Ayumba Ayodi | Nation Strathmore University's Allan Iningu (left) wards off Ahmed Hammoud (18) and his team mates yesterday during their match for the bronze at the Africa Cup Club championship that ended on Saturday at the National Hockey Stadium, Accra. By AYUMBA AYODI sayodi@ke.nationmedia.comPosted Saturday, December 18 2010 at 23:25 In Summary
Reaching the play-offs quite an achievement, coach Senge enthuses, as Police take bronze
Strathmore University may have missed the bronze medal but they bowed out with a gallant display as they lost to Egypt's Police 1-3 in the play-offs of the Africa Cup Club Championship that ended on Saturday here in Accra, Ghana.
Coach Meshak Senge and skipper Kenneth Nyongesa left the National Hockey Stadium with their heads high, describing their debut on the continental scene as splendid, as Allan Iningu capped the West African outing with a 69th-minute goal.
Heartland, from Nigeria, meanwhile won the women's title, beating home girls Extinguishers 3-2 in the final.
The Kenyan varsity students looked a better side in the barren first half but lacked the clinical finishing touch although George Mutira, Frank Wanangwe and Dan Onyango came close to drawing first blood.
Ageless hat-trick skipper Adnan
Adnan, the oldest player in the tournament, hit a hat-trick
Police, the 2003 champions, who beat the students 2-3 during the normal league session, have their ageless skipper Sayeed Adnan to thank.
Adnan, the oldest player in the tournament, hit a hat-trick, snatching the opener from the spot in the 37th minute after danger man Mohammed Amr was tripped in the circle before completing a move from the midfield with a sizzling goal in the 43rd.
The North Africans were home and dry when Adnan scored their third goal with a drag flick from a penalty corner in the 69th minute.
"I walk away from this stadium a proud man. What can someone ask for when your team performs beyond your expectations?" posed Senge.
He added: "We must have the ability to convert from penalty corners and defend well as 90 per cent of the goals we conceded were through penalty corners."
Team manager Paul Ochieng blamed inexperience for their exit.
Crawley Town prepare for their meeting with Manchester United at the Broadfield Stadium earlier this week. Photograph: Eamonn McCabe for the Guardian Romance is one thing but reality is quite another and so it is hard to believe Crawley Town's FA Cup fifth-round tie at Manchester United will provide them with anything more than souvenirs and a savaging. This, after all, is the 11-times winners of the competition and a club on course for a record 19th league championship against a team that was playing six divisions below in the Southern League as recently as 2004. There should only be one outcome.
A sense of doom does not, however, run through the squad itself, and on the eve of the biggest match in Crawley's 115-year history, the Red Devils of Sussex genuinely feel they can give their counterparts from Salford a stern test. As the defender Dean Howell said: "United are only human and I don't think they realise how good our standard of play is."
Such confidence will seem laughable should United run up a cricket score on Saturday evening but it stems from a top-down revolution at Crawley, partly funded by a mysterious foreign investor, which has seen them transformed from a club that was forced into administration twice in seven years to one of the wealthiest in non-league football. They sit second in the Blue Square Premier division having signed more than 23 players since last summer – including a non-league record fee of £275,000 for Richard Brodie from York City – the bulk of whom are either hardened veterans of the lower leagues, such as Howell, or developing talents, such as the top scorer, Michael Tubbs, and the team's most eye-catching addition, Sergio Torres.
It was Torres who ignited Crawley's Cup run after the midfielder scored the late winner in their 2-1 victory over Derby County in the third round and should he also breach the United defence it would prove a defining moment for the 27-year-old Argentinian, who arrived in England from Mar del Plata seven years ago and played for Molesey, Basingstoke, Wycombe and Peterborough before establishing himself at the Broadfield Stadium. His exuberance and sense of ambition perhaps captures best what Crawley are now all about.
"When the draw for this round was made I was out shopping in Brighton," said Torres. "When we came out of the hat with Manchester United I was celebrating like a madman, jumping around all over his shop. I am not famous back home but more will know about me after this weekend because the game at Old Trafford is being shown live in Argentina. That is important to me. I have also enjoyed people reminding me there is only one Torres left in the FA Cup. Fernando Torres got knocked out at Old Trafford in the third round with Liverpool. Hopefully I can do better."
Simon Rusk shares that sense of purpose but, unlike Torres, he views today's game less as an opportunity to make a name for himself and more as a chance at redemption. The 29-year-old defender suffered a serious knee injury while playing for Boston United in 2006 that forced him to drop out of the Football League and join Northwich Victoria and then York City in 2008. It was during this time that Rusk visited Old Trafford for the first time to watch United take on Celtic in a Champions League tie. "I went with my dad Billy, who is a Celtic fan, and remember thinking to myself that my chance of playing there had gone forever, which hurt as for me there is no better ground to play at than Old Trafford," said Rusk, who signed for Crawley in May 2009. "To get this chance to go there is unbelievable, it will be one of the greatest days in my career.
"We don't want to sound like ****** by saying we can go there and win, but at the same time we have to believe we can. Otherwise there would be no point turning up."
That sentiment is also shared by fellow defender Kyle McFadzean, who last season was playing in the Blue Square North with Alfreton Town and may now find himself with the challenge of having to mark one of Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov or Javier Hernández.
"I wouldn't mind marking any of them," said the 23-year-old. "I'm a bit disappointed that Michael Owen is injured as I'd liked to have played against him."
Crawley's critics, of which there are many in non-league football, will view this collective sense of opportunity as typical brashness from a club that has allowed money to go to its head. Some will also point to the club's manager, Steve Evans, as the architect of such foolhardiness. The Scot is undoubtedly a controversial figure having been given a suspended prison sentence for tax evasion while in charge of Boston and, since joining Crawley in May 2007, racked up numerous touchline bans for unprofessional behaviour.
Given Crawley's league and cup form it is hard to argue with Evans's methods and ahead of a match-up with his fellow Glaswegian Sir Alex Ferguson, the 48-year-old is also showing no signs of fear. "Come 5.15pm on Saturday we will be in United's faces," said Evans. "All we can do is our best and that means giving everything for a win."
For all their talk, Crawley remain huge outsiders to make an impact against United on Saturday. But what is sure is that this is a club on the up and determined to become a big noise in English football.
Crawley Town prepare for their meeting with Manchester United at the Broadfield Stadium earlier this week. Photograph: Eamonn McCabe for the Guardian Romance is one thing but reality is quite another and so it is hard to believe Crawley Town's FA Cup fifth-round tie at Manchester United will provide them with anything more than souvenirs and a savaging. This, after all, is the 11-times winners of the competition and a club on course for a record 19th league championship against a team that was playing six divisions below in the Southern League as recently as 2004. There should only be one outcome.
A sense of doom does not, however, run through the squad itself, and on the eve of the biggest match in Crawley's 115-year history, the Red Devils of Sussex genuinely feel they can give their counterparts from Salford a stern test. As the defender Dean Howell said: "United are only human and I don't think they realise how good our standard of play is."
