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Manucho set for Greece loan

Manchester United’s January signing Manucho is set to head out on loan to Greek giants Panathinaikos.

Sir Alex Ferguson raised a few eyebrows when swooping for the Angolan, after he impressed during a trial at Old Trafford.

United have been frustrated in their attempts to secure a work permit for a player who is contracted to the club until 2011 and have opted to send him out on loan.

It is believed that United were approached by 14 clubs when it emerged Manucho could be available for loan.

Teams in Portugal, Italy and Belgium came in with offers, but they have been beaten to the punch by Panathinaikos.

The forward is currently playing for his country at the African Cup of Nations, but he has confirmed he will be heading for Athens.

”After the ACN I will return to Luanda and then head to Athens,” said Manucho. “I am looking forward to playing in Greece before hopefully being a success at Old Trafford.”

by Allan Matiya

The Zambia national soccer Africa Cup of Nations campaign ended on wednesday after a 1-1 draw with the Egypt in their final round match in Group C played at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi at the on going competition in Ghana.

The Pharaohs of Egypt held the Chipolopolo of Zambia to a 1-1 in Kumasi to qualify for the quarterfinals of the 26 MTN Africa Cup of Nations Tournament. The Egyptians continue their march towards a possible Sixth Africa Cup of Nations Crown after holdin Zambia.

The defending Champions found themselves ahead in the 14th minute after Mansour Zaky latched onto a pass to hit a drop shot in the back of the net. Zambia launched a series of attacks as the Egyptians played on a defensive, but despite earning three corner-kicks in the early minutes of the first half, Zambia could not find an equalizer. The Egyptians caught the Zambians on a counter attack in the 28th minute but they were denied a goal when the Zambia goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene made a brilliant fingertip save.

Zambia continued to rampage the Egyptian defence as they kept on creating holes in the defence but could not get a goal. The Malian referee, Coulibally Koman flashed a yellow card to Felix Katongo who would have missed Zambia’s next match if they had gone through to the quarterfinals and Isaac Chansa just five minutes before the close of the first half for hard tackles.

The Zambian team continued their attacking game at the beginning of the second half as they forced the Egyptians into a defensive game. The Pharaohs also made frequent attacks in the second half but the Zambia defence stood on guard to stop the menace.

Zambia would have leveled the scores in the 88th minute when James Chamanga missed the target as the Egyptian defence was caught unaware, but it was skipper Christopher Katongo who gave Zambia the equalizer in the 88th minute. Katongo was voted MTN man of the match while Said Addel Woawad of Egypt won Samsung fair-ply player of the match.

Zambia has never passed through the Group stage since the 1996 Africa Cup of nations in South Africa when they came out third after beating Ghana in the third and fourth play offs.
In the other Group C match played in Tamale the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon also made it to the last eight of the 2008 competition after a 3-0 win against Sudan with Samuel Eto’o becoming the top scorer in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations as he score two goals. Eto’o goal from a penalty in the 27th minute was his 15th which broke Ivory Coast’s Laurent Pokou;s 1970 record of 14 goals.

Egypt: El Hadari, Mohamed, Hany Said, Moawad, Gomaa, Fathi, Abd Rabou, Shawky, Hassan (Aboutrika 60), Moteab (Ibrahim Said 77), Zaki (Zidan 60).
Subs Not Used: Abdel Monssef, Sobhy, El Saeed, Fathallah, El Mohamady, Gamal, Mostafa, Shaaban, Fadl.

Goals: Zaki 15.

Zambia: Mweene, Musonda, Himonde, Mwanza (Kampamba 30), Hachilensa, Chansa (Kalaba 77), Bakala, Felix Katongo, Christopher Katongo, Jacob Mulenga (Phiri 65), Chamanga.
Subs Not Used: Poto, Kakonje, Chinyama, Nketani, Kasonde, Clifford Mulenga, Njovu, Mayuka, Sunzu.

Booked: Felix Katongo, Chansa.

Goals: Christopher Katongo 88.

‘We blew it’, says Chris Katongo

Zambian captain and Brondby striker Christopher Katango was not a happy man last night following a disappointing draw against the reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions Egypt at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.

The Zambian sharp shooter was voted as a Man of the Match and he capped his performance on the night with a superb strike earning his side a well-deserved draw.

