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| SPORTS NEWS - Confederations Cup |
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 24 Jun USA dumps Spain out of Confederation cup
The USA caused one of the biggest surprises in Confederations Cup history by beating European champions Spain to reach Sunday's final.
Jozy Altidore (pictured) scored the opener when he turned his marker Joan Capdevila to fire in from 15 yards.
Clint Dempsey who plays for London club Fulham doubled the lead in the second half when he converted Landon Donovan's pass from close range.
Many would have predicted Spain to win this match with a lot to spare, judging by the ease with which they won their group games.
But time and time again in the first half, the USA managed to read Spain's trademark killer passes by sticking tight to potent forwards David Villa and Fernando Torres.
What was starkly apparent on the Free State Stadium pitch, was the superior athleticism of the Americans. On occasions during the opening 45 minutes, they had as many people in their attacking third as they did in their own box.
The USA went close on a couple of occasions before taking the shock lead. The goal came as a result of a one-two between Carlos Bocanegra and club team-mate Dempsey who found well-built forward Altidore.
The Villarreal striker turned Capdevila far too easily before smacking his drive, which Iker Casillas only managed to get a weak hand to en route, into the back of the net.
The pressure on the USA defence increased after the interval with Everton number one Howard forced to make quality saves from Fabregas, twice from long range, and Ramos, who rifled in an angled drive at the near post.
Despite using up masses of energy in defence, the USA made the most of their one and only break forward in the second half.
Donovan found himself free on the right, surged to the edge of the area before playing in a square ball that Ramos, oblivious to who was behind him, could only touch on to Dempsey who fired in from six yards.
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| SPORTS NEWS - EGYPT SOCCER |
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 08 Jun Egypt in shock World Cup qualifier defeat
Egypt (pictured) face a struggle to qualify for the 2010 World Cup after an away defeat to Algeria leaves them stranded at the bottom of their group.
Algeria shocked Egypt with a 3-1 triumph in Blida on Sunday.
Karim Matmour opened the scoring for the hosts in the 60th minute before goals from Abdelkader Ghezzal and Rafik Djebbour sunk the Pharoahs who have been African champions six times.
Mohammed Aboutraika clawed one back for Egypt with three minutes to go, but it was too late to repair the damage. Algeria now go top of the table with four points ahead of Zambia. Egypt lie bottom, below Rwanda, with a solitary point.
Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ivory Coast and Ghana all won over the weekend to maintain their 100% starts to the final round of 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Gabon made it two wins out of two as they easily beat 10-man Togo 3-0 in Libreville.
Cameroon could only draw 0-0 against Morocco in Yaounde on Sunday. The Indomitable Lions have failed to score so far in the second phase of qualifying.
The next matches take place in two weeks time when Morocco host Togo and Cameroon travel to Gabon.
Group B
Tunisia beat Mozambique 2-0 in Rades in their Group B encounter. Lens defender Alaeddine Yahia scored from the penalty spot after 21 minutes.
Oussama Darragi, from Tunisian champions Esperance, was then on target for the Carthage Eagles with their second goal in injury time at the end of the match.
Victor Obinna Nsofor scored a brace as Nigeria beat Kenya 3-0 in Abuja.
Ikechukwu Uche took advantage of a defensive slip to open the scoring for the Supereagles in only the second minute of the game.
Kenya had several chances to get into the game, but failed to convert any of them.
Tunisia remain top of the group with six points, Nigeria are second with four. Mozambique stay in third with a point, Kenya are last and are yet to earn any points. Tunisia will play Nigeria in two weeks time, while Mozambique travel to Kenya.
Group C
Zambia edged past visitors Rwanda with a 1-0 win in Group C. Rainford Kalaba headed home the only goal of the game in the 79th minute.
The margin of victory should have been larger for the Chipolopolo but Collins Mbesuma shot wide from the penalty spot late in the first half after Emmanuel Mbola was fouled.
The victory takes Zambia to four points, after they drew 1-1 with Egypt in the opening game of the final round of qualifiers. Rwanda remain on just a single point from their two games.
Group D
Benin were narrow 1-0 victors over Sudan in Cotonou. Razak Omotoyossi's strike after 19 minutes proved to be the difference between the sides.
In the group's other tie, Ghana secured a 2-0 away victory over Mali. Kwadwo Asamoah and Matthew Amoah were scorers of the two second half goals.
The Black Stars go back on top of Group D with six points, while Benin lie in second place with three points.
Sudan and Mali have one point each. Next up for group leaders Ghana is a trip to Sudan, while Mali host Benin.
Group E
Burkina Faso kept up their 100% start to the final round of qualifiers with a 1-0 win over hosts Malawi. Moumouni Dagano, who plays in Qatar, grabbed the only goal of the game in the 70th minute with a well-taken close-range volley past stranded goalkeeper, Swadik Sanudi.
Malawi coach Kinnah Phiri blamed the loss on lack of thorough preparation.
"I always say we need strength-testing matches by real teams but we only played against Rwanda last week," he said. "If we have to advance we need to prepare thoroughly."
Ivory Coast also made it two wins out of two when they beat Guinea 2-1 in Conakry. Bakary Kone opened the scoring for the Elephants on the stroke of half time.
Sambegou Bangoura struck an equaliser for the home side halfway through the second half.
But Romaric scored what proved to be the winner seven minutes later and Ivory Coast top Group E with six points on goal difference. Burkina Faso lie in second and the group's top two teams will face each other in Ouagadougou in a fortnight.