Such confidence will seem laughable should United run up a cricket score on Saturday evening but it stems from a top-down revolution at Crawley, partly funded by a mysterious foreign investor, which has seen them transformed from a club that was forced into administration twice in seven years to one of the wealthiest in non-league football. They sit second in the Blue Square Premier division having signed more than 23 players since last summer including a non-league record fee of £275,000 for Richard Brodie from York City the bulk of whom are either hardened veterans of the lower leagues, such as Howell, or developing talents, such as the top scorer, Michael Tubbs, and the team's most eye-catching addition, Sergio Torres.
It was Torres who ignited Crawley's Cup run after the midfielder scored the late winner in their 2-1 victory over Derby County in the third round and should he also breach the United defence it would prove a defining moment for the 27-year-old Argentinian, who arrived in England from Mar del Plata seven years ago and played for Molesey, Basingstoke, Wycombe and Peterborough before establishing himself at the Broadfield Stadium. His exuberance and sense of ambition perhaps captures best what Crawley are now all about.
"When the draw for this round was made I was out shopping in Brighton," said Torres. "When we came out of the hat with Manchester United I was celebrating like a madman, jumping around all over his shop. I am not famous back home but more will know about me after this weekend because the game at Old Trafford is being shown live in Argentina. That is important to me. I have also enjoyed people reminding me there is only one Torres left in the FA Cup. Fernando Torres got knocked out at Old Trafford in the third round with Liverpool. Hopefully I can do better."
Simon Rusk shares that sense of purpose but, unlike Torres, he views today's game less as an opportunity to make a name for himself and more as a chance at redemption. The 29-year-old defender suffered a serious knee injury while playing for Boston United in 2006 that forced him to drop out of the Football League and join Northwich Victoria and then York City in 2008. It was during this time that Rusk visited Old Trafford for the first time to watch United take on Celtic in a Champions League tie. "I went with my dad Billy, who is a Celtic fan, and remember thinking to myself that my chance of playing there had gone forever, which hurt as for me there is no better ground to play at than Old Trafford," said Rusk, who signed for Crawley in May 2009. "To get this chance to go there is unbelievable, it will be one of the greatest days in my career.
"We don't want to sound like ****** by saying we can go there and win, but at the same time we have to believe we can. Otherwise there would be no point turning up."
That sentiment is also shared by fellow defender Kyle McFadzean, who last season was playing in the Blue Square North with Alfreton Town and may now find himself with the challenge of having to mark one of Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov or Javier Hernández.
"I wouldn't mind marking any of them," said the 23-year-old. "I'm a bit disappointed that Michael Owen is injured as I'd liked to have played against him."
Crawley's critics, of which there are many in non-league football, will view this collective sense of opportunity as typical brashness from a club that has allowed money to go to its head. Some will also point to the club's manager, Steve Evans, as the architect of such foolhardiness. The Scot is undoubtedly a controversial figure having been given a suspended prison sentence for tax evasion while in charge of Boston and, since joining Crawley in May 2007, racked up numerous touchline bans for unprofessional behaviour.
Given Crawley's league and cup form it is hard to argue with Evans's methods and ahead of a match-up with his fellow Glaswegian Sir Alex Ferguson, the 48-year-old is also showing no signs of fear. "Come 5.15pm on Saturday we will be in United's faces," said Evans. "All we can do is our best and that means giving everything for a win."
For all their talk, Crawley remain huge outsiders to make an impact against United on Saturday. But what is sure is that this is a club on the up and determined to become a big noise in English football.
Crawley Town have spent an estimated £600,000 on their squad, which does not sit well with other non-league teams. Photograph: Eamonn McCabe for the Guardian The mere fact that Crawley Town will take their place at Old Trafford to play Manchester United should encapsulate the unifying soul of football, as nourished by the FA Cup. Battered, often undermined by the profile and financial might of the Premier and Champions Leagues, on days like these the FA Cup reminds us that the game remains one.
The competition that began in August, with clubs such as Billingham Synthonia and Glossop North End contesting the extra preliminary round, travels by the inexorable logic of knockout to the greatest names and arenas of football.
In Crawley, the small, dormitory Sussex town dominated by unloved Gatwick airport, the thrill is unconfined: 9,000 people, more than four times a decent crowd for the club's Conference Premier fixtures, have forked out the £41 United are charging to watch Steve Evans's team in the fifth-round tie.
Yet around non-league football, among other Conference clubs and their supporters, there is a low grumbling, a resentment that of all clubs, Crawley's number came up; a feeling that they do not, in fact, embody the romance of the Cup.
In part this is due to Evans himself, who has proved himself a smart non-league manager, but made himself deeply unpopular. The FA banned him from the touchline for 12 matches in 2008-09 for improper conduct and 13 in 2009-10, including three when he was not even allowed in the ground. In November 2006 Evans was convicted for his part in a £245,000 tax fraud committed when he was manager at Boston United, failing to pay tax on the players' wages, and was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
Evans and Crawley accept he has form, but argue he has served his time and is proving his talent. His club are three points behind AFC Wimbledon, the leaders of the division now known as the Blue Square Bet Premier, with four games in hand and relishing their jackpot FA Cup run.
If a heartfelt cheer about Crawley is withheld, it is also because their rise has been fashioned with sudden new money. Huge transfer fees for this level, estimated at £600,000, have been spent since the summer on the striker Richard Brodie from York City, the midfielder Sergio Torres from Peterborough United, and others, with a wage bill to match. Yet despite the media floodlighting the club since their Cup wins began, they have still refused to say who has provided the money, except that it is a group of people in "the far east". Bruce Winfield, the Crawley chairman who, with his wife Silpa, is a major shareholder, told the Guardian's Digger column that these far east investors now own 40% of the club. However, he has not identified them, explained where their money has come from, or why they want to remain anonymous.
After so many financial meltdowns at all levels it is widely accepted that it is important to know who owns football clubs and the fact that Crawley Town are substantially owned and funded by anonymous investors steals a little romance from this tale. That United, arguably English football's most storied name, are owned by the Glazers, who recently reorganised the club's ownership into the US state of Delaware, where shareholders can also remain unidentified, completes the flipside of the tie's allure.
This week Susan Carter, Winfield's fellow director, again declined to say who the club's backers are. Asked about their spending, on transfer fees and players' wages said to be around £100,000 a year for some, Carter replied: "How many clubs actually spend what they make in income? Very few. It's a problem in football; we're only doing what other clubs are doing."
Crawley fans know themselves the perils of financial mismanagement. The club collapsed into administration in 1999, then in 2006 when it was owned by the brothers Chas and Mohammed Azwar Majeed, the latter of whom was subsequently convicted of tax fraud and sentenced to three and a half years in prison.
