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AFCON Tragedy: CAF Rejects Cancellation Of Matches

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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has rejected suggestions that the Africa Cup of Nations should be cancelled or postponed in light of Monday’s deadly stadium stampede at the Stade d’Olembe which cost eight lives in the capital of Yaounde, and has insisted that the tournament can be a force for healing in Cameroon.
A further 38 people were taken to hospital with injuries, seven in a critical state, during the Round of 16 meeting between the hosts and Comoros when a barrier collapsed and supporters were trampled by fans behind them attempting to enter the stadium.
In light of the tragedy, Caf President Dr Patrice Motsepe has given some clarity on the circumstances surrounding the disaster, and outlined his belief that football can still have a positive impact in the Central African country.
“The issue was whether we should postpone [yesterday’s] matches, and it’s an important question,” he told journalists. “From my side, I cannot just consult, but also listen to the guidance of various stakeholders.
“The conclusion was that we should observe a moment of silence, and with regards to [Tuesday’s] matches, it was an issue to discuss and consider.
Motsepe added that Caf must take responsibility for the crush along with the local organising committee and the Cameroonian government.
“We have a duty to find out exactly what happened and more importantly to put in preventative measures to ensure that what happened never happens again,” he said.
“There were deficiencies, weaknesses, failures, things that should have been foreseen.
“When people lose their lives you must be angry and demand explanations and guarantees that it will never happen again.”
“However, it’s incredible how, even among those who are injured, two said to me that they can’t wait to get out of hospital and go to the stadium.
“I’ve seen the passion, the absolute passion of the people of Cameroon and their love for football; it brings people together, and the passion for football in this country is entrenched and deep-rooted.”
Motsepe explained how his own experiences of watching sport in a fractured South Africa, and South Africa’s 1995 rugby World Cup final victory, fuelled his conviction that continuing with the tournament would be the best for all parties.
“I come from a country separated on race, where blacks could not play football with whites, and we always knew the power of sport, of football,” he continued. “I was in the stadium with my wife when [Nelson] Mandela was wearing the rugby captain’s jersey, and it had been the root of deep, deep division.
“We’re all dealing with the pain we feel, but we have to deal with our obligations, and we have to be aware of the role football plays in bringing together people from all backgrounds across the continent.”
While Motsepe revealed that Caf would hold a meeting with the Cameroonian Organising Committee today to get more clarity on the circumstances surrounding the stadium disaster, he believed that a closed gate, reported as being the East Entrance of the arena, led to the loss of life.
“There was a gate that was closed that was meant to be open, and if it had been open, people would have walked through,” he continued. “For inexplicable reasons, it was closed.
“If it had been open, as it was supposed to, we wouldn’t have had the problem we have now, this loss of life.
“As part of this hearing, we want to know who closed it and who is responsible, because we mustn’t compromise in our insistence to have appropriate measures which are the best in the world.
“There may be unforeseen circumstances when a gate that is supposed to be open is closed, but we and our partners, we have a huge commitment to ensure that appropriate measures are put in place so that this doesn’t happen again.”
Motsepe also confirmed that Sunday’s fixture which was scheduled for Olembe — between the winners of Egypt-Ivory Coast and the winners of Morocco-Malawi, would now be moved to Younde.
They also revealed that the 30 January meeting between the winners of Senegal-Cape Verde and the winners of Mali-Equatorial Guinea would be moved to Limbe from Douala.

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Inter Best Juventus To Maintain Serie  A Lead

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Andrea Cambiaso scored at both ends during the first half of Saturday’s Derby d’Italia, before Pierre Kalulu’s red card forced Juventus to play the entire second half a man light.

Substitute Francesco Pio Esposito got Inter back in front with a bullet header, then Manuel Locatelli’s pinpoint finish looked to have salvaged a point for the Bianconeri, before Zielinski struck on the cusp of stoppage time.

Juventus made the brighter start, but they were masters of their own downfall in the 17th minute, when Cambiaso deflected Luis Henrique’s cross beyond Michele Di Gregorio.

Cambiaso atoned within nine minutes, catching Henrique on his heels when Weston McKennie’s cross squirmed through to the back post and applying a side-footed finish.

But after Bremer cleared Zielinski’s dinked effort off the line, Juve’s hopes were damaged when Kalulu received his second yellow card for a 42nd-minute pull on Alessandro Bastoni, though the Inter centre-back appeared to go down theatrically.

Di Gregorio made a remarkable stop to thwart Hakan Calhanoglu, but as Juventus dropped ever deeper, they were punished when substitute Esposito guided Federico Dimarco’s searching cross into the far corner with 76 minutes on the clock.