Guinea and Malawi prop up the group. Both are yet to win a point.
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| SPORTS NEWS - DR Congo |
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 08 March DR Congo beats Ghana to lift CHAN trophy
The Democratic Republic of Congo beat Ghana 2-0, on Sunday, to win the inaugural African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Abidjan.
The final was settled by second half goals from Dioko Kaluyituka (pictured) and Bedi Mbenza.
Kaluyituka gave the Congolese the lead after 46 minutes when his speculative header slipped past Ghana goalkeeper Philemon Maccarthy.
Mbenza got the second goal 15 minutes from time when he controlled a cross from the left on his chest and gave Maccarthy no chance with a right-foot shot from inside the box.
It was the first triumph for the Congolese in a continental competition since they defeated Zambia 2-0 in a replay of the 1974 Nations Cup final in Cairo.
Pre-tournament favourites Ghana entered the final as the team to beat having outclassed the DR Congo 3-0 eight days previously in the mini-league phase.
DR Congo coach Muntumbile Santos said that triumph at the African Nations Championship came as a result of sheer determination.
The surprise victory over Ghana came just three weeks after Santos had threatened to quit the team, as he did not have a contract with the national federation.
"We were desperate to succeed having missed out on qualifying for the 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations tournaments," said Santos. "It is so long since we qualified for the final at an international tournament, and since we achieved that nothing was going to stop us bringing the trophy back to Kinshasa."
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| SPORTS NEWS - Zambia soccer |
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 02 March Zambia draw earns top spot in Group A
Zambia and Senegal qualified for the semi-finals of the African Nations Championship as Group A concluded last Saturday.
Zambia coach Kalusha Bwalya (pictured) said he was satisfied with his team’s performance so far in the tournament after a last-gasp strike from Dennis Banda earned Zambia a 1-1 draw against Tanzania.
Tanzania took the lead in the 88th minute with a penalty from Shadrack Nsajigwa, and the Taifa Stars seemed to be heading into the last four of the first major competition that they have played in since 1980.
But Banda latched onto a corner kick and scored with a spectacular overhead shot in the fourth minute of stoppage time to put the Chipolopolo through.
Senegal drew 0-0 with hosts Ivory Coast who earned their first point of the competition. A disappointing crowd of only 2,000 at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan watched the match.
Ivory Coast, who lost their first two games, have not scored any goals in the tournament. Zambia finished top of the group on goal difference, ahead of Senegal.
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| SPORTS NEWS - Nigeria soccer |
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 19 Jan Nigeria beats Egypt in first match
Nigeria made a winning start at the African Youth Championship in Rwanda on Monday, beating Egypt in Group B by two goals to nil.
Kingsley Udoh and Yakubu Alfa scored the goals.
Udoh (pictured) left) got the first with a header after 35 minutes, before Alfa got his name on the score sheet with a fine strike.
Nigeria's next match is against South Africa on Thursday while Egypt face the Ivory Coast.
In Monday's other fixture in group B, South Africa narrowly beat the Ivory Coast 1-0. Hosts Rwanda defeated Mali 2-1 while Ghana and Cameroon featured in 1-1 draw in Sunday's opening games in group A at Kigali's Amahoro stadium.
The top two teams in each group will not only make it to the semi-finals but also qualify for the Fifa under-20 World Cup in Egypt later this year.
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| SPORTS NEWS - Portugal |
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 13 Jan Ronaldo named 2008 world soccer player
Cristiano Ronaldo, (pictured) the Manchester United player was today named the Fifa World Player of the Year for 2008.
He becomes the first English Premier League player to win the award, and beat AC Milan's Kaka, Liverpool's Fernando Torres and Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Xavi to the prestigious title.
"It's an overwhelming moment in my career and I'd like to dedicate this award to my family, friends and colleagues," said the United star after lifting the trophy.
Ronaldo was on top form last season for Manchester United. His 42 goals helped the Old Trafford club clinch the Premier League and Champions League double.
Ronaldo, who also picked up the European Player of the Year crown in December and the FifPro World Footballer of the Year honour in October, paid special tribute to United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
"It's also true that the manager always has an important role to play. It was a great season for me and for my club and the coach was important for me because I learned a lot for him," he added. "His experience over so many years is of paramount importance - it's a privilege to have such a great club manager. I am lucky to be part of the history of a club like Manchester United."
The coaches and captains of 155 national teams took part in the voting for the award, with Messi finishing second ahead of Torres, Kaka and Xavi.
Ronaldo is only the second Portuguese player to pick up the Fifa honour following Luis Figo's triumph in 2001.
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| SPORTS NEWS - South Africa |
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 12 Dec South Africa soccer revenue ranked world 7th richest
South Africa’s ambition to produce and retain the best of its soccer stars is on the verge of being realised according to Irvin Khoza the Premier Soccer League's (PSL) chairman.
With South Africa now ranked the seventh richest country in terms of revenue streams in the soccer league - up from 50th a few years ago, Khoza who is also chairman of the South African 2010 World Cup organising committee, believes the country will soon catch up with the standard of soccer in Europe, especially the English Premier League.
Khoza (pictured) believes that a television contract secured by PSL worth around $27m (£18m) a year for the next five seasons will improve soccer standards vastly in the country.
South African soccer clubs have also attracted lucrative sponsorship deals which have enabled them to pay the highest salaries on the continent to their full-time professional players.
