AFCON: Aubameyang nets again as Gabon draw with Burkina Faso

Gabon's forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (L) challenges Burkina Faso's midfielder Charles Kabore during the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations group A football match between Gabon and Burkina Faso at the Stade de l'Amitie Sino-Gabonaise in Libreville on January 18, 2017.Gabriel Bouys/AFP.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted for the second time in as many games but Africa Cup of Nations hosts Gabon were again held to a 1-1 draw by Burkina Faso in Libreville on Wednesday.
Prejuce Nakoulma silenced the Stade de l’Amitie as he gave Burkina Faso an early lead but Aubameyang soon levelled from the penalty spot after he had been fouled inside the area.
Gabon had chances to win the game late on but this was the third 1-1 draw in as many matches in Group A, with Cameroon and Guinea-Bissau meeting at the same venue later on Wednesday.
Regardless of what happens in that match, qualification for the quarter-finals will now be decided in the last round of group games on Sunday.
Gabon had been dealt a blow ahead of the match with the loss of Juventus midfielder Mario Lemina to an injury that could rule him out of the rest of the tournament even if the Panthers were to go all the way.
Burkina Faso lost one of their key men, Jonathan Pitroipa, to injury early on but it was his replacement Nakoulma who grabbed the opening goal midway through the first half.
The Kayserispor player latched onto a long punt downfield and held off both Johann Obiang and Merlin Tandjigora as he charged into the box before poking the ball past Didier Ovono in goal.
Obiang then went off hurt for Gabon but Jose Antonio Camacho’s side were back on level terms seven minutes before the interval.
Goalkeeper Herve Koffi came charging off his line and took out Aubameyang. The Borussia Dortmund star appeared to have pushed the ball too far in front of him but the Gambian referee had no choice but to point to the spot.
Aubameyang coolly converted the penalty for his second goal of the tournament after his effort against Guinea-Bissau at the weekend.
The match was drifting towards the draw in the second half before Gabon rallied towards the end.
However, when Denis Bouanga met Aubameyang’s knockdown with a first-time effort eight yards from goal, Koffi made a superb block with his foot to divert the ball behind.
Substitute Serge Angoue then headed wide from Bouanga’s cross as the game ended level.

Burkina Faso fight back to earn 1-1 draw against Cameroon

Burkina Faso fought back to earn a 1-1 draw from their opening Group A match against Cameroon at the 2017 African Nations Cup in Libreville.
Lorient forward Benjamin Moukandjo put the Indomitable Lions ahead with a free-kick on 35 minutes.
However, Burkina Faso rallied and earned a deserved share of the points when Issoufou Dayo headed in from close range with 15 minutes left.
A problem with the sound system at the Stade d’Angondje, which had earlier also held the opening match of the tournament between hosts Gabon and Guinea Bissau, meant the national anthems could not be played before kick-off.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and tournament organisers swiftly issued an apology for the “technical incident”.
When the action got under way, Burkina Faso forward Prejuce Nakoulma sent an early header off target before Dayo shot wide from a tight angle.
Cameroon took the lead when Moukandjo whipped a 20-yard free-kick up over the wall and into the top-left corner.
Burkina Faso responded and went close when Nakoulma’s rising, angled drive to the near post was pushed over by Fabrice Ondoa.
In first-half stoppage-time, Aalborg’s Cameroon forward Christian Bassogog raced clear as he latched on to a long pass, but goalkeeper Kouakou Koffi rushed out of his area to make a last-gasp sliding tackle to knock the ball away. The 20-year-old had to time it perfectly or risk a red card.
Cameroon should have doubled their lead just before the hour mark.
Jacques Zoua’s swerving 20-yard drive was beaten away by Koffi. The ball dropped to Clinton N’Jie in the six-yard box, but somehow the forward, on loan at Marseille from Tottenham, scuffed his shot wide.
It proved costly as Burkina Faso netted a late equaliser.
Ondoa palmed out a swerving free-kick from Banou Diawara, Malaga defender Bakary Kone headed the ball back goalwards and Dayo nodded in from point-blank range.

