Samuel Eto'o Wallpaper

Best Samuel Eto'o Wallpaper

Samuel Eto'o Picture

Samuel Eto'o Best Footbal Player

Samuel Eto'o Poster

Samuel Eto'o Best Wallpaper

Samuel Eto'o

Samuel Eto'o Image

Samuel Eto'o Wallpaper

Samuel Eto'o Wallpaper

Best Samuel Eto'o Wallpaper

Samuel Eto'o Picture

Samuel Eto'o Best Footbal Player

Samuel Eto'o Poster

Samuel Eto'o Best Wallpaper

Samuel Eto'o

Samuel Eto'o Image

Samuel Eto'o Wallpaper

Eto'o to Stay at Barcelona

Now that Barcelona are done batting their eyes and flipping up their skirt to Arsenal and Togo Emmanuel Adebayor, they've settled into reality: Star striker and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o is staying.

Didn't we know this all along? Did any of us really think he was off to play in Antarctica or whatever place he was rumored to go?

New Barca coach Pep Guardiola made it official today.

"When I was unveiled I said I was not counting on him but I also said we would treat him as any other player," he said.

"During the past two, three weeks, the past month that we have been together I have been very pleased with his performance. I only have words of praise."

Eto'o had been linked with a number of high profile clubs, including Inter, AC Milan and Arsenal.

But Barca couldn't find a suitor. So instead of marginalizing him a la David Albelda of Valencia fame, Barcelona did the wise thing and invited the scorer back.

Ahh, the transfer season ... also known as the 'silly season.'

Can't live with it, can't live without it.

Doesn't it feel that this season, in particular, was way more silly than interesting?

Let's just start the football already!

Make Up Your Minds: Eto'o and Adebayor

Would someone make up their minds about these players already?

One day, Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto'o is not wanted by Barcelona, new manager Pep Guardiola saying, 'We are putting a team together and they (Eto'o and Ronaldinho, who has since moved to AC Milan) aren't in our thoughts but we'll see what happens."

And see ... and see ...

Earlier this week, it looked like he was off to my favorite club team Valencia. But then the sporting director said they didn't have enough money for him. Then, Barcelona thought about it and said, 'Hey, you know? This guy is pretty good.'

As Barca club president Joan Laporta put it, 'At one time we did think the most convenient thing was to change things in order to renew the team, especially in terms of the most important players, but I understand that nothing in this world is set in stone.'

But today, word that Eto'o is attracting interest from "four or five big clubs".

So no clubs in Uzbekistan this time?



As for prolific Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor, one day he's leaving Arsenal to replace Eto'o, the next he's signing an extension to stay at the London outfit.

As the lanky scorer puts it, 'Now I can tell everyone that, yes, I will sign a contract," Adebayor told the club's official website.

"I never told anyone I would be leaving this club, never ever. I'm very happy we've found a solution."

Adebayor added: "I have three years left on my contract and I'm putting two or three years more, so I'm very happy being part of this family."

So I guess Barcelona didn't want to pay him the wages he wanted?

Compound the Eto'o and Adebayor rumors with the never-ending, mind-numbingly boring Cristiano Ronaldo transfer to Real Madrid and you have a bevy of ... nothing.

Don't you wish the football would start again and the transfer rumor nightmare would just end??

Eto'o to Play in Uzbekistan? Huh?!?

Ok, here's another news item you'll need to sit down to read ... and no, this isn't an April Fool's joke.

According to news reports, Uzbekistan League side Kuruvchi claim to have reached a deal to sign Barcelona and Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o.

The Catalan giants have laughed off the news.

Eto'o, who has been told he is not part of new coach Pep Guardiola's plans, is expected to leave the Nou Camp this summer and has been linked with moves to Serie A and the Premier League.

On Monday morning, though, the Uzbekistan League leaders announced in an official statement on their website that they had landed the 27-year-old forward on a six-month deal.

The news was confirmed by Kuruvchi sporting director Bahtier Babayev, who said Eto'o will sign with the club later this week.

