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Thursday, January 31, 2008

Premier League bosses in deadline day scramble

Premier League clubs have until midnight tonight to bolster their squads this season as the January transfer window closes.


A number of possible moves were still in the pipeline this morning, with Middlesbrough waiting to hear whether they would be able to sign Heerenveen's Afonso Alves for a club record fee.


The Brazilian striker was in the crowd at the Riverside for Tuesday night's Premier League victory over Wigan and has appealed a decision to reject his application for a work permit.

Manchester City face a similar problem in their bid to recruit Nashat Akram and were waiting to see whether the Home Office would reconsider its decision to refuse the Iraq midfielder a work permit.

Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has been on the lookout for a goalscorer all month and is reportedly eyeing up Portsmouth's Benjani Mwaruwari.

It is thought too Eriksson could be close to tying up a deal for FC Basle striker Felipe Caicedo.

Even though he is only 19, Caicedo has international experience and represented Ecuador at the Copa America last year.

Eriksson needs to boost his attacking options after letting under-performing Georgios Samaras and Rolando Bianchi join Celtic and Lazio on loan respectively.

Sunderland boss Roy Keane has made a late bid to sign Charlton midfielder Andy Reid. It is understood the Black Cats have tabled an offer in the region of £4million for the 25-year-old Republic of Ireland international.

Fulham's hopes of making Rangers striker Daniel Cousin their fifth January signing also hang in the balance after FIFA claimed yesterday they had still to make a decision on his £3million transfer.

Cousin played 20 minutes of league football as a substitute for French club Lens before completing his summer switch to Rangers and FIFA regulations forbid a player from playing for more than two clubs in one season.

Although midnight on January 31 is the official cut-off point for transfers, special dispensation to complete signings beyond that deadline can be sought.

Newcastle appeared set to make a host of signings following the return of Kevin Keegan as manager but he admitted yesterday he may end the month without making a single purchase.

Keegan must decide whether to make an improved offer for Derby midfielder Giles Barnes after seeing a bid rejected by the Premier League's bottom club this week.

Rams manager Paul Jewell has revealed he would be prepared to sell at the right price.

Keegan has already been snubbed by Jonathan Woodgate, who chose to leave Middlesbrough for Tottenham and the Magpies boss had been expected to turn elsewhere for defensive reinforcements.

Spurs finally put an end to the Alan Hutton transfer saga yesterday by signing the full-back from Rangers for a fee believed to be in the region of £9million.

He could yet be joined at White Hart Lane by Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing, if Spurs make a formal approach for the wantaway winger.

That decision could be influenced Wayne Routledge's move to Aston Villa.

Routledge became Villa first signing of the month when he agreed an 18-month deal in a transfer believed to be around £1.5million.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill is also being linked with a £2.2million move for goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who plays for MLS side Chivas USA as well as Spurs full-back Pascal Chimbonda.

Bolton last night won the race to sign Aston Villa central defender Gary Cahill, in a deal believed to be worth around £5million.

The young centre-back has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal at the Reebok Stadium, after weeks of uncertainty surrounding his future.

GHANA 2008 PREVIEW : Tunisia VS Angola

The Carthage Eagles will have their hands full in this encounter against a team that had until fairly recently been regarded as “minnows” in the continent’s football scene.

However, the omens are good. The Tunisians showed predatory abilities to pounce on some very slack defending by the South Africans in their last group game, with Yassine Chikhaoui the chief tormentor for the eventual victors.

In truth, the Bafana Bafana players did not show enough determination on the day, and during the only period that they made attempts on the Tunisian goal, the inexperienced strike-force squandered the chances.

That masked the fact that the Tunisian defence is a nervous one, with their penchant for committing unnecessary errors posing a serious threat to their campaign. This lapse could become very important when they face the strong strike force of the Angolans in today’s encounter.

Coach Roger Lemerre has disciplinary concerns, with strikers Francileudo Dos Santos, Kamel Zaiem, defender Ben Fraj and midfielder Mejdi Traoui all one booking away from missing out on a possible quarter-final encounter against powerhouses Cameroon or Egypt.

However, he has pacy and skillful striker Amine Chermiti back for this one, after he served his two-match ban for a red card he received in the team’s last qualifying game.

The striker will have to watch his temperament though, as the referee who was responsible for issuing his red card, Coffi Codja, will officiate today's game.

The Tunisians will come into this encounter knowing that a draw will be good enough for them to progress through to the quarter final stage but can they get it? Or will they go the way of Mali? We'll find out today.

Angolan Hope

With three goals in only two games for his country at the tournament so far, Manucho is looking every inch a legend in the making.

The Palancas Negras came into this tournament as veritable dark horses, and have become a dreaded force after two fantastic displays against South Africa and group favorites Senegal.

There is no guessing how far this team will go in the championship, and with their determined and exquisite brand of football, the Angolans have proven themselves to be a team worthy of respect.

Coach Oliviera Goncalves’s decision to leave out star midfielder Figueiredo in favour of Andre in the game against Senegal seemed to have paid great dividends as the team appeared to be highly inspired, bossing the midfield with ease.

The team will go into this game also knowing a draw should get them through, but the pressure is more on Tunisia's shoulders, as they are still favourites.

There are club rivalries at play in this one, with Al Ahli’s Flavio and Gilberto set to face some members of the Etoile du Sahel squad that denied them the CAF champion’s league last year.

The Tunisians have history on their side however with regards to confrontation between the two sides in the past. The sides have met on four occasions previously, with the Tunisians winning three times and the other game ending in a draw.

TEAM NEWS

TUNISIA

With the availability of Amine Chermiti, it would seem Roger Lemerre would want to keep Dos Santos on the bench for this game, considering the Brazilian-born forward's booking. But how Chermiti bonds with the team is another worry for the French coach.

Majdi Traoui ,who is also on a yellow card, will surely be replaced by the strong Chaker Zouaghi in the middle of the pack. Also, Jaohar Mnari, who suffered a slight knock in the game against South Africa should return to the left side of midfield.

In goal we should expect to see Hamdi Kasraoui, who has so far conceded three goals in the tournament.

The defence is set to see Radhouane Felhi replacing Ben Fraj ,since he is also on a yellow card. He should pair up with skipper Radhi Jaidi. Swiss-based Yassine Mikari and Karim Hagui should complete the defence line-up.

The midfield should be headed by Medhi Nafti, along with Chaker Zouaghi and Jawhar M’Nari.

Mohammed Amine Chermiti should return to the attack, joining Issam Jemaa in the starting line up. The impressive Yassine Chakaoui should come on later in the encounter.

Roger Lemerre is set to send out a 4-4-2 formation for this one.

Squad

Hamdi Kasraoui (Espérance Tunisia), Adel Nefzi (Clubafricain, Tunisia), Aymen Mathlouthi (Etoile du Sahel, Tunisia), Wissem Abdi (Zamalek, Egypt), Sabeur Ben Frej (Etoile du Sahel, Tunisia), Karim Hagui (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany), Yassine Mikari (Grasshopper, Switzerland), Seif Ghezal (Etoile du Sahel, Tunisia) Mehdi Meriah (Etoile du Sahel, Tunisia), Radhouane Felhi (Etoile du Sahel, Tunisia), Radhi Jaidi (Birmingham City, England), Wissem Bekri (Espérance, Tunisia), Chaouki Ben Saada (FC Bastia, France), Jawhar M'Nari (FC Nuremberg, Germany), Mehdi Nafti (Birmingham City, England), Kamel Zaiem (Espérance, Tunisis), Chaker Zouaghi (Locomotive Moscow, Russia), Majdi Traoui (Etoile du Sahel, Tunisia), Yassine Chikhaoui (FC Zurich), Silva Dos Santos (FC Toulouse, France), Issam Jemaa (FC Caen, France), Mohamed Amine Chermiti (Etoile du Sahel, Tunisia), Mehdi Ben Dhifallah (Etoile du Sahel, Tunisia)

ANGOLA

Coach Oliviera Goncalves would be impressed with the performance of his side in the comeback victory over Senegal, and we should expect him to send out almost the same squad. The probable exclusions could be Flavio and talented midfielder Andre, based on the yellow cards they picked up in the Senegal clash.

In between the goal posts we should expect to see Joao Lama, who has done well so far for the Angolans.

The defence is likely to be marshaled by Rui Marques and Kali, with Marco Airosa and Yamba Asha providing support from the flanks.

In the midfield we should expect the return of team skipper Figueiredo, who would be joined by Ze Kalanga, Mendonca and Gilberto.

The attack line is set to have star forward Manucho, probably alongside Mateus of Boavista.

Squad

Lama (Petro Atletico), Mario (InterClube), Nuno (AS Aviacao), Marco Airosa (Fatima), Delgado (Metz), Jamba (AS Aviacao), Kali (FC Sion), Loco (Primeiro Agosto), Machado (Anadia), Rui Marques (Leeds United), Yamba Asha (Petro Atletico), Andre (Kuwait SC), Dede, Edson (both Pacos Ferreira), Figueiredo (Osters), Gilberto (Al Ahly), Maurito (Kuwait SC), Mendonca (Estrela Amadora), Ze Kalanga (Boavista), Flavio (Al Ahly), Love (Primeiro Agosto), Manucho (Petro Atletico), Mateus (Boavista)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tunisia - Chermiti Amine: The 20-year-old has been raring to go at this tournament, but has been restricted by his suspension. He has the pace and a skill to trouble any defence, and was largely responsible for Etoile du Sahel’s success at last year’s African Champions League.

Angola - Manucho: Who can doubt the prolific nature of this Manchester United-bound youngster? He has shown some great composure in front of goal so far, and with the possible exclusion of Flavio from the squad, he will be the player Angolans would be looking up to for the goals.

PREDICTION

This game is sure going to be a cracker, against all odds: With both sides knowing a draw would just be sufficient to take them through; expectations would be that they would both take it easy with each other. But I don’t expect that to happen in this game today. Pride, and first place, are at stake.

The battle for the midfield will be intense, and the winner of that battle should deservedly win the war. I would give this encounter to the Angolans: they have grown with each game, and there teamplay seems to have developed rapidly as well. They have a very good understanding of each other, and that is an essential attribute for success.

Tunisia 1 - 2 Angola

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Moyes Calls For Prem African Shutdown



Everton gaffer David Moyes has called for a Premier League shut-down during future African Cup of Nations tournaments...

In an ideal world, the bigwigs would have the African showpiece moved to the European off-season. These calls were rebuffed, though, by the Confederation of African Football, who are unwilling to make this compromise.

