Football round-up: Everton sign Samuel Eto’o on two-year deal while Albert Ebosse death backlash continues

England midfielder Frank Lampard announces his retirement from international football while Ivory Coast will not be allowed to host their African Nations Cup qualifier next week because of Ebola virus fears.

Samuel Eto’o became a free agent at the end of last season following his release by Chelsea and Everton signed the former Barcelona and Inter Milan forward on Tuesday night. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNIS

Everton signed Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o on a two-year deal the club announced Tuesday night.

The forward, 33, became a free agent at the end of last season following his release by Chelsea. Everton reportedly held talks with the former Barcelona and Inter Milan forward last week.

It was thought those discussions had broken down, but the Liverpool Echo newspaper said discussions had re-started, with the Merseyside club prepared to offer Eto’o a deal should he complete a medical exam.

Eto’o becomes the club’s fifth signing of the transfer window period, following Mohamed Besic, Brendan Galloway, Christian Atsu and Romelu Lukaku.

Eto’o scored nine goals in 21 Premier League appearances for Chelsea last season and has bagged more than 300 in his career.

Algeria

An Algerian football club was banned from using its stadium pending investigations after a player was hit in the head and killed by an object thrown by fans.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) yesterday backed measures taken by Algerian authorities to stop JS Kabylie from playing in the city of Tizi Ouzou, where Cameroonian striker Albert Ebosse was fatally struck during a game on Saturday.

CAF said it was only the first sanction and Kabylie faces more punishment. CAF said Ebosse, 24, suffered head trauma and internal bleeding after being hit by a “sharp object”.

It appeared to be hurled by his team’s supporters after a 2-1 loss.

England

England midfielder Frank Lampard on Tuesday announced his retirement from international football after a career spanning 15 years.

His 106th and final cap for his country came on June 23 when he captained England in their final World Cup game against Costa Rica.

Lampard, 36, said in a statement released by his management company: “I have taken the decision to retire from international football. It has been a very tough decision for me to make, which is why I have given it so much thought since the World Cup.”

Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast will not be allowed to host their African Nations Cup qualifier next week against Sierra Leone in Abidjan because of fears over the Ebola virus, the country’s football federation said.

The Ivory Coast government told the football federation it will not allow the match to take place because all travel between the two countries has been banned.

“The authorities are taking no chances against a possible Ebola outbreak,” media officer Eric Kacou said.

The move followed Congo’s demand that their scheduled qualifier in Nigeria next weekend be moved to a neutral venue because they are reluctant to travel to a country where there have also been deaths from the deadly virus.

Bayern Munich

German champions Bayern Munich announced an agreement on Tuesday with Serie A side Roma for a deal to take Moroccan international defender Mehdi Benatia to the Allianz Arena.

Bayern said that the two clubs have agreed not to disclose the fee for the 27-year-old French-born centre-back.

The Bundesliga giants had been searching for defensive reinforcements after losing Javi Martinez because of a serious knee injury.

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