Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos says it is disrespectful to talk about whether Jose Mourinho could return to the club as they prepare for the Club World Cup final with Al Ain.

Santiago Solari will win a first trophy as coach if they win on Saturday.

However, Mourinho is available after being sacked by Manchester United.

"People need to show more respect to the coach we have now," Ramos said. "Mourinho left us five years ago yet everyone keeps talking about him."

The Portuguese managed Real from 2010 to 2013, winning La Liga in 2012. He still has a good relationship with Real president Florentino Perez.

Real - who sacked Julen Lopetegui in October - are bidding to win the Club World Cup for the third season in a row. They reached the final courtesy of Gareth Bale's hat-trick in Wednesday's semi-final win over Kashima Antlers.

"I'm not the person who decides which coach comes here or doesn't. Some people seem to think that the captains decide which coach Real Madrid appoints," said Ramos, now playing under a 12th Real manager in Solari, who was appointed in November following a caretaker spell.

He is hoping they can make history on Saturday as the first team to win four Club World Cups.

"No-one can doubt the record of any one of us and we have another chance to defend the Club World Cup title," Ramos added.

"No-one has ever done this. We are looking forward to the final with hope and we want to go home with the prize. It would be great for us on an emotional level to come back with the trophy."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/46653085

Inasmuch as we should all be free to choose our babies names, but I must say- fantastic law by the french authorities. Babies are too precious a gift from God to be called just anything. You can name your dog anything.
Some parents will just wake up from a codeine and booze induced sleep and give their baby the first name they can think of, then the baby is left to bear that mark for the rest of their lives. I think that's wickedness.

Hello, December
#2019WasAwesome

Parents who have named their baby boy Griezmann Mbappe after France's two World Cup winners could be stopped from doing so by French officials.

The baby was born in Brive in southern France, where the matter has been referred to the public prosecutor, the mayor's office confirmed to BBC Sport.

Laws in France mean authorities can refuse names if they are "contrary to the interest of the child".

Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe starred as France triumphed in Russia.

Atletico Madrid forward Griezmann, 27, and 19-year-old Paris St-Germain striker Mbappe - who joined the French champions for £165.7m - both scored four goals at this summer's tournament.

The birth of the baby earlier this month was first reported by regional newspaper La Montagne.

The paper reports that if a judge orders a name change it will be deleted from the register and then parents will be asked to choose another name.

In 2015, a French court prevented a couple from naming their baby girl Nutella after the hazelnut spread, ruling that it would make her a laughing stock. The judge ordered that the child be called Ella instead.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/46398667

Lalasticlala Mynd44

[quote author=Pidginwhisper post=73438906][/quote]
Equally shocked bro

HarkymTheOracle:
Im go see me IJN.. God will make a way for me in this game. Amen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIzgzmooyFM

Hello. Are you a player? PM me pls. Thanks

1. ABIA
Abia is an acronym from the four main groups of people in the state as at the time it was formed in 1991: Aba Bende Isuikwuato Afikpo.

2. Adamawa
Adamawa was named after a warrior, Modibbo Adama Bin Ardo Hassan, that conquered the region in the beginning of the 19th century.

3. Akwa-Ibom
Akwa Ibom is named after the Qua Iboe (or Kwa Iboe) River.

4. Anambra
The state got its name from the corrupted version of Oma Mbala (Ànyịm Ọma Mbala), a popular river in the area.

5. Bauchi
There are three versions of how Bauchi got its name are:
‘Bauchi’ is Hausa word meaning the southern flanks of Hausaland. Tribes living in the southern parts of the Hausaland were referred to as “kasashen bauchi” and the area they lived in later came to be known simply as Bauchi. The second version the state was named for Baushe, a famous hunter who settled there before the 19th century. The third states that ‘bauchi’ is Hausa word for slavery since it was a center for slave raiders.

6. Bayelsa
Bayelsa is a combination of the acronyms of three local government areas which were pulled out of old Rivers state — Brass LGA known as BALGA, Yenegoa LGA known as YELGA and Sagbama LGA known as SALGA. The mathematics involved in the formation of their names is BA + YEL + SA = BAYELSA

7. Benue
The state was named after the “europeanised” corruption of ‘Binuwe’, the Batta word for ‘Mother of Waters’.

8. Borno
The alternative name of the Kanuris, the predominant ethnic group in the state, is ‘Borno’ which gave inspiration for the naming of the state.

9. Cross River
The state took its name from a River called Oyono or Cross River.

10. Delta
The state is where the River Niger forms a delta as it enters the Atlantic Ocean.

11. Ebonyi
Ebonyi is the anglicised version of ‘Aboine’, a river that cuts through Abakaliki, the state capital.

12. Edo
The Bini people who dwell in the area had always referred to themselves as Edo or Iduu. This inspired the name of the state.

13. Ekiti
‘Okiti’ is a term that is said to denote a settlement of many hills. It later became ‘Ekiti’.

14. Enugu
Due to the many hills and rocky terrain in the area, the people named it in igbo, “Enu Ugwu” meaning “top of the hill”. The state is named after the anglicised version, Enugu.

