LVG refuses to blame bus attack for setback

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal put on a brave face and refused to blame an attack on his team's bus for the serious setback to his side's Champions League hopes at West Ham United.

Tuesday's gripping 3-2 loss, which was preceded by the United team bus being pelted with cans and bottles outside the east London ground, leaves Van Gaal's men needing to beat Bournemouth in their final match on Sunday and hope Manchester City lose at Swansea City if they are to creep into the Premier League's top four.

"No, it is still not gone," Van Gaal said of a top-four finish following the final match of West Ham's 112-year tenure at the Boleyn Ground.

"In the last match of the season we can pass over Manchester City. They can lose and we can win. Then we are fourth. You can count, I think?"

Van Gaal said to blame the bus attack for the result would have been an "excuse", but he conceded that it could have affected his younger players.

"I have a long experience in football and there are players who don't have the experience," said the 64-year-old Dutchman.

While United still have an FA Cup final date with Crystal Palace to come on May 21, missing out on a top-four place would represent a massive disappointment, but Van Gaal believed Swansea could give City a hard battle.

"I don't think it is not likely. In this league it happens a lot and Swansea City has a very good run.

"It is a mental blow for the players, but against Bournemouth we have to give everything so that we don't give Manchester City a free trip into the Champions League."

FA INVESTIGATION

The Football Association announced an investigation after United's bus was pelted with missiles outside the ground, causing a 45-minute delay to the kick-off.

The Metropolitan police said one officer and one member of the public had sustained minor injuries.

United goalkeeper David de Gea also appeared to have objects thrown at him during the game.

West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan blamed the visitors for not arriving earlier, but United captain Wayne Rooney said that "West Ham as a club will be disappointed with what the fans have done".

A video posted on United midfielder Jesse Lingard's Snapchat account showed several United players sheltering on the floor inside the bus while Lingard mockingly shouted: "Mummy!"

Needing to win to keep their top-four destiny in their own hands, United fell behind in the 10th minute when Manuel Lanzini teed up Diafra Sakho to score.

Anthony Martial scored twice to put United ahead, but Michail Antonio equalised with a bullet header before Dimitri Payet teed up Winston Reid to head home an 80th-minute winner.

'SPECIAL GAME'

The goal was a fitting conclusion to West Ham's 2 398th and final match at the Boleyn Ground – also known as Upton Park – which the club will leave next season for London's Olympic Stadium.

The match was followed by an on-pitch ceremony featuring pyrotechnics and London taxi cabs, while club greats Trevor Brooking, Martin Peters and Paolo Di Canio were presented to the crowd.

"It was a special game," West Ham manager Slaven Bilic told Sky Sports.

"It was big, big pressure for us, although I told the guys, 'However we finish the last couple of games, this season has been great for West Ham in terms of breaking a few records and everything.'

"We were till the end in a couple of competitions and battling for the Europa League and a good run in the FA Cup, so it was good, very good or excellent, but we were under pressure.

"We didn't want to lose our last game at this fantastic stadium. We just wanted to win and this was a win of character."

West Ham returned to sixth place, reclaiming a Europa League berth from Southampton in the process, ahead of their final game of the season at Stoke City on Sunday.

Zanaco test for Power Dynamos

Power Dynamos interim coach Anderson Phiri has a big test on Wednesday, when his side visits Zanaco in a rescheduled Week 5 match at Sunset Stadium in Lusaka.

This will be Phiri’s second game in charge after making a winning start last Saturday with a 1-0 home win over Nkwazi, in Kitwe following the dismissal of his ex-boss Tennant Chilumba on Thursday.

That win lifted Power from 8th to 6th on 13 points in what has so far been a stuttering start for the six-time champions this season.

Phiri said he is staying very calm also knowing that Wednesday’s match will be first of two big away tests for him ahead of Saturday’s Kitwe derby clash leaders Nkana.

Samson Chilupe

“We have two away games starting on Wednesday when we travel to Lusaka to play Zanaco. It is a different ball game altogether but we have prepared even though we had just one day to get ready for it,” Phiri said.

Zanaco, unlike Power, are unbeaten this season with a 100 percent start in 3rd place on 15 points from five matches played with three games in hand.

Power are two points behind Zanaco and know another victory will move them into 4th place tied with Zanaco who have a healthier goal difference.

