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SAfrica can reach WCup quarter-finals, says Parreira

New coach Carlos Alberto Parreira says struggling 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa can defy the odds and reach the quarter-finals.

“The greatest challenge is getting to the second phase. South Africa must work hard but I’m confident we will get there,” he told Brazilian television ahead of a second spell in charge of Bafana Bafana (The Boys).

“I hope that with the backing of home fans we will reach the quarter-finals and after that the sky is the limit,” said the 66-year-old, who guided Brazil to the 1994 World Cup title.

“The World Cup is kill, kill, kill, and it is not always the best teams that reach the final. It is different from a championship and I think we could have a very competitive team.”

Brave words from a man inheriting a national team ranked 85 in the world by FIFA and demoralised after eight losses in nine matches with the sole success coming at home against African lightweights Madagascar.

The defeats were inflicted by Spain (twice), Brazil and Serbia at home and away to Germany, Republic of Ireland, Norway and Iceland and cost another Brazilian, Joel Santana, his 200,000-dollar-a-month coaching post.

Parreira ended his first spell as a moderately successful coach of South Africa in mid-2008 to be with his ill wife in Rio de Janeiro and reportedly recommended Santana to take over despite no national team experience.

Toward the end of his reign Santana axed striker Benni McCarthy from English Premiership club Blackburn Rovers after he shunned a call-up for friendlies against Norway and Portugal.

Parreira has decided to give McCarthy, scorer of a record 31 goals for Bafana Bafana since his 1997 debut, another chance by naming him in a 24-man squad for home friendlies against Japan and Jamaica this month.

“I think Benni is the best South African striker and if he is willing to play, make sacrifices and commit himself to the team, he deserves an opportunity,” insisted Parreira.

South Africa, who qualified for the World Cup in 1998 and 2002 without progressing beyond the first round, hope to stage training camps at home and in Brazil and Germany before the June 11 to July 11 tournament.

“Training in Brazil will be a valuable experience, but we need an agreement with the coaches of the players’ clubs because the planned dates are not on the FIFA calendar and the teams are not obliged to release them.

“For the camps to be successful we need at least 70 percent of the main team present,” warned the Brazilian who also coached Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia at World Cup finals.

South Africa complete their 2009 friendly schedule with fixtures against Japan on November 14 in Port Elizabeth and Jamaica three days later in Bloemfontein.

JOHANNESBURG (AFP)

Tags: bafana bafana, benni mccarthy, brave words, brazilian television, carlos alberto, Carlos Alberto Parreira, competitive team, english premiership, friendlies, greatest challenge, home fans, Iceland, ill wife, Japan, Joel Santana, lightweights, man squad, Port Elizabeth, premiership club, quarter finals, republic of ireland, rio de janeiro, sky is the limit, south african striker, team experience

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Arsenal´s young guns see off Liverpool

Arsenal’s youngsters secured the most eye-catching scalp of their recent League Cup campaigns with a 2-1 victory over Liverpool in the fourth round on Wednesday.

Arsene Wenger’s tyros deservedly booked their place in the quarter-finals with a sprightly performance, capped by goals from Fran Merida – the Spanish youngster who was almost loaned to Levante in pre-season – and Nicklas Bendtner, one of the few home players on show with significant first team experience.

Liverpool could harbour few complaints at the result, despite Emiliano Insua’s well-struck first-half equaliser.

Defeat ensured the bubble of optimism blown up by Sunday’s win over Manchester United was quickly pricked, although manager Rafael Benitez will console himself with the knowledge that this tournament ranked a distant fourth on his list of priorities.

For Benitez it was a chance to see whether the sweeping changes he made to Liverpool’s youth system in 2007, which included instigating a globe-trotting recruitment policy based, conveniently enough, on Arsenal’s academy, had born fruit.

Wenger, meanwhile, will have been more interested in assessing the fitness of Samir Nasri, the French international who has become something of a forgotten man in north London having missed the last three months with a broken leg.