"Eto'o will arrive in Tashkent on Thursday and he will sign a contract with our club, at least up until the end of 2008," Babayev said.

"The term of the contract will depend on our performance in the AFC (African) Champions League. We will play Saipa in the quarter-finals and Eto'o is our main purchase before the knockout stage of the tournament. If we can agree with the player, he will continue to play for our club in the future."

Babayev also insisted that the seemingly unlikely transfer had been made possible due to good relations between the Primera Liga side and the Tashkent club.

"The defining moment of the transfer was not money, but the friendly mutual relations between the management of our club and Barcelona," he said.

"The personal friendship between presidents of the clubs has noticeably lowered the transfer fee."

Barcelona denied any knowledge of the move.

An official spokesperson for the Nou Camp side said: "Nobody at the club knows anything about this. I don't think it's very likely."

MY POV: So wait, Eto'o won't play for Tottenham Hotspur because they're ‘a mid-table club and I need more’ but he'll play for the Uzbekistan super powers, who finished second in last year’s national league??

No offense, but who is making this stuff up??

Eto'o's Shirt Costs a Lot of Money

Who knew that obtaining Samuel Eto'o's shirt would cost so much money?

The story begins here: Tanzania lost a hard-fought encounter against Cameroon 2-1 in recent World Cup qualifying. Tanzanian defender Nadir Haroub gave away his jersey to Cameroon star Samuel Eto'o after the game in Yaounde. It's tradition, you know?

The local media praised Haroub and said his performance was the reason Eto'o was keen to swap jerseys with him.

But the Tanzanian Football Federation (TFF) didn't see it that way. TFF bosses were clearly not amused by the gesture and told Haroub that part of his allowance would be used to replace the jersey.

The team's management insisted that Taifa Stars players were not allowed to give away jerseys as the federation could not afford a new set of jerseys for each match.

But following criticism from the media and fans alike, the TFF has backtracked and said the player would not be punished. The decision has been reversed ...

"It's obvious he couldn't say no to Eto'o," said TFF president Leodegar Tenga.

"It was a wise decision to give his jersey to such a famous player. This will make our country known," he added.

A fund-raising drive was already underway with fans donating money to help Haroub meet the cost of replacing the jersey.

MY POV: Times are tough around the world these days. Even the simple football tradition of swapping shirts isn't exempt.

Eto'o Breaks Spanish Record

It's obvious to anyone that follows the Beautiful Game that Samuel Eto'o is one of the greatest strikers of all-time.

While it hasn't been the best of seasons for the Barcelona striker, the Indomitable Lion can at least be content with establishing himself as the African player with the most La Liga games to his name.

He's had a host of troubles while in Spain.

He's been the object of racist taunts. He called Real Madrid fans derogatory names after winning the Spanish title with Barcelona. He's been deemed a clubhouse 'cancer' by teammates and journalists.

But through it all, he's persevered and scored at an amazing pace, winning plaudits and championships along the way.

Eto'o spent 70 minutes on the pitch in Barca's 6-0 demolition of Valencia yesterday.
MY POV: For more about this game and more ranting about my beloved club Valencia, please check out my Valencia blog ...

Although he didn't add to his tally of 14 goals this season, he notched up his 242nd appearance in the Spanish first division.

He takes the 'record' from his compatriot Thomas N'kono, who wore the gloves for Barcelona's neighbors Espanyol in 241 games between 1982 and 1989.

Eto'o has played 106 games for the Catalan club since arriving at Barcelona in the summer of 2004.

In addition, he played three times for Real Madrid at the start of his career before moving to Real Mallorca for five seasons and 133 matches.

The question now is, how many more La Liga games will Eto'o play?
MY POV: I think he's gone after this season. Barca have seriously under-performed and many are blaming Eto'o and a lackluster Ronaldinho for their demise.

Barcelona have three games remaining this season, including a trip to bitter rivals and Spanish champions Real Madrid on Wednesday.

