Yaya Toure extend his stay at Manchester City until 2017

Reigning English Premier League champions Manchester City FC have signed a new long-term contract with Ivory Coast international Gnégnéri Yaya Touré until summer 2017. The influential midfielder had been linked with a number of clubs across Europe for a move away from the Citizens due to a delay in his contract extension.

Yaya Touse said, "This is where I want to be. When I first arrived at City every time I went to sleep I would dream about us winning something; now it is about us being the best team in whatever competition we take part in."

"I will never forget how I have been treated here by the fans, the club and the owners and nothing would give me greater pleasure than to finish my career as a Manchester City player."

"I want to continue winning titles and trophies and continue to make history. I have enjoyed all of my time here and can't wait for the next chapter. This is an incredible club to be part of with fans that support a team to the end whatever the circumstances," Yaya Toure added.

29 year old Yaya Toure had started his youth career with ASEC Mimosas in the Ivory Coast before going on to play for KSK Beveren (Belgium), Metalurh Donetsk (Ukraine), Olympiakos Athens (Greece), AS Monaco, FC Barcelona before joining Manchester City in 2010.

2012 African Cup of Nations: Zambia complete Fairytale!

The national football team of Zambia caused a major upset by beating favourites Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) 8-7 on penalties to win the final of the 2012 African Cup of Nations in Libreville, Gabon. It was a thrilling game in which Chelsea FC star Didier Drogba missed a penalty and Ivory Coast once more did not fulfil the promise of winning a major title as their golden generation is getting older and older.

But it wasn't just about football last night in Libreville then 19 years ago a plane carrying the then national team of Zambia crashed of the coast of Gabon on the way to a FIFA World Cup qualifier in Senegal. 18 players were killed on that flight along with support staff and the new African champions dedicated this win to those players killed. It was a fairytale which had a positive ending for the Zambians, who lifted their first-ever African Cup of Nations title.

Unexpectedly it was an open game between the two sides with many expecting a one-sided game just like the Zambia vs Ghana semifinal, but Zambia's shrewd coach Henry Renard made his side play more of an attacking game against an Ivory Coast who at times looked surprised as they sat back and absorbed the pressure while hoping for mistakes which rarely came their way.

But in the second session it seemed things would be sorted as Ivory Coast got a penalty. But Didier Drogba just like against Equatorial Guinea in the quarterfinals missed the penalty, which would have most likely given his side the title.

After 120 minutes of goalless football it was down to penalties. The first seven penalties from both sides all went in. Then Manchester City defender Kolo Touré walked-up, but his shot was saved by Zambian keeper Kennedy Mweene before Rainford Kalaba had the chance to be Zambia's hero of the night, but he blasted over. Then it was the turn of Arsenal FC striker Gervinho, but he also blasted over. The tension was getting to the players, but Stopila Sunzu would go on to score and start the celebrations in the Zambian camp.

It was a historic night in Libreville.

Group G: Brazil & Portugal draw, both teams move on

In Group G Brazil were through, but who would join them in the knockout stage. Portugal or Ivory Coast.

(matches to kick off simultaneously)

Portugal 0-0 Brazil
Goals: none.

Brazil and Portugal played out a boring goalless draw at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. It helped both sides as they moved into the pre-quarterfinals.

A lot was expected from these two teams, but the constellation in the group allowed them to sit back rather then being forced to play football. Brazil initially looked the better of the two sides, but there wasn't much of a difference. Still there was a lot of honour in play as seven cards were dished out, some more could have been given and some even red, but overall the referee Benito Armando Archundia Tellez from Mexico had a good game.

Portugal had more of the game after the break and they could have gone ahead on the hour mark as Cristiano Ronaldo played the ball square to Raul Meireles and he lobed the ball over keeper Julio Cesar, but the ball went wide of the ball. And Brazil could have won the match in the 90th minute as a Ramirez shot was deflected of a Portuguese defender, but keeper Eduardo was there to get the ball out of danger.


North Korea 0-3 (0-2) Ivory Coast
Goals: 0-1 Yaya Toure (14'), 0-2 Romaric (20'), 0-3 Salomon Kalou (82').

Ivory Coast beat the North Koreans 3-0 at the Mbombela Stadium in Nespruit. Ivory Coast did win their first game of the tournament but it wasn't enough to move from the group of death, while North Korea didn't look the same team they were against Brazil after their 7-0 trashing against Portugal.

