Another Angola collapse and crowds could plummet

January 14, 2010

African Nations Cup organisers will be bundle of nerves over the next 24 hours, contemplating the fate of host nation in the tournament.

Angola blew a phenomenal four goal lead in Sunday’s opening match against Mali and now look vulnerable to the prospect of early elimination if they fail to beat Malawi on Thursday (1830 GMT).

The 50,000 spectators at the new November 11 Stadium were stunned by the capitulation of their team, seemingly coasting home to the most positive of starts with just over 10 minutes to go before collapsing like a deck of cards and handing Mali an improbable point in a 4-4 draw.

Classic watching for the neutrals but heartbreak for the locals, and real concern for the organisers.

Angola are not given much chance of winning this Nations Cup but it was hoped that they would certainly be competitive, thereby energising a real fervour around the event.

Poor host teams seem plentiful these days. Little is expected of South Africa in six months’ time at the World Cup and both Austria and Switzerland departed Euro 2008 early.

That had little bearing on the tournament as crowds still flocked to the squares in Berne, Basel, Vienna and Zurich. For example, proximity made it possible to have an estimated 100,000 Dutchmen, all clad in Orange, invading the Swiss serenity.

But that is unheard of in Africa where distance and economic reality make travelling fans a rarity. There are a handful in Angola for the Nations Cup but barely visible or vocal and so it is up to the home team to ratchet up the intensity.

Angola drew a full house on Sunday but will they be able to fill the stadium on Thursday when they play their second Group A game? If they fail, will this be yet another Nations Cup characterised by empty seats and stadiums that echo with the shouts of the players?

There are certainly many examples from previous editions but only Tunisia in 1994 attempted a solution. After Tunisia’s side prematurely exited the competition, the organisers filled the stadiums with army recruits. The only problem was they were all dressed in the same brown fatigues and sat inanimate in the stands.

Hopefully Angola’s army will stay in their barracks a little bit longer.

PHOTO: Mali fans try to catch the jersey of El Hadj Mahamane Traore after the opening match against Angola at the African Nations Cup soccer tournament in Luanda Jan. 10, 2010. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

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Tags: abdallah, Africa, Angola, Austria, berne, bundle of nerves, capitulation, characterised, classic, deck of cards, Dutchmen, economic reality, euro 2008, full house, handful, heartbreak, host nation, host teams, Luanda, mali, neutrals, november 11, organisers, previous editions, rarity, second group, South Africa, spectators, stadiums, Switzerland, Tunisia, Vienna, ZURICH

Seedorf advises Drenthe not to focus on national team

November 3, 2009

Despite his place in the stages during Real Madrid’s last competition match against Getafe (2-0 win), Royston Drenthe will be part of the match selection that faces AC Milan tonight. That means there is a chance he will play against his friend Clarence Seedorf.

“I wasn’t part of the squad that played against Getafe, because coach Manuel Pellegrini wasn’t satisfied with the way I played against Alcorcon and Sporting Gijon,” Drenthe told Dutch paper De Telegraaf.

“Earlier in my career I would have discussed this with the coach but now I just decided to work like a madman. After the training at the San Siro, mister Pellegrini told me this was the reason why I returned to the group.”

And that was exactly what Clarence Seedorf had predicted. The two Dutchmen with Surinam roots became friends not so long ago. “Clarence is an example for me and he has been like a father to me,” said Drenthe.

Drenthe and Seedorf faced each other two weeks ago during the first match between Real Madrid and Milan at the Bernabeu. Drenthe scored a goal but Seedorf left the field as a winner (2-3). Based on his performance that game, Drenthe was complimented and the media predicted a place in the national team for the 22-year-old full back.

“But I have to perform on a high level for a long period to make it to the national team,” added Drenthe. “I know I’m doing well now but I don’t think about the Dutch team. I focus on Real. That’s also a lesson from Clarence.”

Paul Haring

Tags: ac milan, alcorcon, Clarence, clarence seedorf, coach, de telegraaf, Drenthe, dutch paper, dutch team, Dutchmen, game, madman, MADRID, manuel pellegrini, match, Milan, Paul Haring, real madrid, roots, San, san siro, sporting gijon

Hull target Negredo to stay in Spain – press

August 17, 2009

English Premier League outfit Hull City appear to have failed in their bid to sign Real Madrid striker Alvaro Negredo, who is set to join Spanish side Zaragoza, a Spanish sports daily said Monday.

