Houllier was not a great lover of the beautiful football but he got us back to winning way (EUFA, FA Cup etc).

Alxamdullilah I'm fine where I am and tend to enjoy work (at least my current project). Also trying to get something going on the side (same discipline). A part-time football coaching role is on the agenda aswell (if I can finally make that phone call). Charity work is also something I would enjoy doing full time. Intel, the great outdoors indeed (typical Aussie ) Bob, do the next best thing and be a coach.

^^Bob, what have the authorities done lately? How has the Somali community complaint been taken? Any Somalis in neighbouring countries like Botswana/Namibia etc.

Puntland President's Return to Garowe Marked By Protests Email This Page Print This Page Comment on this article Visit The Publisher's Site Garowe Online (Garowe) 17 January 2008 Posted to the web 18 January 2008 Garowe Locals in Somalia's semiautonomous state of Puntland staged protests Thursday in the region's administrative capital Garowe, marking President Mohamud "Adde" Muse's return. Protestors expressed their opposition to several major issues, including hyperinflation and the false currency scandal, rising insecurity and the Puntland administration's ineffective policy on Las Anod, a disputed town now controlled by the neighboring rival state of Somaliland, organizers said. The demonstrators walked through major roads in Garowe. But when they walked by the presidential palace, Pr esident Muse's security forces fired bullets into the air to chase them away, witnesses told Garowe Online. Some roads in Garowe were filled with rocks and burned tires, forcing major businesses to shut their doors in fear. Similarly, in the town of Qardho, north of Garowe, protestors demanded that the Puntland government take immediate action against criminals who import false currency into the region, causing hyperinflation and severely crippling the economy. Qardho police scattered protestors after firing into the air several times, according to witnesses. The exchange rate for the dollar has reached an all-time high in Puntland, according to money exchangers. A single U.S. dollar was exchanged for 26,000 Somali Shillings; in contrast, the rate stood at 21,000 Shillings last week. Yesterday, similar protests took place in the port city of Bossaso and Galkayo, both in Puntland. [READ: Protests against hyperinflation in major Puntland cities] Relevant Links East Africa Somalia Puntland government officials blame outside enemies for the financial crisis, arguing that there are groups who want to destabilize the region economically and create conflict between the administration and the public. According to officials, the long-term goal of such enemies is to destroy Puntland, the main domestic backer of Somalia's transitional federal government, which is attempting to restore central rule in the capital Mogadishu after 17 years of civil war. But critics say some government officials are directly involved in the false currency scandal, which is the main reason preventing them from arresting criminals responsible for the scandal and confiscating their equipment. http://allafrica.com/stories/200801180219.html

An open goal it was

All plans cancelled!

All times in GMT Fixtures Sunday, 20 January 2008 Ghana v Guinea, A, 17:00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday, 21 January 2008 Mali v Benin, B, 19:30 Namibia v Morocco, A, 15:00 Nigeria v Ivory Coast, B, 17:00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, 22 January 2008 Egypt v Cameroon, C, 17:00 Sudan v Zambia, C, 19:30 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday, 23 January 2008 South Africa v Angola, D, 19:30 Tunisia v Senegal, D, 17:00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, 24 January 2008 Ghana v Namibia, A, 19:30 Guinea v Morocco, A, 17:00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Friday, 25 January 2008 Ivory Coast v Benin, B, 17:00 Nigeria v Mali, B, 19:30 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday, 26 January 2008 Cameroon v Zambia, C, 17:00 Egypt v Sudan, C, 19:30 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunday, 27 January 2008 Senegal v Angola, D, 17:00 Tunisia v South Africa, D, 19:30 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday, 28 January 2008 Ghana v Morocco, A, 17:00 Guinea v Namibia, A, 17:00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, 29 January 2008 Ivory Coast v Mali, B, 17:00 Nigeria v Benin, B, 17:00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday, 30 January 2008 Cameroon v Sudan, C, 17:00 Egypt v Zambia, C, 17:00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, 31 January 2008 Senegal v South Africa, D, 17:00 Tunisia v Angola, D, 17:00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunday, 03 February 2008 Winner Group A v Runner-up Gp B, Quarter Final, Winner Group B v Runner-up Gp A, Quarter Final, -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday, 04 February 2008 Winner Gp C v Runner-up Gp D, Quarter Final, Winner Gp D v Runner-up Gp C, Quarter Final, -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, 07 February 2008 Winner Q/F 1 v Winner Q/F 4, Semi-Final, Winner Q/F 2 v Winner Q/F 3, Semi-Final, -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday, 09 February 2008 Loser SF1 v Loser SF2, 3rd and 4th Place Play-Offs, -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunday, 10 February 2008 Winner SF1 v Winner SF2, Final, --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

