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Michezo magazetini leo...

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Fabiani Joseph, Mary Naali wang'ara Ngorongoro

Imeandikwa na Na John Mhala, Karatu; Tarehe: 11th April 2011 @ 13:10 Imesomwa na watu: 63; Jumla ya maoni: 0

MWANARIADHA Fabiani Joseph (24) wa klabu ya riadha ya mjni Arusha ya (WSAC) juzi alijinyakulia zawadi ya Sh 500,000 baada ya kushika nafasi ya kwanza katika mbio za Nusu
Marathon zijulikanazo kwa jina la ‘Ngorongoro Run zilizofanyika katika mji wa Karatu mkoani Arusha.

Joseph alishinda mbio hizo baada ya kutumia muda wa saa 1: 04.36 na nafasi ya pili ilinyakuliwa na mwanariadha Samsoni Ramadhani wa Jeshi la Wananchi Tanzania (JWTZ) ambaye alitumia muda wa saa 1;05;31 na kujinyakulia zawadi ya shilingi 300,000.

Ramadhani mwaka 2010 alishika nafasi ya kwanza katika mbio hizo. Nafasi ya tatu ilinyakuliwa na Faustine Mussa wa JWTZ ambaye alitumia muda wa saa 1: 05.58 na kujinyakulia zawadi ya Sh 150,000.

Kwa upande wa wanawake nafasi ya kwanza ilinyakuliwa na Mary Naali wa klabu ya Skytel ya
mjini Arusha aliyetumia muda wa saa 1:16;37 na kujinyakulia zawadi ya Sh 300,000.

Nafasi ya pili ilinyakuliwa na Siata Ramanus wa JWTZ ambaye alitumia muda wa saa 1;29;06 na kupewa Sh 150,000 na nafasi ya tatu ilinyakuliwa na Anastazia Msandawe aliyetumia muda wa saa 1:20;12 na kupata zawadi ya Sh 100,000.

Kwa upande wa watoto walioshiriki mbio za kilometa tano, nafasi ya kwanza alikuwa Edsward
Leopard ambaye alipata Sh 50,000 nafasi ya pili ilinyakuliwa na Emanuel Gabriel aliyepata Sh 20,000 na nafasi ya tatu ilishikwa na Yohani Elisante aliyepata Sh 10,000.

Mratibu wa mashindano hayo mwanariadha wa zamani, Filbert Bayi aliwashukuru wadhamini wa mbio hizo kwa kushiriki kikamilifu kufanikisha mbio hizo mwaka huu.

Akizungumza mara baada ya kukabidhi zawadi, mgeni rasmi katika mbio hizo Waziri wa Maliasili na Utalii, Ezekiel Maige aliwataka waratibu wa mbio hizo kuiboresha zaidi zawadi ili mbio ziwe za ushindani zaidi.

Mbali ya hilo pia Waziri Maige alilitaka Shirika la Hifadhi za Taifa (Tanapa) na Mamlaka ya Hifadhi ya Ngorongoro kujitokeza mwakani kudhamini mashindano hayo na kuboresha zawadi zaidi kwa washindi.

Waziri huyo aliwasifu waratibu wa mbio hizo kwa kuwa na kauli mbiu ya kupiga vita malaria kwani ugonjwa huo unaua mamia ya watu kwa sasa.
 
Stan Kroenke could use Arsenal cash to fund takeover

• American has not used club's assets as security
• Alisher Usmanov fails to stop bid going through




  • Stan-Kroenke-Arsenal-007.jpg
    Stan Kroenke's bid for control of Arsenal appears to be moving towards success after rival bids have failed. Photograph: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

    Stan Kroenke launched his bid for full control of Arsenal in a deal valuing them at £731m but there is nothing in the agreement to prevent him using the club's own cash to pay for it.
    Kroenke, the US billionaire sports investor whose properties make him the principal landlord to the Wal-Mart chain of supermarkets, launched a formal offer of £500m for the 70% of Arsenal shares he did not already own.
    His acquisition of a further 32.89% of the club has effectively been confirmed and an open offer is out for the remainder. Alisher Usmanov, the Russian billionaire who has a 27% stake, made a last-ditch approach to Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith for her shares on Sunday night after news of Kroenke's bid broke. However, Bracewell-Smith rejected the offer – understood to be worth £1,250 a share more than Kroenke's – because she had given her irrevocable agreement to sell her 15.9% stake in Arsenal to Kroenke.
    Kroenke has not used the club's assets as security to raise the money for his purchase, unlike Malcolm Glazer's 2005 buyout of Manchester United. But there is nothing in a long list of undertakings to prevent Arsenal's new owner using multimillion-pound annual dividends from the club to service any debts he may have secured against other assets in his investment portfolio.
    Kroenke's offer announcement states: "The offer will not be funded by way of any debt finance … for which the payment of interest on, repayment of or security for any liability [contingent or otherwise] will depend on the business of Arsenal." Arsenal's own statement underscored it by saying: "Kroenke Sports Enterprises [KSE] has also stated that the offer will not be funded by debt finance secured against the Club."
    However, in addition to the possibility of using dividends, Kroenke will have access to Arsenal's unrestricted cash reserve, which is approaching £100m. Another £40m cannot be touched due to restrictions under Arsenal's banking agreements.
    The Guardian asked Kroenke's adviser how Kroenke had financed the acquisition and if it had involved any form of borrowing against his other assets. Kroenke declined to respond. When asked whether the director-shareholders had applied a restrictive covenant preventing dividends being drawn from the club, Arsenal responded that since it was not detailed in the offer document no such covenant exists. That opens the door to the possibility that, in a less direct way than Glazer, he may in future use the club's funds to service leverage he has taken on to fund the buyout. One Kroenke associate sounded a supportive note for the American, saying he had not used debt to finance acquisitions in the past. "Kroenke is not a Glazer," said the source.
    He went on to explain that previously Kroenke has not taken advantage of the US's favourable tax structures that allow the interest in debt-financed acquisitions to be written off against taxable profits.
    That should encourage Arsenal fans that their season-ticket payments – which are set to rise by 6.5% next season – will not be drained by owner dividends, but it is by no means a copper-bottom guarantee.
    The first to accept Kroenke's offer, with "irrevocable undertakings" to sell their stakes, were the 16.1% shareholder Danny Fiszman, and Bracewell-Smith. The club's nonexecutive directors also consented to sell their combined 0.89% holding and recommended Kroenke's £11,750-a-share offer, giving him 62.89% of the club's equity.
    Usmanov has yet to decide whether to sell his stake. With an estimated total wealth of $18bn (£11bn) he has no pressing need to sell his shares, but his consideration may hang on the fact that yesterday's offer price is almost certain to be Kroenke's investment ceiling. Future opportunities to cash out are likely to be less lucrative. However, one Usmanov ally said yesterday: "Clearly there is still an option to stay in."
    One thing is clearer: that Arsène Wenger can rely on Kroenke's staunch support. Kroenke's first words as the new Arsenal owner on Monday were to describe the three-time Premier League title winner as a "wonderful manager".
    Arsenal's faltering title challenge has caused Wenger to come under fire from some sections of the Arsenal support in recent weeks but it looks highly unlikely that he would be displaced as manager before his contract expires in 2013. "Arsenal is a fantastic club with a special history and tradition and a wonderful manager in Arsène Wenger," said Kroenke. "We intend to build on this rich heritage and take the club to new success."
    Kroenke's offer document, through which he made a full takeover bid for the club through its parent company, Arsenal Holdings, reinforced his support for Wenger. It stated his "current intention" for "existing employment rights of the executive management team and the employees of Arsenal [to] be fully safeguarded". The existing directors, despite divesting of their shares today, will remain on the board, with Peter Hill-Wood continuing as chairman.Ivan Gazidis, Arsenal's respected chief executive, said: "It's the end of an era but it's also the beginning of an era. I don't think we will see dramatic changes. At the same, I do think that Kroenke brings experience in the sports arena. He's got tremendous experience in the United States and also experience now over here in England."

 
Will Stan Kroenke burden Arsenal like Malcolm Glazer has United?

