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Cameroon beat Burkina Faso in Africa Cup of Nations opener

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Host Cameroon came from behind with two penalties in the space of eight minutes at the end of the first half to beat Burkina Faso 2-1 in the opening game of the African Cup of Nations.

Captain Vincent Aboubakar has scored a brace of penalties as hosts Cameroon came from behind to beat Covid-ravaged Burkina Faso 2-1 in the opening game of the Africa Cup of Nations in Yaounde.

Gustavo Sangare had given Burkina Faso the lead in the Group A match at the Olembe Stadium on Sunday, but Aboubakar equalised from the spot five minutes before the interval after a VAR review.

The 29-year-old, who netted the winner in the 2017 Cup of Nations final against Egypt, then scored what proved to be the decider in first-half stoppage time and he was only denied a hat-trick by an offside flag after the break.

It is the perfect start for the Indomitable Lions as they seek to win their sixth continental title on home soil, with Cameroon finally getting to host a tournament that was taken away from them and given to Egypt in 2019 before being postponed a year ago due to the pandemic.

Covid-19 restrictions limited the crowd at the Olembe Stadium to 80 percent of its 60,000-capacity, but that did not spoil the party for the hosts and celebratory fireworks lit up the sky at full-time.

Impact of Covid-19

The match and opening ceremony were attended by Cameroon’s 88-year-old President Paul Biya, who has ruled the Central African country for 40 years, as well as FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Confederation of African Football supremo Patrice Motsepe.

However, Aboubakar, the former Porto striker who these days plays his club football in Saudi Arabia, was the star of the show as Cameroon immediately seized the initiative in Group A, in which they will also play Ethiopia and Cape Verde.

Burkina Faso were dealt a blow on the eve of the tournament when it emerged that coach Kamou Malo and several players had tested positive for the coronavirus, leaving assistant coach Firmin Sanou to take charge of the team.

Yet they went ahead in the 24th minute when Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana came for and missed a Bertrand Traore cross from the right and France-based midfielder Sangare was there to turn the ball in at the far post.

Nevertheless Cameroon, coached by the Portuguese Toni Conceicao, turned the game on its head by half-time with the help of VAR.

The Algerian referee gave the Indomitable Lions a penalty for a foul by Traore on Napoli’s Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Aboubakar stroked home to equalise in the 40th minute.

He then netted from 12 yards again in first-half stoppage time after a reckless challenge by Issoufou Dayo.

Burkina Faso threatened a second-half comeback as Traore tested Onana with a free-kick from range and Adama Guira then had an attempt saved by the goalkeeper, but the home side held on.

READ MORE: Covid disrupts Africa Cup of Nations preparations

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President Solih operated on orders from a foreign diplomat: President Muizzu

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President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu alleges that his predecessor, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, operated on orders from a foreign diplomat.

In an interview with Public Service Media (PSM) which aired on Thursday night, President Muizzu was asked for a response to criticism from the opposition regarding a recent procurement of military drones.

President Muizzu noted that the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), when it held office from 2018-2023, also held a supermajority in the Parliament.

However, the party failed to protect Maldives’ independence, leaving it in the hands of a foreign country, he said.

He said that President Solih had operated on orders from a foreign ambassador, which resulted in extensive damage.

However, he did not specify which foreign country he was referring to.

“We had lost independence in all sense of the word, including economically. After having done all this, they would naturally not accept our efforts to remedy all this and put the country on a track that the Maldivian people want, towards a ‘Dhiveheenge Raajje’,” he said.

Regarding the cost of the drones, President Muizzu said that while he believes in transparency, such military secrets aren’t disclosed by any country.

“In such matters that is crucial to national security, I am heavily reliant on counsel from our chief of defense force and our generals. Therefore, I will follow their counsel, and I will listen to them,” he said.

President Muizzu said that no value can be attached to the independence of Maldives, and that it is in fact “priceless.”

While the People’s National Congress (PNC) administration accuses the former administration of getting overly dependent on India, the MDP accuses the incumbent administration of ruining age-old ties with India and fostering closer ties with China.

President Muizzu had campaigned on the promise of expelling Indian soldiers stationed in Maldives, which he said was a threat to the country’s national security. The soldiers are now being replaced by Indian civilians.

Source(s): sun.mv

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China’s Shandong province donates 10 civil vehicles to Maldives

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The eastern Chinese province of Shandong has donated 10 civil vehicles to the Maldives.

The donation was handed over by Chinese Ambassador Wang Lixin to the Maldives’ Local Government Minister Adam Shareef Umar on Thursday evening.

Wang wrote on X that she is very pleased to handover the donation.

“I believe those vehicles will help a lot in collecting waste and other public works in different cities, and make Maldives a more beautiful place,” she said.

Meanwhile, Adam Shareef expressed profound gratitude for the generous donation.

“This meaningful gesture symbolizes the supportive friendship between our two nations,” he wrote on X.

Source(s): sun.mv

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Government aims to expand Aasandha service to UAE and Thailand this year

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President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu says his administration aims to expand the services of the public health insurance scheme – Aasandha – to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Thailand within this year.

In an interview to Public Service Media (PSM) which aired on Thursday night, President Muizzu said that administrative arrangements to expand the services to the two countries are going ahead at a fast pace.

“We therefore have high expectations it can begin this year,” he said.

He did not provide any details.

In a press briefing on January 13, following a state visit to China, President Muizzu said his administration plans to expand Aasandha services to countries that offer better quality medical care services, including the UAE and Thailand.

“In the future, Aasandha will not be restricted to medical facilities in specific countries in a specific region, but will be expanded to countries that offer better services such as UAE and Thailand,” he said, while speaking to reporters from the Velana International Airport.

He also announced plans to provide Aasandha coverage for accommodation as well.

Aasandha services are currently available overseas in select medical facilities in neighboring Sri Lanka and India.

The decision to expand Aasandha comes amid concern over the growing burden on the state budget for the provision of the service. The cost of Aasandha has been growing yearly. On Wednesday, Social and Family Development Minister Dr. Aishath Shiham said the expenditure on Aasandha had increased by 60 percent over the last five years.

She said the administration is studying different models in an effort to switch to one that minimizes wastage.

MVR 1.9 billion is allocation in this year’s budget for Aasandha services.

Source(s): sun.mv

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