^^There is no viable alternative.

Walking stick? :confused: Ma kuwa odayaasha iyo islaamahaad iibsatay?

^^Best chance??? The best chance was in june-dec 2006 saxib. The TFG has failed! No need to keep stating it is the best chance for Somalia. Mr Me, waa runtaa

Somalia Fighting Kills 20 By MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN – 16 hours ago MOGADHISU, Somalia (AP) — Islamic militants fired mortar shells and guns in the Somali capital on Thursday, sparking crossfire with Ethiopian troops and their Somali government allies that killed at least 20 people, witnesses said. Mogadishu residents said the Ethiopian and Somali forces came under attack by Islamic insurgents in the south of the city, sparking mortar and artillery battles that killed six civilians and wounded ten. Four Ethiopian and two Somali soldiers were among the dead, witnesses said. A radical Islamic group that was driven from power a year ago by a Western-supported offensive is making a significant comeback in Somalia and the government can do little to stop it, government officials say. Mohamed Haji, a resident who lives near an Ethiopian base in a football stadium in the south of the city, said insurgents had attacked the Ethiopians with rocket-propelled grenades and mortars when they tried to leave their base. He saw two dead Ethiopian soldiers, he said. Another resident, Khadar Nuure, said she also saw two dead Ethiopian troops and two dead Somali government troops. Shamso Sheikh Nor said that when the Ethiopians began returning mortar and artillery fire, three of her neighbors were killed and one was wounded when a shell landed on their house. Said Mohamud Dhore said three of his neighbors had also been killed when their house was shelled in a different neighborhood. Another three people were killed in a separate neighborhood. Two died when their house was hit by a mortar, and another was killed by stray gunfire, said Hassan Ahmed Rage. "We heard the gunfire. Mortars landed and we started to flee to a nearby concrete building," said resident Mahad Farah. "A mortar landed and killed two people who were also running beside me." In the city's main Bakara market, businessman Usman Ga'al said that several mortars had landed and one person had died and five were wounded during the shelling. Dr. Dahir Dhere at Medina hospital said that 15 people had been brought for treatment in total. Four of them had died, he said, bringing the death toll to 20. In a separate incident, five people were wounded after blasts targeted an Ethiopian army convoy moving between Mogadishu and Afgoye, 18 miles to the west, said resident Abdi Mohamed. A bodyguard at Hawa Abdi hospital who declined to give his name for security reasons said that one of the wounded later died. Somalia has not had an effective central government since 1991. Thousands of Somalis were killed last year in fighting between Islamic insurgents and the shaky transitional government and its Ethiopian allies. The insurgents vowed to fight an Iraq-style insurgency after their brief hold on parts of southern Somalia was broken by Ethiopian troops in December 2005. Associated Press Writer Mohamed Sheikh Nor contributed to this report from Mogadishu, Somalia.

Some would treat this as bad news. Some would continue the 'stop and negotiate line' and some would rejoice. More rejoicing IA

LoL The Ethios are still in town, the TFG is still weak and you are still supporting them saxib. Anything to take the attention away from Xamar is good I suppose.

^^How do you hold 3 umbrellas at the same time? Stoic, dont get lost over there in the States and stick to the beautiful game.

