Ivory Coast was the overwhelming favorite and had the big-name players. It's not like facing those factors had stopped Zambia from maintaining its inspiring quest to be crowned king of Africa before.

Almost 20 years after a plane crash in Libreville, Gabon, killed 25 Zambian national team players and officials, Zambia came full circle and paid an incredible tribute to its 1993 predecessors in that city, stunning Ivory Coast 8-7 in a dramatic penalty shootout after 120 scoreless minutes to capture the African Cup of Nations for the first time in its history.

"Check that's not Jackie Chan, will you?" after one particularly high challenge in the African Cup of Nations (ACN) semi-finals. Ah yes. Gary O'Reilly was back on Eurosport. And welcome back too. However, the most telling comment of any international football tournament is "no goals against." And that's a quote from Cote D'Ivoire.

Co-hosts Gabon looked like it was going to be headed to their best showing in any ACN when Eric Mouloungui shot them into the lead in the 55th minute. But Mali had other ideas as Cheick Diabate equalized in the 84th minute. At the end of extra time, with the two teams deadlocked, the fate of the match was decided on PK shootout.

The accolades keep coming for Pep Guardiola's Barcelona as they were yesterday named the Laureus team of the year. Here is what Barcelona President Sandro Rosell had to say after the award ceremony:

"The nominations of Abidal, Messi and the club are an honour, and it will help us keep on working and thinking about how to keep up this level in the future.

As the curtains draw open for the AFCON tournament, attention will definitely be on a number of players who are set to retire once a winner is revealed on February 12th.

For many it will mark an end to the golden generation of some of the continent's truly brightest talents but also the beginning for a new breed of stars who will look to carry on from where their predecessors left.

Liverpool is reportedly considering a January raid on Chelsea midfield target Fernando Reges.
The 24-year-old FC Porto star has emerged as one of a number of players in the position who is of interested to the club, according to The Daily Mail, with Celtic's Beram Kayal another player on the club's transfer radar.

Liverpool is reportedly considering a January raid on Chelsea midfield target Fernando Reges.
The 24-year-old FC Porto star has emerged as one of a number of players in the position who is of interested to the club, according to The Daily Mail, with Celtic's Beram Kayal another player on the club's transfer radar.

Liverpool are reportedly contemplating a January move for Celtic midfielder Beram Kayal.
The Israel international has impressed all and sundry since his move to Parkhead from Maccabi Haifa in the summer of 2010, and has made 55 appearances for the Hoops.
According to the Daily Mail, Kayal is a target for Liverpool as Kenny Dalglish considers bolstering his midfield during the transfer window.

Liverpool's efforts to sign Barcelona midfielder Seydou Keita could be derailed by AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The Swedish forward is trying to convince the Mali international - recently named his nation's best sportsman of 2011 - to snub a move to Anfield and the Premier League in favour of a move to his Serie A side.

STARTERS
Jamie Trecker of Fox Soccer traveled to London and sat down for a video interview with Clint Dempsey.
-There really isn't anything new here for us diehards, but its great to see the words come out of Clint's mouth. What a talent!
-More great stuff with Clint and members of his family.

Yaya Toure was named the CAF Player of the Year for being awesome in 2011, and rightly so. Possibly for his sartorial abilities.

Actually, he showed up in different dress, which makes one think that massive robe is a prize for winning the prize. A prize which immediately turns its wearer into a spiritual healer?

Manchester City and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure was yesterday named African Player of the Year 2011 in a lavish gala ceremony in Accra Ghana. The 28 year old who has had a fantastic start to the EPL this season, beat Mali's Seydou Keita and Ghana's Andre Ayew who finished second and third respectively to win the award and become only the second Ivorian since Didier Drogba to win the award.