Crawley were only an hour from being wound up when the administrators accepted a proposal to pay creditors half the £1.375m they were owed. The club was taken over by John Duly, a local businessman, then Vic Marley, an ex-banker and Crawley supporter, via his Prospect Estates Holdings company. Winfield, a Crawley-based businessman and prominent fan for many years, took over the club with Carter in 2009. In July last year Prospect Estate Holdings transferred all its 45 shares in Crawley Town to Winfield's wife, Silpa. Although Winfield has said the club is now 40% owned by the far east investors who have put the money in since last summer, there is no record yet of their shareholding in the club's official documents filed at Companies House.
Alan Williams, Crawley's chief executive, says he has met the investors and is satisfied their money is sustainable.
"I came in to turn the club round after the Majeeds' era," Williams explains. "The investors have put the money in, and there is a long-term plan. They have a right to anonymity. There is nothing conniving or devious about it."
As for why people in the far east would put their money into Crawley Town, Williams says: "They have an interest in football, and a difference can be made here."
Jeff Thadeus, secretary of the Crawley Town supporters trust, says after the trauma of the Majeeds, he and the supporters feel safe with Winfield. "We'd rather the anonymous investors were people we know," he acknowledges. "The combination of that and Steve Evans means people are bound to snipe. But we have to put our faith in Bruce. This is a great day for the club, and the town, which can feel part of it again."
FA rules require Conference club directors, and owners of 30% or more of the shares, to self-certify that they are "fit and proper people," with no convictions. An FA spokesman said Crawley have complied, but did not explain whether in fact any of the new investors individually owns 30%.
Dave Boyle, chief executive of Supporters Direct, argues that owners of football clubs, public sporting institutions drawing on the support of their towns, should not be entitled to hide behind anonymity.
"Crawley is not such a romantic story and they are not a typical non-league club," he says. "It's an all-too-familiar tale of financial doping and opaque ownership, and we have seen too many of those ending in collapse down the years."
Dennis Strudwick, general manager of the Conference, confirms Crawley have complied with all the rules, in a league which has experienced many clubs in various shades of crisis. "This is wonderful," he says, "to see a Conference club in the fifth round against Manchester United. We should be talking about the beauty and romance of the FA Cup, but instead the questions are all about finance."
That is because Crawley Town are at Old Trafford thanks to skill and hard work, but also big money from unidentified backers. They play Manchester United, owned in Delaware by the US family which loaded the club with £500m debt. That, too, is an integral part of this, a perfect FA Cup story for our times.
Liverpool yavutwa shati Europa League Send to a friend Friday, 18 February 2011 20:59
PRAGUE, Serbia
MABINGWA mara tatu , Liverpool juzi walitoka suluhu ya 0-0 dhidi ya Sparta Prague kwenye mchezo wa Kombe la Europa League.
Nao mabingwa wengine wa zamani, Ajax, Porto na CSKA Moscow zilishinda mechi zao.
Kocha Kenny Dalglish alisimamia mchezo wake wa kwanza wa michuano ya Ulaya tangu akabidhiwe mikoba ya kuinoa timu hiyo na kushuhudia mchezo ulioopoza kwa kiasi kikubwa.
Timu hizo zinatarajia kurudiana katika mchezo wa pili kwenye Uwanja wa Anfield Alhamisi ijayo.
Ajax, washindi wa taji hilo la pili kwa umaarufu Ulaya mwaka 1992, walishinda kwa mabao 3-0 dhidi ya Anderlecht kwa mabao ya Toby Alderweireld, Christian Eriksen na Mounir El Hamdaoui.
Mshambuliaji raia wa Czech, Tomas Necid aliwafungia mabingwa wa 2005, CSKA Moscow walioshinda1-0 ugenini kwa PAOK Salonika. Porto iliilaza Sevilla 2-1 kwa bao Fredy Guarin.
Manchester United's manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, plans to rest his entire first team for their FA Cup match against Crawley. Photograph: Julian Herbert/Action Images Sir Alex Ferguson is planning to give his first-choice Manchester United team the weekend off to prepare for their Champions League tie against Marseille on Wednesday, with the club not under threat of facing sanctions for fielding a severely weakened side against Crawley Town in the FA Cup.
The Premier League fined Blackpool £25,000 for making 10 changes in their game at Aston Villa in November but the Football Association intends to turn a blind eye to Ferguson's decision to change possibly his entire team for the visit of opposition from the Blue Square Premier.
"We'll be playing all the players who played at Southampton [in the last round], apart from Jonny Evans and Michael Owen [who are both injured]," Ferguson said. "We'll hopefully bring in Bébé, the two Da Silvas [Rafael and Fábio], Wes Brown and John O'Shea. We're strong in midfield, we've got Anderson, Darron Gibson and Michael Carrick, and then there's Chicharito [Javier Hernández], so we're not too bad."
Anders Lindegaard is expected to replace Edwin van der Sar in goal, with Gabriel Obertan joining United's attack now that Owen's injury problems have resurfaced. Ryan Tunnicliffe has been promoted to the squad from the youth team, with Ravel Morrison, Paul Pogba and Joshua King also under consideration.
However, the luckless Owen Hargreaves appears to be no closer to a return 3½ months after damaging his hamstring in his comeback match. Ferguson said: "He's still with the physios, still in rehab, there's nothing more to report."
As for Owen, Ferguson said: "Michael picked up a small injury during the week. It's forced him out of the game but it's only a small injury and I'd imagine he will be all right for Wednesday. It's a pity because I was keen to play him, having talked him up last week."
The wholesale changes are a measure of Ferguson's confidence about the imbalance of talent between the two squads, though he is also mindful about how United were taken to replays in their previous two FA Cup ties against non-league opposition, Exeter City in 2005 and Burton Albion the following year.
"It's a reminder that shocks can happen and they almost did to us against those two teams. The quality of our players means we shouldn't have the same worry but I do respect the fact that Crawley are the best non-league team for quite a while. They seem to have a lot of money invested in the players and they're near the top [of their league] with games in hand. It will probably see them promoted to the league proper and I think they will do well with the kind of money they have behind them. We expect a tough-ish type of game. They're very committed and their performances against Derby, Swindon and Torquay tell you that they deserve to be in this round.
"They're bringing 9,000 fans and that's brilliant for them. People talk about the FA Cup dying and all the rest of it but it won't die as long as you have the sort of giant-killing acts that Crawley have produced.
"Every manager will tell you the same: you don't want to be a casualty of that. We lost to Leeds United last year and it wasn't easy to take. They deserved to win on the day, they were up for it and they made it a cup tie. And it will be the same here; Crawley will make it a cup tie, there's no other way for them."
Nonetheless it is a chance for Ferguson to rest key players. Ryan Giggs, who has signed a one-year contract extension, is one and the United manager also cited Nani as someone who deserved a break. The Portugal winger has legitimate claims to be recognised as United's best player this season, with 10 goals and 13 assists.
