Ivory Coast uses soccer to spur COVID-19 vaccination

After a long wait, the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations has finally kicked off in Cameroon after COVID-19 forced the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to postpone the tournament.

Refugees in Ivory Coast are starting to rebuild businesses affected by the economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, through initiatives sponsored by the United Nation refugee agency (UNHCR), to help integrate refugees in the West African country.

Ivory Coast soccer fans watching the African Cup of Nations are being greeted with rapid tests, masks and COVID-19 vaccines at dedicated fan zones, an initiative of the health ministry to spur vaccination. Officials say dozens of young people have been vaccinated at the Cup of Nations villages.

Brazilian soccer great Pele has returned to hospital for new chemotherapy sessions, sports website ESPN reported on Thursday. The former soccer star will undergo new exams to find other possible cancer spots, ESPN said. It said Pele was in stable condition and could leave hospital on Thursday.

The Pharaohs played a goalless draw with the Elephants of Ivory Coast in Douala but went on to win after a penalty shoot-out. The seven-time champions are still on course to stretch their record.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said COVID cases were falling in some states as more and more people get jabs. Meanwhile, China sealed off more neighborhoods in Beijing. DW has the latest.

Abdoulaye Bandaogo lost his sight as a teenager, but that didn't stop him from pursuing his dream of becoming a sports journalist.

At a sharp whistle from Rwandan soccer coach Egidie Kayitesi, her players change their practice drills: the team splits into pairs, some kicking the ball and others throwing it. Kayitesi, 49, coaches AS Kigali, one of Rwanda's top women's soccer teams.

The mandate requires all employees in care homes, hospitals, doctors' offices and outpatient clinics to prove they are vaccinated against COVID-19. An emergency motion had attempted to delay its enforcement.

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara granted an exclusive interview to FRANCE 24 and RFI ahead of an EU-African Union summit in Brussels. He criticised the planned departure of French and European troops from Mali, saying it "creates a void". Ouattara added that it was the responsibility of domestic African armies to "solve problems in their own countries.

Baky Meïté is a former captain of the Ivory Coast rugby team. Back in the spring of 2020, he put his rugby career on hold to work as a janitor in a geriatric hospital in Paris. He has now published a book, "Les Chiffons Bleus", as a tribute to his former colleagues who appear somewhat forgotten today. He joined us for Perspective.

Former Colombia captain Freddy Rincon was in a critical condition with severe head injuries after being involved in a car crash in the city of Cali, the clinic where he was being treated said.