NEWS – Page 59 – Football Flame

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Teenager Ouattara scores winner as Burkina Faso reach AFCON semi-final

Dango Ouattara (28) of Burkina Faso celebrates after scoring a goal with his teammates during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 quarter final football match between Burkina Faso and Tunisia at the Stade Roumde Adjia in Garoua, Cameroon on January 29, 2022.Teenager Dango Ouattara scored on the stroke of halftime to ensure a 1-0 win for Burkina Faso over Tunisia in their Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final at the Roumde Adjia Stadium on Saturday.Ouattara, 19, held off two defenders to strike home the ball from close range after a breakaway attack in the third minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half.The striker, who later got himself sent off, was set on his way by a pass from inside his own half from Blati Toure as the Burkinabe played a clever counter-attacking game to advan...
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Sadio Mane on target but suffers head injury in Senegal’s win over Cape Verde

Senegal's forward Sadio Mane controls the ball during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 round of 16 football match between Senegal and Cape Verde at Stade de Kouekong in Bafoussam on January 25, 2022. Senegal’s Sadio Mane scored but then went off with a head injury as they beat nine-man Cape Verde Islands 2-0 in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations at the Kouekong Stadium in Bafoussam on Tuesday.Mane fired home from a set-piece after 62 minutes but had been hurt earlier in a nasty clash of heads with Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, who was sent off for the incident.Liverpool forward Mane then left the field shortly afterwards complaining of a headache and could be a doubt for the quarter-final in Limbe on Sunday.Substitute Bamba Dieng scored the second goal deep in stoppage time agai...
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Cameroon overcome plucky Comoros to advance to AFCON quarterfinals

Cameroon's forward Vincent Aboubakar (L) celebrates with Cameroon's forward Karl Toko Ekambi (R) after scoring his team's second goal during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 round of 16 football match between Cameroon and Comoros at Stade d'Olembe in Yaounde on January 24, 2022. Hosts Cameroon made heavy work of beating 10-man Comoros Islands 2-1 on Monday night to advance to the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarterfinal stage.Comoros Islands had almost everything against them in the last 16 as they missed a number of key players, including goalkeepers, due to an outbreak of Covid-19 in their camp.Karl Toko Ekambi and Vincent Aboubakar scored the home team's goals at the Olembe Stadium to eliminate the debutants, who were forced to use a fullback in goal and had their captain sent of...
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Balotelli Back for Italy After More Than Three Years

Mario Balotelli of Italy smiles during a training session on October 14, 2013 in Naples, Italy. Mario Balotelli is back in the Italy squad more than three years after his last appearance in an Azzurri shirt.Italy coach Roberto Mancini included the striker in a 35-man squad announced Monday for a three-day training camp this week, ahead of the World Cup playoffs in March.The 31-year-old Balotelli made the last of his 36 international appearances in a 1-1 draw against Poland in the Nations League in September 2018.Balotelli is playing for Turkish side Adana Demirspor, where he has scored eight goals in 19 league appearances.Mancini knows Balotelli well, having worked with him at Inter Milan and Manchester City, and Italy has lacked a consistent goalscorer, with Ciro Immobile and Andrea Belot...
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Alex Iwobi sent off as Nigeria knocked out of AFCON by Tunisia

Senegalese referee Maguette N'Diaye (2R) gives a red card to Nigeria's forward Alex Iwobi (unseen) during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 round of 16 football match between Nigeria and Tunisia at Stade Roumde Adjia in Garoua on January 23, 2022. Everton’s Alex Iwobi was sent off just seven minutes after coming on as Nigeria crashed out of the Africa Cup of Nations with a 1-0 defeat to Tunisia in the round of 16.Iwobi was dismissed when his yellow card for a challenge on Youssef Msakni was upgraded to red after a VAR check in the 64th minute.The three-time Afcon winners were already trailing to Msakni’s strike from distance two minutes after the restart, with the ball squirming through Maduka Okoye’s grasp.There was no way back for them with Tunisia advancing to a quarter-final date wi...
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Copa Del Rey: Atletico Madrid dumped out by Real Sociedad

Adnan Januzaj of Real Sociedad competes for the ball with Renan Lodi of Atletico de Madrid during the Copa Del Rey round of 16 match between Real Sociedad and Atletico de Madrid at Reale Arena on January 19, 2022 in San Sebastian, Spain.Atletico Madrid's season went from bad to worse on Wednesday as they were knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Real Sociedad. A comfortable 2-0 victory for La Real sent them through to the quarter-finals while Atletico are left needing to beat Manchester United in the Champions League last 16 to have any chance of rescuing their season. Diego Simeone's team are effectively out of the La Liga title race already given they sit 16 points behind Real Madrid and they were beaten by Athletic Bilbao last week in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup.The...
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AFCON: Nigeria complete perfect Group D run against Guinea-Bissau

Nigeria's forward Umar Sadiq (L) celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Group D Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2021 football match between Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria at Stade Roumde Adjia in Garoua on January 19, 2022.Striker Sadiq Umar scored his first goal for Nigeria as they eased to a 2-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau in the Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday to ensure a full haul of nine points in Group D and oust their opponents from the tournament in Cameroon.Umar, who has been criticised for some glaring misses in previous games, netted when Kelechi Iheanacho’s excellent pass with the outside of his boot across the goal provided a tap-in at the back post for the tall forward .Nigeria were in cruise control and scored a second as William Troost Ekong netted from close-...
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AFCON: Senegal finish top of group, Ghana out

Ghana's forward Andre Ayew (L) collides with Comoros' goalkeeper Salim Ben Boina (down, R) leading to a foul and a red card for Ayew during the Group C Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 football match between Ghana and Comoros at Stade Roumde Adjia in Garoua on January 18, 2022.Four-time champions Ghana have been eliminated in the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-2 loss to tournament debutants Comoros, in a shocker that outweighed a string of surprises in Cameroon.Ghana fell behind in the fourth minute, had captain Andre Ayew sent off in the 25th and were 2-0 down in the 61st.The Ghanaians levelled with two goals in 13 minutes late in the game, only to concede again when Ahmed Mogni swept in his second goal in the 85th minute to give Comoros the greatest victory in their hi...
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Robert Lewandowski beats Messi & Salah to Fifa’s The Best Men’s Player award

Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Muenchen looks dejected during the Bundesliga match between 1. FC Köln and FC Bayern München at RheinEnergieStadion on January 15, 2022 in Cologne, Germany.Robert Lewandowski was named The Best Men’s Player at Fifa’s award ceremony for 2021 on Monday night.The Bayern Munich striker broke Gerd Muller’s record for goals in a single Bundesliga season en route to another title in the German top-flight for the Bavarians.As the 2020 winner, Lewandowski defended his crown up against Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah in an award voted for by international managers, captains, media and fans.Appearing via video link at the Zurich event, he was handed the trophy by Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn while stood alongside coach Julian Nagelsmann. The Pole said: “I am very honoured, I fee...
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Marseille get transfer ban for Gueye deal

 Pape GUEYE of OM during the Ligue 1 match between AS Monaco and Marseille at Stade Louis II on January 23, 2021 in Monaco, Monaco.Ligue 1 club Olympique Marseille have been handed a one-year transfer ban by FIFA for their involvement in a long-running transfer dispute with Watford over Senegal international Pape Gueye, the Premier League club have said.Gueye had been in the Senegal line-up to take on Guinea in an Africa Cup of Nations match in Bafoussam on Friday, but was taken off the team sheet after being suspended by FIFA.According to French sports daily L'Equipe, Gueye's suspension was the latest twist in a saga that started two years ago when the French-born midfielder signed a pre-contract at Watford ahead of the end of his deal at Ligue 2 club Le Havre.The newspaper said that...
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Burkina Faso into second round after draw with Ethiopia

Ethiopia's defender Aschalew Tamene (C) heads the ball during the Group A Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 football match between Burkina Faso and Ethiopia at Stade de Kouekong in Bafoussam on January 17, 2022.Burkina Faso secured a place in the knockout stage at the Africa Cup of Nations after Cyrille Bayala’s first half goal helped them to an uninspiring 1-1 draw with Ethiopia and second place in Group A at the Kouekong Stadium in Bafoussam on Monday.Bayala netted midway through the opening period but his goal was cancelled out by an 82nd penalty by Ethiopia striker Getaneh Kebede that earned his side their only point of the tournament.Ethiopia's midfielder Amanuel Yohannes (C-L) fights for the ball with Burkina Faso's forward Cyrille Bayala (C-R) during the Group A Africa Cup of Nations...
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Real Madrid lift Super Cup with 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao

The Real Madrid squad celebrates after the game against Athletic Bilbao at King Abdullah Sports City on January 16, 2022 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.Real Madrid won the Spanish Super Cup by beating Athletic Bilbao 2-0 on Sunday as Luka Modric, and a Karim Benzema penalty secured a comfortable victory in Saudi Arabia.Modric's curling finish towards the end of the first half and Benzema's strike early in the second sealed the win for Madrid, who claimed their first trophy in Carlo Ancelotti's second spell as coach.Athletic had beaten La Liga champions Atletico Madrid to reach the final but were well beaten this time at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by a slick, organized Real Madrid side that has now lost only once in 20 matches.They had brief hope in the 87th minute when they we...
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Sierra Leone snatch late draw against Ivory Coast

Sierra Leone's forward Musa Noah Kamara (C) celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Group E Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 football match between Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone at Stade de Japoma in Douala on January 16, 2022.Sierra Leone scored a dramatic injury-time equaliser to grab a 2-2 draw against Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations in Douala.The Elephants had been coasting but an astonishing mistake from Badra Sangare allowed Alhadji Kamara to tap in.Keeper Sangare fumbled a back-header and could only watch helplessly as Kamara secured a second successive draw for the Leone Stars in Group E.It means they have every hope of going through to the last 16.Sierra Leone have two points from two games, while the Ivorians top the group with four points to their name.Ivory ...
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Nigeria 3-1 Sudan: Super Eagles cruise into AFCON last-16

