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United States capitalizes to beat Malawi 1-0 at U-17s

Alex Shinsky scored on a goalkeeping blunder in the 54th minute and the United States beat Malawi 1-0 on Thursday to revive its hopes of advancing at the Under-17 World Cup.

Shimsky’s right-footed volley from the middle of the area was directed into the midsection of Malawi keeper Cuthbert Seengwa, who let the ball slip through his arms – then between his legs – and dribble over the line.

The goal was a reward for dominant statistical performance, in which the United States forced 11 corners and conceded only two, and caught Malawi offside 18 times while being called for the offense only twice itself.

In a game postponed from Wednesday, Costa Rica allowed three first-half goals and fell 4-1 to Turkey in Enugu, a result that left it in last place in Group D with one point. Costa Rica and Turkey played 21 minutes – after being delayed for an hour and a half – before their originally scheduled match on Wednesday was abandoned. Thursday’s match was replayed in its entirety.

The United States had far more possession and chances, including a header by Nick Palodichuk in the fourth minute that Cuthbert knocked away with a reaction save in the fourth minute. U.S. goalkeeper Earl Edwards also was required, thwarting Maxwell Mwanyongo four minutes before halftime.

Cuthbert was far busier though, again reacting to block Marlon Duran’s shot after a deft back heel from Luis Heel just before the ball bounded to Shinsky for his winning shot.

In Enugu, Costa Rica permitted a goal by Omer Ali Sahiner in the third minute and never recovered. Muhammet Demir added his second in as many games in the 33rd and Engin Bekdemir put Turkey ahead 3-0 by the 42nd minute.

Jonathan Moya converted a minute before halftime from a rebound of a shot by Joel Campbell that hit the post to give Costa Rica some hope.

Demir knocked a curling effort off the underside of the crossbar in the 50th but Costa Rica was further buoyed by the ejection of Onur Karakabak in the 52nd with a second yellow card.

However, Gokay Iravul added the fourth in the 70th minute, and despite Ariel Soto’s header off the post in the final minutes, Costa Rica never threatened.

Costa Rica will finish on Saturday against Burkina Faso while the United States will look to advance on Sunday in its final game against the United Arab Emirates.

KANO, Nigeria

Source

Tags: Alex Shinsky, burkina faso, Costa Rica, crossbar, Cuthbert, demir, dribble, earl edwards, Goalkeeper, hour and a half, Joel Campbell, Kano, Luis Heel, Malawi, Marlon Duran, match, maxwell, Maxwell Mwanyongo, midsection, Nick Palodichuk, possession, rebound, statistical performance, Turkey, U.S, united arab emirates, United States, volley, winning shot, World Cup, yellow card

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Mexico falls to Swiss, Argentina edges Honduras in U-17 openers

Mexico permitted a pair of first-half goals – including an own-goal by keeper Jose Rodriguez, and lost its opening match at the Under-17 World Cup, 2-0 to Switzerland on Saturday.

Honduras also lost on the first day of play in the 24-team event, falling 1-0 to Argentina on a lone second-half goal in Abjua, Nigeria.

In Lagos, Pajtim Kasami converted a left-footed free kick from 25 meters in the 22nd minute to give Switzerland the lead after the European side had one goal disallowed for offside and had another shot that crashed off the crossbar, bounced down and out.

Switzerland doubled its lead in the 42nd when Rodriguez leapt to punch away a corner kick at the back post, but instead inadvertently knocked the ball backward to send it into his own net.

Mexico outshot Switzerland and enjoyed 61 percent of the possession, according to FIFA’s official stats, but never recovered from the early setbacks.

In Abuja, Honduras weathered an early effort from Argentina to stabilize itself and generate chances from Olimpia’s Nestor Martinez – who sent a free kick off the junction of the crossbar and post midway through the first half — and Oscar Padilla.

Argentina, however, converted their dominant possession in the 59th when Sergio Araujo finished a buildup of a series of passes with a right-footed volley from the edge of the area that skipped inside the far post.