Wonder goal the best of my career – Andy Carroll

West Ham striker Andy Carroll called his brilliant bicycle kick goal the best of his career following Saturday’s 3-0 win vs. Crystal Palace.
Carroll’s 79th minute goal helped seal a vital three points for West Ham, who were without Dimitri Payet after his reported refusal to play.
“I think it has to be,” Carroll told West Ham TV, when asked if it was his best goal, after the match. “Michail Antonio’s put a perfect ball in, I’ve gone for it and it went in.
“I’ve [tried a bicycle kick] in training and hit the post recently. I’ve been practicing. I hit it sweet, I caught it sweet and it went in. I’m well chuffed.”
The win pushed the Hammers up to 12th place and ended a two-game losing run. After a tough first half, Sofiane Feghouli opened the scoring on 68 minutes, tapping in Antonio’s pass after a clever move involving Mark Noble.
Eleven minutes later, Carroll timed his leap perfectly to meet Antonio’s cross and send it beyond Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. Manuel Lanzini completed the rout four minutes from time.
Carroll credited his teammates for the impressive answer to a difficult week.
“I think all the lads in the dressing room are fantastic,” he added. “They know what it means to the fans and to the club. We’ve stuck together and it really showed today.
“[The Payet situation has] been tough, but to put all that work behind us and work together as a team regardless has been fantastic.”
Meanwhile, manager Slaven Bilic branded West Ham “magnificent” after they shrugged off Payet’s absence.
Bilic was eager to put the spotlight on the players who proved their commitment to the club, rather than the wantaway midfielder whose image outside the stadium needed a steward to protect it from potential vandalism.
“It was a great day for us,” said the Hammers boss. “I would like to praise the players, they showed everything we asked them for. I would say we were magnificent.
“They wanted to show commitment, determination, willpower and effort to win the game and that’s what they did, all of them. I can call it almost the perfect result. Well done to the lads and to the crowd.
“Payet is a great player so you are losing quality, but the team showed it is about the team and not individuals. This is a great example for that.
“So let’s talk about Carroll, or Darren Randolph, or Mark Noble. Michail Antonio had flu and a temperature of 38.4 last night. He showed brilliant determination, brilliant quality. That’s what I want to talk about.”

Costa is ‘very happy’ at Chelsea – Alonso

Marcos Alonso of Chelsea celebrates with Victor Moses and Gary Cahill after scoring his team's second goal.Getty

Chelsea goal scorer Marcos Alonso defended his absent teammate Diego Costa after the Blues’ 3-0 win at Leicester City on Saturday.
Costa was not in the squad following reports of an argument with the Chelsea coaching staff over back pains the striker reported on Tuesday. But Alonso, who scored Chelsea’s first two goals in Costa’s absence, said all was well in the Chelsea camp.
“You guys made up the story,” Alonso told the BBC after the game. “Diego wasn’t feeling well because of his back. He’s very happy and will have a great enough season at Chelsea.”
Before the game, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte said Costa was not included in the squad because he had not trained since Tuesday, and he stuck to his story after the game.
“I think before the game I told the truth. I like to tell the truth,” he said. “Diego stopped his training on Tuesday because of his back.”
Conte would not confirm the reports of any disagreement with the striker and left the door open for him to return next week.
“I don’t know about this,” Conte said. “I think the truth is this, what I told you before. We’ll see next week.”
The Chelsea manager also denied any knowledge of reports of a major offer for Costa from the Chinese Super League.
Defender Gary Cahill was pleased with how Chelsea responded to defeat last season’s champions without Costa’s assistance.
“Diego is a massive player for us, he wasn’t there today but we put Pedro, Hazard and Willian up there instead and it is hard to defend against talent like that,” Cahill told BT Sport. “We are delighted with that result.”
Cahill also said the result, which leaves the Blues five points clear atop the Premier League table, was particularly important after the 2-0 defeat at Tottenham 10 days ago.
“That was a very professional solid performance by us after the Spurs game. We prepared well and deserved that.
“We had to prove it, it is all about bouncing back, and I’m proud that we produced a performance like that.”

2017 will be great for Nigerian football – Pinnick

NFF President Amaju Melvin Pinnick.

