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African Cup: Drogba, Eto’o gone, problems remain

By WTOP Staff

GERALD IMRAY
AP Sports Writer

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A deadly disease outbreak, fraud and cheating, and a player killed by his own fans. African football just can’t shake its reputation for chaos.

Two months after an embarrassing World Cup for the continent marked by player strike threats and disputes over money, the final round of qualifiers for next year’s African Cup of Nations kick off Friday and Saturday with more problems.

The Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa is causing fear among those having to travel to or host squads from affected countries. It has forced at least two teams to play away from their home countries.

Two teams have been disqualified for cheating and fielding ineligible players and another two withdrew after being unable to play games in previous rounds.

The death of Cameroonian player Albert Ebosse in a league match in Algeria last month after he was hit in the head by a rock apparently thrown by his own fans is another indication of dangerously lax security in African stadiums, where world-class stars have long played under shoddy organization.

Some of those stars are now gone.

Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba and Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o retired from international soccer after the World Cup. Ghana cut Europe-based Michael Essien, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari from its squad because of their disciplinary problems at the World Cup.

The final qualifiers have 28 teams split into seven groups and competing for the 15 places alongside host Morocco at the African Cup in January and February.

Defending African champion Nigeria, one of the teams hounded by disputes over money at the World Cup in Brazil, will open in Group A against Republic of Congo, which only progressed after Rwanda was thrown out. In a case described by the Confederation of African Football as “fraud,” Rwanda was disqualified for fielding a striker who was using a different name and a Congolese passport in club games.

Unfortunately for Libya, Dady Birori — or Tady Etekiama as he is known for his club — scored a hat trick for Rwanda in an earlier round to eliminate the North Africans before CAF caught up with his deception.

Algeria, a success for Africa in Brazil after making the second round, starts at Ethiopia in Group B but is reeling at home from the death of Ebosse at a match between the country’s top two teams from last season. A police investigation is underway and games were suspended.

Ivory Coast and Cameroon begin life without Drogba and Eto’o in Group D. Cameroon travels to Congo and Ivory Coast hosts Sierra Leone in the opening games.

Ghana plays Uganda in Group E without those three top players, and Tunisia, Egypt and Senegal will compete for two places from a tough Group G.

And then there’s the Ebola crisis.

CAF ruled that no games will be held in Sierra Leone or Guinea until at least mid-September. Two of the worst-affected countries in an outbreak that has killed nearly 2,000 people and touched five countries will likely have to find neutral locations beyond that as international sport is unlikely to go there any time soon.

Guinea will open against Togo in neutral Morocco. Sierra Leone will play its first “home” game against Congo in Congo next week because of its struggle to find another country willing to host it.

The only reason its first game in Ivory Coast will go ahead on Saturday is because Sierra Leone guaranteed that it would bring a squad of only foreign-based players and promised that none of its group of 20 players and four coaches had been in an Ebola-affected region in the last 21 days. Ivory Coast’s government had threatened not to let the party in at all.

There is a possibility of a heart-warming story amid the turmoil: Lesotho, the tiny mountain kingdom completely surrounded by South Africa, has the chance of making the African Cup for the first time after its surprising progress to the final qualifying stage.

But that’s as long as military unrest there that caused the prime minister to flee the country doesn’t escalate and affect its games.

___

Gerald Imray is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GeraldImrayAP

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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