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Ivorian Salomon Kalou was on target as German side Hertha Berlin returned to winning ways when they clashed with Augsburg.

The former Chelsea star was impressive in the Bundesliga match, helping them win 2-0 at the Berlin Olympiastadion stadium. Of 43 points the team has competed for this term at home, they have claimed almost 80 percent victories; so they entered the game as heavy favourites against a struggling opposition.

Ahead of the game, the club had lost three games but they seem to have gotten back their form with the strong display. John Brooks scored the opener within 12 minutes after a Valentin Stocker error. The home side tried to double the tally when Kalou combined with VedadIbisevicbut goalkeeper MarwinHitz denied them.

Both Hertha players were not deterred as they combined to get the second goal of the game. Kalou created space for himself before sending a good cross for Stocker to tap in. This time they had Ibisevic do the build-up.

Before the brilliant showing against Augsburg, Kalou had struggled. He had to be replaced in all of the last three games that ended in losses. His average is still above par as he has netted six times after 20 matches. The former Cote D’Ivoire international has been a brilliant addition to the Pal Dardai team since his move.

Hertha are eyeing continental football action next season and the victory lifts them to the fifth spot. On the other hand, Augsburg are still facing relegation threats as they continue to struggle.

Ivory Coast forward Salomon Kalou has announced his retirement from international football as the defending champions of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) were knocked out in the group stage of the 2017 edition in Gabon.

“I am 31, this is my sixth Africa Cup of Nations. I have been to a final and won another. This time things did not go so well. There are young players like [Frank Kessie, [Wilfried] Zaha… I think they are the future of Ivorian football and I wish them good luck,” Kalou said after the favourites were knocked out.

The former Chelsea forward who now plays in the German Bundesliga with Hertha Berlin was awarded the Man of the Match against Morocco but it was worthless as they would not progress to the quarter finals of the tournament.

Morocco’s lone goal was enough to earn them a spot in the next stage ahead of the Elephants.

Worthy of note is that the Ivorian side did not show that they wanted the game more as they struggled to create just two chances. Zaha was able to send a weak shot outside of 12 yards and Kalou’s headers hit the woodwork. They barely put up a fight despite needing nothing short of a victory to progress.

Morocco showed a sense of urgency as they wanted to avoid a draw as it might not be enough for them to go beyond Group C. They scored in the 64th minute through Rachid Alioui. They remained compact, frustrating the efforts of the Ivorian side.
Morocco could have scored another from a counter attack but for the poor accuracy of full back Hamza Mendyl. The 19-year old player ran half the entire pitch only to shoot the ball into the side netting.

Morocco and DR Congo are the two sides that are moving to the next stage.

Borussia Dortmund have qualified for the quarter final stage of the German Cup after they defeated Hertha Berlin 3-2 in a penalty shootout.

Recently retired Ivory Coast international Salomon Kalou missed his kick to hand the opposition the straight ticket.

Kalou was the man that opened scoring for the visitors as he scored in the first half. The hosts started the game slowly before Kalou converted his chance with a volley in the 27th minute. The visitors would have thought they would end up winners of the third round clash. However, skipper Marco Reus equalized for Dortmund after the 15 minutes break.

Dortmund kept up with the pace as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted but it was disallowed. Ousmane Dembele threw wide his opportunity. The hosts kept the pressure but could not get the winner in regular time.

The game went into extra time but Dortmund lost a player as defender Sokratis was sent off for dissent. Then the shootout came.

Shot stopper Roman Burki emerged the hero for the home team while Kalou quickly became the villain despite his earlier goal. Burki saved the second kick of Hertha taken by Vladimir Darida. He also got a hand unto Sami Allagui’s effort but the ball still scored. When Kalou got his chance, he sent it over the framework to send the opposition into celebration frenzy.

In other matches player, Bayern Munich reached the last eight for the tenth year running as they thrashed Wolfsburg 1-0.

Borussia Moenchengladbach defeated Greuther Fuerth 2-0 courtesy of goals from Oscar Wendt and Thorgen Hazard.

Hamburg defeated Cologne; Second division side Arminia Bielefeld defeated fourth division club Astoria Walldorf in a penalty shootout; Schalke won second division outfit Sandhausen 4-1; Eintracht Frankfurt beat second division club Hanover 96, while third division minnows humbled second division outfit 1860 Munich 2-0.

These are not the best of times for former Sevilla coach Unai Emery.

The Spaniard took over the reins at Parc Des Princes last summer and was charged by the Qatari owners with transforming Paris Saint-Germain into a top team, into a level where they can stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

Ever since oil wealth took over the funding of PSG in 2012, many coaches have come and gone and in each case were deemed to have come short of the club’s ultimate goal. Carlo Ancelotti – current Bayern coach – and Laurent Blanc both delivered two league titles apiece during their respective two year reigns, making it four in a row for Les-Rouges-et-Bleus yet the owners feel an inability to perform satisfactorily inEuropean inter-club competitions – the UEFA Champions League – is a big mark indicating the limitedness of the coach in charge.