Amaju Pinnick, the President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), on Wednesday said that 2017 would be a great year for football in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Pinnick made the assertion while appearing on “Sports This Morning”, a sports programme on Channels TV.
Pinnick, who reviewed the 2016 performance of the NFF, noted that though it was a very rough and tough year for the NFF, next year promised to be a great year.
“Generally I will say, with all sense of objectivity, that it was a kind of mixed fortune for Nigerian football in 2016.
“In terms of technology and new thinking in global football, we have signed up for the Domestic Transfer Matching System (DTMS), the Intermediary Regulatory Tool (IRT), the FIFA Connect and FIFA Integrity programmes.
“I think the federation has done well in these areas and we are always looking to the future; these are technology driven programs and areas that will enhance football in the country.
“We are the first country in Africa to have signed up for the DTMS. So, in terms of technology and the new thinking in global football, I think we are in the right direction.
“However, in terms of the politics of the game and funding, I won’t rate us very well. That’s the truth. We have not been able to live up to expectation in that area.
“Then in terms of qualifying for events, yes, we started very slowly but now we are on the verge of qualifying for the World Cup.
“It’s a marathon anyway, but I think we have got to an appreciable distance,’’ he said.
Pinnick noted that the NFF had its ups and downs and was not very proud of some of the downs, but referred to them as “some level of force majeure”, saying that they did not predict or see them coming.
“In terms of funding, our relationship with Nigeria and the global corporate, I just feel very pained about these because this is not the target of the NFF, that’s the truth.
“We believe at this point (second year running), we should have an appreciable level of financial independence and autonomy,’’ he said.
The NFF boss commended all the national teams, adding that they had done the federation very proud in spite of all the challenges.
“The last two years haven’t been very encouraging and of course, we give credence to the fact that the country is going through a recession.
“The recession is not peculiar to football; it has to do with the economy generally. If you look at Nigeria, how many companies have posted profits this year?
“The reality is that the economy has not been very palatable, but we are working with companies that have MDs and CEOs who are driven by passion for the game.
“They love football. So, we just sell that point to them and they buy it. So, I think next year will be a great year for Nigerian football.
“Next year by God’s grace, when I will be sitting here reviewing football again, I will say congratulations; we are in the World Cup, congratulations, we are going to go beyond the second round.
“You can look at the maturity of our players like Kelechi Iheanacho, Alex Iwobi even Victor Osimhen. We have the youngest and most enterprising team in the continent at the moment.
“Unfortunately, we are not in AFCON; if we are in the tournament, there’s no way we would have won it,” he said.
NAN reports that the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Defending champions, the Flying Eagles, also failed to qualify for Zambia 2017 U-20 AFCON following a 4-3 defeat at home to 10-man Sudan.
Coach Emmanuel Amuneke’s side needed a draw to stand a chance of defending their title in Zambia but was unable to do their part and the North Africans won at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
In the same vein, world champions, Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets crashed out of the U-17 qualifiers.
The Eaglets, who beat Niger Republic 1-0 in the first leg in Abuja, could not keep their slim advantage in Niamey.
The Coach Manu Garba-tutored side were beaten 3-1 by their hosts; hence were denied participation in the African Championship and the opportunity to defend their title at the next FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Nigeria is the most successful team in the world in the U-17 cadre with five titles but surprisingly it could not navigate past Niger in the African qualifiers.
Also, the Flamingoes crashed out at the group stages of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after a disastrous campaign in Jordan.
Nigeria failed to score a goal in their three matches and managed only a goalless draw with England to finish on a solitary point.
The Flamingoes, who reached the quarterfinals in the last three editions of the competition, suffered from lack of international exposure as they did not play any international warm-up before Jordan 2017.
The Nigeria U-20 Women’s team, Falconets, also crashed out of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea.
In the final group standings, Japan, Spain and Nigeria were all tied on six points, but the Falconets were edged out due to their huge goals deficit.
Crashing out in the group stage was disappointing for the Falconets who went all the way and were only narrowly beaten in the final in the last edition of the tournament.
The NFF afterwards admitted that they did not have the funds to arrange any international games for the team.
All these setbacks saw Nigeria football hit an all time low.
It was the first time in the country’s history that Nigeria won’t be part of all AFCON tournaments at all levels.
However, on a positive note, Nigeria’s national U-23 football team won bronze at the Rio Olympic Games, while the superb Super Falcons reinforced Nigeria’s position as the powerhouse of female soccer in Africa.
They defended their title at the 10th Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) in Cameroon, beating the hosts 1-0 to win it a record 8th time.
Nigeria’s Super Sand Eagles also qualified for next year’s FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2017 in Bahamas after finishing as runners at the CAF Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations at the Eko Atlantic Beach, Lagos.
The Super Eagles are also on the brink of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia after beating Zambia 2-1 in their own backyard and defeating Algeria 3-1 in Uyo.
Match Day 3 will see Nigeria welcome Cameroon on Aug. 28, 2017, while the reverse fixture takes place five days later.
Zambia will visit on Oct. 2, before the last group game away to Algeria on Nov. 6, 2017.