Santos - FC Barcelona0:4 (0:3)
FechaSede / EstadioHoraAsistencia
18 diciembre 2011 Yokohama / International Stadium Yokohama19:3068166Goles marcadosLionel MESSI (BAR) 17', XAVI (BAR) 24', Cesc FABREGAS (BAR) 45', Lionel MESSI (BAR) 82'Santos
[1] RAFAEL CABRAL (GK) [2] EDU DRACENA (C) [3] LEO [4] DANILO (-31') [5] AROUCA [6] DURVAL [7] HENRIQUE [9] BORGES (-79') [10] GANSO (-83') [11] NEYMAR [14] BRUNO RODRIGO En el banquillo [12] ARANHA (GK) [23] VLADIMIR (GK) [8] ELANO (+31') [13] BRUNO AGUIAR [15] ANDERSON CARVALHO [16] VINICIUS [17] FELIPE ANDERSON [18] IBSON (+83') [19] ALAN KARDEC (+79') [20] Wason RENTERIA [21] PARA [22] DIOGO Entrenador Muricy RAMALHO (BRA)
FC Barcelona[1] Victor VALDES (GK) [2] DANI ALVES [3] Gerard PIQUE (-56') [4] Cesc FABREGAS [5] Carles PUYOL (C) (-85') [6] XAVI [8] Andres INIESTA [10] Lionel MESSI [11] THIAGO (-79') [16] Sergio BUSQUETS [22] Eric ABIDAL
En el banquillo [13] PINTO (GK) [25] Oier OLAZABAL (GK) [7] David VILLA [A] [9] Alexis SANCHEZ [14] Javier MASCHERANO (+56') [15] Seydou KEITA [17] PEDRO (+79') [18] Jonathan DOS SANTOS [19] MAXWELL [21] ADRIANO [24] Andreu FONTAS (+85') [27] Isaac CUENCA Entrenador Pep GUARDIOLA (ESP)
Amonestaciones
Gerard PIQUE (BAR) 39'
, Javier MASCHERANO (BAR) 71'
, GANSO (SAN) 73'
, EDU DRACENA (SAN) 74'
Expulsiones
Cuerpo arbitral del partido
ÁrbitroRavshan IRMATOV (UZB) Assistant Referee 1Abdukhamidullo RASULOV (UZB) Cuarto ÁrbitroYuichi NISHIMURA (JPN) Assistant Referee 2Bakhadyr KOCHKAROV (KGZ) Quinto ÁrbitroToru SAGARA (JPN)
Santos (BRA )EstadísticasFC Barcelona (ESP)8Disparos163Remates a puerta90Goles413Faltas cometidas1311Faltas recibidas132Saques de esquina41Tiros libres ejecutados (al arco)10 / 0Lanzamientos penales (Goles/Remates)0 / 00Fueras de juego60Goles en propia meta02Tarjetas amarillas20Segunda tarjeta amarilla y tarjeta roja00Tarjetas rojas018Tiempo real de juego4529%Posesión del balón71% Gracias por tu visita Estadísticas de Fútbol

Liverpool are being linked with a January loan move for Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra.
The 26-year-old is one of a handful of players in the position to be linked with the Reds, as Kenny Dalglish considers his options following a season-ending injury picked up by Brazilian Lucas Leiva.
Seydou Keita, Yann M'Vila and Sandro have also been placed on the radar, but reports in The Independent claim Liverpool are plotting a loan move on the French international.

European champions FC Barcelona will meet Copa Libertadoes winners Santos FC in Sunday's final of the FIFA World Club Cup after powering past Qatar's Al-Sadd 4-0 on Thursday in the semi final round of the competition. Adriano put Barca up 2-0 by halftime while Seydou Keita and Maxwell completed the rout in the 64th and [.

By FRANCO PANIZO

A day after Pep Guardiola said he had no plans of selling him, David Villa was lost to injury.

Villa will be sidelined for approximately the next six months after fracturing his tibia in Barcelona's 4-0 Club World Cup win over Al Sadd on Thursday.

Rumours, rumours, every where; nor any drop to drink. Oh, wait, there's some bourbon. Which must mean it's time to dip into the sordid world of transfer rumours to see who's being linked to Liverpool to replace you-know-who, as focus shifts from talk of luxury acquisitions and South American starlets to Liverpool's sudden need for a bit of steel in midfield.