Not that they are wrong though, after all they’ve done their bit in ensuring funds are provided for the coaches to entice whatsoever player they think will help them attain the ultimate heights of PSG’s long term goals.

Still, there is an increasing feeling that a little exercising of patience, the patience to build a team and watch them gel together seems to be a rational fans sentiment which actually makes sense. The amount of money pumped into the PSG project by the Qatari Sports Investment led by Nasser Al-khelaifi might be suspect for the seeming short temper on their part.

Everything now pointed to Unai Emery as UEFA held the round-of-16 draw in Nyon on, and the poor guy’s heart might have surged up as it became inevitable that fate was setting a knockout fixture between Les Parisiens and La Blaugaranas. Both teams met last year at the quarterfinals and the Catalan giants came tops with a 5-1 aggregate score over the two legs.

The problem with Emery’s case is that before now, PSG were only seen sweating their butts off in European fixtures – not domestic ones. French football has grown accustomed to seeing Les Parisiens at the number one spot of Ligue 1 standings in virtually every match day barely noticing if any team surged past them. It’s been a common sight.

Not for Emery though, his side currently occupy the 3rd top most spot behind surprise table toppers Nice and 2nd spotters AS Monaco. With his troops failing to mount a convincing league title defence, losing to Barcelona come February will most certainly spell doom as it will used to grade him on his paymasters’ score card.

2 family members of Salomon Kalou have recently passed away and these recent events have seriously taken a toll on the Ivorian player as the player himself has stated that it has not been easy having to play games with Hertha BSC at a high level with these things that have been occurring in recent times.

Salomon Kalou’s father and his aunt were the family members of the 31 year old player that have recently passed away back on August.

Having to perform at a top level and make impressive performances is something that can be extremely difficult for a player if they are going through issues outside of the pitch as this can distract them and hamper their performances.

Salomon Kalou’s current season as a player of Hertha BSC has not been a memorable one as the Ivorian performer has not consistently managed to get playing time in the first team but he was recently given the starting role against Borussia Monchengladbach and the 31 year old player managed to secure a hat-trick as he helped his team overcome Monchengladbach and secure all 3 points.

This hat-trick of Salomon Kalou was particularly more meaningful for the Ivorian player as it represented more than just 3 points for his team but it was also a type of remedy for him, especially now with the passing away of his family, Kalou stated that matches and goals like these help him far more than just a simple victory as he said:

“That was something like a therapy for me. The first goal was a relief, and that I managed to score three in the end was madness.”

Former Chelsea star Salomon Kalou was pictured partying in Jamaica with world fastest man Usian Bolt.

Both stars posed for pictures that quickly circulated in the social media. Kalou posted the photo on his Instagram handle, captioning it “Wat dem say St Leo #SKLEC #Bolt #jamaica #ivorycoast.”

The Ivory Coast international has not played for his club Hertha Berlin this term. He was in the news for suffering a loss of two close family members few months back. The UEFA Champions League winner with Chelsea is still waiting to get his fitness to former levels after a back problem he suffered.

He has played in the Europa League three times for the German club and has featured in the domestic games. He is believed to be close to making a return fully for Hertha. It is not certain if he would lead the Ivorian stars as they seek to defend their African Cup of Nations title in January. On the other hand, the 31-year old might feature before finally retiring from international football like other top stars of his generation.

Bolt, a regular on the spotlight, was filmed when he made a handshake with his partner Kasi J Bennett and as the pair did a ‘dab.’ Bolt has been involved in some charity work since his history-making feat at the Rio Olympics this summer.

The 30-year old has been documenting his work for Heroes in Action organized by the Jamaican National building Society. The Society is focused on helping citizens of Jamaica reach their potential. The parents of the Jamaican superstar Wellesley and Jennifer were on ground to support him. They praised his efforts on social media as well.

“Day one supporters..Always a joy having my parents around #MyHeroes #HeroesInActionRun #RunForRights #Charity #Falmouth,” Bolt wrote.

Old Trafford New signing Eric Bailly is expected to go on to become a superstar at the Premier League giant after Coach Jose Mourinho spoke highly of him at his maiden press conference.

The player was brought in from Villarreal to increase the defensive options of the team after his performances in Spain. The player is a hard tackler. He has a huge frame and is fast. He is set to partner with Chris Smalling as they enter the new season full of challenges and increased competition.

The Ivory Coast defender has five other countrymen that have made real exploits at the top flight of English football.

There’s the popular name Didier Drogba. The two time former Chelsea forward arrived at Stamford Bridge far back 2004 from Marseille. He was signed by Jose Mourinho and the player sure did leave a mark on the Premier League. He went on to score 164 times earning 384 caps in his nine year stay at the club. He would ever be remembered for the final penalty spot he converted that earned Chelsea their first and only UEFA Champions League title in 2012.