But Eto'o himself will be suspended after picking up a fifth yellow card against Valencia.
MY POV: Seems convenient that Eto'o picked up a yellow card ahead of Wednesday's Classico.
Now, Eto'o won't have to stand in line and salute the champions as per Spanish tradition, the pasillo, where the opposing team stands and claps for the champions.

"I did not know that if I was booked I would miss the game on Wednesday," he said. "I did not deserve it anyway and am angry that I cannot play in the game. It is always a great occasion and I did not want to miss it. I hope that they will look at it and take the card away."
Hmmm ...

There have been strong rumors in recent months that Eto'o may move during the summer,
with Italy's Serie A or the English Premiership being the most likely destinations.
MY POV: My money's on England. Chelsea, anyone??

However, Eto'o has been at pains to dismiss speculation about his departure.

"I want to carry on here next season. I have a contract here until 2010 and I think I'm going to see it out," said Eto'o last week.

"When you look at all the players we've got, I think we can go on to win further titles. I believe in this team. This season hasn't been either so good or so bad but I wouldn't use the word 'fiasco' that has appeared in the media."

Despite not winning anything with Barcelona this season, Eto'o has still achieved a stunning array of honors with his various clubs.

He won Champions League winners' medals in 2000 and 2006, with Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively although he didn't play in the final when he was at his former club.
MY POV: Thankfully. Real Madrid beat Valencia 3-0 in Paris in the 2000 Champions League final. If Eto'o played, it might have been 6-0 ...

The three-time African Player of the Year was part of the Barcelona teams that won the Spanish league title in 2005 and 2006.

He was also the Spanish first division's leading scorer in 2006 (the Pichichi), becoming the first African player to achieve such an accolade, and won the 2003 Spanish Cup while at Mallorca.

MY POV: There's no doubt Eto'o is a special talent. He's been through a lot in Spain and has always played exceptionally well.

But I do think his time in Barcelona is up. The squad needs major upgrading and Eto'o will likely look for new challenges.

A trip to England awaits ... stay tuned!

Eto'o Breaks Record

Samuel Eto'o is the king of African football.

Today he became the highest scorer in Cup of Nations history when he converted a penalty in a 3-0 win over Sudan in their group finale.

The Indomitable Lions finish second in Group C behind Egypt with six points to go through to the quarterfinals.

Eto'o's 27th-minute strike took his tally at African Nations Cup tournaments to 15, overtaking the 38-year-old record of Ivory Coast's Laurent Pokou.

A bizarre own goal by Mohamed Ali Khider effectively ended the game six minutes later before Eto'o completed the scoring in injury-time, his fifth goal at the 2008 finals.

"We've been very efficient and scored 10 goals in the group stage, I don't know many teams who've done that," said Cameroon coach Otto Pfister.

"We totally dominated the first half and, although we did not put on a great show, I'm happy that we've qualified."

Kudos to Sudan, who didn't score a goal in the tournament, but gave their fellow countrymen something to cheer about after many war-ravaged years. I hope this tournament experience was a good one for them.

Over to Kumasi, where a last-gasp equaliser from Chris Katongo enabled Zambia to hold Egypt to a 1-1 draw.

But the result was not enough to rescue Zambia from elimination and confirmed Egypt as Group C winners.

Amr Zaki scored after 15 minutes in another solid display by the defending champions, who finished with seven points, one more than second placed Cameroon.

Egypt were caught out after a sustained period of pressure when Katongo blasted home from close range in the 89th minute.

Their next opponents have not been confirmed. Group D qualification comes tomorrow.

Eto'o Update and Nigerian TV Row

**Note: I still haven't found a place in New York City to watch the African Cup of Nations. If anyone knows a place to watch, please e-mail me at cesarman@yahoo.com and let me know! Thanks!**

An update on Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o's Cup of Nations situation. As reported in yesterday's entry, Barcelona and Cameroon have been arguing over when the star striker would report to Cameroon's pre-Cup camp in Burkina Faso. The Cameroon FA wants him there now, Barcelona want him in Spain for their upcoming matches in the Copa Del Rey and La Liga.

