Latest news with #Diouf
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Crystal Palace and Bayer Leverkusen monitor Lens midfielder Andy Diouf
Crystal Palace are among the clubs interested in Lens midfielder Andy Diouf (22), according to a report this Wednesday from Foot Mercato. The Eagles already made their interest known last winter, but the Ligue 1 side rejected their approach. Diouf initially struggled to replicate the form that earned him a move to Lens from Basel two years ago, but he steadily improved this campaign under the tutelage of Will Still. The Anglo-Belgian head coach featured Diouf in all 34 Ligue 1 games this season for Les Sang et Or. Lens finished the season in eighth place. The outlet understands that Oliver Glasner's Crystal Palace would be keen to test the waters again to sign Diouf. The prospect of playing in Europe with the FA Cup winners could appeal to the France U23 international, considering he is set to for a second consecutive season without midweek football with the Artois side. Should he sign for Crystal Palace, Diouf would reunite with Jean-Philippe Mateta, who was his teammate in Thierry Henry's France squad for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Foot Mercato adds that other Premier League clubs are interested in Diouf, as well as Real Betis and Bayer Leverkusen. GFFN | Bastien Cheval
Qatar Tribune
7 days ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
PSG warm up for Champions League final by winning Coupe de France
PA Media/dpa London Bradley Barcola scored a quick-fire double as Paris St Germain warmed up for the Champions League final by lifting the Coupe de France to complete a domestic double. Barcola struck twice inside three first-half minutes - on both occasions assisted by Desire Doue, a late replacement for the unwell Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ahead of next Saturday's showdown with Inter Milan in Munich - before Achraf Hakimi added the third in a 3-0 victory over Reims at the Stade de France. That proved enough to secure the trophy for the 16th time and keep the Ligue 1 champions on track for an historic treble. Reims, playing in their first Coupe de France final in 48 years, found themselves under the cosh from the off and Ousmane Dembele saw an eighth-minute attempt blocked after he had played in Hakimi and then got on the end of the full-back's return pass. Doue sent a 13th-minute shot over after turning expertly inside the box to find space amongst the massed ranks of red and white shirts, but it was he who carved open the Reims defence three minutes later with a fine through-ball to Barcola, who fired emphatically past keeper Yehvann Diouf to open the scoring. Only three more minutes had elapsed when Marquinhos picked out Doue's run into the box and he squared to Barcola to double the dose. Diouf denied Dembele after he had been played in by Hakimi 13 minutes before the break with Reims packing men behind the ball in an attempt to stifle PSG, but as a result they were able to offer little going the other way. Doue's deflected 37th-minute strike landed on the roof of the net with Diouf back-pedalling anxiously and Dembele shot just wide after Fabian Ruiz had robbed Amadou Kone, but it was Hakimi who made it 3-0 with two minutes of the first half remaining when he met Barcola's cross with a sweet volley. Reims boss Samba Diawara, who had admitted in advance that Thursday night's Ligue 1 promotion-relegation play-off second-leg clash with Metz was the greater priority, made a triple change at the break, but Ruiz might have increased PSG's lead within two minutes of the restart, only to scuff his effort towards Diouf. With Luis Enrique's men in cruise control, some of the sting had gone out of their game, although Diouf had to claw Barcola's 59th-minute shot out of the bottom corner and the keeper was relieved to see Dembele's shot rear up off him and hit a post five minutes later. Reims rallied as time ran down, but without ever looking likely to reduce the deficit in a game which had effectively been over by half-time.