David Moyes is without Joseph Yobo, Ayegbeni Yakubu and Stephen Pienaar during this crucial period of matches. With the Toffees pushing for a European place this term, Moyes is of the opinion that the Premier League should accommodate the Cup of Nations instead.

"You cannot win. But maybe now we have to consider if we close the Premier League season down during the African Nations Cup," Moyes told AFP.

"That would be the correct respect for Africa and the players in it.

"If we want to bring players in from that part of the world we should be rightly allowed to do so, which we are, but it is not a fair playing field if you cannot field your best team."

Indeed, the fixture problems aren’t limited to Europe and Africa. Everton midfielder Tim Cahill may soon be on Australia duty, with FIFA clearly struggling to correlate the world football calendar.

"I think it's ridiculous that someone has to fly halfway around the world in between two league matches at this stage of the season," said Moyes.

"But Tim has to make the decision on whether he goes to play for Australia or not. He has got a hamstring injury just now so we will have to see if that hinders him in any way."

Calcio Debate: Del Piero – Trezeguet & Great Forward


On Sunday evening Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet once again showed just how outstanding their forward partnership is by sharing another three goals between them. Carlo Garganese asks where the Juve-duo rank with some of the great Serie A partnerships of the past…

Anyone who saw David Trezeguet’s second goal against Livorno a couple of nights ago will surely have stood up and applauded the telepathic link-up play between the Frenchman and strike-partner Alessandro Del Piero.

Since the year 2000 when Trezeguet first joined Juve, the pair have been terrorising opposition defences, scoring goals galore virtually every season.

The level of consistency over a period of nearly eight years is something quite extraordinary. Below is the total of combined goals scored by Trez and Del every season from 2000.

2000/01: 24

2001/02: 53

2002/03: 36

2003/04: 36

2004/05: 31

2005/06: 49

2006/07: 38

2007/08 (so far): 23

In total, according to the figures above, Del Piero and Trezeguet have hit 290 goals between them.

When you consider that Filippo Inzaghi was first-choice for large portions of Trezeguet’s first season, while Del Piero was often substitute or substituted during Fabio Capello’s time in charge, then this accumulation is even more impressive.

Then of course there are injuries to consider, as well as the fact that Trezeguet doesn’t take penalties, although of course this is perhaps countered by the fact that Del Piero does.

Many have always doubted whether Del Piero and Trezeguet were really made to be a partnership. Neither is renowned for their physical strength, nor for their ability to hold up the ball, or most importantly for their pace.

Some top strikers have also joined Juventus over the past eight years, probably to give Juve an extra dimension in this sense.

The likes of Marco Di Vaio, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and most recently Vincenzo Iaquinta have all threatened to lead to the downfall of one of the pair.

Di Vaio had an excellent start to his career in Turin in 2002, but soon fell off the radar as it became obvious that he was no match for either of Trezeguet or Del Piero.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic joined in 2004 and soon became a favourite of Fabio Capello, who clearly preferred the Swede to Del Piero.

Although Ibra was outstanding in his first season, scoring 15 Serie A goals, everyone will remember that he couldn’t hit a barn door in his second campaign, netting just seven times.

Meanwhile Del Piero, who as mentioned above was often used as a substitute (or substituted early in the second half), still managed to score just one less than Ibrahimovic in the latter’s first season (in fact two more if you include Champions League goals), while in 2005/06 he hit the back of the net 20 times in total. Trezeguet meanwhile smashed in 45 during these two years.
This sequence has continued this current campaign. Vincenzo Iaquinta was brought in from Udinese and in truth has made an excellent start to his Juve career. The 28-year-old even dislodged Del Piero as a first-choice starter for a while.

However it soon became clear once again that Iaquinta could not match the [goalscoring] consistency of Del Piero and Trezeguet, and it was only a matter of time until the old partnership was resumed.

At the age of 33 and 30 respectively, the duo are still going very strong, and have already hit 23 goals between them this season, particularly impressive when you consider how weak and embarrassingly uncreative Juventus’ midfield currently is.

At times it is true that Del Piero and Trezeguet do not seem like they are well-suited to each other and a lack of pace can be a problem in some games.

However statistics do not lie and when the partnership is finally broken up for good, the pair will surely go down as one of Serie A’s great deadly duo’s.

Some Great Duo’s From The Past (note these are not necessarily both centre-forwards. They could be two players, like Michel Platini and Paolo Rossi, who just had an outstanding understanding together)

Andriy Shevchenko & Filippo Inzaghi (Milan)

Alessandro Del Piero & Filippo Inzaghi (Juventus)

Giuseppe Signori & Pierluigi Casiraghi (Lazio)

Fabrizio Ravanelli & Gianluca Vialli (Juventus)

Gabriel Batistuta & Francesco Baiano (Fiorentina)

Marco Van Basten & Daniele Massaro (Milan)

Roberto Mancini & Gianluca Vialli (Sampdoria)

Diego Maradona & Careca (Napoli)

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge & Alessandro Altobelli (Inter)

Michel Platini & Paolo Rossi (Juventus)

Francesco Graziani & Paolo Pulici (Torino)

Roberto Bettega & Roberto Boninsegna (Juventus)

Angelo Sormani & Pierino Prati (Milan)

Omar Sivori & John Charles (Juventus)

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Ronaldo Reclaims His Spot As Penalty King




Cristiano Ronaldo rediscovered his confidence from the penalty spot in the FA Cup fourth round against Tottenham and insisted he had no problem in stepping up to take the kick

Last month the Portuguese winger suffered the ignominy of missing a penalty in Man United's 2-1 victory over West Ham but when he was asked by MUTV if this was playing on his mind when he put the ball on the spot in his side's 3-1 win over Spurs he replied: "To be honest, no."

"Sometimes you score, sometimes you miss," he continued, philosophically. "I wasn't thinking about West Ham - that's in the past. I needed to think about the present.

"My confidence is always positive. I took a good penalty and I scored. I'm very happy, my colleagues are happy... everyone is happy."

The player did, however, admit that his side didn't have it all their own way against an organised and threatening Tottenham.

"The game was very difficult," added Ronaldo, who scored two goals in an otherwise average performance by his standards.

"We knew before the game it would be tough because Spurs are a good team and they were coming to Old Trafford with confidence after beating Arsenal in their last match.

"But I think we played better (than Spurs) and we deserved to win."

Ronaldo's two strikes took his tally of goals for the season to 25, two more than his total for the whole of the last campaign.

"I'm having a great season and I need to carry it on. But the most important thing is the team is playing very well, we are top of the league and in the next round of the FA Cup," he concluded.

Super Eagles Become Super Vultures



Nigeria relinquished the Cup of Nation against Mali in a crucial tie on Thursday by failing to win when it mattered the most.

The Super Eagles were once famed for killing teams off themselves. Now, after that capitulation to Mali, the birds can only fly to the next round if the Ivory Coast do them a favour in the final set of group matches. The eagles, then, need someone else to do their killing: they are now vultures.


It was indeed the worst performance of Nigeria since the introduction of this cup. Nigeria missed key Kanu through injury, but also lacked preparation and were unable to match Malian's skill, mental strength and desire. For Mali, salvaging the pointwas a matter of personal and national pride which the Super Eagles couldn't match.

Nigeria is a powerhouse in African football and the national side is ranked number one in the African continent. But after the performance, the status has diminished and rightly so the “Super Eagles” turned to ordinary vultures. In order to win this the match, they needed fire-power, and star studded players had to perform. The defence wasn't up to much either, but these were the two main areas of failure. Nigerian strikers failed to find the net in the second consecutive game, and Yakubu didn’t look like the Yakubu we see in Premier League every week.

In the last fifteen minutes, they showed their desperation to break the deadlock. For this, everyone moved forward and tried their best to beat the ticking clock. But desperation and panic is not the way game is played. Tournament football needs clear cut plans and strategies are made in order to cope with situations like this. When such designs exist, they produces fruitful results. For Nigeria, there were no team work and nobody was ready to take the lead, and no plan was forthcoming.


The heat was another factor in the poor scoreline, and in some ways an avoidable one. Nigerian, they were trained mostly in Nigeria and Spain which, will not cold countries, lacked the exact tournament conditions of Ghana. In addition, they played their preparatory games with European countries instead playing with their continental fellows.

As if to show the lack of ideas in the Nigerian camp, Jon Mikel Obi expressed his nervousness when he was interviewed after the match. When asked about Nigeria’s chances, his first reaction was, “I don’t know”. When asked about Kanu’s absence, again it was, “I don’t know”.

I personally like the way Mali came into this match. They made every effort to snatch the point, and this they did. Mali were more dangerous and difficult than Nigeria - even though in some areas their squad is weaker. They hit the targets well and were pushing very hard from start to finish.


Nigeria, on the other hand, scarcely earned the tag “Super Eagles”. Once upon a time they were called that, because in many ways they resembled one, hunting in destructive packs. But after this defeat, Nigeria must adapt to a diet of dead animals as would vultures. Their fate lies in the hands of Ivory Coast, in that they need the Ivorians to kill Mali's chances. Having to rely on results elsewhere is hardly becoming of an eagle.


Nigeria have one of the best strike forces in Africa and they have lot of talent but when it comes to backroom coaching, yet the squad does not work as it should. It’s not about players, it’s not about coaches, it’s about football administration and Nigerian have to put their administration in order. That will see an effect that works its way down from management to players, and finally result in some teamplay.


With World Cup 2010 not too far away, Nigeria is a force to whom the continent will look for success. But with this sort of performance, expectations will be lowered significantly.


The future of Nigerian football seems to be very bleak. I take pity on Nigerian supporters.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

FA CUP UPDATE : Arsenal 3 Vs Newcastle 0


Normal service has been resumed.

While this straightforward victory over Newcastle in the FA Cup Fourth Round may not obliterate the memory of that 5-1 beating at Tottenham in midweek, it will at least help Arsène Wenger's side settle into their old and familiar winning groove.

Newcastle arrived at Emirates Stadium with ambition, determined to take advantage of any Carling Cup hangover. Their industrious game-plan worked to an extent and this lively tie was well-balanced until Emmanuel Adebayor rifled home the opening goal five minutes into the second period.

But after that Arsenal took over and the Togolese frontman secured a berth in the Fifth Round with a second seven minutes from time. Then, just before the end, Nicky Butt touched Cesc Fabregas' free-kick into his own net.

The scoreline was harsh on Newcastle who played a full part in proceedings.
But, at full time, the home side's now traditional huddle was back in evidence ­as was Arsenal's efficiency.