FIFA research says 48-team World Cup is the best option for reform

FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

 

 

FIFA research has concluded that the best and most profitable way to expand the World Cup is a 48-team tournament of 16 three-team groups, the Associated Press has reported.
Earlier this month, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said a proposal to expand the tournament to 48 nations, with 16 groups of three teams, had received backing at a meeting of national federations.
Although the in-house research accepted that the current 32-nation format produces the highest quality football, the 48-team version ranks highest.
The proposed format is one of five options put forward for the 2026 World Cup, the first when change can be made.
In a document seen by the Associated Press FIFA concludes: “The 48-team (16×3) format would appear to offer the most tangible and intangible value.”
With extra knockout games in a new round of 32, the format of 80 matches — each in an exclusive time slot over 32 days — appeals to broadcasters and sponsors and would raise income, FIFA suggests.
World football’s governing body also wants to cater for fans and broadcasters in “major markets” by creative scheduling of kickoffs in prime time in those countries rather than in the host nation.
Revenue could rise almost 20 percent to $6.5 billion, using the projected $5.5 billion income from the 2018 World Cup in Russia as a base comparison, with the potential profit would increase by $640 million, the research said.
FIFA’s ruling council is set to vote on the proposed changes at a meeting next month, but the organisation said “it should not be a financial decision” and that “the goal of expanding the World Cup is to further advance the vision to promote the game of football, protect its integrity and bring the game to all.”
Keeping the 32-team format is one option but FIFA’s research shows the clear intent to change that promised during Infantino’s election.
The president points to “16×3” being the most popular option, saying it had a “big, big, big majority in favour” after a meeting of some members in Singapore.

English Premier League fixtures do not favour Manchester United – Mourinho

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho 

 

 

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has claimed the Premier League’s Christmas fixture list has been “chosen to give rest to some and problems for others” with leaders Chelsea handed only three games in 10 days over the festive period.

United, who face Sunderland at Old Trafford on Boxing Day, must negotiate three games in eight days, with clashes also lined up against Middlesbrough on Dec. 31 and a trip to West Ham two days later.
But with Liverpool forced to play three times in seven days, and Arsenal and Manchester City facing the same workload as United, Mourinho believes former club Chelsea have been handed an advantage by the imbalanced fixture programme.
“The busy period is for some clubs, not for everyone,” Mourinho said. “If you analyse the fixtures, there are clubs with no congestion.
“It looks like fixtures are chosen to give rest for some and to create problems to others.
“But we are used to it because we are in the Europa League and the Europa League is competition that creates more difficulties — Southampton know that, Tottenham will. For us, it’s more of the same.”
Despite the heavy workload, Mourinho insists United go into the Christmas period with their resources stronger than at any time this season due to the injury list diminishing in recent weeks.
“It’s good for us to have everyone available apart from Luke Shaw and he’s not far away,” Mourinho said. “Central defender position we have now all of them.
“Smalling is back, Bailly is back, Blind is fine, Rojo fine, and it is a position where it’s important to have stability in options.
“We were in a difficult position a couple of months ago but now we are safe. We know Bailly is going to African Cup in January. For the next three matches we know what we have.”

NFF to refund FIFA cash they can’t account for – audit report

World football governing body FIFA have warned the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will refund any cash paid to them for football development they could not account for.
This followed a rash of queries raised by FIFA over the $801,229 development grant they paid the NFF.
The review was done between August 16 to 18, 2016.
The audit by PricewaterhouseCoppers (PwC) said the money was spent without supporting documentation, like receipts, invoices and contracts.
FIFA have therefore warned that if the NFF could not provide adequate supporting documentation for the disbursements, it should make refund on sums unaccounted for.
They also expressed displeasure with the unrestrained practice of cash payments, which they maintained should have been greatly minimised.
Further investigations revealed that as many as 19 issues were raised by the auditors.
The Nigerian sports ministry has already demanded for an independent and full-scale audit of the books of the NFF caused by the litany of queries of how the FIFA grants were disbursed.
Sports minister Solomon Dalung has said he has yet to receive a detailed explanation from the NFF as promised in a communiqué after the federation’s Annual General Assembly in Lagos last week.

Schneiderlin asks to leave Manchester United – Mourinho

Manchester United's Morgan Schneiderlin.

 

 

Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Morgan Schneiderlin has asked to leave Manchester United, with West Bromwich Albion leading the race to sign the midfielder after lodging a £13 million bid.
Schneiderlin, a £24m signing from Southampton in July 2015, has failed to start a Premier League game for United this season and has not appeared at all since making a substitute appearance against Arsenal at Old Trafford on Nov. 19.
Everton manager Ronald Koeman is also keen to sign Schneiderlin, having worked with the Frenchman at Southampton.
But with the transfer window due to open on Jan. 1, United manager Mourinho has said that he is willing to sell the player following talks between the pair.
“He is a great professional, a fantastic boy, very honest and open,” Mourinho said. “He opened his heart to me a couple of times and my answer is simple.
“If he was playing regularly with me, I have the right to say no way. But if he is not playing, I have no right to say you are going nowhere.
“My answer was that, if the offer is right and the board thinks it’s a good offer in relation to quality of a very good player like Morgan, I wouldn’t stop him going.”
Schneiderlin is not expected to figure in the matchday squad for Monday’s home game against Southampton, with Memphis Depay, another Everton target, also likely to miss out.
Meanwhile, West Brom manager Tony Pulis confirmed the club had made bids for several players but declined to discuss names.
“We have made bids for four or five players, we won’t talk about them today. We will talk about them if we get them.” he said.
“I don’t want to go into it specifically, doing deals and business with people you should deal directly with them. Once they are done you can talk about them more openly. That’s the way I prefer to conduct my business.
“We’ll be spending a bit of money left over from the previous window, then moving on from there. They are very keen to keep the club running financially positively. They feel they can if they manage it properly.”