"Every time he gets near the ball you think something's going to happen and that means you've got a great player," said Ferguson.
"Cristiano Ronaldo was exceptional, a once-in-a-lifetime player. But it did take him time to settle into the English game. Nani has done it a bit quicker actually, in the sense of understanding the game. He's started to be mature and consistent. At 22, that gives him a great chance."
Manchester United's manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, plans to rest his entire first team for their FA Cup match against Crawley. Photograph: Julian Herbert/Action Images Sir Alex Ferguson is planning to give his first-choice Manchester United team the weekend off to prepare for their Champions League tie against Marseille on Wednesday, with the club not under threat of facing sanctions for fielding a severely weakened side against Crawley Town in the FA Cup.
The Premier League fined Blackpool £25,000 for making 10 changes in their game at Aston Villa in November but the Football Association intends to turn a blind eye to Ferguson's decision to change possibly his entire team for the visit of opposition from the Blue Square Premier.
"We'll be playing all the players who played at Southampton [in the last round], apart from Jonny Evans and Michael Owen [who are both injured]," Ferguson said. "We'll hopefully bring in Bébé, the two Da Silvas [Rafael and Fábio], Wes Brown and John O'Shea. We're strong in midfield, we've got Anderson, Darron Gibson and Michael Carrick, and then there's Chicharito [Javier Hernández], so we're not too bad."
Anders Lindegaard is expected to replace Edwin van der Sar in goal, with Gabriel Obertan joining United's attack now that Owen's injury problems have resurfaced. Ryan Tunnicliffe has been promoted to the squad from the youth team, with Ravel Morrison, Paul Pogba and Joshua King also under consideration.
However, the luckless Owen Hargreaves appears to be no closer to a return 3½ months after damaging his hamstring in his comeback match. Ferguson said: "He's still with the physios, still in rehab, there's nothing more to report."
As for Owen, Ferguson said: "Michael picked up a small injury during the week. It's forced him out of the game but it's only a small injury and I'd imagine he will be all right for Wednesday. It's a pity because I was keen to play him, having talked him up last week."
The wholesale changes are a measure of Ferguson's confidence about the imbalance of talent between the two squads, though he is also mindful about how United were taken to replays in their previous two FA Cup ties against non-league opposition, Exeter City in 2005 and Burton Albion the following year.
"It's a reminder that shocks can happen and they almost did to us against those two teams. The quality of our players means we shouldn't have the same worry but I do respect the fact that Crawley are the best non-league team for quite a while. They seem to have a lot of money invested in the players and they're near the top [of their league] with games in hand. It will probably see them promoted to the league proper and I think they will do well with the kind of money they have behind them. We expect a tough-ish type of game. They're very committed and their performances against Derby, Swindon and Torquay tell you that they deserve to be in this round.
"They're bringing 9,000 fans and that's brilliant for them. People talk about the FA Cup dying and all the rest of it but it won't die as long as you have the sort of giant-killing acts that Crawley have produced.
"Every manager will tell you the same: you don't want to be a casualty of that. We lost to Leeds United last year and it wasn't easy to take. They deserved to win on the day, they were up for it and they made it a cup tie. And it will be the same here; Crawley will make it a cup tie, there's no other way for them."
Nonetheless it is a chance for Ferguson to rest key players. Ryan Giggs, who has signed a one-year contract extension, is one and the United manager also cited Nani as someone who deserved a break. The Portugal winger has legitimate claims to be recognised as United's best player this season, with 10 goals and 13 assists.
"Every time he gets near the ball you think something's going to happen and that means you've got a great player," said Ferguson.
"Cristiano Ronaldo was exceptional, a once-in-a-lifetime player. But it did take him time to settle into the English game. Nani has done it a bit quicker actually, in the sense of understanding the game. He's started to be mature and consistent. At 22, that gives him a great chance."
The Crawley Town club crest: can you spot the similarity? Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Reuters Nickname
Manchester United The Red Devils Crawley Town Red Devils (although also widely known as 'the Manchester City of non-league football') Originally founded as
Manchester United Formed 1878 as Newton Heath LYR Football League club by the carriage and wagon department of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway department at Newton Heath Crawley Town In 1896 as Crawley Town in the West Sussex League. Retained fully amateur status until 1962 when turned semi-professional Division
Manchester United Premier League Crawley Town Blue Square Bet Premier Ground capacity
Manchester United Old Trafford 75,769 Crawley Town Broadfield Stadium 4,996 (1,150 seated) Record signing
Manchester United Dimitar Berbatov, £30.75m from Tottenham (1 Sept 2008) Crawley Town Richard Brodie, £275,000 from York City (31 August 2010, widely reported as £275,000 but club insists fee remains officially undisclosed) Managers
Manchester United Sir Alex Ferguson is a Glasgow-born former striker who once played for Ayr United and St Johnstone Crawley Town Steve Evans is a Glasgow-born former striker who once played for Ayr United and St Johnstone Argentinians
Manchester United Former players Juan Sebastián Verón, Gabriel Heinze and Carlos Tevez Crawley Town Current midfield star Sergio Torres Dutch goalkeepers
Manchester United The former Holland No1 Edwin van der Sar will watch Dane Anders Lindegaard deputise in goal for him on Saturday Crawley Town Michel Kuipers, a former Dutch marine, is expected to start at Old Trafford Top goalscorer
Manchester United Dimitar Berbatov, 20 goals in 29 appearances this season Crawley Town Matt Tubbs, the former Bolton trainee has 28 goals in 32 appearances The Stamford connection
Manchester United Ferguson's son Darren, manager of nearby Peterborough United, married for the second time in Stamford Register Office Crawley Town Steve Evans used to manage non-league Stamford
Carlo Ancelotti believes his fifth-placed Chelsea side will still qualify for the Champions League. Photograph: Tony O'Brien/Action Images Carlo Ancelotti has expressed uncertainty over his future at Chelsea by claiming he would not "want to train a team that is not in the Champions League". The club resumes its involvement in the competition on Tuesday with a last-16 tie against FC Copenhagen but, unless they win the final in May, they may not be involved next year given their struggles to secure a qualification place via the Premier League.
It is assumed Ancelotti would be sacked by the Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, were he not able to arrest the team's current malaise – the champions are currently fifth having won only five of their past 16 league fixtures – and also failed to claim their first ever Champions League title. But the Italian has now indicated that such a failure could persuade him personally that his time at Stamford Bridge had reached a natural end.
"We know the Premier League is now very tough for us but we want to play in the Champions League next year, it is the most important thing for everyone," said Ancelotti, who joined Chelsea from Milan in June 2009 and went on to win the league and FA Cup double in his first season. "I don't want to train a team that is not in the Champions League as for me it is the best competition in the world. But I am an optimist and I believe my team has the quality [to finish in the top four]."