The average wage for South African soccer players has risen from $400 (£268) to $1,600 (£1,070) a month. Top players can earn as much as $20,000 (£13,380) a month.
Khoza says the change has been staggering and has made him very proud. In an interview with the BBC Khoza said he wants South Africa’s rapid development to be a blueprint for the rest of Africa.
"It is a remarkable achievement that might act as an impetus to encourage other countries in Africa to formalise their leagues," Khoza said. He hopes the money flowing into the PSL will help persuade South Africa's best players to ply their trade at home.
"The income that we have generated is to make sure that we give them competitive salaries to keep them in the country," said Khoza.
The new gleaming stadium in Soweto is a stunning symbol of the transformation that is taking place in club football in South Africa. This state-of-the-art venue has replaced the rickety open stands, the uneven playing surface and the sub-standard facilities for players and fans.
At the recent official opening of the Soweto stadium around 35,000 people of all ages, sexes and sizes, dressed in the black and white colours of their adored team, the Orlando Pirates celebrated South Africa’s coming of age in soccer terms.
Khoza and PSL officials will be hoping that Bafana Bafana who are now coached by a Brazilian, will not disappoint their fans in the 2010 World Cup tournament to be hosted by South Africa.
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| SPORTS NEWS - Ghana |
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 09 Dec Ghanaian keeper Dossey dies
Ibrahim Dossey (pictured) the Ghanaian keeper, who was in a coma for the past three months following a car accident, died in Romania today.
Dossey (36) who moved to Romania eight years ago, where he played for FC Brasov, Rapid Bucharest, Unirea Sannicolau Mare and Pandurii Targu Jiu
He sustained serious head injuries in a car accident in September near the mountain resort of Breaza, north of Bucharest.
Reports said Dossey recently regained consciousness and there had been hopes he would be transferred to Klagenfurt, Austria, for treatment. However, he suffered a heart attack on Tuesday morning and doctors were unable to resuscitate him.
Born in Accra in 1972, Dossey was a key member of Ghana's historic under-23 team that won Africa's first Olympic football medal, at the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992.
Commenting on Dossey’s death FC Brasov chairman Dinu Gheorghe said: "Dossey was the type of player that any coach and club owner would want. He was admirable from all points of view. Nobody had to pull him to make him work. There was nothing you could reproach him for."
Dossey agreed a two-year contract extension with Targoviste just days before he was involved in the accident. The shot-stopper fell into a coma on 13 September after the accident. His wife and daughter, who were also in the car, escaped unhurt.
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| SPORTS NEWS - Mali |
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 08 Dec Diarra out of action for Real Madrid and Mali
Mahamadou Diarra (pictured) the Malian midfielder who plays for Real Madrid will be sidelined for six to nine months after undergoing knee surgery.
Real Madrid confirmed today that the 27-year-old sustained the injury to his right knee while playing for his country against Chad in October.
Diarra was initially out of action for two weeks before returning for Real.
A month later, he aggravated the injury in a league game and an X-ray last week confirmed he would need arthroscopic surgery.
Diarra's absence will not only add anxiety to the Real Madrid team which has a long list of injured players, he will also be sorely missed by Mali, as he will be absent for the opening matches of their final round of qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations, which begin in March.
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| SPORTS NEWS - SA soccer star |
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 01 Oct SA soccer star assault charge dropped
Steven Pienaar (pictured) a South African international and Everton midfielder, will not face charges over an alleged assault on a woman in Liverpool.
Media reports said police were called early on Sunday following reports that a woman had been assaulted in a flat near Sefton Park.
Pienaar apparently went to a police station voluntarily later that morning and was arrested and later released on bail, pending further enquiries. A Merseyside Police spokeswoman confirmed no charges will be brought against the 26-year-old.
Pienaar was part of the South African squad in the 2002 World Cup and played for his country at the 2008 African Cup of Nations in Ghana.
His move to Everton was made permanent last April after he had played for the club while on loan from Borussia Dortmund. He is currently on a three-year contract until the summer of 2011, but is out of action while recovering from a broken toe.
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| SPORTS NEWS - Newcastle bid |
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 27 Sept Nigerians bid to buy Newcastle soccer club
A Nigerian consortium interested in taking over the Newcastle football club in the UK is finalising their bid to buy the club, according their London-based front man, Chris Nathaniel.
The consortium is reported to have a £350m takeover fund to buy the Magpies from owner Mike Ashley. However, analysts say they may need another £100m to secure the deal.
Nathaniel, who runs football and entertainment consultancy NVA Management in London, said the consortium was made up of passionate football fans who are also serious business people. The four entrepreneurs involved have requested anonymity until the deal goes through.
"We're at the stage where we are doing the security checks on the individuals who have the money," said Nathaniel. He also said they would be keen to welcome back former boss Kevin Keegan (pictured) who resigned after a disagreement with the board.
"Kevin's a legend on Tyneside and I think anybody looking to buy that football club would not be very smart if they didn't have Kevin involved in some capacity, that's if Kevin wants to come back," added Nathaniel. "If I was advising anyone that was buying the club I would certainly suggest Kevin would be the right man for the job."
Keegan quit Newcastle on 4 September, only eight months after returning to St James' Park. Football analysts said his relationship with Ashley deteriorated rapidly and his exit caused fury among Magpies' fans, who demanded the owner sell the club. Newcastle have appointed investment bank Seymour Pierce to handle the sale.