However, Power have yet to win away this season after picking up two defeats and a 0-0 draw at Lusaka Dynamos on April 16.

Power trace their last away league win in Lusaka to August, 2015 when they beat Napsa Stars 1-0 but earlier fell by the same margin to Zanaco in April.

Maritzburg targeting Ajax scalp

Maritzburg United are at home this week welcoming Ajax Cape Town in an aim to salvage their Absa Premiership status on Wednesday night at Harry Gwala Stadium. Kick-off is at 7:30pm.

The struggling Team Of Choice is hoping to bag the full three points in their penultimate Absa Premiership tie following their 0-0 draw against Orlando Pirates last weekend.

Coach Ernst Middendorp is fully aware that the match is crucial for their PSL survival and will now have to ensure his charges are in fine form.

The bottom-placed side cannot afford to lose or drop points at this stage of the season as their future in the top flight division hangs by a thread.

Looking at their previous three league matches, they registered one win against Free State Stars, a draw against Eric Tinkler's side before losing to SuperSport United.

Anssi Jaakkola

They still remain rooted at the wrong end of the table with 21 points from 28 matches and a win will revive their hopes heading to the final match of the season.

Speaking after the match at Orlando Stadium, Middendorp said he accepted a point from their Buccaneers' clash.

"I personally can accept the point despite being so close to getting more. We did well in the end but didn't score," said Middendorp.

"We still have an opportunity against Ajax so we are going for it, with nothing to lose.

“Compliments to the players for the effort today. We have seen that there is a lot of fight, spirit and desire in the team. The frustrations are the same whether you fight for the title or fight relegation. We just have to look to the next game.

“This is nothing new. I've taken teams from the bottom up to safety. I like this challenge, working within these elements.”

Shifting focus to the Urban Warriors, Roger De Sa's men are also chasing a win at all costs to ensure they reach the top eight.

The Capetonians will have to go all out and ensure they qualify for the MTN8 Cup tournament and boost their chances of defending their trophy.

However, facing a team of United's calibre who are fighting for their lives presents a challenge for the visiting Ajax, especially meeting them in Maritzburg.

The Mother City side defeated the Team of Choice 3-1 in the first round, but this time around, it's going to be a different football game as both sides want the three points for different reasons.

In their previous three matches, Ajax suffered a disappointing 5-0 loss against Bloemfontein Celtic, drew 0-0 against league champions Mamelodi Sundowns as well as a 2-2 stalemate against relegation threatened Jomo Cosmos last Wednesday.

As they occupy the 10th spot with 34 points from two matches to go, De Sa will now push his team to fight for the full three points and make it two wins over United this season.

Goalkeeper Anssi Jaakkola says they must fix their errors as a team because that has led to loss of points and matches.

“Maybe our concentration isn’t where it should be because the players seem to be accepting these mistakes game after game,” said Jaakkola. “It’s costing us points and it looks like it is going to cost us the top eight. It is something that we need to fix.

“We still make too many mistakes as a team. We lose the ball too easily and when it comes to counter attacking, in those situations we are still too exposed and very vulnerable.

“These are things that we need to get rid of because it has been costing us games the entire season especially the ones we could have easily won.”

KIKWETE AGOMA KUMKABIDHI CHAMA MAGUFULI.


Hali si shwari ndani ya Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), kutokana na mchakato unaoendelea wa kumkabidhi Rais Dk. John Magufuli uenyekiti wa chama hicho, kukumbwa na sintofahamu.

Taarifa kutoka ndani kikao cha Kamati Kuu ya Halmashauri Kuu ya Taifa (CC), kilichofanyika juzi Ikulu ya Chamwino, mkoani Dodoma, zimethibitisha kutokea mgawanyiko wa vigogo ndani ya chama hicho.

Hali hiyo imekuja baada ya kutokea kwa mvutano juu ya tarehe rasmi ya kufanyika kwa mkutano mkuu maalumu uliopangwa Juni mwaka huu, ambao pamoja na mambo mengine Mwenyekiti wa chama hicho taifa, Rais mstaafu Jakaya Kikwete atakabidhi kijiti kwa Rais Magufuli.

Chanzo cha kuaminika ndani ya kikao hicho kilidokeza  kuwa, kabla kilifanyika kikao kidogo kilichokuwa na wajumbe wanne ambao pamoja na mambo mengine walijadili ajenda muhimu  ikiwamo ya kupanga tarehe kwa ajili ya mkutano huo.