“We are taking our failure to qualify to the next round as a failure. We blew it,” said the clearly disappointed former Jomo Cosmos and PSL top goalscorer.

“We did well beating Sudan in the opening game but it is the game against Cameroon where we lost it. We have learnt something as a team and we will give it a go next time.

“Personally though, I do not think I have failed as a player. I think I proved that I can score goals. It is important though that I keep on working hard,” he added.

Katongo also dismissed questions that were suggesting that one of their downfall in the tournament was due to the fact that the players played more as individuals rather than as a team.

“We play as a team in Zambia. However, you cannot take away any of the individual brilliance of players that make the team.

“Players want to achieve big in their careers. We played well today as a team. Our aim coming to the game was to score first, but that did not work as Egypt were the first to score.

The Chipolopolo Boys’ coach, Patrick Phiri praised the Pharaohs for their performance thus far in the tournament.

“They beat both Cameroon and Sudan coming into this game. This proves that they are a quality side. I think we did well against them, holding them to a draw.

“Against Cameroon it was a disaster, but the players bounced back well in this game. They showed determination when Egypt scored first in the game.

“We are going home now, but it is pity because I believe we could have done much better in this tournament,” he added.

Phiri confident Bafana can shine tonight

Zambian national team coach Patrick Phiri believes that Bafana Bafana can surprise Senegal tonight at the Baba Yara Stadium in their last Group D encounter at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Zambian mentor who guided his side to an emphatic 3-1 victory against Southern African neighbours in September last year, has given Bafana a morale boost ahead of a must-win clash against Senegal tonight.

“I believe Bafana Bafana can do well against Senegal. I have watched the South African since the beginning of the tournament and they have done well,” he told KickOff.com after coming off the bench in their match against Egypt.

“It was a pity that they lost against Tunisia after committing a couple of mistakes. Senegal is looking a bit disorganised at the moment and they should be demoralised following the surprise defeat at the hands of Angola last Sunday,” he added.

Clifford Mulenga Nominated for CAF Award

Zambia national team winger Clifford Mulenga has been nominated for CAF Young player of the year 2007 ( Under 23-year old ). Mulenga,20 was very instrumental in the Zambia Under -20 success last. The left footed wing wizard was part of the Under-20 squad that partcipated at the African Youth Cup and FIFA World Youth Cup.

The speed winger played for the national team at all levels in 2007. The player who won his first international cap in 2005, featured for the Under-23 in addition to the U-20.

He was also part of the Chipolopolo boys that was booted out of Ghana 2008 last night.

He played in the first against Sudan.

Globacom/CAF Awards,1st of February 2008

African Player of the Year

Fredric Kanoute -Mali/Seville

Didier Drogba -Ivory Coast/Chelsea

Micheal Essien – Ghana/Chelsea

Inter-Club Player of the year 2007

- Chermiti Amine (Etoile de Sahel,Tunisia)

- Ezeh Godwin Nou Buisi (Al Hilal, Sudan)

- Mputo Mabi (Mazembe Englebert,RD Congo) -Arsenal trialist and target

National Team of the year 2007

- Côte d’Ivoire

- Sudan

- Nigeria U-17 National Team

Club of the year 2007

- Al Hilal (Sudan)

- Etoile de Sahel (Tunisia)

- Sfax (Tunisia)

Young player of the year 2007 ( Under 23-year old )

- Ibara Franchel (Congo U-20 National Team)

- Mulenga Clifford (Zambia U-20 National Team)

- Oseni Gani (Nigeria U-17 National Team)

Women Footballer of the year 2007

- Cynthia Uwak (Nigeria)

- Perpetua Nkwocha (Nigeria)

- Modise Portia (South Africa

Coach of the year 2007

-Bertrand Marchand (Etoile De Sahel, Tunisia)

- Michel Decastel (Sfax,Tunisia)

- Yemi Tella (Nigeria U-17 National Team

National Milling to sponsor City ‘Yamoto’

National Milling Company (NMC) has taken over the sponsorship of Super Division side City of Lusaka.

NMC managing director Peter Cottan announced at a press briefing yesterday that the company would sponsor the club this season.

“We have decided to take over the club together with the Woodlands Stadium as our own home base. It will therefore change to National Milling City of Lusaka Football Club,” Cottan said.

