Eto'o makes Afrique prouder all the time baby!

UEFA has announced the nominees for the UEFA Club Football Awards to be presented during the UEFA Champions League group stage draw at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Thursday 27 August from 17.45CET.

Votes cast
The voting procedure gives the coaches of the 16 teams that reached the knockout phase of the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League the possibility to cast their votes for each position as well as to nominate the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year 2009 of their choice.

Based on the voting results, the list of nominees is as follows:

UEFA Club Forward of the Year

Samuel Eto'o (FC Barcelona)
Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United FC)

I positively feel it's all for Lio Messi...debate over. But still, Eto'o is pure class! Here are the rest:

UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year

Petr Čech (Chelsea FC)
Víctor Valdés (FC Barcelona)
Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United FC)

UEFA Club Defender of the Year

Gerard Piqué (FC Barcelona)
John Terry (Chelsea FC)
Nemanja Vidić (Manchester United FC)

UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool FC)
Xavi Hernández (FC Barcelona)
Andrés Iniesta (FC Barcelona)

Ade blames Arsenal fans (expected) and Sammy's leaving for Inter (also expected)

Two things HAD TO happen sometime.

1. Emmanuel Adebayor blaming Arsenal fans

Emmanuel said it was the fans that made him leave Arsenal. According to him, the fans at Emirates Stadium had turned on him in recent times and he couldn’t work out why his situation was different to that of somebody like Cesc Fabregas.

"The way the fans behaved towards me was not nice at all. I can't understand why they were after me.

"I did my best for them and I was very happy there.

"I scored 30 goals in a season - it's not my fault that Milan, Barcelona or Real Madrid wanted to sign me.

"In any summer, Barcelona try to sign Cesc Fabregas.

"But the fans never turned on him."

Well, it wasn't as if I wasn't expecting but well, there you are.

2. Samuel Eto'o leaving Barca

He has agreed terms on his transfer from Barcelona to Inter Milan. His agent, Jose Maria Mesalles, emerged from two hours of talks with Inter representatives to tell the waiting press that a deal had been agreed.



The Cameroon international is due to arrive in Milan on either Monday or Tuesday to put pen to paper.



The agent spent three days negotiating with Inter before a deal was reached which will see Eto'o switch from Barcelona while Inter's Sweden forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic joins the Spanish champions.

 That's not strange, 'cos I think Sammy was worth every penny.

As well as Eto'o, the Catalans would pay the Italians 50 million euros and allow Belarusian winger Alexander Hleb to go on a season-loan to the San Siro.



According to the Gazzetta dello Sport, Eto'o will sign a five-year deal worth between 10-10.5 million euros a year.

 The 28-year-old Eto'o, who joined the Catalan side in 2004, has a year left in his contract with Barcelona. 



He was the club's top scorer in the Spanish league last season, with 30 goals.

 Why Barca let him go is beyond me...

Etospheric offer from City: the lad is rising to dizzy heights.

After what seemed like a marathon session, Kaka traipsed to Real - as only he can - for what the world thought was an absurd 56 million pounds.

Before the dust settled, the same Real Madrid shocked the world when, days later, Cristiano Ronaldo finally went to Real Madrid for what the world now believed was a mad amount of 80 million pounds.

And that was the beginning of this summer’s transfer madness.

Between then and now, many players have moved to and from many clubs. Yet, another of the silly season’s bombshells is about to drop. This time, it’s got a distinctly African flavor to it.

British tabloids (the pix at the top is from The Sun) report that Cameroun’s Samuel Eto’o is this close to moving to Manchester City for a monstrous fee. Or in the words of Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta, a ‘stratospheric offer’.

“Eto’o has a stratospheric offer from City, which would convert him into the best-paid player in the world.

“It’s starting to become clear that he has this monster offer. He wants to stay but an offer like this is very difficult to refuse. If Eto’o accepts this stratospheric offer, we will have to bring in someone.

“If Eto’o accepts Manchester City’s mammoth offer, we will need another striker.”

As if that is a problem for a club like Barca. Eto’o is a terrific goalscorer but we must admit that his instinct is dimming just a wee little bit.

He is not the same Samuel Eto’o who blasted his way past that Brazilian defence in the 2002 Confederations’ Cup. And so with players like David Villa, David Silva and even Carlos Tevez hovering in transfer limbo, that should not be (too much of) a problem.

From the continental perspective, Samuel Eto’o is well on his way to established African football greatness.

At the moment there is the argument that the Indomitable Lions man is the most decorated African footballer ever – with five African Nations’ Cup appearances and two titles, all-time African Cup top scorer with sixteen and one Olympic gold medal, two World Cup appearances, two Uefa Champions’ League titles (scored in both) and several other awards, it’s difficult to challenge that fact.