15. Gombe
Gombe is the dialect of Fulani language (Fulfulde) spoken in the area.

16. Imo
Just like many of the Nigerian states, Imo took its name from the popular river, Imo Mmiri.

17. Jigawa
Jigawa takes inspiration from its distinctively golden-coloured soil.

18. Kaduna
‘Kadunas’ is the plural form of crocodile in Hausa. The state therefore got its name from the many crocodiles in Kaduna River.

19. Kano
Kano was the name of a blacksmith from the Gaya tribe who settled in the area while sourcing for ironstone. The state was named after him.

20. Katsina
The state was named after the wife of a popular local ruler known as Janzama. Her name was Katsina.

21. Kebbi
It is said that Kebbi was named after the Ka’abba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

22. Kogi
Since the popular confluence in Nigeria is located in the state, Kogi is said to have been derived from ‘kogin’, the hausa word for river.

23. Kwara
River Niger used to be called River Kwara by the Nupes at the Northern border of the state. The state was named after this.

24. Lagos
In 1472, the first set of Europeans to set foot in Lagos were the Portuguese. Due to the many lagoons and rivers in the town, they named it Lagos, which is the Portuguese word for ‘lakes’.

25. Nassarawa
Nassarawa is a native word for ‘victorious’. The state was named by the founder of Nasarawa kingdom, Makama Dogo.

26. Niger
This was named after the River Niger.

27. Ogun
This state was also named after a river — Ogun River.

28. Ondo
Ondo is a word used for settlers. The state was named after the settlers of the old Ondo Kingdom.

29. Osun
This state was also named after a river — the River Osun.

30. Oyo
The state was named after the Old Oyo empire.

31. Plateau
The state was named after the picturesque Jos plateau. Jos got its name from the mispronunciation of the town ‘Gwosh’.

32. Rivers
Rivers State was named after the many water bodies present in the area.

33. Sokoto
Sokoto is the anglicized version of the Arabic word ‘suk’ meaning ‘market’ or ‘place of commerce’. The state itself was named after the defunct Sokoto Caliphate.

34. Taraba
Taraba state got its name from the Taraba River.

35. Yobe
Komadugu Yobe (Waube or Ouobe) or River Yobe (or River of Yo) inspired the name of the state.

36. Zamfara
This state was named after Zamfarawa, one of the subdialects of the Eastern Hausa group.


Lalasticlala Mynd44

Musa is our main attacking outlet so far. Iheanacho miscontroled a pass that could've put him 1v1 with the keeper but in my opinion he's the one that has stayed up the pitch thereby preventing the two SA CBs from getting too involved when they attack. Basically he's doing the work of a CF. Colins is also providing a good outlet down that left hand side but my worry is that since he's playing as a wingback rather than a fullback, he's not tracking back meaning SA's most dangerous player Percy Tau the no 19 has no one picking him up. Surely Rohr must have known about him before this match? To make no proper plans for him is shocking. All their attack have gone through him. Lets see what Rohr does second half

Mehn the way this game is going, I'll go ahead and call it- 3-1 to Nigeria

Goalllllll!!!!! Oya cancel that one! 1-0 Nigeria!

These African officials have come again! How is that offside from Musa?! Abi sun de enter him eye?! See first goal disallowed o

It's interesting how far this SE team have come from that team that fell spinelessly to SA in uyo 18 months ago. This game should tell us exactly how far they've come.

EbukaHades10:
He looks more matured now.

Next on the list is Willian,followed by David Luis.

Who else am I forgetting?

Axel Witsel and Marek hamsik

Fulham to win the title next season anyone?

I'm coming lemme run and go and check the odds first

Btw Leicester City were given odds of 5000-1 when they won it with Ranieri

Fulham have sacked manager Slavisa Jokanovic and replaced him with Claudio Ranieri, who guided Leicester to the Premier League title in 2016.

Jokanovic makes way with the Cottagers sitting bottom of the Premier League table with five points from 12 matches.

Italian Ranieri, 67, has been given a "multi-year" contract by the Londoners.

"Making a change without having the right answer or succession plan was not an option," said Fulham chairman Shahid Khan.

"So having someone of Claudio's calibre ready to accept our challenge was comforting but, most of all, essential.

"Claudio is risk-free and ready-made for the Premier League, and particularly so for what we need at this moment at Fulham.

"His recent body of work with Leicester City is literally legendary, and then you look at Claudio's experience with Chelsea and big clubs throughout Europe, and it's pretty evident we are welcoming an extraordinary football man to Fulham Football Club."

Khan said he and his son Tony Khan, the club's vice chairman and director of football operations, spoke with a number of potential candidates over the past week.

"It is an honour to accept Mr Khan's invitation and opportunity to lead Fulham, a fantastic club with tradition and history," said Ranieri, who spent last season in charge of French club Nantes.

"The objective at Fulham should never be to merely survive in the Premier League. We must at all times be a difficult opponent and should expect to succeed.

