Sports
African Challengers In Tough World Cup Draws
With six representatives, including South Africa which qualified as host, expectations prior to last Friday’s draws were high regarding the performance of African teams in South Africa 2010.
A heavy dose of reality, however, crashed down upon African hopes of a maiden FIFA World Cup title after the draw pitched the continent’s most-fancied teams in challenging groups.
Before the draws, through the qualifiers for 2010 Mundial, most arguments were centred on Ghana and Ivory Coast leading Africa’s onslaught in South Africa.
For Nigeria given their on impressive and unconvincing run through the qualifiers, despite their unbeaten record little attention was given to the Super Eagles.
Following the grouping, however, the largest black-African country will surely be happy with their Group B opponents Argentina, South Korea and Greece, who they defeated 2-0 when both countries met at USA ’94.
Nigeria had also had the upper hand in their meetings with Asian teams, so they know that the only team they should be bothered about is the Argentines who came off 2-1 victorious in their tie at USA ’94.
The pre-draw feelings seemed to have turned around for the Black Stars of Ghana who landed among Germany, Australia and Serbia in Group D, while the Ivorians will face Brazil, Portugal and North Korea in Group G.
There is thus the possibility that two of Africa’s leading football countries may take exit after the first round of matches.
The Ivorian and Ghanaian misfortune, as it were, means that the need to start looking for another potential African winner is inevitable, and Samuel Eto’o’s Cameroon immediately comes to mind.
The 1990 World Cup quarter finalists will fancy their chances against Denmark, Japan and Netherlands, and should they miraculously top Group E, they stand the chance of having an appealing second round tie with any of New Zealand, Paraguay or Slovakia.
Making up the numbers are Algeria, and of course hosts South Africa.
English eyes will be focusing on Algeria and January’s Nations Cup participation in war-ravaged Angola is going to be the subject of close scrutiny.
In truth, the Fennecs are a limited side, short on quality up front, and with only the lively Karim Ziani, buzzing around with any danger.
Last but by no means least, the second round hopes of hosts South Africa dimmed ever more when drawing two former World Cup winners France and Uruguay – and the experienced Mexicans.
Bafana Bafana, the lowest ranked team in the tournament, have scored once in seven games, won once in 11 games, but must now overcome three sides in Fifa’s top 20.
Yet it’s a fallacy to say the World Cup will be over if Carlos Alberto Parreira’s men crash out early because football fans in the host country have long been salivating at the thought of seeing their favourite players in South African stadiums.
With the draw having shown the planet what South Africa can do, overjoyed locals are finally realising that all talk of Plan B is now truly obsolete.
“The world is watching us and the world is coming,” Capetonians screamed with delight. And if Friday’s festival in the Mother City is anything to go by – street performers, oversized puppets and endless vuvuzelas to the fore – the 2010 World Cup is going to be as colourful as it is memorable.
Isaako All Stars FC of Opuoko and Khana Khana AllStars Football all in Local Government Area of Rivers State will tomorrow engage in a friendly football match at Opuoko Mini Stadium.
Chatting with Tidesports in a telephone interview yesterday the Chairman of Khana All Stars Saro Tap-le said that the encounter is not going to be an easy game in spite it is an AllStars game.
He express his side readiness for the encounter stating that the opportunity as come for them to showcase their talents.
However, the chairman explained that AllStars game is not about winning but the excitement, love, unity and friendship it creates is more important.
” Tomorrow game is not going to be an easy one despite is a AllStars game. We are going there in a full force to do what we know how to do best and to showcase our talents.
“As Chairman of Khana All Stars I believes we have an edge over the Isaako All Stars be we are training so hard for the encounter” Tap-le said.
Also speaking the Chairman of Isaako All Stars Mina Zaasi Iloori sees the match as an opportunity to build relationships.
” My brother it is an AllStars friendly game I think winning is not important but the paramount thing is the relationship we are going to create among both teams and my community at large
” We are training hard because of the encounter because I will not be in my house and somebody will rob soap in my eyes.
” As I speak with you we are just coming from back training ground to ensure all my players are fit for the match.
” I am using this medium to call on football fans to come en mass to Opuoko Mini Stadium tomorrow and enjoy the best of round leather game.
I promise the game will be an exciting display of football talents and sportsmanship”, Iloori said.
Kiadum Edookor
Thierry Henry has called for the return of the away goals rule in the aftermath of the bombastic Champions League semi-final between Inter Milan and Barcelona.
The visitors at the Estadio Olimpic Lluis Companys came within milimeters of clinching the first leg of the final-four clash after former Arsenal star Henrikh Mkhitaryan netted late in the second-half.
But the linesman was quick to raise his flag, and semi-automated offside ruled out what would have been a thrilling conclusion to the high-octane 3-3 draw.
The hosts came from behind twice to share the spoils, chasing Inter Milan from the first minute of the game after Marcus Thuram stunned the Barcelona faithful into silence with his neatly flicked goal.
Denzel Dumfries doubled Inter’s lead 20 minutes later, but it took just three more for the Blaugrana to finally get on the scoresheet courtesy of a moment of magic from teenage starlet Lamine Yamal.
Ferran Torres drew Barcelona level ahead of the break, but Lamal was forced to play catch-up again in the second-half after Dumfries scored his second.
In light of the impressive effort from Inter, Henry wondered if the team should have got more from the fixture ahead of the second-leg at the San Siro.
‘I know it’s been like that for a very time, and we have to accept it,’ Henry said of the removal of the away goals rule, ‘But off air I was talking to Jamie (Carragher), and I was like, “how can you score three goals away from home and you don’t have an advantage?”
‘Away goals for me were massive, you score three goals away and you still don’t have an advantage 0-0 at home,’ Henry shrugged.
UEFA took the decision to scrap the rule which gave goals scored away from home the ability to act as a tiebreaker in the case of level scorelines ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Current FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger claimed during his time as Arsenal manager in 2015 that the away goals rule ‘encouraged the team at home not to attack’ and that ‘the weight of the away goal (was) too big today’.
Without the rules, the tie at San Siro will go to extra time and penalties to decide which teams books their spot in the Champions League final.
But based on Wednesday evening’s performance, Henry seemed to give Inter a fighting chance against the newly minted Copa del Rey champions.
The 2025 London Marathon set a new world record for the number of finishers despite hot conditions on Sunday for its 45th edition.
A total of 56,640 runners crossed the finish line at the end of the 26.2-mile route, Guinness World Records has confirmed.
The number surpassed the previous record of 55,646 set by the New York Marathon in November.
Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events, said he hoped the high number of finishers inspired people to apply for the 2026 race ballot.
“The London Marathon was already the most popular in terms of ballot entries, with 840,318 people applying for the 2025 race,” he said.
“It is also the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising event with more than £1.3bn raised for charity since 1981.”
The number of people applying for the ballot to enter this year’s race broke the world record of 578,304 for the 2024 edition.
Of UK applicants 49% were female, while there was a 105% increase in applications from people aged between 20-29.
Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa surged to victory in the elite women’s race in a world record for a women’s only field, while Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe triumphed in the men’s event.