As with Malcolm Glazer's acquisition of Manchester United, only time will tell whether Stan Kroenke's takeover is good for Arsenal


Emirates-Stadium-006.jpg
Stan Kroenke's takeover of Arsenal has so far not been met with hostility from the club's fans. Photograph: Paul Gilham/Getty Images

When Malcolm Glazer began buying large lumps of Manchester United shares ahead of his hostile takeover of the Old Trafford club, he was warned of an "army of red ants": fans ready to confront and frustrate him at every turn. As another American, Stan Kroenke, is confirmed as Arsenal's new owner, not one Gooner has cracked open a pot of paint or donned a balaclava.
There are many reasons for the relative complaisance of fans who chant "red army" as they ascend the steps to the Emirates Stadium. Principally, it is that familiarity has bred contentment.
Kroenke first opened talks with shareholders about investment in Arsenal in 2005 and, after a troubled early courtship (remember Peter Hill-Wood's "we don't want his sort" bluster), the US billionaire is now a director whose full takeover offer is being recommended by the board.
Arsenal fans place much faith in their club's directors, and with good reason. Families like the Hill-Woods, the Carrs and the Bracewell-Smiths have pre-war associations with Arsenal, and Gooners value the "custodianship" their involvement has carried. Indeed, despite their dynastic nature, the club's owners have not halted progress: the transition from the delightful but dated Highbury to a £450m cash cow at the Emirates Stadium (while remaining in the borough that has been their home for the thick end of a century) has been exceptionally well managed.
And as a director Kroenke has steered a steady-as-she-goes course for Arsenal alongside Danny Fiszman, a man who commands enormous respect among Arsenal fans. Tragically it is Fiszman's ill health that has dictated the timing of Kroenke's takeover. With sons who have scant interest in their father's football club, Fiszman was unable to create a dynasty of his own. So he has sought to manage an orderly succession to a man he views as capable of continuing his own legacy of careful husbandry.
Whether Fiszman's hunch is right, only time will tell. The true impact of Glazer's 2005 takeover of Manchester United – up to £90m a year in interest and capital repayments on loans taken out to finance his acquisition of the club – could not be known until after the event.
As the landlord of most Wal-Mart stores in the US, Kroenke is a very rich man indeed, but his wealth appears tied up in assets. His Arsenal takeover, valuing the club at £731m, means he will have to stump up £500m in cash if all the major shareholders take him up on his offer (and there is every reason to believe they will). No one can yet tell, however, if Kroneke, whose business affairs are enshrouded in the corporate darkness of Delaware, has that kind of money sitting in a bank account.
In Arsenal's board statement recommending that shareholders take up Kroenke's £11,750-a-share offer, it stressed the following: "Kroenke Sports Enterprises [the purchasing vehicle] has stated that the offer will not be funded by debt finance secured against the club." Fine. But that could be a little misleading: it doesn't matter where any debt finance might be secured, once he owns Arsenal outright there will be nothing to stop Kroenke taking £25m a year and more in dividends to pay for KSE's leveraged buyout. That might very well rouse the red army, for Arsenal cannot afford that kind of burden.
Kroenke has taken over a business that turned over £380m last year. But that staggering number, a record for any English football-club parent company, conceals an underlying football business that is relatively anaemic. The £157m of property profits deriving from flat sales at the redeveloped Highbury will not recur.
Football revenues last season were only 7% higher than they were in 2007-8. And with football revenues pretty flat, costs are rising: the wage bill is believed now to have climbed to around 54% of football turnover. Only when Arsenal's paltry £5.5m-a-year shirt sponsorship with Emirates – cheaply forward sold to raise cash for the stadium construction – ends in May 2014 will Arsenal's football business approach the level of Manchester United's.
With money tight, Kroenke may choose to buy his club out of that below-market deal and look for new sponsors. That is his prerogative, since soon he will be the only man who matters in Arsenal's oak-pannelled boardroom.
That fact has its advantages: more streamlined decision-making, unity of purpose etc. But it also has its disadvantages, and – his long-standing ownership of the Colorado Rapids notwithstanding – Kroenke could not engage in an in-depth conversation about the merits of 4-4-2 with, say, Roman Abramovich.
So as Arsenal fans consider whether Kroenke's takeover is entirely positive for their 125-year-old club, it is worth recalling some other of Hill-Wood's words. "If you have a benefactor and he gets run over by a bus you are gone," he said. "We have got to have 50,000 people run over by a bus before we have a problem." Not any more.
 
Stan Kroenke: The silent type with a forensic attention to detail

Arsenal's new majority shareholder is well regarded in American sports business circles for his long-term investment decisions



  • Stan-Kroenke-007.jpg
    Over the past two decades, Stan Kroenke has assembled a portfolio of US sports franchises and related businesses Photograph: Scott Rovak/EPA

    Both are media-shy US moguls who have made serious money from shopping malls and covet the global potential of the Premier League's biggest brands. But Arsenal's prospective new owner – "Silent" Stan Kroenke – will insist that it is there any similarities with Malcolm Glazer end. So far, Arsenal fans believe him.
    The Missouri-born billionaire is married to Ann Walton, the daughter of one of the founders of US retail company Wal-Mart. After they met on a Colorado ski trip in 1971, his future father-in-law and uncle – Bud and Sam Walton – would invite him along on birdwatching trips during which they would also scout out sites for future stores. Observing their business methods as closely as the ornithology, Kroenke went into the real estate business and made a fortune estimated at $2.6bn. His heiress wife, who describes herself as a housewife, is thought to be worth $3.4bn.
    Although famously initially denounced by Arsenal's Peter Hill-Wood, his has been an altogether different introduction to English football to the bitter takeover of the Glazers. He has won the trust of suspicious fans and fellow shareholders who see themselves as custodians of the "Arsenal way" - but have also walked away with huge profits.
    Yesterday, the 63-year-old Kroenke vowed not to leverage the club's cashflow in order to fund his purchase and retain fan involvement. But Glazer at Manchester United, and the now hated Tom Hicks and George Gillett at Liverpool, once made similar promises.
    Kroenke dislikes the moniker used to described his aversion to talking to the media and those who have met him, including members of the Arsenal Supporters' Trust, say he is "not so silent Stan" in meetings. Dignified, genuine and understated with a forensic attention to detail are all terms used to describe his business methods.
    Over the past two decades, Kroenke has strategically assembled a portfolio of US sports franchises and related businesses, and set about trying to make them work together in a coherent way. In Colorado he owns the Mammoth (lacrosse), the Rapids (Major League Soccer) and the Avalanche (National Hockey League). In the major leagues, there is NBA team Denver Nuggets and the NFL side St Louis Rams. He controversially relocated the Rams from Los Angeles after buying a 40% stake in 1995 but took them to a Super Bowl five years later.
    It is little wonder he cites lack of time as his excuse for failing to talk to the media. Earlier bruising experiences at the hands of the press during an abortive first attempt to buy an NFL franchise in 1993 may also have played a part.
    Arsenal have successfully executed the high-wire act of moving from Highbury to the Emirates but must now face the challenge of catching up commercially with Manchester United while handling fan frustration over a recent lack of silverware. His experience of using sport to power the growth of a wider network of companies could be invaluable. In the US he also owns media networks and ticketing businesses related to his teams.
    Like Liverpool's John W Henry, Kroenke is well regarded in American sports business circles for his long-term investment decisions. His fellow NFL franchise owners in effect amended their rules for his benefit, allowing him to take full control of the St Louis Rams. He agreed to hand over control of the Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Rapids to his son Josh and relinquish his majority shareholding in both by 2014. In another parallel with the Glazers, Kroenke appears to want to create a family sporting dynasty. The league's rules forbid owners from also having a majority stake in major league teams in other NFL cities. It must have been a tough call, given that basketball is his true sporting love.
    From fans, the overwhelming emotion appears to be healthy respect rather than devotion. His teams have regularly competed near the top of their respective sports without necessarily dominating and he has been at once hands-off in team matters and intimately involved with the financial detail.
    Kroenke is no stranger to big egos and large pay packets, but it is true to say that American sporting franchises are generally easier to account for than the English Premier League teams because there is more certainty. The hope of the likes of Henry's Fenway Sports Group and Kroenke Sports Enterprises is that Uefa's new financial fair play rules will make Premier League football a little less of a gamble. His predecessors as US owners – the Glazers at United, Hicks and Gillett followed by Henry at Liverpool, Randy Lerner at Aston Villa – all offer salutary lessons of one sort or another.

 
Yanga bingwa 2010/11

Imeandikwa na Na Waandishi Wetu; Tarehe: 11th April 2011 @ 13:00 Imesomwa na watu: 441; Jumla ya maoni: 1


04_11_pcjhsh.jpg

Mabingwa wapya wa Tanzania Bara mwaka 2010/11 timu ya Yanga ya Dar es Salaam.





YANGA ndiyo gangwe la soka Tanzania kwa mwaka 2010/2011.

Hatua hiyo inatokana na ushindi wa mabao 3-0 iliyoupata Jumapili kwenye Uwanja wa CCM Kirumba, Mwanza dhidi ya Toto African ya mjini humo, hivyo kufikisha pointi 49 licha ya
Simba nayo jana kuifunga Majimaji ya Songea mabao 4-1 kwenye Uwanja wa Taifa, Dar es
Salaam.

Simba kama ilivyo Yanga nayo imefikisha pointi 49, lakini Yanga ina uwiano mzuri wa mabao ya kufunga na kufungwa, ambapo Yanga ina faida ya mabao 25, wakati Simba yenyewe ina faida ya mabao 24.

"Jamani Simba wenu huyo, jamani Simba wenu atatung'ata huyo, aah Simba mwenyewe kumbe koko… Simba kumbe ngedere, Simba kumbe ngedere," ndivyo mashabiki wa Yanga
walivyokuwa wakiimba jana baada ya kumalizika kwa mchezo wa Dar es Salaam na ule wa
Mwanza.

Ilikuwa raha kwa mashabiki wa Yanga, lakini ilikuwa karaha kubwa kwa mashabiki wa Simba waliokuwa na imani kwamba timu yao ingeibuka na ushindi katika mchezo huo. Yanga sasa itacheza michuano ya klabu bingwa Afrika mwakani, huku Simba ikicheza Kombe la Shirikisho.