Wenger's men move onwards and upwards ­ not only in the FA Cup but from Tuesday night.

The manager retained four players from midweek ­ Abou Diaby, Justin Hoyte, Theo Walcott and Willaim Gallas. Philippe Senderos returned at centre back, Mathieu Flamini and Fabregas were restored to central midfield with Tomas Rosicky on the left while Emmanuel Adebayor was back up front. Jens Lehmann took over the No 1 spot at the expense of Lukasz Fabianski.

Well that is the way Arsenal started anyway. Within 10 minutes Rosicky was forced off with an injury and Eduardo came on. The Croatian joined Adebayor up front and Walcott dropped to the right flank.

It was a not massive change. The game had barely settled down. Newcastle had caused slight consternation from a corner and the stretching Fabregas had nearly touched Gael Clichy's chipped through-ball past Shay Given. But that was about it. Still, there was drive and ambition in abundance from both sides.

Keegan's return had not been triumphant last weekend against Bolton. Gary Megson's underrated outfit had held them to drab goalless draw at St James' Park. Today they were much more vibrant.

In the 14th minute, Charles N'Zogbia's run won a corner. He took it himself and Alan Smith's first time shot was headed off the line by Gael Clichy. A couple of minutes later Stephen Carr and Smith combined on the right only for the resulting cross to flash across the area with Michael Owen in close attendance.

The game was starting to sparkle. Clichy's shot was batted away by Given and then Diaby cracked an effort well wide.

In the 23rd minute, Diaby's attempted pass was half-blocked. The bounce fooled Steven Taylor and Eduardo pounced to lash a shot goalwards. Given saved spectacularly. In the minutes that followed the Irishman made a more mundane save and an unmarked Eduardo miscued his header at the near post.

Arsenal's response had been heartening and it was shaping up to be a wonderful FA Cup tie. While Havant & Waterlooville were doing their best to play out the classic David and Goliath scenario this was more like Clash of the Titans.

On the half-hour, Fabregas cleverly sent Walcott through on the right of the area but the winger's teasing cross trickled unconverted across the face of goal.

Duff's tenacity won a corner at the other end as Newcastle threatened once more but Arsenal's response saw Adebayor nudge a header just wide. It was end-to-end stuff.

However as the game neared half time, the visitors' end came under more pressure. Fabregas fired an angled shot wide and, on the whistle, Given tipped over from Diaby's piledriver.

The interval had come at the wrong time for Arsenal. They were just building up a head of steam and, if anything, Newcastle had enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges when the home side took the lead in the 51st minute.

Eduardo received the ball in space on the edge of the area and cleverly opened up his body to curl an effort against the base of the post. The ball rebounded to Adebayor who cut inside his marker and rifled a shot into the far corner of the net.

The Togolese striker has had a tough week, his sliding knee celebration had all the hallmarks of a relieved man.

It was also Arsenal's 100th goal at Emirates Stadium.

Adebayor nearly added another second soon afterwards but, after collecting Diaby's pass in the area, he was dispossessed at the vital second.

The goal had seemingly dented Newcastle's self-belief and they spent the next 10 minutes on the back foot. Once they had gathered themselves Damian Duff continued to menace the Arsenal defence. However there was now an ominous air about the home side.

In the 69th minute Fabregas touched on a Clichy cross and the swivelling Eduardo had a goalbound shot blocked. Newcastle were now spent force. They had played their part in a lively tie but the latter stages of the game were dictated by Arsenal's pursuit of a second goal.

It arrived six minutes from time when Adebayor skipped past a couple of Newcastle defenders and drilled a low shot past Given.

As full time approached, Nicky Butt nodded a Fabregas free-kick past his own keeper.
That was harsh on the Keegan's side.

But, as Tuesday night had proved, the scoreline does not always entirely reflect the nature of the game.

Anelka Off The Mark As Chelsea Edge Wigan




Wigan Athletic 1-2 Chelsea

Nicolas Anelka scored one and made one as Chelsea overcame Wigan to advance to round five of the FA Cup.

Nicolas Anelka made the difference in this largely disappointing FA Cup fourth round tie at the JJB Stadium.

After a truly drab opening 45 minutes, the visitors took the lead as their new £15m man stabbed home Belletti’s through ball.

Shaun Wright-Phillips doubled Chelsea’s lead late on before a stunning goal from Antoine Sibierski ensured an entertaining final few minutes.

First Half

The fans clearly couldn’t be bothered with this game, perhaps due to it being televised (though why this match got the TV nod over Liverpool vs. Havant & Waterlooville only the BBC know). But despite the half empty stands both managers showed their commitment to the cup by selecting strong sides.

Avram Grant named the same XI that won at Everton: a staggered midfield formation with Makélélé holding and Anelka as a lone target man. Unsurprisingly, there was no spot on the bench for Ashley Cole post hairdresser-gate. Steve Bruce, meanwhile, replaced the recently departed Danny Landzaat with Ryan Taylor.

Chelsea could, and perhaps should have had the ball in the net within 50 seconds: Sidwell pierced the Latics defence, finding Joe Cole who beat Kirkland but fired wide. Taylor then tested Cech down the field. Chelsea maintained possession for large spells but found ball control tricky on the churned JJB surface.

Joe Cole exhibited occasional moments of skill, at one point dancing past numerous challenges to find Anelka, who stumbled in the box and rightly received no penalty. Wigan, perhaps wary of the visitors’ ability to break at pace, sat incredibly deep, enticing Chelsea to mount further pressure. But the Latics almost created something as Heskey played through Marcus Bent – the excellent Wayne Bridge was alert to the danger.

The home side attempted forays down the wings, trying to launch crosses into the box, but Chelsea’s fullbacks – impressive both pushing forward and tracking back – continuously harrowed and closed down the play. Wigan did have limited joy down the middle, however, as Bent blazed over and Alex then felled Brown ahead of what had appeared a promising move. That was the last meaningful play of this egalitarian but incredibly dull 45 minutes.

Second Half

Chelsea attacked from the off, a cross into a crowded box almost finding Sidwell.A goal looked to be on the cards, and it duly came in the shape of Nicolas Anelka. Belletti’s super ball from deep was latched onto by the Frenchman, who sprang the offside trap and poked his volley past the advancing Kirkland - his first Chelsea goal and a marvellous one at that. Wigan were visibly annoyed, remonstrating that the goal was offside, but replays showed that was not the case.

Nonetheless, the Latics almost struck back through Heskey, whose shot on the turn from a narrow angle forced Cech to save with his legs. The game remained ugly, but an off-the-ball incident involving Michael Brown, Claude Makélélé and an alleged elbow threatened to make it nasty. The entire Chelsea bench were up in arms, but no action was taken; replays suggested the Blues midfielder perhaps made more of the incident than strictly necessary and fortunately the bad blood continued no further.

Substitute Koumas bent a free-kick right at Cech, but as Wigan pushed for the equaliser they left themselves vulnerable to counter-attacks. Anelka had already been thwarted several times by goalkeeper Kirkland but went clear after out-muscling Kevin Kilbane on the ball. One-on-one with the keeper, Anelka squared for the unmarked Wright-Phillips to slot home.

Game over? Not quite – just as Wigan appeared out of ideas Koumas played a great ball into the chest of substitute Antoine Sibierski, who turned and volleyed with perfect power, pace and precision past Cech and into the top corner. Tremendous. With only minutes remaining, the game then sprang to life as Wigan chased an unlikely replay, and they almost got it as Bent’s flying shot clipped the top of the bar. But it was not to be as Chelsea held on to claim a win they merited.

Line-ups:

Wigan (4-4-2): Kirkland – Melchiot, Bramble, Scharner, Kilbane – Valencia, Brown, Palacios (Sibierski 77), Taylor (Koumas 58) – Bent, Heskey (Aghahowa 85)

Subs not used – Pollitt, Boyce

Chelsea (4-1-2-2-1): Cech – Belletti, Carvalho, Alex, Bridge – Makélélé – Wright-Phillips, Sidwell – J Cole, Malouda (Ferreira 80) – Anelka (Pizarro 90)

Subs not used – Cudicini, Sinclair, Ben-Haim

Goals:

0-1 Anelka, 53 (Belletti)
0-2 Wright-Phillips, 82 (Anelka)
1-2 Sibierski, 87 (Koumas)

Cards:

Yellow: Bramble, Scharner, Palacios, Aghahowa / Alex, Carvalho

Attendance: 14,166

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Ten-Man Guinea Edge Past Morocco


Guinea 3 - 2 Morocco

Two goals and a red card - all in a day's work for Pascal Feindouno as his side ran out 3-2 winners over Morocco...

Pascal Feindouno was hero-turned-villain in this one, with the St. Etienne striker facing a suspension for a match that is now utterly vital for his side.

For despite his second-half red card, the Guineans managed to hold onto their 3-1 lead against an Atlas Lions side that will look back with anger at their concessions, particularly at the first goal.

Unusually for this tournament, the assembled crowd in Ghana wasn't huge, but it more than made up for it in volume as the game began.

Morocco looked the better side early on, with Sektioui looking particularly dangerous early on, but Guinea were to take a lead against the run of play.

This was largely down to Fouhami between the Moroccan sticks, who stood statuesque as an admittedly accurate, but still eminently savable shot from Pascal Feindouno sailed past him after a direct free-kick.

Sektioui, going from wing to wing, tried his best to bring his side back into it as the Moroccans responded strongly, but all too quickly they ran out of steam.

A long-range effort from Hadji, well held by Camara, was about the best Morocco could manage by way of finding an equalsier, with set-pieces offering the best threats otherwise.

In truth, Guinea looked relatively comfortable as half time approached, but there was always the lingering suspicion that there was more to come from the game.

That seemed to be the case as Hadji threatened once more with a long-ranger, this time saved brilliantly by Camara, just after the break, while Zerka volleyed over the bar from close range.

Once again, Guinea bided their time before striking, and this they did when Bangoura gave his side a 2-0 advantage just before the hour mark. The orchestrator was once again Feindouno, but Bangoura did brilliantly to get on the end of the through ball and waltz towards goal to beat Fouhami.

But the game was back in the balance just sixty seconds later when Aboucheroaune marked his substitute appearance with a lovely 25-yarder to make it 2-1.

Then, just to ensure the fans couldn't sit down for a second, Guinea were awarded a penalty 63 minutes in, which Feindouno placed into the corner to restore Guinea's 2-1 advantage.

