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This Sunday April 21st 2013 recorded some very spectacular moments. The greatest of which was Coton Sport of Garoua who thrashed Stade Malien of Mali 3-0, in the first leg game for the 8th final of the African Champions League. Stade Malien were coming to the Roumde Adja in Garoua with lots of expectation but they met their waterloo.

Coton will play their own delayed match day 9th against Sable of Batie on Monday, April 22nd, 2013 in Garoua.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev (left), 26, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19
Gunfire and explosions were heard as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, was found hiding in a boat in a backyard in Watertown.

He had escaped on foot early on Friday after a police shootout that claimed the life of his elder brother, 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

Three people died and more than 170 were hurt in Monday’s bombings.

A crowd gathered near the scene cheered as the suspect was arrested on Friday night.

Boston Police Department tweeted: “CAPTURED!!! The hunt is over. The search is done. The terror is over. And justice has won. Suspect in custody.”

A law enforcement official told the Associated Press news agency that the suspect was covered in blood.

Police helicopters buzzed overhead, and bomb squad vans and ambulances were in position around the house in Franklin Street, Watertown.

Witnesses reported hearing gunshots and more than a dozen explosions, which local television channels speculated could have been flash-bang grenades used by the authorities to disorient the fugitive.

A local resident, Anna Bedirian, told Reuters news agency: “There’s about 50 guys there with machine guns and they all got bulletproof vests on, some of them are holding shields.

“There are a couple of armoured cars and they’re all standing around.”

Friday night’s breakthrough came less than an hour after authorities lifted a city-wide order for residents to stay indoors, and reopened the transport system, as the trail appeared to have gone cold.

Thousands of Swat team officers had scoured the streets all day in a manhunt that virtually shut down the city.

Massachusetts officials had shut down all mass transit and warned close to one million people in Boston and some of its suburbs not to leave their homes.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, a college student, had fled on foot following a gun battle that left 200 spent rounds and a car chase in which he and his brother hurled explosives at police, authorities said.

The pair also shot and killed a university policeman and severely wounded another officer late on Thursday, authorities said, hours after the FBI released images of the marathon-bombing suspects.

Law enforcement officials and family members have identified the Tsarnaev brothers as ethnic Chechens who had been living in America for about a decade.

The FBI interviewed Tamerlan Tsarnaev in 2011 after a request from a foreign government, US law enforcements officials have confirmed. But agents closed the case after finding no reason for concern.

Monday’s attack killed Martin Richard, aged eight, Krystle Campbell, 29, and Lu Lingzi, 23, a postgraduate student from China.

Earlier on Friday, the father of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev said his son was a second-year medical student in the US and was hoping to be a brain surgeon.

Anzor Tsarnaev told the BBC he believed the secret services had framed his sons.

“It was a terrorist attack carefully organised by secret services – I don’t know which ones. My son used to go to a mosque, so they once paid us a visit to ask why he is doing that.

“Yes, there was such an episode. So they put all the blame on him and shot him. That’s it.”

But Ruslan Tsarni, an uncle of the suspects who lives in Maryland, said he was “ashamed” his nephews’ alleged role in the bombings.

Asked what the bombers’ motives may have been, he replied: “Being losers, hating everyone around them.”

BBCnews

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Reblogged from TIME 100:

de: Mario Balotelli – Inter Mailand en: Mario Balotelli – F.C. Internazionale Milano (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

18 April 2013

Bet

Returns:

Juventus $8.65

Draw $18.00

Milan $23.75

AC Milan star Mario Balotelli has been named in the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine.

The 22-year-old has been included as part of the ‘icon’ section of the publication’s famous listing, alongside the likes of First Lady Michelle Obama, pop stars Beyonce and Justin Timberlake and Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi.

“Mario has all the qualities to be a top player: power and athleticism, alongside a good understanding of the game — all positive,” said former Italy star Gianfranco Zola, making the player’s case in the magazine.