Katika mchezo wa Dar es Salaam, Simba ilienda mapumziko ikiwa mbele kwa mabao mawili, ambapo moja lilifungwa na Shija Mkina dakika ya 11 na Emmanuel Okwi dakika ya 24, wakati la Majimaji lilifungwa kwa penalti dakika ya 42 na Kassim Kilungo.

Penalti hiyo ilitolewa na mwamuzi Alex Mahagi wa Mwanza, baada ya beki Meshack Abel
kumkwatua Mohammed Kijuso aliyekuwa anaelekea langoni. Kipindi cha pili Simba ilicheza kwa nguvu zaidi, lakini umaliziaji ulikuwa mbovu, ambapo ilipata bao la tatu dakika ya 68 mfungaji akiwa Mbwana Samatta, huku lile la nne likifungwa dakika za majeruhi.

Wakati mashabiki wakiamini matokeo hayo yangemalizika hivyo, Jerry Santo aliangushwa
ndani ya eneo la penalti, huku zile dakika za nyongeza zikiwa tayari zimeoneshwa, lakini shuti
la Okwi liligonga nguzo na kurudi uwanjani, hivyo kuwafanya mashabiki wa Simba kuduwaa na kuona kombe walilokuwa wakilishikilia likiwaponyoka.

Wachezaji wawili wa Majimaji, Paul Ngalema na Kulwa Mobi walioneshwa kadi nyekundu jana kwa nyakati tofauti kutokana na mchezo mbaya. Wote walikuwa na kadi za njano, hivyo walioneshwa njano ya pili na kutolewa nje. Katika mchezo wa Yanga na Toto African, mabingwa hao wapya walianza kushangilia bao dakika ya 47 mfungaji akiwa Nurdin Bakari kwa shuti la mbali.

Dakika ya 67 Mzambia Davies Mwape alifunga bao la pili kutokana na krosi ya Shadrack
Nsajigwa, wakati goli la tatu lilifungwa dakika ya 60 na Nurdin Bakari kutokana na krosi ya
Nsajigwa. Matokeo hayo yaliamsha shangwe kwa mashabiki wa timu, hasa baada ya kupata taarifa kuwa Simba ilikuwa imeshinda mabao 4-1, hivyo ilikuwa bado nyuma kwa uwiano wa mabao ya kufunga.

Uwanja wa Jamhuri Morogoro, Azam iliifunga Ruvu Shooting mabao 2-1, ambapo mabao ya
washindi yalifungwa na John Bocco na Mrisho Ngasa. Kutokana na bao hilo Ngasa amefikisha mabao 16 na kuibuka mfungaji bora wa ligi hiyo.

Mchezo mwingine ulifanyika Uwanja wa Mkwakwani, Tanga, ambapo Polisi Dodoma na JKT
Ruvu zilifungana bao 1-1. Bao la Polisi lilifungwa na Bantu Admin, wakati la JKT lilifungwa na Mwinyi Kazimoto. AFC Arusha na Majimaji zimeshuka daraja.



Jumla Maoni (1) Maoni habari leo mko juu sana kutoa habari za kueleweka jitahidini tena kwani ushindani ni mkubwa tupo pamoja daima kulijenga taifa letu la TANZANIA Thank you
 
What might Arsenal's future hold under Stan Kroenke?

The American billionaire brings money and experience to the club – what can be expected from his reign?



  • Stan-Kroenke-Arsenal-007.jpg
    A new era begins for Arsenal and the Emirates with control of the club being assumed by American billionaire Stan Kroenke. Photograph: Kerim Okten/EPA

    Q What does this mean for fans?
    A In the short term, not much. Arsenal fans already pay among the highest prices in the country for tickets and corporate hospitality in a stadium that yields match-day revenue of £3.5m per game. While further increases cannot be ruled out, Kroenke's move will have no direct effect and the club have signalled they are mindful that they cannot go on raising prices indefinitely. Nor will Kroenke sanction huge increases in spending on players or wages, particularly given the increasing pressure on wages, explicitly stating that he wants to continue to run the club on the current "break even" model.
    Q What does this mean for Wenger?
    A The chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, has repeatedly reiterated his admiration for Wenger's methods but another trophy-less season would increase the pressure on them both. Yet for Kroenke, Wenger's careful husbandry of his financial and playing assets may well have been one of the factors that attracted him to invest in the first place. He was careful to ensure that Wenger's seal of approval was included on the stock market statement that announced his takeover intentions.
    Q What does it mean for Ivan Gazidis and the executive team?
    A Gazidis has long privately hinted that he believed a takeover bid from Kroenke would be the endgame of the struggle for power at Arsenal. The two men are close. Gazidis spent most of his career in the US and there is much mutual admiration. The Arsenal chief executive, who recently expensively restructured the club's executive team, is likely to emerge in an even stronger position. He has repeatedly claimed the financial fairplay era will bring reward for Arsenal's prudent growth model and Kroenke is gambling on him being right.
    Q What are the most pressing priorities for Arsenal?
    A Aside from the obvious – ending the wait for silverware on the pitch – commercial growth is the No1 priority. The successful relocation phase to the Emirates is over, and with it the one-off boost from property income. Commercial deals with Emirates and Nike are due for renewal in 2014. Both were agreed on a long-term basis at rates well below those since achieved by Arsenal's top-four rivals due to the need to frontload income to finance the move. As a result, Arsenal lag well behind Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. Kroenke must decide whether to end those deals early, while also driving global expansion and the further utilisation of the Emirates as a multi-event sports and entertainment venue.
    Q Will Kroenke become more visible?
    A Those advising the American accept he will have to put his head above the parapet to explain himself to fans but say he is not about to be photographed waving a scarf above his head any time soon. Despite the solid foundations at the Emirates, it is performances on the pitch that will ultimately decide the success of his bold move – he is still likely to spend most of his time in the US and will trust Gazidis and Wenger to remain the frontmen.

 
What might Arsenal's future hold under Stan Kroenke?

The American billionaire brings money and experience to the club – what can be expected from his reign?


  • Stan-Kroenke-Arsenal-007.jpg
    A new era begins for Arsenal and the Emirates with control of the club being assumed by American billionaire Stan Kroenke. Photograph: Kerim Okten/EPA

    Q What does this mean for fans?
    A In the short term, not much. Arsenal fans already pay among the highest prices in the country for tickets and corporate hospitality in a stadium that yields match-day revenue of £3.5m per game. While further increases cannot be ruled out, Kroenke's move will have no direct effect and the club have signalled they are mindful that they cannot go on raising prices indefinitely. Nor will Kroenke sanction huge increases in spending on players or wages, particularly given the increasing pressure on wages, explicitly stating that he wants to continue to run the club on the current "break even" model.
    Q What does this mean for Wenger?
    A The chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, has repeatedly reiterated his admiration for Wenger's methods but another trophy-less season would increase the pressure on them both. Yet for Kroenke, Wenger's careful husbandry of his financial and playing assets may well have been one of the factors that attracted him to invest in the first place. He was careful to ensure that Wenger's seal of approval was included on the stock market statement that announced his takeover intentions.
    Q What does it mean for Ivan Gazidis and the executive team?
    A Gazidis has long privately hinted that he believed a takeover bid from Kroenke would be the endgame of the struggle for power at Arsenal. The two men are close. Gazidis spent most of his career in the US and there is much mutual admiration. The Arsenal chief executive, who recently expensively restructured the club's executive team, is likely to emerge in an even stronger position. He has repeatedly claimed the financial fairplay era will bring reward for Arsenal's prudent growth model and Kroenke is gambling on him being right.
    Q What are the most pressing priorities for Arsenal?
    A Aside from the obvious – ending the wait for silverware on the pitch – commercial growth is the No1 priority. The successful relocation phase to the Emirates is over, and with it the one-off boost from property income. Commercial deals with Emirates and Nike are due for renewal in 2014. Both were agreed on a long-term basis at rates well below those since achieved by Arsenal's top-four rivals due to the need to frontload income to finance the move. As a result, Arsenal lag well behind Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. Kroenke must decide whether to end those deals early, while also driving global expansion and the further utilisation of the Emirates as a multi-event sports and entertainment venue.
    Q Will Kroenke become more visible?
    A Those advising the American accept he will have to put his head above the parapet to explain himself to fans but say he is not about to be photographed waving a scarf above his head any time soon. Despite the solid foundations at the Emirates, it is performances on the pitch that will ultimately decide the success of his bold move – he is still likely to spend most of his time in the US and will trust Gazidis and Wenger to remain the frontmen.