It's finally been sorted out. Barcelona have permission to retain Eto'o for the two games before he joins up with Cameroon, the president of the Cameroon FA confirmed on Tuesday.

"There is no problem. The coach (Otto Pfister) has spoken with the player and accepts that he plays this weekend and then joins the squad, having played two more games with Barcelona," Mohammed Iya told Spanish radio station RAC-1.

Iya admitted Pfister had needed convincing but that the German coach had accepted it would help Eto'o improve his physical fitness after having missed most of the season so far with injury.

Iya's comments supported Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard's assertions that the La Liga club had written permission to retain the player.

"The important thing for Samuel is to play and the federation and their coach have seen that that is best for them and for us," Rijkaard told a news conference on Tuesday.

Barcelona included Eto'o in their squad to face Sevilla in the first leg of their King's Cup (Copa Del Rey) last-16 tie on Wednesday and expect to field him at home to Real Murcia in La Liga on Saturday before he hooks up with Cameroon.

So that's that. Glad the situation was rectified.

But here's an interesting situation that could spell gloom for Cup of Nations viewers in Nigeria.

According to today's BBC, Nigerian broadcasters say they cannot afford to buy the rights to the Cup of Nations.

The Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON) says the company that owns the rights wants 3m euros ($4.4m).

More than 30% of Africa's TV audience for football is in Nigeria, BON says.

The group says it can only offer 1.25m euros ($1.8m) for the rights.

"They said our offer was not acceptable, so we said: 'Fine, you can go and set up a TV channel in two weeks, we won't deal with you'," BON chairman Abubakar Jijiwa told the BBC Focus on Africa program.

Many Nigerians fanatically follow their national team, the Super Eagles, and the country is the most populous in Africa. "If you want to ignore Nigeria, good luck to you," Mr Jijiwa said.

Wow, this could get heated. And here we thought the club v. country row was the hottest topic of debate.

Can you imagine Nigeria being shut out from watching the Cup? Tragic.

Club vs. Country Over African Players

As squads begin training for the upcoming African Cup of Nations, two stories of the age-old club vs. country row that affects football from time to time.

This year, the situation's been magnified by the timing of the Cup of Nations. With more Africans playing in major football leagues, the mass exodus of players for up to six weeks is worrying big clubs like Chelsea of England and Barcelona of Spain.

Today, we begin with Barca star and Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o. Cameroon's Football Federation says it wants the star scorer in camp now. The Catalan giants claim they've reached an agreement for Eto'o to stay in Spain for another week. Cameroon's saying that is unacceptable and that no agreement exists.

Having Eto'o around would allow Barca to play him in two more matches before he leaves for training in Burkina Faso, where Cameroon's camp is.

Eto'o will be a key part of the Indomitable Lions plans, and the Federation says it is essential that he joins the squad on time.

New coach Otto Pfister will want as much time as possible to work with his players, many of whom he has yet to meet.

Under FIFA regulations, players are required to be available for their national sides two weeks before the start of a major tournament.

It is understood that Barcelona have written to Cameroon saying that the player's recovery schedule would be badly affected if he traveled this weekend.

Eto'o has only just returned to first team action after many months on the sidelines through injury.

Interesting situation. But wait, it gets worse ...

The South Africa Football Association (SAFA) has asked FIFA to punish Everton FC of England following the club's attempts to hold on to midfielder Steven Pienaar.

FIFA forced the English Premier League club to release Pienaar (below) for the Cup of Nations.

Everton had tried to keep Pienaar for Tuesday's Carling Cup semi-final against Chelsea.

The club had hoped South Africa might take a flexible approach.

Everton argued they did not need to release Pienaar until after Tuesday's first leg as South Africa's opening game in the tournament is not until January 23rd.

But FIFA backed South Africa's stance citing the 14-day rule for international players related to the start of the tournament on January 20th.

Now that their stance has been vindicated, the South Africans have called for action against Everton.

"Our intention is not to punish the player, because the player is not to be blamed in this particular instance," said a SAFA spokesman.