Keita eyes more playing time

Reported Liverpool target Seydou Keita is happy at Barcelona but wants more playing time at the Catalan club.

View the full story here: Sky Sports

A news article on 2011-11-22 17:30:27 from: Sky Sports

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is preparing to make a move Barcelona midfielder Seydou Keita once the January transfer window opens for business.
According to reports in The Sun, it is believed Liverpool will have to battle mega-rich Russian club Anzhi Makhackala if they are to acquire the services of the Mali international.

The Confederation of African Football has released its short list for 2011 CAF African Player of the year. The list includes usual suspects Didier Drogba of Ivory Coast, Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon and Seydou Keita of Mali.

Other players short listed for the prestigious award include: Asamoah Gyan, Yaya Toure, Kevin Prince-Boateng, Moussa Sow, Gervinho, Adel Taarabt and Andre Ayew.

Barcelona's Seydou Keita open to Liverpool move

Barcelona midfielder Seydou Keita has opened the door to a switch to Liverpool by admitting he is flattered in the interest from the Anfield outfit.

View the full story here: The Mail

A news article on 2011-11-11 10:31:20 from: The Mail

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

Barcelona star Seydou Keita has told skysports.com that he is flattered by reported interest from Liverpool in him.
The 31-year-old has over three years left on his current deal at Camp Nou, having been handed a contract extension earlier this year.
But reports have claimed that Liverpool, along with Russian giants Anzhi Makhachkala, is keen to land the Mali international.

Keita flattered by Reds talk

Barcelona star Seydou Keita has told skysports.com that he is flattered by reported interest from Liverpool in him.

View the full story here: Sky Sports

A news article on 2011-11-11 07:25:05 from: Sky Sports

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

By Alan Duffy

Gervinho and Yaya Touré celebrate

Four Premier League stars have made the shortlist for the 2011 CAF African Player Of The Year awards, with the Ivorian trio of powerhouse Yaya Touré, fleet-footed wideman Gervinho and veteran hitman Didier Drogba all getting the nod along with QPR's Moroccan schemer Adel Taarabt

However, they'll be up against four-time winner Samuel Eto'o (FC New Russian Money & Cameroon), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Milan & Ghana), Seydou Keita (Barcelona & Mali), Asamoah Gyan (FC New Dubai Money & Ghana), Andre Ayew (Marseille & Ghana) and Moussa Sow (Lille & Senegal).

• Kop That: Germany backs England to wear poppies http://t.co/tgN94aMA 23:06:23, 2011-11-08
• Kop That: Wilshere: The England team should wear poppies on Saturday http://t.co/cBvHU9iV 23:06:16, 2011-11-08
• Kop That: Rio Ferdinand accuses FA of dragging their heels over John Terry racism row http://t.

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- Throughout the day, the QPR Report Messageboard has news updates, comments and perspectives - even links to other board comments of interest re QPR matters (on and off the field) along with football (and ONLY football) topics in general....Also Follow: QPR REPORT ON TWITTER
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QPR's Adel Taarabt is one of the ten finalists for African Footballer of the year.

Liverpool interested in Barcelona's Seydou Keita

Liverpool have made an enquiry about Barcelona midfielder Seydou Keita. The Mali midfielder, 31, is out of contract in the summer and is also wanted by Anzhi Makhachkala.

View the full story here: The Mail

A news article on 2011-11-08 22:32:19 from: The Mail

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

Liverpool have contacted Barcelona to find out whether the Spanish giants would be willing to part with midfielder Seydou Keita when the transfer window opens in January.
Respected Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo is reporting that Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has been in touch with the reigning La Liga champions over the availability of Keita.

RIP Spanish football? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Spanish football is dying.

In 2007 La Liga had one of the most exciting title races in living memory as four teams had the possibility of winning the title, even with four rounds of matches still to play. Valencia fell away towards the end and Sevilla ran out of steam en route to winning the UEFA Cup (in an all-Spanish final against Espanyol) and Copa del Rey that year.

