England-born Stephen Constantine extended his fairy-tale start as Rwanda coach by plotting the downfall of Republic of the Congo in a 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) eliminator this weekend.
The Rwandan ‘Wasps’ shocked the Congolese ‘Red Devils’ 2-0 in Kigali and won a penalty shootout 4-3 to reach the group phase of the qualifying competition.
Michel Ndahinduka put the home team ahead on 56 minutes at Stade Nyamirambo and Albania-based Meddie Kagere doubled the lead soon after.
Former Cup of Nations title-holders Congo came closest to snatching an away goal midway through the second half when Cesaire Gandze was foiled by the woodwork.
Constantine, a 51-year-old former coach of Malawi, Sudan, India and Nepal, moved to Rwanda two months ago after guiding a club into the Cypriot premier division.
His first match in charge delivered a stunning 3-0 Cup of Nations home victory over recently crowned African Nations Championship (CHAN) winners Libya.
The ‘Wasps’ lost 2-0 away to Congo two weeks ago, but Constantine did not lose faith in his minnows, saying an early goal would bring them back into contention.
There was no early goal in a lacklustre opening half, but two goals within eight minutes turned the tide and Patrick Sibomana converted the tie-clinching spot-kick.
The reward for Rwanda is a place in Group A with defending champions Nigeria and former champions South Africa and Sudan.
All group winners and runners-up and the best of the seven third-place countries go to Morocco for the January 17-February 8 biennial African football showpiece.
Malawi also took the shootout route to success, defeating Benin 1-0 at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre through a John Banda goal and 4-3 on penalties.
Young midfielder Banda struck on 14 minutes with an acrobatic volley that gave goalkeeper Emmanuel Fabiyi no chance.
The Malawian ‘Flames’ were unlucky not to score again as captain Joseph Kamwendo struck the woodwork and Gastin Simkonda had a goal ruled offside.
West Bromwich Albion midfielder Stephane Sessegnon, leading scorer in the qualifiers with four goals, missed the first kick of the shootout for the Benin ‘Squirrels’.
Malawi go into Group B where they will face Algeria, the most impressive African team at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Mali and Ethiopia.
Jerome Ramatlhakwane equalised in the final minute to give Botswana a 1-1 away draw against Guinea Bissau at Estadio 24 de Setembro.
Trailing 2-0 from the first leg, Guinea Bissau took the lead midway through the opening half when Portugal-based midfielder Ivanildo Cassama scored.
A 3-1 aggregate victory secured Botswana a place in Group G – the group of death – with record seven-time African champions Egypt, Tunisia and Senegal.
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Company%20Profile
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Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
Spain drain
CONVICTED
Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.
Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.
Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.
SUSPECTED
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.
Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.
Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.
Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.
Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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The view from The National
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
LOS ANGELES GALAXY 2 MANCHESTER UNITED 5
Galaxy: Dos Santos (79', 88')
United: Rashford (2', 20'), Fellaini (26'), Mkhitaryan (67'), Martial (72')
What is double taxation?
- Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
- Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
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