Asked about the worst-case scenario of having to manage Chelsea in the Europa League next season, something Frank Lampard has described as a "disaster", Ancelotti added: "This is why it is important we arrive [in the top four] of the Premier League. It will be a fight, there are five teams, maybe six teams with Liverpool, who want this."
Chelsea still have to face Manchester United twice and Tottenham, who are currently two points ahead of them, once before the end of the season, not to mention a visit from Manchester City, who triumphed 4-2 at Stamford Bridge last season. Ahead of such stern tests Ancelotti will hope Fernando Torres recaptures the form that persuaded Chelsea to spend £50m on him last month.
The striker has done little to impress in his two matches since arriving from Liverpool, the most recent of which was Monday's goalless draw at Fulham, and there is a belief he and Didier Drogba cannot function together – the pair started together in Torres's debut against his former club earlier this month before the Spaniard started on his own at Craven Cottage. He was replaced by Drogba midway through the second half.
Ancelotti insists, however, the pair can form a formidable partnership. "He [Torres] is a striker like Didier but it is not right to say they are in competition, they are in collaboration," said Ancelotti. "They have to work together to help bring the team in the best position."
For now, Chelsea's focus returns to the FA Cup. They host Everton in a replay of their fourth-round tie with Ancelotti confirming Drogba will return to his starting line-up in place of Torres, who is cup-tied having featured for Liverpool at the third-round stage.
One man who will not feature, however, is David Luiz, the £21.3m signing from Benfica. Ancelotti confirmed that the defender would start against David Moyes's men having impressed on his debut against Fulham but then had to backtrack after it was revealed that Luiz was ineligible for selection having signed for Chelsea on 31 January. According to the Football Association, a player must be registered with his current club by 28 January to take part in the fourth round of the competition.
"Carlo had forgotten the rules," confirmed a Chelsea spokesman. "He was reminded of it by the club secretary and has amended his team for the Everton match." Paulo Ferreria will replace Luiz in central defence.
Carlo Ancelotti believes his fifth-placed Chelsea side will still qualify for the Champions League. Photograph: Tony O'Brien/Action Images Carlo Ancelotti has expressed uncertainty over his future at Chelsea by claiming he would not "want to train a team that is not in the Champions League". The club resumes its involvement in the competition on Tuesday with a last-16 tie against FC Copenhagen but, unless they win the final in May, they may not be involved next year given their struggles to secure a qualification place via the Premier League.
It is assumed Ancelotti would be sacked by the Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, were he not able to arrest the team's current malaise the champions are currently fifth having won only five of their past 16 league fixtures and also failed to claim their first ever Champions League title. But the Italian has now indicated that such a failure could persuade him personally that his time at Stamford Bridge had reached a natural end.
"We know the Premier League is now very tough for us but we want to play in the Champions League next year, it is the most important thing for everyone," said Ancelotti, who joined Chelsea from Milan in June 2009 and went on to win the league and FA Cup double in his first season. "I don't want to train a team that is not in the Champions League as for me it is the best competition in the world. But I am an optimist and I believe my team has the quality [to finish in the top four]."
Asked about the worst-case scenario of having to manage Chelsea in the Europa League next season, something Frank Lampard has described as a "disaster", Ancelotti added: "This is why it is important we arrive [in the top four] of the Premier League. It will be a fight, there are five teams, maybe six teams with Liverpool, who want this."
Chelsea still have to face Manchester United twice and Tottenham, who are currently two points ahead of them, once before the end of the season, not to mention a visit from Manchester City, who triumphed 4-2 at Stamford Bridge last season. Ahead of such stern tests Ancelotti will hope Fernando Torres recaptures the form that persuaded Chelsea to spend £50m on him last month.
The striker has done little to impress in his two matches since arriving from Liverpool, the most recent of which was Monday's goalless draw at Fulham, and there is a belief he and Didier Drogba cannot function together the pair started together in Torres's debut against his former club earlier this month before the Spaniard started on his own at Craven Cottage. He was replaced by Drogba midway through the second half.
Ancelotti insists, however, the pair can form a formidable partnership. "He [Torres] is a striker like Didier but it is not right to say they are in competition, they are in collaboration," said Ancelotti. "They have to work together to help bring the team in the best position."
For now, Chelsea's focus returns to the FA Cup. They host Everton in a replay of their fourth-round tie with Ancelotti confirming Drogba will return to his starting line-up in place of Torres, who is cup-tied having featured for Liverpool at the third-round stage.
One man who will not feature, however, is David Luiz, the £21.3m signing from Benfica. Ancelotti confirmed that the defender would start against David Moyes's men having impressed on his debut against Fulham but then had to backtrack after it was revealed that Luiz was ineligible for selection having signed for Chelsea on 31 January. According to the Football Association, a player must be registered with his current club by 28 January to take part in the fourth round of the competition.
"Carlo had forgotten the rules," confirmed a Chelsea spokesman. "He was reminded of it by the club secretary and has amended his team for the Everton match." Paulo Ferreria will replace Luiz in central defence.
THAT HURTS!: Ulinzi Stars players, Eric Apul (left) and Stephen Ochola. Sofapaka want to inflict more pain on the KPL Champions at Nyayo Stadium, Sunday . [PHOTO: STAFFORD ONDEGO/STANDARD]
By GILBERT WANDERA National football team coach Zedekiah ‘Zico' Otieno says Kenya needs to play one more international friendly match before the March 26 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Angola in Nairobi. Otieno said he prefers to play any of the neighbouring countries to fine-tune his squad for the Angola tie. "I am satisfied with how we played against South Africa despite going down 2-0. It has helped our preparations for the Angola match but to be sure, we need another friendly before then," he said.
Harambee Stars coach Zedekiah ‘Zico' Otieno. [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD] He said playing at home will greatly boost the team's morale ahead of their crucial match against Angola who are second in the group after a loss to Uganda and a win against Guinea Bissau in the opening matches of the qualifiers. Otieno blamed inexperience and lack of training time for the loss to South Africa last Wednesday, which was the Fifa official day for all international friendly matches. South Africans Were Fit "Unlike in Kenya where the league has not started, most of the South African players were active before the match. Their league is in session and their international players at their peak," "We feel let down by this lack of match practice and the results may not reflect our real form," added Otieno. Apart from lack of match fitness, the team was also let down by the absence of key players, among them Inter Milan mid-fielder Macdonald Mariga, George Odhiambo (Randers, Denmark) and Arnold Origi (Norway). Players Identified Mariga and Origi pulled out of the team due to injury while Odhiambo, who is in his first season in Denmark, failed to get his travel documents on time. The Kenyan coach also revealed that he has settled on the players he wants to use in the remaining matches of the qualifiers after playing in last month's Nile Basin tournament in Egypt and the friendly international with Bafana Bafana. "The core team has been identified and we go into the remaining matches confident of getting positive results," added the coach. He, however, expressed concern that the recently introduced top eight tournament which kicks of next month may pose challenges to his plans as most of the players will be required by their clubs during that period when he may also need them. "I see the tournament as a challenge to our preparations, considering that it will be played during the mid-week and that is the same time we are thinking of playing a build-up match before we take on Angola," said the coach.
