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Jae Won short-listed by Saudis Al-Ahly
JEDDAH, March 6: South Korea international central defender Hwang Jae Won is topping a wish-list of foreign players Jeddah giants Al-Ahly want to lure their services, according to daily Al-Eqtessadiyyah of Riyadh.
“Brazilian manager of the club Sergio Farias who coached him at Pohang Steelers want the excellent player to boost the club’s rearguard,” one unnamed top club official told the daily on Saturday.
“Hi is now topping a short list of foreign layers we want to approach soon, ahead of the close-season transfer market window,” he added.
Al-Ahly have suffered a 1-0 home loss in their AFC Champions League opener against Esteghlal of Iran, and bid to move to the knock-out stage where they can line up the excellent South Korean international sweeper later on.
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Olaroiu dismisses Al-Shabab talks
DOHA, March 6: Al-Sadd of Doha Romanian manager Cosmin Olaroiu made it clear he won’t be reading very deep into Saudi rumours linking him with a potential swoop to coach Al-Shabab of Riyadh.
“I have a contract to honour with Al-Sadd now and I do intend to move ahead with my present club," he told daily Al-Riyadh on Sunday.
“Al-Sadd are second-ranked in the league competition and heavily involved in the AFC Champions League. All other ideas are to be approached at the end of the current season,” he added.
Al-Shabab were held to a 1-1 home draw by Sepahan in their AFC Champions League opener and reportedly not very much impressed with Portuguese head coach Jaime Pacheco.
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Zamalek in the hunt of Meteb: report
CAIRO, March 6: Unsettled Egypt international forward Emad Meteb is touted by Zamalek, if to believe football director Ibrahim Hassan who underlined the club are about to line up a bid for Al-Ahly striker Emad Meteb this summer.
The Egypt international stated last month that he would move away from the Red Devils in the close season, when his contract runs out.
Fulham, Genoa, Portsmouth and Kayserispor are understood to be seeking to land Meteb on a free transfer.
The 26-year-old stressed that he would only leave Ahly to ply his trade at a European side, saying he would turn down any overtures from Egyptian clubs.
But Zamalek revealed their interest in Meteb anyway.
“We will wait till the end of the season. If Meteb doesn’t extend his Ahly stay, then he really wants to depart,” Hassan said. “In that case we will table an offer.”
Meteb was close to completing a £1.5 million move to Bristol in 2008 but the deal eventually fell through.
The English Championship outfit terminated their agreement with Meteb after he featured in an Ahly CAF Champions League game.
His participation was regarded as a contractual breach at the time and Bristol backed out of the deal. He shortly afterwards joined Ittihad Jeddah on a year-long loan.
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Amoah in Doha trials
DOHA, March 6: Swedish striker of Ghanaian origins Maxwell Amoah is expected to land in Doha on Monday after securing a three-day trials period with top flight outfits Al-Wakra.
“He is a polyvalent centre-forward that can only parade as an alternate schemer when needed, he plays in Belgium and we look forward to test him in the trials period in Qatar,” club coach Mustapha Madih was quoted as stating on Saturday.
Al-Wakra look forward to the upcoming Emir Cup competition due to kick-start later this month with new imports.
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Good operation for Al-Jazira
ABU DHABI, March 6: Al Wahda held Al Jazira 1-1 in the first leg semifinal of the Etisalat Emirates Cup at the Al Nahyan Stadium on Thursday night.
Al Wahda fell back at home on 10 minutes because of Mohd. Rashid’s goal for Al Jazira, but they levelled it through marksman Fernando Baiano in the 54th minute.
The second leg of the semifinal is scheduled for March 27 at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium. The final is slated for April 4.
Defending champions Al Ain locked horns with Ajman away, at the Rashid bin Saeed Stadium.
Al Wahda and Al Jazira were without their UAE internationals, who were on National duty in the 2011 Asian Cup qualifiers. UAE had defeated Uzbekistan to top Group C on Wednesday night.
Al Jazira put on a much improved show on the night and had more bite and were aggressive in their attacks. They came with a plan and relied more on their passing and grounders than on long balls.
They had an opportunity to go ahead in the very fourth minute of play but Rafael Sobis’ freekick hit the wall and came back to him. He fired in a second shot but Al Wahda goalkeeper Adel Al Hosni fumbled with the collection but managed to get a hold of it.
They didn’t have to wait too long though as six minutes later, Mohd. Rashid put them ahead. Khaled Sabel sent a fine pass from the left and the Al Wahda defence failed to make a clearance. Mohd. Rashid latched onto it and slotted it home.
Al Wahda almost nullified that lead in the 16th minute but the woodwork and a miss denied them. Andre Luciano Pinga fired in a threatening left-footer but it hit the left post and came back into play. He connected onto a cross from the right flank but his header just went wide.
Al Jazira could have doubled the lead with a minute left for half-time but Sobis’ diving header off a precise cross from Khaled Sabeel from the right, just went wide.
As expected, Al Wahda staged a fightback after the break and the Al Jazira defence were under intense pressure from the Wahda forwards in the initial minutes.
They had a chance in the first minute after the resumption but Pinga’s shot off a Sobis pass, was collected by the goalkeeper Ali Kasheif.
Al Jazira had an opportunity in the 53rd minute but Abdulla Qasem shot wide from close range as goalkeeper Adel Al Hosni charged out to stop him.
But, in the very next minute, Al Wahda ensured it was game on as they equalised through Baiano, who fired his crisp freekick home.
Baiano could have gone ahead four minutes later but Pinga sent his freekick over the cross bar after Baiano was fouled by Al Jazira’s Saleh Abdulla just outside the box.
