England thrashed San Marino to qualify for Euro 2016

The Manchester United captain netted after 13 minutes to go level with the World Cup winner, as Roy Hodgson's side ensured tournament football in France

England captain Wayne Rooney equalled Sir Bobby Charlton's goalscoring record in a 6-0 win away to San Marino, securing the Three Lions' place at Euro 2016 with three games to spare.

The England and Manchester United captain had been closing in on Charlton's marker during the current qualifying campaign and, on the occasion of his 106th cap, matching Charlton's appearance haul, he pulled level with goal number 49 in international football.

Rooney scored from the spot in the 13th minute after the visitors were awarded a soft penalty, but was unable to take top spot in the all-time goalscoring list for his own before being substituted just short of the hour mark.

The captain set the ball rolling for England, and Cristian Brolli doubled the advantage with an own goal.

Ross Barkley's first England goal made it 3-0 shortly after the interval, before substitutes Fabian Delph and Theo Walcott combined for the fourth.

Harry Kane, on in place of Rooney, chipped the visitors into a 5-0 lead, and Walcott rounded off the scoring with his second of the match as England convincingly sealed their place in next year's tournament in France.

With John Stones, Jonjo Shelvey and Jamie Vardy included from the start, Roy Hodgson was looking to learn more about the depth of talent at his disposal, but it was the most familiar of England faces who broke the deadlock for the visitors.

After a whipped James Milner free-kick into the box appeared to hit Stones on the hand, the referee confusingly chose to penalise San Marino, booking Marco Berardi, and Rooney stepped up to slot the ball into the bottom right-hand corner.

Rooney then drew a save from goalkeeper Aldo Simoncini from a tight angle six minutes later, with Milner unable to find the target from the rebound, but England continued to dominate on a challenging playing surface and soon doubled their advantage.

Luke Shaw sent in a dangerous cross from the left and, desperate to get a head to it, Brolli inadvertently diverted the ball beyond his own goalkeeper.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain played a key role as England moved 3-0 in front less than a minute into the second half, hanging in a cross from the right for Barkley to head home.

Walcott made it 4-0 moments after being introduced in place of Arsenal team-mate Oxlade-Chamberlain in the 67th minute by tapping in at the far post from a Delph cross.

Kane then confidently lifted the ball over Simoncini after being played in by a wonderful Shelvey pass in the 77th minute, before Walcott doubled his tally by shooting across the San Marino goalkeeper a minute later.

San Marino managed their first shot on target through Danilo Rinaldi in the closing stages, but the result was never in doubt and Hodgson can now turn his attentions to planning for next year's tournament.

Carl Ikeme saved the day for the lacklustre Super Eagles

The Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper was in superb form on his international debut as the Eagles failed to soar in Dar es Salam

Tanzania held Nigeria to a 0-0 draw in Saturday's 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier played at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium, Dar-es-Salaam.
There was no separating the two sides in 90 minutes, with the impressive Carl Ikeme, who made his Super Eagles’ debut, on several occasions denying the Taifa Stars a chance to take maximum points.
The towering Wolverhampton Wanderers shot stopper's best moment was an amazing save in the 67th minute when he denied Thomas Ulimwengu with a long stretch before scrambling to Mrisho Ngassa’s follow-up which went by the post, with both shots coming from inside the six-yard box.
Without leading lights in attack Odion Ighalo, Victor Moses and Gbolahan Salami and missing veteran goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, Sunday Oliseh’s men failed to break down Boniface Mkwasa’s well-drilled hosts who were fuelled by a crowd that generated a tremendous atmosphere.
Captain Ahmed Musa showed a fine turn of pace to burst down the left and cut back for  Emmanuel Emenike, only for the striker to be fouled to hand Sunday Oliseh’s men a free kick in the second minute of the match.
The resultant kick was not enough to threaten goalkeeper Ali Mustapha who was rarely troubled by the Eagles’ frontline. Not too long afterwards, the hosts got their first chance through Mlinwengu  - and that seemed to knock off Nigeria out of their rhythm as they failed to create an opening of note for the remainder of the first half.
Mrisho Ngasa had a chance to open the scoring in the 13th minute, but his shot from the edge of the area was blocked as the Taifa Stars continued their dominance.
Ikeme was then called into action to keep out Farid Musa’s close-range header after the striker had got on the end of captain Nadir Haroub’s dangerous free-kick.
Nigeria went close to getting the curtain raiser, but Mustapha did well to pluck Musa’s flick-on off the line before Mosee Simon was denied by a block in the area.
Oliseh introduced Sylvester Igboun for Haruna Lukman who seemed to be lost in the midfield but that did not yield any result as the hosts dictated the pace from the middle.
Tanzania edged the initial stages, although Emenike felt that he should have earned a penalty two minutes into half time when he went down under pressure from Shomari Kapombe. Contact was minimal and the referee waved away protests before the Taifa Stars continued to threaten.
Towards the end of the game, Nigeria did not fare any better as they failed to punish the hosts’ who were lethargic in the latter part of the game as goalkeeper Ikeme held sway in goal to prevent the hosts from snatching a win.
With this result, the Super Eagles now have four points and top Group G. pending the outcome of Sunday’s game between Chad and Egypt. While Tanzania who last made an Afcon appearance 35 years ago remain at the base of the log with a point.

