Egypt celebrate while Ivory Coast ponder the future

February 1, 2010


Egypt chalked up their seventh Africa Cup of Nations triumph here just as the ‘Golden Generation’ of the Ivory Coast again departed the continent’s biggest football stage empty-handed.

The Pharaohs 1-0 win over a youthful Ghana in Sunday’s final made it the 19th match they have gone unbeaten since 2004. It was also their third successive continental title.

Just as it was two years ago in Ghana, the Elephants from the Ivory Coast were again the popular choice to win their second Nations Cup crown, with such stars as Didier Drogba, Yaya and Kolo Toure in their lineup.

But not many reckoned that a suspect defence would cave in almost too easily against Algeria in the knockout stage of Angola 2010.

After a rather indifferent start, the Desert Foxes of Algeria would now have assured many they will not be making up the numbers at the World Cup in South Africa even after a 4-0 thrashing by fierce rivals Egypt. Egyptians dance in streets for African Cup football triumph

“People did not expect us to be in the semi-finals. We have not reached this stage for a very long time,” said Glasgow Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra.

“We’re a young team who have made a lot of progress.”

Skipper Yazid Mansouri added: “We will move ahead and learn from the mistakes we made at this tournament.

“We have to work very hard to get ready for the World Cup especially in the midfield and attack.

“The Nations Cup has afforded us a chance to know where we have to improve.”

Hosts Angola showed a lot of promise two years ago in Ghana reaching the last eight for the first time.

Cheered on by their noisy home fans in Luanda, the Palancas Negras bounced back from an opening day 4-4 draw with Mali in one of the most unforgettable matches of Angola 2010 to again equal their quarter-final finish in the previous tournament.

Most probably their run was cut short by their over dependence for goals on striker Flavio, who battled on despite suffering an injury.

He netted a brace against Mali and was also on target against shock troopers Malawi, who caused one of the biggest upsets by putting three unreplied goals past Algeria.

Part of the magic of this Nations Cup evaporated following the exit of the home team, but before then, it was football fever at its best across this oil-rich country of about 15 million people with long-serving President Eduardo do Santos at all their four games.

Gabon, who will co-host the next tournament with neighbours Equatorial Guinea, promised a lot only to capitulate on the final hurdle in their final Group D match against Zambia and thus miss out on a place in the quarterfinal. The price of this disappointment is that French coach, Alain Giresse, who has been with the Azingo since 2006, will most likely not have his contract renewed when it runs out later this month.

Giresse would be just the latest coach to lose his job following failure at the Cup of Nations.

Already Mali have fired their Nigerian-born coach, Stephen Keshi, and Nigeria, who again failed to live up to their huge potential, will decide this week to do away with coach Shuaibu Amodu.

This would be the second time Amodu will miss out on leading his country to a World Cup after qualifying the team.

He was also sacked when his team stumbled in the semi-final of the Nations Cup eight years ago and his place on the bench at the 2002 World Cup was taken by compatriot Adeboye Onigbinde.

There has been a public uproar back in Nigeria against the performance of the Eagles in Angola with an entire nation apprehensive of how such a team would fare at the World Cup in June against first round foes Argentina, Greece and South Korea.

Skipper Joseph Yobo has blamed Nigeria’s underachievement on a lack of continuity in the team.

“We often have different players in and out of the team when we need enough time to train and play together, if we are ever to reach great heights,” he argued.

There are now strong indications that his replacement would be the young Frenchman, Herve Renard, who guided Zambia to the quarterfinals for the first time in 14 years.

“I know what I want, I’m very ambitious and I’m not scared to say so. I said even before this tournament, that I wish to be coach of a very top team one day. I’m young but I’m not scared about anything,” said the 41-year-old Renard, whose contract with Zambia ends in May.

LUANDA (AFP)

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Webber keeps Portsmouth fighting

January 27, 2010


Danny Webber came off the bench to claim his first Premier League goal as Portsmouth avoided what would have been a morale-sapping defeat to fellow strugglers West Ham at Fratton Park.

