Christian Pulisic has been a bright spark in the US’s campaign but will have to wait at least another four years to make his World Cup debut
The United States failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986 after losing to Trinidad & Tobago and a controversial goal for Panama.
The US started the night in the third qualifying place but ended up fifth after losing 2-1.
Panama jumped up to third after an 88th-minute winner against Costa Rica to reach their first World Cup finals.
However, it was their opening goal that caused debate with Gabriel Torres’ header not appearing to cross the line.
The 52nd-minute equaliser came from a corner with Torres’ effort hitting the post and as Blas Perez tried to force the ball over the line, Ticos defender Ronald Matarrita looked to have cleared it.
However, despite complaints from the visitors, referee Walter Lopez of Guatemala gave the goal.
Honduras beat already-qualified group winners Mexico to also leapfrog the US and secure fourth spot in the table and a two-leg play-off against Australia.
The US beat Panama 4-0 just last Friday but, despite playing a Trinidad & Tobago side with just three points from nine games before kick-off, never looked close to securing a place in Russia.
“We had everything there for us,” coach Bruce Arena said.
“We failed on the day. No excuses. We failed today. We should have walked off this field with at least a point. We should not be staying at home for this World Cup and I take responsibility.”
Omar Gonzalez stretched to cut out a cross and only succeeded in steering the ball past veteran goalkeeper Tim Howard, before Alvin Jones rocketed in a superb 35-yard strike to double the hosts’ lead.
Borussia Dortmund teenager – and star of the win in Panama – Christian Pulisic gave the US hope soon after the restart with a fine long-range goal of his own, but with Honduras beating Mexico it looked like a play-off place for the States.
And then, with time running out in Panama City, Torres – who plays his club football in Seattle – latched on to a long ball forwards and smashed in off the crossbar to send Panama through and leave the US in the wilderness.
Centre-back Roman Torres was the hero for Panama with an 88th-minute winner
Note: This story is auto-generated from BBC syndicated feed and has not been edited by AFRICA PRIME NEWS
Kaduna (Nigeria) — As the world celebrates International Day of the Girl Child, a non-governmental organisation, Community Health and Research Initiative (CHR) has called on Nigeria to ensure all girls have access to important vaccines.
A statement by Chairman, Board of Trustees of CHR, Aminu Magashi Garba, stresses the importance of immunization, saying, vaccines such as the Tetanus, Rubella and the Human Papiloma Virus (HPV) Vaccine, offers protection against 70% of incidences of Cervical Cancer, which claims the lives of an estimated 266,000 women and girls yearly.
“We call on the Nigerian government to prioritize increase in the national and states budget to finance immunization and ensure timely and efficient releases of immunization funds,” the statement says.
The 2016 Multi Indicator Coverage Survey/National Immunization Coverage Survey (MICS/NICS) conducted in Nigeria shows that only 23% of children (aged 12 – 23 months) are fully vaccinated, with another 37% partially vaccinated. it reveals a worst situation in northern states, where some states were reporting below 20% immunization coverage.
CHR says, “we recognize the efforts that have gone into reaching the current levels by the Nigerian government, however, much more needs to be done if we are to reach the 2020 goals that our government has set in the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) of reaching 90% immunization coverage nationally and 80% in every state by 2020.”
In 2016, Africa made significant achievements of near elimination of Meningococcal Meningitis A epidemic, as well as significant reduction in disease burden and child mortality due to Measles.
In January 2017, African Heads of States endorsed the Addis Declaration on Immunization, where they commit to reinforce Global Vaccine Action Plan, at the highest level of political engagement – acknowledging they are largely off track.
CHR is joining other organizations in over ten countries in Africa in launching ’33 Days to Power Up Immunization’ Campaign, as well as demand accountability from their various governments.
Image copyrightEPAImage caption More than 1,500 homes have been destroyed
More than 150 people are missing in wildfires that have ravaged northern California’s wine region, police say.
At least 15 people are confirmed dead and more than 1,500 homes have been destroyed by the fires which broke out on Sunday.
Nine of the deaths have been in Sonoma County.
One of the worst affected towns there is Santa Rosa, north of San Francisco, where entire districts have been razed to the ground.
The Sonoma County sheriff’s office said 155 people were still unaccounted for, although that could be due to the chaotic pace of the evacuations.
In neighbouring Napa County, victims included 100-year-old Charles Rippey and his 98-year-old wife, Sarah, police said.
The fires are among the deadliest in California’s history and have sent smoke as far south as San Francisco, about 60 miles (100km) away.
California fire chief Ken Pimlott told the BBC on Tuesday that more than 17 fires had burned about 115,000 acres (26,000ha) in the past 24 hours.
He said his officers were trying to track down those unaccounted for but he feared the death toll could rise.
“We’re very hopeful that they’re just staying with family or friends or left town to get away and we just haven’t been able to make that contact,” he said.
