Cameroon football supporters were contemplating the unthinkable just two months ago - a second consecutive World Cup without their national team. The country that had qualified a record five times from Africa were bottom of Group 1 in the final elimination phase for the 2010 tournament in South Africa. Minnows Gabon had six points after two rounds, shock 2006 qualifiers Togo four and Morocco and Cameroon one each with the 'Indomitable Lions' last on goals scored. A 1-0 away defeat by Togo... Read Full Story
Rescue workers combed through mud, rubble and debris in search of survivors from raging floods and landslides that killed at least 136 people, after a late-season hurricane devastated swaths of Central America. Landslides and overflowing rivers swept away entire homes, while a raging torrent ripped through an large section of the town of Verapaz, where bodies -- covered in mud-caked sheets -- were stored in a local chapel, waiting to be identified. Rescue efforts focused on eastern San... Read Full Story
After a four-week ocean journey to nowhere, Raimi was tired and disillusioned on return to Benin's port of Cotonou, which he had left in high hopes of reaching the oil "El Dorado" of central Africa: Equatorial Guinea. Standing bag in hand on the bridge of a ship intercepted by the Beninese navy, he watched helplessly as fellow would-be migrants -- hoping for work -- disembarked ahead of him. Twenty-seven year old Raimi looked thin and dehydrated. Gritting his teeth, he told of the voyage... Read Full Story
Chelsea and England left-back Ashley Cole could be out for up to three more weeks with the leg injury that has ruled him out of this Saturday's international friendly against Brazil in Qatar. Cole has been diagnosed with a depressed fracture of the tibia after aggravating the injury before Sunday's 1-0 home win over Manchester United - a victory that left Premier League leaders Chelsea five points in front of the reigning champions. Full-back Cole missed three games after sustaining the... Read Full Story
A late-season hurricane took aim at the United States and oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday after helping cause flooding and landslides that killed 124 people in El Salvador. Hurricane Ida, which was downgraded to a category one storm early Monday, was crossing the Gulf of Mexico after brushing past Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Local officials said it had caused no casualties or damage to infrastructure in the popular tourist resort city of Cancun. A hurricane warning had been issued... Read Full Story
Gianfranco Zola remains confident his West Ham side can turn their season around despite falling back into the Premier League relegation zone following the 2-1 home defeat to Everton. Louis Saha and Dan Gosling struck either side of the break on Sunday to give David Moyes?s side a two-goal cushion and while an own-goal from Tony Hibbert gave hope of a West Ham fight-back, they were unable to find the equaliser that would have extended their unbeaten run to four games. Zola and his players... Read Full Story
West Ham dropped back into the Premier League relegation zone after goals from Louis Saha and Dan Gosling secured a 2-1 victory for Everton at Upton Park on Sunday. Toffees defender Tony Hibbert helped a Junior Stanislas effort into his own net immediately after Gosling had put Everton two up in the 64th minute but the Hammers were unable to find an equaliser despite late pressure. It was Everton's first win in four league games and brought an abrupt end to West Ham's hopes of extending... Read Full Story
French league champions and Champions League second phase participants Bordeaux saw their hopes of another domestic crown suffer a setback as they went down 2-0 at Lille on Sunday. The loss left Lyon, the side Laurent Blanc's men dislodged last season after seven championship wins on the bounce, with every hope of snatching top spot as they prepared for a late tussle with Marseille. Bordeaux have 25 points from 12 matches but this third reverse of the campaign following second-half goals... Read Full Story
Bayern Munich have fined both Germany defender Philipp Lahm and Italian World Cup winner Luca Toni undisclosed sums for breaches of discipline, the German giants revealed on Sunday. Lahm, who is the Bayern Munich vice-captain, has been reprimanded for comments made in Saturday's Sueddeutschen Zeitung when he criticised Bayern for their transfer policy of recruiting big stars without a clear playing philosophy. And Toni has also been disciplined for leaving Bayern's stadium during Saturday's... Read Full Story
Pohang Steelers coach Sergio Farias is eyeing next month's Club World Cup after his side won their third continental crown to become the most successful side in Asian football history. The South Korean outfit shocked two-time champions Al Ittihad 2-1 to lift the AFC Champions League for the first time Saturday, adding to their titles in the former Asian Club Championship in 1997 and 1998. Their win in Tokyo's National Stadium over the Saudi giants means they are the first team to win three... Read Full Story