USA Today
04-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Andy Diouf vs. Olympique Lyon – Player props & odds to score a goal on May 4
Andy Diouf vs. Olympique Lyon – Player props & odds to score a goal on May 4 [gambcom-standard rankid="4130" ] Will Andy Diouf score a goal when RC Lens goes up against Olympique Lyon on Sunday, May 4 at 11:15 AM ET? For current stats and anytime goalscorer odds, continue scrolling. RC Lens took on AJ Auxerre at home in its last match and fell short by a final score of 4-0. It was outshot by one in the match, 12 to 11. Want to watch Andy Diouf take on Olympique Lyon? RC Lens vs. Olympique Lyon is streaming live on Fubo! Andy Diouf's Odds to Score a Goal vs. Olympique Lyon Odds to score a goal next game: +1100 Soccer player prop odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Saturday at 6:41 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. [gambcom-standard rankid="4142" ] Andy Diouf's 2024-25 Stats Comparing Diouf's expected goals total (1.1) to his actual total (one), you see those numbers are quite similar. So far in the 2024-25 season, he has taken 24 shots (0.8 per match), with five being on target. RC Lens vs. Olympique Lyon Scoring Insights In Ligue 1, RC Lens has put up 35 goals in 31 games (12th in league), and Olympique Lyon has allowed 42 in 31 games (eighth). In Ligue 1, Olympique Lyon has put up 62 goals in 31 matches (third in league), and RC Lens has conceded 37 in 31 matches (third). RC Lens' goal difference (-2) ranks 11th in Ligue 1. Olympique Lyon's goal difference (+20) ranks fifth in Ligue 1. RC Lens vs. Olympique Lyon Match Info Matchup: RC Lens at Olympique Lyon RC Lens at Olympique Lyon Time: 11:15 AM ET 11:15 AM ET Date: May 4, 2025 May 4, 2025 Venue: Groupama Stadium Groupama Stadium Live stream: Watch this game on Fubo Watch RC Lens vs. Olympique Lyon on Fubo More Player Props: [gambcom-standard rankid="4338" ]
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ready for takeoff: How Western Michigan University trains the next generation of pilots
Editor's note: This story is part of a series tracking the experiences of four graduating seniors at four different Michigan universities. It is a partnership between the Detroit Free Press, Michigan State University student reporters and the American Communities Project. Mohamed Diouf was only 5 years old when he realized he wanted to become a pilot. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Diouf spent the first 11 years of his life growing up close to the airport in Dakar, Senegal. He would often look up to the sky and wonder what it would feel like to fly in one of those planes. It was exactly this curiosity that convinced him to pursue aviation. He knew he made the right decision when he took his first flying lesson years later. 'I was nervous but also really excited,' he said. 'Because I am actually doing this and I am fulfilling my childhood dream.' Diouf is a student at Western Michigan University, a midsize public university with an enrollment of 16,617 students. Its main campus in Kalamazoo is located right between Detroit and Chicago and only a short drive away from Lake Michigan. Home of the Broncos, the university is a destination for students from all over the world. Recent enrollment data shows students from 76 Michigan counties, 49 U.S. states, and 94 international countries. Following years of decline, the university has been able to increase student enrollment for two consecutive terms now. Part of this growth is from international students, who make up 12.6% of the total student population. 'I think we are an attractive destination for international students because they are confident that they will get that support that is needed,' Interim Provost Christopher Cheatham said. Efforts have also included increasing international agreements with other universities. The institution has made significant investments in recent years. In August 2023, the new student center became the heart of the main campus and was part of a series of renovation projects that gave the university its modern feel. It also allocates the funds received through a $550 million donation, which was the largest single gift ever given to any public university in the nation. Known as the Empowering Futures Gift, it aims to provide an inclusive education and help students succeed. This has in part funded the creation and expansion of experienced-driven learning projects. The university prides itself on this concept. Experience-driven learning was implemented to equip students for their future careers through practical coursework. The goal is to prepare them for their chosen industry while also teaching broader skills, such as problem-solving, critical thinking and global awareness. 'I think that one reason students really come to Western is that idea that we're going to focus on really giving you those experiences beyond the classroom but also integrated into the classroom,' Cheatham said. Being an aviation flight science student, Diouf certainly received such practical education throughout his past four years at the university. But a typical weekday in his major is perhaps a little different than that of other undergraduate students. The night before a training session, Diouf sets his alarm to about two hours before his scheduled flight. He wakes up, takes a shower, eats breakfast, checks the weather conditions and begins to prepare for his upcoming lesson. An hour before takeoff, he drives from Kalamazoo to Battle Creek, mentally preparing for another day in the air. Is he nervous knowing that he is about to fly a plane solo? Not really. 