He said his company would take over funding for the club and rehabilitation of the stadium and would renew the contract at the end of the season.

Cottan also appointed Prisca Chimolula of National Milling to represent the company at the club’s executive committee to ensure accountability.

And welcoming the offer, City of Lusaka director Sunday Nkonde said the sponsorship had come at the right time.

“The club has had no sponsors, we are always unable to send our team to foreign camps and yet we have competed with big clubs. So, I am very happy that the club that has been surviving on its own has finally found sponsorship,” Nkonde said.

He clarified that the club had not abandoned Celtel but had engaged NMC on different terms.

“Celtel was not our sponsor. They were doing their social responsibility, but NMC has taken over the entire sponsorship. This means the stadium and football kits will be branded in National Milling colours,” said Nkonde.

Retire all defenders from national team, says Wawa

RETIRE non-performing defenders at the national team, former Chipolopolo Boys defence pillar Harrison ‘Wawa’ Chongo has advised.

Commenting on Zambia’s 1-5 defeat to Cameroon at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations last Saturday, Chongo said none of the defenders deserve a place in the national team.

He expressed displeasure at the quality of the Chipolopolo Boys defenders.

Chongo’s partnership with Elijah Litana was voted the best central defence at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations when Zambia lost 2-1 to Nigeria in the final.

He said the current defenders were not even showing signs of improvement.
Chongo said the amateurish marking of Zambian defenders in the match against Cameroon left much to be desired.

“Look at those defenders, they were at the last Africa Cup and now they make such mistakes, you can’t allow it,” he said.

Chongo observed that Zambian defenders wanted to outmark Barcelona star Samuel Eto’o in last Saturday’s match.

He, however, said the players who included shaky Clive Hachilensa, Kennedy Nketani, Billy Mwanza and Joseph Musonda were caught napping.

Chongo said it was time to change the entire defence as Zambia prepares for 2010 World Cup qualifiers kicking off at the end of May.

“Apart from Joseph Musonda, the rest of the defence should go. How can one defender miss the ball when aiming for the header?” he wondered, before laughing; “And then the other one fails to clear.”
Chongo, a former Mufulira Wanderers defender who also played in the Middle East, said enough chances had been given to the current defenders to prove their worth in the first team.

“When we went to the Africa Cup in 1994, it was the first time. We didn’t consider Rashid Yekini as a star… we just considered him like any other player but these defenders were afraid of Eto’o,” he said. “They should learn from us… we learnt from people like (late) John Soko and (late) Estone Mulenga.”

Coach Patrick Phiri has hinted that reshuffles would be made to the Zambian defence playing Egypt today but Chongo insists that the likes of Hachilensa and Nketani should have no places in the team.-THE POST

Momo: I turned down Toon and Spurs
Former Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Sissoko has revealed he could have joined Tottenham or Newcastle.

The all-action midfielder signed for Juventus on Tuesday for the sum of £8.2 million – a £3.2 million rise on what Liverpool originally paid for him.

Sissoko’s first two seasons on Merseyside saw him become a huge fans’ favourite for his industrious displays – most notably in Camp Nou in the 2-1 win over Barcelona.

However, the Mali international suffered a crisis of confidence at the start of the current campaign, marked by a dire showing in the 1-0 home defeat to Marseille.

Rafa Benitez attempted to stick by his man, but Sissoko soon found himself behind Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso and Lucas Leiva in the pecking order.

Sissoko opted for Juve, but he admits he could have stayed in England.

“A lot of people were interested in me, notably Tottenham and Newcastle,” he was quoted as saying in The Daily Mirror.

Bring on Nigeria, say bullish Ghana
Ghana, buoyed by their explosive performance against Morocco, can’t wait to tackle Nigeria in Sunday’s African Nations Cup quarter-final.

With wins in their three first round matches Ghana and their fervent fans are eyeing a record-equalling fifth title come February 10.

But before making it to the final they must overcome Nigeria, who grabbed their last eight ticket by beating Benin on Wednesday, and if successful a semi-final possibly against either Camerooon or defending champions Egypt.

Assessing the quarter-final puzzle lying in store for the Black Stars Ghana coach Claude Le Roy said: “Nigeria are a very strong team but they have been having some difficulties, the atmosphere with them doesn’t seem to be so good.

“We are fired up and ready to meet any side.”