 
Arsenal can still pip Manchester United to title, says Jack Wilshere

• Midfielder buoyed by team's 3-1 victory over Blackpool
• 'United will drop points – we just have to keep battling'



  • Andy Hunter
  • guardian.co.uk, Monday 11 April 2011 22.29 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Jack-Wilshere-controls-th-007.jpg
    Jack Wilshere controls the ball under pressure from Charlie Adam during Arsenal's 3-1 win over Blackpool. Photograph: Anna Gowthorpe/PA

    Jack Wilshere has predicted Manchester United's Champions League exertions will take a toll on their title challenge and enhance Arsenal's prospects of winning the Premier League.
    Arsène Wenger's team are seven points behind the league leaders, with a game in hand, following Sunday's 3-1 win at Blackpool, their first victory in six matches and a miserable period in which they exited the Champions League and FA Cup, having lost the Carling Cup Final to Birmingham City. Though Wilshere shares Wenger's view that Arsenal cannot afford to drop any points in their remaining seven league games if they are to catch United, he believes the added workload facing Sir Alex Ferguson's squad will be an influential factor in the outcome of the title race.
    "We are chasing them but we have got a game in hand and United have still got to come to the Emirates," said the midfielder. "If we win those games, we are within one point of them. We are confident they will drop points &#8211; we just have to keep battling and improving and get the three points every week.
    "United rotated their team on Saturday [against Fulham] and did well, but I think playing in Europe is going to catch up with them. It's important we get our recovery now and look forward to the Liverpool game. We have got a game the following week against Tottenham, so that's two big ones coming up now. We have to train all week and prepare for those."
    Wilshere added: "We were delighted to beat Blackpool because we knew if we had lost it could have been all over. There is a lot of pressure on us now in every game. United and Chelsea will drop points. There are still three teams in this, I think. It is going to go all the way to the end and we have to keep battling every week."
    The England international also believes the title-winning experience of Jens Lehmann, who made his first appearance in almost three years for Arsenal on Sunday at the age of 41, will assist Wenger's players during the run-in. He said: "Jens is great in the dressing room. He is like an assistant manager. He was talking to us and at half-time [against Blackpool] he is giving the team-talk. He was an Invincible and we want to be like that team.
    "He's three years younger than my dad. We can learn a lot from him. He's 41 and has got a better body than me. You can learn from him around the training ground, how professional he is and what he eats. He is great to have around."

 
Arsenal can still pip Manchester United to title, says Jack Wilshere

• Midfielder buoyed by team's 3-1 victory over Blackpool
• 'United will drop points – we just have to keep battling'

Andy Hunter
  • guardian.co.uk, Monday 11 April 2011 22.29 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Jack-Wilshere-controls-th-007.jpg
    Jack Wilshere controls the ball under pressure from Charlie Adam during Arsenal's 3-1 win over Blackpool. Photograph: Anna Gowthorpe/PA

    Jack Wilshere has predicted Manchester United's Champions League exertions will take a toll on their title challenge and enhance Arsenal's prospects of winning the Premier League.
    Arsène Wenger's team are seven points behind the league leaders, with a game in hand, following Sunday's 3-1 win at Blackpool, their first victory in six matches and a miserable period in which they exited the Champions League and FA Cup, having lost the Carling Cup Final to Birmingham City. Though Wilshere shares Wenger's view that Arsenal cannot afford to drop any points in their remaining seven league games if they are to catch United, he believes the added workload facing Sir Alex Ferguson's squad will be an influential factor in the outcome of the title race.
    "We are chasing them but we have got a game in hand and United have still got to come to the Emirates," said the midfielder. "If we win those games, we are within one point of them. We are confident they will drop points – we just have to keep battling and improving and get the three points every week.
    "United rotated their team on Saturday [against Fulham] and did well, but I think playing in Europe is going to catch up with them. It's important we get our recovery now and look forward to the Liverpool game. We have got a game the following week against Tottenham, so that's two big ones coming up now. We have to train all week and prepare for those."
    Wilshere added: "We were delighted to beat Blackpool because we knew if we had lost it could have been all over. There is a lot of pressure on us now in every game. United and Chelsea will drop points. There are still three teams in this, I think. It is going to go all the way to the end and we have to keep battling every week."
    The England international also believes the title-winning experience of Jens Lehmann, who made his first appearance in almost three years for Arsenal on Sunday at the age of 41, will assist Wenger's players during the run-in. He said: "Jens is great in the dressing room. He is like an assistant manager. He was talking to us and at half-time [against Blackpool] he is giving the team-talk. He was an Invincible and we want to be like that team.
    "He's three years younger than my dad. We can learn a lot from him. He's 41 and has got a better body than me. You can learn from him around the training ground, how professional he is and what he eats. He is great to have around."
 
I'm not afraid of getting sacked, says Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti

&#8226; Italian not worried about Champions League defeat
&#8226; Ancelotti happy to remain at Stamford Bridge



  • Dominic Fifield
  • guardian.co.uk, Monday 11 April 2011 21.57 BST <li class="history">Article history
    carlo-ancelotti-007.jpg
    Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, says he is used to the pressure that accompanies a Champions League game. Photograph: Jon Super/AP

    Carlo Ancelotti says he is "not afraid" of the consequences should Chelsea be knocked out of the Champions League at Manchester United tomorrow evening and reiterated his conviction that his prospects of seeing out the final year of his contract are not dependent on winning the tournament.
    Chelsea trail to Wayne Rooney's solitary goal from the first leg of the quarter-final and Ancelotti is considering how to get the best out of Fernando Torres, scoreless in 10 appearances since his £50m move in January. The Italian may revert to the 4-3-3 system with which his side won at United en route to claiming the Premier League title last season, which would most likely see Didier Drogba initially confined to the bench. He will hold his pre-match team meeting on Tuesday morning and detail his selection to his players then.
    Ancelotti has long said he is happy at Stamford Bridge and eager to remain at the club for the foreseeable future, though a trophyless season &#8211; particularly given Chelsea's mid-season toils in the defence of their domestic title &#8211; would damage his standing there. Previous managers have been given less leeway than he has enjoyed, though he remains defiant and apparently assured that he will be able to see out the final 12 months of his current deal at least.
    Asked whether he would expect to lose his job should Chelsea exit the Champions League, Ancelotti said: "I think that a lot of times I have played this kind of game in my career with this pressure. But it's not pressure. It's excitement. To be involved in this game is fantastic for my job, for my career. So I'm not afraid. I'm not worried about this. I'm happy to have a possibility to be involved in this game, to use my ability and my skill to give to the players the skills to play at their best. As for my future, that is already decided. I don't have a problem about this game."
    That was a reference to the remaining time on his deal at the club, with a defiant Ancelotti adding that he had not felt compelled to seek assurances from the owner, Roman Abramovich &#8211; who attended the first-leg defeat by United and Saturday's narrow victory over Wigan &#8211; over his future. "It's not important that I have to speak with Roman," he said. "When I have a contract, everything is OK with him."
    Little has gone right for Torres, whose personal goal drought stands at 648 minutes for Chelsea, though the Spaniard is expected to start tomorrow having played only a little over half an hour against Wigan on Saturday.
    Drogba, who played all of that win, appears most likely to give way, with the management considering reverting to a trident attack with Torres flanked by Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka. Chelsea won 2-1 at Old Trafford last term &#8211; they are the last visiting team to prevail there, albeit a little over a year ago &#8211; and a repeat result would see them through.
    Ancelotti confirmed that Torres would play some part and insisted there was no pressure on the British record transfer to break his duck in such a key contest. "He's searching for a goal, but our aim is that he plays for the squad, moves well for the team, and works for his team-mates," said the manager. "I never ask my strikers [just] to score goals. If he scores it's good for him and for Chelsea, but I'm just interested in the performance of Chelsea. We will try to do something special.
    "We know we have to win. But we also know that we have 90 minutes in which to do that. We don't have to put strong pressure [on United] from the beginning. We need to have time to play our football and to score. We have to play with balance because United, on the counterattack, after very dangerous. [Wayne] Rooney is their most dangerous player, and we have to do better against him that we did in the last game. But we won't change our shape, our mentality, our philosophy just to control Rooney. We want to play our football at the best level we can.
    "Chelsea, in the past, were disappointed to lose results in this competition, and the final on penalties [in 2008 to United], but that memory could be a good motivation for everyone. This may be a chance to replace those memories with better ones. Every one of us, Roman included, hopes that everything will be OK in this game."

 
I'm not afraid of getting sacked, says Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti

• Italian not worried about Champions League defeat
• Ancelotti happy to remain at Stamford Bridge
  • Dominic Fifield
  • guardian.co.uk, Monday 11 April 2011 21.57 BST <li class="history">Article history
    carlo-ancelotti-007.jpg
    Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, says he is used to the pressure that accompanies a Champions League game. Photograph: Jon Super/AP