'After you do this for a while, it just becomes kind of like second nature,' he said. At the College of Aviation, he checks in to grab a key to the plane, completes his preflight procedure, gets on the runway, and takes off. Today's destination, Pellston, is about two hours away by air. There, he lands, takes a quick lunch break at a nearby restaurant and is up in the air again. Back to Battle Creek. A few more hours of flight training logged. Western Michigan University is known for its College of Aviation. It is ranked among the best in the nation and is the only comprehensive program at a public university in the state, offering majors in management, maintenance and flight science. Despite a national trend that has seen a decline in male college enrollment, the aviation college has 77.1% male students, which is significantly higher compared with 44.9% at the university level. 'Part of the difficulty you've had in aviation is, historically, it was a white, male-dominated, and the industry still is,' Dean of the College of Aviation Raymond Thompson said. 'The only way you change that is to provide graduates with a greater set of gender and ethnic backgrounds. It just takes time,' said Thompson. His goal for the college is to eventually mirror the makeup of the state of Michigan, which currently features an almost equal number of men and women. The aviation flight science program is competitive. Part of what makes it a top choice for students is the modern fleet of airplanes. The college recently invested in 32 new Cirrus SR20 Generation 7 training aircraft through a $20 million loan. 'It's not the least expensive airplane to learn to fly in, there are lesser cost options. But the airplane requires a greater skill set that is similar to what you would need entering the industry as a commercial airline pilot,' Thompson said. After four years in the program, Diouf feels properly equipped for a successful career start. He already walked at graduation at the end of last semester, but needs to round up a few more hours of flight training before officially completing his degree. His final examination will be a commercial check ride that consists of a ground discussion and flight portion and covers everything he has learned during his time in the program. Nervous? A little bit. 'But I'm feeling good about it,' he said. After passing and receiving his commercial pilot license, Diouf wants to gain even more experience as a flight instructor. But in terms of a 10-year plan, he dreams of working for a top airline like Delta or United Airlines as an international airline pilot. Ever since watching the planes fly over Dakar, Diouf knew he would not want to stay in one place for a long time. Flying across continents will let him explore the world and enjoy his destinations during layovers. Essentially, 'you get paid to travel,' he you have feedback on this article or project? Contact Detroit Free Press State Government & Politics Editor Emily Lawler: elawler@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Western Michigan University trains next generation of pilots
Voice of America
23-02-2025
- General
- Voice of America
Mystical beliefs fuel Senegal's illegal big cat trade
The morning sun slants through the canopy of Senegal's Niokolo-Koba National Park as Sgt. Abdou Diouf and his brigade of rangers march in single file, guns at the ready. They scan the brush for signs of poachers, but today, it seems, the only hunters are the lions themselves, their fresh tracks pressed into the sand. As the sun climbs, a guttural call reverberates across the forest. The rangers pause. "Lions," Diouf says. Spanning more than 9,000 square kilometers – double the size of Rhode Island – Niokolo-Koba is the last sanctuary in Senegal for lions, which are critically endangered in West Africa. But even here, they find little respite. Driven by deeply rooted beliefs in the mystical powers of animal skin talismans known as "gris-gris," the illegal trade of lion and leopard parts is growing, according to a new report by wild cat conservation group Panthera. Panthera's investigation found lion and leopard parts sold in 80% of markets surveyed, with 63% of artisans reporting increased sales in recent years. For Niokolo-Koba's lions, the impact has been devastating. Despite enhanced protections that doubled the population to around 35 since 2017, helping delist the park as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in danger, an unsustainable average of two cats are still lost to poachers each year. The only other place lions are found in West Africa is in the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex, a border region of Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger, and Panthera estimates there are fewer than 250 adults left in the region. The allure of the gris-gris The gris-gris, prescribed by influential religious leaders called marabouts, are crafted from bits of skin with written prayers or Quranic verses sewn inside. They are widely used across Senegal; police don them for protection, wrestlers for strength, politicians for clout. Average citizens wear them to ward off curses that other people may have put on them for a variety of reasons — matters of romance, perhaps, or jealousy at economic