After another fine showing from midfield star Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari, responsible for the goals that sent Morocco out, Le Roy says there is a ring of confidence in the hosts’ camp.

“It seems that day by day we’re becoming very difficult to beat. I’ve got the same feeling as I had in Morocco in 1988.”

The French-born coach was making reference there to the year he led Cameroon to the title.

“With Cameroon we had to beat Morocco on the way to the final too, so perhaps that’s a good omen.”

Le Roy, who is not known for making rash predictions but says the current Ghana squad is on a par with that title winning Cameroon side, got his tactics just right against Morocco, allowing more space for Essien in midfield which worked a treat.

“For our next game I’ll have to work out a different strategy. The first quality of intelligence is to be able to adapt.”

A key element to Ghana’s win over Morocco was the backing of the fans at the Ohene Djan stadium, the same fans that had given the team, and especially striker Asamoah Gyann, such a hard time in their unconvincing 1-0 win over Namibia.

“We need supporters to get behind the team,” said Celta Vigo striker Quincey Owusu Abeyie.

Nottingham Forest forward Junior Agogo, who was a constant threat to the Moroccan defence, said: “There was a bit of pressure before this game, but now we’re buzzing to be through.

“We hadn’t played our best in our last two games, but we thought things would eventually come right for us.”

Hearts midfielder Laryeah Kingston will be available for Sunday’s game in Accra after sitting out a one match suspension against Namibia.

Eagles determined to win Ghana 2008

The Super Eagles of Nigeria has called their teeming fans to stand solidly behind the team in its determination to win the ultimate at the ongoing Ghana 2008 African Cup of Nations. “We owe our fans the duty to give of our best and prove that we are currently the best on the Continent,” Mr Peterside Idah, Media Officer of the Nigerian national team, told GNA Sports in Takoradi on Wednesday. Mr Idah said the Team’s encounter with the Black Stars at the quarterfinals stage would be a motivation for the team since “playing with Ghana had always been a motivation on its own”. “We are going to black-out the Black Stars to the surprise of connoisseurs and fans and to prove a point,” he said in reference to Sunday’s encounter.

On the general performance of the Super Eagles in the tournament, Mr Idah admitted that he did not believe that they could qualify to the quarterfinals due to the lacklustre performance of the team. He said Cote d’Ivoire did his team a “technical favour” by beating Mali in the last “Group B” match in Accra on Tuesday. Mr Idah said the Super Eagles had to step up their game to ensure victory over Benin only after they had heard that the Elephants were ahead of Mali after the first half.

“Come Sunday and we are going to prove that the recent 4-1 victory of the Black Stars over the Super Eagles was a fluke”, he said. Nigeria accounted for Benin 2-0 in their last “Group B” encounter at the Essipon stadium on Tuesday to give them a quarterfinal berth in the soccer competition.

Mikel Obi and Yakubu Ayigbeni found the net for their side in the second half of the game after an uneventful first half. In a related development, Nana Kobina Nketsia V, Omanhene of Essikado and Chairman of the Sekondi-Takoradi Venue Organisation Committee (STVOC), has stressed that the major winner of the ongoing competition should be Africa.

He said he believed that football could be used to accelerate the efforts for continental unity, adding; “the joy about soccer is that we throw away all our differences and think about ourselves as one people”. Nana Nketsia was speaking during an interaction with foreign sports journalists at the Essipon stadium, near Sekondi on Tuesday. The interaction was organised to assess the performance of the STVOC since the beginning of the tournament on January 20.

The journalists complained about lack of transport arrangement from the hotels in Takoradi to and from the stadium before and after matches. They also spoke about poor sitting arrangements where fans sometimes evaded the areas allocated to the media, thereby causing a lot of embarrassment.

Nana Nketsia promised to address the issues immediately and asked the journalists to approach his office in case they encountered any difficulties.

Eto’o goal record send Cameroon through
Samuel Eto’o became the record goal-scorer in African Cup of Nations history as Cameroon qualified for the quarter finals with a 3-0 win over Sudan in their Group C match in Tamale on Wednesday.

The Indomitable Lions quickly seized control of a rather disappointing first half.

Sudan goal-keeper Mahjoub El Moez was called into action inside two minutes, when Joseph Desire Job latched onto a long throw down the left and forced him into a smart save.