The cruelty of youths As long as the vile behaviour of young settlers is allowed to continue unimpeded by Israeli authorities, peace will not be achieved Of all the heartbreaking scenes I've witnessed during my time in this country, a recent incident on a dusty road in a Hebron valley stands head and shoulders above the rest. No blood was spilled, no bones broken, but, in the space of a few seconds, I lost all hope that there is any way out of the quicksand in which the region is forever sinking. At least, that is, while the vicious sadism of the settlers is allowed to flourish unimpeded and uncontrolled by the Israeli authorities. Readers often try to discredit my writing by claiming a lack of context in my pieces, so before I recount the sorry tale, I'll throw in the necessary caveats. Yes, Hebron is a holy city to Jews as well as Muslims. Yes, there have been numerous murderous attacks perpetrated by Palestinian terrorists against Jewish Israelis in the area. And yes, while the situation there remains as fragile as it is at present, there are definitely justifications for at least some of the security measures that are currently in place in the city. But nothing - repeat, nothing - can excuse the cruelty and malice that a gang of five settler youths brazenly displayed in front of us that afternoon. I was in the area shadowing a team of Ecumenical Accompaniers (EA), an organisation similar in essence to Temporary International Presence in the City of Hebron (TIPH), though less official and therefore far less limited by diplomatic restrictions in their monitoring of the situation. That said, even they are terrified to intervene when it comes to settler crimes, believing that the army will do nothing to protect them from the inevitable savagery the settlers are notorious for dishing out to international observers. We had headed over to a Palestinian farmer's field where, for the last four days, settlers have been illegally constructing a house out of rocks in the middle of his land. Various half-hearted attempts by the army to disperse the invaders have had little effect, as we saw when we arrived at the scene. Five teenage boys and girls were nonchalantly guarding their half-built structure, casually shooting the breeze with one another - until we turned up, that is. Screaming at me with the husky tones of a voice in the throes of breaking, one of the boys demanded that I put down my camera and "get the hell out of here". Nonplussed by his assumption that he held some kind of authority over me, I ignored his cries and carried on photographing him and his partners in crime. Stalking towards me with what he considered to be a great degree of menace, he again snarled that I should stop taking photos, "or I'll kill you". Given the size of him, I couldn't help but laugh, at which point he demanded to see my ID, "or I'll call the police." "Call them by all means," I replied, as one of the settler girls strutted over to take my photo in an attempt to show that two could play at my game. Facing off like duellers brandishing pistols at dawn, the ludicrous stand-off only ended when my EA hosts decided that we'd done enough and that it would be prudent to head off in case the kids' parents showed up on the scene. Decamping to a vantage point on a nearby hill, we kept an eye on the situation, which was when the true horror of the children's superiority complexes came to light. As a Palestinian man rode slowly up the road to the side of the field, the boys raced towards him with their female counterparts bounding along in their wake, long dresses billowing in the wind. Surrounding the man and forcing him to stop, they furiously demanded that he turn his animal round and ride back from whence he came, and the worst part of it all was that the man, a full 10 years older than them, just meekly complied with their orders. This was the brutal, playground-bully side of the settlers that has become so embedded in their psyches that even their youth think they run the town, like some kind of pre-pubescent sheriff's posse. At the same time, this was the cowed and beaten side of the local Palestinians, who have long given up trying to retain their dignity or demanding equal treatment at the hands of their oppressors. And, like I saw with TIPH last week, watching powerlessly from the sidelines were a group of international observers with the best of intentions, yet the weakest of influence when it comes to intervening in incidents of this sort. Even I, despite my initial bluster in front of the marauding settler teens, had felt a certain sense of unease as I argued the toss with them in what is essentially bandit country. The army were, as usual, nowhere to be seen when all this took place; something we took up with a soldier we met a couple of roads away. He was utterly charming as he took the time to explain the situation to us, telling us he was just as sick of the settlers' breaches of the law as us, "but what can we do about it?" He told us that the day before they had rounded up the kids and escorted them back to their homes in Kiryat Arba, but "today they're back. It's just a game of cat and mouse." Promising to deal with them "in an hour or two," he smiled sympathetically at us before turning back to his fellow guard and kicking a football. He knew as well as us that he wasn't going to get any orders to take any real action against the kids. And why would he, given that the IDF's unofficial brief is to protect the settlers of the town rather than all of Hebron's residents? One girl I was with mused that perhaps the kids aren't to blame; that they're merely products of parents who educate them to treat the Palestinians with such callous disregard. She might be right, but it's neither here nor there when they're only a few years off being the adult settlers of tomorrow. When they're old enough to carry guns, then there's no doubt that they will, by which time they'll have moved up a gear, switching from insults and barbs to the proverbial sticks and stones. While there's no one around to take the settlers down a peg or two and show them that they are not lords of all they survey, their hatred and misanthropy flourishes unchecked in the vacuum. At present, no one acts to stop the rot - the army because they don't care enough, the observers because they aren't confident enough and the Palestinians because they're not suicidal enough to dare stand up to the bullying settler thugs. And the longer it goes on, the easier it is to see why nothing will break the deadlock while the lunatics are running the asylum in Hebron. As long as the settlers are allowed to run riot, all the empty words of Ehud Olmert and co about dismantling outposts and appeasing their neighbours aren't worth the time of day. The settlers of Hebron need to be called to heel in the firmest of manners before anyone should believe that Israel is really serious about doing right by the Palestinians. http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/seth_freedman/2008/01/the_cruelty_of_youths.html

