Latest news with #Ivorian-born
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Lateness costs Bissouma place in Spurs' Super Cup squad, Solanke fit
UDINE, Italy: Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma has been dropped from the squad for Wednesday's Super Cup clash against Paris St Germain due to his tardiness, manager Thomas Frank said. Frank also confirmed that striker Dominic Solanke will be available for the start of the new season despite featuring in only one of Spurs' pre-season friendlies due to an ankle injury. Speaking on Tuesday before the European season curtain-raiser between the Champions League winners and second-tier Europa League champions, Frank said: "Bissouma has been late several times and now this time, it was one too many. "With everything, you need to give your players a lot of love but also have demands and have consequences. And this was the consequence of that." New arrival Joao Palhinha, on loan from Bayern Munich, could play in place of Ivorian-born Mali international Bissouma, though Tottenham will be without playmaker James Maddison, who faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an ACL injury. New manager Frank's tenure could start with a gleam of silverware if Spurs manage to defeat European champions PSG, who were beaten by Chelsea in last month's Club World Cup final. The Dane added that a lighter pre-season since Tottenham's Europa League triumph on May 21 could give his comparatively better-rested side an edge over the French team. "We have had a more normal pre-season which is what every coach would prefer. In that way, it can be an advantage. But on the flip side, they have had a long season and played a lot of games recently," Frank said. "It's the right time to face PSG. We are ready. I am 100pct convinced that it will be very super competitive tomorrow. "But of course, over the whole season they are in a better place to perform better. But in a single game, we will be ready." Though Spurs are without former captain Son Heung-min after his move to MLS side LAFC, Frank said their Argentine World Cup-winning defender Cristian Romero would be a key figure. "Romero is going to be a very important and experienced player for the team. He is going to be a very, very big player for us tomorrow," he said.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Super Cup: Bissouma dropped from Spurs' squad, Solanke fit for PSG clash
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma has been dropped from the squad for Wednesday's Super Cup clash against Paris St. Germain due to his tardiness, manager Thomas Frank said. Frank also confirmed that striker Dominic Solanke will be available for the start of the new season despite featuring in only one of Spurs' pre-season friendlies due to an ankle injury. Speaking on Tuesday before the European season curtain-raiser between the Champions League winners and second-tier Europa League champion, Frank said: 'Bissouma has been late several times and now this time, it was one too many. 'With everything, you need to give your players a lot of love but also have demands and have consequences. And this was the consequence of that.' New arrival Joao Palhinha, on loan from Bayern Munich, could play in place of Ivorian-born Mali international Bissouma, though Tottenham will be without playmaker James Maddison, who faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an ACL injury. ALSO READ | Last Liverpool goal had special meaning for Diogo Jota New manager Frank's tenure could start with a gleam of silverware if Spurs manage to defeat European champion PSG, which was beaten by Chelsea in last month's FIFA Club World Cup final. The Dane added that a lighter pre-season since Tottenham's Europa League triumph on May 21 could give his comparatively better-rested side an edge over the French team. 'We have had a more normal pre-season which is what every coach would prefer. In that way, it can be an advantage. But on the flip side, they have had a long season and played a lot of games recently,' Frank said. 'It's the right time to face PSG. We are ready. I am 100% convinced that it will be very super competitive tomorrow. 'But of course, over the whole season they are in a better place to perform better. But in a single game, we will be ready.' Though Spurs are without former captain Son Heung-min after his move to MLS side LAFC, Frank said their Argentine World Cup-winning defender Cristian Romero would be a key figure. 'Romero is going to be a very important and experienced player for the team. He is going to be a very, very big player for us tomorrow,' he said. 'He is someone who has been in big finals and won them. He definitely knows how to win them.'