After 25 minutes Yousef Alaeldin was penalised for tugging back Achille Emana inside the Sudan penalty area, and Eto’o stepped up to place the ball past El Moez and net his record-breaking 15th African Cup of Nations goal.

Cameroon went 2-0 up 10 minutes later when Epalle drilled the ball into the box from the right and Hamouda Bashir’s attempted clearance struck Mohamed Ali Khider and bounced over the line.

In the second half, Alaeldin forced Carlos Kameni into a good save with a drive from the edge of the box, and from the ensuing corner Haitham Tambal sent a volley over the crossbar after being picked out at the back post.

Sudan’s efforts produced a few nervy moments for Otto Pfister’s side, but in injury time Eto’o galloped through to slot the ball home and set the seal on his side’s victory.

Cameroon will play the winners of Group D in the quarter finals.

Appiah wants out of Fenerbahce after BIG fallout

Further to recent media reports, Base Soccer Agency Limited, the management company representing Stephen Appiah, would like to issue the following statement in order to clarify certain statements that have been made regarding his injury and his future career with Fenerbahce Football Club:

In January 2007, during a training session with the Club, Stephen picked up an injury to his left knee. This injury worsened over the next few months. However, in order that he could continue playing for the Club and help it achieve its ambitions in the 2006/7 season, at the Club’s request Stephen agreed to play in games for the Club for the remainder of the season with the use of injections to control his pain. During this period, Stephen trained on his own in the swimming pool and would usually join up with the rest of the team a day or two before matches.

Stephen played in matches for the Club with these pain killing injections until April 2007, however, towards the end of the 2006/7 season, he agreed with the Club that, in order that he would be fit in time for the 2007/8 season, he would undergo surgery on his knee. This surgery took place on 23 May 2007.

After taking part in the Club’s pre season tour of Austria during the summer of 2007 (during which he again trained on his own with the Club’s physiotherapist), in or around July 2007, Stephen began to suffer breathing difficulties and pains in his left knee and his left leg generally.

Stephen reported these difficulties to the Club’s medical staff, and was later diagnosed by the Club’s medical staff as suffering from asthma. Stephen was therefore treated for asthma by the Club for the next three months, but without success.

Between October and December 2007, during which time Stephen was playing for the Club, he continued to suffer breathing difficulties. However, the treatment the Club had prescribed was having no effect. Then, in December 2007, Stephen discovered the reason why:

After a series of tests by Turkish and Italian doctors, it was confirmed that Stephen had not in fact been suffering from asthma as the Club had diagnosed, but rather he had developed blood clots in his left leg after his surgery, which later developed into micro embolisms. The Club had therefore misdiagnosed his condition.

Stephen was extremely concerned to learn that the misdiagnosis and mistreatment of his injury had led to a potentially career threatening, not to mention life threatening, condition. The news also came as a terrible shock to his wife, his 3 young children, and his extended family.

During the past month, as a result of this misdiagnosis and mistreatment, Stephen has been receiving treatment for his condition on the advice of Italian doctors. The Club is aware that this is the case and his rehabilitation has been going well.

However, whilst Stephen has been in Ghana – where he is attending during the African Cup of Nations at the request of the Ghanaian Football Association and with the full knowledge of the Club – he learned through press reports that various confidential details regarding his personal medical details had been published to the worldwide media. These reports also suggested that the Club had sought to freeze Stephen’s contract in order that the Club could sign a further player as a replacement for him.

The Club has since confirmed that it has also sought to exercise an option in its favour in order to extend the duration of Stephen’s contract for a further year. The Club did not seek Stephen’s consent at any stage in order to do this and he has not signed any such extension. The Club has provided a copy of the option, which is subject to his contract, but has not provided Stephen with a copy of the contract itself. Both Stephen and his legal representatives have requested a copy of the contract on several occasions, but the Club has failed to disclose it to date.

As a result, Stephen will request a copy of the contract as filed with the Turkish Football Association, and ensure that FIFA is made aware of his request.

Stephen would like to make clear that he loves the Club and adores its fans. However, he is understandably very disheartened by the Club’s attitude towards him since his injury.

Stephen has been a loyal servant to the Club, and has played through significant pain in order to help the Club. Given this, he is shocked and deeply disappointed by its treatment of him.

As a result of the misdiagnosis of Stephen’s injury, he has been prevented from captaining his country during Ghana’s hosting of the African Cup of Nations.