Barcelona to face Athletic Bilbao again in Copa del Rey

Barcelona's Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez (L) celebrates a goal with teammates Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (C) and Brazilian forward Neymar during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona vs RCD Espanyol at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on December 18, 2016.Josep Lago/AFP

 

 

Holders Barcelona will face familiar opponents in the shape of Athletic Bilbao in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey after Friday’s draw paired the sides together.
Barca will go to San Mames for the first leg in the first week in January before hosting the Basque side in the return at the Camp Nou a week later.
Barcelona have beaten Athletic in three Copa del Rey finals in the last eight seasons and also emerged victorious when the sides clashed in the quarter-finals last season.
Luis Enrique’s side won the trophy by beating Sevilla 2-0 after extra time in the final in Madrid.
Sevilla have been drawn against Real Madrid, with the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, in a repeat of the UEFA Supercup at the start of this season.
Madrid won 3-2 after extra time in the Norwegian city of Trondheim in August thanks to a late goal by Dani Carvajal.
They will go to Seville for the return leg days before the sides meet in La Liga at the Sanchez Pizjuan on Sunday, January 15.
Atletico Madrid will meet Las Palmas, while Villarreal, currently fourth in La Liga, have been drawn against Real Sociedad.
One second-tier team is guaranteed to reach the quarter-finals after Alcorcon and Cordoba were drawn together.
Madrid club Alcorcon reached the last 16 by beating top-flight Espanyol on penalties while Cordoba eliminated Malaga.
Last 16 draw
Las Palmas v Atletico Madrid
Alcorcon v Cordoba
Athletic Bilbao v Barcelona
Real Madrid v Sevilla
Real Sociedad v Villarreal
Deportivo la Coruna v Alaves
Valencia v Celta Vigo
Osasuna v Eibar
First legs scheduled to be played on Wednesday, January 4; second legs on January 11

Mikel ‘very likely’ to leave Chelsea in January – agent

Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel.

 

 

John Obi Mikel’s agent has confirmed that the Nigeria international is “very likely” to leave Chelsea in January after spending the first half of the season on the sidelines.
Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte has not selected Mikel in a single match day squad this season, and back in September the 29-year-old said that he will talk to interested clubs in January, when he enters the final six months of his current contract.
Mikel is not expected to be offered an extension by Chelsea, and the player’s agent, John Shittu, says the odds are against his client completing the season at Stamford Bridge.
“It’s very likely [Mikel] will leave Chelsea in January,” Shittu told The Sun. “There are many teams interested in the player.
“In the past we spoke with Inter Milan but now there are a lot of Italian clubs that want him. I will not reveal the names, but there are other Italians teams on his trail.
“And beware: even clubs in the UK, Spain, Germany and even in China know the value of the player and requested information about him.”
Mikel is Chelsea’s longest-serving player behind John Terry, having made 376 appearances in all competitions for the Blues since arriving in a controversial transfer from Lyn Oslo in June 2006.
Shittu has said that Mikel does not hold his lack of first-team minutes this season against Conte, and says that his client’s next career move will not be financially driven.
“John does not have problems with his manager,” he added. “They have a normal and professional relationship.
“The salary [in his next contract] will be important, commensurate with his value, but the most important thing will be the football project.
“If everything was based only on the money he would probably go to play in China. But I repeat: he can choose from many clubs, so the project will be crucial in his decision.”