By GILBERT WANDERA National football team coach Zedekiah Zico Otieno says Kenya needs to play one more international friendly match before the March 26 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Angola in Nairobi. Otieno said he prefers to play any of the neighbouring countries to fine-tune his squad for the Angola tie. "I am satisfied with how we played against SouthAfrica despite going down 2-0. It has helped our preparations for the Angola match but to be sure, we need another friendly before then," he said.
Harambee Stars coach Zedekiah Zico Otieno. [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD] He said playing at home will greatly boost the teams morale ahead of their crucial match against Angola who are second in the group after a loss to Uganda and a win against Guinea Bissau in the opening matches of the qualifiers. Otieno blamed inexperience and lack of training time for the loss to South Africa last Wednesday, which was the Fifa official day for all international friendly matches. South Africans Were Fit "Unlike in Kenya where the league has not started, most of the South African players were active before the match. Their league is in session and their international players at their peak," "We feel let down by this lack of match practice and the results may not reflect our real form," added Otieno. Apart from lack of match fitness, the team was also let down by the absence of key players, among them Inter Milan mid-fielder Macdonald Mariga, George Odhiambo (Randers, Denmark) and Arnold Origi (Norway). Players Identified Mariga and Origi pulled out of the team due to injury while Odhiambo, who is in his first season in Denmark, failed to get his travel documents on time. The Kenyan coach also revealed that he has settled on the players he wants to use in the remaining matches of the qualifiers after playing in last months Nile Basin tournament in Egypt and the friendly international with Bafana Bafana. "The core team has been identified and we go into the remaining matches confident of getting positive results," added the coach. He, however, expressed concern that the recently introduced top eight tournament which kicks of next month may pose challenges to his plans as most of the players will be required by their clubs during that period when he may also need them. "I see the tournament as a challenge to our preparations, considering that it will be played during the mid-week and that is the same time we are thinking of playing a build-up match before we take on Angola," said the coach.
Updated Feb 19, 2011 6:50 AM ET Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson thinks he has another Portuguese great on his hands in Nani. Ferguson freely admits Cristiano Ronaldo was a "once-in-a-lifetime" player, who will go down in the history books for his phenomenal 42-goal contribution to United's 2008 Champions League-winning season.
However, since his fellow countryman left for Real Madrid 12 months later, Nani has stepped out of the shadows and become United's main man. He may still frustrate by holding on to the ball too long but he is also capable of bewitching skill that opponents struggle to contain. The 24-year-old scored his 10th goal of the season in last weekend's Manchester derby win at Old Trafford and Ferguson is expecting much more from the former Sporting Lisbon star. "Ronaldo was exceptional," reflected Ferguson. "He is a one-in-a-lifetime player. "But it did take him time to settle and develop in the English game. If anything, Nani has done it a bit quicker. "I don't need to trumpet his improvement. He has been consistent all season. "He is a match-winner who creates goals and he scores them. He had seven strikes against City and that is a high ratio for a winger, particularly in a big game. "He is showing maturity now. Every time he gets near the box you think something is going to happen. When you get that, you have a great player." Yet, as Ferguson pointed out at the time, Nani's latest effort, whilst exceptional in its own right, will never be recalled because of the brilliance of what followed. The debate over Wayne Rooney's overhead kick has continued all week, with some pundits arguing it was the best goal ever scored at Old Trafford. Ferguson has his own take on that one. "It was the most unexpected goal ever," he said. "Nobody expected him to elevate himself in that fashion and deliver a shot with that ferocity. "There have been plenty of overhead kicks over the years. We have almost forgotten about Dimitar Berbatov's against Liverpool earlier this season. "But with Wayne's, it was the surprise of it." Although Ferguson did not go as far as to say he was about to take Rooney off last Saturday, he did confirm he was preparing to introduce Michael Owen, whose groin injury is not as serious as it was first feared. "I was warming Michael up to go for it but I was trying to work out what the best way of doing it was." Neither Owen, nor, in all probability, Rooney will be involved in tomorrow's FA Cup fifth-round tie with Crawley. Any involvement for Ryan Giggs may be limited to the substitutes' bench as well given United head to France next week for their Champions League duel with Marseille. Nevertheless, Giggs will head across the Channel with a one-year contract extension in his pocket, and more warm words from Ferguson for a man who now seems to be setting fresh landmarks by the week. "You run out of words to describe Ryan Giggs," said Sir Alex Ferguson. "He is a marvellous player and a wonderful man. To have the desire and the ability to play at the top level in such a physically demanding position at his age requires a special person. "He is still turning in man-of-the-match performances and his experience is so vital for the younger players in the squad." Ferguson has pledged to play a similar-strength side to the one he used at Southampton in the previous round tomorrow, which points towards the introduction of Gabriel Obertan and Bebe. Anders Lindegaard is set to make his home debut, whilst Wes Brown and John O'Shea could also be used in a defence lacking injured duo Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans. Javier Hernandez will occupy one of the starting berths, even though Ferguson considers the Mexican to be a better substitute at present. "That is possibly true at this moment in time," said Ferguson. "Javier's training performances have improved tremendously in the last couple of months. His work-rate and practice ethic have been very good. "He comes in early and stays behind. He has done very well in that sense and is improving all the time. "He is a great impact player."
Updated Feb 19, 2011 6:56 AM ET Arsene Wenger claims the confidence Arsenal have taken from their win over Barcelona can inspire the Gunners to win four trophies this season. He insists the Gunners will show exactly the same hunger and commitment against League One Leyton Orient in the FA Cup on Sunday that they demonstrated against the Spanish champions.
In stark contrast to recent seasons when Arsenal have prioritised the league and the Champions League, Wenger is set to field a virtual full-strength team against Orient. He said: "We want to go for every single competition. How far will we go? I personally believe we can go in every competition to the end. But we can as well stop very quickly. "It's just down to how much we believe and how much commitment we show. What I am convinced of is that we have the hunger and we have some talent and we are committed to going as far as we can." Arsenal are already in the final of the Carling Cup later this month against Birmingham. They lie second in the Premier League, four points behind Manchester United and their home win against Barcelona gives them an opportunity of progressing to the quarter-finals of the Champions League next month. Wenger added: "Our destiny will be made by how we focus every time, how much we can mobilise our resources in every single game. "The intelligent attitude will be to just worry about the next game and the next game is Leyton Orient. We had tough games against Leeds, tough games against Ipswich, a tough game against Huddersfield. We have been warned how difficult it is. "We can gain more respect from everybody if we turn up on Sunday with absolutely full commitment, then people will say this team is ready to have a real go and not choose the competition or the games. "When you are a top level competitive man or team you go absolutely 100% committed into every game." Theo Walcott is likely to have recovered from a slight hamstring strain and Johan Djourou is responding well to treatment on a back injury. Wenger is likely to rest centre back Laurent Koscielny who felt "very tired" after the Barcelona match. But a full-house at Orient will be treated to most of the stars who just a few days earlier defeated the team universally recognised as the best in the world.