This is heartbreaking for Stephen and his family. Stephen has been the captain of his national team for 7 years and it was his dream to captain his country as the host nation in the tournament. Stephen was proud to be representing his country in front of his family, who rarely get the opportunity to see him play, let alone in a major tournament in Ghana.

This is a very difficult period for Stephen and his family. Whilst Stephen does not want to be embroiled in legal action against the Club as a result of this matter, the Club’s actions have not only caused Stephen and his family loss and suffering, but have also have meant that he has lost all confidence in the Club’s ability to treat his injury and deal with him as they did prior to his injury.

Stephen is a father of three young boys, with a large extended family, and a charity which he founded in Ghana who support and depend upon him. It is therefore extremely important that he makes the right decision regarding this matter. Given the horrific events of the past few months, he is presently considering his options.

Cameroon fury at ‘catastrophic’ organisation
Cameroon coach Otto Pfister is fuming at African Nations Cup organisers after his side’s luggage failed to arrive with the team for Wednesday’s crunch game with Sudan.

“It’s a total catastrophe,” was how the veteran German-born manager labelled Confederation of African Football’s organisation.

“We left Kumasi on Tuesday morning and they told us a helicopter would follow with our bags.

“We arrive here and we don’t have any shirts or balls. Our hotel rooms weren’t ready. We had to wait three hours in the foyer and our meal was served very late.

“I don’t know who is responsible but it’s a total catastrophe in terms of organisation.”

Pfister added: “On Monday in Kumasi we wanted to eat at 1330, but the owner of the hotel had forgotten to hand over the keys to the kitchen.

“Every day there’s something. Remember, we’ve got several world stars in the squad – it’s really hard trying to keep up the team’s morale.”

Part of Cameroon’s luggage eventually showed up at the end of the day allowing the Indomitable Lions to hold a light training session at the stadium in Tamale ahead of Wednesday’s game, watched by the Sudanese players.

Cameroon captain Rigobert Song insisted his side had to ride above the occasional organisational glitch.

“Whatever the handicaps we encounter they shouldn’t be allowed to destabilise the squad,” said the 31-year-old.

“We’ve often had worse situations than this and we’ve always dealt with them.

“Nothing’s new for us. We have an aim in our sights – qualification.”

Lying second in their group Cameroon must beat Sudan to guarantee their place in the last eight.

With Egypt starting off the tournament so well, seeing of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, then following up with another big victory over the Desert Hawks of Sudan, they’ll be facing a very different opponent this time around as they face off against Zambia, who despite having just four players in their team plying their trade in Europe, have made a strong impression in their first match against Sudan, though theey failed miserably in their quest to tame the Lions of Cameroon.

Both teams will be entering those final 90 minutes with the sole aim of grabbing a very precious three points, yet the consequence of either team winning can have a totally opposite outcome on another. With six points already in the bag, the Egyptian team come into this game needing at least a point of three available to qualify for the next stage as group winners, but on the other hand, the Copper Bullets need not only three points, but three points with a minimum of scoring in three goals against an Egyptian team who’ve only conceded one goal from open play during the past two games, just to have a chance of passing through into the next stage, and in this case kicking Egypt out of the tournament, in the condition of Cameroon overcoming Sudan, in what might be the surprise of the tournament.

Hassan Shehata’s men have done tremendously well in the past two games, and they should continue that scintillating form that surprised many fans, pundits and doubters alike. Looking back at the two games, Shehata adopts a 4-4-2 formation that evolves into a 3-4-3 when the measures call, with a front-line partnership of Emad Met’eb, Amr Zaki, and Mohamed Zidan doing the rounds upfront with tremendous support from Shawky and the Egypt versus Sudan Man of the Match Abdel Rabo in the middle, the Egyptian team really look like a formidable force to be reckoned with.

One of Egypt’s problems in the Cameroon match was their defence against crosses, but Shehata seemed to straighten out the kinks in training, which was evident in the Sudan match, with a backline led by the impressive Gomaa and the very solid Hani Saeed that’s bound to make any strike partnership suffer.

Manager Patrick Phiri on the other hand will have to pull off a very convincing and motivating pre-match talk, pulling out all the tricks up his sleeve as the only chance Zambia is having of grabbing a place in the second round is by beating the Egyptian side by a hefty number of goals.

