Blatter hints at opening on video replays

January 24, 2010


World football chief Sepp Blatter said in a newspaper interview on Sunday that he might consider video assistance for referees in the future.

The president of world football’s governing body FIFA has staunchly opposed the use of video replays as a refereeing aid because they would interrupt the flow of the game.

But he told the Swiss newspaper Sonntagsblick that he might consider them after other technology has been approved.

“I’m not completely against it. But only when goal line technology is ready to be introduced, only then,” he said.

The guardian of football’s rules, the International Football Association Board, is due to discuss electronic goal line technology, including computer chips in balls and goalmouth cameras, at its meeting in March.

Blatter again ruled out the introduction of such aids in South Africa this summer.

“We won’t carry out any experiments there, not even with two extra referees,” he added.

Two additional assistant referees are being lined up in Europa League matches this season in a trial aimed at improving surveillance of incidents in penalty box.

In December, FIFA’s executive committee also ruled out the introduction of video technology to assist referees similar to the system used in rugby, cricket and tennis.

Pressure for refereeing aids surged again with the furore that followed Thierry Henry’s blatant handball in a World Cup playoff against Ireland in November that saw France qualify for the finals.

GENEVA (AFP)

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Japan getting more serious about World Cup dream

January 1, 2010


Japan’s national football coach Takeshi Okada says a growing number of his players share his ambitious goal of a semi-final spot in this year’s World Cup.

“Honestly, I am surprised myself,” he told reporters when asked if the number of his players, who are “seriously” aiming for a top-four finish in South Africa, had risen.

“The players have ups and downs and they can flinch when they hit the wall… So I can’t say how many on a constant basis,” Okada said in the interview embargoed for release on New Year’s Day.

“But I have a feeling that the number was just a few this time last year and has since exceeded 10 and then 15,” he said.

His target has been snubbed as unrealistic because Japan have not won a World Cup match on foreign soil since Okada guided them to their finals debut at France 1998 in his first stint as national coach.

They came home after three straight losses at the group stage.

Securing just one point at the group stage in South Africa is widely seen as a tall order for Japan, who are pitted against the Netherlands, Cameroon and Denmark — all of them ranked above the three-time Asian champions.

Japan’s best World Cup result was a last-round spot in the 2002 tournament, which they co-hosted with South Korea, who finished fourth.

At Germany 2006, Japan bowed out after losing to Brazil and Australia and drawing with Croatia.

Okada, who took over from Bosnian Ivica Osim in late 2007, said he had been asked in an interview with football’s governing body FIFA about the source of his confidence.

“It is not only me but also my players and staff who feel that we can make it.”

The bespectacled 53-year-old said that a tour of the Netherlands last September had boosted his “Blue Samurai” squad.

During the tour, Japan came out fighting in their first-ever encounter with world number-three the Netherlands but eventually lost 3-0. They also battled from behind to beat the highly physical Ghana 4-3.

“That tour has made clear to us what we need to do to survive the battles,” Okada said.

Japan’s squad features a midfield led by Shunsuke Nakamura, who has struggled to earn playing time at Espanyol after moving from Celtic last June.

Their firepower is expected to be fuelled by 21-year-old Catania striker Takayuki Morimoto, who made his international debut in October, and goal machine Keisuke Honda, who began to score for Japan last year.

Okada said Japan needed to improve in three areas to be reckoned with on the world stage.

“To outrun our opponents. To outdo them in one-on-one battles for the ball. To raise the accuracy of our skills, especially kicks,” he said.

TOKYO (AFP)

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Barcelona´s Messi named World Player of the Year

December 22, 2009


Barcelona and Argentina striker Lionel Messi was crowned World Player of the Year by world football’s ruling body FIFA on Monday.

Messi, whose goals this year helped Barcelona win the Champions League final and World Club Cup final, thus succeeds Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo as the world’s top player, as voted by national team captains and coaches.

Messi has played a huge role in the recent success of Spanish giants Barcelona, who have won a total of six trophies in the past season including the Champions League title and the World Club Cup trophy last week.