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| SPORTS NEWS - Zimbabwe gold medal |
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 30 Aug Mugabe hands $100,000 to gold medalist
Kirsty Coventry (pictured) Zimbabwe’s Olympic gold winner was handed US$100,000 in cash by Robert Mugabe on Friday as a reward for honouring the country with her performance at the recently ended Beijing games.
Kirsty smashed the world record to win gold in the women's 200 metres backstroke. She also captured three silver medals.
Mugabe handed the U.S-based swimmer the cash at a ceremony in Harare on Friday, carried live on state television.
"Our national spirit must exude joy and pleasure and say you have done well, daughter of Zimbabwe. We are proud of you, we wish you well. She's our golden girl ... take care of her," Mugabe said at the ceremony.
The U.S. dollars, scarce in a country struggling with an economic crisis marked by a severe shortage of foreign currency, were carried in a briefcase by Zimbabwe's central bank governor, Gideon Gono.
Other members of Zimbabwe's Olympic team received between $2,000 and $10,000 each.
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| SPORTS NEWS - Nigeria |
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 05 June Man U, Pompey to play in Nigeria
Two English Premiership sides, Manchester United and Portsmouth, will travel to Nigeria to play each other in a friendly in July.
United's chief executive David Gill told the press that the match is intended to give Nigerian fans a chance to see their heroes in person.
The precise date and venue have yet to be determined, although the game will take place in Abuja.
United will fly to Nigeria after completing their pre-season tour of South Africa, which ends on 26 July.
"This match will give an opportunity for our many fans in Nigeria to see the team in the flesh and will provide a climax to our summer tour,” Gill said at the press conference. “Our own research has shown that Nigeria is home to our fourth largest fan base - some 13.6 million supporters - so this is an opportunity for us to say thank you to those fans."
Christiano Ronaldo, voted player of the year in the English league this season, will not be joining his Manchester United colleagues on this trip as he will be playing for Portugal in the European Championship.
However, United may have the Angola star Manucho (pictured) with them by the time of the game. He has been on loan to Panathinaikos, but is hopeful of moving to Old Trafford, once his work permit for the UK has been processed.
Portsmouth have several African players, notably Nwankwo Kanu and John Utaka who are both Nigerian. Soccer sources said the match will be a preview of the Community Shield, the traditional curtain-raiser to the English season, which is played between the League champions and FA Cup holders.
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| SPORTS NEWS - Brazil |
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 15 Apr Brazilian star Romario to hang his boots
Romario de Souza Faria, (pictured) the veteran Brazilian striker has formally announced his retirement from soccer at the age of 42.
In an interview with SporTV in Rio de Janeiro at the launch of a DVD showing 900 of his 1,002 career, Romario, whose contract with Vasco da Gama expired on March 31, said he is quitting the game.
"Officially, I won't play any more. I've given up. Everything has been very funny. I've enjoyed it a lot," Romario said. "I've thought about this a lot to decide I had to stop. It's very difficult to return to playing after six months without playing."
There has been talk of a farewell match for Romario at Maracana involving the three Rio giants he represented - Vasco, Flamengo and Fluminense.
"If somebody offers me to play a farewell match, it would be good that I wear the national shirt or maybe one that mixes the Vasco, Flamengo and Fluminense shirts," Romario said. "It must be well done. I'd like to call up my friends."
Romario, who was voted World Player of the Year in 1994, also played for Barcelona, PSV Eindhoven and Valencia during a 23-year senior career. Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager is one of Romario’s admirers and once remarked that he wished he had signed the Brazilian when he was at his prime.
Romario was already a household name in his early twenties. But a broken leg in the Dutch league, when he was playing for PSV Eindhoven, cost him a place in Brazil’s starting line-up in Italia '90. He only played 60 minutes in a first round game against Scotland.
The controversial star's insistence for a place in the starting line-up in the 1994 world cup prompted coach Carlos Pereira to neglect him for the qualifying campaign.
But poor results prompted Romario’s recall in the final match against Uruguay and Romario responded with a stunning display and two goals which guarantee Brazil a place in USA '94. Romario followed this by scoring 5 goals at the 1994 World Cup, helping Brazil to win the trophy for a record fourth time.
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| SPORTS NEWS - South Africa |
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 19 Mar SA world cup budget hits $3.7bn
South Africa will spend around $3.7bn preparing to host the 2010 World Cup, according to the organisers.
This dwarfs the original estimate of $295 million, and a subsequent projection of $1.5bn made in 2006.
Commenting on the soaring cost, South Africa’s deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said that government spending will not be "open-ended."
South Africa’s Sports minister Makhenkese Stofile (pictured) told the press that he has prepared an interim report on preparations for the world cup tournament.
"This report shows that we have complied with every guarantee that we have made," Stofile said. "We even went beyond that."
Analysts say rising costs for raw materials and an expanded building programme and have contributed to escalating cost projections.
For instance, new stadiums in Cape Town and Durban were added to the construction plans, after the initial bid.
The government has also been using the tournament to help fund transport infrastructure and other services, with $2.5bn allocated to infrastructure development.
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| SPORTS NEWS - South Africa |
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 07 Mar McCarthy keen to play for SA in World Cup
Benni McCarthy (pictured) the South African striker playing for Blackburn Rovers in the English premiership, is hoping for a recall to the national squad when his country stages the world cup tournament in 2010.