Chamakh came on for a Morocco side still eager to get back into it, and they were given a great chance to do so when Feindouno picked up a needless red card for reacting angrily to a case of high-feet from a Moroccan player.

Ten-man Guinea began to sit back, aallowing Chamakh in particular to get forward, but with chance after chance missed as the minutes ticked away, it all seemed to be for nought.

That was, of course, until Ouaddou dived in to head past Camara and make it 3-2 just as the game entered its three minutes of stoppage time.

It wasn't enough to spark a true comeback, though, and Guinea wiped the sweat from their brows as the full-time whistle went.

Agogo lifts Ghana past gritty Namibia

Ghana need only a draw against Morocco on Monday to guarantee their quarter-final berth at the African Nations Cup after Nottingham Forest striker Junior Agogo earned the hosts a 1-0 win over Namibia on Thursday.

Namibia's second straight loss means they will be heading off to the airport irrespective of what happens in their final Group A tie against Guinea with valuable lessons learned ahead of their bid to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

This was the second game of the day in Accra, the first producing something of an upset when Guinea, reduced to 10 men for much of the second half, beat Morocco 3-2.

These two results left Ghana heading Group A on six points, with Morocco and Guinea both on three with all to play for come Monday.

"We may not have played fantastically well but we've still got six points from our first two games," said Ghana coach Claude Le Roy.

"That leaves us needing only a draw to top the group.

"I knew Namibia wouldn't lose 5-1 against us like they did in their first match. They were well organised, compact in defence.

"Now we've got Morocco, we only need a draw but we'll play to win. We'll be ready for them on Monday at five o'clock."

Chelsea midifelder Michael Essien, the man of the match, added: "I think this game was much better than the first one. People were expecting us to come up with more goals, but the most important thing is the six points."

Guinea coach Arie Schans said he was proud of his players.

"This was a big difference to our first game when the players' appeared nervous.

"This time we showed we could play good football. Now our next goal with a bit of luck will be to pick up three points against Guinea."

West Ham right back John Pantsil, who was flown to Nigeria on Wednesday for a scan after suffering concussion against Guinea, was a surprise starter allowing Claude Le Roy to name the same line up for the second consecutive match.

Namibia made three changes, with Dutchman Schans switching goalkeepers after Monday's 5-1 drubbing, Abisai Shiningayamwe making way for Athiel Mbaha.

Ghana, marshalled by Essien in midfield, made clear their intent from the whistle, taking up permanent residence in the Brave Warriors' territory yet the underdogs kept them at bay for the first 30 minutes.

Given that they were 4-0 down by the break against Morocco, the goalless scoreline up to the 40th minute spoke volumes for Namibia's newfound resilience, their coach's comment that they'd played like "schoolkids" against the Moroccans had obviously hurt.

The Group A underdogs were fortunate to be let off though when Udinese striker Asamoah Gyan hit the ball over Mbaha's bar from six yards out.

And just as the solace of half time beckoned Ghana got what seemed was their inevitable reward for all their hard work when Agogo slotted home rather clumsily from near point blank range after Quincy Owusu Abeyie's cross from the right four minutes from the interval.

Shortly after the resumption Portsmouth midfielder Sulley Muntari, responsible for the match winner over Guinea, had the Ohene Djan Stadium roaring when he unleashed one of his trademark long shots at Attiel, the ball on this occasion sailing over the crossbar.

Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingston then picked up a booking for a too hastily taken free kick meaning he'll miss the all important game on Monday, leaving his brother, Hearts midfielder Laryea, to uphold family honour against Morocco.

On the hour mark Le Roy took off Laryea Kingston, replacing him with Marseille starlet, Andre Ayew.

The second half mirrored the preceding one, with Ghana harrying the Namibian defence which again performed manfully to deny the forecast deluge of goals from Muntari and co.

Namibia weren't without their chances, their talismanic Hamburg midfielder Collin Benjamin just shooting wide of the far post in the 75th minute but Ghana weren't about to let this one get away.

Are Milan And Inter Really Fighting Over Ronaldinho?

Are Milan And Inter Really Fighting Over Ronaldinho?

Just as Milan’s interest in signing Ronaldinho looked to have cooled, along came Inter with an announcement that they want to sign the player. Gil Gillespie peers through the smoke and mirrors and tries to discover the truth behind the Milanese clubs' intentions.

In the red corner we have Silvio Berlusconi and Adriano Galliani. In the blue corner are Massimo Moratti and Roberto Mancini. And in the middle is Ronaldinho, Brazilian footballing superstar, twice FIFA World Player of the Year and a fading idol currently sinking as fast as an unhappy, out-of-form fly in Frank Rijkaard's mid-morning cappuccino.

Welcome to the one-city, two-club battle for to sign Ronaldinho - an event where no-one should be taken at face value and no words should be treated as gospel.

Milan are known to be long-time admirers of Barcelona's unsettled 'fantasista', but the club's interest was generally thought to have dwindled in recent months, just like the form and commitment of the player himself.

But then Inter signed a mammoth 10-year sponsorship deal with Nike, and the mischievous Roberto Mancini made his "nobody believed me when I talked about Ronaldinho" speech. Suddenly Milan were forced to prick up their ears again. (Or so we are led to believe.)

Whether Inter are genuinely interested in Ronaldinho or not is beside the point. The Nerazzurri have left their neighbours in an extremely uncomfortable position by merely declaring their interest.

After tracking the player for the last two years, can the Rossoneri just allow him to be snapped up from under their noses by their neighbours and biggest rivals?

And, according to prominent Italian broadsheet the Corriere della Sera, it is Milan who are now favourites to sign the Barca star as they have allegedly agreed to allow him to have complete control over his image rights.

"Not true," says Silvio Berlusconi. As always, the signing of Ronaldinho is a subject he's never been consistent on. He has openly voiced his admiration for the Barca playmaker for the last two years. Yet only a week ago the Milan president issued a clear statement of denial about his club’s interest in the Gaucho.

"I don't think Ronaldinho represents a great objective for us," said the perma-tanned former PM. "We must keep an eye on the balance in the dressing room... his purchase is not a priority for Milan."

But that was before Mancini stirred up this particular hornet's nest with his well-chosen press conference soundbites.

So have Milan really taken Mancini's bait? It's difficult to say. But you have to ask yourself, why would the world and European champions want a player like Ronaldinho anyway?

First of all, they have Kaka, who plays, more or less, in the same position that Ronaldinho occupies. Would Ancelotti ask Kaka to play out wide or drop deeper into midfield? Not a chance. Would he play the two of them behind a lone striker, probably Pato? It's a bit late in the day for Ancelotti to suddenly throw out a tactical approach that he has developed over many years and had so much success with, just so he can accommodate a potentially disruptive player whose best days may well be behind him.

The mind wanders back to 2002 when the Rossoneri brought another former World Player of the Year to the San Siro from Barcelona. Rivaldo spent the majority of his one disastrous season at Milan keeping the bench warm. He didn't fit. He just wasn't a Milan kind of player.

Neither is Ronaldinho.

But it’s not Ancelotti who has the final say as to who is signed and who isn’t signed, as we discovered when it was revealed that Berlusconi vetoed the deals to bring Gianluigi Buffon and Luca Toni to the San Siro in the summer.

But now, surely, the club's transfer targets lie elsewhere - with Gianluca Zambrotta, for example - and finding a replacement for the hapless, hopeless Dida. Thus even with £100 million to spend in the summer, it would be a surprise if Milan signed Ronaldinho.

So what about Inter? Is the Nerazzuri's interest in getting Ronaldinho to sign on the dotted line genuine, or merely provocative? They certainly have more room to accommodate the player on the pitch, even with Luis Antonio Jiménez exceeding expectations playing in the hole behind Ibrahimovic and Cruz.

And Ibrahimovic himself has given his approval to the idea. "Ronaldinho at Inter? Everyone would like to play with him,” the goal-bothering Swede told the Corriere dello Sport.

But despite these comments and those of Mancini, Inter's president Massimo Moratti has attempted to pour cold water on the whole story.

He reacted to the accusations made by Milan's chief executive Adriano Galliani, who claimed that he had been told of Inter's interest in Ronaldinho by Barcelona president Joan Laporta himself.

"Galliani maybe knows more than I do, but it's not true," said the Inter president. "I don't know who has spoken to him, but at this time the information he has is not correct."

In truth, it's impossible to know what is really going on beneath this curtain of double-speak, half-truths and Machiavellian double-bluffing. Maybe Inter are serious about signing Ronaldinho. Maybe they are just pulling their old sparring partner's leg. Maybe Milan will respond to Inter's noises. Maybe Inter are simply showing their fans that they have the financial muscle to compete with their nearest neighbours if they choose to do so.

Whatever the reality of the situation, both clubs need to ask themselves just how effective the Brazilian shoe-shuffler is likely to be in Serie A in his current state of mind, anyway. If he's finding life tough in the defensively liberal world of the La Liga, how will he cope with the fierce shadowing of Italy's most uncompromising back lines? Has he even still got it in him to rise to such a daunting new challenge? Because, right now, Ronaldinho looks as if he'd like to spend more time on the bench - or the beach - and less on the training pitch.

But before he unpacks his Bermuda shorts and lies back on the sun lounger, there is one other factor in this very complicated equation that hasn't been dealt with yet.

Chelsea may yet have the final say in where Ronaldinho plays his football next season. According to the influential player's agent Enzo Bronzetti, Ronaldinho will definitely join up with his former Barca coach Henk ten Cate at Stamford Bridge in the summer. It is a rumour that Spanish sports daily Marca has been talking up for some time and it makes more sense than the ones that see him going to either of the Milan giants. Roman Abramovich is rich enough - and perhaps naive enough - to take a gamble on such a global superstar, regardless of whether his powers are on the wane.

So for all the noise currently emanating from the city of Milan, London could well be the place you are most likely to find Ronaldinho playing his football next season.

Then again, he could always stay with Barcelona.

What do you think? Are Milan and Inter serious about bringing the Brazilian superstar to Italy? Or are they both bluffing, waiting for each other to blink? Where do you think Ronaldinho will be playing in 2008/09?

Ghana 2008 Update : Angola 1 - 1 South Africa

South Africa's Late Screamer Denies Angola The Win

Angola 1 - 1 South Africa

Elrio Van Heerden's late strike denied Angola a win that seemed sealed by Manucho's classy diving header in the first half...

After a dull opening period, a late surge from South Africa saw them restore parity against an Angolan side that may feel slightly hard done by in terms of the result.

