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The last days before the Great Hunt.Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.“Can the scorpion ever stop being a scorpion? “"Do we get our legally permitted weaponry back?" The bishop still held my hand."Sure. If it makes you feel better.""I would like to meet your people then," he gave my paw one last shake then released me. "Shall we go?""I will have someone take you to your car. I want to briefly meet with the President, of Havenstone, then I'll join you in the garage. We'll drive over to JIKIT and I'll make the introductions. Good enough?""That is acceptable," he nodded."What about you two?" I regarded the nun and the Swiss Super-soldier. The nun remained vigilant, and silent. The Swiss' eyes flickered to his boss before settling back on me."It is what I volunteered for," he stated firmly."Okay. Please never say I didn't give you a chance to take the sane way out. Also, Bishop Nicolö, circumstances have conspired to up my prospective wedding date to January 1st.""That will be more difficult. Why the change?" he remained grim."We are having twins. By March, this will be very visible.""That is, unfortunate," he shook his head."You have no idea," and then a brainstorm. "And I am curious about resurrecting the Order of the Dragon, the Societas Draconistarum." Technically that meant 'Society of the Dragonists' which was more appropriate than the literal Ordo Draconis."Precisely how do you plan to recreate a crusading Christian Order which was the purview of the Hungarian monarchs?" he didn't sound the least skeptical, just curious."I have billions of euros to fund such a thing," I winked. "Of far greater critical importance, I know where I can find the supernatural guidance and spiritual imperative for such an organization.""You are going to produce a dragon?" his eyes grew larger even as he fought down his fear. Good man. He was adaptive. He'd need to be."I never said such a thing. That would make me sound crazy," I smiled broadly. "Besides, when I say 'dragon', you think 'devil' and that's way too pedestrian for where we are going.""I am not a moral relativist.""Neither am I. I'm out to save lives and nurture the drive in the human spirit to reach for freedom, love and liberty. As you might imagine, I'm pretty freaking outnumbered.""I think you are crazy," he re-evaluated things."I just might be. In all honesty, you should back out now. Take your two compadres back to 25 East 39th Street (the Holy See's Permanent Observer Offices to the UN in NYC) and report 'Mission Failure'. You'll most likely live longer," I reasoned."I am not afraid to die," Sister Rafaela Sophia finally voiced an opinion."That's idiotic," I scoffed before the bishop could reprimand her for opening her mouth. "You should be.""My soul is in God's hands," she set her jaw."Does he talk to you?" I countered."His message is clear.""Not what I asked. I asked if he specifically directed you to toss your life fruitlessly away as an object lesson for the reckless, or careless?""This is uncalled for," Nicolö intervened."Nope. I bet you a phone call to my Brother to physically restore your bishopric that there are four people in this room who have murdered in cold blood," I kept eye contact with the nun, "and she's the odd one out. Right Juanita?""Yes, Ishara," Juanita slipped up. Her spycraft, like mine, needed work."You were in the military?" the bishop asked my bodyguard."Was? I am. Right now," she related. "I will be until I die."That earned me looks from the three Catholics."She is loyal," Nicolö nodded slightly toward her, referring to Juanita's declaration."Huh? To me? Nope. She's loyal to my office, which we shan't get into right now. Back to you, Sister Rafaela Sophia. Are you out to be a martyr, or has some saint, or angel, given you a directive the other two seem to be unaware of which causes you to devalue your life?""I am devoted to the One True God, Christ, our Savior," and Juanita snorted, "and the Virgin Mary," the nun stated firmly. "I don't hear voices in my head.""Juanita, that was rude. Apologize to our guest," I kept looking forward."No." Well, fuck you too."Gun," I commanded. I held out my left hand."What? No. I will not give you one of my guns," she resisted."Juanita, give me your primary weapon, or I will ask Pamela to beat you up the moment I depart for the Great Hunt. After yesterday's stunt, you know she will," I threatened. Fair, I was not. She drew a Glock-20 and handed it to me. I went through the routine, dropped the magazine then ejected the round before opening the door.Oh look, there were four SD chicks outside, ready to escort my visitors downstairs. I didn't even need to waste a phone call. It wasn't like the conference room wasn't being monitored."Excuse me," I took a half step out the door then hurled all three items down the hall. Looking back at Juanita. "Go fetch.""Fuck you," she snapped."And insulting her faith was as degrading to both her faith and her as me doing this to you is degrading to you right now," I lectured her. "It is important to her, therefore it is important to me because she is my guest in the same way it is important to me that I let my bodyguard do her job without being a total asshole all the time. Now go get your God-damn weapon," I barked. Off she went. I left the door open."Now Sister Rafaela Sophia, the point of all this is: I don't give a crap if you are willing to die for God. In fact, that makes you less than worthless to me and the team. I want to know if you are willing to put other motherfuckers in the ground so that Bishop Nicolá, or Mathias, might get to keep doing their jobs.""Murder is a sin," she declared."Go home," I sighed while shaking my head."She answers to me, the Church and God, not you, Mr. Nyilas," the bishop stepped forward."Then you can go home too," I shrugged. "I'm not asking for remorseless killers. I'm asking for people willing to kill to get the hard work done and best of all, for people who know the difference.""Everyone on JIKIT is a professional soldier, or killer?" he asked."No, but the ones who aren't don't carry guns and know to get down when things get funky," I bantered."I vouch for her," he insisted. Juanita came running back into the room."Cool beans. I don't know you either.""You apparently know my service history," he volleyed."Yeah. Ten years a foreigner in the service of France, then you went straight into a university which turns out Jesuits," I riposted."What turned your life around?" he evaded. That was okay. I'd gotten what I wanted. I was willing to bet he had read every bit of public information about me and it was rumored the heavy Catholic membership in the FBI had its benefits to the Church as well. Not so much as to give them insight into JIKIT, but,"Someone risked their life for me. It's been pretty much downhill from there," I confessed. It was the truth. After Katrina gave me the life line on Day Two, it had all spiraled to the revelation of my heritage, Dad's death, Summer Camp, the Hamptons, Romania and Aya's kidnapping."A person, a soldier, died saving my life," the bishop empathized. "Her story is similar. She seeks redemption. She is not suicidal. I am staking both our lives on it."Did he mean him and Mathias, or him and me? I wasn't certain. Still, it was good enough for now. I'd gotten a look at their emotional make up, even the relatively quiet Swiss."Very well," I agreed. "I have to go see the President about my new job description. I'll catch up with you at your car." To the SD team leader, "Take them to the garage. I will join the group of you very soon.""Yes Ishara," she nodded. I exited the room, Juanita in tow. Two SD entered. I was gone before the Papal team left. Upstairs we went, with one last chore to discharge. I had to check on Ms. French to be absolutely freaking sure it was Shawnee, because anyone else would spell disaster.{8:30 am, Monday, September 8th. Last day}A Room full of asistants:Well, there it was, the office of the Executive Director to the President, and not 'Executive Assistant', because this was Katrina's final 'fuck you, no, just her final 'fuck you' before the Great Hunt got underway. I shouldn't assume things, dang it!Anyway, according to the gray-haired matron running gatekeeper to the Office of the President, this was where I was supposed to show up. I shot Juanita a worried look. She glanced my way and shrugged, momentarily willing to not give me shit about the past 24 hours because where I was situated would determine how easily she could do her job.In we went. In the suite were three desks, the 'big' desk situated at the far end of the office space and two far more modest ones on either side of the entryway. The room expanded beyond the chokepoint formed by the two closest desks into a cluttered area. The walls were cluttered with inset bookshelves and portraits of women. Facing one another were a loveseat on my left with bookend plush chairs in an 'L' facing and a full sofa on the right. There were end tables at the ends of the sofa and the corners between the loveseat and each chair.As the door opened, I hadn't knock as this was my office, or so it seemed, the occupants, who had all been sitting in quiet conversation in the central section, began reacting. Oh look ~ Constanza! I nearly had a heart attack before I realized there were three other Amazons also in the room. Sadly, none were behind the 'big desk', so I couldn't tell who was in charge. Two of the other three choices weren't too much better. First off,"Ishara," Marilynn Saint John stood to greet me. I'd last seen her when I'd dedicated her grandmother's (Hayden's) spirit to the halls of my ancestors, not hers, after forcing the political crisis leading to Hayden's suicide ~ her taking herself to the cliffs and in doing so, destroying the Amazon Cult of Blood Purity. Marilynne was clearly still bitter with me. Umm, I could still incite passion in women I hadn't slept with, yet, woot?"Cáel," the senior-most and only friendly face in the room spoke next. Thank goodness it was Beyoncé Vincennes, Head of House Hanwasuit and House Ishara ally."Cáel Ishara," the third individual was deferential which I wasn't sure how to take as the last time I'd encountered her, yeah, things hadn't gone well either."Beyoncé," I started off with a smile. From there, I had to figure out, ah, Beyoncé's eyes flickered to Constanza then Sabia. I knew Marilynn, with her young age, had the least seniority, "Constanza, Sabia, Marilynn. How's tricks?"Glum faces by everyone except Beyoncé. I didn't ask about Sabia's particular well-being. It had been months since I'd beaten her into the mats of the Full-blooded gym. She'd attacked Yasmin, the Brazilian Hottie and my Brazilian Jujutsu sparring buddy, and I'd retaliated by ambushed her when she turned her back on us. Besides, she'd been giving me shit before I even could see straight.Constanza was minus her left eye because of her dire insult to me. If she wasn't capable of working, she wouldn't be here. If she appreciated my 'mercy' in sparing her life ~ her insult was worthy of her death ~ Constanza hid it well. I hadn't spared her expecting a change of heart. I hadn't felt words alone warranted anyone's death. I was a big boy and could take a few insults. House Ishara, as represented by me, could care less. These days, my sisters would be less understanding despite them knowing my heart."Constanza Landau of House Jaya and Marilynn Saint John of House Anahit are Assistants to President Shawnee French," Beyoncé eased things along, "so will be working closely with us, at least for the short term. Sabia Noel of House Guabancex, who I now think you know as well, has joined you as the other 'Assistant' to the 'Executive Director to the President', (that would make me an 'adept', but adept at what?), and since two of the three Regents are unfamiliar with the workings of Havenstone proper, Shawnee has asked me to perform in that role."Beyoncé was, or had been, Havenstone HQ's CFO (Chief Financial Officer). From what I was quickly piecing together, she would essentially be making all the day-to-day decisions concerning the running of Havenstone (how the Host made the majority of its money) until the Regents got up to speed.Only Buffy had actual experience with the New York office and, from what she had told me, solely within Executive Services. While ES knew 'who' did what inside Havenstone, they weren't aware precisely how those Amazons got their jobs done. That would have been an impossible task. Katrina could do it, but she knew it was beyond the ability of most of us 'mere mortals'. Since we were currently at war, the Host needed Katrina completely focused on her duties as Chief Spy-mistress, not baby-sitting the adults.Shawnee indeed had much gravitas among the other House Heads. Not only had she risen up to lead a First House, she had performed heroically during the final days of the last Secret War. Afterwards she had moved into the realm of Amazon jurisprudence and mediation. Until yesterday, she had lived in a House Arinniti freehold in Minnesota's Great Lakes region thus her desire for the 'Training Wheels' period.The Regency would not rule through telecommunication (the upper echelons feared being eavesdropped upon beyond the standard Amazon (read: paranoid) levels) and Havenstone: New York was the center best situated for the current war-fighting operations, so here she lived. I was sure a team from Executive Services was buying, outfitting/spy-proofing and fortifying a dwelling suitable for the President of a Fortune 500 company. Hayden's home would remain the domicile of Sydney thus Marilynn.The same rigmarole would be done for Rhada and Buffy (though I imaged Buffy would bitch endlessly). Publically, they were VP's of a company worth hundreds of billions of dollars and they had to present the public trappings of such leaders.Why did the Amazons do this ~ unmask their leadership to public exposure? Legal-simple: they could request and expect all levels of public and private security for their executives who happened to also be important officials of the Host. Certainly not all executives at Havenstone were officeholders, House Heads, or House Apprentices, but the high level of competence which permitted one often led to the other.Beyonce:As an example: Beyoncé wasn't the most 'bad-ass' lethal chick in House Hanwasuit. As she was preparing to be casted, her intelligence, creativity and diligence at her future craft, finances, was noted by the Host and the members of her House. In due time her name was circulated as Apprentice and the elders approved. When her elder cousin, the prior House Head, took herself to the cliffs, Beyoncé assumed the top spot. Beyoncé wasn't even one of that woman's three daughters.Mirroring her advancement in her House was her advancement in Havenstone's Accounting, Acquisitions and Banking Divisions until she was appointed CFO Havenstone HQ ~ the supreme financial authority inside Havenstone, though the individual regional branches had a greater degree of autonomy than you might normally expect from a 21st century conglomerate, or a Bronze Age autocracy.I had to constantly remind myself, despite the near-constant feuding, Amazons exhibited a phenomenally higher level of trust than I'd ever found in any other society I'd ever witnessed, or read about, before. Though technically Beyoncé could have gone to President Hayden to enforce her decisions ~ or now the Regency ~ she was far more diplomatic in her approach in dealing with the other 'continental' CEO's and CFO's.That meant she had to wrangle the aspirations and resources from:North America (including Latin America, the 'Canadian Arctic' and the North Pacific Ocean),South America (includes both the South Atlantic and South Pacific as far as