McCarthy, who was surprisingly left out of the South African squad which performed poorly in the recent African Cup of Nations in Ghana, told the press that he is pinning his hopes on being in coach Carlos Alberto Parreira's squad for the world cup.
He said: "I'm still in good shape, so there's no chance that I'm giving up on going to the World Cup. I'm 30 years old now and I'm still going strong. You've got to give young players a chance and that's what they did for the African Nations Cup.”
McCarthy is concerned about the lack of potent strikers within the national team, which saw Bafana Bafana finishing bottom of their group at the Nations Cup.
He said: "I'm having to work extra hard to get back in there because the World Cup in 2010, in my home country, will be the last opportunity for me to play on the biggest stage.”
McCarthy ended a self-imposed nineteen month exile from the South Africa team by returning to the squad for the clash with Zambia last September.
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| SPORTS NEWS - Egypt |
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 01 Mar Hossam Hassan to coach Masry
Hossam Hassan (pictured) the former captain of Egypt’s national team has been appointed as coach of local club, Masry. He takes over from Juan Alves who was sacked on Thursday.
Masry are based in the costal city of Port Said. The club is currently fourteenth in the Egyptian top division after losing 1-0 to Suez Cement on Wednesday.
Club officials said Hassan will be assisted by his twin brother Ibrahim, who is also taking an administrative role at the club.
Speaking to the press after his appointment, Hassan said: "It's a new challenge for me, it will be my first experience as a coach and I am quite excited."
Hassan (42) is Africa's most capped footballer and played for Masry during his illustrious career.
He also had a successful career as a striker at Egypt's big clubs, such as Al Ahly and Zamalek as well as having a spell with Tersana.
Hassan hung his boots after playing for the Alexandria-based club Al Ittihad, last year. He had embarked on a career as a football analyst for Egyptian TV before being offered the Masry job.
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| SPORTS NEWS - Nigerian stars |
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 28 Feb Babayaro, West revive soccer carreers
Two former Nigerian international football stars, Celestine Babayaro and Taribo West are set to revive their careers in the US and Spain, respectively.
Babayaro (pictured) will be teaming up with David Beckham at the LA Galaxy whilst West is set to join a lowly Spanish second division side, Xerez CD.
Whilst Babayaro played most recently at Newcastle United in the English Premier League, West has been playing for Paykan FC in Iran, for the past three months. He is leaving the club by mutual consent and has told the press that he is hoping for "a new lease of life" after his move to Spain.
West has played for top European clubs such as Auxerre, Inter Milan, AC Milan. He has also plied his trade in less glamouros clubs such as Derby County, Kaiserslautern, Partizan Belgrade, Al-Arabi, Plymouth and Paykan.
He won 42 international caps with the Nigerian national team and played in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups.
Babayaro, on the other hand is taking a more high profile route back into the game after leaving Newcastle United in January, having been released from his contract. He joins his former boss, Ruud Gullit, who is now managing Galaxy in United States.
Babayaro, whose career has been dogged by injuries, told the press that he is hoping his luck has changed.
"I want to put the injury nightmares behind me because it had a negative impact on my Newcastle career", he said. "I'm really looking forward to returning to the nitty-gritty of football again, this time in the US.”
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| SPORTS NEWS - Fifa ranking |
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13 Feb Ghana voted top team in Africa by Fifa
Ghana has been voted Africa’s top team in the latest rankings released by world football's governing body, Fifa. The ranking also places Ghana in 14th position on world rankings.
Ghana got the nod ahead of Egypt, (listed 4th) even though the Pharoahs have won the Africa Cup of Nations back to back.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have dropped from first place in Africa to sixth, and slide 26 places in the world to 45.
Although Egypt beat Cameroon 1-0 at the African Cup of Nations finals last Sunday, the Indomitable Lions are rated second on the continent.
Egypt move up six places in the world rankings but are unchanged in Africa.
A Fifa representative told the press that the rankings are not a reflection of a team's current performance, but a reflection of performance over the past four years, and are derived using a weighting system
Fifa rankings for Africa on 13 February 2008. World rankings shown in brackets
1. Ghana (14) 2. Cameroon (17)
3. Ivory Coast (24) 4. Egypt (29)
5. Senegal (43) 6. Nigeria (46)
7. Mali (46) 8. Guinea (47)
9. Morocco (48) 10. Tunisia (53)
11. Angola (64) 12. Zambia (65)
13. South Africa (70) 14. Togo (74)
15. DR Congo (75) 16. Algeria (77)
17. Equatorial Guinea (78) 18. Mozambique (82)
19. Libya (85) 20. Ethiopia (86)
21. Congo (87) 22. Uganda (93)
23. Zimbabwe (96) 24. Tanzania (101)
25. Gambia (103) 26. Gabon (105)
27. Botswana (106) 28. Sudan (107)
29. Cape Verde Islands (108) 30. Burkina Faso (109)
31. Benin (112) 32. Mauritania (113)
33. Rwanda (114) 34. Kenya (117)
35. Namibia (119) 36. Burundi (122)
37. Eritrea (131) 38. Malawi (136)
39. Chad (143) 40. Liberia (145)
41. Swaziland (149) 42. Madagascar (150)
43. Niger (152) 44. Lesotho (156)
45. Sierra Leone (159) 46. Seychelles (163)
47. Mauritius (166) 48. Guinea-Bissau (174)
49. Djibouti (176) 50. Comoros (193)
51. Central African Republic (196) 52. Somalia (197)
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| SPORTS NEWS - AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS |
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 11 Feb Egypt win Africa Cup for the 6th time
Egypt won the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) for a record sixth time in Accra yesterday with an opportunistic goal in the 77th minute against Cameroon.
