Ghana target Nigeria in west African derby

January 28, 2010

Ghana face neighbours Nigeria in a charged west African derby here Thursday with the prize a ticket to the Africa Cup of Nations final.

The semi-finalists who face off at Luanda’s 11 November stadium made it through in wildly contrasting fashions.

While four-time winners Ghana impressed in their 1-0 quarter-final win over hosts Angola, Nigeria laboured to a goalless extra-time draw with Zambia, only prevailing on penalties, with Israeli-based goalkeeper Victor Enyeama converting the decisive spot kick for a 5-4 win.

Despite their far from impressive performance Ghana coach Milovan Rajevic is too wily a coach to take Nigeria’s form in Benguela at face value.

“If you just look at Nigeria’s quarter-final performance it can create a false impression,” warned the Serb, speaking as ever with the help of his trusty translator.

“Yesterday (Tuesday) they showed they were an experienced team who knew what they wanted.

“You can’t draw any conclusions from that game, you have to look at the bigger picture.

“Take for example Ivory Coast. They didn’t play very well against Burkina Faso, then showed they could play a lot better in their next matches.”

Rajevic has worked wonders to get Ghana this far given the injury crisis he has had to contend with, Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien among a host of key players out injured.

Yet he said he wasn’t surprised at Ghana’s progress to the semi-finals.

“When you consider we have eight younger players from Ghana’s Under-20 World Cup winning team combined with some experienced players it’s an excellent mix.

“My team has proved its quality, they know how to compete, they are tough, and there is an excellent atmosphere and spirit in the squad.”

Rajevic is due to welcome back Norwegian-based midfielder Anthony Annan, who has missed all of Ghana’s matches in Angola up to now.

“Anthony is recovering well and we can use him for the semi-final,” Rajevac confirmed.

However, he will be without Agyemang Opuku, who is suspended.

Rajevic, meanwhile, may be a ‘blow in’ from Serbia but he doesn’t need reminding of the importance Ghanaians attach to beating Nigeria.

“There is a definite rivalry between the two countries. On top of that this is a semi-final in the Africa Cup of Nations, with a place in the final up for grabs.”

Recent history is on Ghana’s side, after they knocked out Nigeria in the quarter-finals at the 2008 competition on home soil.

Asamoah Gyan scored the decisive goal in Ghana’s quarter-final win over the hosts in Luanda on Sunday and the Rennes striker is relishing facing Nigeria again.

Gyan said: “Every Ghanaian knows how important it is to play Nigeria. We are ready for them and prepared and we will stick to the game plan that the coach has mapped out for us.

“We beat Nigeria two years ago. We have a lot of young guys in the team but we are concentrated and we will do everything possible to win.”

Ghana are four time winners of the competition but their last title dates back to 1982.

Nigeria, meanwhile, champions in 1980 and 1994, have yet to catch fire in Angola, and will have to put in a more convincing display than they did against Zambia to see off Ghana.

Nigeria’s under-fire coach Shaibu Amodu said after edging Zambia: “I was worried for the reputation of Nigeria, not for my job. It wouldn’t have been good to once again be knocked out in the quarter-finals.

“We’ve said from day one that we have a team that can win this tournament. I know that I have the players to win it.

“We didn’t play very well against Zambia but we showed how to play as a team.

“We’re not at our best at the moment but we are improving all the time, and in five months (at the World Cup) we’ll be a lot better.”

LUANDA (AFP)

Tags: 11 november, africa cup of nations, benguela, burkina faso, experienced team, face off, false impression, Goalkeeper, impressive performance, Ivory Coast, Luanda, Michael Essien, midfielder, neighbours, semi finalists, semi finals, serb, time winners, winning team

Heitinga doesn’t blame Vidic for elbow

November 23, 2009

Everton defender John Heitinga has absolved Manchester United centre-back Nemanja Vidic from any blame after he suffered an eye injury in a challenge with the Serb in Saturday’s game at Old Trafford.