success. Gris-gris are rooted in traditional African faiths that believe vital powers in animals and nature may be unlocked — to harm, to heal, or to protect, said Dr. Cheikh Babou, a history professor and expert in West African Islam at the University of Pennsylvania. With Islam's arrival in West Africa in the eighth century, gris-gris became hybrid objects, melding Quranic verses with the perceived powers of animal parts. "People started to drink the Quran, to wear the Quran – in the same way that they did with animals," Babou said. Reverence for the lion makes it a special gris-gris At a market stall in Tambacounda, Ibrahim, a customer who asked that his last name be withheld because the trade of lion parts is illegal, wears several amulets around his waist. Made from hyena, honey badger, goat, fox, jackal, monkey, and lion, each serves a specific purpose. He began wearing them years ago after falling ill; someone had cast a spell on him, he said, so he went to a marabout who prescribed the gris-gris. "Here in Africa people are very mean," he said. "If they see you succeed a little, they will go to the marabout. They don't want to see you in good health." Traditional African societies are very egalitarian, Babou said – those with wealth are expected to share it. "Those who don't share break the ethic of communalism. And when you do that, you become a witch." A gris-gris can offer protection from those looking to retaliate. Among these protective talismans, lion parts hold particular allure. As the national emblem, the image of the lion adorns everything from the country's coat of arms to billboard advertisements, and it serves as namesake for the beloved national soccer team, the Lions of Teranga. "You cannot prevent a Senegalese person from believing that a lion skin has some kind of power," said Daouda Ngom, Senegal's minister of Environment and Ecological Transition. Smuggling networks are tough to dislodge This demand has given rise to a complex smuggling network that spans the continent. Likely sourced from East and Southern Africa, the skins travel by public bus and truck along clandestine routes through the Sahel region, evading checkpoints and border security on their journey into Senegal, according to Panthera's report. "These are well-established networks," said Paul Diedhiou, the director of Niokolo-Koba National Park. "Dismantling them requires time, strategy and a lot of professionalism." Between 2019 and 2024, authorities in Senegal confiscated some 40 lion and leopard skins, according to the Eco Activists for Governance and Law Enforcement (EAGLE) Network, a wildlife law enforcement organization operating across Africa. During that same period, 40 people were arrested for trafficking skins and other parts such as teeth, claws, and skulls. "These seizures represent only a fraction of the actual trade," said Cécile Bloch, coordinator of EAGLE Senegal. "Today, traffickers cut lion skins into thousands of pieces to cross borders more easily and avoid detection in local markets." Since partnering with Niokolo-Koba in 2016, Panthera has helped strengthen security measures. The conservation group tripled the park's anti-poaching force from 20 to 60 agents, equipping them with vehicles and gear, while investing more than $7 million in infrastructure – including a ranger base with an airstrip, hundreds of camera traps, and new roads and bridges. Lions' fate may depend on convincing marabouts to change Yet the crisis' roots run deeper than poaching. At its heart are the marabouts whose gris-gris prescriptions drive the trade. Those involved often see no contradiction between their prescription or purchase of lion parts and their desire to protect the species, the Panthera report found. As one marabout, Cheikh Camara, put it in an interview with The Associated Press: "I prescribe the gris-gris to help people get better. It's the poaching that's making the lions go extinct." At the park's headquarters, the scale of the challenge is clear. A storeroom overflows with confiscated skins — leopards, lions, antelopes, even a crocodile. A rusting phalanx of seized firearms hangs on the wall. "Sometimes the poachers fire at you," said Diouf, the sergeant. "It's very risky." Such dangers are compounded by Senegal's toothless hunting and wildlife laws, which date to 1986. Recent arrests include a Burkinabe man found with leopard and lion parts who was sentenced to just one month in prison, while a Malian trafficker received the same penalty for smuggling leopard skins. One vendor told AP he can get a little over $3 for a small bit of lion skin that makes a single gris-gris. A belt can go for the equivalent of nearly $80, he said. The Panthera report said an entire lion skin can fetch the equivalent of $1,900 or more. "The sentences are too short," said Ndeye Seck, the head of litigation and armament for the parks department. "We would like to see the hunting and protection of wildlife codes updated." Ngom, the environment minister who assumed his role early last year, said pushing through tougher laws will be a priority for his team. But the battle to protect Senegal's lions is as much about culture as enforcement, and lasting change will require rethinking the role of gris-gris in modern Senegalese society, Babou said. "Culture is very powerful," he said. "Until you can convince people that there are more effective tools to achieve your goals, then they will continue to believe in it."