"This Fulham squad has exceptional talent that is contrary to its position in the table."

Ranieri's first game in charge will see Fulham host Southampton at Craven Cottage on Saturday, 24 November.

"I know this team is very capable of better performances, which we will work on straight away as we prepare for Southampton at the Cottage," he added.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/46205801

Lalasticlala mynd44

Al Ahly, the Real Madrid of Africa

Walid Soliman scored two VAR penalties to give Egypt's Al Ahly a 3-1 first-leg win over Esperance in the African Champions League final in Alexandria.

It was the first time VAR was used in a Champions League final and referee Mehdi Charef watched replays before awarding the spot kicks.

Amr Elsolia scored the other goal for the hosts while Youcef Belaili converted a penalty for Esperance.

The Egyptian club are aiming to win their ninth continental title.

Tunisian side Esperance have won the title twice but they lost 1-0 at home to Ahly in the group stages of the competition.

The second leg takes place at Stade Olympique in Rades on 9 November.

The overall winners will also earn a place at December's Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/46057470

And there's another league title wrapped up after just 12 games.

Apart from those residing in France and Germany, I wonder how people find joy watching and supporting teams from the Ligue 1 and Bundesliga. I mean doesn't it get boring?

The EPL still comes out tops in this regard. In atleast 5 out of the past 10 seasons, the title was decided on the last or last two weekends of the season, one was even decided by the last kick of the season (Aguerooooooo!) That's what you call a competition.

Paris St-Germain broke Tottenham's 58-year-old European record as they beat Lille to make it 12 consecutive wins at the start of the Ligue 1 season.

The previous record for a winning start in Europe's top five leagues was Spurs' 11-match run in 1960-61.

Kylian Mbappe scored the first goal with a curled 25-yard effort - his 13th goal in 11 games this season.

Neymar added a second with a deflected shot, with Nicolas Pepe scoring an injury-time consolation penalty.

French champions Paris St-Germain are now 11 points above second-placed Lille at the top of the table.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/46079229

Lalasticlala Mynd44

Bendtner said the driver threw a bottle or a can towards him and his girlfriend when they left without paying.

Lol he wrongly assumed the driver would give them free ride as per celebrity. Driver was like "you too dey form celebrity?"
Pls reveal the identity of that driver. Something tells me he could have Nigerian roots

Ex-Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner has been sentenced to 50 days in jail in Denmark for assaulting a taxi driver.

But the 30-year-old Rosenborg player has appealed and has been released until a hearing at a higher court.

The incident took place in September, with the City Court of Copenhagen shown CCTV footage in which it appeared Bendtner struck the driver in the face.
The Denmark international admitted hitting the taxi driver but said it was because he felt threatened.

Bendtner said the driver threw a bottle or a can towards him and his girlfriend when they left without paying.

"We think that it's not good for the club and not good for Nicklas, but he remains a player in the club. We are keeping him," said Tove Moe Dyrhaug, the chief executive of Bendtner's Norwegian club Rosenborg.

Bendtner, who played for Arsenal between 2005 and 2014, scoring 45 goals in 171 games, missed out on a place in Denmark's squad for the 2018 World Cup because of injury.

He had loan spells at Sunderland, Birmingham City and Juventus while at Arsenal before making a permanent move to German club Wolfsburg.
He moved back to England to join Championship side Nottingham Forest in September 2016 before
joining Rosenborg in March 2017.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/46076839

Ronaldinho treated the game of football as if he was a magician at a children’s party, wowing fans and onlookers with feats of skill that boggled the mind. Steeped in beach football and futsal trickery from childhood (in one game he scored every goal in a 23-0 victory), the forward’s skill repertoire included back heels, nutmegs, rainbow flicks, bicycle kicks and more, leaving defenders for dust and captivating crowds around the world.

"The ball has always been a life companion, my best friend,” said Ronaldinho in an interview with Spanish television last year. “I've not been with anybody for longer than I've been with her. I don't remember who gave me my first ball but in Brazil all children are born with a ball or a football shirt under the arm."

This relationship with the ball persisted throughout Ronaldinho's entire career, taking him from boyhood club Gremio to spells in France, Spain, Italy and more. Football was a love affair for the big-grinned Brazilian.

Strangely, it was this theme of romance that took the magician to the site of his greatest success. The then Paris Saint-Germain-based Ronaldinho looked set to sign for Real Madrid in the summer of 2003, until one Los Blancos director worried he was “too ugly” and would “sink” the club as a brand. Madrid instead signed David Beckham, with the director saying “Thanks to Beckham, everyone wants to shag us.”

A potential move to Manchester United arose, but two days before the deal was finalised, would-be Barcelona President Sandro Rosell phoned the Brazilian to ask, “If I become Barça president, will you come?” Ronaldinho said yes. Rosell won his election and a new age at the Nou Camp was born.