The Hammers were on track for a much-needed three points after taking the lead with a scrappy effort from club captain Matthew Upson seven minutes into the second half.

But Webber’s 75th-minute goal reduced the damage suffered by Avram Grant’s side, who nevertheless remain bottom of the table, four points adrift of the side above them, Hull, and five away from safety.

West Ham had taken the lead following an inswinging cross from Alessandro Diamanti, which found its way into the net off Upson after Younes Kaboul, who was initially credited with an own goal, had appeared to make contact.

Portsmouth should have equalised when Mark Wilson sent a free header wide ten minutes later and the home fans were finally rewarded for their patience two mintues after Webber came off the bench.

The former Manchester United trainee was played in by John Utaka and he beat the advancing Robert Green with a low shot that slipped through the keeper’s legs.

Webber nearly snatched a winner when he flicked Utaka’s cross from the left just over the bar but a draw was just about the right result after an opening period that had been a tale of two goalkeepers with Pompey’s Asmir Begovic and Green both excelling.

Portsmouth, who had learned earlier in the day that they will be allowed to acquire new players on free transfers or loan deals before the end of the transfer window, were without injured midfield duo Papa Bouba Diop and Michael Brown.

The Hammers meanwhile were boosted by the sight of England striker Carlton Cole taking his place on the bench following his recovery from a knee injury.

Portsmouth enjoyed the first real chance, Frederic Piquionne narrowly failing to connect with Hermann Hreidarsson’s ball across the goalmouth.

But they had Begovic to thank for keeping them level, the Serb throwing himself to his left to keep out a Frank Nouble strike before turning away Valon Behrami’s shot on the follow-up.

Portsmouth responded immediately and Green had to pull off a full length save to keep out Utaka’s strike, shortly before the West Ham back four managed to scramble a Kaboul volley off the goalline.

The momentum swung back towards the visitors with Jack Collison, played through by Nouble, producing another good stop from Begovic to ensure the match remained goalless at the interval.

LONDON (AFP)

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Angola face ´biggest game ever´ against Ghana

January 23, 2010


Angola face the biggest game in their history when they take on Ghana in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final, coach Manuel Jose declared here Saturday.

The 2010 hosts reached the last eight in Ghana two years ago, and also made it to the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany, but Sunday’s showdown at Luanda’s 11 November stadium is on a higher plane, according to the Portuguese manager.

“In Ghana we reached the same position, but tomorrow is different, we’re playing in front of our home fans, and we have a good chance of reaching the semi-finals.”

Jose took over a deflated Angola side last year after a trophy-filled spell at Egyptian giants Al-Ahly.

Discussing the two jobs at a press conference at the team’s hotel on Saturday he joked: “At Al-Ahly we had 40 million fans, in Angola only 14 million…

“It’s impossible to compare, but I would say I have more pressure on me as national coach than I did in Egypt.”

He said his priority when he took the Angolan job was to build a team that could do itself justice on home soil at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.

“When I began I had one important problem to solve. The last four games before I became coach Angola lost three and drew one and let in seven goals and didn’t score one.

“I knew that it was normal with Angola playing at home all the people wanted a team that had the ability to reach the final here in 2010. To get to the final you have to win matches, must play good football – that was my priority.

“And that’s what we have done, we’ve built a very solid and competitive team that plays nice football.”

While much of Ghana’s squad is based in Europe Angola’s players are culled either from local clubs or generally second tier sides in Europe, prompting Jose to comment: “We don’t have famous players, our players are with medium not top teams, except Flavio and Gilberto.

“So we have had to compensate by having a highly organised side.

“With our high motivation we can deal with stars on other teams, and tomorrow with that attitude I hope we can reach the semi-final.”

Captain Kali, who is clubless, expressed optimism that key players Ded and Flavio had overcome their fitness concerns and would play a part in Sunday’s match.

The defender added: “Ghana are a great footballing country, we know it will be very very hard. We will have to at the top of our game, both mentally and physically, to beat them

“I’m proud of my country, of what we have achieved so far, and we want to do more.

“Playing at home we are almost obliged to win. If we get through the quarter-final, anything can happen.

