Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale scored a jaw-dropping overhead kick and a long distance strike to give them a 3-1 win over Liverpool in the Champions League final on Saturday, May 26, delivering a remarkable third consecutive title for the Spaniards.

Substitute Bale, who also scored in Real’s 2014 final win over Atletico Madrid, had only been on the pitch for three minutes when he rose to meet Marcelo’s cross in the air from outside the box, sending it flying into the net to restore Real’s lead in the 64th minute at the NSC Olympic Stadium.

French forward Karim Benzema had put Madrid ahead in the 51st minute by sticking out a leg as Liverpool’s German keeper Karius attempted to throw the ball to a team mate, sending it trickling over the line, but Sadio Mane levelled from close range in the 55th for Juergen Klopp’s side.

Bale then sealed Madrid’s record-extending 13th European Cup win and piled more misery on Karius with a long-range strike in the 83rd minute which went straight through the hands of the hapless goalkeeper.

Real become the first side since Bayern Munich in 1976 to win the trophy three years in a row and Zinedine Zidane the is the first coach to win three back-to-back titles.

Liverpool’s talismanic forward Mohamed Salah was forced off in the first half with a suspected dislocated shoulder after tangling with Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, while Real defender Dani Carvajal also left the pitch in tears after getting injured before halftime.

Source: Presstv

There are reports Konyaspor striker Samuel Eto’o is in negotiations with Lazio for a return to Serie A after today’s four-hour meeting.

The Cameroon international is now 37 years old and only joined Konyaspor in January with a contract that runs to June 2019.

However, according to the Corriere dello Sport and Rai Sport, Eto’o met with Lazio director Igli Tare for four hours in Rome today.

It would be a return to Italy for the man who won the Treble at Inter in 2010, then had a brief spell at Sampdoria in 2015.

He then moved to Turkey, first for Antalyaspor and now Konyaspor. Eto’o would effectively replace Luis Nani, who struggled to make any impact at Lazio this season.

Nani arrived on loan with option to buy from Valencia, but scored only three goals with four assists in 25 competitive games, most of them off the bench. See the latest Serie A predictions and betting tips with Eurotips.co.uk

Source: Football Italia

A star-studded Barcelona side have arrived in South Africa where they are expected to play a friendly match against the Rainbow nation’s league champions, Mamelodi Sundowns, on Wednesday night.

The Spanish and European giants arrived at the Oliver Tambo International Airport with a full squad that included the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and retiring Andres Iniesta.

Security was high at the airport as they were shepherded into their transport and headed for their hotel. They were received by top officials of Sundowns and scores of football fans who thronged the airport to catch a glimpse of their football idols.

The game which takes place at the FNB stadium (formerly the Soccer City Stadium) will form part of the commemoration of the centenary celebration of the life of the country’s first black president Nelson Mandela.

“FC Barcelona has always professed its admiration for Nelson Mandela, one of the greatest figures of the 20th century, who after 27 years in prison went on to become the first democratically elected president of post-apartheid South Africa from 1994 to 1999,” the Spanish side said in a statement last week ahead of today’s fixture.

“Mandela represented the struggle for freedom and equality in the country, and played a huge role in unifying the racially divided society. It is precisely this kind of spirit with which FC Barcelona has always been identified,” the statement added.

Mandela was born on July 18, 1918 and died in December 2013. Leaders from across the world were in South Africa for his funeral.

The friendly comes after Barca’s painful La Liga loss to Levante over the weekend, which result denied them a record unbeaten run in the season. Their final game is at home to Real Sociedad on May 20.

Ernesto Valverde’s side clinched a 25th Liga title on April 29 and the King’s Cup on April 21 but failed to make history as the first team since 1933 to complete a Spanish top-flight season without losing a game.

Culled from Africa News

Source: Goal.com

Malta’s national football team coach, Tom Saintfiet, has been given the sack after he reportedly replied to a call for a position within the Cameroonian Football Federation.

The Malta Football Association has released a statement relating to his departure.

“Following a thorough analysis of the situation, a decision has been taken to relieve Mr Saintfiet of his duties as National Team Coach. To this end, the Malta Football Association communicates that the employment contract of Tom Saintfiet has been terminated with immediate effect,” the Association said.

Saying they sought “reassurances” from Mr Saintfelt about reports that he had not applied for the post of coach of another national team, they ended the meeting with his termination.