Ronaldinho made his debut for Barcelona in a league game against Sevilla that kicked off a minute past midnight (Barcelona wanted the game to be played on a Tuesday, the league insisted on Wednesday so the club played the game as early as possible). The Brazilian picked the ball up in his own half, dribbled past two defenders and unleashed a shot that set a message to the rest of the world: “Football is about to get very, very silly.”

Ronaldinho’s five-year stretch at Barcelona would see him win two Spanish league titles, two Fifa World Player of the Year awards (2004 and 2005) and the Champions League in 2006 - one of the most impressive hauls for a player in the 21st century, and yet it feels like a disservice to list them. Ronaldinho, after all, was a player you watched for moments, not medals won.

Take the goal scored against Chelsea in the 2005 Champions League . Chelsea would eventually win the Last 16 tie 5-4, but what everyone remembers is the goal Ronaldinho scored in the second leg at Stamford Bridge.

Finding himself on the edge of the D, Ronaldinho found his options blocked off by Ricardo Carvalho, John Terry and Eidur Gudjohnsen. Sensing Frank Lampard bearing down on him from behind, Ronaldinho feinted to shoot twice with his right foot, shimmed his hips twice and then did… something.
Before we knew it, the ball was nestled in Petr Cech’s net, propelled by what later transpired to be a no-lift toe punt.
“It’s like someone pressed pause and for three seconds all the players stopped and I’m the only one that moves,” Ronaldinho later described. Playgrounds were soon full of schoolchildren attempting to copy their hero, once again trying to figure out the magician’s secrets.

Some players won trophies. Others won hearts. Ronaldinho made us question what was possible on a football pitch.

Barcelona players aren’t supposed to get a standing ovation from Real Madrid fans, yet when Ronaldinho put Los Blancos to the sword for a 3-0 El Clasico victory in November 2005, Madridistas saw no other option but to take to their feet and clap. They had witnessed something special.
Ronaldinho made us believe in magic.

His free-kick goal against England in the 2002 World Cup was typical Ronaldinho. Did he mean to chip David Seaman from 40 yards out? Or was it a complete fluke?

In the same way a magician never reveals his tricks, Ronaldinho kept his cards close to his chest when asked about the goal, and why wouldn't he?

Years later, in an interview with FourFourTwo, he said, “I saw he was off his line. About five metres off. I really aimed at the goal, although not exactly where [the ball] went. All I wanted was for Seaman to be desperate and maybe trip on his way back.”

As part of the ‘Three Rs’ contingent with Ronaldo and Rivaldo, Ronaldinho helped Brazil to win the 2002 tournament with pomp and verve - the trio notching 15 goals between them at the tournament.
Then there was a sudden fall after 2005, with indifferent spells at AC Milan, Atletico Mineiro, Mexican side Querétaro and Fluminense following his departure from Pep Guardiola's Barcelona.
If football was a love affair for Ronaldinho, then he found the seven-year itch hard - eventually partying too much, training too little and lacking the desire for compromise and hard work that all long-lasting relationships need to work.

He burned brightly, but faded quickly as European football moved on. Lionel Messi inherited his shirt at Barcelona and another age was born. But the moments of Ronaldinho last long in the memory for football fans of a certain vintage.

Perhaps his crowning achievement on a football field didn’t even occur in a game, but in a three-minute video clip of him mucking around at Barcelona’s training ground.

Emerging in 2005, the video, an ad for Nike, showed Ronaldinho expertly pinging balls off a crossbar time after time. It garnered a million YouTube views in a time when people had to spend potentially hours caching video using dial-up internet. Ronaldinho was worth it.

The video itself was simple: Ronaldinho gets gifted a new pair of white and gold boots, does a few kicks ups with them and then volleys the ball against a crossbar from the edge of the box. But somehow, every time Ronaldinho hits the ball off the crossbar, the ball returns to him, like a ship to a siren's song.
It couldn’t be real. It shouldn't be real. It was all too far-fetched. Too slickly made. Too beyond the realms of physics and possibility. And yet, such was Ronaldinho’s skill, you couldn’t be too sure. He was too extraordinary, too magnificent, too capable of the unprecedented in football to have us write off the video as fake.

There were times when Ronaldinho had the ball at his feet in Champions League games and it looked as though he could momentarily switched on a gravity cheat so that the laws of Earthly physics might no longer apply - so why couldn’t he bounce a ball off a crossbar and have it return to him?

A few months later the verdict was out: the video was not real, but instead a clever bit of computer wizardry. However, what the video did prove was the power of Ronaldinho.

The Brazilian legend may have won World Cups, Champions Leagues and Ballons d’Or, but Ronaldinho’s true contribution to football was how every so often the ball would arrive at his feet and he appeared capable of disrupting the walls between dreams and reality.

Culled.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/b3cf523a-62e5-40af-91c5-49185d3f1579

Lalasticlala Mynd44

Emery has brought some feel good factor back to the Emirates. Kudos to him. And goodluck to the gunners tonight

Mourinho- why does he always do this He'll always raise some dust in his rivals' camp just to cause distractions. I hope Chelsea don't fall for it again.