Eto’o is a terrific goalscorer but we must admit that his instinct is dimming just a wee little bit.

Yes, he hasn’t won the World Player of the Year like George Weah did and for me it is testament to the quality of opposition that Eto’o has in this day and age.

And oh, as we speak, Michael Essien is the most expensive African player after his move from Lyon to Chelsea for 24.5 million pounds.

Should the Cameroonian go to City he would be the highest paid English Premier League 'baller – eclipsing the record set for Robinho by the same Manchester City.

The sheikhs, really, are shaking the City of Manchester.

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The Africans in Barca's brilliant 2008/09 season.

Hello there.

It's a bit tight to be blogging continuously when your office is totally gutted by fire.

Anyhow, to the present.

Barcelona bagged an impressive roll of trophies this season: the Copa del Rey, the La Liga and the European Champions League.

On their way to such historic feats, the Blaugrana dazzled everyone with sublime skill.

Here is a compilation of some of the breathless skill that characterized their season. And as always, there was the African thing.



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Eto'o the Great

By Piers Edwards, BBC Sport. I met him during the nations' Cup in Ghana last year. A great chap, we had a professional collaboration tracking the medic who was pushed by Samuel Ashia in Ghana's semi final game. Here's a piece Piers has done.

Samuel Eto'o can lay claim to being the most decorated African footballer in history following Barcelona's Champions League triumph [last] Wednesday night.

Barca's 2-0 victory over Manchester United in Rome handed the 28-year-old Cameroonian the second Champions League medal of his career.

No other African has a pair of winners' medals gained from actually playing in the final of Europe's premier competition.

Eto'o's compatriot Geremi has two Champions Leagues from his time with Real Madrid.

He was an unused substitute in the 2000 final and failed to make the match-day squad for the triumph two years later.

However, it is up to the discretion of the winning club, rather than Europe's governing football body Uefa, who medals are awarded to.

Many Nigerians often claim that Kanu is Africa's most decorated footballer yet the twice-crowned African Footballer of the Year has never won the Nations Cup and has only picked up one Champions League medal with Ajax Amsterdam

Eto'o, of course, does play in finals, starts them in fact and his 10th-minute goal made him the first African to score in two Champions League finals.

In the 2006 final against Arsenal, which Barcelona won 2-1 in Paris, the Cameroonian slotted home a 76th-minute equaliser from close range.

In addition to his Champions League medals, Eto'o has also won Olympic gold (2000), two African Nations Cups (2000 and 2002), two Spanish Cups and three Spanish leagues.

He is the only man to have won three African Footballer of the Year titles (2003-2005) and is also the record goal scorer in the 52-year history of the African Nations Cup - having claimed his 16th goal last year.

In 2006, Eto'o also became the first African to top the scoring charts in one of the big three European leagues of Spain, Italy and England. He lifted the the 'pichichi' for netting 26 goals in Spain.

And while the likes of Zimbabwe's Bruce Grobbelaar (Liverpool), Ghana's Abedi Pele (Marseille) and compatriot Sammy Kuffuor (Bayern Munich) all contested two European Cup finals, they only ever managed to win one title apiece.

Prior to Eto'o, only Rabah Madjer had ever scored in a European Cup final. The Algerian netted a famous back-heel in 1987 which contributed to FC Porto's narrow 2-1 triumph against Bayern Munich.

And while the likes of Zimbabwe's Bruce Grobbelaar (Liverpool), Ghana's Abedi Pele (Marseille) and compatriot Sammy Kuffuor (Bayern Munich) all contested two European Cup finals, they only ever managed to win one title apiece.

Many Nigerians often claim that Kanu is Africa's most decorated footballer, with his trophy cabinet displaying medals for the Champions League, Uefa Cup, Olympic Games, six domestic championships (including two Premier League titles) as well as three FA Cups.

Yet the twice-crowned African Footballer of the Year has never won the Nations Cup and has only picked up the one Champions League medal, earned with Dutch side Ajax Amsterdam in 1995 (alongside compatriot Finidi George).

Considering the Champions League is seen as the pinnacle of club football throughout the world, Eto'o's achievements must be treated with respect.

Prior to Eto'o, only Rabah Madjer had ever scored in a European Cup final. The Algerian netted a famous back-heel in 1987 which contributed to FC Porto's narrow 2-1 triumph against Bayern Munich.

Such a feat looked a long way off last June when coach Pep Guardiola announced that the Cameroonian did not feature in his long-term plans shortly after taking charge of the Catalan club.