A serious blow? When the followed happened according to the same article? The luncheon meeting Monday between Kahin and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer was the highest-level contact between the parties in several years. The Somaliland leader also had Washington meetings this week with officials from White House National Security Council, the Defense Department, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

LoL No I haven’t but I don’t think it is any different to what Freeman wore.

Originally posted by NGONGE: ^^ Doctor's orders. Less barees and meat, more exercise. I just can't see him in a tracksuit running through the park with his iPod listening to LL Cool J's 'Momma said know you out'

Originally posted by GJ_Goate: In a rush saxiib, neway football a gwan on de streetz mina keep it simple for de lickle ut dem, oderwise dem not understand de queens henglish. Arsenal iz a black Manz team, dem a take it back 2 de reyal African rootz. Wam wid Liverpool, dem in a a real hustle?

LoL at the refereeing. It was a perfect chance to go to Ghana and enjoy real Africa. I'm kicking myself!

Is that not same or similiar type of suit worn by Kathy Freeman in Sydney 2000?

^^Don't worry I'm aware of this 'distinct' difference

Bob Marley Could You Be Loved lyrics Could you be loved and be loved? Could you be loved and be loved? Don't let them fool ya, Or even try to school ya! Oh, no! We've got a mind of our own, So go to hell if what you're thinking is not right! Love would never leave us alone, A-yin the darkness there must come out to light. Could you be loved and be loved? Could you be loved, wo now! - and be loved? (The road of life is rocky and you may stumble too, So while you point your fingers someone else is judging you) Love your brotherman! (Could you be - could you be - could you be loved? Could you be - could you be loved? Could you be - could you be - could you be loved? Could you be - could you be loved?) Don't let them change ya, oh! - Or even rearrange ya! Oh, no! We've got a life to live. They say: only - only - only the fittest of the fittest shall survive - Stay alive! Eh! Could you be loved and be loved? Could you be loved, wo now! - and be loved? (You ain't gonna miss your water until your well runs dry; No matter how you treat him, the man will never be satisfied.) Say something! (Could you be - could you be - could you be loved? Could you be - could you be loved?) Say something! Say something! (Could you be - could you be - could you be loved?) Say something! (Could you be - could you be loved?) Say something! Say something! (Say something!) Say something! Say something! (Could you be loved?) Say something! Say something! Reggae, reggae! Say something! Rockers, rockers! Say something! Reggae, reggae! Say something! Rockers, rockers! Say something! (Could you be loved?) Say something! Uh! Say something! Come on! Say something! (Could you be - could you be - could you be loved?) Say something! (Could you be - could you be loved?) Say something! (Could you be - could you be - could you be loved?) Say something! (Could you be - could you be loved?)

Marc just wants to be controversial. Its a case of I have an opinion and this is it. Thierry, you should change that name to Adebayor no?

I know the latest fashiion fads are a throw back to the 80s but come on Che,,,,