    Carlo Ancelotti says he is "not afraid" of the consequences should Chelsea be knocked out of the Champions League at Manchester United tomorrow evening and reiterated his conviction that his prospects of seeing out the final year of his contract are not dependent on winning the tournament.
    Chelsea trail to Wayne Rooney's solitary goal from the first leg of the quarter-final and Ancelotti is considering how to get the best out of Fernando Torres, scoreless in 10 appearances since his £50m move in January. The Italian may revert to the 4-3-3 system with which his side won at United en route to claiming the Premier League title last season, which would most likely see Didier Drogba initially confined to the bench. He will hold his pre-match team meeting on Tuesday morning and detail his selection to his players then.
    Ancelotti has long said he is happy at Stamford Bridge and eager to remain at the club for the foreseeable future, though a trophyless season – particularly given Chelsea's mid-season toils in the defence of their domestic title – would damage his standing there. Previous managers have been given less leeway than he has enjoyed, though he remains defiant and apparently assured that he will be able to see out the final 12 months of his current deal at least.
    Asked whether he would expect to lose his job should Chelsea exit the Champions League, Ancelotti said: "I think that a lot of times I have played this kind of game in my career with this pressure. But it's not pressure. It's excitement. To be involved in this game is fantastic for my job, for my career. So I'm not afraid. I'm not worried about this. I'm happy to have a possibility to be involved in this game, to use my ability and my skill to give to the players the skills to play at their best. As for my future, that is already decided. I don't have a problem about this game."
    That was a reference to the remaining time on his deal at the club, with a defiant Ancelotti adding that he had not felt compelled to seek assurances from the owner, Roman Abramovich – who attended the first-leg defeat by United and Saturday's narrow victory over Wigan – over his future. "It's not important that I have to speak with Roman," he said. "When I have a contract, everything is OK with him."
    Little has gone right for Torres, whose personal goal drought stands at 648 minutes for Chelsea, though the Spaniard is expected to start tomorrow having played only a little over half an hour against Wigan on Saturday.
    Drogba, who played all of that win, appears most likely to give way, with the management considering reverting to a trident attack with Torres flanked by Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka. Chelsea won 2-1 at Old Trafford last term – they are the last visiting team to prevail there, albeit a little over a year ago – and a repeat result would see them through.
    Ancelotti confirmed that Torres would play some part and insisted there was no pressure on the British record transfer to break his duck in such a key contest. "He's searching for a goal, but our aim is that he plays for the squad, moves well for the team, and works for his team-mates," said the manager. "I never ask my strikers [just] to score goals. If he scores it's good for him and for Chelsea, but I'm just interested in the performance of Chelsea. We will try to do something special.
    "We know we have to win. But we also know that we have 90 minutes in which to do that. We don't have to put strong pressure [on United] from the beginning. We need to have time to play our football and to score. We have to play with balance because United, on the counterattack, after very dangerous. [Wayne] Rooney is their most dangerous player, and we have to do better against him that we did in the last game. But we won't change our shape, our mentality, our philosophy just to control Rooney. We want to play our football at the best level we can.
    "Chelsea, in the past, were disappointed to lose results in this competition, and the final on penalties [in 2008 to United], but that memory could be a good motivation for everyone. This may be a chance to replace those memories with better ones. Every one of us, Roman included, hopes that everything will be OK in this game."
 

Roman Abramovich 'obsessed' with European Cup - Sir Alex Ferguson

&#8226; 'They signed Fernando Torres to satisfy that obsession'
&#8226; Wayne Rooney 'will definitely be fresher' due to domestic ban



  • Daniel Taylor
  • guardian.co.uk, Monday 11 April 2011 18.50 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Sir-Alex-Ferguson-Manches-007.jpg
    Sir Alex Ferguson said Manchester United winning the European Cup in 1999 was 'the greatest feeling of all time' but warned that teams can be stretched if they become obsessed with winning the competition. Photograph: Tom Jenkins

    The mood was light, full of levity and humour. Sir Alex Ferguson mixed up his years at one stage and joked that age was catching up with him. He wanted to know why Rio Ferdinand, sitting to his right, did not like the grey puffa jacket the Manchester United manager wore for training and, when it became serious and the talk turned to winning European Cups, this was a man who seemed completely comfortable in his own skin.
    Ferguson has long argued that United should have lifted that 29-inch, 18lb piece of silver more frequently. He will reel off the achievements of the other serial winners &#8211; Real Madrid with nine, Milan on seven, Ajax and Bayern Munich with four each (Liverpool, on five, seldom get a name-check) &#8211; and grimace a little as he reflects on United's inability to win it more than three times.
    Yet it is still three more than Chelsea and, sitting in the Europa Suite at Old Trafford with so many photographic memories of feted European nights adorning the walls, there was none of desperation that had a near-frantic Roman Abramovich almost writhing out of his seat during the first leg of this quarter-final in London last Wednesday.
    Ferguson spoke of winning the European Cup having become "an obsession" for Chelsea and he knows from personal experience the different frustrations that are involved, the way it can overtake your life, make you feel strangely unfulfilled. "I had that obsession myself for a long time," he said. "Losing the semi-final against Borussia Dortmund [in 1997], I thought we were never going to do it."
    He remembered, with a little exaggeration, it was "devastating because we missed 15 one-on-ones that night". Then his mind turned to the semi-final against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 and, still today, his voice was laced with unmistakable sadness. "That was an absolute ..." he said, trailing off. "I still don't know how we didn't get to that final."
    By then, of course, he had already experienced what it is like to hoist the trophy he cherishes above all to the skies, courtesy of that epic night at the Camp Nou in 1999 &#8211; football, bloody hell, and all that. "The greatest feeling of all time," Ferguson reminisced. "And it took the monkey off my back."
    It is still there for Abramovich, weighing him down like a breeze block after almost eight years as Chelsea's owner. "That is certainly why they signed Fernando Torres in January," Ferguson said. "There is no question of that in my mind. Abramovich has very much nailed his colours to the mast in that respect; I've felt that for quite a while with him. But to have an obsession with winning the European Cup can stretch you a wee bit. It's a fantastic competition but, at the end of the day, it is also a very difficult competition to win. All the best teams are there. You see the form of Barcelona at the moment &#8211; it's fantastic."
    This was the point at which Ferguson asked his audience for the dates of the semi-finals. "If they are on different days I'll be glad about that," he said. "It looks like it is going to be Barcelona and Real Madrid, can you imagine what that is going to be like?"
    It didn't seem to be noticed that he was already talking as though United's involvement in the last four was circled in his diary. Ferguson is entitled to be confident. The 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge last week was a performance of control and purpose and, on their own ground, there is a sense of fearlessness to his side.
    United have dropped only two points at home in the Premier League all season. They have gone over a year without losing at Old Trafford and, as was the case in 1999, they have a virtually injury-free squad, even though Rafael da Silva will need a fitness test in the morning.
    There is also a sense at Old Trafford that Wayne Rooney's two-match ban from domestic competitions may work to United's advantage for this tie. "He will definitely be fresher after missing the game [against Fulham] on Saturday," Ferguson said. "That has given him six days' good preparation and that could make a difference."
    Then there is the added insurance a fit-again Ferdinand brings to the defence, even if Chris Smalling has deputised ably in his absence. In previous years Torres has been depicted as a player who could have Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic waking in a cold sweat; here, there were a couple of questions about the £50m striker and then the conversation moved on without so much as a backward glance.
    After two months out with injury, Ferdinand's performance against Torres and Didier Drogba last Wednesday was considered by Ferguson to be among the best of his nine years as a United player. The manager also eulogised Antonio Valencia and it speaks volumes that Nani, the team's most profitable source of penetration this season, cannot be regarded as a mandatory pick.
    The issue for Ferguson is whether to opt for conservatism with an extra man in midfield, or be bold and continue with Javier Hernández alongside Rooney in attack. United, as Ferguson said, "always have to win" so it may well be the same team that played at Stamford Bridge, Rafael's fitness permitting.
    The question for United is whether this side has authentic credentials to emulate the 1999 treble-winners. For Chelsea, it is the last chance of a trophy &#8211; a feeling, as Ferguson said, of "all or nothing". He narrowed his eyes at that point. "It's all or nothing for us as well, by the way," he said, fixing his audience with one of his impenetrable stares. "Make no mistake about that. You are all running away with sympathy for Chelsea at the moment. But we need to win, too. It doesn't make Chelsea any more desperate to win this match than Manchester United, believe me."

 

Roman Abramovich 'obsessed' with European Cup - Sir Alex Ferguson

• 'They signed Fernando Torres to satisfy that obsession'
• Wayne Rooney 'will definitely be fresher' due to domestic ban



  • Daniel Taylor
  • guardian.co.uk, Monday 11 April 2011 18.50 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Sir-Alex-Ferguson-Manches-007.jpg
    Sir Alex Ferguson said Manchester United winning the European Cup in 1999 was 'the greatest feeling of all time' but warned that teams can be stretched if they become obsessed with winning the competition. Photograph: Tom Jenkins