“I have four stitches and it was an elbow,” Heitinga told The Sun. “But we were in the air and I don’t think it was deliberate.

“Vidic said sorry afterwards. It’s football, it can happen.”

Referee Steve Bennett hadn’t seen the incident and therefore didn’t book the Man United defender. With Vidic on the pitch, the Reds enjoyed an easy game and cruised to a 3-0 victory.

Paul Haring

Tags: elbow, eye injury, game, hadn, john heitinga, man united, manchester united, old trafford, pitch, reds, serb, steve bennett, stitches, united centre, victory

Man Utd overcome stern test in Seoul

July 24, 2009

English Premier League champions Manchester United saw off a determined FC Seoul here Friday night, taking a see-sawing exhibition match 3-2 with a brace of second-half goals.

With the scores levelled at 2-2 it was left to second-half substitute Dimitar Berbatov to save the Premier League champions’ blushes.

Darron Gibson’s sharp cross set up the game-winning header from close range in the 65th minute, as Berbatov redirected the ball inside the near post past the Seoul keeper Kim Ho-Jun.

The home side had opened the scoring in the 23rd, with Kim Seung-Yong’s curling cross from the right finding the charging Dejan Damjanovic, who squeezed past two defenders and deftly slotted past the helpless Tomasz Kuszczak.

United equalised eight minutes later when an unmarked Wayne Rooney soared to convert a John O’Shea cross from the right, just out of reach of the diving Kim.

Damjanovic put Seoul back in front moments before half-time. A nifty pass from Lee Seung-Yeoul sent the Serb through alone against Kuszczak, and FC Seoul’s leading scorer flicked the ball in over the Polish keeper for the lead. Federico Macheda tied the score again in the 57th when Rooney’s through pass from just inside the halfway line set up the 17-year-old, who easily put the ball past the charging Kim.

Berbatov’s strike edged United in front and Michael Owen could have put the game beyond doubt but headed wide after diving to redirect Gibson’s low, curving cross from the right in the 73rd.

After going quiet for most of the second half, Seoul pressed for an equaliser but late strikes by Jung Jo-Gook and Ki Sung-Yueng went straight to the United keeper.

Seoul had managed to frustrate United early on by crowding their box but the England champions showed their class in the end.

Park Ji-Sung, United’s Korean winger who was the star attraction for much of the crowd, did not start and entered the match in the 73rd minute to deafening applause.

Fans had cheered on and chanted Park’s name as the giant screens showed him seated on the bench. United travel to China for their next match on the Asian tour against Hangzhou Greentown Sunday. FC Seoul resume their domestic league play on August 1.

SEOUL (AFP)

Tags: berbatov, blushes, close range, England, england champions, English Premier League, federico macheda, giant screens, gook, hangzhou, ji sung, john o shea, John O'Shea, Kim Ho-, Kim Seung-, league champions, Lee Seung-, Manchester, manchester united, michael owen, park ji sung, premier league, seoul, serb, star attraction, Sung, Sung-Yueng, tomasz kuszczak, wayne rooney, winger

ManUtd´s mettle to be tested at Fulham

March 21, 2009

LONDON (AFP) – After last weekend’s 4-1 hammering by Liverpool, Manchester United’s performance at Fulham on Saturday is certain to be closely examined for clues as to the state of the champions’ psyche.

But if an element of self-doubt has contaminated the Old Trafford dressing room, Cristiano Ronaldo appears to have escaped infection.

The Portuguese winger remains convinced that United, who head to Fulham with a four-point advantage and a game in hand over Chelsea and Liverpool, can hold off their rivals in the title race as well as going on to lift the FA Cup and the Champions League trophy.

"We?re positive about all the competitions we’re involved in and we want to win them all," Ronaldo said. "It would be great to achieve that.

"Last season we won the league and the European Cup, and this year we have the opportunity to do even better. We?ll continue working hard and we believe we can do this."