Samoa),Europe (mostly Central Europe these days plus Antarctica, the 'Russian' Arctic and the North Atlantic),Africa (mostly West-central Africa),India (the subcontinent plus the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean) and,Southeast Asia (which includes Australia)All of which suggested Havenstone hadn't redrawn the Amazons' geographic demarcations since the late 19th century. As an example, an East African venture, say in Tanzania, was as likely to be under the purview of Havenstone: India (due to its control over the Indian Ocean) as Havenstone: Africa (which traditionally had no East Coast holdings due to their constant struggles versus the Arabic slave trade).Returning to Beyoncé: initially she had held the proper 'conservative' (aka man-hating) mindset. My behavior during that first Board Meeting began to change her opinion of me and the New Directive. After the Archery Range incident, Beyoncé became a vocal proponent of the New Directive and faced challenges within her ranks. House Heads do not have to accept challenges and Beyoncé didn't, reasoning with her detractors they had no alternatives save the 'Old Ways' which spelled doom for the Amazon Race.Bing-bang-boom ~ I became the Head of a resurrected House Ishara by the Will of the Ancestors and Beyoncé was vindicated. Not necessarily in the New Directive, but in her support of me thus the rebirth of a sister First House. The purge following High Priestess' Hayden's death was her ultimate absolution. The Ancestors and Destiny had spoken and shown Beyoncé had been piloting House Hanwasuit along the proper course all along.Back to my current circumstances:Oh, why was I Assistant to the Executive Director to the President? It gave me direct access to the finances of Havenstone which was a critical leg of the war-fighting stool ~ people, morale, money and equipment. As Chief Diplomat, I helped with all four of those in varying degrees, allied troops, allied victories, allied bank accounts and allied armaments.The Great Khan, my spiritual 'Blood-Brother', was ramping up his logistic support for my Amazons in Africa, Asia and the Americas. We were 'Allies in the Struggle' and he wasn't going to wait for the Condottieri to begin coordinating with the Seven Pillars to declare them to be his enemies. They were already fighting the Amazons and 9 Clans, his allies, so their fates were sealed.In Japan, my Amazons provided small yet highly effective strike groups which the Ninja families furnished all the support services for. Everything from food to bullets to medical attention as needed. Without reservation, we shared their death-grapple with the Seven Pillars.From the dispatches I was getting back from my family members and envoys in Japan, we were making serious diplomatic inroads with the Ninja. Once again, it was the Amazons shocking capacity for violence as well as their fanaticism, professionalism and proficiency which all impressed our hosts and terrified our enemies, and this from people of a philosophical mindset which had them historically battling samurai.The Black Lotus were running around like rhesus monkeys on crack cocaine unleashed in a China Shop and given RPG's. While the Amazons couldn't help them in China, Indochina & Thailand ~ the Khanate could and was. The Amazons were of more help in the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, where the Black Lotus and Amazons were going everywhere on the offensive against the Seven Pillars while the normal tight cohesion and iron-clad confidence, traits which made the 7P's so dangerous ~ were shaken by their horrendous losses in the 'Homeland' aka Mainland China.Less we forget, the 'military intelligence' wing of their organization had been decimated by the Khanate's Anthrax attack due to members of the Earth & Sky sacrificing themselves by being injected with the toxin then allowing themselves to be captured, which always ended in torture and death.Furthermore, the People's Republic of China, while having a scary 18% of the population either captured, imprisoned, dead, or displaced due to the Khanate invasion, that had come with the loss of 63% of their landmass (they had lost all of Nei Mongol, Ningxia & Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Regions, Qinghai and Gansu as well as 90% of Yunnan, 80% of Sichuan and 20% of Shaanxi provinces) to the Khanate and the 'abomination' that was a free Tibet.Then came the Russian 'stab in the back' which entailed the loss of another 10% of their people falling under foreign dominion as well as losing 8% of their most industrialized territory, Manchuria (Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces ~ the Nei Mongol portion of 'Manchuria' was in the Khanate's greedy clutches, from the viewpoint of a Seven P's warrior).Don't get me wrong, they weren't about to throw in the towel. If anything, they were becoming more dedicated to trying harder, digging deep into their knowledge of every atrocity, inhumanity and perversion now deemed necessary to re-chart history back onto its 'correct' path. It was this willingness to act in an even greater sociopathic manner which was being used against them. After all, the 7P's had plenty of proxy allies, who were starting to get really nervous about what their paymasters were now asking them to do,We Amazons were getting some extra special help too. The Booth-gan (Do not call them Thuggee ~ the confederate 9 Clan member based out of India though long since ensconced within various Hindi enclaves across the Globe) had created an all-female group of ultra-fanatical Kali-devotees ~ a gift for the upcoming battle fomented by the Will of the Goddess herself.While Aya was our Queen and the Regency would rule until she wished to assume command of the Amazon People, the nuts-and-bolts of the Host's activities were handled by Saint Marie as Golden Mare (our Minister of War) (technically she held the top spot due to our State of War, though no Golden Mare had ever exercised such authority over a Queen (and she definitely believed Aya was our Queen)), Katrina (as Minister of Intelligence and Security), Beyoncé (as Havenstone (the multinational corporation) ~ our Treasurer/Economic Tsarina) and me (our Foreign Minister).Saint Marie had decided to forgo a public face in order to better facilitate her moving around to various battle fronts and holding clandestine meetings with her junior regional commanders. Her Havenstone corporate title was 'Chief of Security Training and Certification'. As an extra level of deception, the head of Security Services wasn't even a Director-level position, instead being folded into the duties of the Office of the President.To my current circumstances ~ I had been given Constanza's house name which could only mean she wasn't currently assigned to the Security Detail; a fact that couldn't have made her bad attitude any better. Marilynn had completely lost her way as an Amazon when I first met her, burying her pain and confusion in endless partying and intoxicants. I believed only her grandmother's status as High Priestess kept her from the severest of reprimands, or death. I didn't even know what Marilynn's caste was. Sabia,"While I'm sure you are both far more qualified than I, precisely how did you two get these jobs?" I had to ask my two non-coworkers. Constanza glowered. Marilynn flinched."I have an in depth knowledge of Havenstone security procedures and resources," Constanza replied."Shawnee requested me," was Marilynn's comeback. "I also have intimate knowledge of the City of New York and its environs.""Actually, Buffy Ishara recommended you both to Shawnee," Beyoncé corrected their misconceptions. I knew the score. I'd be working intimately with the tight community around the President (Shawnee) and Vice Presidents (Buffy & Rhada). Buffy wanted me to be surrounded by women who hated my guts, so I wouldn't end up boinking them. It rarely worked that way. All too often ladies who hated my still-beating heart ended up punishing me with sex. I wasn't sure why that happened, but it did."Beyoncé, didn't the Chief Diplomat of the Host have her own office? I'm pretty sure Troika had one before her unfortunate collision with Saint Marie," I felt entitled to inquire."Do you feel you've earned that office space?" she riposted."Oh, fuck no!" I waved my hands one over the other to accentuate my denial. "I was just wondering where I could stick Juanita while I'm hanging around, here.""She has the desk right outside the door, Cáel," Beyoncé smiled knowingly. "So there is no way you can sneak past her.""Oh," I grunted. "Buffy again?""No. Pamela Pile put in that particular request.""Oh, Sweet Mother of God, now she is conspiring against me too?""Yes. Some of us realize the greatest hazard to your health is yourself, Ishara," Beyoncé chided me. "We'd like to keep you around, so we listen to those charged with that nigh impossible task.""Is she going to be hanging around the office often?" Constanza asked, either myself, Juanita, or Beyoncé; I wasn't sure. She = Pamela."Please, Constanza," I attempted to intervene, "don't make Pamela kill you. It will upset Mona." Constanza's scowl was accentuated by the eyepatch covering her ruined left socket, the one Pamela had carved out when Constanza had insulted me and House Ishara on our first day of rebirth. I didn't tell Juanita this, because Juanita might just shoot Constanza over the insult before Pamela got a chance to finish the job.The tension was palatable."Mona and I have talked, about Romania, and other things," Constanza grudgingly allowed. It took me a second to realize there was a hidden meaning to what she said. Mona was part of my personal Security Detail bodyguard unit. If she felt Constanza, the woman who had raised her after her birth-mother had died, was a threat to me, she'd feel duty-bound to snuff Constanza first. Amazons were hard-ass bitches alright and I think Mona had made that clear."I hope things can improve between us," I offered to Constanza. "Beyoncé, I just stopped in to say 'hey'. I'm off to JIKIT and I've got three of the Pope's people waiting on me in the garage so,""Vice President Varma requested a moment of your time," Beyoncé smirked. "She is in 2604.""Who?""Vice President Rhada Varma, a moment of your time, alone?" she clarified."Sure thing," I backed out of the office. Once I had some space, I turned to Juanita. "Give me three minutes then bust in and say, I don't know, a tsunami is about to overwhelm the city, or something. Otherwise, I won't get out for at least an hour and I think I've put the Bishop and his people through enough delays as it is.""Are you actually asking me to stop you from having an in-office liaison?" she studied me intently as we walked in the direction of Rhada's office."Yes. It's not likely to happen often, believe me.""Oh, I do, in that you won't ask me to do it often," she grumbled. I'd deal with Juanita's morale problem later. Right now, I had to gird my loins so they wouldn't do anything else with Rhada. I had work to do, damn it!Rhada was sitting at her desk, working on something, stylus raised up so she could chew on the end. Her hair was pulled back in a half-ponytail, the type that captured the rear half of the hair in a ponytail while leaving the front and bangs free to flow down. Rhada's blouse was white & billowy and, as I was soon to discover, her pants were ultra-tight and contour hugging."Mr. Nyilas," she greeted me. "I would like a moment of your time," she relayed what I already knew. She was more than a tad nervous to boot."Vice President Varma," I started off."When in private you may call me Rhada," she interrupted."Rhada, you look more ravishing than ever."That got up her and coming around her desk, which revealed her ultra-tight pants with no sign of her wearing underwear. Yikes! My cock was preparing to do what a cock was meant to do and I just didn't have the time, Really!"Do you have any time?" she let her bosom heave."Not today, ugh," I groaned. See, Rhada took the stylus and dragged it down her chin, throat and in between her bountiful mounds.All of which exposed the top of her black bra."Are you sure, Master?" she enticed me by turning around and then leaning over her desk, point that ass in my direction. My mouth began salivating and my groin ached. I found myself quick-stepping to her and giving those buttocks two firm slaps, one on each cheek."No, damn it, though I'm going to make you pay for this when I get back," I rumbled."Master will make me wait?" she taunted me."That will cost you even more," I growled. "I have business which simply won't wait and here is my captive teasing me with the treasures of her flesh. Bad, war captive," I spanked her yet again, hard. "Bad!" and I spanked her a fourth time. With each beating, Rhada gasped in pain and then exhaled in pleasure."If I've been bad, Master must be extra harsh with me when he returns in triumph from the Great Hunt," she gloated. Rhada had gotten what she wanted, which was another affirmation of my lust for her and our 'game'. I could provide her the release she so desperately craved while allowing her the safety of remaining in the Amazon fold. It was a perfect pairing, for her.I had other problems, such as all the other baby mamas in my life plus the extra-marital affairs I was contemplating. I still took the moments we had to snuggle with Rhada, her grinding that tush into my rod while I held both her arms tightly to her side while raining kisses down onto her neck and head."Sir! A giant tsunami is approaching the city!" Juanita exploded through the door."What?" I coughed. I had a face full of hair."Huh?" Rhada pushed up and away from me. I let her go."Right now," Juanita insisted. She really needed to stop taking me so seriously when I gave her such advice."Really?" from Rhada. She shot me a curious look so I shrugged. What else was I supposed to do with such a flimsy lie forcing our separation? At least I got out of there on time?