The Argentine forward’s talents were given the ultimate thumbs-up earlier this month when he was voted the winner of the Ballon d’Or for the European Footballer of the Year.

On Monday Messi, 22, had been in contention with Barcelona teammates Andres Iniesta and Xavi, both from Spain, Brazilian striker Kaka of Real Madrid, the winner in 2007, and last year’s winner Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo also won both trophies last season.

While Ronaldo won the Ferenc Puskas award for goal of the season while playing with former club Manchester United, one of Messi’s goals was among the highlights.

Messi profile

Despite his diminutive stature Messi, who stands 1.69 metres or five feet seven inches tall, rose above United’s defence in the Champions League final in Rome to head the second of Barcelona’s goals in their 2-0 victory.

The Argentine is also known for his superb dribbling and fast, mazy runs that leave opposition defences in tatters, and on Monday he was just as quick to share out the plaudits.

“I want to thank my teammates, notably those who are present here tonight, without whom none of my achievements would have been possible,” said Messi.

“2009 has been a wonderful year for Barcelona and also for me.”

Messi’s goal against United in last season’s final was his ninth of the 2009 Champions League campaign and left him as the competition’s top scorer.

Last week Messi also proved decisive in the World Club Cup final. He scored Barcelona’s second goal in the 2-1 victory over South American champions Estudiantes of Argentina.

In 2009 Barcelona also won the league title, the King’s (Spanish) Cup, the Spanish Super Cup and the European Super Cup.

ZURICH, Switzerland (AFP)

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Henry did not behave immorally, says Houllier

December 2, 2009


France captain Thierry Henry was not behaving immorally when he deliberately handled the ball twice to set up the goal that eliminated the Republic of Ireland from the 2010 World Cup finals said former French coach Gerard Houllier on Tuesday.

The 62-year-old – a failure as national coach seeing France miss out on the 1994 World Cup finals losing their last two matches both at home to lowly Israel and then Bulgaria in the last minute – said that Henry’s action during last month’s play-off second leg match was not cheating.

“He didn’t cheat. It was instinctive,” Houllier told BBC radio.

“A lot of the former players in France have condemned what Thierry has done but, at the same time, they said they would have done the same.

“He didn’t cross the ball with his hand, he put the ball in on his foot. It’s the referee’s error,” added Houllier, who is now techinical director for the French Football Federation.

Houllier, who has enjoyed more success at club level first with Liverpool where he won five trophies and then at Lyon, said the Henry he knew would not do something like that deliberately and in any case the Irish would not have qualified even if the match had stayed at 1-0 in their favour as it would have gone to penalties.

“Thierry is too honest a person to have done this immorally. It was not premeditated,” said Houllier.

“I don’t think he’ll be punished and even if the goal had not been allowed, they (the Irish) would not have qualified. It would have gone to penalties.”

The sport’s governing body FIFA’s executive committee will meet on Wednesday in Cape Town, South Africa, to consider the incident as part of a disciplinary crackdown.

FIFA could put also more assistant referees on the fields during the World Cup, their president Sepp Blatter said.

“We’ll make a decision to have additional officials for the World Cup or not. This is open,” he said.

LONDON (AFP)

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Ireland admits defeat in World Cup replay bid

November 21, 2009


Ireland has failed in its bid to have their World Cup play-off against France replayed, the Football Association of Ireland recognised in a statement issued on Saturday.

Ireland had appealed to football’s world governing body FIFA and to the French Football Federation (FFF) to have the second leg of the play-off replayed because of Thierry Henry’s handball in the build-up to William Gallas’s decisive extra-time goal.

Both FIFA and the FFF rejected the appeals and FAI chief executive John Delaney on Saturday acknowledged there was nothing else that could be done.

“We regret that despite our best efforts for a replay, which would have restored the integrity of the game in front of a world-wide audience, our calls appear to have fallen on deaf ears at the French Football Federation.

“Without doubt, the credibility of fair play has been damaged by this incident in front of a worldwide audience.

