The Ivory Coast snatched a 2-1 win over Togo Gervinho's 88th-minute goal at the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday. A nasty defensive blunder could have allowed Togo to take the lead as early as the second minute when Emmanuel Adebayor beat his former Manchester City team-mate Kolo Toure to a back pass and found himself facing goalkeeper Copa Barry, but the Spurs forward failed to seize the opportunity.
Ivory Coast made Togo pay for the miss six minutes later, when Gervinho beat two defenders from the right flank and managed to lay the ball of to Yaya Toure, who struck through a forest to put his side 1-0 ahead at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg.
Ivory Coast, beaten finalists against Zambia in last season's competition, dominated possession with short and sharp passing but the Sparrow Hawks stood firm, with defender Vincent Bossou marshalling Didier Drogba.
As the half wore on, Gervinho picked a loose ball, surged down the flank and cut inside the Togo box before cutting back to onrushing Yaya Toure, who crashed his effort against the crossbar, missing a genuine chance to make it 2-0 with five minutes left in the half.
In first-half injury time, Togo's Jonathan Ayite bundled home a free-kick past the sprawling Copa to see the two teams go in level at the break.
Seeking to restore their advantage, Ivory Coast began the second half at a frenetic pace, with Gervinho and Drogba both spurning chances.
The Elephants' coach Sabri Lamouchi brought in former Chelsea winger Salomon Kalou and Newcastle's Cheick Tiote to energize his lacklustre side, as Togo saw a goal disallowed from a corner kick for taking the kick before the referee had blown his whistle.
With time running out and no sign of the decisive goal arriving, Lamouchi replaced veteran Drogba with the Eredivisie top scorer, Wilfried Bony of Vitesse Arnhem.
Immediately after the change, Gervinho found himself with time and space inside the area, setting up Yaya Toure, who shot straight at Agassa Kossi.
It looked as if Togo would hold out for a valuable draw, only for Arsenal man Gervinho to score from a tight angle with two minutes to go in normal time.
Togo also had their last chance to equalize when Adebayor lobbed a cross over the Ivorian defence for Ayite, who squared for Dakonam Djene, but Copa intercepted.
The Ivory Coast became the second team after Mali to record a win in the 2013 tournament.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Bafana captain Bongani Khumalo is desperate for his team to make the most of their second chance at Afcon when they come up against Angola in Durban.
South Africa were held to a goalless draw by minnows Cape Verde Islands in the tournament opener on Saturday, with their lacklustre showing coming in for heavy criticism.
"The first game is now gone. If there's any lesson to be learnt it's that you hardly get any second chances in tournaments," Khumalo said on Tuesday.
"So we're very fortunate that we're still in it, and we have another game on Wednesday.
"It's important that we forget about the past and make sure we don't repeat our mistakes."
The disappointment of the opening result, in the broader context, was somewhat lessened later on Saturday when the other two teams in the group, Morocco and Angola, also played to a goalless draw.
Supporting the team The Greece-based defender highlighted the importance of supporting the team at this crucial stage, when doubts have been raised about their capability to reach the latter stages of the tournament.
"Obviously it's been said that nerves may have gotten the better of some players," he said.
"That happens sometimes, and it's important that the other players around support them and make sure they can come back up again."
Khumalo defended his own form in the national jersey, saying: "That [questions about my form] is news to me. My job is just to focus on the team and what we're trying to achieve.
"In terms of the critics, people will always have their opinions in football, that's the nature of the game. In my mind, I don't really spend much time worrying about those people."
He said Bafana would be going all out to beat the Antelopes.
Main motivation "Our main motivation is as simple as winning," Khumalo said.
"Obviously when you win games, everything else falls into place.
"That's how people are proud of you and that's how you bring joy to a nation – it's by winning games. As professional players, we really know what we have to do here. We have one aim on our minds and that's to win."
Coach Gordon Igesund confirmed on Tuesday that midfielders Kagisho Dikgacoi and Lerato Chabangu had been ruled out of the match, due to a knee and groin injury respectively. – Sapa
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Goals are on short supply in South Africa as the 2013 African Cup of Nations enters its first full week.
In fact, not a single shot found the net on Saturday as Group A kicked off in Johannesburg with the hosts coming to a scoreless draw against Cape Verde and Angola versus Morocco doing just the same.
Sunday was a bit more productive in Nelson Mandela Bay as Ghana tied Congo DR at two goals a piece, then Mali beat Niger by a score of 1-0.
Monday’s matches in Mbombela – Zambia v. Ethiopia, Nigeria v. Burkina Faso – were both 1-1 draws.