{9:50 am, Monday, September 8th ~ Last day}(JKIT HQ)"Is this a common occurrence?" Sister Rafaela Sophia whispered to the closest woman, who happened to be Wiesława, the Polish Amazon. Since she hadn't arrived with us from Havenstone, the nun might have assumed she was with the 'Americans', or British."What?" Wiesława responded evenly."Weapons combat, they look real," the nun clarified."They are real. We always practice with real weapons.""Really?""Of course," Wiesława smiled at her. "We believe a few cuts and scrapes now will save lives when the true tests come.""Oh, you are with, Havenstone?" Rafaela clued in."Yes. I am Wiesława of House Živa. I am currently assigned to Unit L, Cáel's unit within JIKIT," she offered her hand to shake. Despite being a full-blooded Amazon from a freehold, her 'human' skills were progressing nicely. The nun shook it."I am Sister Rafaela Sophia of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that is a Roman Catholic Religious Order." Pause. "Do you hate Catholics too?""Yes. We have lived beside your people for many centuries and found your clergy to be much more dangerous than your pagan predecessors. Still, Cáel thinks you can be relied on and he's proven we can trust outsider women, which I was raised to believe was unlikely, and outsider men, which was basically anathema, so I'm willing to set aside my prejudices and judge you as an individual," the Pole imparted."Outsider men?" Rafaela mumbled."Well, yes," Wiesława smirked. "You are a nun, right?""Yes.""So you set aside the World of Men to live mostly among women, right?""Not entirely," the nun chose her words carefully. "We still rely on priests for religious rights and of course obey the life teachings of Christ and follow the leadership of his Holiness, the Pope, a man.""No one is perfect," the Amazon bantered back."Do you know the teachings of our Lord, Jesus Christ?" Rafaela ventured into dangerous waters."Yes. He was the semi-historical Son of your supposed One True God. We are not monotheists. We are Polytheists. Živa is my House's matron Goddess. It is also the name of the first woman to lead the House, her birth name surrendered to Destiny so all the daughters who came afterwards would be equals.""Oh, is Mr. Nyilas also pagan?" she inquired."I am unsure. From what I have been told, he has commended the spirit of his fallen father to your Jesus in a sacred ceremony then, in the presence of your Trinity and the Goddess Ishara, brought in new members to his House. I suspect he may be both," Wiesława reasoned. "Why don't you ask him?""Because he's fighting for his life?" Rafaela looked my way.See, the entire time their discussion had been going on, I had been sparring in a spare room at JIKIT HQ with Estere Abed, the Hashashin assassin (rather redundant ~ like saying the Sahara Desert). I had two tomahawks while she had a scimitar and curved dagger. While we sparred using the furniture as obstacles, Agent-86 was briefing me on various World events to get my input.Addison Stuart (CIA) and Lady Fathom Worthington-Burke (MI-6) were having a chat with Bishop Nicolé de Santis, verifying for themselves he was worth adding to the team. Juanita was having a similar discussion with Rikki Martin (US State Department) concerning my earlier encounter with the Papal team. Nicolé's buddy, Wachtmeister Mathias Bosshart of the Swiss Guard, was getting acquainted with the other security personnel.In comparison, those two had it easy. Both men were in their elements. Nicolé was a spook who pretended to be a diplomat for the Pope and was well acquainted with terms like 'deniable assets', 'plausible deniability' and your direct superior referring to requests concerning your identity/diplomatic status by saying 'I never heard of him and if I had, I have no idea what he was doing when you caught him doing what I don't know what he was doing', or something like that.Mathias was in the company of military-security specialists, brother professionals who were introducing him to his 'sister' professionals. Our Homeland Security gang were almost entirely former military by now. They got along with our JSOC folks and both had gained a limited acceptance with the Amazon security contingent.They bonded over the fact they were forced to work with really shady characters ~ the 9 Clans menagerie ~ who didn't always appreciate JIKIT operational security. Without going into particulars, the Wachtmeister was given the impression the abnormal was the norm and if you didn't think there was a 'down-side' to being able to carry your personally favorite bang-bang (the SG 552-2P Commando in his case) with some serious attachments (read: grenade launcher) around in downtown Manhattan, you probably didn't belong on this team.Back in the room,"He's not fighting for his life," Estere laughed. "He is fighting for mine.""Right," I responded sarcastically. We went through a flurry of exchanges, ending up with me kicking a chair at her. Estere stepped over it, colliding with me.I blocked her dagger, disarmed her scimitar and,"You are dead," she panted down at me, smiling. I was on my back, her straddling me. She had a belt-knife to my throat. I hadn't see her draw it. The scimitar 'disarm' had been a distraction."Woot!" I exhaled."But you're dead," Sister Rafaela misunderstood my good humor."He survived a minute and thirty-four seconds more today than his previous record," Estere responded. She slithered off of me, doing my arousal no good whatsoever, then offered me a hand up."And that's better?""He's a rank amateur with a few months on the job. I've been training to kill people for nearly two decades," Estere smiled. "Care to have a go?""With him, or you?""Either," Estere offered."I don't have a knife, or any hand weapons," she stated."We'll need to remedy that," Wiesława stated. "You should at least carry a knife.""Really? Why?""It is a nearly universal tool," I verbally stepped up. "Even if you are disarmed, you should be able to find one relatively easily, people are less likely to miss a stolen knife than a purloined gun, and a concealed blade could come in handy.""Do you train in knife-work?" Rafaela eye-balled me."Absolutely. It is part of my culture," I grinned."Okay. Can we spar, hand-to-hand?""Sure," I nodded. I put my tomahawks in their harnesses then put my harnesses aside. Estere gave me a wink before giving us the fighting space."So," Rafaela began to circle, "are you Christian?""By your definition, or mine?""By the definition of the Catholic Church."Oh cool, she went for a Savate stance. This was going to get ugly.My "no," was followed by her kick and my block, lunge and grapple. She wasn't nearly as good as Felix. I had her down and in a choke hold within fifteen seconds.Perhaps she thought I'd take it easy on her. She tapped out. I released her, retreated and flowed back to my boxing stance. It took her a moment to realize this was 'practice', not 'an interview'. She hadn't failed in anyone's eyes. We were both doing this to get better."See, I really, truly believe I have talked to supernatural entities ~ some who are considered divinities," I continued. This time she was more careful, trading jabs and blocks with me. "They don't claim to be the One True God. I believe in such a thing, but I also believe having been given the Message, Humanity has been left to muddle things out for ourselves."Whoops, she popped me one."The Woman-Thing this morning?""Yep," I evaded another flurry. She got cocky and I landed three blows, dropping her to the ground. I didn't help her up. Instead, I withdrew and let her get back up on her own before deciding if she wanted to continue. She did."I believe I've seen dragons and ghosts. I have felt legions of my ancestors give me quiet encouragement when I needed it. I know the dead have been brought back to life," I came at her. This time we both went for body blows, knees, elbows and fists. She was not SD-caliber and she needed to be. I grappled and she was forced to tap out again. After she regained her feet, she held up a hand for a pause."Do you believe any of that?" she addressed Estere."I am an adherent of Ismaili Islam yet nothing Cáel has encountered is contrary to my belief system. The Universe is a complex place and the Divine Light is often seen through a fractured lenses," she counseled the nun."Among the escapees were lawyer Francisco Luemba, Catholic Priest Raul Tati, economist Belchior Lanso Tati and former policeman Benjamin Fuca who are serving jail sentences of between three and six years each for supposed links to the rebel group FLEC (Frente para a Libertaé'o do Enclave de Cabinda), which carried out the attack on the Togolese football team at the start of the Africa Cup of Nations in January, 2010," Agent-86 read off yet another bit of global minutia."We need to get to them," I half turned. Sister Rafaela punched me in the gut and I folded up."Oh!" she gasped. "I'm sorry.""Okay," I mumbled. I had to keep with the plan. "Those men. We need to contact our Coils people in Kinshasa and the Warden of the Mountain Ways ('she' was the Amazon Host's leader of Africa ~ in the ancient times, the mountain ways had been the routes of southern vulnerability for the Amazon tribe thus the name).""Okay," both Agent-86 and Estere answered."Why?" 86 added."The Coils and the Host have had a serious problem with no nation in Africa giving them even back room recognition so we are going to take over our own country, Cabinda. It's been struggling to be free of Angola since 1975 and, by latest estimates, we've got strike elements of over 2,000 Amazons ready and waiting next door in Cameroon, Gabon and the Republic of Congo.""So you are going to go to war with Angola?" Estere frowned. "Don't we have enough enemies?""Au contraire," I grinned wickedly. "The resistance movement is genuine," I ticked off my points, "they have tons of offshore oil, and after we set off some spectacular explosions in the two main Angolan ports which are just down the coast, we allow global panic to bully the UN into intervening before the Angolan military launch an effective counter-offensive ~ considering the Angolan Armed Forces (I'd been reading up on a ton of CIA & MI-6 briefings) will most likely involve attrition warfare since they can't beat us in a stand-up fight.""They, the Angolans, have no overland access, they are separated by 60 kilometers of territory belonging to the Democratic Republic of Congo over some sad ass roads Plus the Congo River itself which is freaking huge by the time it gets that close to the Atlantic, Cabinda rests on the Atlantic Ocean by the way. No bridges. The Angolan Navy is anemic. Let me think."I began pacing."Hmm, they have no paratroopers though they have some Special Forces, we will need to hit as many of them in the barracks as we can. Their last invasion was from the north, overland, from the Republic of the Congo, in 1975, not likely to happen this time, though I may have my 'Brother' weasel up a battalion of Indian paratroopers to act as convincing peacekeepers after the initial take over.""Perhaps we can recruit some Vietnamese. I'm sure they'll love fighting in someone else's jungle for a change. We'll need some of 'our' guys to seize the port of Soyo, it is on the wrong side of the river, but has the major refinery the Cabindans will need. Since the entire surrounding province are the same ethnic make-up as the Cabindans, we'll have to take that too.""Man-o-man, I bet by the time this is over they'll really wish they'd given little Cabinda independence back in 1975. As for their other refinery, it is in their capital, Luanda, a few big explosions there too will get the markets jittery. Check that ~ the complete and utter destruction of their major petroleum facility will create a stampede for Peace," I continued. I walked over as our resident computer intelligence genius worked his magic."Blowing things up, you mean killing people," the nun blanched."Yes. This is what I do," I spared her a sympathetic glance. "I've got a madman roaming around in my head who provides me truly epic military advice which normally, but not always, means blowing shit up and killing folks. Welcome to the team," then as the data appeared, "Holy Shit! Did they build their oil refinery in the midst of their ghetto?" I was staggered. The refinery in Soyo was isolated from the town so it could be easily (and safely) seized. It was the one in Luanda which was the 'Holy Shit' site."It looks that way," Agent-86 agreed nonplussed. "Hmm, yeah, here is the port facility then your neighborhood of shoddily constructed one- and two-story dwellings between the refinery and the inland storage tanks, the perimeter barrier appears to be a chain link fence. I'd hate to be their Chief of Security.""Oh yeah," I choked. Estere slipped around to get a look."Whoops," she snorted."What are these people thinking?" I continued. "The whole shebang is exposed to the northern quarter of the city. The storage tanks have residential dwellings on all four sides with numerous side streets. Two teams with RPGs and four rounds apiece, Holy Crap. Sorry Sister.""But I want to save lives," she sputtered."Limiting the collateral damage could be pretty tough," Estere frowned. She toggled throw a series of maps to multiple pictures."Oh, look (dripping sarcasm); they light up the refinery at night. You can sit off the coast in a speed boat under cover of darkness and attack from there," she noted."Damn. Those are a lot of lights," Agent-86 agreed."24-7 operation," I suspected."We will need some experts," the government agent nodded."Or we are going to kill a fuck-load of innocent people. Not just the workers, but can you imagine a fire spreading to those neighborhoods? Shit," I muttered."You can't seriously be contemplating doing something like this," the nun sputtered. "It is inhumane. Think of the families, the children.""Lady, yes I am. Do you have any idea what the Human Rights record of the Angolan Army in Cabinda is? It is truly horrific and in case you missed it, one of the guys in dire need of rescuing by me, due to him being a huge rebel leader who has managed to escape, is also a Catholic priest. He's going to be part of the new government we are going to install once we kill a few hundred Angolans ~ mostly soldiers (more like well over a thousand).""We are going to kill a few hundred so a few hundred thousand can live free, democratic lives without worrying about the local police and political establishment torturing and murdering them. It is all part of the plan.""I think I need to talk with the Bishop.""Hang on. Let me finish," I forestalled her. "He'll get briefed along with everyone else. After all, it is a majority Roman Catholic country as is Angola, so I'm sure your guy can be of immense help.""The people you are putting at risk don't deserve this," she protested."They never do," I nodded in agreement with her. "It rarely stops terrible crap from happening to them though."I felt sorry for the Sister. She thought the Bishop was going to put a stop to this. Poor girl; he was going to do the exact opposite. See, the two competing forces at play here were a communistic kleptocracy (currently ruling Angola) and Catholic liberation theology united with a Cabindan national identity dating back to 1885. At stake was 900,000 barrels a day of petroleum. That was a bunch of funding for somebody. Last I checked, the state run energy conglomerate had misplaced $32 billion, in just three years.Mind you, the Coils of the Serpent and the Amazon Host didn't want to help the People of Cabinda out of the goodness of their hearts either. They wanted cover for the importation of weapons and other war-fighting material so they could kill the Condottieri in Africa. If the rebel leaders-turned-legitimate government didn't play ball well, the Coils were in the 'assassinating people' business and somewhere along the line the survivors would figure out keeping 'us' happy kept them alive. Problem solved.It was Bishop Nicolé de Santis' job to facilitate that understanding. If certain people with Vatican credentials explained the 'facts of life' to the new regime a lot more lives could be saved, Catholic lives. In turn, he could work to make sure the new group in power wasn't nearly as corrupt as the gang we were tossing out. Better education and quality of life, improved infrastructure & security and a nice shiny cathedral, or two.We, as in JIKIT and our component members, didn't want to rule the country and dominate the people's lives. We needed the ports and the airfields with a blind eye turned to our skullduggery. Sure, there would be future considerations. Amazons and Coil members would be fighting and dying for these people's freedom ~ public recognition definitely not required. No; the Amazons wanted to be left alone in their deep jungle homes which was an isolation they basically already had. This was a future chit which said 'don't come looking'.The Coils? Let's just say in the future Cabinda would have embassies around the globe and if occasionally they wanted someone to slip through under diplomatic cover ~ they were good for it. And if the Cabindans ever needed help in the future they knew they had friends in dark places who were now invested in Cabinda's survival. It was a win-win-win, unless you were an Angolan big-wig, or one of their foot-soldier currently serving in Cabinda. Amazons weren't big on taking prisoners, or even giving the opposition the option of giving up.For me, it wasn't lunch yet and here I was plotting to overthrow yet another government in yet another country ~ though in only two, small provinces this time. Thank the Goddess I had the rest of the week