The 45-year-old Belgian has denied these reports, saying he never applied for a job in Cameroon, and saying that even the Cameroonian Football Federation themselves admit that many coaches do not know that someone applied in their name.

“There are agents who do it without informing the coaches. I had applied for the Cameroon job in 2012, 2014 and 2015, but this year I am very happy to be in Malta with my family and have a long-term commitment. I have no reason to apply anywhere else, and I never sent any application,” he told Maltatoday.

He’s since removed a public Facebook post where he had denied applying for the position.  Mr Saintfiet was appointed to Malta’s national football team last October. He watched over an embarrassing 3 – 0 defeat against Estonia in his first match, and has only coached the team through two consequent matches, both of which were goalless losses for the Maltese side.

He has coached teams in many countries, including Malawi and Bangladesh.  Since his departure, the Malta National Football Team’s Wikipedia page has been tampered with, and now displays famed Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger as the coach of the Maltese team.

Source: LovinMalta.com

As his fairytale season continues in the English Premier League and the Champions League, talk of Liverpool’s Mo Salah contending for the top prize in European football continues to gain currency. The latest to agree that Salah is getting inching towards Ballon d’Or recognition is Ghana’s skipper, Asamoah Gyan.

Gyan, Ghana’s top scorer in the national team shirt, described Salah as a ‘strong candidate’ for the top award currently held by Portugal and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo. Gyan’s comment was in response to a tweet by top Ghanaian journalist Juliet Bawuah, who had tweeted “Can we start talking about Ballon d’Or? #Salah on a roll this year.”

Her tweet came after Salah’s second goal against his former side AS Roma in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League game at Anfield. Liverpool hit five goals before Roma pulled two back late in the game. Senegalese skipper Sadio Mane also scored from a Salah assist.

With Gyan’s ‘strong candidate’ tweet response, Juliet quoted his tweet and added ‘Gyan is impressed.’ The Ghanaian skipper also stressed later that Salah will most definitely be part of the top 3 contenders for the Ballon d’Or when next it is awarded.

Gyan also agreed with another tweet that if Salah is able to inspire the national side to excel at the World Cup later this year in Russia, then he surely did deserve the accolade. The last time an African player won the award was back in the nineties when George Weah, then with AC Milan, won the award.

In the past few years, it has been a straight fight between Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Argentine forward Lionel Messi. They have won it for most of the last decade.

Source: Africa News

Former Indomitable Lions coach, Henri Michel has reportedly passed away at the age of 70 following a lengthy bout of illness.

Michel represented France and Nantes during his playing days, earning 58 international caps and competing at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

After hanging up his boots, he coached a number of clubs and national teams, including Les Bleus, Cameroon, Morocco, UAE, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Kenya.

Source: Kickoff.com

Former France coach Raymond Domenech and German World Cup winner Lothar Matthaeus are among more than 70 men to have applied to be coach of African champion Cameroon.

Cameroon is looking for a new coach less than a year before it defends its African Cup of Nations title as tournament host.

Belgium’s Hugo Broos led Cameroon to the 2017 African title in Gabon in February last year but was fired 10 months later after Cameroon failed to qualify for the World Cup in Russia.

Other well-known names to apply are Carlos Queiroz, the former Manchester United assistant coach, and Rigobert Song, the ex-Cameroon captain who has been coaching the national development team.

Cameroon Football Federation spokesman Simon Lyonga confirmed the list of applicants. Others include Tom Saintfiet, Alain Giresse, and Philippe Troussier, all coaches with experience of working in Africa. There were 31 Cameroonians who applied for the job.

Source: The News Tribune

Alex Song wasn’t in training with the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday although he is expected back at some point in the future, this as the club reiterates that he isn’t on trial.

For the last two weeks, Song has been training with the Red Bulls in what the club has said has been an opportunity to let a world class player get his fitness; the midfielder is currently out of contract and seeking a club. The idea of Song joining the Red Bulls, a leap in logic made by many fans, made some sense given his resume.

Song can play as a holding midfielder as well as a center back. The Cameroonian international has played with some prominent clubs around the world, including Arsenal, Barcelona and West Ham United. He will turn 30-years old in September.

“He’s not [in] today,” Marsch said on Wednesday about Song being at training. “He left last week to go be with his family for a little bit. There’s a chance that we do see him again. It’s been great having him here but it’s not a trial — it’s just helping him out.”

www.metro.us