"We've played the game by the rules, so FIFA will have to sanction the team."

Pienaar trained with Everton on Monday but by mid-afternoon, SAFA had formally asked FIFA to intervene to end the confusion.

Nigeria gave Everton permission to use Yakubu Ayegbeni and Joseph Yobo in Tuesday's game before releasing them the following day to join their country's training camp.

Couldn't this situation have been avoided? Couldn't SAFA have bent just a bit?

We'll see this continue until the African Cup's schedule is changed, unfortunately. The only people who really suffer are the players, who can't really be blamed.

Cup of Nations is Around the Corner

The venues are being scrubbed clean, the tickets are printed and the cities are bubbling with anticipation.

The African Cup of Nations is but a mere 2 weeks and 2 days away from taking over the minds and hearts of football fans around the globe.

Cup finalists begin their pre-tournament preparations in earnest this weekend, led by defending champions Egypt who host Namibia in a friendly.

Saturday's match in Aswan is the first of three warm-up matches for the Pharaohs, still sweating on the availability of star striker Mido.

The Middlesbrough forward has a knee injury and is unsure of his fitness for the tournament, which starts January 20.

Namibia play their first match under Dutch coach Arie Schans, who has had less than a month to work with the team. His predecessor, the Zambian Ben Bamchuile died at the end of last month, casting a shadow over Namibia's preparations.

All but two of the 16 finalists will play warm-up internationals over the next three weeks before the tournament kick off.

Cameroon had planned a match against Kenya in Nairobi but the post-election violence in the east African country have seen the Indomitable Lions switch their preparations to Burkina Faso. To date, they have no matches planned and will not have played an international since their last qualifier in September.

Guinea play no warm-up internationals but will get match practice against club opposition in Marbella, Spain, where they will begin preparations next week. Among their planned opponents are Fiorentina and Borussia Dortmund. Heady competition, no?

Nigeria and Sudan are training in Malaga while Benin have gone to Brazil for a 10-day camp before heading to Burkina Faso for a warm-up match against Senegal on Jan. 17.

Angola have been in Portugal since before Christmas for their preparations.
Tunisia host Zambia at Rades on Sunday before a flurry of fixtures next week, which sees matches in Abu Dhabi, Spain, Portugal, Morocco and South Africa.

Under FIFA rules for continental championships, clubs must release their players for preparations a full two weeks before the start of the tournament, setting Sunday as the deadline for squad members to join up.

But there are likely to be some exceptions, notably Ghana's Michael Essien who officials said would likely be allowed to play for Chelsea against Tottenham Hotspur on Jan.14. Also, Samuel Eto'o will stay with Barcelona until mid-week next week, playing in a Kings Cup match before meeting up with his Cameroon teammates.

It's almost here, people. I'm excited!!

Short List for 2007 BBC African Footballer of the Year

It's that time of year again, when journalists around the globe announce their picks for Footballers of the Year.

Africa has their own prestigious award and today, the BBC announced their short list for 2007 African Footballer of the year.

*Note: The BBC award is independent of the Confederation of African Footballer award. Ghana's Michael Essien won the award last year, while Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba won the CAF prize.*

The players selected are listed with their home countries and club teams:

Didier Drogba - Ivory Coast, Chelsea
Michael Essien - Ghana, Chelsea
Emmanuel Adebayor - Togo, Arsenal
Frederic Kanoute - Mali, Sevilla
Samuel Eto'o - Cameroon, FC Barcelona

The list was drawn up through consultation with sports reporters from every country in Africa.

Each reporter, from Morocco to Mozambique, from Somalia to Senegal, was asked to provide a list of five names. I'm a little skeptical of the Eto'o choice, being he's hardky played this year. But this is what they chose, so what do I know?

If you'd like to vote, please click here and have your say!

The winner will be announced at a special ceremony in Accra, Ghana on February 1, after the completion of the group stages of the African Cup of Nations.