“But these fires move so quickly – there are just hundreds and thousands of acres out there that we haven’t had a chance to pour through and adjudicate.”
There was some good news when winds that had been fanning the flames eased, helping firefighters to bring some of the blazes under control.
In Santa Rosa, a Hilton hotel and a mobile home park were destroyed. Tens of thousands of Sonoma County residents have fled, authorities said.
At least four wineries had suffered “total or very significant losses”, Napa Valley Vintners said, with nine others reporting some damage to buildings or vineyards.
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption Santa Rosa in Sonoma County is one of the worst hit area
More than 91,000 homes and businesses are without power.
California Governor Jerry Brown declared states of emergency in Sonoma, Napa and five other counties.
US President Donald Trump has also approved a disaster declaration, allowing federal emergency aid to be disbursed.
Note: This story is auto-generated from BBC syndicated feed and has not been edited by AFRICA PRIME NEWS
Image copyrightAFPImage caption Nafta has led to a huge increase in trade between the US, Mexico and Canada
Ending the North American Trade Agreement (Nafta) would break relations between Mexico and the US, the Mexican foreign minister has warned.
Luis Videgaray was speaking ahead of a new round of trade talks this week between the US, Mexico and Canada.
The talks to update the 1994 deal have become increasingly acrimonious, with Mexico and American business groups saying US proposals would hurt trade.
This week, President Donald Trump repeated threats to scrap the deal.
He has pointed to the trade deficit with Mexico as unfair to the US. His administration has said it was seeking to reduce it and called for a major overhaul of the agreement.
The head of the US Chamber of Commerce, Thomas Donahue, warned that scrapping the deal would endanger $1tr in annual trade.
Mr Videgaray said Mexico was preparing for “different scenarios” the talks might produce and would not remain within the agreement if it was not good for his country.
Image copyrightReutersImage caption Luis Videgaray says his priority is to defend Mexico’s interests
He warned that ending the regional trade pact would hurt relations between the US and Mexico and damage their co-operation on other issues such as fighting drug-trafficking and stopping illegal immigration across the US’s southern border.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is meeting Mr Trump on Wednesday and their discussions are expected to focus on Nafta. The US has recently slapped duties on Canadian Bombardier airliners and wood exports.
Mr Trudeau then flies to Mexico for discussions with President Enrique Peña Nieto.
Note: This story is auto-generated from BBC syndicated feed and has not been edited by AFRICA PRIME NEWS
Image copyrightReutersImage caption A nuclear deal has been in place with Iran since 2015
Prime Minister Theresa May has urged the US to recertify the nuclear deal with Iran because it is “vitally important for regional security”.
In a phone call with President Trump, Mrs May stressed the importance of the deal being “carefully monitored and properly enforced”.
The US President had been expected to scrap the agreement, as he said it did not serve US security interests.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called the deal “an historic achievement”.
He is to meet Iranian Vice President Dr Ali Akhbar Salehi in London on Wednesday.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Mr Johnson said: “We have made no bones about our deep concern at Iran’s destabilising regional activity… but I remain steadfast in my view that the nuclear deal was an historic achievement that has undoubtedly made the world a safer place.”
In 2015, Iran agreed to reduce much of its nuclear programme and in return economic sanctions on the region were lifted.
Last month, Mr Trump denounced the deal at the United Nations General Assembly as “an embarrassment to the United States”.
But the prime minister and the president have discussed the need for the UK, US and others to work together to ensure the deal was being upheld on all sides.
Mr Trump and Mrs May agreed to remain in contact ahead of any decision.
During their conversation, Mrs May and Mr Trump also discussed the impact of the Bombardier trade dispute on Northern Ireland.
Image copyrightShutterstockImage caption Michael Eisner watched a lot of football in Europe and the US before buying Portsmouth
Two decades at the helm of global entertainment giant Walt Disney might seem a strange apprenticeship for taking over a lower-level English football club, but Michael Eisner insists it is the latest logical move in his high-flying business career.
The 75-year-old American completed his takeover of historic south coast club Portsmouth in August for £5.67m, buying it from fans who had stepped in with their own money to save the club.
The club, nicknamed Pompey, had fallen on hard financial times since winning the FA Cup in 2008, and had dropped from the Premier League to the bottom tier, but did get promoted back to League One at the end of last season.
After a lifetime working for some of the biggest US and international TV and film firms, including ABC and Paramount as well as Disney, the native of New York state had launched his own investment firm, and was looking for interesting projects to back.
“What is an American guy doing getting involved with English football?,” he says.
“Well, I am qualified for this new role. In a way I feel my whole career has led up to this.”
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption Portsmouth FC is starting out on what Mr Eisner hopes is a march back up the league tables
Indeed, during his time in the entertainment industry Mr Eisner was involved in a number of sports-related projects, including TV scheduling, film production, and the acquisition of clubs.