Jose Mourinho "would love" to sign Eden Hazard for Manchester United but knows it would be impossible because "Chelsea are led by intelligent people".

Hazard, 27, won the Premier League under Mourinho during the manager's second spell at Chelsea in 2015.
The forward had said he wanted to work with Mourinho again in an interview with Belgian newspaper HLN on Saturday.
"We had a good relationship, we were champions together, so I think the feelings are good," Mourinho said.
"History says that when Eden Hazard is the best player in the Premier League, Chelsea is the champion.
"It happened with me, it happened with Antonio [Conte, in 2017]. The season is still in the beginning of course but, if he is the best player of the Premier League until now, which I think he is, Chelsea is top of the league because he's the kind of player who can make a huge difference.
"I would love to have him in Manchester United but I don't think Chelsea will sell him to Manchester United.
"It's a non-problem because Chelsea are led by intelligent and experienced people in football and I think they would never sell Eden to Manchester United."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/45916452

Lalasticlala Mynd44

elganzar:
If a whole lawyer and NBA official could be harassed and nothing happened_ my brother, who am I?? Ordinary keyboardist_ I can threaten them with music terms sha..."I will call the circle of fifth on you, you will be diminished_ I'll ensure your upper structure is negated...bloody minor!!!

Wow keyboardist here too

Madagascar have qualified for the African Cup of Nations finals for the first time by beating Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in Vontovorona.

Thailand-based midfielder Njiva Rakotoharimalala, 26, scored the only goal.
They became the first team to qualify for a place in the finals that have now been expanded from 16 teams to 24.

They were later joined by Egypt , Senegal and Tunisia in qualifying for the finals in Cameroon next June/July.
Madagascar's win moved them to 10 points in Group A with two matches left to play.
The games was played in Vontovorona after Madagascar were banned from using the Mahamasina Stadium in Antananarivo for "three matches or three months".
The suspension was imposed by the Confederation of African Football following a stampede at the national stadium in September, when one person was killed and nearly 40 others were injured.
Madagascar become the 40th different nation to qualify for the Nations Cup finals.
Senegal left it late to get the win they needed in Sudan to clinch a place in the finals alongside Madagascar from the group.
Lorient's Sidi Sarr scoring in the 86th minute just three minutes after coming on in Khartoum as a substitute.
Group A after four matches:
Senegal 10 points (qualified)
Madagascar 10 points (qualified)
Equatorial Guinea 3 points (eliminated)
Sudan 0 points (eliminated)

Egypt and Tunisia helped each other to qualify for next year's expanded finals as they both won in
Group J.
Egypt secured a 2-0 win over eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) thanks to a header from Ahmed Hegazi after 19 minutes and a well-worked team goal finished by Marwan Mohsen early in the second half.
The Pharaohs' qualification was confirmed later on Tuesday as Tunisia maintained their 100% winning record with a 2-1 victory over Niger in Niamey.
Sfaxien's Firas Chaouat scored two goals in a four-minute period in the first half on his international debut for Tunisia.
Niger's Youssef Oumarou grabbed what turned out to be a consolation for the hosts.
Group J after four matches:
Tunisia 12 points (qualified)
Egypt 9 points (qualified)
eSwatini 1 point (eliminated)
Niger 1 point (eliminated)

There were two drawn matches in Group B as Comoros grabbed a 2-2 draw against visiting Morocco and Malawi held Cameroon to a goalless draw in Blantyre.
El Fardou Ben Mohamed, who plays for Serbian side Red Star Belgrade, opened the scoring after just eight minutes to give Comoros a shock lead.
The Moroccans then fought back with two second-half goals from Khalid Boutaib and Nordin Amrabat to take the lead.
The hosts kept battling and Ben Mohamed was on target again in injury time to earn a point for Comoros.
The results means that Cameroon top the group with eight points, but they qualify automatically as hosts, leaving just one more place up for grabs from the group.
Morocco lead the way in the race to the finals on seven points, Malawi move to four points and Comoros are on two - with all the teams having played four matches.
Group B after four matches:
Cameroon 8 points (qualify as hosts)
Morocco 7 points
Malawi 4 points
Comoros 2 points

Three teams remain in contention to qualify from
Group C after Gabon beat hosts South Sudan 1-0 and Burundi held visiting Mali to a 1-1 draw.
Midfielder Andre Biyogo Poko, who plays in Turkey for Goztepe, won the match for Gabon with a goal five minutes after half-time.
Gabon played without Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after he did not travel with the team to Juba. No official reason has been given for his absence.
Burundi took the lead in Bujumbura through striker Fiston Abdul Razak before Mamadou Fofana levelled the score for the visitors.
Group C after four matches:
Mali 8 points
Gabon 7 points
Burundi 6 points
South Sudan 0 points (eliminated)

