football Archives - TalkAfrique

April 25, 2012June 12, 2012

Bayern Munich Defeat Real Madrid on Penalties to Meet Chelsea in Championship Final

By Phil Dawkes

Bayern Munich will face Chelsea in the Champions League final after beating Real Madrid in a penalty shoot-out following an engrossing semi-final.

Real trailed by a goal from the first leg but two Cristiano Ronaldo strikes – the first a penalty, the second a neat low finish – put them in control.

However, Arjen Robben levelled the tie for Bayern with a spot kick of his own.

No further goals meant a shoot-out, which Bastian Schweinsteiger settled to send his team to a final on home turf.

The midfielder was not his side’s only hero in the shoot-out. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer played a major part, saving Real’s first two penalties – from Ronaldo and Kaka, while Mario Gomez and David Alaba scored for Bayern.

This was the second time in major Champions League shoot-outs that Ronaldo had missed from the spot, having also failed for Manchester United in the 2008 final against Chelsea. Continue reading “Bayern Munich Defeat Real Madrid on Penalties to Meet Chelsea in Championship Final”

June 9, 2011

Five Mexico Soccer Players Test Positive for Banned Substance

Five Mexico internationals have tested positive for the banned substance Clenbuterol.

The players named are goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, defenders Francisco Rodriguez and Edgar Duenas and midfielders Antonio Naelson ‘Sinha’ and Christian Bermudez.

Mexico are taking part in Concacaf Gold Cup in the United States.

They beat El Salvador 5-0 in their opening match and face Cuba on Thursday in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The general secretary of the Mexican Football Federation (Femexfut) Decio de Maria said the quintet had been suspended from the tournament.

He added that any further sanctions, which could include bans of up to two years, would be determined by Femexfut.

“Late on Wednesday we received the anti-doping analysis of 14 players of the ‘Tri’ [national team] that were done on 21 May and five players showed positive,” De Maria announced at a news conference.

Did you know?

Tour de France winner Alberto Contador tested positive for Clenbuterol in 2010 – he was later acquitted

“The substance for which they were positive is Clenbuterol. The players will be withdrawn from coach Jose Manuel de la Torre’s team.”

De Maria added: “The cause is believed to be because of [eating] beef or chicken between 17 and 20 May so an investigation will be made with the food suppliers. For the time being we don’t see any negligence by anyone, not even theirs.

“We know there is a health alert throughout the country because of food contaminated with Clenbuterol and that will be taken into account for the investigation.”

In April, Germany’s anti-doping agency [Nada] advised against athletes eating products from Mexico because it might increase the risk of involuntary positive doping results. Mexico denied there was a problem.

January 19, 2011January 19, 2011

South African Pienaar Joins Tottenham, Not Chelsea

South Africna MidFielder, Steven Pienaar

Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar has agreed to join Tottenham after the two clubs agreed a fee of about £2.5m.

The South Africa international, 28, who was nearing the end of his contract at Goodison Park has signed a four-year-deal with the north London club.

“To end speculation, I am going to Spurs,” confirmed Pienaar on his Twitter account earlier on Tuesday.

Chelsea also had a bid accepted for Pienaar by Everton, but failed to convince the player to join them.

“I’ve had brilliant years at Everton. It will always be special place in my heart.”

Spurs now hope the midfielder is granted a work permit in time for him to make his debut at Newcastle on Saturday.

They had seen an initial bid of £2m turned down before settling on a compromise figure of £2.5m with the Toffees after Chelsea had had a £3m bid accepted.

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp, speaking after his team’s 0-0 draw with Manchester United on Saturday, said: “I think he is a good player. He can play left or right or down the middle. I like him.

“I would not want to be putting the chairman under any pressure to buy him, but at £2m or £3m, he’s certainly not dear is he?”

Pienaar joined Everton from Borussia Dortmund in 2007, initially on a season-long loan, and went on to make 132 appearances for the Toffees, scoring 12 goals.

He initially made his name in Europe at Ajax after joining them from their club partners Ajax Cape Town in January 2001, helping them to the Dutch title in 2002 and 2004 before joining Bundesliga outfit Dortmund in 2006.

Everton boss David Moyes had said in August that only a “sack-load of cash” would persuade him to sell a playmaker voted the club’s player of the season last term.

But Pienaar, who has scored one goal so far this season, has failed to replicate that form during this campaign and Moyes has decided to cash in as his contract winds down.

BBC Sports

December 7, 2010January 8, 2011

Thanks, but no thanks

Former France captain Marcel Desailly has withdrawn from the race to coach World Cup quarter-finalists Ghana.

Desailly, who was born in the West African country, was part of a five-man shortlist drawn up by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for the vacant post.

Ghana are looking for a successor to the Serbian Milovan Rajevac.

But the long drawn out global search process seems to have frustrated the ex-Chelsea defender Desailly, 42.

“I have formally withdrawn my interest to be the head coach of the Black Stars following my initial interest over three months ago,” the 1998 World Cup winner said.

“Since declaring my interest I have had to put all my personal and business obligations on hold waiting for the outcome of this opportunity, be it positive or negative.

“I have still not received any form of official communication with regards to my interest. I understand that it is the internal processes pertaining to the appointment.

“However, this lengthy time in which there has been no official communication has left me with no option but to re-engage myself with commitments which I had earlier set aside for the potential job.”

Desailly’s decision to pull out of the race leaves just three candidates for the job after Turkish coach Can Vanli was axed from the shortlist.

Serbian Goran Stevanovic, ex-Portugal boss Humberto Coelho and local coach Herbert Addo will now vie for the post.

Desailly was hoping his hugely impressive playing career and ties with the country could help him clinch the post.

He won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with France, ended his playing career in 2006 after spells with Marseille, AC Milan and Chelsea.

Despite his impressive playing record, he has yet to try his hand at coaching.

Rajevac opted not to extend his contract in September, ending a two-year stint during which he steered Ghana to the final of the 2010 African Cup of Nations and the last eight of the World Cup in South Africa.

The GFA said it will announce an appointment before the end of the year