“Ghana are a feature on the world football map, Angola want to climb higher to be the same.”

LUANDA (AFP)

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Mali prove point after superb comeback

January 11, 2010


African Cup of Nations hosts Angola were shocked by a superb Mali comeback on the opening match of the tournament after blowing a four-goal lead and were held to a 4-4 draw. Mali’s goals all came in the final 11 minutes in the match held in Luanda.

Striker Flavio headed two goals in quick succession late in the first half, Gilberto added the third with a twice-taken penalty midway through the second and Manucho converted a second penalty to put Angola 4-0 ahead.

Mali, hugely disappointing until then, hit back in the 79th minute through Barcelona’s Seydou Keita. Angola goalkeeper Fernandes dropped an innocuous cross and Keita stabbed it home at the third attempt. The goal was to be considered as a late consolation.

However, Sevilla star Frederic Kanoute headed another two minutes from time. Tamboura floated in a cross and Kanoute produced a magnificent header to beat Fernandes. There was very little pace on the cross but Kanoute showed his class to head it home for Mali’s second.

Keita scored again with a volley hitting the back post and going into the net. Substitute Mustapha Yatabare scored a minute later with Fernandes at fault again, not getting enough on the cross, and could only parry it to Yattabare who fires the rebound home.

The Group A match was a fantastic start to the football tournament that had been overshadowed by the recent attack on the Mali team’s bus. The four Mali goals scored in a space of 11 minutes came to shock the frustrated home fans in what was a memorable comeback for Mali.

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Panathinaikos, PAOK win in Super League

January 10, 2010


There were no major surprises in the Greek Super League on Saturday as both leaders Panathinaikos and third-placed PAOK won their games.

Panathinaikos, who took considerable distance from the rest of the Super League in recent weeks, were particularly inspired by Frenchman Djibril Cisse who scored both goals against Xanthi, in the 27th and 89th minutes.

Dimitrios Souanis gave home fans a little reason to celebrate, pulling back a goal in the 90th minute.

PAOK defended their third place and put pressure on Olympiakos with a 0-2 win at Levadiakos. Vladimir Ivic and Lino found the target for the visiting side.

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Stoke claim points as Fulham feel the chill

January 6, 2010


Stoke mastered the elements better than visitors Fulham to climb back into the top half of the Premier League with a 3-2 win at a snow-covered Britannia Stadium here on Tuesday.

Tony Pulis’s side seized control of the encounter after Tuncay Sanli had headed them into an early lead and further strikes from Abdoulaye Faye and Mamady Sidibe gave them a commanding three-goal advantage by half-time.

Ireland winger Damien Duff pulled a goal back for Fulham just after the hour mark and a Clint Dempsey strike five minutes from time made things frantic at the end, but Stoke were able to hold out for a win that lifts them to tenth in the table, a place and three points behind their visitors.

The evening had not started auspiciously for Stoke with their Danish goalkeeper, Thomas Sorensen, suffering an injury the warm-up.

But once the action got underway they were quickly into their stride and Matt Etherington had the ball in the net after only two minutes only to see his effort ruled out for offside.

The home fans however only had to wait ten more minutes for their side to take the lead from a corner.

Robert Huth flicked Etherington’s inswinging delivery on to the far post and Tuncay was on hand to beat Mark Schwarzer from close range.

Fulham came close to an equaliser when Zoltan Gera’s effort went just wide from Duff’s corner but Stoke were to double their lead when another excellent cross from Etherington enabled Faye to slide in at the far post to score.

Three minutes later Stoke were 3-0 up after a flowing move down their left involving both Tuncay and Etherington, whose cross was flicked on for Sidibe to score with a fine half-volley.

Tuncay limped off with an injury just before the interval to be replaced by Ricardo Fuller, who had a header in first-half stoppage time scrambled off the line and a close-range shot deflected over by Schwarzer.

It seemed inconceivable that Stoke could surrender their lead but they flirted with disaster after Duff gave Fulham a lifeline with a 61st-minute drive that beat stand-in goalkeeper Steve Simonsen with the help of a deflection off Ryan Shawcross.