The goal by Mohamed Aboutrika (pictured) came courtesy of a mistake by Cameroon's experienced defender Rigobert Song. He dilly-dallied with clearing the ball around the box until Mohamed Zidan robbed him of possession and toed the ball to Aboutrika who shot it past the goalkeeper.
To be fair, the Pharaohs deserved their victory. They were more aggressive and passed the ball with more purpose and precision than their opponents. They came close to scoring in the 61st minute when Hosni Abd Rabou hit the post. By winning CAN 2008, Egypt has become African country to win the title back-to-back.
Their victory was also a triumph for national coach, Hassan Shehata, who becomes only the second coach to win successive trophies.
Egypt had more flair during the first half, creating most of the scoring chances with their speed and mobility, while Cameroon relied on a counter attack strategy which failed to bear fruit as there was very little service to their lone striker, Samuel Eto'o.
Aboutrika came close on 13 minutes, with a 35-yard shot that was pushed around the post by Cameroon goalkeeper Carlos Kameni.
Two minutes later the Indomitable Lions were forced to make a substitution, with Gilles Binya replacing Alexandre Song, who was carrying an injury from the previous game.
Cameroon defender Geremi forced a save from Essam Al-Hadari from a free-kick, but the Pharaohs almost took the lead seconds later.
Hadari's clearance found Emad Moteab, whose 15-yard shot was parried brilliantly by Kameni, but into the path of Aboutrika, whose shot was too high.
Nine minutes before half-time a ball over the Cameroon defence found Moteab inside the area. Again, Kameni made a fine save from the shot, and the match went into half time, goalless.
After the break, Cameroon played with more purpose, causing the tempo of the match to increase considerably, but Egypt refused to buckle.
Kameni, the start performer for the Indominable Lions made two more fine saves. The first was a close-range effort from Amr Zaki, then from Abd-Rabou's 25-yard cracker, which he punched away.
With only 13 minutes remaining, Rigobert Song presented Egypt with an opportunity to break the stalemate by losing a tussle with substitute Zidan.
Zidan pushed the ball along the edge of the box into the path of Aboutrika, who simply slotted the ball home from 15 yards. Song had a chance to make amends in stoppage-time, but headed Geremi’s cross over the bar.
Cameroon: Kameni, Tchato, Song, Atouba, Emana (Idrissou 56), Song Billong (Binya 16), Mbia, Epalle (M'Bami 65), Geremi, Nkong, Eto'o.
Subs Not Used: Hamidou, Mbarga, Angbwa, Essola, Makoun, N'Guemo, Tomou, Job.
Booked: Atouba, Idrissou.
Egypt: El Hadari, Mohamed, Hany Said, Gomaa, Moawad, Fathi, Hassan, Abd Rabou, Aboutriaka (Ibrahim Said 89), Moteab (Zidan 60), Zaki (Shawky 84).
Subs Not Used: Abdel Monssef, Sobhy, El Saeed, Fathallah, Gamal, Mostafa, Shaaban, El Mohamady, Fadl.
Booked: Hassan.
Goals: Aboutriaka 77.
Ref: Coffi Codja (Benin)
Attendance: 35,500
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| SPORTS NEWS - AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS |
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 04 Feb Ivory Coast stroll into semi-finals
Ivory Coast, outclassed Guinea to stroll into the semi-finals of the African Cup of Nations in Ghana, on Sunday, with a 5-0 victory.
Guinea, who were without their suspended captain Pascal Feindouno and injured defender Bobo Balde, played reasonably well, but created few chances.
The impressive Kader Keita (pictured) put the Elephants ahead in the first half, shooting from an acute angle after a run down the right.
The other four goals came in the last 20 minutes as a fine Didier Drogba finish made it 2-0. Then Salomon Kalou rounded the keeper to extend the lead.
Kalou scored his second from six yards out. The diminutive Bakary Kone hit a 20-yard thunderbolt to complete the rout.
Ivory Coast, who were one of the favourites to win the CAN at the beginning of the tournament, are now firm favourites to lift the trophy on 10 February. The style and composure of the Ivorians in all the games played so far, suggest they will be a hard nut to crack for any side they meet in the semi-finals, and finals if they go through.
04 Feb Ghana win dramatic clash with Nigeria
Ghana came from behind to earn a semi-final place with victory over Nigeria in a game full of drama.
Nigeria, who have been unimpressive throughout the tournament, took the lead after 34 minutes through a Yakubu penalty. But Michael Essien (pictured) levelled the scores with a glancing header on the stroke of half-time.
Ghana were reduced to 10 men on the hour, after captain John Mensah was sent off for a professional foul.
But the Black Stars continued to attack, and with eight minutes remaining, Junior Agogo's close-range finish gave them victory. Ghana had the upper hand for most of the first half, which was a scrappy, physical affair.
Nigeria defender Joseph Yobo almost put the ball in his own net three minutes later, as he cut out a Sulley Muntari cross. Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan hit the post with a left-footer on 25 minutes..
Ghana’s equaliser came with the last move of the first period, when Owusu's cross was met with a glancing header by Essien. The ball went in off the left post, and trickled along the goal line before going in.