“I worked with Mario for a short period with Italy’s Under-21 side. I liked him straight away. I liked the way he handled himself and his composure and calmness in situations.

“Mario could shrug off things happening around him. Only the big players have that calm. Mario can play the big games and handle the crucial moments, but he needs to keep control. That is vital for him.

“From afar, people may think he’s a madman, but he isn’t. Mario is a lovely guy, very humble and very funny. I can assure people he has always been a pleasure to deal with.

“He has returned to Italy from England as the main man with lots of attention. Now he has to ensure he keeps control and keeps focus. Mario loves the pressure, but to succeed, it is about finding balance.”

NBA superstar LeBron James and Chinese tennis star Li Na are the other major sports nominees to make the 100.

Related articles

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Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images

In this article, I wish to present a convincing case to argue that Samuel Eto’o is the greatest African player of all time. The continent has produced many fine footballers, some of whom have dazzled with their ability, and others who have succeeded at the very pinnacle of the game.

In composing this piece, I am assessing three aspects of Eto’o’s career; firstly his intrinsic ability and capabilities—assessing his qualities and his talents; secondly, his club career and successes at this level; and finally, considering his contributions in the national colours of Cameroon, and evaluating his achievements on an international basis.

I recently wrote a similar piece looking back over Didier Drogba’s career, and concluding that while Drogba was great, Eto’o was greater. This summary drew ire and criticism from some quarters of Bleacher Report’s readership, but hopefully this piece will elucidate some of those naysayers and support my central thesis.

Individual Ability

Eto’o’s currency is goals; there is no escaping it.

While he perhaps can’t match the likes of Abedi Pele and George Weah for technical prowess, his goal-scoring is phenomenal. As identified by Miguel Delaney of FootballPantheon.com (who placed Eto’o in 64th position in his Greatest Players of all time list), between 2002 and 2011 the forward had an awe-inspiring goal ratio of one every 1.6 games.

Despite only playing for lowly RCD Mallorca for three years he is still, to this day, the club’s all-time leading scorer, and remains eighth on Barcelona’s all-time top goal-scorer list. In 2006, he added his name to an illustrious list of Pichichi Trophy winners, celebrating La Liga’s top scorers.

As well as being a clinical finisher and positionally excellent, Eto’o has also long been aware of the value of working for the team effort and the common good.

Julian Finney/Getty Images

This was never more apparent than in the 2010 Champions League final with Inter Milan, where he worked relentlessly, and with admirable discipline, towards the aims and objectives identified by Jose Mourinho.

One caveat is Eto’o’s personality, which has so often generated friction and has led to unwanted controversy. The success has often papered over cracks existing with teammates or managers, but it is interesting to imagine perhaps what a little more stability could have done for his career.

Club Success

No African player can come close to rivaling Samuel Eto’o in terms of club achievements; indeed, the last 15 years spent in Europe have led to commentators such as Firdose Moonda suggesting that he is ‘already established as Africa’s best football export.’

He is only the second player to have scored in two Champions League finals—suggesting he is capable of flourishing at the very top level of the sport, and is one of only four players to have won the trophy on consecutive occasions with two different teams.

Similarly, he is the first player to win two trebles in major European leagues, achieving the remarkable feat with both Barcelona in 2009 and Internazionale in 2010.

These achievements indicate that while Eto’o can make the big contributions in the big games—as he has done against former club Real Madrid so many times over the years—he has also earned his keep as a key part of hugely successful sides over the course of overwhelmingly successful seasons.

It is not just that Eto’o has won these honours, he has won these honours while being a key figure in successful teams.

His past achievements and wide appeal have led to him being identified as the world’s highest-earning player, with an estimated £350,000-a-week deal with Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala.

International Success

It is perhaps in the international sphere that Eto’o’s finest achievements and greatest disappointments emerge. Evidently proud to be a citizen of Africa, he is honoured as the Africa Cup of Nations’ all-time top scorer.