Dempsey had provided the pass for Duff’s strike on goal and the American demonstrated he knows how to finish as well with a stunning, dipping volley from over 30 yards that found the net with five minutes left.

That ensured a nervous finale for the home supporters but their side held on for the points.

STOKE (AFP)

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Green error helps Bolton to valuable win

December 16, 2009


West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green’s extraordinary error helped Bolton Wanderers to a 3-1 victory over their relegation rivals at the Reebok Stadium here on Tuesday.

Bolton, who climbed out of the bottom three on the back of this win, went ahead through Lee Chung-Yong’s second half goal before Alessandro Diamanti equalised minutes later.

But the decisive moment of the game came in the 77th minute when England international Green spilled a Gary Cahill shot in front of his face and Bolton’s Ivan Klasnic pounced to make it 2-1.

Cahill himself secured all three points for the home team with a header two minutes from time.

After a lacklustre opening 45 minutes, the game improved after the break.

Bolton’s pressure told in the 64th minute when Lee, after a neat one-two with Klasnic, shot over the advancing Green.

But, five minutes later, the Hammers were level when Diamanti scored from 12 yards after being played in Jack Collison from a Guillermo Franco cross.

Then came Green’s mistake, Klasnic scoring from point-blank range before Cahill ensured a tension-free finish for the home fans.

BOLTON (AFP)

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Villarreal finally win away as Llorente sinks Atletico

December 14, 2009


Villarreal finally recorded their first away win of the season coming from behind to win 2-1 at Atletico Madrid on Sunday thanks to Joseba Llorente’s last minute winner.

Portuguese international Simao had shot Atletico into a first half lead but David Fuster equalised early in the second period and both sides had chances before Llorente bundled in a 90th minute header to stun the home fans at the Vicente Calderon.

It boosts Villarreal’s chances of European football after enduring the worst start in their history and the club climb to 10th. For Atletico it was a seventh defeat of the campaign and they lie just a point above the relegation zone.

Atletico were without top-scorer Sergio “Kun” Aguero due to injury but winger Simao opened the scoring on 36 minutes. Simao ran onto a great pass from Jose Antonio Reyes and showed good composure to curl home into the corner.

Maxi Rodriguez missed a golden chance to make it 2-0 close to half-time and Villarreal responded by equalising three minutes after the interval with Fuster heading in from close range after some poor defending.

Substitute Llorente then popped up with the winner in stoppage time and Atletico jeered their losing team off after the final whistle.

Earlier Real Mallorca finally notched their first away win of the season with a 1-0 triumph at Osasuna on Sunday to move level on points with fourth-placed Sevilla in the Spanish league standings.

Incredibly Mallorca had never won against Osasuna in Pamplona before but Gonzalo Castro’s fantastic left-footed strike ended that hoodoo and left coach Gregorio Manzano a happy man.

“We have put an end to this poor run which had lasted 17 years and this is a great day for Mallorca because we broke this jinx at a stadium where we had never won before,” said Manzano.

Deportivo La Coruna were leapfrogged by Mallorca after a 1-1 draw at Almeria, as they missed the chance to take advantage of Valencia’s 3-2 loss to Real Madrid on Saturday.

Depor could have moved level on points with third-placed Valencia but had to settle for a point that drops them to sixth place after substitute Pablo Alvarez cancelled out Kalu Uche’s opener.

Elsewhere, Xerez stay rooted to the bottom of the table, six points from safety, after a 3-2 loss at Racing Santander.

Racing moved out of the bottom three with the win, at the expense of Real Zaragoza, who fired coach Marcelino following Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat by Athletic Bilbao.

Barcelona will be be top of the table for Christmas after a 1-0 derby win over Espanyol on Saturday in their final league match of 2009 and now head to the FIFA World Club Cup in Abu Dhabi looking for a sixth trophy inside a year.

“It wasn’t a great game but the three points are what count,” said Barca captain Carles Puyol. “Now we need to focus on the World Club Championship. It is an important tournament for us.”