It was Liverpool who created the game’s first chance. A neat exchange between David Ngog and Philipp Degen ended with the defender bursting into the area but he dragged tamely past the post.

That was the jolt Arsenal needed to spark them into life, and it was Nasri pulling the strings. Within seconds, a slaloming run drew a clumsy foul by Martin Skrtel, with Nasri curling the resultant free-kick just wide.

Moments later, a canny pass into the left-hand channel set up the overlapping Kieran Gibbs.

The full-back’s square pass picked out Eduardo and the Croatian’s flick was seized upon by Bendtner, only for the Dane to inexplicably try and square to Aaron Ramsey rather than shoot.

Merida made no such mistake. In the 20th minute, a sloppy error from Andriy Voronin allowed Craig Eastmond to gobble up possession and release the Spaniard 25 yards from goal.

The angle was uninviting, but Merida planted the full force of his left boot behind his shot, which crashed into the net off the right-hand post.

Wenger broke into applause on the sidelines, but his side did not have the monopoly on wonder goals. Seven minutes later, Insua scooped up Ngog’s nod-down and propelled a dipping volley over the flat-footed Lukasz Fabianski.

Insua and his fellow defenders were not so assured at the other end and Arsenal might have forged ahead again before the interval, when a hectic goalmouth scramble ended with Bendtner shooting straight at Diego Cavalieri.

Half-time did nothing to sharpen Liverpool’s concentration and, within five minutes of the re-start, they were behind again.

Again, Merida played a leading role, picking out Ramsey in a crowded area. The Welsh international failed to control properly but Bendtner was lurking to seize the loose ball and smash in at the near post.

Benitez sent on Alberto Aquilani, his big-money signing from Roma, who had been unable to feature so far this season due to an ankle injury, and at least his side threatened in the closing stages.

Voronin sent a shot whistling just wide and Ryan Babel somehow failed to connect with a low, flashing centre from Dirk Kuyt, but there was to be no dramatic finale.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: Aaron Ramsey, alberto aquilani, arsene wenger, broken leg, Craig Eastmond, David Ngog, Diego Cavalieri, dirk kuyt, Eduardo, first chance, fran merida, free kick, french international, kieran gibbs, Liverpool, london, Manchester, martin skrtel, Nicklas Bendtner, north London, philipp degen, pulling the strings, quarter finals, rafael benitez, recruitment policy, Roma, ryan babel, Samir Nasri, sweeping changes, team experience, tyros

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Reds youngster set for Falkirk switch

European giants Liverpool’s youngster Ryan Flynn is poised to join SPL side Falkirk.

Falkirk are believed to have won the race to sign the highly-rated winger on loan.

Liverpool are allowing Flynn to leave on loan so that he gain valuable first-team experience at Falkirk.

A number of clubs are thought to have expressed an interest in taking the 20-year-old on loan, but Falkirk have managed to agree a deal with the Reds to lure him to Scotland.

Flynn is highly regarded at Anfield and the club’s coaching staff hope the loan spell at Falkirk will help his development for the future.

By: Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: anfield, coaching, development, English Premier League, Falkirk, Flynn, giants, Liverpool, reds, Ryan Flynn, scotland, Scottish Premier League, spl, team experience, winger, youngster

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Sears to join Palace on loan

Championship side Crystal Palace have signed West Ham forward Freddie Sears on a season-long loan deal.

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola is keen for the teenage striker to gain greater first-team experience next season, after a host of Championship clubs had shown an interest.

With the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and Peterborough United having made an approach for the 19-year-old, Crystal Palace finally confirmed his signing.

The England U-20 player, who failed to score in 22 appearances last term for the Hammers, will spend his next campaign on loan at Selhurst Park.

Sears had joined West Ham as a schoolboy at the age of 11.

Written by: Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: crystal palace, England, English Premier League, gianfranco zola, hammers, loan deal, peterborough united, rajput, schoolboy, sears, selhurst park, Sheffield, sheffield wednesday, striker, team experience, west ham

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