“Lacking respect for Mohamed Salah and lacking respect for Egypt and for African football.”That's how three-time Afcon winner Wael Goma sums up Jamie Carragher's comment that the Africa Cup of Nations is ‘not a major tournament'. The former England and Liverpool defender was taking part in a TV discussion about Mohamed Salah's chances of winning the Ballon d'or after Liverpool's 2-0 win over Manchester City on Sunday. He said because Salah hadn't won a ‘major' tournament like the World Cup, Euros or Copa America so he didn't have much chance of winning the coveted award for the best player in the world. But Africa's top footballing guns have come out angrily to defend the importance of Afcon. PRESENTER: Alan @Kasujja GUESTS: Ivory Coast's Wilfried Bony who won Afcon in 2015 Egypt's Wael Goma who won Afcon in 2006, 2008, and 2010 Football Journalist, Oluwashina Okeleji.

Last weekend, Jamie Carragher made headlines when he mentioned that Mo Salah might be less respected for Ballon D'Or voting because he represents Egypt in international football and competes in the Africa Cup of Nations, which he doesn't believe is a "major" tournament.

We go back to 1993 when the plane carrying Zambia's national football team crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Gabon. Zambia is the only country in the world to have lost its national football team in a plane crash.Journalist and author JAY MWEMBA has detailed the events surrounding the tragedy in his book ‘The Crash of the Buffalo'. Former Nigerian Super Eagle, EFAN EKOKU joined us as we explored with JAY the profound impact the disaster had on the nation.EFAN highlighted the team's talent – it was considered the finest in Zambia's history. The Buffalo military plane had a history of problems, Jay tells us how some of the players were concerned.Economic hardships forced the team to use military transport instead of commercial flights.The crash led to national depression and grief that lasted for years. Zambia's football fortunes have struggled since the tragedy – but victory in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012 was seen as a tribute to the lost team. The final was played in Libreville, the Gabonese capital, not far from the site where the ill-fated team perished. JAY's book devotes a chapter to 'The Ghosts of Libreville'.The tragedy united the country in grief and anger, highlighting the importance of football to the nation.Order your copy of Jay Mwamba's book ‘Crash of the Buffalo' from info@pitchpublishing.co.uk#fazfootball#zambiafootball#africa#afl_africa#african_football#supereaglesnigeria#africa#amplifyafica Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Daybreak Africa: DR Congo's government said it wants to "avoid carnage" and bloodshed in the besieged city of Goma after advancing fighters from the M23 armed group and Rwandan troops entered the Congolese regional capital. Plus, experts consider solutions to the worrying humanitarian situation in Goma. Some observers say the DRC government has not done enough to protect its citizens. Liberian President Boakai delivers his second State of the Nation address amid rising tensions. Zimbabwe's war veterans call on President Mnangagwa to step down. The African Union considers restructuring to satisfy calls for institutional reforms. The draws for the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations was made Monday. For these and more tune in to Daybreak Africa!

