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Soccer World Cup qualifier: Nigeria trounces Central African Republic

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Nigeria centre-backs Leon Balogun and William Troost-Ekong redeemed themselves by playing key roles in a 2-0 World Cup qualifying away victory over the Central African Republic on Sunday.

They had been criticised for allowing Karl Namnganda to score in the final minute three days ago as the Central African Republic snatched a stunning 1-0 Group C triumph in Lagos.

Balogun from Scottish Premiership giants Rangers was first to make amends, scoring in the 29th minute of the second meeting to put the Super Eagles ahead.

Troost-Ekong, who plays for Premier League outfit Watford, atoned in first-half added time by setting up Napoli sharpshooter Victor Osimhen for the second Nigerian goal.

top the table after four rounds with nine points, two more than Cape Verde, who snatched a 1-0 home win over Liberia thanks to a 90th-minute goal from captain Ryan Mendes.

No one was more relieved after Nigeria turned the tables on the Wild Beasts than coach Gernot Rohr as many Super Eagles supporters had demanded his immediate sacking following the Lagos loss.

“I received a very good reaction from my team. Everybody wanted to avenge what happened on Thursday,” said the 68-year-old German who has been in charge of Nigeria since 2016.

“We altered the system, playing three defenders, and it worked. The leadership of Ahmed Musa was also vital and congratulations to him for winning his 100th cap.

“Central African Republic were difficult opponents. They committed many fouls, which made it hard for us to create rhythm.”

– Musa milestone –

Forward Musa is only the third Nigerian to reach the 100-cap milestone after former Everton defender Joseph Yobo and goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama.

Nigeria visit Liberia and host Cape Verde next month, and the table toppers will join nine other group winners in play-offs during March to decide the five African qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Tanzania, the fifth lowest ranked team among the 40 who qualified for the group stage, won 1-0 in Benin through an early Simon Msuva goal to regain the Group J lead.

They are ahead of Benin on goals scored with top seeds the Democratic Republic of Congo two points adrift after losing 1-0 in Madagascar, whose second-minute winner came from Njiva Rakotoharimalala.

Mali retained a two-point advantage over Uganda in Group E after both countries achieved 1-0 victories to eliminate Kenya and Rwanda from the race to finish first.

Ibrahima Kone, whose hat-trick triggered a Malian goal blitz against the Kenyans last week, netted early in the second half to earn the Eagles maximum points in Nairobi.

Fahad Bayo was another forward to score in successive qualifiers, following up his winner for Uganda in Rwanda three days ago by netting the only goal of the return match in Entebbe.

After scoring 10 goals against the Seychelles in a two-leg preliminary tie, Rwanda have struggled at the higher level of the group stage, notching just one in four outings.

Group B leaders Tunisia failed to defeat Mauritania for the first time in a World Cup qualifier, drawing 0-0 in Nouakchott after winning five previous meetings spanning 21 years.

Former African champions Zambia continue to disappoint in the same section, surrendering a second-half lead given to them by Rangers’ Fashion Sakala in a 1-1 home draw against second-place Equatorial Guinea.

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Donors raise more than 2 billion euros for Sudan aid a year into war