The winner came on 82 minutes. Muntari crossed inside the box to the unmarked Agogo, who finished from four yards out.
Nigeria were unable to respond, and Ghana beat them for only the second time at the Nations Cup, in what was a memorable match.
04 Feb Kanoute is African Footballer of the Year
Fredi Kanoute has been voted African Footballer of the Year, the first European-born player to win the award.
The Mali and Sevilla forward, 30, edged out Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba, last year's winner, and Ghana's Michael Essien for the 2007 award.
The award is run by the Confederation of African Football, with voting by national coaches from 53 African countries.
Kanoute, who was born in France, is the first winner from Mali since Salif Keita won the inaugural award in 1970.
Kanoute had successful stints with the French club Lyon, and two English premier league sides, West Ham and Spurs. His goals helped Mali qualify for this year's Africa Nations Cup in Ghana.
Accepting the award in Ghana, Kanoute said: "I dedicate this to my family, who could not be here, and to the people of Mali. I believe that sport can be used as a tool for development in Africa."
Mali failed to reach the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations, finishing third in Group B.
Kanoute scored from the penalty spot in the opening 1-0 win over Benin, but then they drew 0-0 with Nigeria before losing 3-0 to Ivory Coast to bow out of the competition.
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| SPORTS NEWS - AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS |
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Africa Cup of Nations : Group A Table
28 January 2008 18:58
P W D L F A GD PTS
1 Ghana 3 3 0 0 5 1 4 9
2 Guinea 3 1 1 1 5 5 0 4
3 Morocco 3 1 0 2 7 6 1 3
4 Namibia 3 0 1 2 2 7 -5 1
Africa Cup of Nations : Group B Table
29 January 2008 19:29
P W D L F A GD PTS
1 Ivory Coast 3 3 0 0 8 1 7 9
2 Nigeria 3 1 1 1 2 1 1 4
3 Mali 3 1 1 1 1 3 -2 4
4 Benin 3 0 0 3 1 7 -6 0
Africa Cup of Nations : Group C Table
26 January 2008 21:33
P W D L F A GD PTS
1 Egypt 2 2 0 0 7 2 5 6
2 Cameroon 2 1 0 1 7 5 2 3
3 Zambia 2 1 0 1 4 5 -1 3
4 Sudan 2 0 0 2 0 6 -6 0
Africa Cup of Nations : Group D Table
27 January 2008 21:25
P W D L F A GD PTS
1 Tunisia 2 1 1 0 5 3 2 4
2 Angola 2 1 1 0 4 2 2 4
3 Senegal 2 0 1 1 3 5 -2 1
4 South Africa 2 0 1 1 2 4 -2 1
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| SPORTS NEWS - AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS |
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 22 Jan Mali clinches victory over Benin
Mali opened their campaign in the African Cup of Nations tournament with a 1-0 win over Benin in Ghana today. The victory places Mali in joint top position of Group B with Ivory Coast.
Frederic Kanoute (pictured) who plays for Sevilla in Spain scored a penalty on 49 minutes after Dramane Traore was ajudged to have been fouled by Alain Gaspoz.
The match, played at the Sekondi stadium, started fifteen minutes late after a power failure turned off the floodlights and plunged the arena into darkness.
Benin's best chances came from Seidath Tchomogo who headed over after 15 minutes from a right-wing cross.
Mamady Sidibe fluffed his chance of doubling Mali's lead on 75 minutes while Mahamadou Diarra forced a save from Rachad Chitou with a long shot.
Mali who started the brighter, testing Benin's goalkeeper Chitou with a number of shots from outside the area.
Seydou Keita had the first real chance of the game for Mali after twelve minutes when the Sevilla midfielder flashed a shot wide from 20 yards.
With half an hour played the match was still waiting for a moment of inspiration to light up the game, but with both defences playing well, the likes of Sevilla-star Kanoute were being kept quiet.
Within two minutes of the restart Mali were in front. Traore earned his side a penalty after he was fouled in the area by Gaspoz following-up on a spilled shot from Diarra.
Kanoute stepped up and nonchalantly chipped the ball into the middle of the goal, having sent Chitou diving in the wrong direction.
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 21 Jan Black Stars notch first victory
GHANA’S Black Stars won their first match in the opening African Cup of Nations tournament against Guinea on Sunday.
The 2-1 win was a rather lacklustre affair, albeit memorable by a 30 metre shot from midfielder Sulley Muntari (pictured) which sealed victory for the host nation.
Neither team played to their full potential although Ghana hit the post at least three times as they desperately tried to get the only result which would have satisfied their soccer mad fans.
With Ghanaian President John Kufour sitting among thousands of Ghanaian football fans who were wearing outfits highlighting their national team's colours, the game progressed in great spurts and stops, without setting the stadium alight .
Ghana took the lead when striker, Asamoah Gyan, scored by way of a controversial penalty in the 53rd minute. But Guinea was on equal terms ten minutes later, when Omar Kalabane equalized with a header. In the dying minutes of the game Muntari hit a scorcher which sent the partisan crowd delirious.
Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA, the controlling body of international football, and Michel Platini, the president of UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations, were among the dignitaries who sat alongside Issa Hayatou, president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
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| SPORTS NEWS - AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS |
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 16 Jan Ghana all set for African Cup battle
Ghana is pulling all strings to ensure that it’s hosting of the African Cup of Nations is a memorable occasion, according to Dr. Kofi Amoah, (pictured) Chairman of the Ghana 2008 Local Organising Committee (LOC).
