Football matters - UCL semi finals 2014 and a possible Madrid derby in the finals

Football is a live again tonight with the second night of UEFA Champions League 2nd semi final match between European giants Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Last night saw a boring game from the overcautious talkative Portuguese master of mind games Jose, the Special One, Maurinho of Chelsea against the lively live-wire Argentine tactician Diego Simione of Atletico Madrid.

Both UEFA semi final first game ties were hosted and played in the Spanish capital Madrid.

With Barcelona out of the competition having been dumped by fellow Spanish outfit Atletico, tonight's match pitting two of the Ballon dior finalist, CR7 or Cristiano Ronaldo and Franck Ribery, is much more livelier than last night dull encounter between Chelsea and Atletico Madrid which ended in a stalemate of no goals.

At half time in Madrid tonight, Bayern had a staggering 73 percent ball possession against 27 percent for the home team Real Madrid who won with a solitary goal scored in the first half through a superb counter attack with a tap in by French sensational striker Karim Benzema.

It is sad how cruel football is at times

. Bayern outclassed Real Madrid and were yet a goal down at first half and ended up loosing one nil.

Bayern is coached by former Barcelona player and coach Pep Gurdiola, who won the EUFA CL with Barcelona and Real is led by Italian master-tactician Carlo Ancheloti, the only man who has won the coveted European cup twice as a player and two times as coach of the Italian giants AC Milan.

In both halves, Real missed a host of chances with the culprits being CR7 and Argentine winger Angel Di Maria. Despite their huge ball possession, Bayern never threatened Spanish keeper Iker Cassias in goal for the Spanish giants, with his real save coming late in the 82 minute when he blocked a goal bound Mario Gotze point blank shot.

World's most expensive footballer Gareth Bale of Wales, who came in the second half to replace CR7, had several half chances with his closest raffling the side net after dashing clear from one of the many counter attack chances that came in Real's way.

After watching both ties, with all due respect to Chelsea and Atletico, there is no question the Bayern vs Real game fitted to have been the final match, which this year will be held in Lisbon, Portugal.

With a one goal advantage, Real has a good chance of going through should they hit a goal in Munich in the second match next week making it more interesting to watch the second leg.

In London, Chelsea will have to attack, and that is when Atletico Madrid might also have an opportunity and opening they seldon got at home on Tuesday, to get an away goal that will take them through.

I foresee a Madrid derby in the final in Lisbon, between Real and Atletico, which will add another rivalry to the tie as both Spanish teams would hate to loose to their local backyard noisy neighbours!

In England and the EPL, the chosen one in Manchester United become the chased one...Blame me for your woos...Haters

