Mali coach Henryk Kasperczak believes CAF should find a better way to separate teams with identical records for future Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, but it prepared to accept his team’s fate when they draw lots later on Thursday. . The Eagles and Syli Nationale of Guinea played to a 1-1 draw in their final Group D Match on Wednesday, meaning they ended in second and third place (behind group winners and quarterfinal qualifiers Ivory Coast) and have identical records. . A drawing of lots will be conducted later today to determine which of the two progresses into the last…
Author: David F.
Billionaire Klaus-Michael Kuehne has acquired a 7.5 percent stake at former European champions Hamburg SV after pumping in 18.75 million euros in investment and also bagged the stadium naming rights, the club said on Thursday. . Hamburg, struggling to avoid relegation in the past few seasons, has been dogged by financial problems and a string of expensive but unsuccessful transfers. . Kuehne’s investment is not only a much-needed shot in the arm for Hamburg but a major hope for the long-term future of the only Bundesliga club to never have played in the second division since the top league’s creation…
Young Nigerian midfield talent, Sad’eeq Yusuf, is being monitored by English club, Liverpool and Italian giants, Juventus, supersport.com can report. . The two European clubs have been monitoring the situation of the teenage midfielder who has been a target of Dutch Eredivisie side, Ajax. . Yusuf is supposed to have travelled to Amsterdam but has encountered delays in obtaining permit to enter The Netherlands following an invitation from Ajax director Marc Overmars. . The 18-year-old has been unable to secure necessary paperwork from the Dutch embassy which has now left the trip to Amsterdam in doubt. . With the trip…
Algeria captain Abdel Madjid Bougherra is expected to be ready for their Afcon quarterfinal clash against Ivory Coast on Sunday. . Bougherra suffered a broken nose in Algeria’s last match against Senegal in Group C of the Africa Cup of Nations. . The medical staff of the Desert Foxes have now assured that Bougherra’s injury does not look serious and will not stop him from leading Algeria against the Elephants of Ivory Coast in Malabo. . According to Algerian TV, FC Porto playmaker, Yacine Brahimi, will also be ready for the quarterfinal clash after he suffered a knock in the…
At least one of the leading contenders for the Africa Cup of Nations title will be eliminated at the weekend when Algeria meet the Ivory Coast in the quarterfinals. . Sunday’s clash in Malabo between two teams who took part in last year’s World Cup is the headline game of the last eight as the three-week tournament enters the knockout stage. . Ghana, another of the African sides who featured in Brazil six months ago, play Guinea in Malabo earlier on Sunday. . On Saturday, hosts Equatorial Guinea seek to continue their fairytale run when they face Tunisia in Bata…
Former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan has sympathy for Radamel Falcao over his problems at Old Trafford. . Forlan believes Falcao has been put under too much pressure to perform since returning from his knee injury. . “There was pressure on him to make it back for the World Cup last summer with Colombia,” Forlan said in his column in The Nation. “Maybe too much, it was unrealistic. . “Falcao had played very little football when he signed for Manchester United, the world’s greatest football club. . “Because Falcao had built this huge reputation and because he was earning a…
MANCHESTER UNITED are to step up their pursuit of Barcelona star Dani Alves. . Any movement for the player appeared to have ended in recently weeks with rumours of Alves signing a new deal but now United have been handed a boost. . On-going talks over a contract extension at the Nou Camp have stalled with the club and player failing to make progress. . United are now looking to swoop for the defender. . Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City are also keeping tabs on the 31-year-old but, according to the Metro, United boss Louis van Gaal is ‘confident’ to…
Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been learning Spanish fuelling rumours he could be on his way to La Liga in the summer. . The 21-year-old has been linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, though his agent Mino Raiola has denied he will be moving in January. . The Daily Express reports that the 21-year-old Frenchman has been getting help with his Spanish from Juventus teammate Fernando Llorente. . The ex-Manchester United midfielder has been rumoured to be going back to Old Trafford, while cross-city rivals Manchester City are considering a bid, along with Premier League title challengers…
As speculation of an audacious bid for Manchester City’s Yaya Toure mounts, Inter coach Roberto Mancini refuses to be drawn on the issue. . Roberto Mancini was coy when quizzed on reports linking Inter with a close-season swoop for Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure. . Speculation in the Italian media has suggested that Mancini is keen on a reunion with the Ivory Coast captain, who he brought to the Etihad Stadium during his time as City manager. . Toure’s future with the Premier League champions was called into question earlier this month when he hinted he would consider his future…
Kaka has claimed former Brazil star Ronaldo is the best player he has ever seen due to the speed with which he could play. . Kaka played alongside Ronaldo for the Selecao and briefly during the latter’s stint at AC Milan, which was blighted by injury problems. . Although the 32-year-old has featured in the same Real Madrid side as Cristiano Ronaldo and faced Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, he maintains his compatriot could execute a move with greater speed and finesse than any other player. . “For me, the best players are those who are able to think of a play…