“Despite our deep disappointment, we thank our players, the wonderful Irish fans and the Irish public at large for their support, as well as the solidarity of the French people.

“We will continue to call on FIFA to take action to ensure that such damaging examples of cheating are not allowed to recur.”

DUBLIN (AFP)

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Fergie backs video scheme after Henry handball row

November 20, 2009


Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson admits he would like to see video technology used to clear up controversial decisions — but cannot see the sport’s governing bodies adopting any new schemes in the near future.

The issue over whether football should embrace the technology available was re-ignited on Wednesday night when France’s Thierry Henry used his hand to control the ball before crossing for William Gallas to score the goal that ended Ireland’s chances of going to the World Cup.

There have been calls for the match to be replayed while others believe referees need to be able to rely on video evidence to ensure they get such key decisions right.

It is a point Ferguson agrees with. But the Scot fears that all discussion on the issue is futile because world football’s governing body, FIFA, are simply not interested in revolutionising the role of the referee.

He said: “The stance is that they prefer human decision-making rather than technology decision-making and until they change their mind there is nothing you can do about it – you have to convince them, nobody else.

“It is not a matter of asking every player and manager in the world their opinion because they will all share the same one, as I do myself, that technology can play a part and can help referees in a situation like the other night.”

Gallas?s goal sent France to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with a 2-1 aggregate victory while Ireland have been left counting the cost of some extreme misfortune.

Ferguson added: “My thoughts were with (Ireland coach) Giovanni Trapattoni. He prepared a team that put in an absolutely magnificent performance. You couldn’t ask for better from a coach but it was taken away from him.

“It happens and it’s denied a couple of our players the great experience of playing in the World Cup finals and you’ll never get a better experience than that.”

MANCHESTER, England (AFP)

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Egypt quits N. Africa league after Algeria defeat

November 20, 2009


Egypt suspended its membership of the Union of North African Football Federations on Thursday, complaining that Algerian fans had thrown stones at their supporters during the country’s World Cup exit.

The Egyptian Football Federation wrote to its counterparts in Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia charging that its fans had come under sustained assault during the make-or-break qualification play-off in Khartoum on Wednesday, the state MENA news agency reported.

Egypt had already called in the Algerian ambassador and recalled its own envoy from Algiers for consultations in protest.

The game’s Sudanese hosts strongly contested Egypt’s version of events insisting just four Egyptian fans had sustained minor injuries and calling in the Egyptian ambassador in Khartoum in its own protest.

By contrast, world football’s governing body FIFA said that three Algerian players and the goalkeeping coach suffered injuries that “weren’t superficial” ahead of Egypt’s 2-0 victory in Cairo on Saturday that forced the play-off.

A number of Algerian fans were also injured after the game, triggering attacks against Egyptians and Egyptian interests in Algeria.

CAIRO (AFP)

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Maradona in Zurich for FIFA hearing

November 15, 2009


Argentina coach Diego Maradona arrived Sunday at the headquarters of world football’s governing body FIFA for a disciplinary hearing over his sexually-explicit rant after his team’s World Cup qualification.

The former star player was facing a possible fine and suspension from international matches after he rounded on critics during a press conference after Argentina qualified for next year’s World Cup finals in South Africa.

Maradona flew into the Swiss city from Madrid where Argentina lost 2-1 against Spain in a friendly late Saturday.

Wearing sunglasses and tracksuit, a demonstrably impassive looking Maradona kept silent as he was escorted through Zurich airport into a nearby hotel complex by an Argentine football official and bodyguards.

He later arrived in a convoy of limousines at FIFA headquarters about 50 minutes after the originally scheduled time for the hearing.

He was to face a disciplinary hearing here scheduled to start at 2.00 pm (1300 GMT) behind closed doors. FIFA have declined to give details although they said they would release a statement afterwards.

Maradona’s public outburst came after Argentina’s 1-0 win over Uruguay in October, which allowed the two-time world champions to squeeze narrowly into next year’s finals in South Africa after a lowly and tense qualifying round.