Somalis equally curse and celebrate late Russian AK 47 designer

BAIDOA, Somalia, Jan 14 - Mikhail Kalashnikov, the Russian man who designed the AK 47 assault rifle might have wrote a letter from his death bed in December saying he “feared he was to blame” for the untold millions the world-famous AK 47 had been used against, but in Somalia where his semi-automatic rifle is the favorite among soldiers, rebels and even militants, news of his death received mixed reactions of praise and blame.
Kalashnikov, the inventor might have died, but his Kalashnikov gun commonly referred as the AK 47 is still rumbling and is the single biggest killer in Somalia with its ear-piercing sound a constant feature across almost the entire chaotic southern Somalia where night and day street and jungle battles involving the AK 47 is a constant menace.
Somalia, a country in the Horn of Africa that is still struggling to find lasting peace following 23 years of deadly clan, warlord and now religious fighting that has caused so much anguish and death with the AK 47 still in the middle of that an unceasing battle over the control of the strategic country.
Mohamed Ali says he will never forgive or forget the AK 47 designer simply because he has left him with a bad taste in life since he has to live with a bullet for the rest of his life.
Sometimes in mid-March 2012, Dahir was heading home when he was suddenly hit by strays bullet on his neck but then after he was rushed to hospital doctors removed one bullet and told him he will have to live with the bullet for the rest of his life simply because it was lodged near his backbone and that if it was to best removed he might die or be paralyzed for the rest of his life.
“Every morning and evening, I curse the person who fired the bullet, the person who bought that bullet, the manufacturer and worse off the man who invented it and the AK 47 gun. I have to live with that bullet for the rest of my life. My message to Mr. Mikhail and the man who shot me is very simple,I hold them personally responsible for my injuries and my lifetime anguish and experience,” XX said without even flinching.
Abdullahi Abdi, a former Mogadishu clan militiaman had all but praise for the Russian assault rifle designer saying that the AK 47 was simply the perfect weapon he preferred amongst the many guns readily available in Somalia because of its simplicity, target even under duress and rough conditions and more importantly because of its weight. He said the AK 47 was designed for all weather conditions and rarely disappoints you.
“If I had one wish, I would wish to meet this great man called Mikhail Kalashnikov. His gun the AK 47 is my favorite and I love fighting with it because it would never disappoint you and it would always finish the job off come rain, sunshine or even dust. I just want to thank him for such a superb discovery, he made my life in the frontline easier with his genius discovery of the AK 47,” Abdullahi proclaimed.
Love it or hate it, the AK 47 affection seems to be across the board as foreigners in Somalia were sucked into the assault rifle debate many accepting the inevitable, that the gun is arguably the world’s best killing machine no wonder it is a favorite weapon for governments, rebels, terrorists and gangs from Afghanistan to Somalia and Sierra Leone to Libya.
Even my home country Kenya is also not to be left out as gangs are known to terrorize their victims with Kalashnikov’s including the chilling terror attack at Nairobi’s upmarket West Gate Mall that sent shock waves across the world.
I have also noticed that our own soldiers in Kenya these days prefer AK 47 to the big and cumbersome G3’s that was so common before. It seems therefore that whether we like it or not, the Kalashnikov, the gun, is there to remain with us long after even Mr. Kalashnikov, the man is long gone.
A former Burundian rebel commander now turned peacekeeper serving under the African Union Mission in Somalia, AMISOM, had mixed reactions arguing that everything in this world has positive and negative side effects. He thanks the AK 47 for bringing peace in his country as his National Council for the Defense of Democracy- Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), a rebel group in Burundi that is now the ruling party fought its way into power using the Kalashnikov.
“Every invention in the world has its bad and good sides. A vehicle is good and comfortable when you are driving but then it could also kill you, the same with electricity. As a weapon the AK 47 is a very good gun which rarely disappoints you. We fought using the AK 47 during our war in Burundi and now we use it now in Somalia where we are serving as peacekeepers. I have lost so many soldiers who were shot with it and we must have also killed others with our shots too. All I can say is Mr. Kalashnikov made history by designing the AK 47 and he will certainly be remembered for good or bad reason for so many years to come,” the Burundian officer said declining to give his name.
Abdi Jama, a Somali man working at the main airport in Mogadishu did not hide his dislike for Kalashnikov, the man and the gun. He blames it for the insecurity in Somalia saying that it is easily the weapon of choice for every other gunman in the country with the demand pushing up the AK 47 prices to over $1,200.
“AK 47 has made my life miserable, it is still causing insecurity in my country because it is the weapon of choice for every gunman thug, terrorists of even government soldiers and has brought a lot of misery to our lives in Somalia. There is no single Somali family that has not directly or indirectly been affected by the AK 47 because if some of us escaped its bullets we have lame families, others who have missing limbs, eyes and other parts of the body not to mention those who still carry a bullet lodged in their bodies. It has done us more bad than good and so there is no way we can praise Mikhail Kalashnikov,” Jama quipped.

Al-Shabaab rookies attack government bases in Baidoa.

“Whoever sent these young brainwashed boys should know that he will not achieve anything because the Somali public is tired of war and they simply want to build their life and country. We want to tell those behind the attack that they will not dampen our spirits,” Eden added.