Kwa mujibu wa chanzo hicho, kikao hicho kidogo kilishirikisha viongozi wanne akiwemo Mwenyekiti wa chama hicho Jakaya Kikwete, Rais Dk. John Magufuli, Makamu wa Rais, Samia Suluhu Hassan na Katibu Mkuu wa CCM, Abdulrahman Kinana.

Habari hizo zinaeleza kuwa, katika kikao hicho kidogo viongozi hao walikubaliana wakatangaze tarehe rasmi, na Rais Magufuli alikubali kukabidhiwa uenyekiti wa chama kama ulivyo utaratibu wa CCM  lakini baada ya kikao cha Kamati Kuu kuanza, Kikwete alikataa kuruhusu hoja hiyo ijadiliwe, hatua iliyozua mfarakano.

“Baada ya kumalizika kwa kikao kile viongozi hao wanne waliingia ndani ya kikao cha CC ambacho kilikuwa na ajenda kadhaa ikiwemo ya mkutano mkuu maalumu ambapo mwenyekiti alirusha na kutaka hoja ya tarehe isijadiliwe,” kilisema chanzo hicho.

Kwa mujibu wa chanzo hicho, ilipofika ajenda ya tatu ambayo iliwasilishwa na Katibu Mkuu, Kinana kuhusu kutangazwa kwa tarehe ya mkutano mkuu maalumu,  Kikwete aligoma isijadiliwe na badala yake aliahirisha kikao na kutoka nje.

Chanzo hicho kilisema, uamuzi wa Mwenyekiti Kikwete wa kuahirisha kikao ulijikita katika suala la gharama za mkutano ambazo zinakadiriwa kuwa ni zaidi ya Sh bilioni mbili, hivyo aliwataka wajumbe waahirishe kikao ili kutoa fursa ya kutafuta fedha.

Taarifa hizo zilieleza kuwa, kutokana na hali hiyo yaliibuka makundi mawili, moja linalomuunga mkono Kikwete na jingine linalopingana na hoja hiyo, likidai kuwa fedha si tatizo kwa chama hicho kwa kwani kina miradi, ruzuku na marafiki wengi.

“Wanaompinga mwenyekiti walishangazwa na hoja hiyo wakisema kuwa, suala la fedha ni la watendaji wa chama na si la mwenyekiti, kitendo ambacho wamekitafsiri kwamba mwenyekiti hana dhamira ya dhati ya kukabidhi chama kwa sasa,” kilisema chanzo hicho.

Chanzo hicho kiliendelea kutoa taarifa kuwa, baada ya Kikwete kugoma kujadili tarehe alisimama mjumbe Jenista Mhagama, ambaye alipinga uamuzi huo, huku akisema suala hilo ni lazima lijadiliwe kwa kina na tarehe ya mkutano mkuu itangazwe.

“Kauli ya mwenyekiti inaonekana iliwaudhi baadhi ya wajumbe, lakini Jenista alizungumza vizuri sana na kumhoji mwenyekiti inakuaje hataki kusema lini utafanyika mkutano mkuu maalumu ili akabidhi chama.

“Maana suala la makabidhiano ni la utamaduni wa ndani ya CCM, Jenista alisema aliyekaa muda mrefu alikuwa Baba wa Taifa Mwalimu Julius Nyerere pekee lakini na yeye alikabidhi kwa mzee Mwinyi (Ali Hassan) na pia ilipofika wakati kama huu mzee Mwinyi naye alikabidhi kwa mzee Mkapa.

“Si hilo tu hata mzee Mkapa naye alikabidhi chama kwake (Jakaya Kikwete), sasa inakuwaje yeye leo hataki kufuata utaratibu huo ambao ni wa kawaida ndani ya chama?,” kilihoji chanzo hicho.

Chanzo kingine cha habari kilisema kuwa baada ya mwenyekiti huyo wa CCM taifa kuahirisha kikao hicho juzi, aliondoka na kurejea jijini Dar es Salaam kwa gari tofauti na ratiba iliyokuwa imepangwa.