According to the BBC's website, here's some things to consider in each player's case:

- Despite hardly playing in 2007, Samuel Eto'o has been chosen as the face of the 2010 World Cup and has taken a leading role in the fight against racism in football.

- Michael Essien was rewarded for his performances with a new five-year contract at Chelsea, and Ghana coach Claude Le Roy has declared Essien's talent to be "from another planet".

- Frederic Kanoute scored the vital goal which saw Mali qualify for the Nations Cup, and he helped his club side Sevilla retain the Uefa Cup.

- Togo's Emmanuel Adebayor picked up where Thierry Henry left off for English Premier League side Arsenal with seven goals for the Gunners in the first three months of the season.

- Ivorian Didier Drogba scored the winner in Chelsea's FA Cup final victory over Manchester United.

So who is going to win? What do you think?

Samuel Eto'o is the Face of 2010 World Cup

Talk about a great honor!

Barcelona star Samuel Eto'o was unveiled as the face of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa on Friday.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Friday unveiled the poster for the first tournament to be staged in Africa.

An image of the Cameroonian striker about to head a football, his face and neck superimposed on a map of Africa, will form the center piece of the publicity campaign for the tournament.

"You will have no problem to recognize first of all that it's Africa and you have the face of one of the most popular and well-known faces of the continent," Blatter told reporters.

"He was not able to participate in the last World Cup but what is more important here is to give this continent a face, a human face in football," he said ahead of Sunday's draw for the qualifying rounds.

Eto'o was only 17 when he appeared in the 1998 tournament in France but the "Indomitable Lions" failed to qualify for the last World Cup in Germany.

In other news, South Africans will get cheap tickets to watch the 2010 World Cup on home soil, local organizers announced Friday.

Certain tickets will be sold only to South African residents, they said. Details would be announced over the weekend after FIFA's World Cup organising committee meeting in Durban.

South Africa's 2010 Local Organizing Committee chairman Danny Jordaan said the special tickets were an attempt to make watching the finals as accessible as possible to South Africa's population, more than half of whom live below the poverty line.

Good move, as the spirit of the World Cup can now be shared by all.

Eto'o Commits to Cup of Nations

Finally, a superstar player has come out to say he's definitely playing in the upcoming African Cup of Nations.

Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o, who plies his trade for FC Barcelona, has committed to play for Cameroon at the African Cup of Nations in January, according to reports in the Spanish media.

Spanish sports daily MARCA reported that Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain had met earlier this week with the player's representative Jose Maria Mesalles to discuss the issue.

During the meeting it was made clear to the Catalan club that Eto'o would play for his country.

Eto'o has missed much of the season with a thigh injury.

But he is expected to return to action before the end of November which will give him just a handful of games to get match fit before traveling to Ghana for the tournament.

He could miss up to four of Barcelona's league games at a critical period in the season. He could also miss the Spanish Cup quarter-finals, which are scheduled while he is to be on international duty.

Barcelona are currently second in the Spanish La Liga but only one point behind league leaders and bitter rivals Real Madrid.

"I don't know if they'll go (the African Nations Cup) and I hope they don't but we can't force them," said Begiristain last month, referring to Eto'o and the club's other African star, Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure.

Eto'o refused to reveal what his plans were when he appeared at a promotional event earlier this week.

"All I want to do is play football. This issue about the Cup has to be resolved between my club and the Cameroon federation," said Eto'o, answering the inevitable question about whether he would be playing for Cameroon.

Sources close to the player have told Spanish newspapers that Eto'o is frustrated because he feels he is in a no-win situation, and will inevitably be viewed as disloyal by whichever set of fans he abandons.

Eto'o is among several of Africa's leading footballers to have called in recent months for the African Nations Cup to be re-scheduled so that it does not conflict with the European leagues.

Cameroon face defending champions Egypt as well as Sudan and Zambia in their first round of the competition, which starts on January 20 and runs until February 10.

Eto'o Has No Idea If He'll Play African Cup of Nations

Samuel Eto'o is one of Africa's brightest stars.
But he doesn't know if he'll play in next year's African Cup of Nations.