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson shrugged off Sunday’s mauling at the hands of Liverpool as "just one of those days" but it would be a major surprise if he did not shake things up for the trip to Fulham, who were comfortably beaten 4-0 when the champions visited Craven Cottage for an FA Cup tie last month.

Carlos Tevez scored twice in that match but an ineffective display against Liverpool is likely to see the Argentinian return to the bench with Dimitar Berbatov set to return.

Darren Fletcher is likely to come into a midfield that was outmuscled by Liverpool and Nemanja Vidic’s red card in that match means Jonny Evans will return to the back four in place of the suspended Serb.

While hoping for United to slip up again, both Liverpool and Chelsea face tough assignments as they seek to keep the pressure on the leaders.

Chelsea travel to Tottenham for what is always a closely contested London derby while Liverpool, buoyed by manager Rafael Benitez’s decision to commit himself to the club until 2014, entertain 5th-placed Aston Villa on Sunday.

Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish believes this week’s announcement of Benitez’s deal could not have been better timed.

"It allows Rafa plenty of time to prepare for next season, to identify new players he may want to bring into the club and to look at any other changes he may want to make," said Dalglish, who served Liverpool as both player and manager.

"If we’d gone into the summer with his future still undecided then it would have been difficult to make those sort of plans."

Dalglish added: "It’s been a very positive week for everyone connected with the club, but let’s hope it’s just the first of a number of positive weeks before the end of the season.

"This season isn’t finished yet and it’s by no means a foregone conclusion that Manchester United are going to win the league. We gave them a fright at the weekend so the title race is open again."

Having regained the initiative in their battle with Villa for fourth place, Arsenal will seek to maintain their recent momentum on Saturday at Newcastle, who are desperately hoping fit-again Michael Owen will rediscover his goal touch quickly.

Newcastle go into Saturday’s clash at St James with only their goal difference advantage over Stoke and Portsmouth keeping them out of the relegation zone and Owen admitted the pressure is mounting.

"I have got a history of taking one or two games to get into my stride again, but we haven’t got time for me to do that," he said. "Hopefully my eye is in straight away and I start knocking the goals in again immediately."

Six points adrift of safety, bottom side West Brom will regard Bolton’s visit on Saturday as a last chance to launch a great escape from relegation while Stoke and Middlesbrough, the other two sides currently residing in the drop zone, will both regard their meeting at the Britannia Stadium as a must-win fixture.

Fixtures (1500GMT unless stated)

Saturday

Blackburn v West Ham, Fulham v Manchester Utd, Newcastle v Arsenal (1730GMT), Portsmouth v Everton (1245 GMT), Stoke City v Middlesbrough, Tottenham v Chelsea, West Brom v Bolton

Sunday

Liverpool v Aston Villa (1600GMT), Manchester City v Sunderland, Wigan v Hull (1330GMT)

Written by: AFP

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Bayern´s Toni is the dive king, says Dortmund´s Subotic

February 7, 2009

BERLIN (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund defender Neven Subotic has raised the tempo ahead of Sunday’s Bundesliga showdown at Bayern Munich by accusing their Italian striker Luca Toni of being the king of diving.

Bayern’s Toni was the league’s top-scorer last season scoring 24 goals in 31 Bundesliga matches, but Subotic claims he will rarely stay on his feet when attacking the opposition to try to influence the referee’s decisions.

"Toni is not only risky to play against, but he is the biggest dive king," the 20-year-old Serb told Bild.

"Nobody wins as many free kicks as he does.

"He’s a clever player and it is incredibly hard to play against him, you have to be very careful.

"Although he has a strong body, nobody falls as fast as Toni and the referees are mostly taken in by it."

Toni refused to be drawn into a debate and simply told Bild he: "does not comment on players I don’t know anything about".

In a Bild survey of the league’s 18 captains, Toni was voted second behind Hamburg’s David Jarolim.

This season, Toni has scored 9 goals in 14 games to help Bayern up to fourth in the table, while Dortmund are sixth in the table.

Written by: AFP