Mexico next faces Brazil on Tuesday while Honduras takes on host Nigeria.

CONCACAF’s other two entrants begin their campaign on Sunday and Monday. Costa Rica plays New Zealand in Enugu on Sunday while the United States opens against Spain in Kano on Monday.

LAGOS, Nigeria

Source

Tags: abuja, Argentina, brazil, concacaf, corner kick, Costa Rica, crossbar, far post, FIFA, free kick, Honduras, Jose, Kano, LAGOS, lagos nigeria, match, Mexico, midway, nestor martinez, New Zealand, nigeria, offside, Oscar Padilla, padilla, possession, Sergio Araujo, setbacks, Spain, Switzerland, United States, World Cup

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Time out for Nigerian league football

The Nigerian Premier League (NPL) has been put on hold after five weeks of action as a result of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, which the country will host beginning Saturday.

The NPL’s head of competitions, Tunji Babalola, announced that the league will resume on November 18, three days after the final of the international tournament whichy opens with the host team taking on Germany at the Abuja National Stadium.

The other Group A match is between Argentina and Honduras.

Officials disclosed that world ruling body FIFA have taken over all the eight stadiums designated for the tournament, meaning that several league clubs can therefore not host their home games at suitable venues.

Kaduna clubs, Ranchers Bees and Kaduna United, have already had to play their home matches away from the northern Nigeria city after their usual home ground, the Ranch Bees Stadium, was picked as a training facility for the U-17 World Cup.

Kaduna United played their opening matches in Gusau, while newly-promoted Ranch Bees settled for the Sabon Gari Township Stadium in Kano.

LAGOS (AFP)

Tags: abuja national stadium, Argentina, bees, Bees Stadium, competitions, fifa under 17, fifa under 17 world cup, Germany, home games, Honduras, host team, Kaduna, Kano, LAGOS, league clubs, league football, match, nigerian premier league, northern nigeria, npl, premier league, ranchers, sabon gari, stadiums, suitable venues, Township Stadium

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Win or bust for former African champions Etoile

Tunisian club Etoile Sahel must triumph against Democratic Republic of Congo giants Tout Puissant Mazembe this weekend to keep alive hopes of a second African Champions League title.

The ‘Red Devils’ trail the ‘Crows’ by two points going into the final-round Group B showdown and need maximum points to secure a place in the semi-finals of a competition offering a 1.5-million-dollar first prize.

A draw will suffice for Mazembe at Kenya Stadium in the southern mining city of Lubumbashi in a fixture that pits the only former champions to survive the qualifying phase against each other.

Heartland and Kano Pillars of Nigeria and Al-Hilal of Sudan clinched the other places last weekend when Al-Merreikh of Sudan, Monomotapa of Zimbabwe and Zesco United of Zambia were eliminated.

However, the final placings in both groups have to be settled, leaving much to play for Saturday and Sunday when Merreikh host Kano, Zesco welcome Hilal and Monomotapa entertain Heartland.

Hilal lead Group A on goal difference from Kano after both collected 10 points from five matches while Heartland hold a one-point advantage over Mazembe with Etoile a further two adrift.

With defending champions Al-Ahly of Egypt topping a shock casualties list after three rounds of qualifiers, Etoile became slight favourties to win a second title within three years.

But a 2-1 reverse at African rookies Monomotapa got the reign of new coach Lotfi Rhim off to a disastrous start and it was even worse in Nigeria with Heartland dishing out a 3-0 hiding.

Usually potent in the Mediterranean resort of Soussse, Etoile surrendered a further two points when held 0-0 by Heartland and the odds are stacked against the Tunisians surviving in DR Congo.

Etoile suffer from severe ‘travel sickness’, winning only eight of 36 away games in the African Champions League, while Mazembe are virtually invincible on a home pitch that often resembles a dustbowl.

The Congolese club founded by Benedictine monks in 1939 last lost at home in the Champions League 21 years ago when a solitary goal brought Angolan visitors Petro Atletico success.

Dioko Kaluyituka is the joint leading scorer in the competition this year with seven goals, one more than fellow Mazembe midfielder Mputu Mabi, while only Ammar Jemal has netted more than once for Etoile.

“Our problem is scoring as we have improved during the group phase. We have not given up because mathematically there is still a chance of reaching the semi-finals,” Rhim told the Tunisian media.

Cash-strapped Monomotapa will be trying to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat when Heartland visit Harare seeking three points that will guarantee they stay top of the table.

Kano skipper and defender Bala Mohammed and midfielder Solomon Okpako miss the visit to Omdurman because of suspension while combative Zesco seek their first home win in the pool phase.

JOHANNESBURG (AFP)

Tags: african champions league, al ahly, Al Hilal, Al-Merreikh, benedictine monks, club etoile, Congo, Democratic Republic, democratic republic of congo, dr congo, dustbowl, Egypt, etoile sahel, goal difference, Heartland, home pitch, johannesburg, Kano, kano pillars, Kenya Stadium, lubumbashi, Mediterranean, mediterranean resort, mining city, mohammed, monomotapa, nigeria, republic of congo, Solomon Okpako, Sudan, travel sickness, tunisian club, Zambia, zesco, Zimbabwe

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Hosts Nigeria handed tough FIFA Under-17 World Cup draw

Hosts Nigeria will have a tough task defending their FIFA Under-17 World Cup crown after being drawn in a tough first round group that includes Germany, Argentina and Honduras.

The three-time world champions will open the tournament on October 24 against Germany at the Abuja National Stadium.

Twenty four years ago, Nigeria defeated Germany 2-0 to win the inaugural event in China.

The other 20 teams in the tournament are drawn into five groups of four teams each.

Three-time champions Brazil head Group B based in Lagos along with Japan, Mexico and Switzerland.

African champions Gambia are in Group C in Calabar along with Iran, Colombia and the Netherlands.

Burkina Faso will be based in Group D in Nugu with Turkey, Costa Rica and New Zealand.

Group E will be in the northern city of Kano where United Arab Emirates, Malawi, Spain and the USA will play.

Group F, in Kaduna, features Uruguay, Korea, Algeria and Italy.

The competition will end on November 15.

LAGOS (AFP)

Tags: abuja national stadium, african champions, algeria, Argentina, brazil, burkina faso, calabar, China, colombia, Costa Rica, fifa under 17, fifa under 17 world cup, Gambia, Germany, head group, Honduras, inaugural event, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kano, Korea, LAGOS, Malawi, Mexico, New Zealand, nigeria, november 15, october 24, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, time champions, time world champions, Turkey, twenty four years, united arab emirates, uruguay, world cup crown, zealand group

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Al-Hilal beat Zesco in CAF Champions League

Sudanese club Al-Hilal Omdurman moved into first place of their CAF Champions League group thanks to a 1-0 win over Zesco United of Zambia.

Al-Hilal had drawn their opening game 0-0 with local rivals Al-Merreikh, but one goal at Khartoum Stadium was enough to earn their first victory and move top in Group A.

The goal that led the hosts to victory was scored by defender Usama Altawon, whose powerful shot from a corner left the opposing goalkeeper beaten.

Kano Pillars of Nigeria and Al-Merreikh face on Sunday, with possibly the top spot at stake.

Jonathan Roorda

Tags: Al Hilal, Al-Merreikh, CAF Champions League, champions league group, first victory, game, Goalkeeper, hosts, Jonathan Roorda, Kano, Khartoum Stadium, nigeria, omdurman, pillars, rivals, stake, sudanese, usama, Zambia

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Nigeria yellow carded over U17 World Cup venue readiness

LAGOS (AFP) – Nigeria have been given a one-month grace period to improve the readiness of four venues before FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, will approve the country for hosting this year’s U17 World Cup.

FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, the leader of a FIFA inspection team to Nigeria ahead of this year’s World Under-17 Championship, said Thursday that the west African nation was still not prepared to stage the October 24-November 15 tournament.

Warner said that only the match venues in Abuja and Lagos were set for the tournament, adding that venues in Kano, Calabar, Enugu and Ijebu Ode now had a grace period of one month to be brought up to scratch.

The oil-rich city of Warri has already been ruled out of staging the tournament because of security concerns as it is situated within the restive Niger Delta region of the country.

Warner said he was disappointed that despite several assurances from top government officials that the country will be ready to host the biennial competition, there were still many aspects still unattended to.

“Frankly, from an objective point of view, Nigeria is not ready to host the tournament,” Warner told a press conference here.

“But I am a man who has always believed in Nigeria and there have been some signs of hope and commitment.

“Based on those signs of hope I will propose to the FIFA Executive Committee when they meet on 30-31 May in Nassau that we give Nigeria a one month ‘grace period’ for six venues to build on the signs of hope and commitment we have seen on this trip and fulfil all the necessary requirements.”

Warner warned that Nigeria would risk being stripped of the tournament should there not be a drastic improvement.

“When the ‘grace period’ expires, FIFA will return to visit the venues and if each and every one of them does not reach the 100 percent readiness level that we expect, then FIFA will withdraw the tournament hosting rights from Nigeria and go to another country.”

Tags: abuja, african nation, biennial competition, calabar, country nigeria, cup venue, drastic improvement, FIFA, fifa executive committee, grace period, jack warner, Kano, LAGOS, Nassau, necessary requirements, niger delta, niger delta region, nigeria, objective point, Ode, president jack, readiness level, signs of hope, u17 world cup, warri, west African, world soccer

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Jose set to coach Angola after quitting Ahly

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – Highly successful Portuguese coach Manuel Jose is set to take charge of Angola after quitting Egyptian giants Al-Ahly on Sunday.

An Ahly statement released in Cairo said Jose would be in charge of the Cairo ‘Red Devils’ for the last time at the end of this month when the club play an African Confederation Cup match in Luanda.

Jose and former Brazil, Portugal and Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari have been linked with struggling Angola, hosts of the biennial African Nations Cup next January.

Scolari was considered favourite for the task of rebuilding an Angolan team that has slumped dramatically after reaching the World Cup finals for the first time three years ago.

But an Angolan football official told AFP in Luanda recently that Scolari was not on their shopping list, making Jose an obvious choice to lead the former Portuguese colony at the 16-nation African showpiece.

“The Ahly board has accepted a request from coach Manuel Jose to terminate his contract at the end of the ongoing Egyptian season,” the club statement said.

Jose is leaving Cairo as Ahly struggle to win a fifth consecutive national title after a shock loss to Kano Pillars of Nigeria last weekend in the final qualifying round for the 2009 African Champions League.

Title holders a record six times, Ahly came from two goals behind to force a 2-2 draw with Kano in Cairo, but were eliminated on the away-goal rule after a 1-1 first-leg stalemate.

At home, usually dominant Ahly are involved in a fierce struggle with Ismailia for the Egyptian championship that sees the teams level on points two rounds from the finishing tape.

Ahly have the tougher run-in and although they boast a superior goal difference, it will not count if the teams finish with the same number of points as the rules stipulate a play-off.

Jose guided Ahly to four of their six African Champions League titles and is credited with the development of midfielder Mohamed Aboutraika into the best current Africa-based footballer.

He joined Ahly in 2001 and won African Champions League and African Super Cup titles before returning home to manage a local club. His second spell in charge from 2003 brought unrivalled success to the ‘Red Devils’.

Tags: african champions league, african confederation, african nations cup, al ahly, Angola, brazil, Cairo, CHELSEA, confederation cup, consecutive national title, felipe scolari, football official, footballer, former portuguese colony, goal difference, ismailia, johannesburg, Kano, LA Liga, league titles, Luanda, Luiz Felipe, Manuel Jose, nigeria, portugal, shock loss, showpiece, six times, stalemate, world cup finals

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