Cameroon soccer great Emmanuel Kundé dies at age 68
YAOUNDE, Cameroon: Emmanuel Kundé, Cameroon’s defensive anchor on the first African team to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup, has died, the country’s soccer federation said. He was 68.
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Sol Campbell, a wardrobe of a man, glides into one of the meeting rooms in Dublin's Westbury Hotel, cheerful and chilled.
Real Madrid beats Atletico on penalties in Champions League. Arsenal, Villa, Dortmund also advance
Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid in a Champions League penalty shootout — again — to keep its title defense alive Wednesday and advance to the quarterfinals. Defender Antonio Rüdiger scored the decisive spot-kick in a 4-2 shootout win after two Atletico players missed. Marco Llorente’s shot struck the bar after Julian Alvarez’s score despite slipping was disallowed because he touched the ball twice. Madrid also beat Atletico in a shootout to win the 2016 final — part of a streak of eliminating its city rival in the knockout rounds for four straight years, starting with the 2014 final. Madrid moves on to the quarterfinals to face Arsenal, which also advanced Wednesday along with Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund.
Dortmund fight back to beat Lille and reach Champions League quarters
LILLE, France: Borussia Dortmund recovered from losing an early goal to fight back and beat Lille 2-1 in France in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday, sealing a 3-2 aggregate victory and a place in the quarter-finals. Jonathan David gave Lille an early lead on the night, putting the French club ahead in the tie after last week’s 1-1 first-leg draw. However, Emre Can squared things by converting a penalty for Dortmund on 54 minutes, and Maximilian Beier then fired in a fine winner for last season’s runners-up. Dortmund will now face Barcelona in the quarter-finals next month, having already lost 3-2 at home to the Catalans during the league phase in December. The result is a huge boost for Dortmund and their recently-appointed coach Niko Kovac, coming as the club languishes in 10th place in the Bundesliga. It is a massive disappointment for Lille, who were hoping to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history after an outstanding performance during the league phase. They finished seventh out of 36 teams, beating both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid on the way, while also holding Juventus and putting six past Feyenoord. Lille appeared to be in a strong position after coming from behind to draw in Dortmund last week, and they went in front in the tie when Canada forward David scored in the fifth minute. Ismaily’s low ball in from the left was swept toward goal by David, somehow going in through the legs of Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. It was David’s seventh goal in this season’s Champions League, but it seemed to galvanize the visitors. They were denied an equalizer by a remarkable double save from Lille ‘keeper Lucas Chevalier in the midst of a
Messi to travel with Miami for Jamaican tie
MIAMI, USA: Lionel Messi, who has sat out Inter Miami’s last three games, will travel to Jamaica for Thursday’s CONCACAF Champions Cup match with Kingston side Cavalier, coach Javier Mascherano said on Wednesday. Messi missed Inter’s 4-1 win at the Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer on Mar. 2 and then the 2-0 midweek home win over Cavalier in the first leg of the last-16 tie against the Jamaicans. The Argentine then sat unused on the bench for Sunday’s 1-0 win over Charlotte in MLS, with Mascherano saying the caution over using the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was based on managing his workload and not an injury. Speaking to the media before the team flew out to the Caribbean Island nation, Mascherano, a former team-mate of Messi’s at Barcelona, said the forward would be making the trip. “Leo Messi is on the roster and will travel with the team to Jamaica.
Muslim Boxing Awards return to Birmingham this month to honor British Muslim fighters
LONDON: Top British Muslim boxers will be honored at an awards event on March 22 in Birmingham, which organizers describe as a celebration of fighters’ careers and the values of fairness within the sport.
Former star Eto’o elected to CAF executive by acclamation
JOHANNESBURG: Former Cameroon star Samuel Eto’o was elected to the CAF executive committee by acclamation in Cairo on Wednesday as he was the lone candidate from the central Africa region. The 44-year-old became eligible only last week after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned a CAF ban on the ex-Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea forward. His elevation to the executive of the African governing body came at a CAF extraordinary general assembly — an annual meeting of top football officials in the continent. Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) president Eto’o now joins the supreme decision-making body in Africa. The gathering at a hotel overlooking the pyramids also confirmed that South African Patrice Motsepe would serve a second four-year term as CAF president. He was unopposed. Motsepe was elected by acclamation in Morocco four years ago, succeeding Malagasy Ahmad Ahmad, who had been suspended by FIFA over financial misconduct. CAF secretary general Veron Mosengo-Omba is among those who have credited Motsepe with improving the finances and governance of the organization. “Patrice was a gift for African football.
Herve Renard announces Saudi Arabia’s lineup for Asian qualifiers for 2026 World Cup
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s national football team’s French head coach Herve Renard announced on Wednesday the lineup for the seventh and eighth rounds of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. The Green Falcons will host China on March 20 at Al-Awwal Park Stadium before they travel to play against Japan on March 25 at Saitama Stadium 2002. The Frenchman’s list constitutes of 27 players, who will join the Green Falcon’s training camp in Riyadh, starting March 16, ahead of their two qualifiers. The list includes Ahmed Al-Kassar, Nawaf Al-Aqidi, Hamed Yousef, Mishari Sinior, Hassan Kadesh, Jihad Zekri, Saad Al-Moussa, Ali Lajami, Hassan Al-Tambukti, Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti, Saud Abdulhamid, Nawaf Bushel, Ali Majrashi, Faisal Al-Ghamdi, Nasser Al-Dosari, Musab Al-Juwair, Ziad Al-Jahni, Mohammed Kano, Salem Al-Dosari, Turki Al-Ammar, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Ayman Yahya, Muhannad Al-Saad, Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, Marwan Al-Sahafi, Firas Al-Buraikan and Abdullah Al-Salem. The Green Falcons are in Group 3 in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, alongside Japan, Australia, Bahrain, China and Indonesia.