In this latest episode of The COSAFA Show we speak to Executive Director Sue Destombes as we reflect on a bumper 2024 for the organisation, and look ahead to what may be in store in 2025. COSAFA held an unprecedented nine tournaments last year, five of them for women, despite a challenging environment and external factors that were outside of the organisation's control. The rewards of this long-term development of men's and women's football at all age-group levels can be seen in a record seven COSAFA sides qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco later this year, and the continued improvement of out women's team.Destombes outlines the highlights of 2024, on and off the pitch, and the ambitious plans of COSAFA for 2025.

This episode also has a video version on our YouTube channel, you can find it here: "Travel to Morocco in 2025: Travel Highlights to Help Your Planning"Or stay here for the audio version - your choice!---Morocco had a banner year in 2024, with tourist numbers reaching over 17 million, a number predicted for 2026 and yet reached two years ahead of time.With new air routes getting underway, both international and domestic, and new hotels and luxury brands setting up in the country, Morocco is very much on the up and up. For the first time, it outdrew Egypt as the top destination for travellers in Africa. Tourist numbers are predicted to reach 26 million per year by 2030, the year Morocco co-hosts the World Cup, alongside Spain and Portugal.All of which means, now is the time to go! Azdean and Destination Morocco podcast producer Ted Cragg discuss, in today's episode, what to prepare for in 2025, particularly events and prices that could affect your travels.They highlight some of the numerous large festivals that take place throughout the year, including the Gnawa Music Festival in Essaouira in June, and the Marrakech International Film Festival in December. These are annual events that always draw large crowds, but equally are exciting and prestigious events to witness.Adding to the excitement though in 2025, and in a preview of what's to come 5 years from now, are some major international football/soccer tournaments that will take place in Morocco.The U-17 Africa Cup of Nations will be held from March 30 to April 19, followed by the Women's Africa Cup of Nations from July 5 to 26. Then, FIFA's U-17 Women's World Cup will take place from October 17 to November 8, expanded to 24 teams for the first time.And in the largest of them all, Morocco will host for the second time ever the Africa Cup of Nations, starting towards the end of the year, December 21, 2025 and running to January 18, 2026. This major tournament will be spread amongst six cities across the country: Tangier, Agadir, Rabat, Marrakech, Fez, and Casablanca.Therefore, if you are planning a visit during one of these festivals or tournaments, make sure you do your research! Prices will likely be inflated, and accommodation will be less available and flexible as the dates draw near. Alternatively, knowing when these events are taking place may help you decide exactly when to go, if you would rather avoid the crowds and the hype and go at a quieter pace. Either way, we have lots to look forward to in Morocco in 2025, an exciting year in and of itself, but also a prelude of what to expect for the rest of the decade. Do you dream of exploring the enchanting land of Morocco?Destination Morocco is your ultimate travel experience for those seeking luxury and adventure. We specialize in crafting bespoke itineraries tailored to your unique tastes and desires.If you're a discerning traveler who values an immersive, curated adventure, visit www.destinationsmorocco.com, and let us bring your dream Moroccan vacation to life.Learn more about Azdean and Destination Morocco.Explore our Private Tours and Small Group Tours!