Phiri will be hoping strike partners James Chamanga and Jacob Mulenga emulate their performance against Sudan in their first game, where they got two goals between them, and surely, that same performance is required as a bare minimum. Having scored three goals against Sudan and conceding none, they weren’t as fortunate in the second game against Cameroon, as they let in five goals, with more than half of them coming from horrendous defensive errors; so the first thing Phiri will be doing is making sure that the last line of defence is in the right state of mind to fend off the Egyptian strike force.

Leaving aside all mix and match calculations, Wednesday’s encounter between the two teams should provide a an open ended game, with the Zambian team aiming for an incredible upset, and the Egyptian team aiming to cement their place on top of the group in hope of facing off an easier opponent in the next round. Whether the Copper Bullets will kill off the Pharaohs, or whether the Pharaohs will shield off those Bullets, come kick off time one thing is for certain, football fans will be in for an entertaining 90 minutes of exhilarating action.

TEAM NEWS

Egypt

After suffering knocks in the Sudan game, Ahmed Fathi and Hosni Abdel Rabo are in doubt for the encounter.

Ahmed Fathi, suffering from knee pain, and Abdel Rabo, suffering from a muscle injury due to a knock in the Sudan game, might be rested for this clash to get them fit for the next round of games if Egypt succeed in going through as is expected.

All other players are available for the Egyptian team, with players like Hassan Mostafa and Ahmed Hassan possibly getting a place in the starting line up.
Zambia

With the problem of players striking and not playing the Cameroon match due to the players requesting extra bonus for beating Sudan 3-0, manager Patrick Phiri should have all his players available for the important encounter.

The strike partnership of James Chamanga and Jacob Mulenga should continue upfront and the energetic Felix Katongo will likely be leading the midfield.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Egypt

Mohamed Abu Treika- Although not being in Egypt’s starting lineup in the first two games, it was evident every time Abu Treika came on how much finesse and flair this uber-popular Egyptian idol possesses both on the field by scoring the crucial goals, and off the field by touching the lives of millions of football enthusiasts everywhere.

Zambia

Felix Katongo – Having impressed in the Sudan and Cameroon match, Katongoshould provide the goal threat necessary, with the help of his brother Chris, Mulenga and Chamanga, together they can try to break down the Egyptian defenses and carry on onto the next round. The Benfica rumoured bound has been impressive at the tournament that has seen claim the two man of match. The Petro Athletico de Luanda has been one of the stars of the group stages so far alongside his former teammate Manoucho. The Manchester United bound striker has notched in three goals for Angola.

Barclays Cup here to stay, says Masud

BARCLAYS Bank Zambia have pledged their commitment to sponsoring the second edition of the lucrative Barclays Cup this season.

Barclays incoming managing director, Zafar Masud, said in an interview that the bank was commitment to sponsoring Zambia’s richest football tournament.

Masud added that this year’s Barclays Cup would be bigger following the success of the inaugural tournament last year.

“Whatever we are doing we will be better than the rest,” he said.
Masud also disclosed that Barclays would sponsor two other major sporting events this season.

“We are seriously thinking about sponsoring two other major events this year and a press statement on that will be released soon,” he said.

Barclays Bank last year initiated the K5.2 billion Barclays Cup football tournament which was won by 2007 league champions, Zesco United who beat Chambishi 4-2 on post-match penalties after a scoreless draw.

Zesco collected K90 million as the first Barclays Cup champions while Chambishi walked away with K70 million for finishing runner-up.

Meanwhile, the 20 winners of the Barclays Premier League Football promotion left for the United Kingdom yesterday for a weekend soccer treat.

The 10 winners, all Barclays Bank customers, and their partners will watch English Premier League games in Manchester and London.-THE POST

Kanu shocks Eagles

The Super Eagles’ dressing room during halftime of the 2-0 win over Benin was not a place for the faint-hearted, after skipper Nwankwo Kanu shocked everyone by ripping into his teammates for a shambolic first half display in a desperate situation.

With the score still locked at 0-0 and the Nigerians needing to win, KickOffNigeria.com gathers that the usually soft-spoken Portsmouth striker was like a beast unleashed in the dressing room, and barely waited for coach Berti Vogts to finish his own general dressing down before laying into his teammates.