“Ratiba ya chama ilikuwa baada ya kikao cha jana (juzi) mwenyekiti angelala Dodoma na badala yake alipoahirisha kikao kwa utata alipanda kwenye gari na kuondoa hali ya kuwa alitakiwa kurejea Dar leo (jana).

“Baada ya kikao hicho alitoka mzee Kinana akiwa amekasirika sana, tena huku akiwa amekunja sura, unajua siku zote mzee Kinana anaamini kwamba kile kilichokuwa kinapiganiwa na chama hivi sasa ndicho kinachotekelezwa na Rais Magufuli tena kwa vitendo tofauti na huko nyuma,” kilisema chanzo chetu.

Baraza la Wazee kukutana
Taarifa nyingine zinaarifu   kwamba, kutokana na hali hiyo Baraza la Wazee la CCM linaloundwa na viongozi wastaafu, linatarajiwa kukutana kati ya leo na kesho kwa lengo la kujadili hali hiyo ili kuondoa mtanziko huo uliojitokeza.

“Ninachotaka kukuambia katika kipindi cha siku mbili baraza la ushauri la wazee litakutana na kujadili hali hii na baada ya hapo watakwenda kwa mwenyekiti kumshauri juu ya uamuzi wake na autafakari kwa kina.

“Tunajua tunakwenda vizuri katika hili na hakuna kitakachoharibika na wazee wetu watamshauri vema mwenyekiti ili kupata mwafaka wa kudumu na mkutano mkuu utafanyika mwezi uliopangwa,” chanzo hicho kilisema.

Baraza la Ushauri la Wazee wa CCM, linaongozwa na Rais mstaafu wa awamu ya pili, Ali Hassan Mwinyi (Mwenyekiti), Pius Msekwa (Katibu) na wajumbe ni Rais mstaafu Benjamin Mkapa pamoja na Makamu Mwenyekiti wa CCM mstaafu (Bara), John Malecela.

SIMBA YAVULIWA UBIGWA MAPINDUZI CUP.


Wekundu wa Msimbazi Simba wamevuliwa ubingwa Mapinduzi Cup na Mtibwa Sugar kwenye mchezo wa nusu fainali uliomalizika jioni ya Jumapili January 10, 2016 baada ya kulala kwa bao 1-0 lilikwamishwa wavuni na Ibrahim Jeba dakika ya 45 kipindi cha kwanza.

Simba walibanwa vilivyo na Mtibwa Siugar ambao walitawala eneo la katikati ya uwanja wakiongozwa na viungo wao hatari Ibrahim Jeba pamoja na Ibrahim Mohamed ambao kwa pamoja walizima mipango nay a Simba katika muda wote wa mchezo.

Kipindi cha pili Simba walifanya mabadiliko kwa kuwangiza wachezaji watatu kwa mpigo Said Ndemla, Ibrahim Ajib na Mohamed Hussein Tshabalala ambao mara ningi wamekuwa wakicheza kwenye kikosi cha kwanza lakini kwenye mchezo wa leo walianzia benchi.

Madiliko hayo yalileta tija kwa Simba kwani mchezo ulibadilika na Simba kutengeneza mashambulizi kadhaa lakini sifa za pekee ziende kwa safu ya ulinzi ya Mtibwa ikiongozwa na golikipa wao Said Mohamed ambaye aliokoa michomo ya washambuliaji wa Simba.

Wakati dakika zikiyoyoma, kocha wa Simba Dylan Kerr alifanya tena mabadiliko kwa kuwaingiza Paul Kiongera na Abdi Banda lakini bado Jahazi lake lilishaenda mrama.

Mtibwa wamelipa kisasi kutokana na kupata ushindi kwenye mchezo wa leo baada ya kupoteza mchezo wa fainali mbele ya Simba kwenye mashindano yaliyopita na hivyo Simba wamevuliwa rasmi ubingwa wa Mapinduzi Cup.

Wakali hao wa Morogoro watacheza mchezo wa fainali siku ya Jumatano, January 13 dhidi ya mshindi wa mechi kati ya Yanga dhidi ya URA ya Uganda.

Syria: Deaths as air strikes hit Binnish town in Idlib

Over a dozen reportedly killed in strikes hours after ceasefire extended in nearby Aleppo.

New air strikes on the town of Binnish in Idlib province in Syria's northwest have killed at least 14 people.