"I will play where they tell me to. I am not the boss," Eto'o said in an interview with Spanish daily Sport on Friday.

"I can't do anything. I understand the club's worries but I also understand my country's concerns. They have to sort it out between them. Txiki (Begiristain, Barca's sports director) has to speak to the Cameroon Football Federation."

Earlier this week, Begiristain said he had asked Eto'o and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure to skip the tournament which runs from Jan. 20 to Feb. 10 in Ghana.

Eto'o, three-time African Player of the Year, has been sidelined since the beginning of September with an injury to his right thigh, and missed more than four months of last season after needing surgery for a knee injury in the same leg.

He refused to set a date for when he hoped to return to action. Doctors have said they expect Eto'o to be out for at least two months.

"I need to take it little by little because the most important thing is that I return to help the side win. I don't want to come back and be a burden," he said.

I really hope Sam plays for Cameroon. What a shame to not see him in Africa's biggest tournament ...

Three Africans on FIFA World Player of the Year List

Three Africans made it onto FIFA's 30-player list for 2007 World Player of the Year.

Usual suspects all.

Strikers Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon and Didier Drogba of the Ivory Coast as well as Ghana midfielder Michael Essien have all made the initial shortlist.

There are also three Africans on the list for the women's award for 2007: Adjoa Bayor from Ghana as well as Nigerian duo Christie George and Perpetua Nkwocha.

The list is drawn up by members of FIFA's technical committees and voted on by the coaches and captains of every national team.

The winner will be announced at FIFA's World Player Gala in Zurich on December 17th.

Good luck to our African friends!

Here's a rundown of all the nominated players:
Men's nominees (alphabetical order):
Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Fabio Cannavaro (Italy), Petr Cech (Czech Republic), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Deco (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Michael Essien (Ghana), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Gennaro Gattuso (Italy), Steven Gerrard (England), Thierry Henry (France), Juninho (Brazil), Kaka (Brazil), Miroslav Klose (Germany), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Frank Lampard (England), Rafael Marquez (Mexico), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Alessandro Nesta (Italy), Andrea Pirlo (Italy), Franck Ribery (France), Juan Roman Riquelme (Argentina), Ronaldinho (Brazil), Wayne Rooney (England), John Terry (England), Carlos Tevez (Argentina), Lilian Thuram (France), Fernando Torres (Spain), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Netherlands), Patrick Vieira (France)

Women's Nominees (alphabetical order):
Nadine Angerer (Germany), Adjoa Bayor (Ghana), Cristiane (Brazil), Daniela (Brazil), Lisa de Vanna (Australia), Formiga (Brazil), Christie George (Nigeria), Ragnhild Gulbrandsen (Norway), Duan Han (China), Ariane Hingst (Germany), Jie Li (China), Kristine Lilly (USA), Renate Lingor (Germany), Marta (Brazil), Perpetua Nkwocha (Nigeria), Bente Nordby (Norway), Cathrine Paaske Sorensen (Denmark), Birgit Prinz (Germany), Un Suk Ri (North Korea), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Kelly Smith (England), Rebecca Smith (New Zealand), Ane Stangeland Horpestad (Norway), Kerstin Stegemann (Germany), Ingvild Stensland (Norway), Abby Wambach (USA)

Barcelona and Inter Milan Speak Out on Club v. Country

The debate continues. Which is more important? Playing for your club or playing for your country? As you know, with the 2008 African Cup of Nations due to begin in January, many Africans playing in Europe will have to leave their squads mid-season to represent their country.

We've covered this often in the past. Today, two reports of big clubs making their feelings known over this issue.

First, Barcelona.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta said on Tuesday that national teams should pay clubs for the use of their players.

"It's a disgrace that we have to let our international players go to national teams and we don't receive any compensation," Laporta told the Spanish club's Web site (www.fcbarcelona.com).

"The national teams are doing business using our footballers. It's an issue being looked at by UEFA and FIFA but I don't see a willingness to resolve it when they could do something immediately. If they don't resolve the situation we'll have to consider not releasing our players for international duty."