The Ivorians were in control from the start and their midfielder Yaya Toure gave them the lead in the 14th minute. Captain Didier Drogba should have doubled their lead in the 20th minute, but after his miss Romaric is their to slot the ball home. Thereafter Ivory Coast should have taken a three, four goal lead but they wasted too many chances against North Korea.

The Ivorians continued their attacks against the North Koreans after the breather. And they had the chances to score more goals, but only Chelsea star Salomon Kalou was able to add another goal in the 82nd minute for the final score of 3-0 which meant both sides go home after the group stage.

Group G: Brazil win, Portugal trash North Korea

The Group of Death enters a decisive phase

(to be updated after the second game)

Brazil 3-1 (1-0) Ivory Coast
Goals: 1-0,2-0 Luis Fabiano (25',50'), 3-0 Elano (62'), 3-1 Didier Drogba (79').

Brazil overcame Ivory Coast 3-1 in a hard fought match at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg. And once more the referee had a role to play in a teams victory.

Initially the match was confined to the midfield with both defences not giving the strikers any space. The Ivorians had initially more of the ball, but they couldn't do anything worthwhile with it. And suddenly in the 25th minute Brazil took the lead. Kaka and Luis Fabiano combined nicely with Fabiano taking a strong shot on target which goes in past keeper Boubacar Barry. But the Ivorians weren't shocked as they tried to get the equaliser, but they had to few attempts only through Aruna Dindane and then Emmanuel Eboué.

After the break Brazil doubled their lead through another goal from Luis Fabiano in the 50th minute. And this has to be the highlight of referee mistakes in this World Cup. Fabiano twice on the way to score the goal handles the ball, but referee Stéphane Lannoy from France is unsure so he goes on to ask the Brazilian, who lies to the referee showing him he chested the ball. An unforgivable blunder by the referee and even Fabiano should be penalised for lying. But Ivory Coast was not yet beaten. Only three minutes later Dindane's cross was headed goalwards by an unmarked Drogba, but it misses the target by a whisker. But then Brazil seal the game in the 62nd minute with their third goal. Kaka nicely builds-up on the left and squares the ball with Elano there in the box to push the ball in. The Ivorians thereafter looked beaten, but the Brazilians didn't keep the tempo high and the match returned to its sluggishness. Then Drogba finally reduced the deficit in the 79th minute through a header from a Yaya Toura cross as he once more was left free in the danger zone. The match late on became rough, especially as the Ivorians complained with the referee that the Brazilians were play acting and provoking the referee to call fouls where there were none. This resulted in Kaka twice overreacting and on both occasions he deserved a red card, but was lucky as the referee on both occasions only showed him yellow cards and he will only miss a match. In the second instance the situation got out of hand as many players got involved, but the referee only carded the instigator. Once more Brazil didn't convince but got away with it as Ivory Coast were too harmless.


Portugal 7-0 (1-0) North Korea
Goals: 1-0 Raul Meireles (29'), 2-0 Simao (53'), 3-0 Hugo Almeida (56'), 4-0,7-0 Tiago (60',89'), 5-0 Liedson (81'), 6-0 Cristiano Ronaldo (87').

Portugal demolished North Korea 7-0 in a demonstration of attacking football in the second session at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town. The Asian once more had a strong first session, but then fell apart after the break. North Korea once more showed promise, but they just aren't on the level of the three other sides in their group.

The first session saw an open game as the North Koreans were not willing to give in to their more famed rivals and wanted to keep their chances open to progress from the group. Portugal initially looked startled by this fact though it left them with space which they initially could utilise. Chances on both sides, but no goals at the start, but as the match progressed the higher class of Portugal came through as Raul Meireles gave the Europeans the lead in the 29th minute.

And after the break Portugal in a seven minute blitz would seal the match as North Korea just fell apart. Three goals from Simao (53'), Hugo Almeida (56') and Tiago (60') where enough to seal the win against the Koreans who had no answer to what hit them. And thereafter the risk was it would be a one-sided affair, more goals scored and it did come that way. In the last ten minutes Liedson (81'), Cristiano Ronaldo (87') and Tiago (89') would finish off the 7-0 trashing of the East Asians.