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2 weeks ago

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April 16, 2024

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PARIS/CAIRO, April 15 (Reuters) – Donors pledged more than 2 billion euros ($2.13 billion) for war-torn Sudan at a conference in Paris on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said, on the first anniversary of what aid workers describe as a neglected but devastating conflict.
Efforts to help millions of people driven to the verge of famine by the war have been held up by continued fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), restrictions imposed by the warring sides, and demands on donors from other global crises including in Gaza and Ukraine.
Conflict in Sudan is threatening to expand, with fighting heating up in and around al-Fashir, a besieged aid hub and the last city in the western Darfur region not taken over by the RSF. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people have sought refuge in the area.
“The world is busy with other countries,” Bashir Awad, a resident of Omdurman, part of the wider capital and a key battleground, told Reuters last week. “We had to help ourselves, share food with each other, and depend on God.”
In Paris, the EU pledged 350 million euros, while France and Germany, the co-sponsors, committed 110 million euros and 244 million euros respectively. The United States pledged $147 million and Britain $110 million.
Speaking at the end of the conference, which included Sudanese civilian actors, Macron emphasized the need to coordinate overlapping and so far unsuccessful international efforts to resolve the conflict and to stop foreign support for the warring parties.
“Unfortunately the amount that we mobilised today is still probably less than was mobilised by several powers since the start of the war to help one or the other side kill each other,” he said.
As regional powers compete for influence in Sudan, U.N. experts say allegations that the United Arab Emirates helped arm the RSF are credible, while sources say the army has received weapons from Iran. Both sides have rejected the reports.
The war, which broke out between the Sudanese army and the RSF as they vied for power ahead of a planned transition, has crippled infrastructure, displaced more than 8.5 million people, and cut many off from food supplies and basic services.
“We can manage together to avoid a terrible famine catastrophe, but only if we get active together now,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said, adding that, in the worst-case scenario, 1 million people could die of hunger this year.
The United Nations is seeking $2.7 billion this year for aid inside Sudan, where 25 million people need assistance, an appeal that was just 6% funded before the Paris meeting. It is seeking another $1.4 billion for assistance in neighbouring countries that have housed hundreds of thousands of refugees.
The international aid effort faces obstacles to gaining access on the ground.
The army has said it would not allow aid into the wide swathes of the country controlled by its foes from the RSF. Aid agencies have accused the RSF of looting aid. Both sides have denied holding up relief.
“I hope the money raised today is translated into aid that reaches people in need,” said Abdullah Al Rabeeah, head of Saudi Arabia’s KSRelief.
On Friday, Sudan’s army-aligned foreign ministry protested that it had not been invited to the conference. “We must remind the organisers that the international guardianship system has been abolished for decades,” it said in a statement.

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SA users of Starlink will be cut off at the end of the month

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2 weeks ago

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April 16, 2024

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Starlink users in South Africa are facing a major setback as the satellite internet service provider has issued a warning that their services will be terminated by the end of the month.

In an email sent to many South African users, Starlink stated that their internet access will cease on April 30 due to violation of its terms and conditions.

The email emphasized that using Starlink kits outside of designated areas, as indicated on the Starlink Availability Map, is against their terms. Consequently, users will only be able to access their Starlink account for updates after the termination.

Starlink, a company owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, operates a fleet of low earth orbit satellites that offer high-speed internet globally. Despite its potential to revolutionize connectivity, Starlink has been unable to obtain a license to operate in South Africa from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa).

Icasa’s requirements mandate that any applicant must have 30% ownership from historically disadvantaged groups to be considered for a license. However, many in South Africa resorted to creative methods to access Starlink services, including purchasing roaming packages from countries where Starlink is licensed.

However, Icasa clarified in a government gazette last November that using Starlink in this manner is illegal. Additionally, Starlink itself stated in the recent email to users that the ‘Mobile – Regional’ plans are meant for temporary travel and transit, not permanent use in a location. Continuous use of these plans outside the country where service was ordered will result in service restriction.

Starlink advised those interested in making its services available in their region to contact local authorities.

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Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso agree to create a joint force to fight worsening violence

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2 months ago

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March 8, 2024

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BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — A joint security force announced by the juntas ruling Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to fight the worsening extremist violence in their Sahel region countries faces a number of challenges that cast doubt on its effectiveness, analysts said Thursday.

Niger’s top military chief, Brig. Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou said in a statement after meeting with his counterparts Wednesday that the joint force would be “operational as soon as possible to meet the security challenges in our area.”

The announcement is the latest in a series of actions taken by the three countries to strike a more independent path away from regional and international allies since the region experienced a string of coups — the most recent in Niger in July last year.

They have already formed a security alliance after severing military ties with neighbors and European nations such as France and turning to Russia — already present in parts of the Sahel — for support.

Barmou did not give details about the operation of the force, which he referred to as an “operational concept that will enable us to achieve our defence and security objectives.”

Although the militaries had promised to end the insurgencies in their territories after deposing their respective elected governments, conflict analysts say the violence has instead worsened under their regimes. They all share borders in the conflict-hit Sahel region and their security forces fighting jihadi violence are overstretched.

The effectiveness of their security alliance would depend not just on their resources but on external support, said Bedr Issa, an independent analyst who researches the conflict in the Sahel.

The three regimes are also “very fragile,” James Barnett, a researcher specializing in West Africa at the U.S.-based Hudson Institute, said, raising doubts about their capacity to work together.

“They’ve come to power through coups, they are likely facing a high risk of coups themselves, so it is hard to build a stable security framework when the foundation of each individual regime is shaky,” said Barnett.

—-

Associated Press writer Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria contributed.

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