Strong words from the Barca president. Will this affect Samuel Eto'o in his comeback from injury and his play for Cameroon in the Nations Cup?

Then this, from Inter Milan, whose Director of Sport Marco Branca told L'Equipe's Web site (www.lequipe.fr) on Tuesday that he believed midfielder Patrick Vieira was at risk for injury in Wednesday's Euro 2008 Group B qualifier against Scotland in Paris because he has just recovered from a hamstring injury.

The Serie A champions also expressed concern about Vieira's fitness before Saturday's 0-0 draw with Italy in Milan, which the France captain played from start to finish.

"I have never chosen between club and country. If I'm all right I play for one and for the other," the 31-year-old midfielder told a news conference later on Tuesday.

"If Inter prefer to speak via newspapers instead of telling me what they think, it is their problem. I don't usually talk about this sort of thing in the newspapers. I'm disappointed."

The issue won't go away and it's one that effects Africa specifically, what with their scheduling of the Cup of Nations smack in the middle of the European season.

What can be done to rectify this and appease the countries? A fee system? Compensation of some sort?

More on this soon ...

Barcelona Look to Keep Eto'o From African Cup of Nations

We knew this would boil over at some point. The old 'club-vs.-country' debate.
Who is it more important to play for: the club that pays your bills? Or the country that feeds your passions?

Word comes out of Spain today that Barcelona are looking to keep currently injured Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto'o from playing in next year's African Cup of Nations.

The 26-year-old had a successful operation last Saturday on his right leg and will be out for three months.

Eto'o is expected to return to action in January, three weeks before the start of the tournament in Ghana.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta says they will be negotiating to avoid losing the striker for national duties after his recovery.

"He must first play for Barcelona before the other teams," said Laporta.

The three-time African player of the year spent five months on the sidelines last season due to a right knee injury.

The Cameroon striker's absence will at least solve coach Frank Rijkaard's selection headache at Barca for a while.

Rijkaard has the task this season of deciding between a quartet of top forwards - Eto'o, Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi and recent signing Thierry Henry.

This issue could boil over and cause more pressing headaches for the Catalunyan club in the near future.

Stay tuned. The debate over the timing of the Cup tournament continues.

Under-17 World Cup and Eto'os injury

The FIFA Under-17 World Cup is turning into an African talent show, with both Ghana and Nigeria advancing to the semifinals of the all-star event.

The Nigerian Golden Eagles will face Germany in Wednesday's semi-finals after the Europeans thrashed their rivals England 4-1 in a quarter-final match on Sunday. Nigeria defeated Argentina, 2-0.

Ghana and Spain will meet in the other semi-final, Ghana advancing with a 2-0 victory over Peru and Spain defeating France 1-1 and 5-4 on penalties.

Good luck to the African squads as they advance towards the finish line!

*******

Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o is to be sidelined for three months after undergoing surgery on his right thigh on Saturday.

Eto'o, who plays for Barcelona, partially tore his thigh tendon during a friendly against Inter Milan on Wednesday.

He is likely to miss virtually all the Champions League group stage as they face Lyon, Stuttgart and Rangers in Group E.

Doctor Ramon Cugat, who performed an hour-long operation on Eto'o, said the striker couldn't resume training for "at least two months".

Cugat said surgery was necessary because the muscle bore most weight when a player took a shot.

"A professional player cannot risk this muscle. Without it, he cannot function properly," Cugat said.

The three-time African player of the year spent five months on the sidelines last season due to a right knee injury.

The Cameroon striker's absence will at least solve coach Frank Rijkaard's selection headache for a while.

Rijkaard has the task this season of deciding between a quartet of top forwards - Eto'o, Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi and recent signing Thierry Henry.

In Barcelona's opening game of the season against Racing Santander last Sunday, Rijkaard left Henry on the bench until he replaced Messi in the second half.

The game ended scoreless.

Good luck to Eto'o, one of Africa's shining stars, in his recovery.