Suspected Al-Shabaab rookie fighters carried out ambush attacks on several government installations in Baidoa firing rocket propelled grenades and using both heavy and light machine guns in a night ride that was anticipated by officials following intelligence reports of the same.
The attack was followed by a heavy exchange of fire between Somalia security officials and the attackers that lasted for almost an hour from midnight Wednesday to early hours of Thursday.
One official said the attackers were young men who seemed to have undergone a simple training on how to fire a rifle because they could not even properly aim their guns at their targets.
“The Al-Shabaab trainees attacked four of our bases in Baidoa. Our forces contained them because we had prior intelligence reports of the attack and so they found us prepared. Three government forces were wounded in the heavy attack and our boys killed at least 10 of the attackers with many others fleeing with bullet wounds,” a senior security source who did not wish to be named as he not allowed to speak to media.
The source said the militants are planning more attacks later tonight and that government forces and their African Union backers are more than prepared to respond to any hostile fire.
Baidoa, an agricultural rich city located 240 km west of the capital Mogadishu, has in the past one year experienced a peaceful spell since the Al-Shabaab militants were ousted by a combined Ethiopian and Somalia military force in February 2012.
Residents accuse Al-Shabaab of disturbing peace and denying locals the opportunity to rebuild their shuttered life marred by a bloody conflict blindly spearheaded by the Al-qaeda affiliated Al-Shabaab militants.
“What was really the purpose of this cowardly attack?” quipped one angry resident, Madey Eden.
“Whoever sent these young brainwashed boys should know that he will not achieve anything because the Somali public is tired of war and they simply want to build their life and country. We want to tell those behind the attack that they will not dampen our spirits,” Eden added.

Madiba, rest in peace: Tribute to a true African hero.

I never had the opportunity to meet him in his lifetime but I must confess he is one of the greatest people I would have loved to met anytime! Rest in peace Magical Madiba.

Mandela, madiba, Tata, the first Black South African president - You could give him whatever name or title but he is still that simple, down to earth, respected, magical, easily loved world icon, father or simply the Most Appreciated National Don Icon Bold African...MANDELA!!!

Somalis to choose what support they want – British Envoy

BAIDOA, Somalia December 3 - The United Kingdom ambassador to Somalia Neil Wigan made his maiden visit to Baidoa on Tuesday to assess projects funded by the British tax payers as well as to meet with local leaders in a bid to improve bilateral relations between the two nations.
Speaking to the media in the agriculture-rich central town of Baidoa, ambassador Wigan said his government has set aside money for a special program dubbed “the stability fund” that is specifically designed to help Somalia recover from years of conflict and to help them address their key needs.
Unlike previous interventions this time round the Somali people will have the right to choose what projects or programs they need funded by British tax payers money. Such a bold move is expected to jumpstart the economy, create employments and more importantly end years of foreign aid policy interventions that has seen billions of foreign cash pumped into Somalia with little or no effect simply because the locals had no say in the design of the programs for maximum benefit.
“We are setting up something called the Stability Fund which allows local communities to decide for themselves what projects they would like to apply for,” Ambassador Neil told reporters in Baidoa adding that it is up to the locals to decide what they want most.
“We will certainly encourage those applications,” he added, reiterating their desire to directly support specific needs of the people of Somalia who have had to endure the agony of one of Africa’s longest civil wars that displaced millions of people with many more others killed or maimed in the unceasing violence.
SOMALIA NEEDS INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
However, these days Somalia is slowly recovering and locals are hopeful of the future following the expansion of the Somalia government to the hinterland with the support of African Union peacekeepers who continue to battle the Al-Qaeda linked militants, Al-Shabaab, which is against development and peace in Somalia.
The world and in particular strong Western countries like Britain and the US seems to have had enough of the melodrama in Somalia and have shown a desire to support the Somalis by not only recognizing their government but also restoring full diplomatic ties with Somalia.
Ambassador Neil Wigan replaced Matt Baugh as London’s man in Mogadishu in June this year following the re-opening of the British embassy in the seaside Somalia capital in April after being closed for 22 years.
Asked about his views on the recent vote of no confidence against Somalia Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon, ambassador Neil said the issue was a Somali affair but that it was pleasing to see the adherence of the constitution in resolving the political stalemate in the Horn of African country.
In his short visit to Baidoa, Ambassador Neil was impressed by the town’s potential.