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Almost certainly that will include 19-year-old Jack Wilshere in midfield who gave a supremely mature performance against Xavi and Andres Iniesta on Wednesday. Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas described Wilshere as having an "English heart with Spanish quality" and Wenger said: "Spanish technique certainly. "He has an English heart because he is an English boy. He just loves to win like all the other players in my team. "He takes everything at the moment with a cool head and that's what I like. When you are at his age, you want to play and to play again and show how good you are. What I like, he is not fazed by the occasion, he is not inhibited and just plays free. That is what is fantastic about him." Wenger does not believe the FA Cup needs an overhaul and is against scrapping replays, despite Arsenal having a hectic fixture schedule. He said: "There is an historic love story between people and the FA Cup and people are scared every time that this history goes out of the game. I don't believe (it will) because I believe that everybody likes to go to Wembley and the final of the FA Cup." On replays, he added: "They sometimes give you a chance to get yourself out of a tricky game. Against Leeds we had to go to Leeds and we still qualified. It is fair financially for the smaller clubs to get something."
SHIRIKISHO la Soka Tanzania limetuma salamu za pole kwa wahanga wa milipuko ya mabomu iliyotokea Jumatano iliyopita katika kambi ya jeshi ya Gongo la Mboto jijini Dar es Salaam. Akizungumza na waandishi wa habari jijini Dar es Salaam jana, Rais wa TFF, Leodegar Tenga, alisema tukio hilo limeigusa jamii na kuwaombea kwa Mungu waliofariki na majeruhi waliokumbwa na tukio hilo. Tenga alisema, tukio hilo limegusa nyanja zote za maendeleo ikiwemo soka ambapo wameonelea kutoa salamu za pole kwa ndugu, jamaa na marafiki waliofikwa na maafa hayo. Aidha Tenga alisema, kutokana na tukio hilo inawezekana kufungwa kwa Uwanja wa Uhuru ambao unatumika kwa Ligi Kuu Tanzania Bara inayoendelea hapa nchini na wanafuatilia kwa karibu kufahamu hatua zinazochukuliwa na serikali na hatma ya kuendelea kutumika kwake. Alisema, awali walipata taarifa kwamba waathirika waliokuwemo katika uwanja huo wameanza kuondolewa na kupelekwa viwanja vya Maonyesho ya Kimataifa vya Mwalimu Julius Nyerere. "Kila baada ya saa moja tunafuatilia kila hatua, kama serikali itaonelea kwamba uwanja ufungwe, hatutosita kutii agizo hilo," alisema Tenga. Nao mabingwa wa soka Tanzania Bara Simba pamoja na mahasimu wao wa jadi nchini Yanga nao wametoa pole kwa wahanga wa tukio hilo. Maofisa habari wa timu hizo, Clifford Ndimbo wa Simba na Louis Sendeu wa Yanga, walisema jana kwa nyakati tofauti kwamba tukio hilo limeacha simanzi kwa Watanzania wote. Ndimbo alisema, tukio hilo limegusa kila nyanja ya jamii kutokana na ukweli kwamba limepoteza maisha ya watu na kuwapa ulemavu baadhi yao. Ndimbo alisema, Simba wanatoa pole kwa tukio hilo, inawezekana kuna wanachama wake waliokumbwa na mojawapo ya matukio hayo, ambako pia inawezekana wengine si wanachama wamehusika katika tukio hilo. Aliongeza kuwa, wao kama mabingwa watetezi wa Ligi Kuu Tanzania Bara watajipanga kwa ajili ya kutoa msaada baada ya Kamati ya Utendaji kuketi na kuamua kwa pamoja. Kwa upande wake, Sendeu alisema wamelipokea tukio hilo kwa masikitiko makubwa, kwa sababu wao ni mojawapo ya sehemu katika jamii. "Sisi wote ni Watanzania, hivyo kwa namna moja ama nyingine tumeguswa na tukio hili, hata kama hakukuwa na mchezaji ama mwanachama aliyedhurika, lakini walioathirika ni Watanzania wenzetu," alisema Sendeu.
MMOJA wa wanachana waandamizi wa klabu ya Yanga, Godson Karigo, amesema sababu kubwa ya mfadhili wa klabu hiyo Yusuf Manji kufanya atakavyo hata kuwa juu ya viongozi ni kutokana na kutokuwa na mkataba wa kisheria. Karigo aliyewahi kushika nafasi mbalimbali katika klabu hiyo chini ya mfumo wa kampuni kama meneja wa timu na mkurugenzi wa ufundi, alisema hayo jana katika kipindi cha ‘Halo Tanzania' ambacho hurushwa kila Ijumaa asubuhi na Radio Uhuru. Akiwa ameambatana na mwanachama mwingine aliyejitambulisha kwa jina la Said Bakari, Karigo alisema, kama ufadhili wa Manji ungekuwa katika mkataba wa maandishi, matatizo yanayotokea sasa, yasingekuwepo, kwani ungekuwa mwongozo kwake. "Tatizo kubwa ambalo naliona kwa Manji ni kutokuwepo kwa mkataba wa kuanisha Manji anatoa nini kwa mwaka pamoja na kuainisha mipaka yake, hivyo kamwe asingekuwa anavuka mipaka kwa mfano kuingilia hadi utendaji wa viongozi. Karigo aliyewahi kumleta Yanga Kocha Mmalawi, Jack Chamangwana, ambaye kwa sasa ni Mkurugezi wa Ufundi wa timu ya taifa ya nchi hiyo, alisema kutokuwepo kwa mkataba, Manji anashindwa kuitambua mipaka yake. Alisema, kitendo cha Manji kutokuwa na mkataba, ndio maana amekuwa akifanya maamuzi pasipo ridhaa ya Kamati ya Utendaji, kwa mfano uteuzi wa Abbas Mtemvu kuwa Mjumbe wa Bodi ya Udhamini kwa kigezo cha mbunge kutoka Dar es Salaam. Karigo alisema, siku ya Uchaguzi Mkuu wa Julai 18, Manji alilazimisha mgombea wa nafasi ya uenyekiti ambaye angeshinda, amteue Francis Kifukwe kwenye Bodi ya Udhamini, vinginevyo angejitoa. Alisema, Manji hakuishia hapo, kwa kutumia nafasi yake ya ufadhili na ujumbe wa Bodi ya Udhamini kupitia kwa mwenyekiti wa klabu hiyo, Lloyd Nchunga, akamteua Kifukwe kufufua kampuni pasipo Kamati ya Utendaji kujua. Karigo alisema, hana tatizo na Kifukwe kwa sababu anafahamu ni Yanga mzuri na amekuwa karibu naye, lakini staili iliyotumika kumteua ni batili na yenye kuleta msigano ndani ya Kamati ya Utendaji. Alidokeza pia, kutokuwepo kwa mkataba, itakuwa ngumu kujua Yanga inavuna nini kwa mwaka kutoka kwenye ufadhili huo, hivyo hata ukaguzi wa hesabu ambao unapigiwa kelele ungeweza kuwa na maana kubwa. Karigo alisema, hapingi kufanyika kwa ukaguzi wa hesabu, kwani suala hilo lipo hata kwenye katiba, lakini kila kitu kinapaswa kufanyika kwa mujibu wa taratibu na kuhoji fedha ambazo Manji amekuwa akizitoa bila mkataba, zitakaguliwa vipi? Alisema, kuna habari kuwa tangu atue Yanga Juni 2006, Manji ametumia zaidi ya sh bilioni 9, lakini hakuna kitu cha maana kilichofanyika, ukiondoa ukarabati wa jengo na kusisitiza kuwa hizo ni kati ya athari za kutoa fedha bila utaratibu wa kueleweka kwa mujibu wa mkataba. Karigo akiungwa mkono na Bakar, alisema hana chuki na Manji kama wengine wanavyofikiria, isipokuwa ni vema mfadhili huyo akawa na mkataba ambao ungeainisha majukumu na mipaka yake ili kuepuka mwingiliano. Kuhusu juhudi za baadhi ya wanachama kutaka yeye na wengine wachukuliwe hatua kwa kutoa maoni yao, alisema hicho ni kitu kisichowezekana kwa sababu wanafanya hivyo si kwa maslahi yao bali kwa uhai wa Yanga. Maoni ya Karigo na wengine ambao kwa siku za hivi karibuni yamekuwa yakimkosoa mfadhili huyo, yamekuja huku kukiwa na habari kuwa Manji amejiweka kando na kwamba kuna juhudi za kutaka kumrejesha na wengine wakipinga.