Real Madrid are five points behind Barca with a game in hand after beating Valencia 3-2 on Saturday but it came at a cost with key defender Pepe sustaining a cruciate knee injury that is expected to rule him out for the rest of the season.

“Pepe is irreplaceable,” said Real general director Jorge Valdano. “There is no-one on the market like him but from tomorrow (Monday) we will discuss if we need to bring someone in.”

Sevilla are also in action later on Sunday, hoping to move back above Valencia into third with a win at high-flying Sporting Gijon.

MADRID (AFP)

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Hong Kong shocks Japan on penalties at E.Asia Games

December 12, 2009


Unfancied Hong Kong shocked a young Japan side in the final of the football at the East Asian Games on Saturday, winning 4-2 on penalties in front of a fanatical sell-out 40,000 crowd.

Defender Wong Chin Hung was the hero for Hong Kong, scoring the decisive penalty to send the home fans delirious after the game ended 1-1 after 120 minutes of stalemate.

The Japanese, represented by their under-20 team, took the lead as early as the 22nd minute at a vociferous and partisan Hong Kong Stadium, defender Taisuke Muramatsu scoring unchallenged from close range.

Japan had the quality but Hong Kong the spirit and the home support, and two minutes after half-time the East Asian Games hosts and surprise finalists were level, substitute striker Chan Siu Ki heading home from close range.

Chan, Hong Kong’s star player, was reportedly rushed back from training with English Premier League side Spurs especially for the match, which neither team really deserved to win in normal time or the 30 minutes extra period.

Unheralded Hong Kong had disposed of North and South Korea on the way to their unexpected appearance in the final.

Earlier, in a game played in a strong spirit of camaraderie, South Korea beat neighbours North Korea 4-2 on penalties to take the bronze football medal after the match had finished the 90 minutes 1-1.

Keeper Kim Min-Kyu was the hero for the South, saving two penalties including the North’s fourth kick, which the referee ordered to be taken three times because Kim had come too far off his line.

South Korean striker Go Min-Gi, who scored the opener against the run of play in the 24th minute, admitted playing the North had special meaning.

“You saw when the players were injured they were helping each other a lot,” he said.

“We are like friends because we speak the same language, but we also have a sad feeling because we are the same nation, so it’s a bit awkward.

“We also talk to each other on the pitch, we are like friends.”

The East Asian Games, which feature nine teams and 22 sports, finish Sunday.

China lead the overall medals table, followed by Japan and South Korea.

HONG KONG (AFP)

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Villa prove too much for Pompey

December 2, 2009


Aston Villa booked their place in the semi-finals of this season’s English League Cup with a 4-2 win away to Premier League strugglers Portsmouth at Fratton Park here on Tuesday.

Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov put through his own net in the 10th minute to give Pompey, the top flight’s bottom club, the lead.

But minutes later any joy home fans might have been feeling was curtailed when England striker Emile Heskey equalised for Villa.

And before the half-hour mark Pompey’s Premier League rivals were in front through James Milner.

Stewart Downing, the former Middlesbrough wing, marked his first start for Villa by sealing the Midlands club’s win 16 minutes from time.

Substitute Nwankwo Kanu pulled a goal back for Pompey in the 87th minute but a minute from time Young scored Villa’s fourth.

Portsmouth gave manager Avram Grant, whose first game in charge was last weekend’s 4-1 league defeat by champions Manchester United, something to smile about with an unexpected goal.

Danny Webber’s corner was poorly struck yet Villa captain Petrov managed to slice it into his own net.

But two minutes later Villa were level with Milner’s ball, which evaded the Portsmouth defence, giving Heskey the chance to chip over Asmir Begovic.

England international Milner showed he could finish too when, in the 27th minute, he cut in from the left and left Begovic helpless with a well-struck shot into the far corner.

Grant brought on veteran striker Nwankwo Kanu but in the 74th minute Downing set the seal on Villa’s victory by heading in Ashley Young’s cross.

Kanu found the target from close range before Young shot high into the roof of the net.

PORTSMOUTH, England (AFP)

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