Football

The Rainbow nation is set to stage the showpiece event in the football calendar with some of the game’s most dazzling players set to take centre stage.

The names of the famous footballers set to star in the forthcoming World Cup in South Africa run off the tip of your tongue: Kaka, Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, Michael Ballack, Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba.

Talking of African football, the most illustrious footballer to participate in the World Cup, Brazilian Pele, claimed that within ten years an African nation would win the World Cup. That prophecy however has long since been outdated.

Flying The Flag For Islam

There will be no shortage of world class players in South Africa and a lot of them will have one thing in common - the faith of Islam!

France and Bayern Munich’s Franck Bilal Ribéry is the standout performer who could make World Cup glory possible for the French. An attacking forward, he has the pace and the dribbling skills to outwit any international defence in the World Cup. A lot will depend on him, as the current French squad is an average set-up with internal problems rife. Ribéry has been recognised on the world stage as one of the best French players of his generation. The previous talisman of Les Bleus, Zinedine Zidane, has called Ribéry the "jewel of French football".

Football star Abel Xavier embraced Islam on a trip to the United Arab Emirates last week and said he will now quit football at the age of 38 to pursue a career in humanitarian work, press reports revealed.

Former Portuguese international, Abel, who will now go by the name of Faisal Xavier, said he regretted leaving the sport but said he was happy to enter a new phase in his life.

"While it's an emotional farewell, I hope to participate in something very special as I enter a new stage of my life," press reports quoted Xavier, who also once played for Liverpool and Everton, as saying.

Officials have launched a search for Eritrea's national football team after the players reportedly failed to return home following a tournament in Kenya.

The Eritreans were knocked out of the Cecafa competition for East and Central African nations last week.

But when the team plane landed back home, it was reportedly only carrying the coach and an official.

Read more @ BBC News

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak has stepped into a row with Algeria, vowing he will not tolerate the "humiliation" of Egyptian nationals abroad.

The dispute was triggered by violence following football World Cup qualifying matches between the two north African Arab nations.

Algeria won the crucial play-off, but each side has accused the other's fans of attacking their supporters.

Read more @ BBC News

Egypt-Algeria World Cup anger turns violent in Cairo

Riot police in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, quelled a violent demonstration near the Algerian embassy in the early hours of Friday.

Egyptian protesters reportedly hurled firebombs at police protecting the embassy and overturned a police van.

Egypt's Interior Ministry said 35 people were injured.

The clashes stem from Egypt's defeat by Algeria in a World Cup qualifying match on Wednesday, securing Algeria the last African place for next year's finals.

On Friday Alaa Mubarak, the son of Egypt's president Hosni Mubarak, made a rare public statement calling for a "tough stance" to be taken against Algeria.

Oooohh... are people now going to forever remember Thierry Henry for that goal against Ireland? Forever a cheat? Or will people forget this one mistake?

What are your opinions on it? He said himself it was a handball but that it wasn’t deliberate... hhmmm... do you agree? Does it look instinctive or deliberately directed...?

Does it change your opinion about him in any way?

Do you feel for Ireland? Can you just imagine the uproar if something like that had happened to us... again?

What can and should be done about stuff like that in the so-called beautiful game?

Should Henry have gone to the ref and owned up?

Or... what is all the fuss about?! It’s just a game!

A clip of the Henry handball

Chelsea hit by new signings ban

Chelsea have been banned from signing any new players until January 2011 by football's governing body Fifa.

The Premier League club was found guilty of inducing French winger Gael Kakuta, 18, to breach his contract with Lens when he joined in 2007.

"Chelsea is banned from registering any new players for the two next registration periods," a statement on Fifa's website read.

Chelsea can appeal against the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Fifa's dispute resolution chamber (DRC) ruled Kakuta must pay compensation of 780,000 euros (£682,000), for which Chelsea are "jointly and severally liable".

Mourinho's Ramadan comments have landed him in hot water once again as Islamic dignitaries react with anger...

Jose Mourinho has come under fire once again after the head of the Union for the Communities and Organisations of Islam in Italy (UCOII), Mohamed Nour Dachan, slammed the Inter coach for his recent comments relating to Sulley Muntari and Ramadan.

The 'Special One' replaced the Ghana midfielder after 30 minutes following a poor showing on the pitch. Mourinho claimed Ramadan was having a negative influence on Muntari who practices Islam.

"Muntari had some problems related to Ramadan - perhaps with this heat it's not good for him to be doing this [fasting]," Mourinho told reporters after the game.

Fredi explains how he makes the seemingly impossible a reality during a certain month each year...

To be tremendously fit is a must for all professional footballers: a demand that leads some Muslim players to forgo the duty of fasting during Ramadan, preferring to fulfill their obligation when the football season ends. However, for Sevilla’s Freddie Kanoute, this is not the case.

The former Tottenham Hotspur striker believes it is possible for a modern footballer to remain in peak physical condition during the holy month.