MKUTANO mkuu wa Chama cha Soka Mkoa wa Pwani (COREFA), unatarajiwa kufanyika leo kwenye ukumbi wa ofisi ya mkuu wa mkoa wa Pwani. Ajenda kuu ya mkutano huo kwa mujibu wa Katibu Mkuu wa COREFA, Riziki Majala, ni kujadili mambo mbalimbali na kuweka mikakati ya kukuza soka ndani ya mkoa wa Pwani. Majala alisema, maandalizi yote kwa ajili ya mkutano huo yanakwenda vizuri na mipango yote ipo sawa. Alisema, mkutanao huo utawajumuisha viongozi wa vyama vya soka kutoka wilaya zote za mkoa huo na tayari washiriki kutoka Mafia, Mkuranga, Rufiji, Kisarawe na Bagamoyo wameishaanza kuwasili kwa ajili ya mkutano huo. Katika hatua nyingine, Majala ametoa ufafanuzi juu ya uchaguzi mdogo wa kujaza nafasi ya mweka hazina msaidizi wa COREFA kuwa hautakuwepo, kwani hadi sasa hakuna mdau yeyote aliyejitokeza kuchukua fomu ya kuwania nafasi hiyo.
WAKATI mkutano mkuu wa Chama cha Soka Mkoa wa Iringa (IRFA), unafanyika leo katika ukumbi wa Lutheran mjini Njombe wadau wawili wamejitosa kugombea nafasi mbili za ujumbe wa Kamati ya Utendaji zilizoachwa wazi na Danford Mwakasala aliyejiuzulu na Fatuma Kihombo aliyefariki. Katibu Mkuu wa IRFA, Eliud Mvella ‘Wamahanji' alimweleza mwandishi wa habari hizi jijini Dar es Salaam jana kuwa, mkutano huo unatarajiwa kufanyika mapema leo asubuhi mjini Njombe na ajenda tatu zitajadiliwa. Alizitaja ajenda hizo kuwa ni kupokea taarifa ya utekelezaji wa vyama vyote wanachama pamoja na vyama shiriki, taarifa ya utekelezaji ya IRFA na uchaguzi kwa ajili ya kuziba nafasi mbili za kamati ya utendaji. Alisema kuwa, katika mkutano huo majina ya Edna Kajiba na Hashimu Mwalongo yatapigiwa kura ya ndio na hapana ili kuidhinishwa kuziba pengo la Mwakasala aliyejiuzulu nafasi hiyo mapema mwaka jana na ile ya Kihombo ambaye alifariki dunia zaidi ya miezi miwili iliyopita. Hata hivyo alisema kuwa katika mkutano huo wanaotakiwa kushiriki ni wawakilishi wanne kutoka kila chama, akiwemo Mwenyekiti, Katibu, Mjumbe wa Mkutano Mkuu na Mwakilishi wa klabu ngazi ya wilaya. Wamahanji alivitaja vyama 11 vinavyopaswa kushiriki mkutano huo kuwa ni Iringa Manispaa, Iringa Vijijini, Kilolo, Mufindi, Njombe, Makete na Ludewa, FRAT Mkoa, TAFCA Mkoa, Wanawake (IRWFA) na SPUTANZA mkoa.
KLABU ya Geba Cycling & Youth Training Center ya jijini Dar es Salaam, imewaomba wadau wa michezo kujitokeza kuisaidia vifaa vya mazoezi, zikiwemo baiskeli za watoto. Klabu hiyo ambayo imeamua kuwanoa vijana chini ya miaka 17 katika mchezo wa baiskeli, imejikuta ikikabiliwa na upungufu mkubwa wa vifaa baada ya vijana wengi kujitokeza. Akizungumza na mwandishi wa habari hizi jijini jana, mwenyekiti wa klabu hiyo, Said Kengele, alisema kuwa wanahitaji walau baiskeli 20 kwa kuanzia. Alisema, kutokana na wananchi wengi kuwa wagumu kusaidia michezo, hususan hiyo inayowahusu vijana, anadhani ni vema serikali ikajitosa kufanya hivyo. "Klabu ya Geba inapenda kuwashukuru watoto na wazazi, kwani tuna vijana wengi waliojitokeza kujifunza mchezo wa mbio za baiskeli, lakini tunakabiliwa na uhaba wa vifaa, tunaomba serikali itusaidie," alisema Kengele. Alisema, klabu hiyo bado haina vyanzo vya mapato, hivyo kwa sasa ingali inategemea misaada kutoka kwa wadau wa mcheazo huo na mingine kwa ujumla.
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Ayumba Ayodi | Nation Strathmore University's Allan Iningu (left) wards off Ahmed Hammoud (18) and his team mates yesterday during their match for the bronze at the Africa Cup Club championship that ended on Saturday at the National Hockey Stadium, Accra. 
Was cancellation of Harambee Starlets' match against Sudan the only option left for FKL?
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