Chelsea centre-back Gary Cahill has defended team-mate Diego Costa’s physical approach to the game. . The striker, 26, contests a Football Association violent conduct charge for an alleged stamp on Liverpool’s Emre Can in their League Cup semi-final tie. . Cahill told the BBC’s Football Focus: “It’s his character. It’s the way he plays. He’s a handful for a defender. . “One of his attributes, as well as his skills and scoring fantastic goals, is that he puts his foot in.” Cahill added: “He makes it difficult and uncomfortable for defenders. . “Would you change him? Probably not, and I…
Former Super Eagles attacking midfielder, Mutiu Adepoju has described as unfortunate the death of teammate, Wilfred Agbonavbare. . The former Rayo Vallecano goalkeeper and 1994 Afcon hero died on Tuesday in a hospital in Alcala after a hard fought battle with cancer. . Adepoju said Nigeria has actually lost a great ambassador and hero in the person of the former Super Eagles magnet, Agbonavbare. . “Oh my God, I know he is battling with cancer but it never crossed my mind that death is very much around the corner. . “It’s really sad, shocking and unfortunate, may his ever gentle…
Qatari club Al Arabi have tabled a bid for Inter Milan’s Nigerian midfielder Joel Obi. . The offer has, however, been rejected by the 18-time Italian champions on the grounds that it does not match their valuation of the player. . Obi has found first team opportunities difficult to come by this season and has only made just six starts for the Nerazzuri this season. . Inter’s owner, Erick Thohir, however insists Obi will not leave for anything less than the club’s valuation of the 23-year-old. . SkySports Italia, however, reports that Inter are still open to further discussions with…
Villarreal won 1-0 at Getafe to advance to a Copa del Rey semifinal against Barcelona on a 2-0 aggregate score on Thursday. . Villarreal entered with a 1-0 lead from the opening leg and held Getafe in check until striker Gerard Moreno sealed their place among the final four teams with a goal in the 78th minute. . Barcelona knocked out Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.
Chelsea reached the League Cup final after Branislav Ivanovic’s towering extra-time header secured a 1-0 victory over Liverpool in a rip-roaring semifinal second leg at an electric Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. . The Serbian defender powered a header past Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet four minutes into the extra period to secure a 2-1 aggregate win for the four-times winners days after their humiliating FA Cup exit to third-tier Bradford City. . Both sides had good chances in normal time and were grateful to their keepers – Thibaut Courtois and Mignolet – for keeping the scores level in a blood-and-thunder encounter…
Bayern Munich will be without Franck Ribery when the Bundesliga resumes after the winter break with the champions taking on second-placed VfL Wolfsburg on Friday. . Ribery suffered a muscle injury in training on Wednesday and defender Rafinha injured ligaments with both ruled out for two weeks, Bayern said on Thursday. . But even without the pair, coach Pep Guardiola can choose from a growing squad with Holger Badstuber, Mehdi Benatia and David Alaba, among other, returning to full fitness after their injuries. . The Bavarians are unbeaten in the league this season and have conceded just four goals in…
Mali’s African Nations Cup fate was sealed on Thursday when FA chief Boubacar Diarra picked the “wrong” ball from a bowl and condemned them to a cruel exit as Guinea won a place in the last eight instead. . Two balls were placed in a glass bowl before the watching Confederation of African Football executive at a Malabo hotel as a rare drawing of lots was used by CAF to separate two countries that finished level in Group D. . Visibly nervous, a pair of officials from the two nations strode on to the stage after a brief introduction from…
It is hard to imagine two more different characters than Jose Mourinho and Manuel Pellegrini, so it is no surprise that the Chelsea manager and his Manchester City counterpart seem to rub each other up the wrong way. . Their simmering rivalry is set for another chapter in Saturday’s top-of-the-table Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge, with a potentially pivotal three points on offer. . Should Chelsea claim the spoils, they will lead the champions by eight points, while a City success would leave them just two points adrift with 15 games to play. . The bragging rights, however, also…
Daniel Sturridge is set to make his Liverpool return on Saturday after five months out and for manager Brendan Rodgers there is hope for what he can bring and lingering disappointment over what might have been. . When Sturridge was ruled out with a thigh injury on international duty in early September, Liverpool’s goals dried up. . Left without the services of their top two scorers from the previous season, with Luis Suarez sold to Barcelona last July, Liverpool’s season effectively imploded. . A recent resurgence has been built around a change of system with Raheem Sterling drafted in to…
Chelsea striker Diego Costa will contest the Football Association’s violent conduct charge for his alleged stamp on Liverpool’s Emre Can, British media reported on Thursday. . The Brazilian-born Spain striker faces a potential three-game ban after he appeared to tread down on the 21-year-old German early in the first half of their League Cup semi-final, second leg at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. . Should he fail in his challenge he would miss Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash against Manchester City as well as games at Aston Villa and home to Everton. . Costa was later involved in a second stamping furore involving…