In a radio interview with a London radio station, Amoah said the LOC had been in consultation with Germany (which hosted the last world cup) for tips on how to make the event run as efficient as possible.
The country has spent US$175m building new soccer stadiums and refurbishing existing ones. Some churches are even offering prayer meetings for the Ghanaian national team to lift the trophy for the third time.
“We are going to have facilities for public viewing, just as they did in Germany,” Amoah said. “We are also going to have song and dance to reflect the legendary Ghanaian hospitality. I hope that people who come for the African Cup of Nations will want to come to Ghana again as tourists.”
Although analysts expect hefty traffic jams around the Ghanaian cities hosting the African teams, Amoah is adamant that the one million football enthusiasts flocking to Ghana from all corners of Africa will not be disappointed with the spirit of the tournament.
Asked which country will lift the trophy on the final whistle of the tournament, Amoah said: “Ghana is going to thrive. We have a good team and a good coach. I’m looking to Ghana lifting the cup.”
In November last year Amoah, predicted that Ghana could win the 2010 world cup in South Africa if the government made a commitment to invest at least US$10 million to secure a high profile international coach now.
Amoah however refused to be drawn to the question of whether the African football authorities will be persuaded to change the dates for the hosting of the African Cup of Nations in order to accommodate the demands of the European leagues where 42 African players are plying their trade.
He said: “The bottom line is Africa has to look into how it can develop its own game so that it can retain the best talents and develop a strong African league. Its good for business.”
Furthermore, Amoah said European clubs have to take into consideration that the choice of dates for the African Cup of Nations is heavily influenced by weather considerations. “For instance the next tournament after Ghana will be in Angola between 10 and 31st January because we have to take into account the rain season. We won’t change it to fit European demands.”
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| SPORTS NEWS - SOCCER |
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 15 Jan Namibia Brave Warriors unfazed
Namibia’s national soccer team, Brave Warriors (pictured) sets off for the African Cup of Nations in Ghana, unfazed by the quality of opposition they will face in their group, which includes the host nation, Ghana, Morocco and Guinea.
Brace Warriors team manager Tim Isaacs has warned that anyone thinking that Namibia will turn up for the tournament just to make up numbers, may have a rude awakening.
Isaacs is convinced that Namibia’s recent warm-up friendlies series against Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Senegal will stand his squad in good stead when the games kick off.
"We are happy that we have played all our four friendly matches away from home against some of the top clubs of the continent,” Isaacs said
"Egypt are the defending champions while Morocco and Tunisia have all won the coveted continental competition at one stage or the other, while Senegal also have a excellent pedigree in the tournament,” added Isaacs. “We may have lost all our warm-up matches but believe me it will be a different story when we play the likes of Morocco and Guinea at a neutral venue in Ghana.”
Furthermore, Isaacs said he doesn’t fear host country Ghana because he reckons that pressure will be on them on their home turf.
"I know that right now many people consider us to be the dark horses of our group but I can promise the Namibian nation that we are going to give this tournament our best shot,” Isaacs said. "The boys are prepared to battle and very positive to spring a surprise or two. We want to achieve big things at the Afcon finals and our aim is to win all three of our opening matches.”
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| SPORTS NEWS - AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS |
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 ARICAN CUP OF NATIONS 2008
15 Jan Kanu captains Super Eagles in Ghana
Nwankwo Kanu, the Portsmouth striker will captain Nigeria’s Super Eagles for the African Cup of Nations tournament in Ghana. This will be Kanu’s 5th appearance at Africa's football showcase.
Nigeria's German coach Berti Vogts has included eight debutants to the Super Eagles squad, including defenders Rabiu Afolabi, Onyekachi Apam, Danny Shittu, Ifeanyi Emeghara and Richard Eromoigbe; midfielders Onyekachi Okonkwo and Dickson Etuhu, and striker Ikechukwu Uche.
None of the 23 players in Vogts squad are based in Nigeria. Indeed, they all play in ten different nations across Europe.
In their first match of the tournament, the Super Eagles will come up against one of the favourites, Ivory Coast, in Sekondi on 21 January. Mali and Benin make up the rest of Group B.
Nigeria squad
Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv, Israel), Austin Ejide (Bastia, France), Dele Aiyenugba (Bnei-Yehuda, Israel)
Defenders: Onyekachi Apam (Nice, France), Taye Taiwo (Marseille, France), Joseph Yobo (Everton, England), Obinna Nwaneri (FC Sion, Switzerland), Danny Shittu (Watford, England), Rabiu Afolabi (Sochaux, France), Ifeanyi Emeghara (Steua Bucharest, Romania), Richard Eromoigbe (Levski Sofiaj, Bulgaria)
Midfielders: Mikel Obi (Chelsea, England), Seyi Olofinjana (Wolverhampton, England), Onyekachi Okonkwo (FC Zurich, Switzerland), Dickson Etuhu (Sunderland, England)
Strikers: Ikechukwu Uche (Getafe, Spain), Obinna Nsofor (Chievo Verona, Italy), Osaze Odemwingie (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia), John Utaka, Nwankwo Kanu (both Portsmouth, England), Obafemi Martins (Newcastle, England), Ayodele Makinwa (Lazio, Italy), Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Everton, England).
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