Stanley Okoro (L) and Bitolo Oyongo (R)
Bogey team Cameroon stand between Nigeria’s Flying Eagles and a sixth
African Youth Championship crown on Sunday in the heart of Soweto.
Cameroon denied their Nigerian counterparts a place in the final of the 2009 edition of the competition courtesy of a 2-0 win.
It was an encore when both teams clashed in the group stage of the 2007 championship in Congo Brazzaville.
The Cameroonians were equally triumphant at the 1995 tournament hosted by Nigeria, winning 2-1 in the semi-final.
Kabiru Adewunmi
Kabiru Adewunmi, a youth player for MLS club Chicago Fire was killed in a shooting in Chicago, according to a report by the Chicago Tribune.
Adewunmi, 16, had recently won a spot on the Chicago Fire Juniors North Team, a branch of the Chicago Fire youth team. Police claimed that he was out with friends celebrating a victory by NBA team the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night when the gunman struck. He was rushed to hospital and pronounced dead later that night. Investigators have not ruled out a gang related motive.
Adewunmi, who had come to Chicago from Nigeria less than one year ago, was attracting the attention of college recruiters, according to his youth coach Sole Antonijevic.
Sidney Sam
Samson Siasia is keen on persuading former Germany youth international Sidney Sam to play for Nigeria.The Super Eagles coach has invited the winger to watch Nigeria play Argentina in Abuja in June.
Sam, who plays for Bundesliga side Bayer Levekusen, was born to a German mother but his father comes from Lagos.
As he has not played for Germany at full international level, Sam can play for Nigeria if Fifa approves his nationality switch.
Siasia is hoping to persuade Sam to commit to the Super Eagles and play in the
African Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
Prince Buaben and Morgaro Gomis
Dundee United manager Peter Houston has resigned himself to losing midfielders Prince Buaben and Morgaro Gomis at the end of the season.
"We know that they're leaving here," said Houston. "They've indicated from early on they want to move on and try something different.
"It's been reported Brighton are interested in Morgaro and Prince.
Gomis, 25, who was born in France but capped by Senegal, worked his way up through the lower English football leagues, playing for Windsor & Eton, Dagenham & Redbridge, Barnet and Lewes.
Emmanuel Adebayor
Real Madrid striker Emmanuel Adebayor criticised Barcelona's players for overreacting to challenges after his side's 2-0 Champions League defeat.
Real's Pepe was sent off for a foul on Dani Alves in the 61st minute of an ill-tempered semi-final first leg. But Adebayor said: "Maybe Pepe committed a foul but I don't think it was a red card. Whenever you play against Barca, whenever you touch them they are on the floor crying like a baby."
Real have had a man sent off in each of their four meetings with Barcelona this season, with Sergio Ramos dismissed in the 5-0 league defeat at the Nou Camp, Raul Albiol red carded in the 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu and Angel di Maria sent off for two yellow cards in Real's 1-0 Copa del Rey victory.
Ezekiel Akwana
Kenya hope young coach Ezekiel Akwana can create a second football 'miracle' within a month when they confront Eritrea in an All-Africa Games qualifier this weekend.Eritrea pulled off a shock 4-1 first leg victory at home in a
first round qualifier, leaving their opponents needing to score at least three goals at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi to survive.
The result led to coach Bob Oguyi being fired for taking 16-year-old academy footballers to Asmara when he could have fielded players six years older in the under-23 competition.
Akwana was in charge of Sofapaka when they trounced Ismailia 4-0 to become the first Kenyan club to defeat Egyptian opponents in the 47-year history of Pan-African championships.
Kwesi Appiah
A final 18-man squad has been released for the Black Stars heading for Freetown to play Sierra Leone in an international friendly.
Coach Kwesi Appiah added Etoille du Sahel’s Saddick Adams to the locally-based players departing Accra on Friday for the friendly.
The April 30 game is to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Independence of the host nation.
Full squad:
Goalkeepers: Ernest Sowah (Chelsea), Sammy Adjei (Hearts of Oak)
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