Cote d’ Ivoire edged Togo by a tally of 2-1 to open Tuesday’s play in Rustenburg. Tunisia against Algeria is the night cap.
Preliminary play runs through Jan. 30.
Bahrain Bids for 2019 Asian Cup
Bahrain will bid for the 2019 Asian Cup after hosting the recent Gulf Cup.
BFA President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa (WFI)
In fact, President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa cited the Bahrain Football Association’s successful staging of the eight-team tournament, won Friday by United Arab Emirates, when submitting an initial application to the Asian Football Confederation on Monday.
"It is still a long road to when the hosts will be announced and there will be a lot of work for us to do until then, but so far we are happy with the initial bid we have submitted to the AFC," his BFA colleague, technical director and competitions committee head Hassan Ismail, was quoted Tuesday by Gulf Daily New.
Other countries with a reported interest in 2019 include Oman, Iran and Uzbekistan as well as a joint bid from Saudi Arabia and UAE. It’s expected the AFC will announce a winner at the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia.
UEFA Women’s Champions League Tickets
Ticket sales are underway for the final match of the 2013 UEFA Women’s Champions League.
It’s the second time in three years London will do the hosting, this time at Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge on Thursday, May 23.
“The UEFA Women’s Champions League final is the pinnacle of the European women’s club football season,” said UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino.
Kelly Simmons, director of national game and women's football for the Football Association, added: “Stamford Bridge is a fantastic setting for this year's final, and will provide fans with a great opportunity to watch top-level European football in England."
Tickets start at five British pounds for juniors (under 18) as well as seniors (over 65) and cost £10 for adults. Packages for disabled supporters include a free seat for an accompanying person.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Nigeria Monday night, marked their return to Africa Cup of Nations with a fumbling 1-1 draw with Burkina Faso in a Group C match at the Mbombela Stadium
In a largely uneventful game watched by vuvuzela-sounding fans, Emmanuel Emenike edged the Nigerians in front in the 23rd minute but sloppy defending by Godfrey Oboabona and Joseph Yobo gifted the Burnikabes a precious and well deserved draw, after Alain Traore equalised in the last minute of injury time.
For most period of the game, the Eagles looked out of sorts as they failed to stamp authority in a match that a first half goal ought to have given them the confidence to play better than they did. Save for Mikel, the others were making textbook errors. Mikel was voted man of the match. The goal by Emenike was the only silver lining that the Nigerian could hold on to.
It was a real poacher’s goal from the Spartak Moscow forward, who dived to poke the ball home from close range ahead of the onrushing Burkina Faso goalkeeper Abdoulaye Soulama, after a deft knockdown from strike partner Brown Ideye.
But after the goal, the Eagles threw caution into the wind as they were booked for reckless fouls. The likes of Fegor Ogude, Efe Ambrose, Nosa Igiebor, Mikel all got booked by the Algerian referee. Efe pulled a defender’s shirt and this earned him the red card.
The one man advantage paid for the Burkinabes, who mounted pressure on the Eagles and deservedly got their equaliser in the 94th minute.
Jonathan Pitroipa got clear in the penalty area but the chance looked to have been wasted as he put in a poor cut back while falling over. But the centre back pair of Yobo and Oboabona, then got in each others way, allowing substitute Alain Traore to expertly place his shot past Vincent Enyeama.
Were you disappointed with the Eagles performance? Can you bank on them? Do you see Nigeria qualifying from this group stage? What is your advice to Keshi?
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
A 27-year-old commercial sex worker, Nkechi Okafor, who was accused of murdering a client, Abiodun Sarumi, has been sentenced to six years imprisonment.
Okafor was Monday, sentenced by Justice Lateefa Okunnu of an Ikeja High Court to six years imprisonment, starting from the time she was remanded in prison custody.
The prosecution had earlier charged Miss Okafor for murder, but later amended the charge to manslaughter.
Okunnu said from evidence before her, Miss Okafor acted on impulse by stabbing Sarumi but without the intention to kill.
She noted that her defence for the act was not enough to exonerate her of the crime. After the judge pronounced the judgment, Miss Okafor, pleaded with the court, amid sobs, to have mercy on her, saying she didn’t have anybody to help her and that she was sorry for what happened.
Her defence counsel, Mrs. A. Onabolu, who also pleaded on her behalf, said the defendant was a young woman in her prime, a first offender and that she was sorry for what happened. It will be recalled that the accused was first arraigned on March 16, 2012, on a one-count charge of murder.
