Manchester City’s Yaya Toure has blasted the awarding of the African Player of the Year to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as “indecent” and said it brought “shame” on the continent.
Toure, 32, had been favourite to win the prize for a record fifth successive time having captained the Ivory Coast to the Africa Cup of Nations title but he lost out to Gabon and Borussia Dortmund striker Aubameyang.
“It’s sad to see Africa react in this way, it does not give importance to African things,” Toure told Radio France International (RFI).
“This is what makes the shame of Africa. To behave in this way is indecent, but what can we do? We don’t show that Africa is important in our eyes.
“We give more priority to what is happening elsewhere than to our own continent. This is what is pathetic.”
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Aubameyang, 26, has scored 18 goals in 17 Bundesliga games this season.
He earned 143 points in a poll of African coaches, seven more than Toure. Ghana and Swansea City striker Andre Ayew was third on 112 points.
Ayew told lequipe.fr that he too was stunned by the award, believing Toure would win and he himself would be second having been top scorer at the Africa Cup of Nations where Ghana were runners-up.
“Attention, Aubameyang is a friend and he has had a great year,” Ayew said.
“We must respect the competitions. If we Africans do not, who will? Frankly, it was Yaya or me this year ...”
At the Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea last year, Gabon, captained by Aubameyang, were eliminated in the first round.
Toure even hinted at skulduggery in the voting process.
“Even Fifa with all of its history of corruption would not do this,” he said.
“I will give you an example — Lionel Messi wins all the trophies but it’s Cristiano Ronaldo who gets the Ballon d’Or. What would you say? It would be unfair.”
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Meanwhile, Aubameyang received a hero’s homecoming in Libreville where he was hailed by thousands of fans as the pride of Gabon.
“He has risen through the ranks and this is a just reward,” said Brice Ignegue, the president of the Gabon team fan club.
Sabrina, a young fan who came out to greet Aubameyang, said the player was a national hero.
“Aubameyang represents Gabon, he is the national panther. He is the pride of Gabon and Africa,” she said.
Gabon president Ali Bongo Ondimba posted photos of the player’s arrival on his Twitter account as he welcomed his compatriot to the presidential palace.
The president immediately conferred upon Aubameyang one of the country’s leading civil honours, Commander of the National Order of Merit.
“I am happy and proud with this honour that I dedicate to the people of Gabon, my family and you, Mr President,” Aubemeyang said.
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Haemoglobin disorders explained
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.
The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.
A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.
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Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
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States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
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Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour Calendar 2018/19
July 29: OTA Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan
Sep 22-23: LA Convention Centre in Los Angeles, US
Nov 16-18: Carioca Arena Centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Feb 7-9: Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Mar 9-10: Copper Box Arena in London, UK
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5