Villarreal boss Fran Escriba impressed with Alexandre Pato form

Villarreal's Brazilian forward Alexandre Pato

Villarreal coach Fran Escriba hopes Brazilian forward Alexandre Pato can maintain the high level he showed at the weekend.
Pato turned in an impressive performance and scored his second La Liga goal, his first since Sept. 26, in Saturday’s 3-1 win at Sporting Gijon.
Marca hailed Pato’s effort in Gijon as his best of the season and said that the 27-year-old had turned into a swan after having previously been the “ugly duckling” — a reference to the name “Pato,” which means duck in Spanish and Portuguese.
“This is the level that we demand of Pato because he is a great player,” Villarreal coach Fran Escriba said as reported in El Mundo Deportivo. “He played at a great level against Atletico Madrid and he again handed in a great performance.”
Pato had failed to score in his previous six appearance before finding the back of the net to add the Yellow Submarine’s third on Saturday.
The 27-year-old, who played for AC Milan from 2007 until 2013 before returning to Brazil with Corinthians, is in his first season in La Liga and is looking to revive his career.
Pato failed to impress at Chelsea, where he spent the second half of last season and scored one goal in two Premier League appearances.
The South American has started in eight La Liga games and made five appearances in the Europa League, scoring two goals and setting up one more to help the Spanish club progress to the round of 32.
Saturday’s win was Villarreal’s first on the road since a 2-0 victory at Malaga on Sept. 10 and it lifted Escriba’s side to fourth in the standings.
Escriba was able to breathe a sigh of relief in the 19th minute when Nicola Sansone’s opener in El Molinon ended the worst goal drought in recent years for the Villarreal strikers.
Not since Cedric Bakambu had scored the winner in Villarreal’s 2-1 home win over Las Palmas on Oct. 23 had a Villarreal striker found the back of the net in Spain’s top flight.
Villarreal, who will take on Roma next in the Europa League, end the year at home to Toledo in Tuesday’s Copa del Rey round-of-32 return leg.
Escriba’s men hold a 3-0 advantage after the first leg.

Paris Saint-Germain must ‘remain positive’ during bad run – Silva

Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva.

Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva has called upon his teammates to stick together after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat away at Guingamp condemned the French champions to their fourth Ligue 1 loss already this season.
A late Edinson Cavani effort was not enough to save Unai Emery’s men from Yannis Salibur and Nill De Pauw’s second-half strikes at Stade de Roudourou leaving Les Parisiens four points behind leaders Nice having played one match more.
Silva said his team’s heads dropped during the game and that all he and his teammates can do is work hard together to escape their current predicament.
“It was a tight match,” Silva told beIN Sports France after the final whistle. “We conceded the second goal from a corner we had at the other end and the game was over at that point.
“We need to continue to work. We must stay focused and try to win our last home match to recover a little. I think we lost confidence during the game and you could see that.
“We need to try to remain positive because we are a good team, a strong squad. All big teams go through moments like this. It is easier to dig our way out by sticking together.”
Coach Unai Emery paid tribute to Antoine Kombouare’s well-drilled Guingamp side and bemoaned his players’ loss of confidence after the hosts’ second goal.
“It was a tough match, they have good players,” the Spaniard said to beIN Sports France postmatch. “We had the first two chances but we did not score. We lost a little confidence when we conceded the second goal.
“The team showed character but not enough to rescue the game with a draw. Today we are experiencing difficulties but the league is 38 matches long. We want to finish first and I think we will change position — I am sure of that.
“I spoke with the president before the match and afterwards, in the dressing room. He is with us. It is tough for everyone right now but that is football.”
Marco Verratti, who was PSG’s standout player in the defeat, admitted the players cannot afford to talk right now and simply must work harder to improve.
“If we are losing a lot of matches, there is something that is not working very well,” the Italy international told Canal+ Sport. “The only thing we can do is not talk and just work even harder.
“I am sure that we are stronger than Guingamp and if we played at 100 percent, we would have won. We must work in silence and simply do better.
“PSG are only third and this is only because we are not playing well. We must work harder because we cannot allow ourselves to be third.”

I don’t care about reliance on Ibrahimovic – Mourinho

 Zlatan Ibrahimovic.