The prosecuting counsel, Olabisi Ogungbesan, had told the court that the accused on March 2, 2010, at about 23:30 hours, at Nice Time Hotel, Old Ipaja Road, Lagos, killed her client, one Mr. Abiodun Sarumi, by stabbing him with a bottle on his shoulder, close to the armpit.
Ogungbesan said investigation carried out in the matter by Inspector Ada Erondu from state Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Lagos, confirmed that when she visited the scene of the crime at Nice Time Hotel, she saw broken glasses of the window of the hotel. She said the sex worker admitted that she stabbed Sarumi but that she didn’t know that he was going to die.
She added that on the said date of the crime, Sarumi came out with blood all over him and was shouting for help.
Ogungbesan said an angry mob, which saw Sarumi in blood, wanted to kill Nkechi, who ran back to the room and locked herself in.
In her evidence-in-chief, Okafor claimed that she killed the victim in self-defence.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
First trimester abortions are just as safe when performed by trained nurse practitioners, physician assistants and certified nurse midwives as when conducted by physicians, according to a new six-year study led by University of California, San Francisco, UCSF.
The study published in the American Journal of Public Health comes a week before the 40th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal in the United States.
Currently in the United States, a patchwork of state regulations determines who can provide abortions, with several states specifically prohibiting non-physician clinicians from performing the procedure.
The new study was designed to evaluate the safety of early aspiration abortions when performed by nurse practitioners, physician assistants and certified nurse midwives trained in the procedure.
Legal waiver
The study was conducted under a legal waiver from the Health Workforce Pilot Projects Programme, a division of the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. California law requires a legal clarification about who can perform aspiration abortions.
The researchers report that the results show the pool of abortion providers could be safely expanded beyond physicians to include other trained health care professionals.
They found that nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and physician assistants can provide early abortion care that is clinically as safe as physicians. They also found that outpatient abortion is very safe, whether it is provided by physicians or by nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives or physician assistants.
Nationally, 92 percent of abortions take place in the first trimester but studies find that black, uninsured and low-income women continue to have less access to this care, according to the researchers.
In California, 13 percent of women using state Medicaid insurance obtain abortions after the first trimester. Because the average cost of a second trimester abortion is substantially higher than a first trimester procedure and abortion complications increase as the pregnancy advances, shifting the population distribution of abortions to earlier gestations may result in safer, less costly care, according to the research team.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ACTIVITES at Lagos Island Local Government and the Governor’s office, Alausa, Ikeja, were paralysed, yesterday, as hundreds of Lagos Island Fashion Dealers Association members, protested over the continued closure of Breadfruit Street by Governor Babatunde Fashola.
This came as members of the State House of Assembly, urged the State Master Bakers and Caterers Association to come up with ways including sending a bill to House to check quackery in industry.
Chairman, House Committee on Health Services, Suuru Avoseh, gave the advice during a meeting between the Committee and association of Master Baker and Caterers, yesterday, at the assembly complex, Alausa, Ikeja.
The aggrieved traders who trooped to the streets as early as 9:00 a.m., marched through various streets on the ever busy Central Business District, CBD,, chanting anti- government slogans to express their displeasure over the continued closure of the street largely occupied by foot wears traders.
It would be recalled that fire gutted Euroasia Plaza, a five-storey building housing the traders and a branch of a commercial bank, on October 27, 2012, prompting the governor to order its immediate closure.
Some of the streets occupied by the traders affected by the closure include Martins Street, Broad Street, Balogun Street and others.
On Broad Street, the traders mounted road blocks and disrupted free flow of traffic.
The traders displayed placards with inscriptions such as: “We want our stalls reopened, Three months after Euroasia inferno, we are tired of sitting at home, Is there government in Nigeria, Our children are suffering, Please, Fashola, come to our aid and others.”
The traders said “all we want is for Governor Babatunde Fashola to order that our stalls be re-opened for us to commence business activities.
The inferno wasn’t as bad as the Jankara fire-crackers explosion. And their market has been re-opened.”
Chairman of the association, Mr. Arinze Ugonabo, said “Since the incident, the government has relocated pupils of St. Paul Primary School on the street. But we have not been allowed to make use of our shops.
One would have expected the state government to compensate the traders, but what we received from the government was closure.
The traders later trooped to the Governor’s Office, Alausa, and barricaded the premises.
They barricaded the entrance to the Governor’s Office and other roads, obstructing the free flow of traffic for several hours.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
EIGHTEEN decomposed bodies evacuated from Ezu River on the border town of Amansea, between Enugu and Anambra states, will today be subjected to autopsy to be jointly carried out by Anambra and Enugu State governments and their police commands.
