The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur News and Links for Monday, January 17

Hi, all!

Grand slam tennis is back! (That’s not what the ramble’s about, it’s mostly just an invitation to chat in the comments.)

Ramble of the Day

There are two things I ask of high profile tournaments: some matches that are fun on a sporting level and a little bit of drama. The Africa Cup of Nations, just a week into the newest edition, has delivered in stellar form. Yesterday alone was a great example between Equatorial Guinea’s win over Algeria alone, but the Ivory Coast’s draw with Sierra Leone deserves special recognition for the drama. (Bonus: a couple of former Tottenham players are part of it!)

I will start with the actual highlights, which are fun enough in their own right. The fun truly begins at the end — if you want to cut to the end, go to 10:34. Ivory Coast goalkeeper Badra Ali Sangare awkwardly falls while catching the ball, but can’t get ahold of it. Sierra Leone’s Steven Caulker collects and sends it quickly to Alhaji Kamara, who scores from close range in an empty goal.

That’s entertaining enough on its own, but Sangare picks up an injury along the way and has to come off. The injury is not the entertaining bit, though his fall is unique. The entertaining thing is that Ivory Coast was out of subs when Sangare came off, so Serge Aurier had to fill in at the end.

Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

He apparently did not have much to do, but I am curious: Is he better than Pierluigi Golli Harry Kane?

tl;dr: Serge Aurier played goalkeeper for a couple of minutes during the Ivory Coast’s tie with Sierra Leone at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Stay informed, read this: Clay Risen on Paul Carter Harrison, a playwright and scholar who created a theoretical structure for Black performing arts who died last month aged 85 for The New York Times

Links of the Day

Two FA WSL matches were postponed this weekend because of COVID-19 outbreaks at multiple clubs.

Everton fired manager Rafa Benítez after seven months in the job.

Bayern’s Alphonso Davies was diagnosed with myocarditis.

Transfers: Arsenal signed Stina Blackstenius from Häcken and Laura Wienroither from Hoffenheim; San Diego signed Sofia Jakobsson from Bayern

A longer listen: Esther Clammachilli interviews The Washington Post’s Molly Hensley-Clancy on the recent twists and turns in the Washington Spirit’s ownership battle for WAMU