Jose Mourinho has said that he does not care that Manchester United have been relying on Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s goals recently.
Ibrahimovic scored both of United’s goals in a 2-0 win away against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, meaning he has netted 10 goals in his last nine appearances for the club.
The striker also rescued United on Wednesday with a late winner in the 2-1 victory away to Crystal Palace, which followed the 1-0 win over Tottenham on Dec. 11.
When asked about the reliance on Ibrahimovic, Mourinho told BT Sport: “No, I don’t care. We need to score more goals than the opponents and we managed to do that in the last three matches.
“We took nine points in a period when we really needed them. We were tired of playing well and drawing matches.”
On former Barcelona, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain striker Ibrahimovic, he said: “I keep saying that, for me, it is not his body — it is more up here [in the head].
“It is a pleasure to see him play, his happiness. It’s fantastic for a 35-year-old guy.”
The United manager added on BBC Sport: “I’m so pleased for him [Ibrahimovic]. He is the kind of player who doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone but when he decided to come to England for the last period of his career — to the most difficult championship in the world — I think he proved he is a superman in his mentality.
“What he is doing at 35 is a dream for every striker of 25 in the Premier League. I need to give him a rest. Now we have a little rest for the first time. It is not just him but everybody.”
Mourinho said the performance of his team in general was “very good” on Saturday.
He added: “We played really well at Crystal Palace and today, even better. We were always in control against a very difficult team. We could have scored the second goal earlier, when Rooney hit the post and Lingard missed a chance, but we still showed our maturity and consistency, and we defended well. I’m very happy for them.”
United went ahead in the fifth minute when Jesse Lingard produced an impressive run and cross for Ibrahimovic to head in. The Swede added his second in the 56th minute when he flicked the ball up, found space and scored with a deflected strike.
Ibrahimovic said: “It went good. It was a difficult game, which we were prepared for. We said it would be even more difficult than Crystal Palace and the guys did a fantastic job. This game, we won collectively.
“I’m feeling good. At the end, I felt a little bit tired. When the team is doing good, it is easier, but the most important thing is the three points.
“We work hard. We are always doing sacrifices for each other.”
United kept a third clean sheet in four games in all competitions, with Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo again impressing in central defence. With Chris Smalling coming off the bench at The Hawthorns, United also have another option to choose from.
Jones said: “I think we controlled them [West Brom] very well, right from the first whistle. We knew it was going to be a fight here.”

Ibrahimovic bags brace as Manchester United win at West Brom

Manchester United forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic

 

 

 

 

 

Manchester United moved level on points with fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, for 24 hours at least, after beating West Bromwich Albion 2-0 at The Hawthorns.
The victory, which came courtesy of two goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, extended United’s unbeaten run in the Premier League to eight games, dating back to the 4-0 reverse against Chelsea on Oct. 23.
Jose Mourinho made three changes to the United side that beat Crystal Palace in midweek, with Antonio Valencia, Matteo Darmian and Jesse Lingard replacing Eric Bailly, Daley Blind and Juan Mata. But it was the impact of veteran striker Ibrahimovic that made the difference.
The 35-year-old said before the game that he didn’t feel his age and showed no signs of slowing down when he headed United in front from a Jesse Lingard cross inside the opening five minutes.
Wayne Rooney could have doubled United’s advantage on 23 minutes but was denied by the fingertips of West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster, who turned the shot onto the crossbar.
Lingard was also presented with a good opportunity to score on the stroke of half-time but fired high over the crossbar after Matteo Darmian’s miscued shot had fallen into his path in the penalty area.
Ibrahimovic was on hand to ensure the points in the 56th minute, though, his low shot across goal being deflected in via Craig Dawson.

 

Chelsea’s Costa, Kante suspended for Bournemouth game

Diego Costa and N’Golo Kante will miss Chelsea’s Premier League game against Bournemouth on Dec. 26 after picking up their fifth bookings of the season in the 1-0 win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Costa, 28, picked up four bookings in his first six games of the season but avoided a caution in the subsequent 10 fixtures, all of which were won by Chelsea.
The Spain international is the Premier League’s top goal scorer and found the back of the net for the 13th time this season to give Chelsea a first-half lead.
Kante, meanwhile, has accumulated four bookings in his last six appearances after not being cautioned between Aug. 15 and Nov. 20.
Chelsea host Bournemouth and Stoke City over the festive period before travelling to Tottenham Hotspur on Jan. 4.
Belgium international Michy Batshuayi is likely to deputise for Costa.

EPL: How Costa sent Chelsea top of table.

EPL: How Costa sent Chelsea top of table.

Diego Costa scored his 10th goal of the season as Chelsea won 1-0 at Middlesbrough to record a sixth consecutive victory and take over at the Premier League summit.

Costa struck for the third straight game with half-time approaching in Sunday’s game as Antonio Conte’s side underlined their title credentials by posting a sixth clean sheet in a row.

It took them a point clear of Liverpool and Manchester City, and three ahead of fourth-place Arsenal.

“It was a good performance against a very strong team,” Chelsea manager Conte told Sky Sports.
“Don’t forget Middlesbrough drew with Arsenal and Man City away. For this reason I’m pleased for the performance and attitude of my players.

“If you have the possibility to kill the game, it’s important to kill the game. But I’m pleased because Middlesbrough showed themselves to be a good team.”

Only the woodwork prevented Chelsea from winning by a more handsome margin as Pedro Rodriguez hit the bar midway through the second half, during which Middlesbrough were forced to hang on for long spells.

