Lionel Messi scores a stunning double to help Argentina survive Nigeria scare and top group

Maestro lights up Estadio Beira-Rio with a double in 3-2 victory for Alex Sabella's side - who overcome a two-goal riposte from Ahmed Musa
 

        Lionel Messi scored two stunning goals as Argentina survived a couple of scares

Lionel Messi did something here that we had not seen from him before at this World Cup. Not the two goals, or the casual match-winning brilliance.

That was old news. It came at the end of the first half, just after he had scored from a free-kick, as he was being mobbed by happy team-mates, as the Argentina fans were chanting his name over and over.

Glo-CAF Awards : Stephen Keshi is named Coach of the Year

Lagos – Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi picked up the Coach of the Year award at the 2013 Glo-CAF Awards Gala held on Thursday, January 9 in Lagos.
The 51-year old, capped a successful year with Nigeria by being named the best coach in Africa, beating compatriot, Manu Garba (coach of Nigeria U-17 team) and Paul Put (Coach of Burkina Faso) to the honour.

Yaya Toure Beats Mikel Obi, Becomes African Player Of The Year 2013

Cote d’Ivoire midfielder, Yaya Toure, has been announced the African player of the Year 2013, at the Glo/CAF Awards held on Thursday evening, at the Eko Hotels in Lagos.

It’s a third straight African Player of the Year title for Manchester City player, who also won December’s BBC African Footballer of the Year award. Toure beat Nigeria’s Mikel Obi and his compatriot, Didier Drogba to the gong.

Jasmin’s murder ‘plan’ revealed

Johannesburg - The lover of the man accused of killing four-year-old Jasmin Lee Pretorius said the attack was planned.

Darren Pretorius (not a relative of the family), speaking to the Beeld, said he believed the murder of the girl allegedly by his boyfriend, the child’s uncle, was premeditated.

According to Pretorius, his boyfriend kept asking whether he would be working a night shift on Saturday, when Jasmin Lee supposedly went missing.

Margaret Thatcher barely mentioned Nelson Mandela in South Africa talks

The prime minster briefly raised the importance of freeing the ANC leader with her South African counterpart, PW Botha, but had little success, documents show 

 Margaret Thatcher did little to press for the release of Nelson Mandela during her time in office, newly-released Government papers suggest.