Sudan's midfielder Walieldin Khidir (R) fights for the ball with Nigeria's forward Samuel Chukwueze during the Group D Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 football match between Nigeria and Sudan at Stade Roumde Adjia in Garoua on January 15, 2022.Nigeria cruised past Sudan 3-1 at the Africa Cup of Nations to guarantee their place in the last-16 with a match to spare.Building on their impressive win over Mohamed Salah and seven-time champions Egypt in a heavyweight Group D opener in midweek, the Super Eagles brushed aside limited opposition on Saturday evening thanks to goals from Samuel Chukwueze, Taiwo Awoniyi and Moses Simon.Walieldin Khedr Safour Daiyeen got Sudan off the mark at their first AFCON tournament for a decade with a consolation penalty in the second half after a foul by Ola Ai...
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Doctors find heart lesions on Gabon and Arsenal star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal looks dejected after the Premier League match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park on December 6, 2021 in Liverpool, England.Gabon and Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been diagnosed with heart lesions at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon after contracting coronavirus.This ruled Aubameyang out of Friday’s game against Ghana and put the rest of his role in the Africa Cup in doubt.The “cardiac lesions” were found in a check by Confederation of African Football medical officials, who had examined Aubameyang to ensure he was good to play after returning following a positive Covid-19 test, the Gabon federation said in a statement.After two games, Morocco has qualified for the knockout rounds with six points, Gabon is on four points, ...
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Sadio Mane fails to fire Senegal in AFCON draw

Senegal's forward Sadio Mane reacts during the Group B Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 football match between Senegal and Guinea at Stade de Kouekong in Bafoussam on January 14, 2022. Pre-tournament favourites Senegal failed to impress again as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Guinea at the Africa Cup of Nations but the result all but ensures both teams' progress to the knockout stages.Senegal, heavily impacted by COVID-19 infections, share top spot in Group B on four points with west African rivals Guinea after both teams won their respective opening games on Monday.With the top two in each group, plus the four best third-placed finishers to advance, four points is expected to be enough for a place in the last 16.Senegal, however, have done little to live up to their tag as the team ...
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Messi to miss another PSG game, says COVID recovery slow

Lionel Messi during the French championship Ligue 1 football match between Stade de Reims and Paris Saint-Germain on August 29, 2021 at Auguste Delaune stadium in Reims, France.Lionel Messi will miss another game for Paris Saint-Germain after acknowledging that his recovery from COVID-19 has been slower than expected.The Argentina forward won't be available for Saturday's game against Brest at Parc des Princes, PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino said Friday.The 34-year-old Messi missed PSG's 1-1 draw at Lyon last Sunday when the French league returned from its winter break. Messi had become infected while home in Argentina. He later tested negative and returned to Paris.Messi said in a social media post on Thursday that “it has taken me more time than I had expected to get better” but that he's...
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Northern Ireland announce friendly with Hungary

Conor Washington of Northern Ireland sees his late effort blocked by Francesco Acerbi during the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier match between Northern Ireland and Italy at Windsor Park on November 15, 2021 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.Northern Ireland will play Hungary in a friendly in March as part of their preparations for the upcoming Nations League campaign.The match will take place at Windsor Park in Belfast on March 29, four days after Ian Baraclough's men are due to face Luxembourg in another friendly away from home.While the match in Luxembourg will pit Northern Ireland against a fellow side due to compete in League C when Nations League play gets under way in June, Hungary were last year promoted to League A - where they have been drawn against England, Italy and Germany.Domenico B...
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Jurgen Klopp accepts Liverpool ‘truth’ with blunt admission after Arsenal draw

Aaron Ramsdale of Arsenal is congratulated by Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool after the final whistle during the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg match between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield on January 13, 2022 in Liverpool, England.Jurgen Klopp accepts his Liverpool side struggled for creativity in their goalless draw with Arsenal in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.And the Reds boss has called on the players to respond at the Emirates next Thursday when they are entertained by the Gunners with a place in the final up for grabs against Chelsea.Granit Xhaka was sent off for Arsenal at Anfield after less than half an hour, but a Liverpool team without top scorer Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane or Naby Keita were unable to take full advantage.A disappointing performance saw the Reds registe...
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Egypt wait for Salah lift-off after poor AFCON start

Egypt's captain Mohamed Salah speaks during the pre-match press conference in Garoua on January 10, 2022.Egypt will expect more from star man Mohamed Salah against Guinea-Bissau as the record seven-time champions attempt to bounce back from an opening loss to Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations.The Liverpool forward cut an isolated and frustrated figure as Egypt lost 1-0 to the Super Eagles in Garoua, suffering their first group stage defeat at the continental tournament since 2004.It could be argued there is no better player in the world right now than the 29-year-old forward, who has scored 54 times for Liverpool since the start of last season.But Salah has struggled to hit those same heights of late for his country, and is without a goal for Egypt in his last six appearances having dra...
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