for us, especially towards the end of the season. Finances Dire, and that is with the board putting a lot of money into the club. The wage budget has already been cut for next season which will limit our ability to improve the squad. Progress Couldnt have wished for a better first season with Avenir. The financial struggles do worry me though so I would not oppose a move to a more established club if the opportunity arises.

July 2064 Injuries to almost all of our midfield meant we dropped points at the beginning of the month, however Eliwidj FC collapsed towards the end of the season and two wins saw us finish in an excellent 5th place.