These goals have led to two titles for Cameroon, where they sat at the head of the continent in 2000 and 2002. He also picked up a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where the Indomitable Lions became only the second African side to secure the top spot on the podium in the sport’s history.

While it was clear on his debut—when still only 15—that Eto’o would have a long future with the national side, few back then could have realised the monumental influence he would have for the Indomitable Lions.

Still only 32, he is the country’s all-time top scorer with 55 goals, and on 112 caps, sits only 25 behind Rigobert Song in the all-time appearance list.

He has won the African Player of the Year award a record four times, eclipsing the likes of George Weah, Abedi Pele and Didier Drogba, and further honours include being African Young Player of the Year in 2000, third place in FIFA World Player of the Year in 2005 and recognition in multiple and numerous ‘teams of the year.’

He has also contributed to African football in other ways. His academy, the Samuel Eto’o Foundation, was set up in 2006 and attempts to raise awareness about the issues facing West Africa, particularly focusing on the well-being of children.

Through the foundation, the careers of various young football stars, including the likes of Jean Marie Dongou, Fabrice Olinga and Gael Etock have taken their first nascent steps in the game and have begun to learn the sport.

Comparing the Greats: How Four Top African stars square up

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A Song

The former Arsenal midfielder’s older cousin reveals that the Cameroon international is frustrated about a lack of first-team appearances since moving to Camp Nou

Reired Cameroon star Rigobert Song has revealed that his cousin, midfielder Alex Song, is unhappy at Barcelona because of his lack of first-team opportunities since joining from Arsenal.

The Cameroon international moved to the Catalan club for 15 million pounds over the summer but has made just 12 starts in La Liga, spending some of that time in a less-familiar center back role rather than his preferred position in the middle of the park.

The former Liverpool and Galatasaray defender has now publicly declared the 25-year-old’s discontent in Spain but still believes that he ought to remain with the Blaugrana.

“Alex is not happy [at Barcelona]; at Arsenal he was a leader on and off the field, he doesn’t feel like the protagonist in Spain, it makes him feel bad,” the elder Song told Calciomercato on Wednesday. “He still has a long contract, until 2017. I do not think moving away is the right choice. All players want to play all the time but in Barcelona it is not easy. ”

Despite his cousin’s struggles to impose himself on the first team at Camp Nou, the veteran Song sees success in due time for the former Gunner.

“Alex must have patience,” he asserted. “His time will come because he has the qualities to do well.”

Goal.com

The Arsenal manager, in fact, advised former Gunners midfielder Song to at least give it two seasons at the club.

Former Cameroon international Rigobert Song was quoted on Wednesday as saying: “This season he has only been a substitute. He is not happy. At Arsenal he was a leader on and off the field – he doesn’t feel like this in Spain and it makes him feel bad.”

Despite Song hinting his cousin may want to return to London, Wenger denied it was a possibility.

“There is no buy-back [clause] in his contract. I heard he wants to give it a go for another season, which you can understand because it’s the first season.

I think he’s a quality player and sometimes the players have to insist when it doesn’t go well and not change his mind too soon.

“My personal advice for him would be to give it another go and after two seasons he can still make a decision.”

© ESPN

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They clamoured for the voices of all former footballers to be heard and not a select few.

Stephen Tataw (L), Maboang Kessack (R)

The ongoing election topsy-turvy saga at FECAFOOT took a new twist over the weekend with some former footballers who declared they were voiceless joining the fray.

Kaham Michel

The former footballers led by Stephen Tataw, Kaham Michel, Maboang Kessack and Wamba clamoured for their point of view to also be taken into consideration by the Minister of Sports and Physical education within the frame work of the broad-based consultations with football actors launched on April 9.

The former players declared they were about being organised under the canopy of an association and elect leaders who will henceforth speak on their behalf and put an end to the present situation where a few individuals under the guise of a trade union or committee speak on the behalf of all former footballers without mandate.

Under insistence from the group, the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Adoum Garoua, promised to receive four representatives from each player faction during the consultations.

Cameroon Tribune

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