Fighting also appeared to continue on Tuesday inside and around the city of Aleppo, 50km from Idlib city, according to the British-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Government forces and rebels in Aleppo had initially agreed on Monday to extend their truce for a second time, according to the army, as the United States and Russia vowed to "redouble" efforts to end the five-year conflict.

Aleppo onslaught: New ceasefire announced

The cessation of hostilities was initially to last for two days but was later extended until Tuesday at 00:01 am (21:01 GMT Monday).

Announcing a further prolongation, the army command said: "The "regime of silence" in Aleppo and its province has been extended by 48 hours from Tuesday 01:00 am [local time] to midnight on Wednesday."

The US and Russia also agreed to try extend a February 27 ceasefire across the whole of the country.

But Tuesday's deadly airborne raids, by either Syrian or Russian warplanes wounded dozens of other Syrians, the Observatory said.

A local rebel commander was among those killed. There were no immediate details about other casualties.

Idlib province, which borders Turkey, is almost completely controlled by rebel groups, including the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front along with Ahrar al-Sham.

Washington and Moscow on Monday hailed some "progress" in reducing the fighting but admitted to ongoing "difficulties" in achieving a de-escalation in some areas as well as in ensuring humanitarian access to besieged areas.

On Sunday, Syrian rebels fired rockets into a regime-held district of Aleppo, killing five civilians including two children, the Observatory reported.

Inside Story - Are Syria warring sides serious on political process?

Israel court convicts Palestinian boy of murder attempt

Ahmed Manasra's family condemns the ruling, saying it was an unjust court decision.

An Israeli rammed his car into Manasra shortly after the alleged attack. [Photo by the Israeli Government Press Office via Getty Images]

Israel's Jerusalem District court has convicted a 14-year-old Palestinian boy on two charges of attempted murder after he allegedly carried out a stabbing attack on two Israelis.

Ahmed Manasra was with his cousin, 15-year-old Hassan Manasra, who was shot dead by Israeli police after the incident on October 12 at the illegal Pisgat Zeev settlement in occupied East Jerusalem.

"There was no kind of justice in the court's handling of the case - this was an unjust decision. We did not expect it," Ahmed's father Saleh Manasra told Al Jazeera.

Shortly after the alleged attack, Manasra was hit by an Israeli driver who rammed him with his car. A video showing Ahmed bleeding on the ground and gasping for help was shared widely, garnering media attention.

Voices of Israeli bystanders shouting and swearing at the boy, telling him to "die", were heard in the video, causing outrage.

"He did not have the intention to kill anyone - he and his cousin were merely trying to scare Israelis with the knife. There is no evidence that he tried to stab anyone," Tariq Barghouti, Ahmed's lawyer, told Al Jazeera.

"This is a racist court and a court of the occupation. It had a preconceived notion about the incident due to the media uproar and [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu's statements about it. The Israeli public opinion influenced the court decision and led to the conviction of the child Ahmed Manasra on no basis and without any explanation," he added. 

After the incident, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas appeared on television accusing Israel of using excessive force against Palestinians, in which he referred to Manasra's case as an execution.

Netanyahu responded by saying Abbas's comments constituted a "new big lie". The Israeli government released videos and photos showing Manasra alive in an Israeli hospital shortly after.

Another video exposing an Israeli security interrogation of Manasra was leaked to local media. In the video (WARNING: some viewers may find this disturbing)which Al Jazeera cannot verify, several Israeli police interrogators are seen yelling at Manasra and accusing him of attempted murder, causing more uproar.

Barghouti expects that Manasra may face up to ten years in prison, but says they are planning to appeal against the court's decision. "How is this an attempted murder when the Israeli soldier, Elor Azarya, who was filmed executing a Palestinian man in Hebron, wasn't murder? A small comparison such as this one is enough to explain that we are dealing with a court without any kind of justice," said Barghouti.

The soldier was charged with manslaughter, spurring thousands of Israelis to rally in support of Azarya at Tel Aviv's Rabin Square on April 19.

Manasra's next court case is set for July 11, but his lawyer says he expects the session to be postponed until the end of July, after which the sentencing is supposed to take place.

In the latest wave of violence since October, the Israeli army has killed at least 206 Palestinians, including protesters, bystanders and alleged attackers, while 33 Israelis have been killed in stabbing and shooting incidents.

Source: Al Jazeera