Unlike most matches in the tournament, there was relatively little for the fans to shout about early in the first half.

The opening stages played out in cagey fashion, with 14 minutes elapsing before the first real chance. Even then, Pienaar's cross into the Angolan box was cleared away for a corner, despite its clear danger.

Two minutes later, Flavio raced onto a through ball at the other end, with goalkeeper Josephs and left-back Mhlongo colliding in an attempt to stop him. The striker was penalised for his part in the incident, and Josephs was left with a head wound for his troubles.

Still, he was able to save Flavio's next attempt ten minutes later, although Manucho's on the half hour mark proved too much for him.

Flavio cut inside past Masilela before chipping the ball across goalmouth, where new Manchester United man Manucho was waiting to fire home a diving header.

Zuma then had a great chance to replicate the feat at the other end, but hit wide, while Flavio then came forward on the break, only to find his shot deflected. Was it handball? The referee thought not as half time came.

In truth, other than Manucho's goal, relatively few of the incidents had been edge-of-seat stuff. That changed in the second period, which was very slightly more exciting.

South Africa were keen to impress, having taken off Moriri and Tsahabalala for Fanteni and Lerato, but found themselves frustrated by overhit through balls and the offside trap.

Once again, though, it took fifteen minutes for a real chance to break out. Not long after Lama had to race off his line to punch clear a Pineaar cross, Modise then played in a corner for Mhlongo, only for the defender to head wide.

The brilliant Flavio then was almost both provider and scorer, linking up well with Ze Kalanga for the latter to shoot just wide, before bringing out the best in Josephs after a close-range effort.

South Africa were beginning to tire, but actually had thee great chances as the game drew to a close. They must have thought that, between Mokoena's shot perhaps just sneaking over and Lama pulling off wonder-stops from Moon and Fanteni, that it was all over for them.

Not so, for Elrio Van Heerden added yet another goal worthy of highlight reels for years to come in a tournament that's already seen plenty.

The Club Brugge man, on as a substitute, strode forward on the right before left-footing it right into the top corner from just under 30 yards.

Flavio almost had the last word in stoppage time with an effort that just looped over, while Lama once again was brought into action by Fanteni, and a game that once threatened to be dull had ended in some style.

However, a draw will do neither side much good...

Everton 0-1 Chelsea (1-3 agg)


Classy Cole Goal Puts Chelsea In The Final

Everton 0-1 Chelsea (1-3 agg)

Joe Cole’s magnificent strike gave Chelsea the victory at Goodison Park and set up a Carling Cup final date with Tottenham at Wembley

Chelsea weathered the intense opening spells of the game to produce a level-headed and effective display of controlling football in the second leg of this Carling Cup semi-final.

Avram Grant's side were the better on the night and Joe Cole’s 69th minute super strike earned them victory on the night and a convincing 3-1 aggregate win.

The Blues will now procede to their third Carling Cup final in four seasons, and Tottenham await them at Wembley.

First Half

Goodison Park was positively rocking as kick-off approached in what Evertonians heralded as the club’s biggest game in over a decade.

The Toffees made just one change from the weekend win at Wigan as Manuel Fernandes came in for Hibbert. Phil Neville dropped into the right-back slot and the Portuguese into centre midfield.

For the visitors Wayne Bridge started in place of Ashley Cole and Steve Sidwell replaced Ballack. Contrary to expectation, Shaun Wright-Phillips was deemed fit to start.

Chelsea came close to taking the lead inside three minutes as Phil Jagielka valiantly nodded behind Wright-Phillips’ fierce goalbound drive. Juliano Belletti then curled one over the bar, but every surge forward by the hosts was matched by a roaring bellow from the stands, not least as Joleon Lescott’s header almost skimmed past a diving Petr Cech.

Andy Johnson dragged an effort wide as the game died down and Chelsea assumed control of possession, seemingly having weathered the early storm. Tim Howard in the Everton goal gathered a shot from Nicolas Anelka that Joe Cole almost toe-poked into the net.

The visitors troubled Everton in wide areas but struggled to break down the Toffees’ stubborn resistance around the penalty area. With nowhere to go, Florent Malouda curled a disappointing effort harmlessly high and wide.

But Everton, too, showed a willingness to use width in possession: Arteta’s terrific run down the right played in Johnson whose deflected shot rippled the side-netting. At the other end, Anelka lashed a long shot comfortably wide, the last meaningful action of this tense first half.

Second Half

Chelsea almost took the lead within 45 seconds of the restart. After great trickery from Joe Cole the England man opted to pass rather than shoot: Anelka rifled the ball against the bar; Howard was a beaten man – and a relieved one to see the ball ricochet clear.

With their fans now in full voice, the Blues seemed to sense a goal would virtually seal their spot in next month’s final, really piling the pressure on Everton. Valente did well to block Cole’s strike from a counter attack.

As Tim Cahill dropped back to aid in the midfield battle, Andy Johnson cut an increasingly isolated figure upfront for the home side. But they came close to breaking the deadlock through a well-worked Arteta corner that Neville thundered across goal.

Cech did well to parry and was called into action once more as Jagielka almost back-heeled in Osman’s bobbled shot. The keeper then spilled a cross but was awarded a free-kick before his mistake could be punished – it was hard to see where any infringement against Cech had occurred.

Everton now had the lion’s share of possession, but Chelsea caught them cold and punished them in the 69th minute. A pinpoint diagonal cross from deep from Malouda found Joe Cole, whose control was simply exquisite. Bringing the ball down with an outstretched right foot, he allowed one bounce before smashing a half-volley past a helpless Howard – a majestic strike in front of the watching England boss Capello that put Chelsea firmly in the driving seat.

Everton were shocked, but more heroics from Cech prevented Johnson from nabbing a quick equaliser. The visitors largely stifled Everton’s attempts to draw level as the Toffees’ cause began to look forlorn. Wright-Phillips broke and almost doubled the advantage, while substitute Pizarro fired inches wide. The Peruvian squandered another opportunity when one-on-one with Howard, but it mattered little as Chelsea secured a thoroughly deserved victory.

Chelsea's defence handled everything Everton threw at them, with Carvalho and Cech particularly outstanding, and few could doubt that Avram Grant does indeed care about winning this competition. Tottenham will be Chelsea's opponents in February’s final at Wembley.

Line-ups:

Everton (4-4-2): Howard – Neville, Jagielka, Lescott, Nuno Valente – Arteta, Carsley (Anichebe 70), Fernandes (Vaughan 78), Osman – Johnson, Cahill

Subs not used – Wessels, Hibbert, Stubbs

Chelsea (4-3-2-1): Cech – Belletti, Carvalho, Alex, Bridge – Wright-Phillips, Makalele, Sidwell – J Cole (Pizarro 82), Malouda (A Cole 90) – Anelka (Ben-Haim 90)

Subs not used – Cudicini, Ferreira

Goals:

0-1 J Cole, 69 (Malouda)


Cards:

Yellow: Carsley, Fernandes, Neville, Nuno Valente / Makalele, Belletti

Coppa Italia: Juventus earn draw with Inter

ROME, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Late goals from Alessandro Del Piero and Jean Alain Boumsong earned Juventus a 2-2 draw at 10-man Inter Milan on Wednesday in the first leg of their Italian Cup quarter-final.

Argentine striker Julio Cruz headed the Serie A leaders in front nine minutes after the break and turned in a cross from Brazilian winger Cesar in the 74th to double the lead.


Del Piero pulled one back for Juve in the 79th and French defender Boumsong, who is expected to leave Turin in the transfer window, levelled the score with a header five minutes from time.

Cruz almost snatched a win for Inter when he hit the post in the closing stages.

Inter played almost the whole match a man short after defender Nicolas Burdisso was given a straight red card in the eighth minute for cutting down Del Piero as he charged on to goal.

Earlier, holders AS Roma drew 1-1 at Sampdoria despite also having to play with 10 men after French defender Philippe Mexes was sent off for a second yellow card in the 18th.

Reto Ziegler gave Samp the lead in the 61st with a glorious left-footed strike from outside the box.

Montenegro striker Mirko Vucinic sprinted on to a long pass from Brazilian midfielder Mancini and coolly slipped the ball home to earn Roma a draw seven minutes later.

Udinese came from behind to win 3-2 at home to Catania, who had Ghanaian midfielder Mark Edusei sent off for two yellows in quick succession in the closing stages.

Lazio entertain Fiorentina on Thursday (2000 GMT) in the final quarter-final first leg.

The returns take place next week.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Tunisia And Senegal Battle To Entertaining Stalemate Tunisia 2 - 2 Senegal

Tunisia and Senegal each enjoyed bright spells in the tournament's first draw. This was a match that, while not quite as flowing or eventful as some of the others, showed that neither of these two sides is destined to be among the tournament whipping boys, and perhaps that more is to come from each of them.

Senegal started brightly, with Mamadou Niang roving confidently up front, but in fact it was the Tunisian side that was to draw first blood.

It took them just nine minutes to do so, Issam Jemaa swapping passes with Bekri before striding to the edge of the box and side-footing past Sylva.

That stunned the Senegalese, who thus surrendered the initiative to the Carthage Eagles.

Dos Santos came clsoe to receiving the ball in a dangerous area not long afterwards, but for the most part, their dominance was in the midfield, restricting Senegal mainly to long-range efforts.

Diouf and Niang tried to hit on the break, with the latter going close from the edge of the area, but in truth Tunisia were in control until five minutes before the interval.

Then, Diouf was inches away from getting on the end of a fine cross, and Tunisia began to sit back.

In doing so, Senegal were given the run of the midfield, and this gave them the equaliser right on the stroke of half time.

Jaidi was unable to get between a long ball forward and Bayal Sall, with the left-winger gratefully connecting to fire home with style. The Saint-Etienne youngster was delighted, and his side were back in the game.

Just after the restart, the Teranga Lions almost managed the lead. Kamara was put trough on goal by Diouf as the Tunisian defence dithered, but the forward could only steer his shot wide.

At the other end, Dos Santos picked up a booking for diving in the box, and then Senegal were on the rampage once more, Kasraoui having to be at his agile best to deal with Diouf.

The Senegalese were beginning to dominate, and really should have taken the lead on the hour mark, only for Mamadou Niang to somehow fire wide from six yards with the goal at his mercy.

His blushes were spared seven minutes later when Fulham's Diomansy Kamara was able to convert into an open goal after Faye's blocked shot landed at his feet: 1-2.

Henri Camara then came close to matching his namesake's feat, only for Bekri to intervene at the last minute.

