Milan rule out Toni move

December 18, 2009

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has ruled out a January move for Luca Toni to the Serie A club. Galliani emphasized the fact that Milan already have enough forwards since the squad includes three strikers.

Out-of-favor Bayern Munich striker Toni has fallen out with his manager Louis van Gaal and has insisted that he plans to leave in January.

David Beckham and Dominic Adiyah will move to the San Siro in the New Year but Galliani insists that the two players will be the only Winter signings.

“In January, only Beckham and Adiyah will arrive,” said Galliani.

“I have said there will be a new player with the features of Pato and Ronaldinho, but not for now.

“This is an idea for the summer. Luca Toni? We have three strikers already and are okay with that.”

Parma are rumored to be interested in veteran hit-man Filippo Inzaghi. However, 65 year-old Galliani said there is no way Inzaghi would be allowed to move away from Milan.

“Inzaghi to Parma? We’ll not let him go away.”

Meanwhile, Luca Toni says he won’t close the door on a move to England or Spain. The Italian target man enjoyed a wonderful stint at Fiorentina after impressing for Palermo and is said to prefer a move back to Italy.

Tags: adriano galliani, Bayern, David Beckham, dominic, Dominic Adiyah, England, filippo inzaghi, fiorentina, hit man, Italy, italy milan, louis van gaal, luca toni, Milan, Munich, new year, Palermo, parma, pato, ronaldinho, San, san siro, Spain, stint, striker, strikers, target man, Toni, winter

Ghana to test youngsters ahead of World Cup

November 18, 2009

Ghana travels to Angola for an international friendly on Wednesday. Head coach Milovan Rajevac says young members in the squad will get opportunities to show their qualities ahead of the African Cup of nations and the World Cup.

Ghana won the Under-20 World Cup in October and now five members of that squad are set to contribute to the senior team. With Agyemang Badu and Lee Addy already playing over the weekend in the World Cup qualifier against Mali (2-2), it could be time for Dominic Adiyiah and goalkeeper Daniel Agyei to make their senior debut.

“The young ones will always have opportunities. I intend to give them some playing time and see the level,” Rajevac told the official website of the Ghanaian Football Association. “They have the quality but they must be prepared to fight for places. The experience would be good for them.

“It would be good to see how they play with some of the seniors. In training, you can see that they are willing to go but we would see.”

The Black Stars will be without some regular squad members for the game against Angola.

Stephen Appiah, Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, Asamoah Gyan and Samuel Inkoom who all featured in last Sunday’s final qualifying match in the campaign for next year’s Nations Cup and World Cup competitions were left behind.

Paul Haring

Tags: african cup of nations, asamoah gyan, badu, black stars, dominic, football association, ghanaian football, Goalkeeper, last sunday, Michael Essien, nations cup, playing time, squad members, stephen appiah, sulley muntari, world cup competitions, world cup qualifier, young ones, youngsters

Milan sign youth World Cup hero

November 3, 2009

AC Milan has signed Dominic Adiyiah. The Ghanaian striker will join the club in January. Adiyiah dominated the recent Under-20 World Cup, ending up with the Golden Shoe as top scorer with eight goals, the Golden Ball for player of the tournament and of course the winners’ medal.

“There is a deal with the Norwegian club Fredrikstad FK. Now he needs to get the work permit to enter Italy and we will deposit the contract on January 1,” said Milan’s vice president Adriano Galliani.

“Naturally he has to pass his medical first and then he will be our player. We bought him because he is a wide striker who can play in place of Alexandre Pato or Ronaldinho.”

“Our system has changed now and we needed a wide forward who could train with those we already have at our disposal, so we made a move.”

Paul Haring

Tags: ac milan, adriano, alexandre pato, dominic, Dominic Adiyiah, golden shoe, Italy, january 1, Milan, norwegian club, Paul Haring, ronaldinho, striker, top scorer, vice president, world cup hero, youth world cup

Ghana seek Brazil revenge in U20 World Cup final

October 16, 2009

Ghana will have revenge in mind when they confront four-time champions Brazil in the final of the Under-20 World Cup at the Cairo International Stadium here on Friday.