The South African
03-05-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Kaizer Chiefs target record-breaking star in explosive transfer move
Kaizer Chiefs target a record-breaking star in an explosive transfer move for next season. Amakhosi are not waiting for the dust to settle on the current campaign. The club has already launched an aggressive push to rebuild their squad, starting with a major focus on bolstering their attacking force. According to a source, Chiefs are going all-in on signing both strikers and creative midfielders, with a particular spotlight on Yanga SC's star midfielder, Stephane Aziz Ki. The Ivorian-born playmaker, widely regarded as one of the best talents in East African football, is back on Chiefs' radar after a previously failed attempt to bring him to Naturena. 'The team is having problems to sign another Tanzanian based midfielder in Feisal Salum and that's why they are believed to be reigniting their pursuit for Aziz Ki. You know both coach (Nasreddine) Nabi and (Cedric) Kaze know Aziz Ki very well and they apparently believe that he could help them next season. So, yes, Aziz Ki is back on Chiefs' radar for next season,' the source said. Chiefs aren't just focused on Aziz Ki. The technical team, led by head coach Nasreddine Nabi and assistant Cedric Kaze, is casting a wide net to find offensive reinforcements. The club has identified several attacking options, signaling a serious intent to solve their scoring woes. 'Aziz Ki is not the only attacking player they are looking at. There is Tshepang Moremi from AmaZulu as well and another one (Athini Jodwana) from Durban City. They are doing all this because they believe that although they play well they are not very strong in attack. They feel if they can improve their attack they will score more and win a lot of games going forward. That's the plan right now,' the source stated. Stephane Aziz Ki isn't just a top talent—he's also Tanzania's highest-paid footballer, raking in R4.4 million annually (or R367,880 per month). The 28-year-old signed a lucrative two-year deal with Yanga SC in July, reportedly including a R7.3 million signing bonus. That price tag won't make the move easy. But Chiefs' technical leadership believes the investment could pay off, especially given Aziz Ki's proven playmaking abilities and established rapport with Nabi and Kaze. Kaizer Chiefs are clearly planning a strategic squad rebuild with an eye on dominance. By targeting proven talents like Aziz Ki and young stars such as Moremi and Jodwana, the club is positioning itself to correct its goal-scoring deficiencies and return to winning ways. Will Chiefs pull off the blockbuster signing of Stephane Aziz Ki? One thing is certain: Amakhosi are ready to spend big and aim higher next season. Stay tuned with The South African as Kaizer Chiefs target a record-breaking star in an explosive transfer move. Do Chiefs have the financial muscle to pull off such a costly Aziz Ki move? Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Vitriol, aggression won't halt presidential bid, Ivory Coast's Thiam says
By John Irish PARIS (Reuters) -Ivory Coast opposition leader Tidjane Thiam said on Wednesday he would fight on to run in the West African nation's presidential election due in October despite having been removed from the electoral roll. A court in Ivory Coast ruled on Tuesday that Thiam, 62, a former Credit Suisse chief executive, should be removed from the electoral roll because he was a French national when he registered. The decision, which cannot be appealed, could end the Ivorian-born Thiam's ambition to run in the world's top cocoa-producing nation's presidential election. Speaking in an interview with Reuters in Paris, Thiam said his party PDCI would not put up an alternative candidate and they would use their political weight nationally and internationally so that "reason prevailed". "I'm a business person. I'm not a warrior, I'm not a rebel. I don't carry a Kalashnikov. I've been speaking in a very moderate tone, asking for reconciliation and peace, and this has only been met with aggression," he said. "It's only met with aggression, vitriol, toxicity. But, you know, I intend to stick to the course and try to take the country in a different direction." Elected leader of the PDCI in 2023, Thiam was a leading contender for the election, though 83-year-old incumbent Alassane Ouattara has yet to say whether he will run again. Thiam renounced his French citizenship in February in order to meet eligibility conditions for the election. Ivory Coast law states that candidates must be Ivorian citizens and cannot hold another nationality. Last month a decision published in France's official journal showed that Thiam had been relieved of his French citizenship. "The Ivorian authorities have never objected to this, and now we are given a 1961 law that is 64 years old and that has never been used for anybody. So suddenly it's pulled out of a drawer and applied to me," he said.
Straits Times
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Vitriol, aggression won't halt presidential bid, Ivory Coast's Thiam says
Tidjane Thiam, president of the PDCI (Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire), Ivory Coast's main opposition leader and former Credit Suisse Chief Executive, poses after an interview with Reuters in Paris, France, April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq PARIS - Ivory Coast opposition leader Tidjane Thiam said on Wednesday he would fight on to run in the West African nation's presidential election due in October despite having been removed from the electoral roll. A court in Ivory Coast ruled on Tuesday that Thiam, 62, a former Credit Suisse chief executive, should be removed from the electoral roll because he was a French national when he registered. The decision, which cannot be appealed, could end the Ivorian-born Thiam's ambition to run in the world's top cocoa-producing nation's presidential election. Speaking in an interview with Reuters in Paris, Thiam said his party PDCI would not put up an alternative candidate and they would use their political weight nationally and internationally so that "reason prevailed". "I'm a business person. I'm not a warrior, I'm not a rebel. I don't carry a Kalashnikov. I've been speaking in a very moderate tone, asking for reconciliation and peace, and this has only been met with aggression," he said. "It's only met with aggression, vitriol, toxicity. But, you know, I intend to stick to the course and try to take the country in a different direction." Elected leader of the PDCI in 2023, Thiam was a leading contender for the election, though 83-year-old incumbent Alassane Ouattara has yet to say whether he will run again. Thiam renounced his French citizenship in February in order to meet eligibility conditions for the election. Ivory Coast law states that candidates must be Ivorian citizens and cannot hold another nationality. Last month a decision published in France's official journal showed that Thiam had been relieved of his French citizenship. "The Ivorian authorities have never objected to this, and now we are given a 1961 law that is 64 years old and that has never been used for anybody. So suddenly it's pulled out of a drawer and applied to me," he said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