That second goal, though, largely saw Senegal begin to relax, allowing Tunisia to stride forward in search of taking something from this game. Zaiem showed his substitute's energy to go close with twenty minutes to go, but it took another CAN wonder-strike to restore parity.

It came from the boot of Etoile du Sahel's Medji Traoui, who had a few seconds to tee up a long-range effort. This he did, and Sylva was left helpless as the ball hit the back of the net.

Senegal tried to hit back, but their goalward efforts were beginning to lack conviction. What's more, there were nerves and tempers flaring, particularly as Kamara picked up a booking for a late challenge. Heading into the final minutes, then, Tunisia had the chance to strike.

Jaidi almsot managed to reach a deep free-kick to surely poke home, and Sylva was foxed by Traoui's cross-cum-shot, but there were to be no more goals, and 2-2 it ended.

South Africa and Angola square off later in the next Group D match.

Ronaldo signing impossible - Real


Real Madrid sporting director Predrag Mijatovic says it is virtually impossible that Cristiano Ronaldo will join the Spanish giants.
The Portugal winger has been linked with Real over the last couple of years, but is committed to a long-term contract with Manchester United.

Ronaldo, 22, agreed a five-year contract extension last year, tying him to Old Trafford until 2012.

"I see it as an impossible signing," Mijatovic told Radio Marca.

"Of course it would not be bad for us to have a player like Cristiano Ronaldo, but he is at a great club like Manchester United."

The prospect of Ronaldo signing for Real Madrid has not been helped with Ronaldo admitting recently that he would one day love to play in Spain.

And to compound matters, Ronaldo's mother appeared in several national newspapers saying that she hoped that one day her son would go to Madrid and "play for the best team in the world."

But it appears that Madrid have grown tired of "wasting time" pursuing players that are seemingly untouchable.

Another reported Madrid target, Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas, is another player Mijatovic says is an "impossible" target.



"He is the same," said Mijatovic.

"We are not the only team who would like to have a player such as Cesc, but he belongs to a great club like Arsenal and it is almost impossible to sign him.

"I am very clear that we are not going to waste time on things which we cannot do.

"We will see what happens in the future. It is undeniable that he is as a very interesting player, but signing him is something that would be tremendously difficult."

Nigerian Team In Bus Argument


ThisDay newspaper of Nigeria asserts that Austin Ejide almost came to blows with Joseph Yobo after Nigeria's defeat to Cote d'Ivoire...

ThisDay claims that squad harmony is far from optimal in the Super Eagles camp.

The Nigerian daily claims that the team bus was far from a happy place during the side's brief journey from the stadium to the hotel after their 1-0 loss.

Goalkeeper Austin Ejide was reportedly restrained by other travelers after his argument with Joseph Yobo nearly came to blows.

Ejide was berating the stopper for failing to close down Salomon Kalou in the incident that led to the goal. The two had already traded harsh words on the pitch to this effect.

John Mikel Obi downplayed talk of disharmony, but admitted that things had not gone well.

"We made one mistake and that was the goal. When you make such mistakes you pay dearly for it," Obi sighed. "We should learn from them and people should take full responsibility."

"If we can do that, we've got a long way to go in this tournament, because we've got a good team and we played well," the 20-year-old midfielder added.

"We just need to concentrate all the time if we want to achieve anything."

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Cameroon Undone By Magical Zidan


Cameroon Undone By Magical Zidan

Egypt 4 - 2 Cameroon

The reigning champions showed that they're no makeweights thanks to a tremendous first half goal blitz over Cameroon, with Mohamed Zidan front and centre...

A stunning strike from Mohamed Zidane saw Egypt 3-0 up against Cameroon before the half-time whistle, with even the second half input of Samuel Eto'o unable to rouse the indomitable lions.

The reigning champions thus proved that it's not only on home soil that they're a force to be reckoned with, while Cameroon will need to negotiate their way past Sudan and Zambia to secure qualification.

The Pharoahs entered the game with no small measure of trepidation due to the absence of star forward Mido - languishing injured in England - and suspended captain Ahmed Hassan. Cameroon, meanwhile, were essentially at full strength.

Egypt need not have worried, for within 20 minutes they were two goals to the good.

Cameroon's back line was clearly hesitant in the face of constant early pressure from the Egyptians, with Zidan and Shawky both having opportunities within minutes as the Indomitable Lions defence was cut wide open.

As early as the tenth minute it was clear that Egypt were in the ascendancy, although it took a further five for them to take the lead. Andre Bikey handled the ball in the box after Hosni Abd Rabou's cross, and while the Ismaily midfielder's initial penalty was ruled out for an illegal run-up, he made no mistake with the second attempt.

Just two minutes later, Mohamed Zidan started and neded a move that gave Egypt a deserved two-goal lead. He and Emad Moteab swapped defence-splitting passes, allowing the Hamburg striker to sprint forward and slot the ball past Kameni.

It could have been three or even four nil by the half-hour mark, with Kameni almost fatally spilling a Zidan cross and Fathi spurning his own chance to play a killer final ball, but to Cameroon's credit, they were beginning to see more possession.

However, they were unable to find the wherewithal to both break forward and keep it tight at the back. As their possession play failed to bear fruit, coach Otto Pfister took drastic action, replacing Jean Makoun in the midfield with Benfica's Binya, a more defensively-minded player.

While this did invigorate Cameroon, what happened next saw them hit by a sucker punch from which they could not truly recover.

Mohamed Zidan struck again, this time seizing the ball on the edge of the area, dancing around Mbia and then left-footing the ball into the postage stamp for what will surely be one of the tournament's more memorable strikes.

Cameroon rolled the dice at the interval, replacing Mbia and Mguemo with Alex Song of Arsenal and Toulouse's Achille Emana, and once again Pfister's alterations had the desired effect as the Lions strolled forward.

Their tenacity bore fruit 51 minutes in with a Samuel Eto'o goal. The Barcelona man showed why even on his quiet nights he's a force to be reckoned with by powering home a header from Geremi's pinpoint, curing cross.

Emboldened by the reduction in the deficit, Cameroon once again forged forward, with Geremi particularly active i nwhat was looking more and more like a wing-back role.

However, Idrissou and Eto'o were unable to connect meaningfully with his provision, while Pfister's understandable reluctance to deploy the central options further forward meant that chances were at a premium.

Egypt showed that they were far from over, though, as Moawad and Moteab began to take on more meaningful rolse, and with ten minutes to go they once again took a three-goal lead.

This wasn't a silky passing move in line with the second; instead, it was another wonder-strike to match the third.

And it was Hosni Abd-Radou who matched Zidan's two-goal feat with a thirty-yarder that sailed under Kameni to well and truly kill off this tie.

Cameroon tried for a consolation, but it seemed beyond them when Idrissou found himself stymied by a Al-Hadari challenge just as he was about to pull the trigger minutes from time.

But they did get that second goal when the referee awarded a spot kick for a foul by Fatallah. Samuel Eto'o swept it home past Al-Hadari, who had gone the right way but still found himself unable to meet it.

That won't help Egypt's goal difference, but if they perform like this against the group's other teams, it'll more likely be a question of how many they score, rather than concede. A fine performance overall from Egypt, and while Cameroon did fall victim to some excdeptional strikes, they were second-best in any case.

Zambia Hit Three Past Brave Sudan

Sudan 0 - 3 Zambia

In a match slightly closer than the scoreline suggested, the Chipolopolo of Zambia still won by three clear goals against Sudan's Nile Crocodiles

An early strike from James Chamanga was enough to see Zambia through to half time against Sudan, and a two goal onslaught just before the hour mark sealed a fine win for the Chipolopolo against a Sudanese side that may feel aggrieved at the scoreline.

It all seemed to be going Zambia's way when, just two minutes in, James Chamanga of Moroka Swallows opened the scoring with a tremendous effort from distance after being teed up by Joseph Mulenga.

The 'keeper was left motionless, and his side was clearly rattled as Chamanga once again strode forward just minutes later, setting up Felix Katongo for a strike that wasn't too far away.

But at the other end, Eldoud showed that Sudan were far from out of it with a thunderous drive that cracked off Mweene's far post.

This signalled the start of a period of strength for Sudan, but they were unable to make their pressure count leading up to the interval.

Hado came on as a substitute to try to press the advantage for the Sudanese, but his long-range efforts were found wanting as half time approached.

Zambia were riding their luck, and this continued after the break when Tambal was left unmarked in the box, but he fluffed his effort, leaving Mweene to heave a sigh of relief.

And in the 51st minute, that feeling of relaxation extended to the team at large as Mulenga made it 2-0.

Hachilensa made the goal by heading off the crossbar after a corner, with Maccabi Petach Tikva's Mulenga just waiting to tap it home. Sudan had been hit by a sucker punch, and Zambia's dominance was secure.

Just minutes later they well and truly wrapped it up with a third, struck by Felix Katongo of Angola's Primeiro de Agosto.

The young midfielder was able to once again take advantage of an opportunity to hit a rebound after El Moez parried Kabala's impressive long-range effort.

Chamanga then went one-on-one in an attempt to extend the lead, but Sudan really should have at least hit the back of the net on one occasion as the final quarteer-hour approached, first with a fine free-kick and then a Bashir effort that flew not far over.

Zambia tried to humiliate the Crocs with a fourth, but El Moez was the equal of Mulenga's top-corner header in what was perhaps the best chance of the late period.

That may have heartened the Sudanese, but just to show that nothing was to go their way, Babiker was denied what seemed to be a strong case for a penalty right at the death.

Zambia deserved their win, but a three-goal margin of victory flattered them slightly. Still, it was a fine, attacking showing from the Chipolopolo, who are almost unbelievably energetic in the attack. Sudan, for their part, can do better - now they must prove it.

Gunners At War As Adebayor Headbutts Bendtner


As Arsenal capitulated against bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Carling Cup semi-final, things went from bad to worse as strikers Emmanuel Adebayor and Nicklas Bendtner clashed heads on the field of play, an encounter that left the Danish youngster with blood on his shirt...

Tottenham tore apart city rivals Arsenal at White Hart Lane in front of a roaring crowd and eventually ran out 5-1 winners, and 6-2 on aggregate.

They had been the better side in the first leg, and in truth Arsenal were lucky to come away from that home tie with the draw, maintaining their unbeaten streak at their new home.

Spurs showed no mercy, which will delight their fans no end, as too often they float between blunders and brilliance.