Kanu, however, played down the incident, stating that it was just his way of motivating the players

“We were wasting corner-kicks, throw-ins and free-kicks, and in a game like this when every little thing counts, it is the simple basic things that make the difference. But they were taking it for granted and I had to tell them that,” Kanu told KickOffNigeria.com after the game.

“Other people also spoke their mind about what was happening on the pitch. One thing about this team is that we are honest with each other. Nobody carries anything in his mind that he cannot tell the other person, so that we can deal with it and move on.”

It was not only in the dressing room that Kanu showed his other side. On the ride from the hotel to the stadium, morale was down and players were singing with little enthusiasm, until the skipper took action and told everyone to put their hearts into the singing and clapping.

Pienaar scare for Bafana

Bafana Bafana midfielder Steven Pienaar limped off the pitch following a knock in this morning’s training session at Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.

‘Schillo’ sustained an injury to his left ankle and will need a late fitness test to determine his readiness for the must-win Africa Cup of Nations Group D clash against the Lions of Teranga, Senegal, on Thursday.

Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira is, however, confident that the midfielder will be okay for tomorrow’s game.

“I do not think it is something serious. I am sure he will be fine for tomorrow’s game,” he says.

The coach also responded to questions about Tsepo Masilela, who was substituted for Brett Evans in the game against Tunisia. The Maccabi Haiffi leftback appeared to be complaining of a pulled muscle as Katlego Mphela took the field against Tunisia.

“Tsepo was substituted because of a minor injury,” he says. “We are hoping he will be OK for the game against Senegal. He has been training this week, but I would say his chances of playing are 7 out of 10.”

Fifa make Cousin ruling

Fifa have stepped in and ruled that Fulham are not allowed to sign Rangers striker Daniel Cousin.
Football’s world governing body have deemed it illegal for the Gabon international to sign for what would be a third club in the current season, thus scuppering a proposed £3 million move to the Premier League side.

Cousin only joined the Glasgow outfit from Lens last summer, and having played for the French outfit for just 20 minutes before his move has been made ineligible for transfer again this campaign.

Both clubs had hoped that Fifa would bend on the 30-year-old’s situation, but the body have refused to sanction the move, sticking strictly to the letter of the law which states a player cannot play for more than two clubs in one season.

Moyes calls for African break
The African Cup of Nations has for a long time been the bane of top flight managers across Europe with many calling for all kinds of measures to compensate for the loss of players to the tournament, but now Everton manager David Moyes has made his suggestion on how to counter the problem.

The Scot believes that a break in the Premier League season to coincide with the competition would solve the issues that arise when teams such as his are hit hard by absences due to African players leaving for international duty.

Moyes has lost Joseph Yobo, Aiyegbeni Yakubu and Steven Pienaar to the ACN, the last of whom was the centre of an argument with the South African set-up after The Toffees attempted to keep hold of him for an extra game before his departure.

The visit of Tottenham to Goodison Park on Wednesday evening sees Moyes’ side depleted by the trio’s absence, as well as suspensions for Tim Cahill and Tony Hibbert, and Moyes believes a break is the answer to such dilemmas.

“We were embroiled in trying to get Steven Pienaar out and everyone knows what happened there,” Moyes said.

“You cannot win. But maybe now we have to consider if we close the Premier League season down during the African Cup of Nations.

“That would be the correct respect for Africa and the players in it.

“If we want to bring players in from that part of the world we should be rightly allowed to do so, which we are, but it is not a fair playing field if you cannot field your best team.”

The ACN is not the only gripe Moyes has at present after Cahill once again became a bone of contention for his involvement with the Australia national side, for whom he is scheduled to fly to Qatar next week for.

“I think it’s ridiculous that someone has to fly halfway around the world in between two league matches at this stage of the season,” said Moyes.

“But Tim has to make the decision on whether he goes to play for Australia or not.

“He has got a hamstring injury just now so we will have to see if that hinders him in any way.”

One player who Moyes is hoping will be available for the visit of Spurs is Leon Osman, who will face a late fitness test to determine the extent of calf and groin problems.

“We need him because we are short of numbers just now,” admitted Moyes.

“He’s had a very good season – the last couple of games he has been a bit quieter because he’s come back from a broken toe.

“Due to our lack of numbers and Steven Pienaar being away just now it’s forced us to put him in earlier than we would have liked to.”