Algerian airport anger, a 560km voyage to Mauritius & a Transylvanian cup run

04/23/24 • 35 min

1 Listener

Part 1 is all about Africa, where a kit controversy has escalated into a geopolitical dispute between Algeria & Morocco ahead of the CAF Confederations Cup semi-final between USM Alger & RS Berkane. Elsewhere on the continent, Rising FC from Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean have made the long voyage to mainland Mauritius to take part in the cup, winning their last-32 tie!It's back to Europe - or at least, UEFA - in Part 2 as Paul & Lee discuss the 'Isolation Derby' between SKA Khabarovsk & Yenisay Krasnoyarsk in the Russian second division and look at some of the lower-league clubs on track for cup success - including Transylvanian outfit Corvinul, who have made it to next month's final against Oțelul Galați with an all-Romanian squad.On the bonus segment, there's talk of Harry Redknapp & Romario returning from retirement, a look at some goal-laden games in the ninth tiers of Italian and English football & the story of a Polish goalkeeper presented with a Zimmer frame as a birthday present by his Portuguese club. To listen to that, simply join us over at patreon.com/sweeperpod.RUNNING ORDER:00:00 - Intro00:59 - Algerian airport anger09:12 - Russ Cook's Africa run10:52 - From Rodrigues Island to Mauritius18:32 - The 'Isolation Derby' in Russia21:12 - The Niue Island listener23:11 - Corvinul & other second-tier cup runs 30:10 - Champions League fallen giants

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Previous Episode

The fabulous Fenix Trophy, Nordic nonsense & Liechtenstein’s quirky cup

The latest Sweeper starts off in windy Wales with our visit to the game between Llantwit Major & Enfield Town in the Fenix Trophy and a wider look at the tournament regarded as the Champions League of non league. Then we're off to Scandinavia for some goalkeeper heroics, cupsets & geographical extremes, before finishing Part 1 in little Liechtenstein, where FC Vaduz will likely set a world record next month.

With Bayer Leverkusen having claimed the first league title in their 120-year history, Part 2 is dedicated to seven other European clubs gunning for their first-ever title and the longest ongoing title-winning streaks across the continent now that Bayern Munich's 11-year stranglehold on the Bundesliga is over. Finally, we look at the Moldovan Clasico, where two twins recently scored for opposing teams, and read some listener e-mails.

To win a unique Llantwit Major shirt and get access to the bonus segment of this podcast, where we chat about a Japanese side rising rapidly through the ranks, an unusual Portuguese on-pitch protest, an English team playing two games in two days and a truly bizarre Man of the Match award in the USA, join us at patreon.com/sweeperpod. We are entirely self-funded and your support makes a huge difference.

RUNNING ORDER:

00:00 - Intro

01:11 - A Fenix Trophy game in windy Wales

10:38 - Nonsense in the Nordic nations

17:13 - Liechtenstein's ludicrously quirky cup

23:15 - Potential first-time champs across Europe

31:00 - The longest ongoing title-winning runs

37:48 - Listener e-mails

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Next Episode

The Valletta funeral parade, Al Ahly’s unique feat & dark arts in Chechnya

Having just visited Malta and witnessed an historic weekend of football, Lee tells Paul all about the key events in Europe’s only island micro-state in Part 1. Who came out on top in the title-decider between Ħamrun Spartans & Floriana? Why do Valletta hold a funeral parade through the streets when they win the league? How has the island reacted to the capital club’s first relegation? And what is it like to accidentally get caught up in a bus parade? Part 2 is dedicated to three big stories on three different continents: Africa, Europe & South America. Two teams think they have won the Republic Youth League in Egypt – but why? Who was allegedly behind the poisoning of Sochi’s players before their recent game against Akhmat Grozny in Russia? And what unique tribute did Brazilians Cariri pay to their owner after gaining promotion to the Campeanato Cearense Série A last week? Tune in to The Sweeper to find out the answers – and join us on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod for a bonus segment as we answer some big questions from across Europe. Which is the only top-30 UEFA nation to have rejected VAR? What was the unlikely resting place for a shot in the third tier of French football? And did a former Port Vale player really get a pilot’s license just to mock his old club’s relegation? RUNNING ORDER:00:00 - Intro00:51 - Ħamrun Spartans vs. Floriana live10:05 - Promoted Melita's bus parade11:34 - Valletta’s first-ever relegation15:31 - Football on Gozo & Comino20:11 - Title confusion in Egypt’s Youth League29:27 - An alleged poisoning in Chechnya34:22 - A funeral home tribute in Brazil

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.