Scoring in the second minute did their cause the world of good, and the own goal had a degree of fortune to it, but that should by no means take anything away from Spurs, who were by far the better side across the two legs.

Arsenal were all too aware of that fact, as frustrations boiled over on the pitch towards the end of the game, with team-mates Nicklas Bendtner and Emmanuel Adebayor squaring up to each other and furious words were exchanged between the two.

Skipper William Gallas intervened, castigating Bendtner in full view of the capacity crowd and television cameras; referee Howard Webb also arrived on the scene to talk things over with the players concerned, but no cards were issued following the incident.

As the players headed down the tunnel at the end of the game Adebayor was restrained, and Bendtner had a visible gash on the bridge of his nose and blood on his shirt; it is thought that Adebayor headbutted Bendtner during their initial altercation.

Manager Arsene Wenger denied any knowledge of the incident, as is his trademark when questioned by the media regarding less complimentary issues involving his club.

"I don't know anything about it. Really I don't know," he insisted.

This incident will no doubt make a mockery of Arsenal's team spirit, which has been the source of high praise this season, many saying that since Thierry Henry's departure to Barcelona that the dressing room was much more unified and that there was less pressure.

It will take a lot to shake off such a humiliation, and it will truly be a test of the Gunners' character whether they can come out of this the same force they were in the first half of the season.

Africa Cup of Nations : Cameroon 2 Vs Egypt 4


Two goals each from Mohamed Zidan and Hosni Abd Rabou gave Egypt a fine start in their defence of the Nations Cup.

Cameroon were outplayed in the first half, Abd Rabou scoring from the spot and Zidan netting two superb goals.

His first came from a speedy breakaway, then he chested down and shot from outside the penalty box for his second.

Samuel Eto'o scored after the break, but Abd Rabou's long shot on 82 minutes ended hopes of a comeback, though Eto'o scored again from the spot.

Despite their status as holders, Egypt's qualifying campaign had been uninspiring, and Cameroon were expected to have the upper hand over the Pharaohs.

But Egypt began with spark and confidence, pressurising the Cameroon defence from the start of the game.

Mohamed Shawky tested Indomitable Lions' goalkeeper Carlos Kameni with a long-range shot in the third minute.

The opening goal came after 14 minutes when Andre Bikey handled in the box and Abd Rabou converted the penalty.

Zidan made it 2-0 three minutes later, breaking from inside his own half, exchanging passes with Emad Moteab and racing through the Cameroon defence before slotting home.

Four-time champions Cameroon were shocked, and there was more to come.

In first-half stoppage time, Zidan struck again, chesting the ball down outside the box and striking home powerfully.

But Eto'o gave a team talk before his side came back after the break, and Cameroon were a transformed side.

They began playing with purpose and pulled one back on 51 minutes as Eto'o headed in a Geremi cross.

He nearly added another 12 minutes later, shooting just wide.

What had been an exciting contest then slowed down, as Egypt began to dampen Cameroon's momentum.

Abd Rabou's magnificent 25-yard shot sealed the victory with eight minutes remaining.

Cameroon did score again though, with an Eto'o penalty in stoppage time.

Nigeria Struggle To Justify Number One Tag


Nigeria Struggle To Justify Number One Tag

Walter Townsend asks if Nigeria are truly worthy of being FIFA's top ranked team in Africa after the defeat to the Ivory Coast on Monday...

Yesterday's disappointing defeat to the Ivory Coast in Nigeria's opening game in Group B underlined several of Nigeria's deficiencies, most notably their inability to supply any worthwhile service to their frontline. What's more, defeat now leaves them requiring a win against Mali if they are to retain hopes of keeping qualification in their own hands.

Nigeria came into the tournament as one of the favourites for the title. The 23 man squad that German coach Berti Vogts announced certainly indicated that Nigeria were planning to go for the win, with 8 strikers named in the selection.

With bold pre-tournament claims of turning Nigeria into the "Germany of Africa", Vogts has indeed kept to his word. Unfortunately from Nigeria's perspective, though, Vogts appears to have modelled the side on the German side of 1998. That year, under his management, they crashed out in the quarter finals of the World Cup, having been thrashed by Croatia - it was widely considered to be one of the worst German national sides ever.

The performance against the Ivory Coast was slammed in local media, with the Times of Nigeria describing the defeat as "humiliating" and the team as "listless". But Vogts, the former Scotland manager, preferred to concentrate on lavishing praise on their opponents claiming that his men "have lost against the best team in Africa".

The main area of weakness highlighted in that defeat was the service to the strikers. Whilst the match between Africa's highest ranked side in the FIFA rankings and arguably the strongest team in the competition, was always going to be a tense affair with little to choose between the two teams, the initiative was always with the Ivory Coast.

With 4 strikers on the pitch from the outset Nigeria were armed to the teeth with forwards; Yakubu and Martins started up front whilst Kanu and Utaka started from behind the front-line. The underlying principle behind the formation was to use Kanu as a withdrawn forward playing between midfield and attack, using him as a focal point, exploiting his ability on the ball plus intelligence to pick his moments to get ahead of his strikers.

Unfortunately from the Super Eagle's point of view, it didn't work out that way as Kanu was marked out of the game by Didier Zokora for the Ivory Coast, and both Martins and Yakubu struggled to make any sort of impact on the game. With 4 strikers on the pitch to begin with, a large gap quickly developed between the defence and attack as both sides sat back in the early stages, understandably keen not to let the first goal in.

Enforced changes in the second half had little effect as Kanu limped off after an hour and was replaced by FC Zurich based midfielder Okonkwo. The three remaining strikers being used in a more orthodox 4-3-3 formation helped little as the Ivorians retained their dominance in midfield.

Furthermore the switch to 4-3-3 meant that Martins was obliged to move wider to accommodate the arrival of Utaka in the frontline, a position he doesn't relish either in the colours of Nigeria or Newcastle. Other personnel changes in the second half saw Lokomotiv Moscow striker Odemwinge come on for Utaka and Lazio forward Steve Makinwa come on for Martins. But even the new arrivals couldn't affect the flow of the game as no service was forthcoming.

The 23 man squad Nigeria doesn't possess any player who can assume the role of Jay-Jay Okacha, the former Bolton Wanderers and PSG midfielder who has since retired from international football. Later in the match Chelsea midfielder Jon Obi Mikel was asked to push further forward and try and play a few passes through in homage to Jay-Jay, but this isn't Mikel's natural game. He is a midfielder who brings hard-work and tackling to the midfield, not clever passing.

Of the 8 forwards called into the team, only Kanu and Odemwinge have any experience of playing in a withdrawn role. How Nigeria must have envied the Ivory Coast after they made changes at half-time to give them a better shape. With Lyon's record signing Kader Keita coming on down the right side to introduce some extra width, and Bakary Kone, the Nice midfielder, slotting into the whole, the Ivory Coast are much better equipped to change tactics.

With so many good strikers available Nigeria still have plenty of fire power within the team, but finding a player capable of providing the service must be high on the list of priorities. Using Odemwingwe as a winger may be a possibility; he has played as a left winger in the past for Lille prior to his move to Russia, although that would still leave an imbalance on the right. Another option would be to switch to 5-3-2 with Taiwo - who looked good on the run - and Apam given more licence to get forward from wing-back positions.

Whatever formation Vogts decides to play with, raising the morale of the team will be critical to Nigeria's further progress. The Super Eagles looked devoid of ideas in the second half against the Ivory Coast as self-belief visibly drained away.

A victory against Mali will keep qualification in Nigeria's own hands whilst a draw would leave Nigeria needing the Ivory Coast to beat Mali in the final game of the group and Nigeria needing to beat Benin by more than 1 goal.

With Vogts being told that only ultimate victory in this edition of the tournament will keep him in the hotseat, unless a rapid solution to Nigeria’s service problems is found the German may be back on the job market sooner than he wishes.

CAN 2008 Preview: Sudan - Zambia


What: Cup of African Nations, Group C
Who: Sudan vs Zambia
When: Tuesday 22 January 19:30 GMT
Where: Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi
Out to prove a point

The Chipolopolo of Zambia will be looking forward to today’s encounter, knowing they are the only team in the 'group of Champions' not to have lifted the African Cup of Nations before.

The Zambian team, which only a few weeks ago silenced the crowd at Rades in a pre-tournament friendly match beating their hosts Tunisia 2-1, came through the qualifiers for this tournament without losing a single away fixture, putting them in good stead for the tournament. The squad defeated the highly-rated South Africans in Durban in their final group 11 qualifying game by 3-1. But there home games where not as impressive, taking only two points from a possible nine.

It would be safe to assume that this team feels better playing outside their turf, and that is exactly what they are doing here in Ghana.

The Nile Crocodiles of Sudan also had a fantastic qualifying campaign, coming through their group with only one defeat. The Sudanese also last month won the regional CECAFA tournament, which pitted teams from the East and Central African countries against each other.

But recent form in friendly matches has set the team as underdogs coming into this game.

A 2-0 defeat to the Nigerians followed by a 6-0 whitewash by the Syli Stars of Guinea really has not done much for the team's confidence ahead today’s game. But how many times have we seen teams perform woefully in pre-tournament friendly matches and coming out to perform creditably well in the competition proper?

Must-win for both sides

The two teams are not favorites to progress from a group that contains defending champions Egypt and group favorite Cameroon. They are however each capable of causing a major upset in the eventual final standings of the group table. But they both know that if they are to progress they will need to get maximum points from this encounter, which is arguably both side's easiest on paper.

Thus we should expect to see a fast paced game with each side trying to get the goals that puts them in an advantage.

The Zambians are pacey in attack, and would look to employ a winger-based formation when pushing forward.

On the other hand, the Sudanese are more adept in the short passing game. They occasionally employ the looping balls for the strikers to latch onto as well.

I do not foresee either team sitting down in this encounter: they are going to go all out for it. Whoever gets the three points here can then contrive to steal a result off the other big two.

TEAM NEWS

Zambia

The Zambian duo of Christopher Katonga and Isaac Chansa will miss this game after both players received suspensions in pre-tournament qualifiers. The pair are influential players for the team and their absence is significant.

Coach Phiri is expected to retain the team’s 4-3-3 formation with possibly Moroka Swallows striker James Chamanga, who has failed to score in three international friendly games for the squad, and ANC debutant Jacob Mulenga of Strasbourg heading the attack in the absence of Katonga.

Zambian U-20 striker Emmanuel Mayuka could get a call up after Felix Sunzu Junior, who only just joined the team from trials in Tunisia, fell ill with malaria upon arrival at Kumasi.