2010 World Cup: Africa disappoints

The first ever FIFA World Cup on the African continent is currently on in South Africa. But the local sides haven't been able to really convince us that African football has come of age in their first round of matches. Only Ghana was able to win their match, hosts South Africa and Ivory Coast earned draws, while the others in Nigeria, Algeria and Cameroon lost.

Two decades ago Cameroon had made it to the quarterfinals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy and many had thereafter said that African football has arrived on the world stage. It was expected that an African side would make it to the finals of a football World Cup in the coming editions, but since 1990 African sides have shown a lot of potential but not the desired results. And at the end of the day only results count.

Nowadays African players are playing for the best sides across Europe, are key players in their respective clubs but when these players return to their national sides they don't seem to be able to deliver the goods. Are the real leaders on the field missing? Or is it a problem that the whole team isn't of a high standard?

Many hoped that on home soil the African sides could utilise the advantage in their favour, but they haven't been able to turn around the world order of football, maybe not just yet. Lets hope they can turn this around in the coming matches. But what was evident is that these teams lack quality strikers or even top strikers sadly become ordinary like a Samuel Eto'o for Cameroon.

The hosts South Africa have actually been one of the better performers from Africa, while Ghana like in the last World Cup are the only African side which looked like they could get far in the tournament. Their 1-0 win against Serbia came off a penalty, but it as a good game.

Cameroon have been the biggest disappointment, but there seems to be something wrong in their team otherwise such a performance against Japan is unexplainable. They have quality players and talented youngsters, but they showed nothing of that against Japan.

Nigeria faced a strong Argentina, but didn't know how to score otherwise it could have been a more interesting encounter, while Algeria looked overawed by the occasion. In the end they lost due to a goalkeeping blunder but goals of their own looked rather unlikely against Slovenia.

Ivory Coast played better then Portugal, but as a potential candidate for a place in the last eight more should be expected from them. But once Didier Drobga is back in form and his broken elbow no longer a topic, then the Ivorians could be a dangerous outfit as they then have a striker who can deliver the goods. They lacked that against Portugal, still this time around their defence is much stronger then it was four years ago in Germany.

Group G: Dull opening draw, Brazil overcome Koreans

The Group of Death at this World Cup, Group G, started into the tournament today.

(to be updated after the second game)

Ivory Coast 0-0 (0-0) Portugal
Goals: none.

Ivory Coast and Portugal played out a dull goalless draw in their opening Group G match at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

The first session between Ivory Coast and Portugal was more like a match of chess. Both sides played out of a strong defence and didn't want to give away any space to the other side. But Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo could once show his class in the 11th minute when he turned and let fly a shot which hit to post. Only three minutes later Ivory Coast had a free kick which Siaka Tiené just put wide. Thereafter once more the match was mainly confined to the midfield which loads of miss passes and mistakes.

The match opened up a little after the break with Ivory Coast becoming a little more adventurous, but the Portuguese remained somewhat subdued. And after the initial hope that the match would gain some pace it returned to its old pattern with both teams checkmating each other. In the end substitute Didier Drogba could have been the hero for his side, but his shot went wide in injury time.


Brazil 2-1 (0-0) North Korea
Goals: 1-0 Maicon (55'), 2-0 Elano (72'), 2-1 Yun-Nam Ji (89').

Record world champions Brazil somewhat beat underdogs North Korea 2-1 in their opening game at the Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg.

In very cold conditions North Korea were able to hold Brazil to a goalless draw after the first 45 minutes. And the cold weather didn't help the Selecao as their movements were limited which helped the North Koreans and they can take heart from this performance, but in attack they looked too weak to worry the South Americans.

Coach Dunga seemed to have found the right words in his half time speech as Brazil did do more after the break. But they needed a fluke goal to go ahead. Right back Maicon got a through ball on the right and his shot went into the goal between post and goalkeeper, who left an open space in the 55th minute. And if one thought that now North Korea would fall apart that certainly didn't happen though Brazil's game got better. And in the 72nd minute Elano doubled the lead with a well-placed shot past the North Korean keeper Myong-Guk Ri. The game was won and Brazil reduced their work load and the hard working North Koreans earned their goal a minute from time when Yun-Nam Ji scored with a beautiful shot past Julio Cesar.