Chike, Oluchi & Joy evicted from Project Fame

The journey for the trio -Chike, Oluchi and Joy ended this Saturday, September 5, 2015.

The show started when the names of the contestants with the lowest votes were revealed. Chike, Joy, Oluchi, Arewa, Kumi and Pearl were the six contestants with the lowest votes.
They later performed their songs which they did very well.
The Faculty saved Pearl while the Judges saved Arewa. When it was the turn of the contestants not on probation to save one person, it ended in a tie with Kumi and Chike getting 2 votes each. Ada voted for Kumi, Deinde voted for Chike, Anderson surprisingly voted for Kumi and Jeffrey voted for Chike.
Ada was later asked to decide because she garnered the highest votes for the day. she finally saved Kumi. 

Enyeama Pulls Out of Nigeria Vs Tanzania

The LOSC Lille goalkeeper has declined being part of Sunday Oliseh’s first game in charge of the Super Eagles when they take on Tanzania on Saturday

Nigeria captain and most experienced player, Vincent Enyeama has opted out of the national team as they travel to Dar es Salaam to face Tanzania in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification match on Saturday, coach Sunday Oliseh has revealed.
In what is Oliseh’s first game in charge of the Super Eagles, the 101-cap goalkeeper has told the technical crew he won’t be coming.

“[Enyeama] asked to be withdrawn from this game, for which reason I don’t know, I think you have to ask him personally,” Oliseh told media on Wednesday in Abuja.
“The late withdrawal has put me in a very tight situation because I must confess that the task ahead of us is a very difficult one and I didn’t need this extra burden.
“We’re practically starting this team from the scratch, it’s not very pleasant but that’s life,” he said.
Enyeama had been embroiled in a battle with the Nigeria Football Federation after June’s qualifier against Chad when he spoke about security fears in host city Kaduna.
Even though Oliseh stood in stout defence of the Lille goalkeeper when the NFF threatened to ban him from the national team, it seems Enyeama will not be taking the olive branch handed out to him.In his stead, 22-year-old striker Ahmed Musa is tipped to captain the side, albeit in an interim capacity until the situation about Enyeama’s future with the national team is resolved.
The CSKA Moscow striker, who has the highest number of caps in the absence of John Obi Mikel, has been in top form, scoring five goals in the Russian top flight this season.
“I’m not under any pressure to lead the team because I have done that against South Africa [in March 2015] and by the grace of God we’re going over there for the three points,” Musa said.
In goal, Oliseh would hope newly invited Carl Ikeme of Wolverhampton Wanderers steps up to the plate and makes it count against the Taifa Stars.
“I’m just enjoying being here to train with the boy and the coach,” Ikeme said when asked about the pressure of stepping into Enyeama’s big shoes.
Nigeria will fly out to Dar es Salaam on Thursday for the game against Tanzania.
The Super Eagles need a win to keep up with Group G leaders Egypt who play away to Chad in Ndjamena

Illegal Guinean Migrants Found Hidden Behind Car Engine

A West African migrant entered the Spanish territory of Ceuta from Morocco curled up next to a car engine and another was hidden behind the back seat of the Mercedes-300 car.

Spanish police found the pair late on Sunday during a customs check at El Tarajal, near the Moroccan border.

The two men from Guinea got first aid, having suffered from a lack of oxygen, Spain's Guardia Civil police said.

Sub-Saharan Africans often try to enter Ceuta, as a gateway to the EU.

The Mercedes 300 was found to have false number plates. Police detained two Moroccan men who were in the car when it was stopped.

It is not clear how long the man in the engine compartment had been inhaling noxious fumes for.

The two illegal migrants did not have any papers, and were identified in the statement only as "TD and AB from Guinea Conakry". They are also under official investigation now.

Ceuta and Melilla are tiny Spanish enclaves on the North African coast, which have erected formidable border fences to keep out illegal migrants.

The fences have led some migrants to resort to extreme methods to get into Spain, such as swimming into the ports or even hiding in suitcases.

Last month, a Moroccan man suffocated to death in a suitcase after his brother tried to smuggle him to mainland Spain aboard a ferry from Melilla.

BBC Reportage