Kennedy Mweene should retain his position as first choice goalkeeper after being rested for last week’s friendly encounter against local Ghanaian club side King Faisal Football Club.

Coach Phiri dropped veteran defender Elijah Tana from the squad after originally calling him up for the provisional side. The team’s defence should however be marshaled by Zanaco FC’s Kennedy Nkethani.

The Zambians last reached the Semi-finals 12 years ago, the Finals 14 years ago and last won an ANC opening game fixture 16 years ago, and would be looking towards improving on that record.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Kennedy Mweene (Free State Stars, South Africa), Kalililo Kakonje (Amazulu, South Africa), Mike Poto (Green Buffaloes)

Defenders: William Chinyama, Clive Hachilensa (Both Zesco United), Kampamba Chintu (Free State Stars, South Africa), Hichani Himoonde (Lusaka Dynamos), Billy Mwanza, Joseph Musonda (Both Lamotville Golden Arrows), Kennedy Nkethani (Zanaco).

Midfielders: Ian Bakala, Felix Katongo (Both Desportivo de Agosto, Angola), Isaac Chansa (Helsingborg, Sweden), Rainford Kalaba (Zesco United), Francis Kasonde (Power Dynamos), Clifford Mulenga (Pretoria University FC, South Africa), William Njovbu (Lusaka Dynamos).

Strikers: James Chamanga (Moroka Swallows, South Africa), Christopher Katongo (Brondby, Denmark), Emmanuel Mayuka (Kabwe Warriors), Jacob Mulenga (Strasbourg, France), Dube Phiri (Desportivo de Agosto, Angola), Felix Nsunzu Jnr (Konkola Blades).

Sudan

Coach Ismail Ata al-Mannane of Sudan will be hoping that his defence puts their acts together after making series of “schoolboy” errors in their pre-tournament friendly matches.

His El-Merreikh strike force of Abdelhamid Amari, Faisal Ajab will hope to deliver the goals that have refused to come in recent games for the team. The team will employ the traditional 4-4-2 formation with Richard Justin Lado controlling the ball in the middle for the Crocodiles.

They will hope that the extra man in midfield can help them to dictate the pace of play; should Zambia get the ball into the final third too often, that will prove difficult, but a settled, albeit attacking game would suit the Crocs just fine.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Bahaeddine Abdallah (Al Merreikh), Mahjoub El Moez (Al Hilal), Akram El Hadi Salem (Al Merreikh).

Defenders: Mohamed Ali Khidr (Al Hilal), Ahmed Al Bacha (Al Merreikh), Moussa Al Tayeb (Al Merreikh), Omar Bakhit (Al Hilal), Amir Damar (Al Merreikh), Alaeddine Ahmed Gibril (Al-Hilal), Khalid Hassan (Al Hilal).

Midfielders: Yousef Alaeddine (Al-Hilal), Hamouda Bechir (Al Hilal), Badreddine El Doud (Al Merreikh), Saifeddine Ali Idriss (Al Hilal), Hassan Isaac Korongo (Al-Hilal), Richard Justin Lado (Al Hilal), Moujahid Mohamed (Al Merreikh), Haitham Moustafa (Al-Hilal), Mohamed Taher (Al Hilal)

Forwards: Abdelhamid Amari, Faisal Ajab, Alaeddine Babikr, Haitham Tambal (all Al Merreikh).

Prediction

The first half of the game will be utterly crucial to the eventual outcome of the encounter. If the Zambians are able to breach the Sudanese defensive line during that period, as they will try to do, we could be in for yet another goal feast. But if the Sudanese are able to contain the Zambians during that period, then we should expect a keenly contested game from both sides. Overall I expect the Zambians to prevail.

Sudan 0:2 Zambia

Carling Cup Preview: Tottenham – Arsenal


Carling Cup Preview: Tottenham – Arsenal

What: Carling Cup Semi-Final, 2nd Leg
Who: Tottenham (11th EPL, 27pts) v Arsenal (2nd EPL, 54pts)
When: Tuesday, 22nd January 2008, 20:00 (GMT)
Where: White Hart Lane, London

In The Balance

North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham go into battle on Tuesday with their semi-final finely poised after the 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Emirates.

Tottenham took the lead against Arsene Wenger’s young guns two weeks ago with a Jermaine Jenas goal after 37 minutes, only for Theo Walcott to rescue a draw with a rather lucky equaliser 11 minutes from time with Tottenham looking to hold on for the win.

Arsenal would have left the happier of the two sides with Spurs assistant Gus Poyet frustrated not to take a lead into the second leg. "We were the better team. We deserved to win but it's a 180-minute game and there are still 90 to go," he said.

Juande Aiming For Cup Glory

Although Juande Ramos wasn’t in charge for either this season’s league defeat or last season’s Carling Cup defeat, he will be looking to help Spurs exact some revenge on the Gunners and end a long run of defeats for the White Hart Lane club.

Spurs haven’t beaten Arsenal in nine years, so a League semi-final would be the ideal time to finally do so.

Manager Juande Ramos had quite a cup record while at Sevilla, and Spurs fans will be hoping he can continue it in North London tomorrow. During his first season at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, he won the Uefa Cup and followed that up the next year with the Copa del Rey and a successful defence of the Uefa Cup.

Assistant manager Gus Poyet meanwhile admits the club are desperate to finally gain a win over their fierce local rivals.

"I hope there will be a bigger game than this - in the final - but for now at this moment it's the biggest game of the season for different reasons" he said.

"It's all about making sure we get to the final - we believe we can and if we do it's going to be a great night for everyone.

"I won't have to say anything to the players, it's a perfect night for them to be involved - everyone will be desperate to play in this game."

You’ll Not Win Anything With Kids

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger on the other hand is looking to dispel the now famous Alan Hansen adage that ‘you don’t win anything with kids.’

The Frenchman is insisting he will keep the faith with the young players, who have got the club to this stage of the competition and will resist the temptation of bringing in a few more experienced heads to ensure the Gunners make the final.

"We have made decisions that will stand for the second leg. I'm convinced we can do it" he stressed.

Wenger says he is as bemused by Tottenham’s lack of success against his side as the Spurs contingent are.

"The result in the first leg continued our long unbeaten run against Tottenham, and I don't know why it should be that they haven't beaten us for more than eight years.

"They have always had good teams in that period, but we have been fighting for the championship a lot in that time so we always have a high focus. Maybe after a while it becomes psychological as well.

"We will go there positively, looking for the win, and they will be too, so it is set up nicely" the Arsenal boss added.

FORM GUIDE

Tottenham

Match Result Date Championship
Tottenham - Sunderland 2 - 0 19/01/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE
Reading - Tottenham 0 - 1 15/01/2008 FA CUP
Chelsea - Tottenham 2 - 0 12/01/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE
Arsenal - Tottenham 1 - 1 09/01/2008 CARLING CUP
Tottenham - Reading 2 - 2 05/01/2008 FA CUP
Aston Villa - Tottenham 2 - 1 01/01/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE


Arsenal

Match Result Date Championship
Fulham - Arsenal 0 - 3 19/01/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE
Arsenal - Birmingham 1 - 1 12/01/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE
Arsenal - Tottenham 1 - 1 09/01/2008 CARLING CUP
Burnley - Arsenal 0 - 2 06/01/2008 FA CUP
Arsenal - West Ham 2 - 0 01/01/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE
Everton - Arsenal 1 - 4 29/12/2007 PREMIER LEAGUE


TEAM NEWS

Tottenham

Tottenham midfielder Steed Malbranque returns from suspension, but Tom Huddlestone begins his three-match ban following his red card in Spurs’ FA Cup third round draw with Reading.

Ledley King was rested at the weekend to protect his knee and could return for the White Hart Lane clash.

Didier Zokora is on international duty and Chris Gunter is cup-tied. Gareth Bale (foot), Benoit Assou-Ekotto (knee) and Anthony Gardner (ankle) are all out, while Darren Bent (knee) has been out recently and would be likely to miss out if he was fit.

1st leg line-up: Cerny, Chimbonda, Dawson, King, Lee, Lennon, Jenas, O’Hara, Malbranque (Boateng), Berbatov, Keane (Defoe)

Squad: Cerny, Robinson, Chimbonda, Lee, Stalteri, Dawson, King, Kaboul, Rocha, Huddlestone, Malbranque, Jenas, Boateng, O'Hara, Tainio, Lennon, Berbatov, Defoe, Keane, Rose, Taarabt.

Arsenal

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed William Gallas will lead the side for Tuesday's Carling Cup semi-final second leg at Tottenham.

Philippe Senderos (nose) has joined Johan Djourou (groin) on the sidelines, so Justin Hoyte or Gilberto are set to fill in at centre-back.

Theo Walcott is set to return, having not been involved at all in the win over Fulham on Saturday, while Abou Diaby and Nicklas Bendtner should also both feature after being unused substitutes at Craven Cottage.

Striker Robin van Persie (thigh) is not yet match fit, while Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue and Alex Song are all away at the African Nations Cup.

1st leg line-up: Fabianski, J.Hoyte, Djourou (Sagna), Senderos, Traore, Walcott (Randall) Denilson, Silva, Diaby, van Persie (Eduardo), Bendtner

Squad: Fabianski, J Hoyte, Gallas, Senderos, Traore, Diaby, Denilson, Gilberto, Eduardo, Walcott, Bendtner, Mannone, Sagna, Rosicky, Randall, Gibbs, Lansbury, G Hoyte.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tottenham- Robbie Keane

Fresh from scoring his 100th goal for the club at the weekend against Sunderland, Robbie Keane will be looking to get back on the goal-scoring trail immediately and do his bit to fire Spurs into a Wembley final. The Republic of Ireland international will look to profit from an under-strength Arsenal back four and cause the Gunners all kinds of problems with his strike partner Dimitar Berbatov.

Arsenal- William Gallas

Gallas may well be asked to provide the experienced head along with midfielder Gilberto Silva as Arsenal look to win at White Hart Lane and kept up their unbeaten run against Spurs. The French defender said last week that the youngsters at the club inspire him. On Wednesday it could well be Gallas’ turn to inspire them and lead them to a place in the Carling Cup final.

PREDICTION

Expect a full-blooded English Cup tie at White Hart Lane with two fierce local rivals both going all-out to reach the final. I just have a sneaky suspicion that this could be the night when Tottenham get that long awaited win over their North London rivals and book their ticket in the final. There should be plenty of drama in N17 and goals aplenty.

Tottenham 1 Arsenal 2