    The mood was light, full of levity and humour. Sir Alex Ferguson mixed up his years at one stage and joked that age was catching up with him. He wanted to know why Rio Ferdinand, sitting to his right, did not like the grey puffa jacket the Manchester United manager wore for training and, when it became serious and the talk turned to winning European Cups, this was a man who seemed completely comfortable in his own skin.
    Ferguson has long argued that United should have lifted that 29-inch, 18lb piece of silver more frequently. He will reel off the achievements of the other serial winners – Real Madrid with nine, Milan on seven, Ajax and Bayern Munich with four each (Liverpool, on five, seldom get a name-check) – and grimace a little as he reflects on United's inability to win it more than three times.
    Yet it is still three more than Chelsea and, sitting in the Europa Suite at Old Trafford with so many photographic memories of feted European nights adorning the walls, there was none of desperation that had a near-frantic Roman Abramovich almost writhing out of his seat during the first leg of this quarter-final in London last Wednesday.
    Ferguson spoke of winning the European Cup having become "an obsession" for Chelsea and he knows from personal experience the different frustrations that are involved, the way it can overtake your life, make you feel strangely unfulfilled. "I had that obsession myself for a long time," he said. "Losing the semi-final against Borussia Dortmund [in 1997], I thought we were never going to do it."
    He remembered, with a little exaggeration, it was "devastating because we missed 15 one-on-ones that night". Then his mind turned to the semi-final against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 and, still today, his voice was laced with unmistakable sadness. "That was an absolute ..." he said, trailing off. "I still don't know how we didn't get to that final."
    By then, of course, he had already experienced what it is like to hoist the trophy he cherishes above all to the skies, courtesy of that epic night at the Camp Nou in 1999 – football, bloody hell, and all that. "The greatest feeling of all time," Ferguson reminisced. "And it took the monkey off my back."
    It is still there for Abramovich, weighing him down like a breeze block after almost eight years as Chelsea's owner. "That is certainly why they signed Fernando Torres in January," Ferguson said. "There is no question of that in my mind. Abramovich has very much nailed his colours to the mast in that respect; I've felt that for quite a while with him. But to have an obsession with winning the European Cup can stretch you a wee bit. It's a fantastic competition but, at the end of the day, it is also a very difficult competition to win. All the best teams are there. You see the form of Barcelona at the moment – it's fantastic."
    This was the point at which Ferguson asked his audience for the dates of the semi-finals. "If they are on different days I'll be glad about that," he said. "It looks like it is going to be Barcelona and Real Madrid, can you imagine what that is going to be like?"
    It didn't seem to be noticed that he was already talking as though United's involvement in the last four was circled in his diary. Ferguson is entitled to be confident. The 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge last week was a performance of control and purpose and, on their own ground, there is a sense of fearlessness to his side.
    United have dropped only two points at home in the Premier League all season. They have gone over a year without losing at Old Trafford and, as was the case in 1999, they have a virtually injury-free squad, even though Rafael da Silva will need a fitness test in the morning.
    There is also a sense at Old Trafford that Wayne Rooney's two-match ban from domestic competitions may work to United's advantage for this tie. "He will definitely be fresher after missing the game [against Fulham] on Saturday," Ferguson said. "That has given him six days' good preparation and that could make a difference."
    Then there is the added insurance a fit-again Ferdinand brings to the defence, even if Chris Smalling has deputised ably in his absence. In previous years Torres has been depicted as a player who could have Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic waking in a cold sweat; here, there were a couple of questions about the £50m striker and then the conversation moved on without so much as a backward glance.
    After two months out with injury, Ferdinand's performance against Torres and Didier Drogba last Wednesday was considered by Ferguson to be among the best of his nine years as a United player. The manager also eulogised Antonio Valencia and it speaks volumes that Nani, the team's most profitable source of penetration this season, cannot be regarded as a mandatory pick.
    The issue for Ferguson is whether to opt for conservatism with an extra man in midfield, or be bold and continue with Javier Hernández alongside Rooney in attack. United, as Ferguson said, "always have to win" so it may well be the same team that played at Stamford Bridge, Rafael's fitness permitting.
    The question for United is whether this side has authentic credentials to emulate the 1999 treble-winners. For Chelsea, it is the last chance of a trophy – a feeling, as Ferguson said, of "all or nothing". He narrowed his eyes at that point. "It's all or nothing for us as well, by the way," he said, fixing his audience with one of his impenetrable stares. "Make no mistake about that. You are all running away with sympathy for Chelsea at the moment. But we need to win, too. It doesn't make Chelsea any more desperate to win this match than Manchester United, believe me."
 
Simba surati msambaratiko

 Monday, 11 April 2011 21:35

ragee.jpg
Mwenyekiti wa Simba, Ismail Aden Rage

Sweetbert Lukonge na Vicky Kimaro
SIKU moja baada ya kukosa ubingwa wa Ligi Kuu Tanzania bara, uongozi wa Simba umepanga kufumua benchi zima la ufundi pamoja na kuwatimua wachezaji 15.

Mwenyekiti wa Simba, Ismail Aden Rage amesema uongozi wake unatarajia kufanya maamuzi magumu ya kihistoria katika klabu yao.

Habari ambazo zilizopatikana jana kutoka ndani ya Simba zinasema kuwa klabu hiyo imepanga kuwatupia virago nyota wake kadhaa akiwemo mshambuliaji Musa Hassan 'Mgosi', Meshack Abeil, Mohamed Banka na Kelvin Yondani.

"Mgosi amejisahau sana alikuwa anacheza kwa kuridhika, Yondani kilichomposa ni utovu wa nidhamu aliondoka kambini toka mechi ya Mazembe bila ya kuomba ruhusa na ajaripoti kambini mpaka ligi imekwisha,"kilisema chanzo hicho.

Wachezaji wengine ambao wataachwa kwenye kikosi hicho cha Msimbazi ni wale walioshuka viwango huku baadhi yao wakituhumiwa kujiingiza kwenye mgogoro wa chini kwa chini wa viongozi kitendo ambacho kinadaiwa kuwa kimesababisha timu hiyo kushindwa kutetea ubingwa wake msimu huu.

"Kutokana na matokeo mabovu ya mechi za mwisho za Ligi Kuu dhidi ya Kagera Sugar, JKT Ruvu na Majimaji uongozi unatarajia kukifanyia mabadiliko makubwa kikosi chetu kwa kuwatema baadhi ya wachezaji, kutokana kushindwa kuzingatia majukumu yao na kujihusisha na vitendo vya ajabu ambavyo kwa namna moja au nyingine vimechangia kupoteza ubingwa huo dakika za mwisho.

Naye Rage alisema kuwa baada ya kushindwa kutetea ubingwa wao msimu huu kwa kukosa bao moja katika historia ya Ligi ya Tanzania kwani haijawai kutokea amewataka mashabiki wao kuwa watulivu na kukubali matokeo kwani huo ndio mpira.

Alisema kuwa hata hivyo amewataka Kamati ya Ufundi na kocha Patrick Phiri kuandaa ripoti ambayo itaeleza kwanini msimu huu wamekosa ubingwa na kutoa mapendekezo yao na kuiwakalisha kwenye kamati ya utendaji Alhamisi.

Alisema baada ya hapo Kamati ya utendaji ya Simba itakutana mwishoni mwa wiki hii kwa ajili ya kuipitia ripoti hiyo na kutoa maamuzi magumu ambayo hayajawahi kufanywa na mtu yoyote katika klabu hiyo.

Rage aliongeza kuwa maamuzi hayo watakayotoa yatakuwa na faida kwa klabu ya Simba na nchi nzima kwa ujumla kwa ajili ya kuondeleza soka hapa nchini.

KIPA WA MAJIMAJI
Tetesi kuwa kipa namba moja wa Majimaji, Said Mohamed amesajiliwa na Yanga zilisababisha asipangwe katika mchezo wa mwisho wa Ligi Kuu dhidi ya Simba uliofanyika juzi kwenye Uwanja wa Taifa jijini Dar es Salaam.

Katika mchezo huo wa mwishoni mwa wiki Simba ilishinda kwa mabao 4-1 dhidi ya Majimaji, lakini hakuwasaidia kutetea ubingwa wao.

Akizungumza na Mwanachi jana Mohamed alisema viongozi na benchi la ufundi la timu ya Majimaji waliamua kutompanga kipa huyo kwa madai atavuruga mipango iliyokuwa ifikiwa dhidi ya viongozi wa Simba na wale wa timu hiyo kutoka na kudaiwa kuwa tayari ameshasajiliwa na timu ya Yanga.

"Sikuwa naumwa wala kusumbuliwa na tatizo lolote isipokuwa viongozi wangu ndiyo walisababisha nisicheze katika mechi hiyo kutokana madai kuwa tayari nishasajiliwa na Yanga kwa ajili ya msimu ujao hivyo nitavuruga mipango waliyokuwa waafikiana na uongozi wa Simba katika mechi hiyo.

"Hata hivyo hali hiyo kwa namna moja au nyingine haikuwafurahisha baadhi ya wachezaji na meneja wetu Steven Mapunda jambo lililozua tafrani kwenye chumba cha kubadilishia nguo, lakini majibu yake yalionekana uwanjani kulikuwa na walijituma na wasiojituma," alisema Mohamed.
 
Ditching Carlo Ancelotti can only damage careless Chelsea

Champions League exit is likely to cost the manager his job and the club another chance to build for the future



  • Carlo-Ancelotti-lead-Chel-007.jpg
    Carlo Ancelotti led Chelsea to the Double in his first season at the club but now finds himself under pressure. Photograph: Dave Thompson/PA

