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Sports

Ballon d’Or: Football fans react as Messi is named 5th best player in the world.

Lionel Messi finished outside the Ballon d’Or top three for the first time since 2006 and football fans are having none of it. Check out some of the reactions.


https://twitter.com/shanu_sas/status/1069804654379323393


https://twitter.com/OlieAdams/status/1069912069628141569

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Luka Modric ends Messi-Ronaldo Ballon d’Or duopoly.

Real Madrid And Croatia midfielder, Luka Modric has won the 2018 Ballon d’Or, ending the decade-long duopoly over the award held by soccer greats, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He becomes the first football player in history to win: World Cup Golden Ball, FIFA Best Men’s Player, UEFA Men’s Player and the Ballon d’Or awards this year.
He spoke of his intentions to remain with the Los Blancos shortly after winning the highly coveted prize on Monday evening: “I have two years left and hopefully one more [on my Madrid contract]. The club show me a lot of affection and I’d like to retire at Real Madrid. My family enjoy it and I want to keep enjoying this huge club.”

He becomes the 11th player to win the Ballon d’Or while at Real Madrid—drawing them level with Barcelona.
Real Madrid And Croatia midfielder, Luka Modric has won the 2018 Ballon d’Or, ending the decade-long duopoly over the award held by soccer greats, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He becomes the first football player in history to win: World Cup Golden Ball, FIFA Best Men’s Player, UEFA Men’s Player and the Ballon d’Or awards this year.
He spoke of his intentions to remain with the Los Blancos shortly after winning the highly coveted prize on Monday evening: “I have two years left and hopefully one more [on my Madrid contract]. The club show me a lot of affection and I’d like to retire at Real Madrid. My family enjoy it and I want to keep enjoying this huge club.”

He becomes the 11th player to win the Ballon d’Or while at Real Madrid—drawing them level with Barcelona.
Ballon d’Or 2018 Final 10
Luka Modric
Cristiano Ronaldo
Antoine Griezmann
Kylian Mbappé
Lionel Messi
Mohamed Salah
Raphaël Varane
Eden Hazard
Kevin de Bruyne
Harry Kane

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Super Falcons win AWCON title for the 9th time.

Super Falcons of Nigeria are the African female Champions for the 9th time.
The victorious African Queens defeated South Africa’s Bayana Bayana 4-3  in a penalty shoot-out after the game ended 0-0 for full 120 minutes.
They won the title in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018 .
With this latest feat, they consolidate their place as the most successful team in the tournament.

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Gernot Rohr, Oshoala, Musa, others, nominated for CAF Awards 2018

 

The Confederation of African Football has released the list of nominees for various categories of the CAF Awards 2018. 

3 Super Eagles players have been nominated for 2018 Africa Player of the Year; they include Ahmed Musa, Alex Iwobi, and Odion Ighalo.
Leicester City’s Winfred Ndidi has been nominated for 2018 Africa Youth Player of the Year. Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr also picked a nomination.
For the women’s category, Asisat Oshoala, Desire Oparanozia, Francisca Ordega, Onome Ebi were shortlisted in the Womenr African player of the year.
The winners for the African Player of the Year and Women’s Player of the Year will be decided by the CAF Technical & Development Committee, Media Experts, Legends, Coaches of the quarter-finalists of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup and Coaches and Captains of the national teams of the 54 Member Associations.
The Awards Gala will be held on Tuesday, 8 January 2019 in Dakar, Senegal.