The 23-year-old wants to remain in Spain, and Real are ready to let him, AS reported.

This is despite the fact that Hull has agreed to Real’s terms of an 18 million euro transfer fee plus a two-year buy-back clause worth 25 million euros — an offer Zaragoza cannot match, the paper said.

It said the newly promoted outfit is ready to pay a fee “very far” from the amount sought by Real, but the Madrid club would have an option to buy back the player “for next to nothing” over the next two years.

“Zaragoza is very close to being the destination of Alvaro Negredo,” AS said.

Negredo, who has also been linked to Tottenham, was the second-highest scorer in Spain’s Primera Liga with 19 goals last season, when he played for Almeria. Real then exercised a buy-back option on him during the close season.

Real president Florentino Perez has splashed out over 250 million euros on the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema since he returned to the club in June in a bid to make the nine-times European champions a formidable force again.

But he is now seeking to offload a number of players to recoup some of the massive outlay.

AS said the possible sale of Dutchmen Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Rafael Van der Vaart would more than make up for the extra cash the club would have received from Hull for Negredo.

MADRID (AFP)

Tags: arjen robben, back option, cristiano ronaldo, Dutchmen, English Premier League, european champions, extra cash, HULL, hull city, kaka, Karim Benzema, MADRID, madrid club, nine times, primera liga, Rafael van der, real madrid, ronaldo, scorer, spanish side, spanish sports, target, Wesley Sneijder, Zaragoza

Real set to relaunch pursuit of Ribery – report

August 13, 2009

Real Madrid could relaunch their bid to sign Bayern Munich’s French midfielder Franck Ribery by offering two of their Dutch internationals plus 30 million euros to the Bundesliga giants, reports said Thursday.

The Spanish giants said earlier this month their mega pre-season spending spree had ended with the capture of Xabi Alonso from Liverpool.

However sports dailies Marca and AS claim the Spanish giants are desperate to loosen Bayern’s grip on Ribery.

Real failed to sign the French midfield star this summer in the face of stiff opposition from Bayern but Real president Florentino Perez “is still not ruling out Ribery” ahead of the close season transfer deadline on August 31, Marca said Thursday.

Marca and AS said the midfielder, who is keen to join Real, issued a “new challenge” to Bayern by playing for France on Wednesday in a World Cup qualifying match against the Faroe Islands even though he has not played for his club this summer due to injury.

Marca said “the key” to capturing Ribery may be for Real to offer two of their Dutch internationals plus cash to Bayern coach Louis Van Gaal, a Dutchman. Real “would be ready to offer two of its Dutchmen and more than 30 million euros for Ribery,” it said.

Real would thus be able to make “an appetising offer to the German team as the amount would surpass 60 million euros — 30 in cash and a bit more than 30 more for the players released, a figure approaching the 80 million that Bayern was demanding at the start of the summer for Franck Ribery”.

Perez has splashed out over 250 million euros on the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema as he seeks to make the nine-times European champions a formidable force again.

Real are still looking to offload Dutchmen Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Royston Drenthe and Rafael Van der Vaart.

MADRID (AFP)

Tags: arjen robben, Bayern, bayern munich, cristiano ronaldo, Drenthe, Dutchmen, european champions, faroe islands, France, german team, internationals, Karim Benzema, louis van gaal, MADRID, midfield star, Rafael van der, rafael van der vaart, real madrid, ronaldo, royston drenthe, spending spree, stiff opposition, transfer deadline, van der vaart, Wesley Sneijder, xabi alonso

German champions Wolfsburg enjoy flying start

August 8, 2009

Wolfsburg launched the defence of their German league title with an impressive 2-0 win over Stuttgart on Friday, striking an early blow against a team tipped as potential successors to the crown.

The departure of title-winning coach Felix Magath to Schalke 04 showed no signs of eating into Wolfsburg’s confidence as late goals from Bosnian playmaker Zvjezdan Misimovic and Brazilian striker Grafite secured the points.