Algeria missed out on the chance of qualifying from
Group D as they lost 1-0 in Benin.
The match-winner was scored by Sessi D'Almeida, who plays in the fourth tier of English football with Yeovil Town, after 16 minutes.
Benin held on for the win despite playing the final 35 minutes of the match with 10 men after veteran Stephane Sessegnon was shown a red card.
Togo managed to take advantage of Algeria's slip with a late 1-0 win in The Gambia - Fulham's Floyd Ayite with the winner in injury time after they had Djene Dakonam sent off with 15 minutes left.
Group D after four matches:
Algeria 7 points
Benin 7 points
Togo 5 points
The Gambia 2 points

Nigeria moved to the top of Group E with a narrow 3-2 win over hosts Libya.
The match was played in the Tunisian city of Sfax because of the ongoing security concerns in Libya.
The Super Eagles looked set for a comfortable win as Odion Ighalo and Ahmed Musa put Nigeria 2-0 up inside 20 minutes.
Libya fought back to level through Mohamed Zubya and Italy-based Ahmad Benali who scored after 74 minutes.
Igahlo's second of the night and fifth against Libya in the past four days gave Nigeria all three points and kept them on course to qualify for the finals.
South Africa laboured to a goalless draw in Seychelles just three days after they had thrashed the same side 6-0 in Johannesburg.
Seychelles can no longer qualify for the finals.
Group E after four matches:
Nigeria 9 points
South Africa 8 points
Libya 4 points
Seychelles 1 point (eliminated)

Zimbabwe missed out on the chance of sealing qualification from Group G after they were held to a 1-1 in Harare by DR Congo.
The Warriors took the lead after just one minute through Khama Billiat but that was cancelled out before half-time with an own goal from Teenage Hadebe.
A win would have seen Zimbabwe through to the finals because later in the day Congo Brazzaville lost 2-1 in Liberia.
All three goals came in an opening 15-minute flurry with Liberia racing to a 2-0 lead with goals from Teah Dennis and Wydad Casablanca striker William Jebbor.
Prince Ibara, who also scored against Liberia on Thursday, pulled one back a minute after Jebbor's goal to give Congo some hope but Lone Star held on for a crucial win.
Group G after four matches:
Zimbabwe 8 points
DR Congo 5 points
Congo Brazzaville 4 points
Liberia 4 points

Guinea and Ivory Coast remain the favourites to qualify from Group H despite both being held to away draws.
Ivory Coast were held to a goalless draw in Bangui by Central African Republic while in Kigali it was 1-1 between Rwanda and Guinea.
Guinea took the lead in the first half through Jose Kante but Jacques Tuyisenge ensured the points were shared with a late equaliser.
The Syli Nationale had to play the second half without Liverpool's Naby Keita, who was helped from the pitch with an injury.
Wins for Guinea and Ivory Coast would have taken both teams through to next year's finals.
Group H after four matches:
Guinea 10 points
Ivory Coast 7 points
Central African Republic 4 points
Rwanda 1 point

Mauritania are another team who could qualify for their first Nations Cup finals after a 1-0 win over Angola in Group I.
The only goal of the game in Nouakchott was scored by Adama Ba, who plays in the second tier in Turkey for Giresunspor, after 18 minutes.
Botswana are out of contention despite holding on for a goalless draw against visiting Burkina Faso.

Group I after four matches:
Mauritania 9 points
Burkina Faso 7 points
Angola 6 points
Botswana 1 point (eliminated)

Namibia's 1-0 win over Mozambique moved them level at the top of Group K alongside Guinea-Bissau,
who beat Zambia 2-1 on Sunday.
Peter Shalulile gave the Brave Warriors the win in Windhoek with a goal in the final 20 minutes of the match.
The Namibians played the last few minutes with 10 men after Denzil Haoseb was sent off for a second yellow card.

Group K after four matches:
Guinea-Bissau 7 points
Namibia 7 points
Mozambique 4 points
Zambia 4 points

Uganda took a big step towards qualifying for a second successive Nations Cup as neighbours Tanzania kept their hopes alive in Group L.
Croatia-based striker Farouk Miya scored both goals for Uganda as they beat hosts Lesotho 2-0.
His first in Maseru came after just six minutes and he added a second from a curling free-kick 10 minutes before half-time.
Tanzania recovered from a missed penalty to record a 2-0 win over Cape Verde in Dar es Salaam.
Saimon Msuva tapped in from close range for the first with Mbwana Samatta, who plays in Belgium with Genk, adding the second.
Group L after four matches:
Uganda 10 points
Tanzania 5 points
Cape Verde 4 points
Lesotho 2 points

There are two more qualifying rounds left to play - one in November and the final matches will be in March next year.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/45878968

Madagascar have qualified for the African Cup of Nations finals for the first time by beating Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in Vontovorona.
Thailand-based midfielder Njiva Rakotoharimalala, 26, scored the only goal.
They became the first team to qualify for a place in the finals that have now been expanded from 16 teams to 24.

They were later joined by Egypt , Senegal and Tunisia in qualifying for the finals in Cameroon next June/July.
Madagascar's win moved them to 10 points in Group A with two matches left to play.
The games was played in Vontovorona after Madagascar were banned from using the Mahamasina Stadium in Antananarivo for "three matches or three months".