FULL LIST

African player of the year

Abdelmoumene Djabou (Algeria & ES Setif)
Ahmed Gomaa (Egypt & El Masry)
Ahmed Musa (Nigeria & Al-Nassr )
Alex Iwobi (Nigeria & Arsenal)
Andre Onana (Cameroon & Ajax)
Anis Badri (Tunisia & Esperance)
Ayoub El Kaabi (Morocco & Hebei China Fortune)
Ben Malango (DR Congo & TP Mazembe)
Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Fanev Andriatsima (Madagascar & Clermont Foot)
Franck Kom (Cameroon & Esperance)
Jacinto Muondo Dala ‘Gelson’ (Angola & Primeiro de Agosto)
Hakim Ziyech (Morocco & Ajax)
Idrissa Gueye (Senegal & Everton)
Ismail Haddad (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
Jean-Marc Makusu Mundele (DR Congo & AS Vita)
Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal & Napoli)
Mahmoud Benhalib (Morocco & Raja Club Athletic)
Mehdi Benatia (Morocco & Juventus)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)
Moussa Marega (Mali & Porto)
Naby Keita (Guinea & Liverpool)
Odion Ighalo (Nigeria & Changchun Yatai, Nigeria)
Percy Tau (South Africa & Union Saint-Gilloise)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Arsenal)
Riyad Mahrez (Algeria & Manchester City)
Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)
Taha Khenissi (Tunisia & Esperance)
Thomas Partey (Ghana & Atletico Madrid)
Wahbi Khazri (Tunisia & Saint-Étienne)
Walid Soliman (Egypt & Ahly)
Wilfried Zaha (Cote d’Ivoire & Crystal Palace)
Yacine Brahimi (Algeria & Porto)
Youcef Belaili (Algeria & Esperance)

Women’s African player of the year

Abdulai Mukarama (Ghana & Northern Ladies)
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Dilian Quanjian)
Bassira Toure (Mali & AS Mande)
Chrestinah Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa & Houston Dash)
Desire Oparanozia (Nigeria & Guingamp)
Elizabeth Addo (Ghana & Seattle Reign)
Francisca Ordega (Nigeria & Washington Spirit)
Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene (Cameroon & CSKA Moskow) Gaelle Enganamouit (Cameroon & Avaldenes)
Janine Van Wyk (South Africa & Houston Dash)
Marlyse Ngo Ndoumbouk (Cameroon & Nancy-Lorraine)
Onome Ebi (Nigeria & Hekan Huisanhang)
Portia Boakye (Ghana & Djurgardens)
Raissa Feudjio (Cameroon & Aland United)
Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi & Jiangsu Suning)

Youth player of the year

Achraf Hakimi (Morocco & Borussia Dortmunmd)
Wilfred Ndidi (Nigeria & Leicester City)
Andre Onana (Cameroon & Aax)
Ismaila Sarr (Senegal & Rennes)
Mahmoud Benhalib (Morocco & Raja Club Athletic) Franck Kessie (Cote d’Ivoire & AC Milan)

Men’s Coach of the year

Corentin Martins (Mauritania)
Florent Ibenge (AS Vita & DR Congo)
Juan Carlos Garrido (Raja Club Athletic)
Moine Chaabani (Esperance)
Nicolas Dupuis (Madagascar)
Patrice Carteron (Al Ahly)
Rachid Taoussi (ES SĂ©tif)
Herve Renard (Morocco)
Aliou Cisse (Senegal)
Gernot Rohr (Nigeria)

Women’s coach of the year

Bruce Mwape (Zambia)
Desiree Ellis (South Africa)
Joseph Brian Ndoko (Cameroon)
Saloum Houssein (Mali)
Thomas Dennerby (Nigeria)

Men’s National team of the year

Guinea Bissau
Kenya
Madagascar
Mauritania
Uganda
Zimbabwe

Women’s national team of the year

Cameroon
Ghana
Mali
Nigeria
South Africa

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Didier Drogba confirms retirement from football

Former Chelsea forward, Didier Drogba has announced his retirement from football calling time on an illustrious 20-year career. The ivorian who had been lacing his boots for US-based began his career at French side Le Mans in 1998, but did not play top-tier football until he was 23 when he was signed by Guingamp in 2002.
He moved to Olympique de Marseille and Chelsea in 2003 and 2004 respectively.   He made more than 100 appearances for the Ivory Coast and was voted African footballer of the year twice. Speaking on his retirement, the 40 year-old told BBC.
“It’s the best way to end, helping some young talent to develop. To give something back to the game was the best way to finish as I have learned so much in the game.”
He also a picture of him as a youngster on his instagram page with a farewell message.

 He said: “When I think of the last 20 years of my professional career, looking at this picture cant make me more proud of what I’ve achieved as a player but most importantly how this journey has shaped me as a man.