Yet Eto'o's hard work in pre-season won over the legendary Barca midfielder, who has been rewarded by the striker's incredible tally of 29 league goals in only 35 matches this season.

* This article does not take into account Champions League medals won by players who were not part of the match-day squad. For example, Geremi, who won a medal with Real Madrid in 2000 as an unused substitute in the final, was also awarded one in 2002 even though he did not make the final squad.

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Manuel and the African touch

Real Madrid are in the shadows of their Catalan rivals and they are making quick moves to rectify what they would be seeing as an anomaly.

Enter Manuel Pellegrini. After his appointment, quite a lot is expected from him. He has to deliver fine transfers that the Madridista like, win the La Liga and the UCL too.

Where, if I may ask, does Barca stand in these analysis? It's not as if the Catalan outfit would standing idle while the Chilean bags trophy after trophy.

However what interests me is the African touch he would bring to the team.

Mahamadou Diarra was sparingly used in last season and it was a big blow. In October of 2008, while playing for Mali against Chad, Diarra was stretched off the field after receiving a blow to his knee.

The 28-year old was rested for a month and made another appearance in late November, but was forced to go under the knife after he aggrevated his knee once more. He's been out of the season since then and he was de-registered from Real Madrid's first team. His number 6 was given to new signing Lassana Diarra.

But should he come back, the former Crete, Vitesse and Lyon man may be a key cog in the Los Blancos wheel. He doesn't score many goals but - for a defensive midfielder - his impact should not be underestimated at all.

Or maybe, just maybe, Pellegrini may buy some good African players.

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Give it up for the film-maker of the season: Pep Guardiola!

The video that inspired Barcelona to victory in the Champions League final has been broadcast...and I got my hands on it.

It emerged after last Wednesday's match that Pep Guardiola moved his players to tears with a film montage moments before they went out at Rome's Olympic Stadium to defeat Manchester United 2-0.

The film used images of Barca's finest moments of the season - featuring every member of the squad - interspersed with clips from the Russell Crowe film Gladiator.



It uses the opera Turandot performed by Italian legend Luciano Pavarotti as a soundtrack.

Now it has been broadcast on Catalonia's public television channel TV3 and spread on the internet.

Guardiola, who claimed an unprecedented League, Cup and European treble in his first season as Nou Camp boss, spoke to TV3 journalist Santi Padro about the film idea on the Sunday before the final and the movie was made by Jordi Gaya.
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No Thierry for Naija fans

I'm hearing that Thierry Henry has been ruled out of France's two friendlies against Nigeria and Turkey. France play Nigeria in St Etienne tomorrow before they take on Turkey in Lyon three days later.



Nigerians would have loved to see the Champions' League winner against their team.

The French football federation announced on Sunday that the Barcelona striker has a sore knee. No replacement has been named for the 31-year-old forward, who is France's all-time highest scorer with 48 goals from 111 caps.
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A drunk Messi: Something you won't see every Sunday afternoon.

After a great season for him, Lionel Messi can take a little time off and get drunk.

Well, it appears so. And that's exactly what he did.



Leave him alone. You don't do Spanish trebles every time!

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Justice is served

I came, I predicted, I won!
Barca came, Barca predicted, Barca won.

Head coach Pep Guardiola completed the unthinkable in his first season in charge of FC Barcelona winning the treble.

I think you can get the match report all over the web. See here for one of many many reviews.

Here are the highlights, in pictures.




















All pictures: AFP
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African show in Europe's spotlight

Manchester were totally outclassed by a Barca side that was awesome.

And that awesomeness included three (west) Africans: Samuel Eto'o, Yaya Toure and Seydou Keita.

1. Samuel Eto'o Fils - Cameroun

Samuel Eto'o delivered what was arguably the most definite blow for Barca. He scored in the tenth minute when United were on a frenetic high. In short, he broke 'em before Messi burned 'em. And guess what? He is proud to be African. Go Africa!

Ratings: Telegraph, Eurosport, Goal

2. Yaya Toure - La Cote d'Ivoire

To the left of your picture, the man simply kept the United attack on edge. Together with Puyol, Sergio Busquets and Pique, Yaya showed what class he is. Curiously, this role is not one he is used to yet he played there as if he's been doing that his whole life!

Ratings: Telegraph, Eurosport, Goal

3. Seydou Keita - Mali

A man the Black Stars would face soon in the qualifiers, he came on to replace Henry. Made sure the midfield was tight and taut. His contribution would not be overlooked, lest why was he put there?

Ratings: Telegraph, Eurosport, Goal