Aitor Karanka’s side retained hope while the deficit remained at a single goal, but the gulf in class between the sides was clear.

It leaves Boro one point above the relegation zone in their first season back in the Premier League following promotion.

“I am really pleased with the attitude of my players,” said Karanka.

“I am not worried about the look of the league table at the moment because all I am concerned about is the performances.

“If the performances were bad I would worry, but if the performances are good then we will start to win games.”

Costa rewarded Chelsea’s dominance as the Spain striker put the visitors — unchanged for the fifth consecutive league game — ahead four minutes before the end of the first half.

It stemmed from a disputed corner, Middlesbrough claiming debutant full-back Fabio da Silva had not touched the ball as it ran out of play.

– Fingertip save –

Eden Hazard’s in-swinging set-piece looped into the air as Calum Chambers and Gaston Ramirez challenged Marcos Alonso at the near post.

Despite the hosts having numbers back to defend, Costa reacted first to volley the loose ball home from inside the six-yard box, taking him to double figures for the campaign.

Middlesbrough goalkeeper Victor Valdes was partially at fault for failing to come off his line.

His indecision was in stark contrast to earlier in the half when the former Barcelona man produced a stunning fingertip save to deflect a first-time Pedro shot over the bar.

It was one of few clear-cut chances before the interval as Boro were largely successful in their attempts to negate the threat of Conte’s side by packing midfield and looking to counter-attack.

The out-of-touch Alvaro Negredo wasted their two main openings, first firing across the face of goal and then heading wide from Antonio Barragan’s deep cross.

Ramirez shot over early in the second half after Negredo’s dummy created space on the edge of the box for the Uruguay international, but it was a rare threat from the hosts.

Boro have forced draws against Arsenal and Pep Guardiola’s City this season, but after falling behind they rarely looked like troubling Chelsea’s three-man back line.

Having not conceded a league goal since September 24 — almost 10 hours of football — Chelsea are on their best defensive run for six years.

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois preserved their latest shut-out late on when he parried a powerful Negredo volley as the hosts belatedly pushed bodies forward.

The majority of chances arrived at the other end.

Alonso almost doubled the visitors’ advantage within seconds of kick-off in the second half, the Spaniard forcing a fine low save from Valdes after Hazard helped on Victor Moses’s cross.

The second goal failed to materialise, but Chelsea closed out their latest victory with relative ease to secure another valuable three points towards their growing title challenge.

Stop Eagles, Cameroonian FA Orders Lions.

Stop Eagles, Cameroonian FA Orders Lions.

With qualification hopes hanging by a thread following their 1-1 draw against visiting Zambia in  their Russia 2018 World Cup Group B qualifier in Limbe on Saturday, the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT)  has declared  Cameroon’s  double-header  against their bitter rivals  Nigeria   next year must-win games.
The Super Eagles  opened  up a four-point lead at the top of the table following their 3-1 defeat of Algeria in Uyo on Saturday.
Nigeria  have six points to sit  top of the group, followed by Cameroon in the second place on two points. Both Zambia and Algeria have one point apiece. The winners of the group will  book  the sole ticket  to Russia  2018.
The Eagles host  the Indomitable Lions in the first leg qualifier  on August 28, 2017, with the Central Africans hosting the Nigerians in the return leg fixture on September  2, 2017.
Apparently  afraid  the   four-time African champions  could miss out on a place at Russia 2018,  having appeared at   Espana ‘82, Italia ‘90, USA ‘94, France ‘98,  Korea/Japan 2002, South Africa  2010 and  Brazil 2014, FECAFOOT on Monday  told   Cameroon coach Hugo Bross that he must pick up maximum points in the double-header against Nigeria.
FECAFOOT, who expressed their disappointment at  the draw against Zambia, wrote  on their official website on Monday,  “The coming months will be months of hard work. In January and February next year, the  national team will have to confirm their  ambition to restore the national coat of arms during their  participation  at the  Gabon 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.
“The  Russia 2018  World Cup  qualifiers next year  will be of great importance with two decisive matches against Nigeria, currently first in our group.
“To maintain the positive report of the performances of our various national teams, one goal is needed – to shine in Gabon and win these two matches against Nigeria.”
And the  Indomitable Lions’ Belgian manager Bross  called for focus ahead of the fixtures against the Eagles, tipping Cameroon for victories in both encounters.
“We already knew before the two matches against Nigeria would be decisive, that we would have to win to have a chance to go to the World Cup,” the 64-year-old former Belgium defender  was quoted by the Cameroon Tribune as saying on Monday.