In this special year ender, as we round off season 3 of Africa Here and NOW, we look back at some of the moments that made us smile.The former Nigerian Super Eagle, footballer EFAN EKOKU, made us laugh with his cheeky bet on the winning team in the Africa Cup of Nations.Then Ghanaian football pundit, GARY AL SMITH, encouraged DONU into revealing what really lays behind the infamous rivalry between Nigeria and South Africa!Former Nigerian President OLUSEGUN OBASANJO explained how close Niger and Nigeria are in an intriguing way. That was at a time when the West Africa bloc ECOWAS, led by Nigeria, was threatening military action against the military junta who'd carried out a coup. Political analyst, MOELETSI MBEKI, younger brother to the former South African president, THABO MBEKI, gave us a rare glimpse into Mbeki family life.Zeinab Badawi talked about her new book, An African History of Africa and also told us a little bit more about herself.Renowned Zimbabwean journalist and activist, HOPEWELL CHIN'ONO turned to rap to get young Zimbabweans to register to vote. We asked about AI and how it was going down with the people of Malawi, especially as they'd been so hesitant to embrace the double decker bus! We found out about a new craze sweeping Somalia: naming children Istanbul, after the Turkish city. It's apparently in recognition of Turkey's support for Somalia through thick and thin.The Zambian Anglican Bishop TREVOR MWAMBA, bemoaned the state of our humanity and compassion in 2024 and suggested that if Jesus were a refugee at the time of the former UK Conservative government, he'd have been put on a plane to Rwanda.KEMI BADENOCH, who became the first black woman to lead a British political party - the Tories - created a lot of buzz particularly among her fellow Nigerians who were dismayed at her negative portrayal of Nigeria. DONU offered her some advice, from one Nigerian woman to another.Botswana's election yielded a seismic result with the ruling party voted out in a landslide. It presented us with a golden opportunity to talk to former President IAN KHAMA about his country's political shift, his plans for the future and his dance moves.PATRICK and DONU rounded off this bonus episode in characteristic form! We hope you enjoy it. Please subscribe and share with your friends. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our final episode of The COSAFA Show for 2024 marks an incredible year for the region that included a record nine competitions staged across various age-groups and also a record seven nations qualifying for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations | Morocco 2025. The incredible work and dedication from the entire COSAFA team to boost the growth and development of football in the region is bearing fruit, and the proof is in the results produced on the field of play.In this episode we chat to Comoros coach Stefano Cusin after he led the Indian Ocean Island to the continental finals in Morocco that start in a little under a year. They continue to punch well above their weight.We also hear from Barbra Banda, another great COSAFA success story, after she was named Women's Player of the Year at the recent CAF Awards. South Africa captain Ronwen Williams collected the CAF Interclub Player of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year at the same ceremony and he also shares his reaction to those two accolades. Finally, we get the thoughts of Zambia coach Ian Bakala after he led his side to victory at the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations | COSAFA Qualifier and, along with Angola, qualified for the continental finals in Morocco next year.

In de tweede aflevering van het tweeluik met Tijani Babangida hebben Maurice en Rob het deze keer met Baba over Olympisch goud, het WK 98, Roda in China, Louis van Gaal, scoren in de Champions League tegen Athletico, Amokachi's connecties, de WK doelpunt droom, Jo Bonfrere, Rashidi Yekini, wedden met David Endt, uitblinken tegen Zuid-Africa op de AFCON, komen van links, geschorst zijn voor de Africa Cup, de noodzaak van het schrijven van een boek, Playstation Baba in China, randzaken in Arnhem en het Midden-Oosten, in de voetstappen van Finidi, een cup in Ankara, actief blijven in de voetballerij, Cain Seedorf, publiekslieveling Baba, het net niet zetten van de allerhoogste stap, Roda de leukste, de komende moeilijke jaren en nog heel veel meer. Weer een hele hoop heerlijke verhalen uit de rijke carriere van publieksvoetballer Tijani Babangida. Definitief weer een luistertip!!! Wil je een bijdrage leveren ga dan naar www.supportbaba.nl Geproduceerd en gepresenteerd door: www.southxvi.com Gesponsord door: Jegers Advocaten: www.jegersadvocaten.nl Next Door Hair Kapsalon, nagel- en beautysalon: www.facebook.com/Hairenmore Hotel Restaurant Vijlerhof: www.vijlerhof.nl Bernardushoeve: www.bernardushoeve.nl Van Ooyen Glashandel: vanooyen.com Wiertz Company: www.wiertz.com Roda Support: www.rodasupport.nl PC Data: www.pcdata-logistics.com Metaalgieterij Van Gilst: www.vangilst.net Roda JC Artic Front Wullenweber Keukens: wullenweberkeukens.jouwweb.nl Stock Grondverzet Stichting Vrienden van Roda Voetbaltrips.com Ostheopathie Daamen: osteopathiedaamen.nl Sportcafe De Aftrap: www.aftrap-kerkrade.nl Bovens Bouwadvies: www.bovens-bouwadvies.nl Maessen & Houben Strafrechtadvocaten: www.maessenhouben.nl Barberroad: barberroad.nl Vakgarage Dorscheidt: www.vakgaragedorscheidt.nl Hoveniersbedrijf van Davy van Loo: www.davyvanloo.nl

FCA Short is een korte dagelijkse podcast v an FC Afkicken waarin we de pure voetbalromanticus in onszelf naar boven halen. Want we hebben het in de Daily te weinig over alle mooie verhalen en momenten die deze fantastische sport heeft voortgebracht.Wilfried Bony. De laatste topscorer van de Eredivisie die er meer dan 30 maakte in een seizoen. In een jaar waarin Vitesse zelfs meedeed om het kampioenschap onder Fred Rutten hadden ze een superspits in de gelederen. De Ivoriaan scoorde uit alle hoeken en standen. En wat als hij niet naar de Africa Cup had gemoeten met Ivoorkust...In de podcast verwijzen Bart en Neal naar:De goals van Wilfried Bony in 2012/2013: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4XKXFTAN8I&ab_channel=VitesseZie het privacybeleid op https://art19.com/privacy en de privacyverklaring van Californië op https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kevin and Kieran discuss whether players receive any extra income from shirts sold with their name on the back, and find out whether clubs get any financial compensation when their players take part in the Africa Cup of Nations. Follow Kevin on X - @kevinhunterday Follow Kieran on X - @KieranMaguire Follow Producer Guy on X - @guykilty Follow The Price of Football on X - @pof_pod Send in a question: questions@priceoffootball.com Support The Price of Football on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/priceoffootball Check out the Price of Football merchandise store: https://the-price-of-football.backstreetmerch.com/ Visit the website: https://priceoffootball.com/ For sponsorship email - info@adelicious.fm The Price of Football is a Dap Dip production: https://dapdip.co.uk/ contact@dapdip.co.uk Get an Exclusive NordVPN deal here: https://nordvpn.com/priceoffootball It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In April 2023, civil war broke out in Sudan. It continues to this day leaving in its wake the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the United Nations. Despite this, Sudan's national football team has qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2025 and tops its World Cup qualification group. They are a source of hope to a nation left in ruins. In this special episode of The Athletic FC Documentary we'll take you into the war torn country where amateur matches continue amid the shelling, and football grounds have become burial grounds. At a refugee camp in neighbouring Chad, we'll hear of the horrors of war and how football is helping children there. And hear how geo political influence, immigration and perilous journeys over land and sea are part of this journey with Sudan, football and a war struggling to be seen and heard. Credits Written and presented by Adam Leventhal Produced by Abi Paterson Additional reporting in collaboration with Tom Rhodes and Zamenfes Gebremikae Featuring footage from beIN Sport, Al Jazeera, British Pathé, Sky News, Fairshot, SuperSport, Sudan FA  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In April 2023, civil war broke out in Sudan. It continues to this day leaving in its wake the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the United Nations. Despite this, Sudan's national football team has qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2025 and tops its World Cup qualification group. They are a source of hope to a nation left in ruins. In this special episode of The Athletic FC Documentary we'll take you into the war torn country where amateur matches continue amid the shelling, and football grounds have become burial grounds. At a refugee camp in neighbouring Chad, we'll hear of the horrors of war and how football is helping children there. And hear how geo political influence, immigration and perilous journeys over land and sea are part of this journey with Sudan, football and a war struggling to be seen and heard. Credits Written and presented by Adam Leventhal Produced by Abi Paterson Additional reporting in collaboration with Tom Rhodes and Zemenfes Goudos GebreMikael Featuring footage from beIN Sport, Al Jazeera, British Pathé, Sky News, Fairshot, SuperSport, Sudan FA  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thuec kura ee Quarter Final Bɛ̈ɛ̈i Wuot Africa pɛ̈n New South Wales. Jamda kek Gum Mayek

TIMESTAMPS:06:42 - Niger vs Sudan analysis17:12 - Benin vs Nigeria analysis26:40 - Angola vs Ghana analysis32:58 - Uganda vs South Africa analysis37:06 - Botswana vs Mauritania analysis40:20 - Algeria vs Equatorial Guinea analysisIn this episode of the African football round-up, we head to the film room to break down some of the matches we during matchday 5 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiersWe were not impressed by Nigeria's defending versus Benin as the likes of Troost-Ekong and Bassey made simple errors. Sudan's undoing was more of a stylistic issue versus Niger. We also briefly speak on Angola vs Ghana, Uganda vs South Africa, Botswana vs Mauritania and Algeria vs Equatorial Guinea-----------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comThis week's must-reads:Mozambique and the politics of popular uprising: https://www.africasacountry.com/2024/11/mozambique-and-the-politics-of-popular-uprisingRuto's Kenya: https://www.africasacountry.com/2024/11/rutos-kenyaFollow us on social media:https://twitter.com/AfricanFiveSidehttps://www.tiktok.com/@african.fiveasidehttps://www.instagram.com/africanfiveside/