Sellas Tetteh’s side booked their place in the tournament decider with an enterprising 3-2 semi-final victory over a dogged Hungary team and will now look to avenge Ghana’s 2-1 defeat to Brazil in the 1993 competition in Sydney.

Abeiku Quansah’s spectacular late strike killed off the Hungarian fightback after Dominic Adiyiah had netted his seventh and eighth goals of the competition, and Tetteh says his side are coming into form at the right time.

“What matters isn’t just that we’re in the final, but that we got there thanks to a great victory,” he said.

“We’re not surprised by our performance because we played really well in the qualifying competition in Rwanda and we’ve had continuity and consistency here.

“It doesn’t matter who we meet next. We’re 90 minutes away from lifting the trophy.”

Brazil triumphed in their semi-final by a similarly slender margin, overcoming Costa Rica 1-0 via a 67th-minute volley from centre forward Alan Kardec.

Rogerio Lourenco’s charges will now seek to capture the trophy for the first time since their 2003 triumph in the United Arab Emirates.

“Above all, I’m delighted that the players have achieved our goal of reaching the final,” Lourenco said.

“They must be congratulated, as getting through six matches in a row is no easy feat. I know we didn’t play well, but what mattered was reaching the final, nothing else.”

With the tournament drawing to a close, FIFA vice-president and chairman of the organising committee Jack Warner saluted the quality of football on show.

“It’s been a tournament of surprises,” he said. “Costa Rica have reached the semi-finals for the very first time, despite them finishing third in the group stage.

“That’s a testimony to their hard work and progression. It’s also the first time that Hungary have gone so far in a FIFA youth tournament.”

Hungary confront Costa Rica in the third-place play-off match earlier on Friday, with the Central Americans’ coach Ronald Gomez vowing to go all-out for victory.

“We treat each match in this tournament the same, and that has enabled us to get this far,” he said.

“We will spare no effort to win third place. I will give all I have to win this game. It will be a great feeling to return to our country having won our final match.”

CAIRO (AFP)

Tags: Alan, alan kardec, brazil, Cairo, cairo international, Central Americans, continuity, Costa Rica, decider, dominic, Dominic Adiyiah, fightback, final victory, ghana, group stage, Hungary, jack warner, lourenco, organising committee, right time, Rogerio Lourenco, Ronald Gomez, Rwanda, semi finals, SYDNEY, time champions, united arab emirates, World Cup

Ghana advance to quarter finals at World Youth Championship

October 7, 2009

The African clash between Ghana and South Africa at the 2009 World Youth Championship ended in a 2-1 victory to the Ghanaians.

South Africa took the lead through Kermit Erasmus after almost an hour of play at Ismaïlia Stadium, but Ghana’s Andre Ayew leveled the score seven minutes later.

Extra time was needed to determine which of the two teams was to advance to the quarter finals, and a goal from Dominic Adiyiah in the 99th minute made the difference in Ghana’s favor.

Ghana play their quarter final match against Korea Republic on Saturday, October 9.

Jonathan Roorda

Tags: Andre Ayew, clash, dominic, Dominic Adiyiah, erasmus, extra time, final match, ghana, ghanaians, hour of play, Ismaïlia Stadium, Jonathan Roorda, Kermit Erasmus, korea republic, quarter finals, score, South Africa, victory, world youth championship

Ghana crush England to advance at World Youth Championship

September 30, 2009

Ghana are through to the second round of the World Youth Championship following an impressive 4-0 win over England, who in turn have very little chance of surviving the group phase.

Dominic Adiyiah put Ghana in the lead after 38 minutes in the city of Ismaïlia, and Andre Ayew doubled the gap three minutes before the hour.

A goal from Ransford Osei ended all English hope in minute 82 and 19-year-old striker Adiyiah added another, six minutes later.

Ghana and Uruguay are now certain of a spot in the next round, and get to battle for first place when the two meet each other on Friday. Uzbekistan and England face for third place in Group D.

Jonathan Roorda