Anambra State police commissioner, Mr. Bala Nassarawa, gave the figure yesterday while addressing Divisional Police Officers, DPOs, and other senior police officers in the state. Nassarawa confirmed that all the dead bodies were males, adding that three bodies had been selected for the autopsy because the other 15 had become too bad.
He said: “We have also discovered that there were no gun injuries or matchet cuts on their bodies as being speculated and the dead bodies were not up to 30 or 50 as rumored.”
According to him, the Commissioner of Police in charge of medicals, the state Commissioner for Health and pathologists from the two states would be involved in carrying out the autopsy.
Nasarawa stated further that investigations were still continuing on the matter, assuring that the police would be providing additional information on the matter at the right time.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ELEVEN years after the Ikeja Cantonment bomb blasts that led to the death of over 1000 Nigerians with 12000 rendered homeless, victims of the disaster are still awaiting a compensation package promised by the Federal Government.
It was gathered that the Federal Government had earlier given N500,000 each, as a temporal relief package to parents who lost a child or children and those whose bodies were recovered, while N250, 000 each were given to parents who could not find their children, with a promise to pay actual compensation after 10 years.
As of press time, the victims are still waiting for the compensation without any positive response from Federal Government’s agents, who have continued to keep mum over the issue.
Chairman of the Association of the affected victims, Mr. Olaniran Majekodunni, could not be reached at press time but the secretary, Mr. John Adebayo Orire, who lost his son in the incident, decried the Federal Government’s lackadaisical attitude towards the victims, saying, “we are staging a peaceful protest during the 11th anniversary.”
He continued: “It is saddening that 11 years after, the Federal Government has been playing games with us on the issue of compensation. Though, we are not saying that what they are giving us could actually compensate the lives that were lost, but at least it would go a long way in healing some of the wounds.”
“We are already planning a peaceful demonstration against Federal Government’s failure to fulfill its compensation promise to the victims. Come January 27, 2013, we are carrying placards in protest.
“We have written to federal government, through our lawyer, Femi Falana, on several occasions without hearing from any of their agents. We are lost, but will see to its logical conclusion.”
Lagos plans low-key commemoration Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, who recently gave 70 verified families the sum of N250,000.00 each as compensation, had in 2012 set up a 10-man anniversary committee to ensure proper and successful commemoration of the anniversary.
Led by the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Obafemi Hamzat, the members include Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr Wale Ahmed; Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa; Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba and chairman of Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, as well as Permanent Secretaries of the four ministries.
The state government is however planning a low key 11th anniversary, come next Sunday, January 27.
Indeed, January 27, 2002 was horrendous in the history of Lagos and the entire nation. The Ikeja military cantonment was a large military cantonment and storage area in the city of Lagos, situated north of the city centre near the districts of Isolo and Onigbongo.
The base was being used to store a large quantity of “high calibre bombs” and other sundry explosives. On the afternoon of January 27, a fire broke out in a street market being held next to the base, which was also home to the families of soldiers. At around 6 pm the fire apparently spread to the base’s main munitions store, causing an enormous explosion. The blast killed many of the base staff and their families and immediately destroyed several nearby streets, flying debris starting numerous fires further away.
Also thrown up by the blast were thousands of unexploded military munitions, which fell in a rain of exploding shells, grenades and bullets casting further destruction across most of the northern section of the city. Thousands of people from Ikeja and neighbouring districts, seeing explosions and fires breaking out, fled their houses in an attempt to leave the affected areas. As the streets became more and more crowded, explosions amid the fleeing crowds from shells falling from the initial explosion created panic.
A stampede developed as panicking people fled in all directions, trampling those who fell underfoot. It was also reported that people were jumping from burning high-rise buildings and being killed in desperate attempts to cross the busy Ikeja dual carriageway.
In far away Ejigbo area, most people who ran towards Oke-Afa, drowned in the canal. Most of them, oblivious of quick sand in the canal, drowned as they fell over one another. Local divers did their best to rescue the unfortunate victims but many died before they could get help.
The final death toll is hard to compute, although the Red Cross claimed that at least 1,000 bodies were recovered and a number of people were reported missing and never found. In addition to the dead, at least 5,000 people were injured in the disaster and over 12,000 left homeless, with entire districts of the city gutted. About 20,000 people fled the city on the night of the explosion, and the survivors gradually returned over the course of the weeks.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Heartlessness of man. How can a mother or father burial her own baby alive. This is unimaginable. This baby was dug out this morning somewhere in Lagos and miraculously the baby is alive. Instead of burying the baby alive, why not package him and drop him off in front of someone's house.
Some members of a community in Lagos found a baby who was buried alive yesterday.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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