21, December 2025
Football: Mbappe matches Ronaldo record as Real Madrid beat Sevilla 0
French superstar Mbappe levelled Ronaldo’s tally of 59 goals in 2013 by stroking home a late penalty, after Bellingham sent Madrid ahead with a first half header.
The victory allowed Los Blancos, second, to cut the gap on leaders Barcelona to one point before the Catalans visit Villarreal on Sunday.
“To do like Cristiano did, my idol, the best player in Real Madrid’s history and a world great, it’s an honour for me,” said Mbappe, who turned 27 on Saturday.
Gaining a third consecutive win across all competitions, after managing just two in the previous eight games, marginally eases the pressure on coach Xabi Alonso even though the performance was still underwhelming.
“We’ve got some time now to analyse and reflect where we are now,” Alonso told reporters ahead of the winter break.
“We want to do better, we’re self-critical, we got the three points and now we’ll use this time and try to start the year better.”
Sevilla, who thrashed champions Barcelona 4-1 in October, started strongly with veteran Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez heavily involved.
Odysseas Vlachodimos made a fine save to thwart Fran Garcia at the other end, and as the minutes ticked by Madrid began to find more of a foothold.
Bellingham headed the hosts in front at the Santiago Bernabeu after Rodrygo Goes whipped in a dangerous free-kick.
The Brazilian forward was booked for diving before the break as he tumbled in the box under little pressure.
Sanchez landed the ball on the roof of Thibaut Courtois’s net before the break with an acrobatic effort.
Sevilla coach Matias Almeyda was sent off at half-time for dissent, but his team plugged away in search of an equaliser regardless.
Courtois twice denied Isaac Romero early in the second half, while Mbappe intensified his search to emulate Ronaldo’s record.
Mbappe headed against the crossbar and whipped a shot narrowly wide, while Vlachodimos fended off another effort from the forward.
Sevilla defender Marcao clumsily slid in to foul Bellingham after 67 minutes and was sent off for a second yellow card, hampering his side’s chances of adding to Alonso’s struggles.
Madrid almost scored a second when Mbappe teed up Rodrygo, who lifted the ball into the air and then lashed it towards goal, but Vlachodimos superbly tipped it onto the crossbar.
Mbappe’s 59th
Eventually Mbappe got the goal he craved from the penalty spot, after Juanlu clumsily brought down Rodrygo.
The forward sent Vlachodimos the wrong way as he stroked in his 59th of the year, to match Ronaldo’s record.
Mbappe copied Ronaldo’s trademark celebration and said it was a nod to the Portuguese great, Madrid’s all-time top goalscorer.
“I wanted to give him a wink because he’s always been kind to me,” said Mbappe.
“He was my idol as a kid, I have a very good relationship with him, he’s a friend now.”
Madrid were awarded another penalty when Bellingham went down in the box but it was ruled out after a VAR review showed Sevilla defender Oso got the ball.
The referee then gave Madrid another penalty as Sow fouled Rodrygo on the edge of the box, but the offence was just outside the area and it was again scrapped.
Mbappe whipped the free-kick narrowly over the top corner as he battled in vain to go beyond Ronaldo’s mark, but he will have to try again in 2026.
“Scoring 59 goals is not easy, he’s got quality and talent — it’s hard to stop him in training,” said Courtois, who called on the whole team to take a step forward next year.
“Hopefully 2026 comes with trophies, but for that we have to improve our level,” he added.
Elsewhere Celta Vigo rose to seventh even though they could only draw 0-0 at struggling Real Oviedo, while Levante held Real Sociedad 1-1. Osasuna thrashed Alaves 3-0 to go 12th.
Source: AFP
22, December 2025
Southern Cameroons: Security situation worsening 0
Daily life in Southern Cameroons today is defined by fear. Killings, armed confrontations between Ambazonia Restoration Forces and Cameroon government troops, kidnappings, enforced civil disobedience campaigns and arson have shutdown and disrupted education, healthcare and local economies.
The Southern Cameroons educational sectors have been particularly affected, denying a generation of children their right to learning. Anglophone farmers are struggling to access their land amid worsening poverty and food insecurity. These realities underscore a grim truth: the people of Southern Cameroons are bearing the brunt of a conflict they did not choose.
The security situation in the two English speaking regions is deteriorating at catastrophic rapidity. Years after the Ambazonia crisis started, violence continues to escalate, civilian suffering is deepening, and prospects for a sustainable peace are slowly but surely vanishing. The Southern Cameroons resistance that was once framed as a temporary security challenge by the failed regime in Yaoundé has hardened into a protracted conflict with devastating human consequences.
Despite repeated assurances from the Biya Francophone Beti-Ewondo regime, the government’s security-heavy approach has failed to restore calm in Southern Cameroons. Militarization of the entire English speaking regions has not delivered peace; instead, it has intensified cycles of retaliation and mistrust. Allegations of abuses by all sides—combined with a lack of credible accountability—have further alienated communities and fueled resentment. When justice appears absent, violence finds fertile ground.
The Southern Cameroons situation is indeed a hydra headed one. While calls for genuine talks persist, meaningful engagement remains limited. Fragmentation among Southern Cameroons restoration groups and the actions of hardliners deep within the Francophone dominated political structure in Yaoundé have stalled progress. Yet history teaches us that conflicts rooted in governance, identity, and rights cannot be resolved by military power alone. Without a genuine political process that addresses long-standing grievances—language rights, local governance, and equitable development—the conflict will continue to metastasize.
The international community’s attention has waned, but the crisis has not. Humanitarian needs are rising as displacement grows and basic services collapse. Silence and fatigue are dangerous allies of prolonged conflict. Renewed diplomatic engagement, targeted humanitarian assistance, and support for mediation are urgently needed.
Southern Cameroons now stands at a crossroads. Continuing down the current path promises only more suffering and instability. A decisive shift toward dialogue, accountability, and inclusive reform is not a concession to violence—it is an investment in peace. The cost of delay is already painfully clear.
By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai