Rusty Ivory Coast tackle angry Algeria

January 24, 2010

Rusty Ivory Coast will face an angered Algerian side at Chiazi Stadium on Sunday with an Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals place at stake.

An Ivorian ‘Elephants’ squad boasting stars like Didier Drogba and brothers Kolo and Yara Toure are fancied to defeat the star-less Algerian ‘Desert Foxes’ in the second quarter-final of the biennial African football showpiece.

Tradition also tilts toward the west Africans, who have won four of five matches at this stage while Algeria have lost all three, ahead of a game that sees two of the five African qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup square off.

Ivory Coast also shade previous clashes between the countries, winning two, losing one while the 1988 clash was drawn 1-1 in Morocco where Ivory Coast suffered the agony of being ousted by a draw of lots after the first round.

But Bosnian coach Vahid Halilhodzic has his concerns ahead of the fixture, the last of four to be staged at a new 20,000-seat stadium in this oil-rich northern enclave where a fatal pre-tournament ambush led to Togo withdrawing.

Chief among them is rustiness brought about by an eight-day gap between beating Ghana 3-1 to ultimately finish top of Group B and facing Algeria, Group A runners-up to Angola.

Only once before has this occurred and Halilhodzic will not be cheered to know Liberia suffered a 2-0 defeat by Democratic Republic of Congo in South Africa and were eliminated.

The absence of Togo created the schedule gap and Halilhodzic admitted to reporters this could upset plans to return the Nations Cup back to Ivory Coast after an 18-year absence.

“So many days without playing a competitive match – that is no good,” said the man who took charge after a fourth-place 2008 Nations Cup finish in Ghana triggered the sacking of German Uli Stielike.

Refereeing and the state of the Chiazi Stadium pitch are other issues that trouble Halilhodzic, who fears failure to capture the trophy will lead to his dismissal before the World Cup.

“I’m really angry about the refereeing – it’s too much,” he said after a cynical foul by Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboue brought a red card and an automatic one-game ban that rules him out of the Algeria fixture.

“The poor quality of the Cabinda turf hampers attacking teams. It is really demanding to play in very hot temperatures and the state of the pitch does not help my players.”

Algeria coach Rabah Saadane is not particularly happy either despite achieving his primary goal of qualifying for the last eight of a tournament first staged 53 years ago in Sudan.

The five-time ‘Foxes’ coach, who cuts a doleful figure with droopy eyes and a walrus moustache, has been angered by negative domestic media coverage and allegations of a ‘fixed’ draw with Angola.

“I feel unappreciated,” said the coach who sprang the shock of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers on the continent by taking Algeria to South Africa at the expense of African champions and bitter rivals Egypt.

Saadane admitted telling his players to “take it easy” as a dour defensive duel with the host nation petered out, knowing a draw would take them through at the expense of Mali on head-to-head record.

But he angrily rejected the suggestion of a Malian journalist that the result had been contrived as Algeria reached the quarter-finals after scoring just one goal in 270 minutes, and that from a defender.

The winners face Egypt, chasing a record third consecutive title and seventh overall, or four-time champions Cameroon in a January 28 semi-final scheduled for the central coastal city of Benguela.

CABINDA, Angola (AFP)

Tags: Africa, africa cup of nations, african football, Angola, benguela, cameroon, Chiazi Stadium, coach vahid, Congo, day gap, Democratic Republic, democratic republic of congo, Egypt, emmanuel eboue, enclave, ghana, Ivory Coast, Kolo, Liberia, mali, morocco, nations cup, refereeing, republic of congo, Rusty Ivory Coast, seat stadium, semi finals, showpiece, South Africa, Togo, west africans

Salvadoran referee stalwart Ortiz dies

January 19, 2010

El Salvador – Carlos Ortiz Cardoza, a referee for 20 years in his native El Salvador, died Monday from complications after a recent illness. He was 62.

Ortiz was a member of the FIFA referees’ committee for seven years and its CONCACAF counterpart for eight years. He also was president of the El Savadoran Football Federation’s referees panel for six years and was chairman of the Central American (UNCAF) referees committee for the past eight years.

“Carlos has been a very important part of the very positive developments in refereeing in CONCACAF and most significantly in Central America over the past eight years,” CONCACAF President Jack Warner said “Our hearts go out to his family and the football family which will miss his guidance and direction which we have come to count on.”

SAN SALVADOR

Concacaf

Tags: Carlos, carlos ortiz, Central America, Central American, concacaf, counterpart, El Salvador, fifa referees, football family, football federation, guidance, hearts, jack warner, president jack, President Jack Warner, referee, refereeing, San Salvador, seven years, six years, uncaf

Cup history beckons as Benin confront Mozambique

January 12, 2010

Africa Cup of Nations history will be created on Tuesday whatever the result of a Group C clash between Benin and Mozambique in Angolan coastal city Benguela.

Victory for the Beninese Squirrels or Mozambican Snakes will be their first in the biennial continental football showcase while a draw gives the west Africans a first tournament point.

Not that a share of the points will satisfy either minnow with a win needed to have any chance of mocking a form book which suggests defending champions Egypt and Nigeria will cruise into the quarter-finals.

Mozambique, back at the Cup after a 12-year absence, need to overcome disappointing warm-up results with a home loss to Malawi followed by further reverses in South Africa against Zambia and Gabon.

The Snakes have proved a match for the best on their artificial Maputo pitch, holding Ivory Coast and Nigeria before defeating Tunisia to deprive the north Africans of a 2010 World Cup place.

But away form is far less impressive with a string of losses suggesting the three-time qualifiers will struggle in what appears the least intriguing of four first round mini-leagues.

Dutch coach Mart Nooij, who has received widespread praise from his squad for lifting Mozambique out of the football doldrums, is not convinced travel sickness will upset his team.

“In Angola there will be 14 teams playing away which makes the refereeing and conditions similar for all the teams and I would be delighted with a quarter-finals place,” he told reporters.

“My philosophy is that keeping the ball is the best defence as your rival cannot score. The players love this style because it matches their skills and they can demonstrate to the fans how good they are.”

Veteran striker and captain Manuel ‘Tico Tico’ Bucuane remains an inspirational figure for Mozambique while much is expected of young midfield ‘destroyer’ Simao Mate from Greek giants Panathinaikos.

Just qualifying was a memorable achievement for the tiny west African state of Benin, who eliminated 2006 World Cup qualifiers Angola in the second round and finished above Mali in third.

However, like Mozambique, they have been unable to recapture Cotonou form on foreign fields, resulting in two Nations Cup campaigns that delivered six consecutive defeats and a 2-15 goal tally.

Benin are guided by pragmatic Frenchman Michel Dussuyer, whose key players are both France-based, Paris Saint Germain midfielder Stephane Sessegnon and Metz striker Razak Omotoyossi.

“When you talk of Benin football his name (Sessegnon) immediately comes to mind. There are other good players in the squad like Razak, but Stephane has taken his image to another level which is good for the team,” the coach said.

Dussuyer will be appearing at his third Nations Cup having steered Guinea to the 2004 quarter-finals and worked as a ’spy’ for Ivory Coast coach Henri Michel in Egypt two years later.

LUANDA (AFP)

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Cup history beckons as Benin confront Mozambique

January 12, 2010

Africa Cup of Nations history will be created on Tuesday whatever the result of a Group C clash between Benin and Mozambique in Angolan coastal city Benguela.