    There is always a grand prize at stake for the Chelsea manager. Retaining the job is, after all, a triumph in itself and the task can be accomplished only with trophies. Nobody should expect a long tenure and even José Mourinho understood that his time had run out, although he was not sacked. In the broader context there is nothing unusual about club owners who are prone to ruthlessness.
    Indeed, Carlo Ancelotti saw regular dismissals all around him in Serie A even as he lasted eight seasons in the Milan post. The manager was assisted by a degree of rapport with the owner, Silvio Berlusconi, which was it itself bolstered by two Champions League titles. It is not fanciful to suppose that the continuation of his employment requires that Manchester United are eliminated from that tournament at Old Trafford, where Chelsea start with a 1-0 deficit.
    England is an anomaly since United and Arsenal, who fill the top two berths in the Premier League, are under the command of men in Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger who are entitled to suppose that they will determine the time of their departure. They are, respectively, in the 25th and 15th years of their tenure. Ancelotti could never assume he is safe, even though his free-scoring Chelsea took the Double last season.
    The side gathered full points from, in particular, the high-profile matches with United, Arsenal and Liverpool. All this was done at minimal cost, with Yuri Zhirkov the one notable signing, but such continuity could not be sustained. The task of reconstructing parts of the squad had to be confronted and that same mission will face the next manager, too, should Ancelotti be jettisoned.
    Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea owner, has spent vast amounts without attaining a stature for the club that compares with that of Barcelona or, for that matter, United. On occasion Chelsea's misfortune has been on the grand scale. During the Champions League semi-final of 2009 the unsatisfactory refereeing of Tom Henning Ovrebo at Stamford Bridge was nearly as memorable as the magnificent shot from Andrés Iniesta with which Barcelona eliminated Chelsea in stoppage time.
    The one person in the deflated lineup that evening who cannot appear at old Trafford this week is Michael Ballack and there are those who wish the club had retained him, although he had reached his 33rd birthday. Ancelotti did wonders to bring forth a free-scoring exuberance from the old lags who were still on the books but that could not be a long-term strategy.
    The opposition in the Champions League are not uniformly fresh and there is talk of an far-reaching overhaul by United in the near future but the reshaping of the personnel is a ceaseless project. So it is that Gary Neville can retire in mid-season without unduealarm since fans are already familiar with the 20-year-old Rafael da Silva. The latter has a knee injury at the moment and may miss the game against Chelsea but John O'Shea will most likely be an acceptable deputy.
    Time allows a manager to create depth. The period in which Wayne Rooney looked incapable of scoring was a novelty more than a crisis because Javier Hernández, in his debut campaign with the club, scored regularly to reach his present total of 17 goals. It is glib to suppose that simply keeping a manager on the payroll will ensure excellence in the end and United understand well that Ferguson is exceptional.
    In Ancelotti Chelsea, too, have a manager of great merit. Stereotypes about Italian pragmatism were ditched last season as a freewheeling side cut loose, with 103 goals in the league. That Chelsea gusto was not expected to last since, in a few cases, the impact looked like the culmination of a career. Nonetheless Ancelotti had demonstrated what he could do if he enjoyed a little faith.
    The ensuing decline of Chelsea was virtually expected. While David Luiz, ineligible for the Champions League, and Fernando Torres have arrived, there are still questions about who takes the decisions over new players and whether there is a coherent scheme. Seamless transition is all but unattainable when the club has had three permanent managers and one noteworthy caretaker, in Guus Hiddink, since Mourinho left in 2007. The hankering for perpetual rotation continues, with Mourinho and Hiddink themselves quoted prominently in the betting as successors to Ancelotti.
    It is, all the same, quite an assumption to suppose that Mourinho will be released orsacked by Real Madrid. Where Hiddink is concerned, last month's win over Austria did no more than put his Turkey side into third place in Group A of the Euro 2012 qualifiers. At 64 he is also wary about returning to a club post. Chelsea, even if they fail at Old Trafford, would do themselves further harm by discarding Ancelotti.

 
Man United, Chelsea hapatoshi Send to a friend Monday, 11 April 2011 21:25

LONDON, England
REAL Madrid, Barcelona na Schalke 04 zitakamilisha mechi zao baada ya kujihakikishia kucheza nusu fainali ya Ligi ya Mabingwa huku wakiziacha Manchester United na Chelsea zikiwa na nafasi sawa.

Real, inaonekana kutaka kuweka rekodi ya kutwaa ubingwa mara ya 10 baada ya kupata ushindi wa mabao 4-0 katika mchezo wa kwanza dhidi ya Tottenham, Barcelona ikiifuata Shakhtar Donetsk ikiwa na hazina ya mabao 5-1 huku Schalke ikijidai na ushindi wa mabao 5-2 dhidi ya Inter Milan ambao ni mabingwa watetezi.

Baada ya mechi hizo, Real itakutana na Barcelona kaika nusu fainali yab kwanza wakati Schalke itakuwa ikisubii mshindi wa mchezo kati ya United na Chelsea.United leo itakuwa inaingia uwanjani ikijidai ushindi wake wa bao 1-0 dhidi ya Chelsea lakini kocha, Alex Ferguson alisema baada ya mshambuliaji wake, Wayne Rooney kumbeba kwa bao la ugenini kuwa mechi itakuwa ngumu.

Vijana wa Ferguson wamekuwa hawatabiriki, waliwahi kutwaa ubingwa ndani ya dakika mbili za mwisho na kuweka rekodi ya aina yake.Kikubwa tunaangalia tuko nyumbani Old Traffordómashabiki watakuwa wakituunga mkono kwa nguvu zote,î aliwaambia waandishi w ahabari.

ìTumepaa goli moja ugenini, lazima tucheze kwa uangalifu zaidi kulinda ushindi wetu.Kocha wa Chelsea, Carlo Ancelotti, alisema kuwa anaweza kurejea ushindi wake wa mabao 2-1 walioupata katika mechi za Ligi Kuu dhidi ya United msimu uliopita.

ìTunafahamu itakuwa ngumu kushinda pale,î Ancelotti alisema, ìLakini tutajitahidi kufanya vile tulivyofanya mwaka jana Old Trafford.Mbali na hayo, kutakuwa na hali ya wasiwasi kwa Manchester, Real nayo kesho itakuwa ikirudiana na Spurs kwenye Uwanja wa White Hart Lane huku wakijidai na ushindi wa mabao 4-0.

Spurs itakuwa bila mshambuliaji wake, Peter Crouch, aliyesimamishwa baada ya kulimwa kadi nyekundu kwenye mchezo wa kwanza uliopigwa Santiago Bernabeu.Pepe naye hatochezea Real na mashabiki wa Spurs wamesema kwamba wataishangilia timu yao kwani kipigo walichopata siyo mwisho wa timu yao.

ìNi uzoefu mkutbwa tumepata na naamini itakuwa shughuli pevu kesho, tutacheza kwa nguvu zetu zote zote kesho,î alisema kocha wa Spurs, Harry Redknapp.

ìSiwezi kujiuzulu kwa kufungwa hayo na nasema tutacheza, lakini bado si amini kama tutaweza kuifunga Real Madrid mabao 5-0.Kocha wa Real, Jose Mourinho anaweza kupumzisha wachezaji wake muhimu akiitazama zaidi mechi ya Barcelona ambayo iliitandika Shakhtar 5-1 kwenye Uwanja wake wa Nou Camp wiki iliyopita.

Kwa Barcelona ambayoitakutana na Real katika mechi ya La Liga Aprili 17 na katika Fainali ya Kombe la Mfalme Aprili 20, timu hizo kubwa zitapambana mara tatu ndani ya wiki tatu.

Kocha wa Barca, Pep Guardiola ni wazi hataki kujiwekea mambo mengi dhidi ya Shakhtar leo licha ya kukosekana Andres Iniesta.Guardiola pia atamkosa Carles Puyol na Eric Abidal wakati washambuliaji Bojan Krkic atakuwa nje ya dimba kwa wiki nane.

Real itakuwa ikimtegemea sana Kaka ambaye aliiongoza timu hiyo kuibuka na ushindi wa mabao 3-0 dhidi ya Athletic Bilbao wiki iliyopita katika La Liga.Barca itakuwa na chipukizi wake akiwemo Thiago Alcantara, ambaye alitimiza miaka 20 jana ana alikuwa katika kikosi lkilichoichapa Almeria 3-1.

Schalke, ambayo ni timu ya kwanza kufunga bingwa mtetezi mabao matano, kwani watakuwa wakicheza kujihami zaidi na kuwapa raha mashabiki wake kucheza nusu fainali kwa mara ya kwanza katika historia ya klabu hiyo.
 
Manchester United v Chelsea

This week's winner is Wuggy Lemass, who gets a copy of Brand it Like Beckham by Andy Milligan. Second prize, a copy of The Boy Who Wanted to Fly by Don Mullan, goes to Steve Fuller. Next we'd like to see your takes on Arsenal's American takeover. Send them to gallery@guardian.co.uk by noon on Monday 18 March as a jpeg or gif, complete with a CAPTION. Anyone who forgets will be forced to grow a Stan Kroenke 'tache


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Jason Froggett gets the ball rolling this week by asking: 'Is it East v West, or man mountain against mountain of debt?' Photograph: Photomontage



 
Roberto Mancini says Manchester City's rout by Liverpool was his fault

&#8226; City manager underestimated opponents
&#8226; Kenny Dalglish praises John Flanagan debut



  • Andy Hunter at Anfield
  • The Guardian, Tuesday 12 April 2011 <li class="history">Article history
    Roberto-Mancini-Liverpool-007.jpg
    Roberto Mancini said after the match that he had got his tactics wrong and underestimated Liverpool. Photograph: Carl Recine/Action Images