It looked like Inter would have to settle for a point when Locatelli whipped a wonderful finish into the bottom-left corner in the 83rd minute, but Zielinski had the final say as his 20-yard drive fizzed through Locatelli’s legs and beat Di Gregorio.

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Szoboszlai’s Real Madrid Dream Sparks Concern At Liverpool 

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A cloud of uncertainty has settled over Liverpool after comments from Hungary head coach Marco Rossi reignited speculation about Dominik Szoboszlai and Real Madrid.

Rossi, who has worked closely with Szoboszlai since his teenage years, revealed that the midfielder’s lifelong ambition is to play for the Spanish giants.

“Because of the very close and direct relationship I’ve had with Dominik since he was a child, Real Madrid has always been his dream,” Rossi said.

For a Liverpool side building around Szoboszlai as a centerpiece of Arne Slot’s project, those words landed hard.

Within hours of Rossi’s remarks, Szoboszlai interacted on social media with two Real Madrid players, applauding posts from Vinicius Junior and Trent Alexander-Arnold following Madrid’s win over Real Sociedad.

His reaction to Vinicius’ post drew particular attention. The exchange with Alexander-Arnold, his former Liverpool teammate, was seen as less surprising.

Still, in the hyper-connected world of elite soccer, even a digital thumbs-up can carry weight. On Merseyside, fans and pundits quickly began dissecting the meaning behind the interactions.

Szoboszlai, Hungary’s captain, has become one of Liverpool’s most influential players. That status is precisely why Rossi’s comments triggered such an intense reaction in England.

The midfielder had just delivered on the field as well, scoring in Liverpool’s 3-0 FA Cup fourth-round victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield.

After the match, Mohamed Salah heaped praise on his teammate, calling Szoboszlai “the best player in the world.” Slot struck a slightly more measured tone but echoed the sentiment.

“I think there are many elite players in the world, but I definitely agree with Mo that he is one of them,” Slot said. “He is very important for us.”

Szoboszlai is under contract at Liverpool through 2028. However, the club is reportedly eager to open extension talks in the coming months to secure his long-term future.

The player himself addressed the situation recently with notable candor.

“There’s nothing yet, to be honest. Nothing from now on. It’s not in my hands. That’s how it works,” he said. “There’s no progress, but if the right offer comes, we’ll see.”

He was equally clear about his affection for Liverpool.

“We’ll see what happens. Hopefully everyone will be happy in the end. Of course I want to stay. I like the city, I like the club, I like playing with these guys. I love Anfield, I love the fans. Let’s see what the future brings. It’s not my fault. I’d love to stay. We’ll see.”

 

Inter’s dramatic victory boosted their lead over rivals AC Milan to eight points, ahead of the Rossoneri hosting Como on Wednesday. Juventus, meanwhile, could drop out of the top four as Roma visited Napoli last night.

The last four Serie A matches between Inter and Juventus have produced a total of 21 goals (an average of 5.25 per game), compared to just nine in the previous six (1.5 per game).

Cambiaso became the first player in Derby d’Italia history to score and put through his own net in the same match between these old rivals, but it was Zielinski’s fifth Serie A goal of the season that proved decisive.

Inter will argue they were deserved victors after amassing 21 shots and 1.88 expected goals (xG), while Luciano Spalletti’s visitors mustered 10 shots and 0.92 xG – though the Bianconeri actually attempted six of their shots while down a man in the second half.

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Wolves Beat Man Utd Conquerors

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Premier League strugglers Wolves overcame resolute Grimsby Town in challenging conditions at Blundell Park to reach the FA Cup fifth round at the expense of the side that eliminated Manchester United in the last round.

Santiago Bueno scored from Wolves’ only shot on target with an hour played, diverting Joao Gomes’ cross past goalkeeper Jackson Smith with his thigh to end the League Two club’s resistance.

Unrelenting rainfall caused heavy ground underfoot and one penalty area in particular- that of Grimsby’s Smith in the first half – was already a quagmire before kick-off.

Charles Vernam shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box with just 43 seconds on the clock as Grimsby sought to catch their top-flight visitors cold.

Wolves had to wait until the 17th minute for their first opportunity of note, forward Tolu Arokodare firing over with a first-time attempt.

The white paint of the pitch markings soon blended and blurred with the mud as the surface rapidly deteriorated, and both sides struggled to stitch together cohesive attacks as passes travelled unpredictably across the sodden ground.

 

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