“Baidoa is very green and peaceful and cool. So it’s a real pleasure to be here but I have seen that there is the damage that was done to Baidoa during the war and so there is need for international support,” Ambassador Neil observed.
The locals are already excited about the British support.
“The British government is aware of our needs because they have a very good understanding of Somalia,” said Clan Chief Mohamed Yakub Sheikh who spoke on behalf of all clans living in and around Baidoa.

UK Somalia top aid chief visits Baidoa, shocked by destruction

“I want to tell Somalis to keep talking to each other. Somalis need a political settlement with each other because no amount of international assistance can make that happen. Somalis need to make that happen for themselves,” DFID Somalia boss Joanna Reid said with a grin, before boarding her special flight back to the Somalia capital, Mogadishu.

Baidoa – Somalia: Joanna Reid, the United Kingdom Department of Foreign and International Development (DFID) Somalia chief visited Baidoa for the first time to check out progress and impact of DFID’s work locally implemented by various humanitarian organizations aimed at empowering the local community to be self-sufficient in the ongoing international efforts to stabilize Somalia.
During her short visit, Madam Joanna toured the Baidoa police station, where UK tax payer’s money is helping to renovate the dilapidated police station and since all the offices are under renovation she had to be briefed under a tree by the policemen.
She also met with a team of Somali mine experts under Mine Action who defuse and detonate bombs and other Improvised explosives devices (IEDs) and had the opportunity to detonate a small bomb under the supervision of the Somali mine experts, the bomb she detonated was among dozens of others planted by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Baidoa which have been safely recovered and are in the process of being defused.
“I find it encouraging hearing that people are saying now it is time for change in Somalia and that they have got some stability. People say now they want some development, they want to do something with that and that is very important and it is not seen as humanitarian assistance it is really development,” She said.
Joanna and her delegation comprising of DFID staffs in Somalia later visited the Baidoa central jail that is also in a very bad shape with leaking roofs and congested rooms for inmates. The jail is in the pipeline to benefit from the UK aid managed and implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
She later met with local Somali leaders and various representatives of humanitarian agencies implementing DFID programs in Baidoa to hear about the progress of the work, challenges faced by the implementers and more importantly what could be done differently to help improve the pathetic situation of Somalis.
“What we were saying to the governor is that it is not just sticking pasta, feeding people, we can now move on from that but you need the political will and you need stability and so if you have got that then I think we can see some development in Somalia,” Joanna said.
BROKEN BAIDOA
Baidoa governor Abdi Adan Hosow praised the UK government for its support to Somalia and in particular Baidoa. He said DFID programs are helping locals with much need skills and entrepreneurial skills to quickly settle from years of conflict and displacement.
“Baidoa town is so glad to host the DFID Somalia chief and her staff. We wish to greatly thank the people of the UK and their government for the much needed support in to our people. Your money is helping families cope with years of conflict and displacement and it is also imparting life skills to youths and women many of who would otherwise be languishing in poverty or in utter hopelessness,” Governor Hosow told the UK delegation. The governor is himself a Somali British diaspora returnee from London.
The little Joanna and her team saw of Baidoa simply shocked her. She was however full of praise to the African Union peacekeepers in Somalia, AMISOM, saying that they are vital in making peace happen which in the long term would help in the development of Somalia.
“Baidoa is very broken. I did not see a single building that was intact and so I think that in itself it is quite shocking and I think we need to remember just how fragile and how much people have been through here and what they have suffered and they deserve a better future, they really do,” She added.
Asked what message she had for Somalis, Joanna Reid posed, before carefully picking her words.
“I want to tell Somalis to keep talking to each other. Somalis need a political settlement with each other because no amount of international assistance can make that happen. Somalis need to make that happen for themselves,” DFID Somalia boss Joanna Reid said with a grin, before boarding her special flight back to the Somalia capital, Mogadishu.