At the time, the 48-year-old, a sporting icon in Argentina after skippering the 1986 World Cup winning team, lashed out at journalists.

FIFA chief Sepp Blatter has said Maradona may have flouted regulations which could result in a fine of up to 29,400 dollars and/or suspension.

“According to article 58.a anyone who harms the dignity of a person through acts or words can be punished,” he added.

Maradona later sought to make amends and admitted that if Argentina had failed to qualify he “would have taken myself off to Haiti.”

ZURICH (AFP)

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Egypt tightens security ahead of Algeria match

November 14, 2009


Egypt stepped up security for a decisive World Cup qualifier between Algeria and Egypt on Saturday, with police vowing tight protection for the Algerians whose bus was stoned when they arrived in Cairo.

Thousands of home fans, their faces painted in red, white and black and waving Egyptian flags, thronged the Cairo International Stadium hours before the highly charged match, which was due to kick off at 7:30 pm (1730 GMT).

A tight cordon was set up outside the ground, where around 2,000 Algerian fans were also expected among the capacity 70,000 crowd.

Press reports said police units would also be deployed throughout the stands as security was raised to highest-ever levels.

The challenge is tough for Egypt’s Pharoahs, who need to win by a three-goal margin to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and stop Algeria’s Desert Foxes from sewing up the African Group C qualifying place.

Despite official appeals for calm, tensions boiled over on Thursday when the Algerian team bus was stoned on its way from Cairo airport, with three players injured.

World football governing body FIFA ordered Egypt to guarantee security for the match after the attack.

Egyptian official daily Al-Ahram quoted a deputy interior minister, Abdel Rahim al-Qanawi, as saying police will undertake unprecedented security to safeguard the players in their hotel and on their way to the stadium.

“The Algerian team’s bus will be secured completely, in a way that never happened before with other teams,” he said.

One FIFA representative, Walter Gagg, confirmed to AFP that three Algerian players had sustained injuries, potentially ruling them out of the showdown.

“We saw that three players had been injured — Khaled Lemmouchia on the head, Rafik Halliche above the eye and Rafik Saifi on the arm,” Gagg said.

“These weren’t superficial injuries,” he stressed. “With the stitches needed, we will have to see if these players can play. The team doctor has still to make a decision on that.”

Gagg said Algeria’s goalkeeping coach had suffered concussion, and described the bus itself as in a “very bad way with broken windows and traces of blood on the floor”.

“The players were afraid, they were terrified,” he said.

For the Algerians, Egyptian security officials and the media added insult to the injuries by saying that the Algerian team faked the attack.

The Egyptian press reported that an initial investigation showed the Algerians had smashed the windows of the bus with emergency hammers.

Algerian press reports on Saturday said an angry crowd attacked homes of Egyptian workers at M’sila, in southeastern Algeria, after news of the stoning and graphic pictures of the players’ injuries were published in the media.

A group of young men ransacked a building occupied by managers of a cement works belonging to Egypt’s Orascom, El-Watan newspaper reported.

Police took the managers and their families to safety but “all flats in the residence were ransacked and looted” and a car was set on fire, the report said.

The newspaper Quotidien d’Oran said 14 police were hurt in clashes with the young men.

In Algiers, all streets leading to the Egyptian embassy were closed from Thursday evening and security measures installed at Egyptian companies, an AFP reporter said.

And in France’s southern port of Marseille, which has many residents of Algerian origin, security at the Egyptian consulate was boosted and 600 police officers flooded the city centre.

In Cairo the Algerian squad held a light training session on Friday under police protection, with captain Yazid Mansouri saying: “The players are standing firm and united.”

The rival national teams have a history of bad blood, with riots breaking out after Egypt defeated Algeria in a 1989 match in Cairo.

Algeria player Lakhdar Belloumi was tried in absentia and sentenced to prison in Egypt for allegedly seriously injuring the Egyptian team doctor with a bottle after that match.

Interpol issued an arrest warrant for Belloumi over the incident.

