Kanoute

Aku tau semalam hang tak tengok bola ... Arsenal kalah! Hehehehe …

Ooooh, tentu saja saya mengeluh kerana Arsenal kalah lagi, dan teks pesanan ringkas itu menyuramkan sedikit pagi saya yang indah. Namun saya tidaklah menggigit jari atau mahu menjadi Shebby menganalisis kekalahan itu. Paling-paling pun saya tidak mempedulikan Arsenal barang sehari dua.

Ya, bolasepak punya kesaktiannya yang tersendiri. Barangkali magisnya terletak pada bola dan kaki yang menyentuh bola itu. Disepak melambung. Ditendang melantun. Dikejar, digelecek, ditahan, ditampan, ditepis, terlepas dan GOoooL! Hoooreii! Penonton pun bersorak-sorai menggamatkan stadium! Satu kepuasan bagi mereka yang makan tidurnya bola. Lebih dari itu kerana bola sebiji, peminat sanggup berjudi. Kerana sebiji bola pemain menjadi idola. Tak kurang yang besar kepala. Banyak juga yang lupa menjaring pahala.

Fabregas dan Adebayor kena lipat weii! … kah kah kah…
Isy, isy, isy … kawan itu tak habis-habis menghimpit saya! Tapi saya faham keseronokannya kerana Chelsea sekarang ligat mengejar markah.

Tak pa, tak pa … kiter ada hero baru, Kanoute! Saya membalas smsnya. Sape Kanoute? Dia bertanya.

Kanoute, striker kelab Sevilla dalam Liga Sepanyol, dan bergelar African Footballer of the Year 2007. Itu saja yang saya tahu. Namun e-mel daripada seorang yang baik hati dan memahami minat saya telah menyerlahkan keperibadian Kanoute melalui satu pautan. Amat mengkagumkan! Rupa-rupanya beliau bukan saja tangkas di padang bola, malah punya pendirian tegas dan berhati murni di medan kemanusiaan.

"Hang nak tukaq kelab ka? " Tanya kawan itu petang Ahad lalu, sedang kami minum-minum teh. Entah mengapa dia mencemikkan muka. Errr, barangkali cekodok yang saya masak itu tidak seenak bola walau bentuknya bulat ...

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MADRID - Malian Muslim footballer Frederic Kanoute, the striker of Spain 's Seville FC, has saved the only mosque in the southern Spanish city of Seville from closure.
Kanoute has paid 510,860 euros (some $700,000) so that fellow Muslims in Seville would not find themselves without a mosque, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The privately owned mosque was due to be sold after a contract to use the premises by the local Muslim population had expired. But Kanoute stepped in to purchase the building.

The 30-year-old striker has not made any comment on the matter. But city authorities have confirmed that the property has been registered in Kanoute's name, according to the BBC Sport.

It is estimated that Kanoute has spent almost a year's salary to buy the mosque.
Kanoute, one of the finalists for the 2007 BBC African Footballer of the Year award, moved in 2005 from French champions Lyon to Seville FC, the 2006-07 Spanish league's third and the holder of last season's cup championship.

Grateful Spanish Muslims said they really appreciate Kanoute's moving gesture.
"If it had not been for Kanoute then we would not have had a mosque on Fridays, which is the most holy day of the week for Muslims," a spokesman for the Islamic Community of Spain was quoted as saying by BBC Sport. Kanoute, who has also created a foundation in his motherland Mali to help orphans, reverted to Islam 10 years ago.

Last Ramadan, he impressed Spanish football fans by his unique performance though he was fasting. Kanoute was crowned last year the league's top scorer with 20 goals, out performing football legends such as Brazilian Ronaldinho.

Kanoute, a practicing Muslim who regularly performs his prayers even in the locker room, refused last season to wear a jersey advertising for an inte gambling site, because gambling is forbidden in Islam. His team had to give him a brand-free jersey until he accepted wearing the sponsored jersey in return for money to an Islamic charity.

Source: IslamOnline
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*14/4/2008
Kembara Hati.

Salam.