There’s also Yaya Toure who was with Barcelona before joining Manchester City where he has since made his mark. The player who is over 6 feet tall played a crucial role when City won the Premier League the second year he joined, scoring 24 goals in 49 games.

There’s also his elder brother Kolo Toure. Kolo has played for the top clubs in the Premier League. From Arsenal in 2002 helping them win the League in 2003/2004 and playing for seven years, he joined City winning the Premier League then moved to Liverpool as his performance begun to dip.

There’s Salomon Kalou who made exploits at Chelsea, alongside Drogba. He made serious impact and was part of the Champions League winning team of 2012. Finally, there’s Wilfried Bony. Bony played impressive football in Belgium where he scored 37 times in 36 matches before making the switch to Swansea City. He scored 25 goals for Swansea in his debut season and is now with Manchester City. Bailly surely has enough mentors in the League and there is hope that he would go on to make his mark as well.

Former Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou has stated that he might consider ending his international career and focus on his club football.

He said that he is now 30-years old and that he must take care of his body. He stated that it is difficult to play for both club and country and that he will make to take a decision sooner or later.

So far Salomon Kalou has made 83 appearances for his country Ivory Coast and has managed to score 28 goals during the process. He said that although at the moment he feels great he knows that he will not be able to maintain this rhythm for a long time and that he will have to choose between his club or his country.

He said that he has played in two World Cups so far in his career and that he has already won the Africa Cup of Nations. He believes that it is time for him to take a break from international football and give the opportunity to younger players to shine. This will allow him time to concentrate on his club football.

Salomon Kalou currently plays for Hertha Berlin in Germany and said that he wants to give his best in order to help his club win trophies. He has joined the Bundesliga side in 2014 from Chelsea and so far has played 65 matches for them. He has scored 23 goals in the process.

He admitted that he had a hard time adapting to life in the Bundesliga where he only managed to score 6 goals in 29 appearances. However things have improved for him, and he has found his scoring touch again. Indeed he has managed 17 goals this season and wants to improve this tally next season.

Ivory Coast managed to earn a draw in Hungary in a friendly match on Friday.

Hungary, who are preparing themselves for their first appearance in a major tournament after 30 years, managed to have a few chances to score, but the players either made the wrong decision or were denied by the goalkeeper.

The first chance came in the 20th minute on a free-kick. The ball was struck with some power by Adam Gyurcso, but the Ivory Coast keeper managed to divert the ball in the corner.

13 minutes later, Hungary will have another glorious opportunity to open the score, but again they will be denied by the keeper. Adam Gyurcso will find himself one-on-one with the keeper Sylvain Gbohouo, but the latter will manage to make the save. The rebound will fall at the feet of Adam Szalai, but LamineKone will manage to make a great interception to prevent Hungary from taking the lead.

Hungary coach Bernd Storck was pleased with his team performance, especially in the first half. He stated that his players kept the ball well and created numerous occasions against a top side. They were unfortunate to have not score.

On the other hand, Ivory Coast coach Michel Dussuyer stated that he was disappointed with the way his team played especially in the first half. They did not manage to keep control of the ball and instead found themselves being dominated.

Indeed, Ivory Coast who was without Yaya Toure and Gervinho fail to make their presence count in the middle of the park. Their only occasion came when Salomon Kalou missed the target with a great header.

Salomon Kalou was left isolated in attack at times and could not have his usual performance with the absence of Toure and Gervinho.

Former Chelsea player, Salomon Kalou has helped salvage a draw for his side Hertha Berlin in a match against Hannover.

In a game that Hertha Berlin was considered as favorite, they found themselves trailing at home 2-1. And with 18 minutes left to play, it is Salomon Kalou who helped rescue an important point for his team.

It all started well for Hertha Berlin though when Ibisevic opened the scoring for them in the 3rd minute after a good cross from Marvin Plattenhardt. But Hannover did not want to lose this game without a fight. Under their new manager, Daniel Stendel, Hannover produced an energetic performance to come back into the game.

In the 18th minute, Hannover was leveled thanks to a goal from Sobiech. He benefited from good work from Manuel Schmiedebach and Hiroshi Kiyotake. This goal brought the game to life with Hertha Berlin wanting to score the second goal. Hannover was also motivated with the goal and thought they could take something from this game.

The match reached half-time at 1-1 and after the break, it was Hannover who was on the attack again. Schmiedebach, this time, will be the scorer after receiving a good pass from Karaman. Hertha Berlin could not believe the score as they were given as clear favorites to win this game. Indeed, this also jeopardizes their chances of reaching the Champions League.

Fortunately for them, Salomon Kalou will equalize for them in the 72nd minute. He will receive a well-timed pass from Julian Schieber. This equalizer help calms down the nerves of the Hertha Berlin players and they kept pushing on to find a third goal. This was not going to be their day with Hannover’s goalkeeper making some impressive saves one after the other.