Egypt last qualified for the World Cup in 1990, and Algeria in 1986.

CAIRO (AFP)

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World Cup chaos fears as Egypt, Algeria clash

November 14, 2009


Threats of violence in Cairo have overshadowed the final round of 2010 World Cup qualifiers in Africa this weekend with three places in South Africa up for grabs.

Egypt host bitter rivals Algeria Saturday in the potentially explosive highlight of a nine-match schedule and already-qualified Ghana meet Mali in the sole Sunday fixture.

Cameroon or Gabon will go through from Group A, Tunisia or Nigeria from Group B and Algeria or Egypt from Group C while Group D table-toppers Ivory Coast, Group E winners Ghana and hosts South Africa are already through.

Wins for Cameroon away to Morocco and Tunisia away to Mozambique will seal places at the first World Cup to be staged in Africa while a win, draw or one-goal loss for Algeria returns them the finals after a 23-year absence.

A two-goal victory for Egypt would mean a play-off in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on November 18 and the ‘Pharaohs’ would qualify directly for South Africa if they triumph by a wider margin at home.

Tension ahead of the Saturday evening clash at the 73,000-seat Cairo Stadium has led world governing football body FIFA and officials from both countries to call for fair play on the field and calm off it.

Those pleas fell on deaf ears when Algeria arrived in Cairo late Thursday with police officials confirming stones were thrown at the visitors’ bus as it sped from the airport to a hotel.

While Egypt insisted no one was injured, Algeria claimed several players were hurt ahead ahead of the return match in a mini-league that has not gone according to form.

Internet and media ‘wars’ have been raging for weeks between the rivals and Algeria want extra security for the ‘Desert Foxes’ players and officials after the bus incident.

The ‘Pharaohs’ were firm favourites to finish first and compete at the World Cup for the first time since 1990, but a home draw with Zambia followed by a loss in Algeria placed them under pressure.

A recovery brought home and away wins over Rwanda and a fortunate victory in Zambia, but Algeria won four consecutive games following a Kigali draw to take a three-point advantage.

“Algeria have the advantage. The team has been strong throughout the qualifiers and need to prove ourselves one more time. It is up to Egypt to make the running,” said captain and midfielder Yazid Mansouri.

“We can leave a mark on the history of our country and playing in Cairo is going to be the match of our lives. I will tell my team-mates how proud I am to lead them and then we must get a result that takes us to South Africa.”

Egypt skipper and midfielder Ahmed Hassan countered: “I know Algeria are in a better position but I also feel our team are superior. It is a unique moment – without doubt the most important of our careers.

“Our generation has dominated African football for the last few years, but only qualifying for the World Cup would put a proper seal on that. We believe in our ability and deserve to qualify.”

Cameroon have a one-point lead in their group and can reach the World Cup a record sixth time for an African country either by winning in Morocco or matching the result of second-placed surprise packets Gabon in Togo.

Failure to convert a stoppage-time penalty cost Cameroon a place at the 2006 finals in Germany and star striker and captain Samuel Eto’o is wary of bottom team Morocco, who have failed to win in five outings but drew in Yaounde.

“Morocco deserve respect despite their position and we have to use maximum concentration. Our ‘Indomitable Lions’ nickname is significant. A lion commands territory, earns respect and is feared,” he boasted.

Seeking a fourth consecutive trip to the World Cup, Tunisia hold a two-point advantage over Nigeria, who are facing the grim prospect of missing the tournament again after Angola pipped them four years ago.

Both teams finish with away assignments and while Mozambique promise stiff opposition to Tunisia, Kenya have been hit by coaching chaos and injuries as they prepare to tackle Nigeria.

German Antoine Hey walked out when two players he did not select turned up for training in Nairobi and injury forced midfielders MacDonald Mariga and Robert Mambo to withdraw.

Rwanda tackle Zambia, Sudan meet Benin, Didier Drogba-less Ivory Coast face Guinea and Burkina Faso confront Malawi in the other Saturday fixtures.

JOHANNESBURG (AFP)

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