By Chris Wright

Barcelona beat Napoli 5-0 to win their 36th (out of 46) Joan Gamper Trophy at the Camp Nou last night, a match that saw Cesc Fabregas notch his first goal in blaugrana after starting up front in Leo Messi's 'false 9′ position duly opening the scoring by nudging home Adriano's cross.

Barcelona vs Napoli 5-0 Highlights Goals 2011 Joan Gamper Trophy Video is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

Barcelona vs Napoli 5-0 Highlights Goals 2011 Joan Gamper Trophy Video is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter Barcelona vs Napoli 2011 ( Barca vs SSC Napoli 2011) 2011 Joan Gamper Trophy- Nou Camp, August 21, 2011 Final score and result:- Barcelona vs Napoli 5-0 ( Cesc Fabregas, Seydou Keita, Pedro, [.

Barcelona vs Club America Goals 2011 Highlights Texas Score Video is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

Barcelona vs Club America Goals 2011 Highlights Texas Score Video is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter Barcelona vs Club America 2011- Herbalife World Football Challenge Final score and result:- Barcelona vs Club America 2-0 ( David Villa, Seydou Keita) Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Tx- 6th August, 2011- Saturday, Pre-season soccer friendly [.

First name on the Barcelona team sheet? Messi. Xavi. Sergio Busquets.

As Sergio Busquets clutched the World Cup in his hands on the 11th July 2010, a footballing fast-track journey started only 22 months ago, was complete. In less than two seasons, the 21-year old had broke into the Barcelona First Team, cemented his place, been called up to the Spain squad, and lifted the World Cup.

FC Barcelona have won a third successive league title, their 21st overall, with a 1-1 draw away at Levante UD securing the point they needed to seal the title. They currently lead the table from Real Madrid by eight points with just two games to play.

Mali international Seydou Keita scored Barcelona's goal in the 28th minute only to see Felipe Caicedo equalize five minutes before half-time after a defensive mix-up between Gerard Pique and keeper Victor Valdes.

Barcelona secured the 2010/2011 La Liga after a 1-1 draw away to Levante sealed their third consecutive La Liga title under coach Pep Guardiola.

Needing only a point to ensure a third successive Primera Division title and with thousands of Catalan fans duly watching on in expectation, Pep Guardiola's men took a 27th minute lead thanks to midfielder Seydou Keita's impressive header.

A 1-1 tie for Barcelona isn't typically a result to celebrate for the club's faithful, but that wasn't the case on Wednesday as Barcelona won its third consecutive La Liga title.

Playing on the road against Levante, Barcelona won the La Liga title for the 21st time in its history with a 1-1 draw.

Levante vs Barcelona 2011 Wednesday, May 11, 2011 ( 11/5/11) La Liga- Venue-Ciutat de Valencia (Levante at home) Final score:- Levante vs Barcelona 1-1 ( Felipe Caicedo/ Seydou Keita) Barcelona are crowned Liga BBVA Champions for the 2010/11 season after getting the result they required against Levante UD.

Por Gastón del Torto
Dos empates y una victoria para cada uno. Así finalizó la serie que mantuvo expectantes a todos los fanáticos del mundo futbolístico durante 18 días. Finalmente, el Real Madrid consiguió la Copa del Rey, el Barcelona avanzó a la final de la Liga de Campeones y empataron por liga, resultado que también benefició el equipo culé que sigue con 8 puntos de diferencia a falta de cuatro fechas.

STARTERS
The USA U20 team were upset by hosts Guatemala 2-1 last night in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying and will not be going to the big tournament.
-This isn't a disaster, but its pretty damning of the system. There are no excuses for this kind of loss.
-And we are not saying that we called the USA loss, but on Monday we did have this to say about the matchup: Of the four top seeds the USA has the toughest game as they take on the host team Guatemala.

FC Barcelona defeated Shakhtar Donetsk 5-1 at the Camp Nou in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League series on Wednesday. Goals from Andres Iniesta, Dani Alves, Gerard Piqué, Seydou Keita and Xavi all but booked the Catalan giants a spot in the semi-finals of the tournament. Their likely opponent is expected to be [.