“There are differences between sport and entertainment – one must be scripted, planned, produced, and the other is more spontaneous, extemporaneous. But both have conflict, a climax and an ending,” he observes.
“And whatever your brand, product, league, club – the idea of loyalty or passion is key.”
And Eisner says it was the raucous fan reaction to Portsmouth winning promotion, and the League Two title, last season that was the final factor in convincing him to buy the club.
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption Mr Eisner says it was the passion of the fans that convinced him to buy Portsmouth FC
“Because of this mad enthusiasm I found Pompey irresistible,” he said at the Leaders sports conference in London.
“I had first heard about the possibility of acquiring the club when I was looking at the possibility of buying a US sports team. Investing in US sport is very expensive. The NFL has its physical problems which scare me.
“It [football] just seemed a great thing to me and my family. We got hooked on the game in the UK.”
‘Excitement and history’
Mr Eisner and his three sons, Breck, Eric, and Anders, make up the Portsmouth board, along with Andy Redman, president of Tornante, and Portsmouth FC chief executive Mark Catlin.
Despite its recent woes the club has a strong heritage, winning the League title in 1949 and 1950, and FA Cup in 1939 as well as nine years ago.
Image copyrightGetty Images/Hulton ArchiveImage caption Mr Eisner says he was struck by Portsmouth’s historic past
“When I passed through the Fratton Park turnstiles I felt like I did when I stepped through the doors at Disney – a sense of excitement and of a rich history,” he says.
“Portsmouth fans are passionate. [After] four strange owners the fans stepped in and bought the team.
“Pompey fans had done a remarkable job but it seemed they would need additional investment to build the brand.”
He says there were another reasons, apart from fan passion and history, that he and his family wanted to buy a football club.
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption The new owners say they have plans to upgrade Fratton Park stadium
One is the fact that football has a global appeal, and also – in a currently fractured media landscape – “the only appointment-to-view [TV] is for sports events”.
“Today, viewers can watch the shows they want any time they want on on multiple devices. But sport fans want to watch their teams compete in real time,” he says.
That means that sports, and football, TV rights will always be in high demand by broadcasters looking for content.
Image copyrightShutterstockImage caption Mr Eisner was introduced to the fans before the opening game of the season against Rochdale
As well as the expertise and cash that Eisner is providing, he is also promising to improve the stadium and promote managerial stability.
“Over time we will make the match day experience the pleasure it should be,” he says, adding the club will also continue to build on its strong community work, for which it has won a number of Football League awards.
Michael Eisner: A Sporting Life
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption Michael Eisner at the launch of an ESPN sports-themed restaurant
“At ABC TV in 1970 we made a crack in the traditional entertainment wall, by moving NFL Football to prime time on a Monday night. ABC was the smallest network and needed success,” he says.
It became one of the longest-running prime time shows ever on commercial network TV.
At Paramount he oversaw production of sports films Players, North Dallas Forty, and the Bad News Bears trilogy.
In 1984 he became Disney chairman and the company produced the film The Mighty Ducks. Disney in 1993 then created an actual ice hockey team called the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, now the Anaheim Ducks. In 2006-07 the team won the NHL’s Stanley Cup.
Disney also produced baseball film Angels in the Outfield in 1984. In 1997 Disney took over the California Angels team. It was renamed the Anaheim Angels and under Disney’s ownership won its first World Series championship in 2002.
During Mr Eisner’s time at Disney it also acquired leading sports cable TV channel ESPN in 1996.
His current private firm bought the Topps sports trading card firm in 2007. It is licensed to produce English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Uefa Champions League, and Indian Premier League cricket products.
‘Triumph of the underdog’
Mr Eisner now says the club, which sits mid-table in League One, now needs stability and continuity on and off the playing field.
He believes if club owners give their manager support, then the coaching team will have the confidence to lead the team to success.
“If you look at the great sports teams, you try to find a great manager and stick with him through thick and thin,” he says.
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption Mr Eisner says there are similarities between Portsmouth and Disney fans
He says he hopes current manager Kenny Jackett will be in the post for a decade, and oversee success during that time.
“The Disney fans are similar to Portsmouth fans,” he says. “When I went there it was about to be broken up. The fans’ love of Disney helped support it.
“All of Disney’s sports films had the same theme – the triumph of the underdog. With Portsmouth we hope to get it right in fact, not fiction.
“We will get there – being slow, steady and smart.”
Note: This story is auto-generated from BBC syndicated feed and has not been edited by AFRICA PRIME NEWS
Kaduna (Nigeria) — As the world celebrates International Day of the Girl Child, a non-governmental organisation, Community Health and Research Initiative (CHR) has called on Nigeria to ensure all girls have access to important vaccines.