    Roberto Mancini blamed his own tactics and preparation for Manchester City's woeful 3-0 defeat at Liverpool, where Carlos Tevez collected a hamstring injury that looks certain to keep him out of Saturday's FA Cup semi-final with Manchester United.
    The City manager took full responsibility as Andy Carroll scored the first two goals of his Liverpool career since his £35m move from Newcastle United, yet afterwards the Italian guaranteed to lead the club into next season's Champions League and into the FA Cup Final at United's expense. He also admitted Mario Balotelli, Tevez's replacement, was substituted in response to the Italian forward's meagre contribution.
    "I am disappointed with myself because I made a mistake. It was my fault &#8211; not the players," said Mancini, whose side, in fourth place, are without an away win in 2011 and only three points clear of Tottenham Hotspur having played a game more. "The players played 100 per cent. It is important that I understand that it was my mistake. I made a mistake in the last two days but I know why. But I don't want to say any more than that."
    City arrived at Anfield shortly before 7pm for an 8pm kick off and, while refusing to pin-point his mistake, Mancini indicated his preparations had encouraged the visitors to treat Liverpool too lightly.
    The Italian added: "I think Liverpool played fantastic in the first 20 minutes. We left a lot of space for them and they were very aggressive while we played very soft. I made three changes to bring in three fresh players but our focus was not good. After 20 minutes we started to play but it was too late. For this I think it is my fault. It is very difficult for me.
    "We did not prepare for this game very well. The fact we arrived late was probably part of the reason. We probably thought that if we played this game less than 100 per cent we could still get a win. But football is not like that. I have learned something about myself. I have a lot of experience so it was my mistake not the players. I am sure we will get in the Champions League and we will get to the final."
    Tevez was injured in the build-up to Carroll's emphatic opening goal and has little chance of featuring at Wembley in five days' time. "Carlos has a hamstring and it will be very difficult for him to play in the semi-final. I don't think he will play," said Mancini. "We will try to recover him but it is very difficult and we have to think of the final six games of the season to get a Champions League place."
    Kenny Dalglish, meanwhile, credited the blossoming partnership of Carroll and Luis Suárez, plus a superb debut from 18-year-old right-back John Flanagan, as key factors in Liverpool's commanding victory.
    "It was great to see Andy get off the mark," he said. "His first was a fantastic strike and his second was a good header. You can see that the more Andy and Luis Suarez play together, the better they understand each other. Luis was unlucky not to open the scoring when he hit the post.It was an excellent performance all round.
    "We have scored three and played well. We give a young boy at 18 his debut and he was outstanding, we have not lost any goals so there is not much wrong with this evening's work."

 
Roberto Mancini says Manchester City's rout by Liverpool was his fault

• City manager underestimated opponents
• Kenny Dalglish praises John Flanagan debut
Andy Hunter at Anfield
  • The Guardian, Tuesday 12 April 2011 <li class="history">Article history
    Roberto-Mancini-Liverpool-007.jpg
    Roberto Mancini said after the match that he had got his tactics wrong and underestimated Liverpool. Photograph: Carl Recine/Action Images

    Roberto Mancini blamed his own tactics and preparation for Manchester City's woeful 3-0 defeat at Liverpool, where Carlos Tevez collected a hamstring injury that looks certain to keep him out of Saturday's FA Cup semi-final with Manchester United.
    The City manager took full responsibility as Andy Carroll scored the first two goals of his Liverpool career since his £35m move from Newcastle United, yet afterwards the Italian guaranteed to lead the club into next season's Champions League and into the FA Cup Final at United's expense. He also admitted Mario Balotelli, Tevez's replacement, was substituted in response to the Italian forward's meagre contribution.
    "I am disappointed with myself because I made a mistake. It was my fault – not the players," said Mancini, whose side, in fourth place, are without an away win in 2011 and only three points clear of Tottenham Hotspur having played a game more. "The players played 100 per cent. It is important that I understand that it was my mistake. I made a mistake in the last two days but I know why. But I don't want to say any more than that."
    City arrived at Anfield shortly before 7pm for an 8pm kick off and, while refusing to pin-point his mistake, Mancini indicated his preparations had encouraged the visitors to treat Liverpool too lightly.
    The Italian added: "I think Liverpool played fantastic in the first 20 minutes. We left a lot of space for them and they were very aggressive while we played very soft. I made three changes to bring in three fresh players but our focus was not good. After 20 minutes we started to play but it was too late. For this I think it is my fault. It is very difficult for me.
    "We did not prepare for this game very well. The fact we arrived late was probably part of the reason. We probably thought that if we played this game less than 100 per cent we could still get a win. But football is not like that. I have learned something about myself. I have a lot of experience so it was my mistake not the players. I am sure we will get in the Champions League and we will get to the final."
    Tevez was injured in the build-up to Carroll's emphatic opening goal and has little chance of featuring at Wembley in five days' time. "Carlos has a hamstring and it will be very difficult for him to play in the semi-final. I don't think he will play," said Mancini. "We will try to recover him but it is very difficult and we have to think of the final six games of the season to get a Champions League place."
    Kenny Dalglish, meanwhile, credited the blossoming partnership of Carroll and Luis Suárez, plus a superb debut from 18-year-old right-back John Flanagan, as key factors in Liverpool's commanding victory.
    "It was great to see Andy get off the mark," he said. "His first was a fantastic strike and his second was a good header. You can see that the more Andy and Luis Suarez play together, the better they understand each other. Luis was unlucky not to open the scoring when he hit the post.It was an excellent performance all round.
    "We have scored three and played well. We give a young boy at 18 his debut and he was outstanding, we have not lost any goals so there is not much wrong with this evening's work."
 
Andy Carroll at double tempo leads Liverpool rout of Manchester City





  • Andy Hunter at Anfield
  • The Guardian, Tuesday 12 April 2011 <li class="history">Article history
    Andy-Carroll-Liverpool-Ma-007.jpg
    Liverpool's Andy Carroll celebrates after scoring his first goal against Manchester City at Anfield as Carlos Tevez, right, limps off with an injured hamstring. Photograph: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

    Sir Alex Ferguson can rarely have found a Liverpool home win so encouraging. Manchester City were taken apart at Anfield and that does not begin to cover their problems on a night when Roberto Mancini's promises of Champions League football and the FA Cup Final came with a smile but no substance.
    The City manager accepted full responsibility for a calamitous warm-up for Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United and vowed to learn from the lessons handed down by Kenny Dalglish's rampant team. He has plenty to occupy him. Carlos Tevez limped off early with a hamstring injury and, as has so often been the case this season, City's inspiration and guile went with him. His replacement, Mario Balotelli, was replaced due to his ineffectiveness, James Milner sulked when withdrawn and even the resilient rearguard that had conceded only 16 away league goals before this game was shattered as Andy Carroll scored the first two goals of his Liverpool career. His partnership with the irrepressible Luis Suárez eclipsed the visitors' own expensive attack in every respect and Dirk Kuyt converted, too, as Liverpool ended the contest inside 35 minutes.
    City have now gone six Premier League away games without a win in 2011. They have not tasted victory outside Eastlands since Carroll scored for Newcastle United on Boxing Day and whether they will venture among the European elite next season is open to question with Tottenham three points behind with a game in hand and scenting a repeat of last year.
    The two clubs' preparations could not have contrasted more greatly, with Liverpool bereft of defenders after defeat at Roy Hodgson's West Bromwich Albion and City having rested players from their rout of Sunderland. Yet the difference in their responses was even more profound. Liverpool were outstanding, City woeful. The home side compensated for absentees with spirit, ingenuity and individual excellence; the visitors were laboured, lethargic and devoid of imagination. On this evidence Sheikh Mansour's investment policy should focus more on talent and attitude rather than simply height.
    A collective effort earned its standing ovation from the Anfield majority but no one epitomised Liverpool's superior level of performance and desire better than the debutant John Flanagan. The 18-year-old had not made even a substitute's appearance before being drafted into a depleted defence at right-back yet settled superbly. Liverpool's initial reluctance to give Flanagan the ball proved unnecessarily protective. A sweeping cross-field pass to Fábio Aurélio would have soothed any nerves in the teenager and defensively he was faultless, crunching hard but fair into Gareth Barry and muscling aside Balotelli as the Italian tried to break through on goal.
    Balotelli's presence &#8211; and pitiful contribution &#8211; was indicative of City's evening. In the 13th minute Tevez was dispossessed by Carroll and pulled up in the process. He was quickly withdrawn but not before his opponent had swept Liverpool into the lead with an unstoppable drive beyond Joe Hart. Carroll's tackle on Tevez allowed Raul Meireles to strike from distance, though only into Vincent Kompany, and the rebound was returned with interest by the England striker as his low, left-foot drive beat Hart purely for pace and power, not precision, and Anfield erupted to acclaim Carroll's first goal since his £35m transfer from Newcastle.
    Hart had previously tipped a Suárez shot on to the post when the Uruguayan, displaying a sublime touch and an unerring knack of finding space all over the pitch, was sent through by Carroll's quick thinking. The England goalkeeper was beaten when Meireles, Suárez and Aurélio had shots blocked inside the area. The latter's effort was deflected across the area by Kompany, who appeared a lone defender against the Liverpool tide, and Kuyt picked his spot into the far corner.
    City were reeling, in complete disarray and seconds later Carroll glanced his second of the night past a despairing Hart when he towered above Aleksandar Kolarov to meet Meireles' cross with a glancing header.
    In contrast to the pedestrian Edin Dzeko and Balotelli, Carroll and Suárez looked a double-act of rich potential. They embarrassed their City counter-parts in terms of industry and threat. City's £25m Italian substitute suffered the ignominy of being withdrawn with seven minutes remaining and, even with Tevez injured, his manager refused to offer the excuse that his withdrawal was a protective measure. He is the kind of signing that gets a manager the sack. Liverpool saw out the game comfortably. City can look towards Wembley with trepidation.

 
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