AFP

Ghana suffered a collossal blow to their hopes of qualifying for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals when their star player, Michael Essien, was ruled out of Tuesday’s game against Burkina Faso.

Chelsea’s star midfielder misses the final Group B game in Luanda after injuring his right knee in training on Saturday. Reports suggest he has torn the medial collateral ligament in his right knee and damage to his meniscus leaving him facing at least one month on the sidelines.

The 27-year-old is walking with the aid of crutches. FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers Ghana are one point behind Burkina Faso and the four-time champions need a win to avoid being eliminated after the first round of the biennial African football showpiece.

A fully fit Essien would have given Ghana strength and experience in midfield against a Burkina Faso side that was good enough to hold Côte d’Ivoire to a goalless draw in their opening Group C game.

Ghana striker Matthew Amoah told BBC Sport: “This is a big blow because Michael is so important to our team. We’ve lost the motor in our midfield, and this is very bad.”

Xinhua/Reuters Photo

Shooting incident carried out against a group of separatist Angola Togo national team bus before the African Cup seems to make the South Africans come to talk.

President Jacob Zuma to ensure that the country will host the 2010 World Cup is completely safe. He assured that the shooting incident would not affect Angola to South Africa.

From Angola’s tragedy, cause loss of life and a number of people injured from the Togo national team. They even threatened to resign from the African Cup.

He said sorry for the incident. He also expects Angola provide tight security for a similar incident does not happen again.

Tévez’s preference is to remain at Old Trafford and his agent has held talks with United about securing a permanent deal this summer. The player was an unused substitute for the 3-0 win at home to Chelsea on Sunday.

“I saw Manchester United win without Tévez,” Maradona said. “This isn’t good for him. Certain episodes are bringing closer his exit. Italy and Inter would be excellent solutions. His contract is running out, which makes it easier to change team.”

The Times

Silvestre, a French international defender who currently plays for Arsenal of the English Premier League, started the charity with the goal of building schools around the world and so far it has built several in Niger and Guinea. Schools for Hope is seeking financing for additional schools in Laos, in parts of South America and perhaps the United States.

“When my children first started to go to school I realized that education is the basis for a better life for poor children everywhere in the world,” Silvestre said Wednesday in a telephone interview from London. “I said to myself that I want to act, I want to be involved, with my own money. The focus is not on football at these schools, it is getting a good education, basic skills and professional skills, so the students are able to go out and get a good job.”

The match, scheduled for Sunday, June 14, with an opponent still to be determined, is being called All Stars for Hope.

The European contingent, in addition to Silvestre, will include Thierry Henry (France/Barcelona), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast/Chelsea), Wayne Rooney (England/Manchester United), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Manchester United), Nicolas Anelka (France/Chelsea), Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo/Arsenal), Manuel Almunia (Spain/Arsenal), Frank Lampard (England/Chelsea), Ryan Giggs (Wales/Manchester United) and others. Silvestre said he hopes to enlist Arsenal Coach Arsene Wenger as the all-star’s manager and perhaps entice Pierluigi Collina out of retirement to work the game as the referee.

“We want to have the game in New York because I think that is the best way to get the players involved,” Silvestre said. “After a long season in Europe, they don’t want to do the game in London or Paris, they would find three days in New York to be more attractive. They want to go away from where they live and New York sounds more like a holiday place, it’s magic when you say ‘New York’ and some of the players have never been.”

Silvestre said that the school in Guinea will graduate its first class this year. The school in Niger’s capital, Niamey, draws children whose parents are lepers or otherwise disabled. He said it takes about $68,000 to operate the schools for two years. The charity hopes to raise funds to complete work at the school in Laos and there are plans for schools in Brazil, Argentina, Burkina Faso and perhaps New Orleans.

All the money raised from the sale of tickets to the game, Silvestre said, will go to the charity. The players are donating their time and only their transportation and accommodations will be paid for by Schools for Hope. An auction of memorabilia and items signed by players and teams (like a jersey signed by all the members of Manchester United’s Premier League and Champions League winners) would also benefit the charity.

“I want to make sure this is an entertaining game, a good show,” Silvestre said. “We want to fans to come back, maybe in two years time again in New York.”

NY Times

“Ronaldo is a good player but he is certainly not the best,” said Mourinho.

“He deserved the Golden Ball award because his team won the Champions League and the Premier League. But, for me, Ibrahimovic is the best.”

Mourinho also said he is not chasing Chelsea’s Dider Drogba, but admitted he will let striker Adriano leave Inter.

The 26-year-old Brazilian forward has been linked with a move to Chelsea or a return to his home country, and is apparently now free to leave in the January transfer window.

“(Club president) Massimo Moratti and I want him to stay,” said Mourinho.

“However, if he asked me to leave I would not oppose it. He has 10 years of football left to play.”

He added: “I have never hidden my special relationship with Didier but I do not need another striker as I have Hernan Crespo, Julio Cruz, Mario Balotelli and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

“But Drogba is more than a player for me, he is a part of me, an extension of the coach on the pitch.”

With Italian champions Inter set to face Manchester United in the last 16 of the Champions league next February, Mourinho has begun talking up his players.

And the former Chelsea boss believes his fellow Portuguese, Ronaldo, “is certainly not the best” player in the world.

“When I think how a player should be, names like Kaka, Ibrahimovic and (Lionel) Messi come to mind,” said Mourinho.

“Messi is great and in two or three years’ time he will win the Golden Ball (Ballon d’Or) award.”

BBC

Barcelona`s Argentine forward Lionel Messi was second, with Liverpool and Spain striker Fernando Torres third.

Spain midfielder Xavi Hernandez, also of Barcelona, and AC Milan`s Brazilian playmaker Kaka completed the top five.

Ronaldo won the honour for the first time after helping United win the Premier League, Champions League and Club World Cup.

It also completed a hat-trick of individual honours for the 23-year-old, who had already won the football journalists` Ballon d`Or trophy and the FIFPro World Player of the Year title voted for by his fellow professionals.

“It`s an overwhelming moment, very special,” said Ronaldo after receiving the FIFA award from Pele.

“I can say to my mother and sister, `let the fireworks off now`. It`s one of the most important moments in my life.”

English First

Ronaldo is the first player based at an English club to win the FIFA award, which had previously gone only to footballers playing for Spanish or Italian sides.

“There may be no English players here but I believe it`s important for England that myself and Fernando Torres are here representing two English clubs,” said Ronaldo before the ceremony.

“It is a victory for the English fans as well because the Premier League is strong, even though we must not forget the leagues in Spain and Italy remain strong as well.”

The FIFA award is voted by the national team coaches and captains of the 208-member associations of world soccer`s governing body.

Ronaldo was voted in first place by 136 of the coaches and captains while 76 put Messi top.

The United player picked up 935 total points, ahead of 678 for Messi and 203 for Torres.

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