The suspension was imposed by the Confederation of African Football following a stampede at the national stadium in September, when one person was killed and nearly 40 others were injured.
Madagascar become the 40th different nation to qualify for the Nations Cup finals.
Senegal left it late to get the win they needed in Sudan to clinch a place in the finals alongside Madagascar from the group.
Lorient's Sidi Sarr scoring in the 86th minute just three minutes after coming on in Khartoum as a substitute.


Group A after four matches:
Senegal 10 points (qualified)
Madagascar 10 points (qualified)
Equatorial Guinea 3 points (eliminated)
Sudan 0 points (eliminated)

Egypt and Tunisia helped each other to qualify for next year's expanded finals as they both won in
Group J.
Egypt secured a 2-0 win over eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) thanks to a header from Ahmed Hegazi after 19 minutes and a well-worked team goal finished by Marwan Mohsen early in the second half.
The Pharaohs' qualification was confirmed later on Tuesday as Tunisia maintained their 100% winning record with a 2-1 victory over Niger in Niamey.
Sfaxien's Firas Chaouat scored two goals in a four-minute period in the first half on his international debut for Tunisia.
Niger's Youssef Oumarou grabbed what turned out to be a consolation for the hosts.


Group J after four matches:
Tunisia 12 points (qualified)
Egypt 9 points (qualified)
eSwatini 1 point (eliminated)
Niger 1 point (eliminated)

There were two drawn matches in Group B as Comoros grabbed a 2-2 draw against visiting Morocco and Malawi held Cameroon to a goalless draw in Blantyre.
El Fardou Ben Mohamed, who plays for Serbian side Red Star Belgrade, opened the scoring after just eight minutes to give Comoros a shock lead.
The Moroccans then fought back with two second-half goals from Khalid Boutaib and Nordin Amrabat to take the lead.
The hosts kept battling and Ben Mohamed was on target again in injury time to earn a point for Comoros.
The results means that Cameroon top the group with eight points, but they qualify automatically as hosts, leaving just one more place up for grabs from the group.
Morocco lead the way in the race to the finals on seven points, Malawi move to four points and Comoros are on two - with all the teams having played four matches.


Group B after four matches:
Cameroon 8 points (qualify as hosts)
Morocco 7 points
Malawi 4 points
Comoros 2 points

Three teams remain in contention to qualify from
Group C after Gabon beat hosts South Sudan 1-0 and Burundi held visiting Mali to a 1-1 draw.
Midfielder Andre Biyogo Poko, who plays in Turkey for Goztepe, won the match for Gabon with a goal five minutes after half-time.
Gabon played without Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after he did not travel with the team to Juba. No official reason has been given for his absence.
Burundi took the lead in Bujumbura through striker Fiston Abdul Razak before Mamadou Fofana levelled the score for the visitors.


Group C after four matches:
Mali 8 points
Gabon 7 points
Burundi 6 points
South Sudan 0 points (eliminated)

Algeria missed out on the chance of qualifying from
Group D as they lost 1-0 in Benin.
The match-winner was scored by Sessi D'Almeida, who plays in the fourth tier of English football with Yeovil Town, after 16 minutes.
Benin held on for the win despite playing the final 35 minutes of the match with 10 men after veteran Stephane Sessegnon was shown a red card.
Togo managed to take advantage of Algeria's slip with a late 1-0 win in The Gambia - Fulham's Floyd Ayite with the winner in injury time after they had Djene Dakonam sent off with 15 minutes left.


Group D after four matches:
Algeria 7 points
Benin 7 points
Togo 5 points
The Gambia 2 points

Nigeria moved to the top of Group E with a narrow 3-2 win over hosts Libya.
The match was played in the Tunisian city of Sfax because of the ongoing security concerns in Libya.
The Super Eagles looked set for a comfortable win as Odion Ighalo and Ahmed Musa put Nigeria 2-0 up inside 20 minutes.
Libya fought back to level through Mohamed Zubya and Italy-based Ahmad Benali who scored after 74 minutes.
Igahlo's second of the night and fifth against Libya in the past four days gave Nigeria all three points and kept them on course to qualify for the finals.
South Africa laboured to a goalless draw in Seychelles just three days after they had thrashed the same side 6-0 in Johannesburg.
Seychelles can no longer qualify for the finals.


Group E after four matches:
Nigeria 9 points
South Africa 8 points
Libya 4 points
Seychelles 1 point (eliminated)

Zimbabwe missed out on the chance of sealing qualification from Group G after they were held to a 1-1 in Harare by DR Congo.
The Warriors took the lead after just one minute through Khama Billiat but that was cancelled out before half-time with an own goal from Teenage Hadebe.
A win would have seen Zimbabwe through to the finals because later in the day Congo Brazzaville lost 2-1 in Liberia.
All three goals came in an opening 15-minute flurry with Liberia racing to a 2-0 lead with goals from Teah Dennis and Wydad Casablanca striker William Jebbor.
Prince Ibara, who also scored against Liberia on Thursday, pulled one back a minute after Jebbor's goal to give Congo some hope but Lone Star held on for a crucial win.