TIMESTAMPS:02:12 - Ghana vs Sudan breakdown15:57 - Reviewing Senegal's six points and previewing their big coaching decision20:21 - Tunisia are rudderless24:45 - Morocco are still flying27:16 - Algeria are coming along nicely28:44 - Egypt, Cameroon, DR Congo, Angola have qualified to the Afcon33:08 - Sudan, Mali and South Africa make good progress but not through yet37:15 - Match-ups to look out for in NovemberIn this episode of the African football round-up, we summarise what we learned from matchday 4 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiersWe talk about how Ghana have to do a hard reset, how Tunisia are rudderless due to a skeleton federation, and we discuss who Senegal should target as their next coach.-----------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comThis week's must-reads:The mine dumps of Silicon Valley: https://www.africasacountry.com/2024/10/the-mine-dumps-of-silicon-valleyThis is not the Black Stars level, we've mismanaged our way there: https://3news.com/sports/this-is-not-the-black-stars-level-weve-mismanaged-our-way-there/Follow us on social media:https://twitter.com/AfricanFiveSidehttps://www.tiktok.com/@african.fiveasidehttps://www.instagram.com/africanfiveside/

Nigeria soccer team boycotts Africa Cup qualifier after being stranded at Libya airport --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ksspod/support

TIMESTAMPS:01:40 - Senegal vs Malawi analysis08:44 - Egypt vs Mauritania analysis15:08 - Algeria vs Togo analysis19:20 - Morocco vs Central African Republic analysis24:32 - Tunisia vs Comoros analysis29:57 - Ghana vs Sudan analysisIn this episode of the African football round-up, we head to the film room to break down some of the matches we watched in matchday 3 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiersWe were impressed by Pape Thiaw's Senegal, Vladimir Petkovic's Algeria, Walid Regragui's Morocco and Hossam Hassan's Egypt. Ghana and Tunisia were the two teams that we were not impressed by.-----------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.comThis week's must-reads:What does Africa want?: https://africasacountry.com/2024/10/what-does-africa-wantFuel's Errand: https://africasacountry.com/2024/10/fuels-errandFollow us on social media:https://twitter.com/AfricanFiveSidehttps://www.tiktok.com/@african.fiveasidehttps://www.instagram.com/africanfiveside/

TIMESTAMPS:01:05 - Which countries have never qualified for the Afcon?04:10 - How teams have qualified for the Afcon over the last ten years11:54 - Does CAR have what it takes?16:24 - Raoul Savoy interview34:32 - Abdul Musa interviewIn this episode of the African football round-up, we ask the question: what does it take to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations?To answer the question we looked at what nations that qualified to their first Afcon did over the last decade or so. We also spoke to Central African Republic coach Raoul Savoy and interviewed him as we believe that they could be next! We also spoke to Abdul Musa to find out how Sudan have been playing great football despite domestic political problems.-----------------------This podcast is brought to you by: www.africasacountry.com

"This could be one of the greatest teams we've ever seen out of Africa… they were the hope of Africa for the 1994 World Cup. And that was taken away instantly.”In 1993, a plane carrying almost all of Zambia's national football squad crashed in Gabon, killing 18 players. The young team was carrying the hopes of many Africans as they progressed towards the 1994 World Cup. But out of that tragedy, an amazing story unfolded, as a team was rebuilt from scratch. That team later went on to win the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012.Now 30 years later, the BBC podcast Amazing Sport Stories been speaking with the family members of those who died – who to this day have never received compensation - as well as to those who rebuilt the team. Presenter: Mpho Lakaje. Guests: Robert Earnshaw, Welsh former international footballer and the host of the podcast, and his mother Rita.

My guest is Ben Jackson, whose book The Africa Cup of Nations: The History of an Underappreciated Tournament came out in time for the 2024 edition of AFCON. We look back at the tournament's roots, its key moments and players, plus where does it go from here?

The year started with an Africa Cup of Nations that broke all manner of records and cut through globally unlike any tournament before. Now, with major players such as Fifa, the NFL and NBA all finally realising the continent's potential, 2024 could be a breakout year for African sport. Kicking off a new content series delving into the African sports landscape, SportsPro editorial director Michael Long and Pulse Sports MD James Torvaney speak to Sherif Hassan, head of digital and marketing products at the Confederation of African Football, about the sports business opportunity in Africa.

Did Arsenal underestimate Porto? Can Bologna finish in Serie A's top four this season? What was the now-binned media rights deal that got so many fans protesting in Germany? And why have Marseille turned to a manager who just got given his marching orders midway through the Africa Cup of Nations?!Dotun, Andy and Nicky are on hand for your European football questions!Ask us a question on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Perhaps the most thrilling and story-laden Africa Cup of Nations in recent history, of course we've dedicated an episode of the SCOUTED podcast to it. Joe is joined by Sky and talkSPORT broadcaster Kweku Afari to recount the highs and lows - but mainly highs - of this year's AFCON. Featuring a former Premier League striker spinning tunes behind the decks, Simon Adingra's coming-of-age, yet another Génération Foot alumnus starring for Senegal and plenty more. Listen, share and subscribe now. Powered by SkillCorner.

After the introduction of the first African woman referee at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in 2021, the expansion of women into football decision-making on the continent continued in Ivory Coast where a total of six women were officiating at the 2023 Afcon tournament. Zambian assistant referee Diana Chikotesha made history when she became the first female on-pitch match official to feature in a men's Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday. She was assistant referee in the match that saw Ivory Coast crowned champions after a 2-1 win over Nigeria. In this week's Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja speaks to Diana along with her fellow referee, South Africa's Akhona Makalaima.

State-approved samples show Prabowo Subianto winning more than half of the votes cast. Human rights groups have voiced concerns about his past support for the former dictator Suharto. Also today: we hear what it's like to be trapped in Rafah amid the looming threat of an Israeli ground attack. And Ivory Coast's victorious manager looks forward to a well-earned rest after winning the Africa Cup of Nations.

Alexi Lalas and David Mosse, ahead of the 2024 MLS season, analyze the betting odds for MLS Cup Champions and pick a few of their favorites. (12:29) Across the pond, Americans were scoring at will with Ricardo Pepi, Taylor Booth, Haji Wright, all finding the back of the net. We also had two HUGE results in Germany and Spain as Bayer Leverkusen & Real Madrid planted their flags at the top of the table. The guys also ask this timely question... How would the USMNT fare in the Africa Cup of Nations & the Asian Cup? (27:07) In #AskAlexi, the guys answer questions on the implications of blue cards & dream USMNT matchups building up to the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup. To wrap the podcast, Alexi dives into the USL Super League joining NWSL on tier one of the women's soccer pyramid. (58:39) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Adie presents stories from Pakistan, Syria, Gaza, Trinidad and Tobago and Ivory Coast.With most of the results now declared in Pakistan's general election, no political force has a clear majority. Jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan is claiming victory, and another ex-PM, Nawaz Sharif, says his party has emerged the largest and is urging others to join his coalition. Caroline Davies reflects on how the vote has divided the nation.Residents of the tightly-controlled rebel-held area of Idlib, in Syria's north-west, are struggling to survive as aid funding has been cut one year on from the quake which struck Syria and Turkey. Leila Molana Allen visits an orphanage where children try to imagine a better future.Lucy Williamson follows the story of six-year-old Hind Rajab who was caught up in crossfire when she tried to leave Gaza City, following evacuation orders by Israel's military. She describes the efforts to stay in contact with her after her family died, and the perilous nature of rescue efforts that are replicated every day.Trinidad and Tobago is one of the wealthiest nations in the Caribbean, thanks to significant oil and gas reserves. But Tobagans often complain that Trinidad has reaped the benefits at the expense of their own smaller island. Sara Wheeler paid the island a visit.And finally, on Sunday Nigeria faces Ivory Coast in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations. James Copnall was there for the tournament, twenty years after he worked there as a correspondent. He charts its transformation after years of civil war.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison

The just concluded Africa Cup of Nations has been hailed as a huge success but what will be the lasting legacy for the host nation, Ivory Coast.Is chemical castration the solution? Madagascar's parliament has approved a law allowing for the chemical or surgical castration of those found guilty of the rape of a minor. And sadness in the world of athletics as the men's marathon world record holder, Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum, dies in a car crash.

The FC crew react to Arsenal's dominant 6-0 win over West Ham and what this means for the Premier League title race. Plus Manchester United keave Villa park with a 2-1 win. And, Ivory Coast complete the comeback to beat Nigeria and win their 3rd Africa Cup of Nations title. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Adie presents stories from Pakistan, Syria, Gaza, Trinidad and Tobago and Ivory Coast.With most of the results now declared in Pakistan's general election, no political force has a clear majority. Jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan is claiming victory, and another ex-PM, Nawaz Sharif, says his party has emerged the largest and is urging others to join his coalition. Caroline Davies reflects on how the vote has divided the nation.Residents of the tightly-controlled rebel-held area of Idlib, in Syria's north-west, are struggling to survive as aid funding has been cut one year on from the quake which struck Syria and Turkey. Leila Molana Allen visits an orphanage where children try to imagine a better future.Lucy Williamson follows the story of six-year-old Hind Rajab who was caught up in crossfire when she tried to leave Gaza City, following evacuation orders by Israel's military. She describes the efforts to stay in contact with her after her family died, and the perilous nature of rescue efforts that are replicated every day.Trinidad and Tobago is one of the wealthiest nations in the Caribbean, thanks to significant oil and gas reserves. But Tobagans often complain that Trinidad has reaped the benefits at the expense of their own smaller island. Sara Wheeler paid the island a visit.And finally, on Sunday Nigeria faces Ivory Coast in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations. James Copnall was there for the tournament, twenty years after he worked there as a correspondent. He charts its transformation after years of civil war.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Production Coordinator: Katie MorrisonSeries Producer From Our Own Correspondent BBC Long Form Audio

Nigeria will square off against the Africa Cup of Nations host, Ivory Coast, capping a tournament that's been full of surprises. Among them: the rise of South Africa and a nail-biting match that kept football fans guessing until the final whistle. South Africa's wins, and then loss, follow its “moral victory” on the world stage at the International Court of Justice. So, how else did politics show up on the pitch? In this episode:  Sean Jacobs (@_ElevenPeople), Founder, Africa is a Country Episode credits: This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li and Fahrinisa Campana with our host Malika Bilal. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take's executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

When the Africa Cup of Nations started, hosts Ivory Coast were on the verge of disaster after losing two of their first three matches. But they dusted themselves off and went on to reach the final. They will take on a Nigerian side who boast talented players like Victor Osimhen, who plies his trade in Italy, and Stanley Nwabili, who plays in South Africa. But the Ivorians have dangermen of their own, including Seko Fofana and Sebastien Haller. But before the final, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Africa will be fighting for the bronze medal. This has been hailed as one of the most captivating AFCON tournaments in recent history, with smaller nations like Namibia beating Tunisia while Equatorial Guinea shocked the hosts in the group stages, by defeating them 4-0. So, come the end of the weekend, who will be crowned the kings of African football?

Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens are joined by Colin Udoh to discuss Nigeria's chances of winning the Africa Cup of Nations ahead of their showdown with hosts Ivory Coast. The guys also talk about Chelsea's dismantling of Aston Villa in the FA Cup, Aleksander Ceferin's UEFA future & whether Karim Benzema could be heading back to Europe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Early Kick Off from the Men in Blazers Media Network, all your global football stories straight from the back pages of Europe's newspapers in around 10 minutes.On today's episode: Chelsea secure a much-needed win against Villa to ease the pressure on boss Pochettino, complete chaos in the Africa Cup of Nations semi finals as Nigeria and Ivory Coast make Sunday's final, Alex Morgan out of the USWNT squad for Gold Cup, and hear about the fan who travelled 8000 miles to see 9 minutes of football.Football don't sleep, and neither do we.This episode was made in the UK for Men In Blazers by…Host: Sammy James Producer: George CooperResearcher: Jack CollinsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens are joined by Colin Udoh to discuss Nigeria's chances of winning the Africa Cup of Nations ahead of their showdown with hosts Ivory Coast. The guys also talk about Chelsea's dismantling of Aston Villa in the FA Cup, Aleksander Ceferin's UEFA future & whether Karim Benzema could be heading back to Europe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After four weeks of showcasing what the continent has to offer, the Africa Cup of Nations is down to a final two. Hosts Ivory Coast play Nigeria in Sunday's showpiece final in what has been the most thrilling AFCON in decades. But what's made it so good? Has the on-pitch drama been matched by the eyeballs watching the tournament?  And what does AFCON need to do off the pitch to match the success on it? Host Ayo Akinwolere is joined by former Ivory Coast defender, and 2012 AFCON runner-up, Sol Bamba as well as The Athletic's Jay Harris to discuss and debate what has made AFCON 2023 such a success. Produced by Guy Clarke Additional Production by Mike Stavrou Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Related articles: The story of Amad Diallo – and the man accused of trafficking him to Europe - The Athletic AFCON finally has African managers. But the rest of the world has not caught up - The Athletic *** • This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. Our listeners get 10% off their first month at BetterHelp.com/athleticfootball Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Musician turned politician Bobi Wine has received an Oscar nomination for a documentary on his political struggle in Uganda. Why does he continue despite the dangers, hardship and challenges? A surprising confession at an enquiry into a deadly fire in South Africa The latest from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations as it enters the knockout stage

With the group stage of the 2024 (but really 2023) Africa Cup of Nations now in the books, we take a look back at the major points of interest so far. Can Morocco find better scoring efficiency in the knockout round? Will Senegal continue to make things look all too easy? How far can surprising sides like Cape Verde, Mauritania and Angola go? What has Nigeria done to turn things around, and why has the Ivory Coast completely failed to do the same? Is sacking your coach in the middle of the tournament maybe not a great idea? All those questions and many more answered as we review everything, and then take a look ahead to the knockout round! --- Today's show is brought to you by... Shopify! Help grow your business by signing up for a one-dollar-per-month trial at shopify.com/tss! --- JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Become a member today at patreon.com/totalsoccershow! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the show that brings you the science behind the news, we're looking at news that China's population has fallen for the second year running. Worrying news for China's economy, but would a declining population be a good thing for the planet?The Unexpected Elements team on three continents meet the musical frogs who are having to climb a mountain to keep their populations stable, and dig deep to explore the earth's declining microbiome and the hope scientists have for the future.As the Africa Cup of Nations continues, we'll be wondering how you might date a footballer. Not in a romantic sense… we hear about some suspiciously mature youth players and how science can help when the age on a passport isn't reliable.Marnie will be wondering why Japanese men are shouting their love from a hilltop, and unpicking the recipe for a truly satisfying hug.All that plus a postbag bursting with multilingual puns, and the reason Portuguese speakers have trouble with English doors.Presented by Marnie Chesterton Produced by Ben Motley, with Alex Mansfield, Dan Welsh, Katy Tomsett and Jack Lee

Fire up the PGMOL paper shredder, it's another packed weekend in the Premier League! Marcus, Luke, Pete and Jim are here to pick up the pieces.We discuss Ivan Toney's free-kick shenanigans, the return of one of Manchester United's cult heroes (read: shocking signings) at the Africa Cup of Nations, and Ross County manager Derek Adams continues his one-man campaign to destroy his own team's confidence. Plus, Pete delivers another one of his father in-law's top three most disappointing moments with a helping hand from Sheffield United and Jim has a novel suggestion for Crystal Palace's owl problem…Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and email us here: show@footballramble.com.Sign up to the Football Ramble Patreon for ad-free shows for just $5 per month: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We take a look back at all the action from Match Day 1 in the 2023 (but really 2024) Africa Cup of Nations. Which teams have impressed, which teams have done the opposite of that, and what to keep an eye on in the second round. Plus, standout individual performances, managerial instability and a superstar on the bench for Cameroon. And maybe jetting home before all is said and done. --- Today's show is brought to you by... Shopify! Help grow your business by signing up for a one-dollar-per-month trial at shopify.com/tss! Indochino! Go to Indochino.com and use code 'TSS' to get 10% off any purchase of $399 or more!  --- JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Become a member today at patreon.com/totalsoccershow! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Max Rushden is joined by Jonathan Wilson, Solace Chukwu and Osasu Obayiuwana to cover the latest from the Africa Cup of Nations, along with the fall-out from Roma giving José Mourinho the boot. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/footballweeklypod

From the BBC World Service: The International Monetary Fund predicts that artificial intelligence is likely to cause disruptions for jobs across the globe — but it won’t have an even effect on workers and global economies. Then, two British brothers are on trial in Switzerland for stealing Ming Dynasty porcelain worth nearly $3.7 million. And the soccer tournament, the Africa Cup of Nations, has kicked off in the Ivory Coast.

From the BBC World Service: The International Monetary Fund predicts that artificial intelligence is likely to cause disruptions for jobs across the globe — but it won’t have an even effect on workers and global economies. Then, two British brothers are on trial in Switzerland for stealing Ming Dynasty porcelain worth nearly $3.7 million. And the soccer tournament, the Africa Cup of Nations, has kicked off in the Ivory Coast.

With the 2024 (but actually 2023) iteration of the Africa Cup of Nations about to kick off, Graham and Taylor spend some time on the history of the tournament itself. When was the first AFCON? How has the tournament grown over the years? Why does it take place in the middle of the season? Which countries and players have had the greatest successes at the competition? We answer those and several more questions on this week's episode!

The drama, the excitement and the big talking points from the Africa Cup of Nations – every match day. Star guests join the BBC's John Bennett and George Addo for reaction and analysis. We will take you from the group stage all the way to the final, with everything you need to know from one of the biggest tournaments in the global game, which is taking place in Ivory Coast. Search for World Football, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

As Mo Salah prepares to join his national team for the Africa Cup of Nations, Liverpool must figure out their best solution for coping without the forward this January.WATCH THIS WEEK'S PREMIUM EPISODE HERE: https://theredmentv.com/do-we-need-to-buy-cover-in-january-the-deep-dive/Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/redmentv. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Bennett is joined by former 2012 finalist with Ivory Coast, Sol Bamba, and former Cameroon, Spurs & Norwich defender Sebastian Bassong, to preview this months upcoming Africa Cup of Nations. Ghanian football reporter George Addo also joins the pod as the team discuss the chances of hosts Ivory Coast, Nigeria with Victor Osimhen leading the line, and whether Mo Salah can finally lift the AFCON trophy for Egypt.Timecodes:4:23 Ivory Coast as hosts, 8:34 Ivory Coast and their chances on the pitch 13:18 Players' dilemmas around leaving clubs mid-season 19:27 How players feel returning to club football from AFCON 24:10 Nigeria as contenders? 28:37 Can Salah win silverware for Egypt? 38:44 Can Kudus be the star of AFCON? 40:44 The impact of the Saudi Pro League on Senegal 44:02 Morocco post-World Cup 45:42 Cameroon and Andre Onana 48:51 Predictions and Ones to Watch