Somalia returns Black Hawk Down remains to the US.

“America is Somalia’s biggest supporter and one of our closest allies. The American government has recognized the Federal Government of Somalia and is actually helping to train our forces and is also at the forefront in helping to reconstruct back Somalia. We have nothing to give them back and the least we could do is hand over the remains of the chopper to the government,” Prime Minister Shirdon said.

Mogadishu – Sometimes in September this year, Somalia allowed an American war museum to have the remains of a US fighter chopper brought down 20 years ago by clan militias in Mogadishu during the disastrous 1993 United Nations International Somalia Mission (UNISOM) vividly captured by the famous Hollywood movie Black Hawk Down.
The remains – which have been collecting dust at a Mogadishu backyard near the famous Bakara market – was donated to the Special Operations War Museum in Fort Bragg, USA, bringing to a close one of Somalia’s most written about story of its violent past about the bringing down of the US fighter chopper Black Hawk in Mogadishu on October 3, 1993 during the onset of the civil war in Somalia.
Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon said Somalia currently enjoys a cordial working relationship with the US government and that out of the American goodwill shown to the Somali people and his government in these tough economic times, Somalia decided to hand over the remains of the American chopper to a war museum in order to give the American public an opportunity to view the remains.
“America is Somalia’s biggest supporter and one of our closest allies. The American government has recognized the Federal Government of Somalia and is actually helping to train our forces and is also at the forefront in helping to reconstruct back Somalia. We have nothing to give them back and the least we could do is hand over the remains of the chopper to the government,” Prime Minister Shirdon said.
The remains were shipped from Mogadishu in July with the help of an American private security firm belonging to an American couple living in Mogadishu whose philanthropic action is likely to improve relations between US and Somalia.
AMISOM peacekeepers in Somali also took part in the historic event by crucially safeguarding the Black Hawk Down remains at the Mogadishu seaport during its shipment.
Speaking from the US city of Minnesota in Minneapolis where he is attending a Somalia Diaspora consultative meeting organized by AMISOM, Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and head of AMISOM hailed Somalia for its thoughtful decision to hand over the remains to the US government.
“Somalia is slowly recovering from its dark past and I am so pleased to see such a rare benevolent act from the Somalis to return the remains of the Black Hawk Down to its rightful owners, the American people. We hope that this will finally rest the sad events that transpired during that dark history of Somalia and instead usher in a peaceful era in Somalia. AMISOM is ready to stand with the Somalis in their quest to a peaceful and prosperous Somalia,” Ambassador Annadif said.
America’s most watched CBS television series 60 minutes, documented the story behind the shipment of the Black Hawk Down remains from Somalia to the US and aired it days before and after the October 3, 20th anniversary of the Black Hawk Down incident.
The latest gesture from the Somalis is likely to help its cause of seeking more support for their fledgling government that needs massive support as it struggles to battle out the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Shabaab militants who are out to destabilize the country which slowly healing from the effects of one of Africa’s longest civilian conflicts.
Ordinary Americans working in Mogadishu welcomed the move.
“This brings to a close the Black Hawk Down saga and opens a new door of friendship between Somalia and America. The Somali gesture will help with the healing process and acceptance by family members who lost their beloved ones in Somalia when the chopper was brought down. We can only say thank you so much to the Somali people for their thoughtful gesture, I hope my fellow Americans will laud this rare gesture from the Somalis,” said a lady US expatriate working in Somalia who did not wish to be named.