“If anyone tells you your dreams are too big, just say thank you and work harder and smarter to turn them into reality. “I wanna thank all the players, managers, teams and fans that I have met and made this journey one of a kind!!! “Also a huuuuge thank you and love to my family, my personal team for supporting me all my career during the ups and downs no matter what.
He was the first player to score 100 Premier League goals, the first player to score in four separate FA Cup finals. He retires with 19 career trophies in 679 games, scored 367goals, had 105 caps.

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Super Eagles qualify for 2019 AFCON after holding Bafana Bafana

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have booked a ticket to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations after a 1-1 draw with the Bafana Bafana of South Africa at the FNB Stadium on Saturday.
The team qualifies for #AFCON2019 with a game to spare after failing to qualify on two occasions.
The Africa Champions took an early lead via an own goal from South Africa’s Buhle Mkhwanazi in the ninth minute of the game, South Africa’s Lebo Mothiba however levelled the score in the 26th minutes of the match.
Nigeria still tops group E with 10 points while South Africa come behind with nine points. Libya are placed third with seven points after beating Seychelles 8-1 on Saturday in Victoria.

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Premier League clubs agree to introduce VAR from next season.

Premier League clubs have agreed to introduce Video Assistant Referee (VAR) from the 2019/2020 season. The decision was reached at a shareholders’ meeting on November 15, 2018, where clubs were provided with an update on the non-live VAR trials being undertaken by the League and Professional Game Match Officials (PGMOL) this season.
It is not unlikely that the successful implementation of the technology at the World Cupin Russia, contributed to its approval in Premier League club next season. The VAR was already in use in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, EPL will now join other top leagues across Europe that is adopting the use of the technology.
The League will now formally make a request to the International Football Association Board and FIFA to use VAR next season.

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UEFA to introduce a third European club competition.

UEFA is set to introduce a third European club competition alongside the Champions League and Europa League from 2021.
This was confirmed by President Andrea Agnelli in an opening address at the ECA’s biannual general meeting in Split on Tuesday.
“Pending approval of the Uefa executive committee, the green light has been given to introduce a third competition, bringing the overall number of clubs to 96, as of the 2021/22 season.”
This means the Europa League’s group stage would be reduced from 48 teams to 32, with the new competition and Champions League  all having the same number.
In recent, weeks, Uefa has said it is “constantly reviewing” its competitions and has been “discussing various ideas within its Club Competitions Committee before any decision on potential changes would be made”.
Details on the rules, format and the teams going to be involved in the new competition are sketchy at the moment.

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NFF bans and fines Salisu Yusuf for taking bribe

The Nigeria Football Federation have handed Salisu Yusuf a year ban from all football activities and fined him $5000 after he was found guilty of receiving a bribe to select players.
The Super Eagles assistant coach was filmed collecting $1000 by undercover journalists posing as agents. Following thorough investigation into the incident, the country’s football governing body directed the 56 year-old to pay a fine of $5,000 to the Federation within three months, and asked him to stay away from football-related activities.
“The NFF Committee on Ethics and Fair Play have placed a one–year ban from all football-related activities on Super Eagles’ Chief Coach, Mr. Salisu Yusuf.”

“Following its consideration of a complaint by the NFF as well as the Coach’s defence of a video documentary in which he was seen to accept the sum of $1,000 from an undercover reporter posing as a player’s agent. The coach must also pay a fine in the sum of $5,000 to the Federation within three months.” A statement from the NFF Ethics Committee read.

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Lionel Messi omitted from 2018 Fifa's men's player of the year award

For the first time in 11 years, Argentina/Barcelona talisman, Lionel Messi was omitted from The Best FIFA Men’s Player Award. The 2018 shortlist which was revealed by FIFA today features Juventus new signing, Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid’s Luka Modrić and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah.

The Egyptian was last season’s Premier League top scorer, netting 44 goals in 52 games for the Reds last season,  Ronaldo who moved to Italian side, Juventus in the summer was last campaign’s Champions League top scorer and also clinched the CL trophy with his former team, ball, Modric helped Luka Modric helped Real Madrid to clinch their third consecutive European Cup and also inspired his national side, Croatia to the final of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

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