Grafite and Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko, who grabbed 54 goals between them last season, were quickly out of the blocks on Friday against Stuttgart.

In the 19th minute, Dzeko pounced on a defensive error by Frenchman Matthieu Delpierre, but former Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann turned the Bosnian’s shot around the post.

Grafite was then thwarted by Lehmann, who still looked sharp despite his approaching 40th birthday, on the half-hour mark.

Stuttgart had some opportunities in the first half with Sami Khedira seeing a shot saved on the line by Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio and new signing Pavel Pogrebniak also having a header saved.

But Wolfsburg’s pressure finally told in the 71st minute when a drive from Misimovic beat Lehmann before Grafite added a second, eight minutes from time.

“It was a very good night for us,” said Grafite, the league’s top scorer last season.

“We could have won by more, but we know that every match in the championship will be tough.”

Wolfsburg coach Armin Veh, who was in charge of Stuttgart, said his side were worthy winners.

“After a very equal first half, where either side could have scored, we then dominated the second half and deserved the victory.”

On Saturday, midfield tough-guy Mark van Bommel leads Bayern Munich into their new season determined to stamp his authority and that of new coach Louis van Gaal on the Bavarian giants.

The two Dutchmen are key to Bayern’s hopes of wresting the title back from Wolfsburg after finishing an agonising two points behind the shock champions last season.

Van Gaal, who has followed the sacked Jurgen Klinsmann into the Bayern hotseat, believes van Bommel is the right man for the skipper’s armband as another marathon league and European Champions League season beckons.

“I saw that Mark has a huge influence on the team,” said van Gaal. “He?s a big supporter of my philosophy, my methods and my values. That matters to me. I need someone to represent me on the field.”

Bayern begin their campaign away at Hoffenheim, the unfashionable side who led the top flight for long spells in 2008-2009 before they fell away.

Striker Mario Gomez, signed for a club record 30 million euros from Stuttgart, has a groin strain, but should start for Bayern although question marks remain over French international Franck Ribery, who has been dogged by knee trouble.

BERLIN (AFP)

Tags: 40th birthday, Armin Veh, bavarian, Bayern, bayern munich, berlin, diego benaglio, Dutchmen, edin dzeko, felix magath, frenchman, german league, jens lehmann, jurgen klinsmann, khedira, louis van gaal, mario gomez, Mark, Mark van Bommel, matthieu delpierre, midfield, Pavel Pogrebniak, playmaker, pounced, Sami Khedira, schalke 04, striker, stuttgart, tough guy, Van Gaal, worthy winners

AZ´s Van Gaal to take over at Bayern: report

May 9, 2009

THE HAGUE (AFP) – Louis Van Gaal, the coach of newly crowned Dutch champions AZ Alkmaar, is set to take over at Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, according to reports on Saturday.

According to Algemeen Dagblad newspaper Van Gaal has already agreed terms with the German champions to take over as of next season and will make an official announcement in the coming days.

The report added that Andries Jonker, the current technical director of Dutch side Willem II Tilburg and who was Van Gaal’s assistant at Spanish giants Barcelona from 1997 to 2000, will join Van Gaal at Bayern.

AZ president Dirk Scheringa declared last Monday the club would not allow Van Gaal to leave the club.

“Louis is under contract until 2010,” Scheringa told the website of Dutch magazine sportweek.nl.

“I’m not worried about anything as Van Gaal is a man of principle who always respects his contracts. And we’ve not been contacted by Bayern.”

Bayern’s general manager Uli Hoeness had claimed Van Gaal was close to agreeing to a deal that would see him replace Jurgen Klinsmann, who sacked two weeks ago after a string of mediocre performances.

Saturday’s report said representatives of both clubs are set to thrash out a compensation package that would allow Van Gaal to join Bayern, where he could be joined by AZ captain and midfielder Stijn Schaars.

AZ recently failed in their bid to have Schaars, a 25-year-old Dutch international, sign an extra year’s extension on to his contract, which expires in a year.

Dutchmen Dick Advocaat and Co Adriaanse are being tipped to succeed Van Gaal at AZ.