Group G after four matches:
Zimbabwe 8 points
DR Congo 5 points
Congo Brazzaville 4 points
Liberia 4 points

Guinea and Ivory Coast remain the favourites to qualify from Group H despite both being held to away draws.
Ivory Coast were held to a goalless draw in Bangui by Central African Republic while in Kigali it was 1-1 between Rwanda and Guinea.
Guinea took the lead in the first half through Jose Kante but Jacques Tuyisenge ensured the points were shared with a late equaliser.
The Syli Nationale had to play the second half without Liverpool's Naby Keita, who was helped from the pitch with an injury.
Wins for Guinea and Ivory Coast would have taken both teams through to next year's finals.


Group H after four matches:
Guinea 10 points
Ivory Coast 7 points
Central African Republic 4 points
Rwanda 1 point

Mauritania are another team who could qualify for their first Nations Cup finals after a 1-0 win over Angola in Group I.
The only goal of the game in Nouakchott was scored by Adama Ba, who plays in the second tier in Turkey for Giresunspor, after 18 minutes.
Botswana are out of contention despite holding on for a goalless draw against visiting Burkina Faso.


Group I after four matches:
Mauritania 9 points
Burkina Faso 7 points
Angola 6 points
Botswana 1 point (eliminated)

Namibia's 1-0 win over Mozambique moved them level at the top of Group K alongside Guinea-Bissau,
who beat Zambia 2-1 on Sunday.
Peter Shalulile gave the Brave Warriors the win in Windhoek with a goal in the final 20 minutes of the match.
The Namibians played the last few minutes with 10 men after Denzil Haoseb was sent off for a second yellow card.


Group K after four matches:
Guinea-Bissau 7 points
Namibia 7 points
Mozambique 4 points
Zambia 4 points

Uganda took a big step towards qualifying for a second successive Nations Cup as neighbours Tanzania kept their hopes alive in Group L.
Croatia-based striker Farouk Miya scored both goals for Uganda as they beat hosts Lesotho 2-0.
His first in Maseru came after just six minutes and he added a second from a curling free-kick 10 minutes before half-time.
Tanzania recovered from a missed penalty to record a 2-0 win over Cape Verde in Dar es Salaam.
Saimon Msuva tapped in from close range for the first with Mbwana Samatta, who plays in Belgium with Genk, adding the second.


Group L after four matches:
Uganda 10 points
Tanzania 5 points
Cape Verde 4 points
Lesotho 2 points

There are two more qualifying rounds left to play - one in November and the final matches will be in March next year.

Real Madrid have opposed staging a Spanish league game between Barcelona and Girona in the United States.

Barcelona played their home game with Girona in September, drawing the Catalan derby 2-2

La Liga asked the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) for permission to hold the match in Miami on 26 January.

In a letter to the RFEF, Real Madrid said it was "fundamental" teams play "home and away at each other's stadium" for "the integrity and equality" of La Liga.

The RFEF president Luis Rubiales has spoken out against the game, as has the Spanish players' union (AFE).

European governing body Uefa, the US Soccer Federation and Concacaf, which governs the game in north and central America and the Caribbean region also need to give their permission for the game to happen.

The proposed 'home' match for Girona, a Catalan town situated around 60 miles north of Barcelona, would take place at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium on 26 January at 19:45 GMT.

La Liga, Spain's top division, has agreed to play one game a season in the US as part of a 15-year deal with media company Relevent.
In their letter, Real said: "First of all we would like to declare that Real Madrid were never informed that La Liga had requested to play the game nor of the intention to make the request, and we were never asked our opinion on it.

"Nor, obviously, did La Liga obtain Real Madrid's agreement, despite the fact that this game affects a competition in which we participate."

Following a meeting with La Liga, the AFE said the players would have the "final say".

La Liga President Javier Tebas recently said: "Teams have also played at other stadiums while their grounds are being renovated or in order to generate more revenue.

"If we really believe in this sporting puritanism then we would need to make many changes in football."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/45887927

Lol I thought I didn't hear that correctly yesterday.

Iwobi has obviously learnt a thing or two from Wenger! what a reverse through pass to Musa! Ighalo tap in goal Nigeria

DonFreshmoney:


Why is it that when someone comments or quote bluntly, it's referred to cyber bullying? Anyway, I slap people, it's not the opposite.. just to let you know

Google the definition of cyberbullying. Then read your post again. Don't comment before you think

DonFreshmoney:


How does ur sig relates to this kolscieny post?? Why don't u grow sense, u can plant it in your backyard to germinate, then pick it up and wrap in your skull.

I bet if someone slaps you physically now, you won't do much except walk away and sulk, but because you can hide behind an online pseudonym, suddenly you've become Amokachi the bull, butting your horn both were it's necessary and where it isn't. Be delivered from cyberbullying sir