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In-form Zidan notches a brace in Dortmund win
DORTMUND, March 6: Prolific Egypt international striker Mohamed Zidan scored twice and created a goal to lead Borussia Dortmund to a 3-0 home victory over Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
The Egyptian international, who scored in the Pharaohs' 3-1 friendly defeat to England in midweek, produced a match-winning performance to give Dortmund their third win in their last four games.
He took his tally to five league goals this season, six behind Dortmund's top scorer Lucas Barrios of Argentina.
Dortmund are fifth in the table on 42 points, one behind fourth-placed Hamburg.
Jurgen Klopp's side should at least be able to finish fourth to play in the Europa League next season.
Zidan was Dortmund's liveliest performer throughout the game, with his tenacity and pace causing Monchengladbach all sorts of problems.
He needed 13 minutes to help Dortmund grab the lead when he outpaced his challenger down the left flank before providing a low cross for Kevin Grosskreutz to tap in into an empty net after the ball eluded keeper Logan Bailly.
Zidan's first shot on target came two minutes before the break but Belgian guardian Bailly was alert enough to block it.
The 28-year-old continued to unsettle Monchengladbach's defense and managed to double the hosts' lead in the 54th minute with a superb strike, reminiscent of the goal he scored in Egypt's 4-0 victory over Algeria in the Nations Cup semi final.
He rounded a defender on the edge of the area before firing an unstoppable left-footed shot that left Bailly with no chance.
Zidan wrapped up Dortmund's victory on 70 minutes with a clinical finish after latching onto a defense-splitting pass from Barrios.
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Slovenia thrash Qatar 4-1
MARIBOR, SLOVENIA, March 4: Qatar ended Wednesday’s international friendly in Maribor with a fully-deserved 4-1 away loss to Slovenia.
Hosts Slovenia were aggressive from the start, with Milivoje Novakovic opening the scoring in the 13th minute and Bostjan Cesar adding a second in the 30th after collecting a pass from Andraz Kirm, who then made it 3-0 just four minutes later.
Brazilian-born player Fabio Montesin pulled a goal back for Qatar just before halftime but Bojan Jokic ended any hopes of a Qatar comeback with Slovenia's fourth in the 67th minute.
Slovenia will face England, the United States and Algeria in Group C at the World Cup in South Africa.
Slovenia's coach Matjaz Kek brought the same side that beat Russia in November to make it through to the World Cup and only made changes in the last 20 minutes of the game.
Slovenia played its only previous World Cup appearance in 2002 in South Korea and Japan, but lost all of its three matches. In qualifying for this year's World Cup, however, it lost only two of its 12 matches.
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Serbia hammer pitiful Algeria for three
ALGIERS, March 4: A huge party and the taste of defeat - Algeria will be hoping that there is more to the World Cup than this. The Desert Foxes followed their mixed African Nations Cup campaign with a comprehensive 3-0 defeat to South Africa-bound Serbia.
On Wednesday, more than 55,000 fans were packed into the July 5 Stadium in Algiers eight hours before kick off, but the match with the Europeans showed how much work Rabah Saadane's men have to do over the next three months.
In Angola in January, they were unconvincing on their way to a heavy defeat to Egypt in the semi finals. But there is a risk that the country is still wrapped up in the incredible win over their bitter enemies Egypt in the World Cup play-off and are forgetting that that victory means they have a World Cup to play.
With England strong favourites to get out of their group as winners, the Desert Foxes are also up against Slovenia and the United States and although they are fancied to finish bottom of their group, they have shown how far their battling qualities can take them. In the African Nations Cup, they were little more than organised and only managed one goal in the group stage but cut loose to beat the strongly-fancied Ivory Coast 3-2 in the quarter finals.
But while the defeat to Serbia was a humbling experience, it offered more lessons than a 3-0 win over a weaker nation would have given and even though key man Madjid Bougherra was missing with a hamstring injury, the visitors were also without Nemanja Vidic.
They went down to goals from Marko Pantelic, Zdravko Kuzmanovic and Dusko Tosic to leave Saadane with plenty to think about but the coach is giving the impression that there is nothing to worry about ahead of South Africa.
"The objective for our young players was to reach the World Cup in the first place. Now that they've achieved that there's no pressure on them whatsoever.
"That said, we still have our role to play, and we're going to be doing everything we can to make a go of this World Cup, to give it our all. Our aim is to enjoy ourselves against the best teams in the world, starting with the teams in our group, and to put maximum effort into them, no matter what the results. It's wonderful to be going there I can tell you.
"I think it's going to be a fantastic World Cup, especially with it being winter there. The weather conditions should help teams perform better and I think we'll see better quality football as a result."
Hopefully the Serbia result will have taught the Desert Foxes that you can only have so much fun when you are losing.
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Cairo Reds eye new boss for next season
CAIRO, February 28: Egypt reigning league champions Al-Ahly are reportedly about to kick-off a search campaign for a new head coach taking charge of their side next season.
“Manuel Jose possible comeback to coach the side is out of scope, at least for the time being, as the club are looking after new horizons in this respect,” one unnamed top Al-Ahly executive committee member was quoted as saying to Al-Arabiya TV network on Sunday.
“The Portuguese manager has nothing to add for the current young squad, that’s why we are after a foreign manager who is new to the local game here,” he added.
The club are also ready to offload many ‘ageing’ stars next May, the climax of the season in Egypt, while also short-listing few names of high quality, topping the list are international midfield duo Hosni Abed-Rabou and Mohamed Shawky.
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Palmeiras offer for Al-Hadari a pure fraud: Al-Ismaili FC
AL-ISMAELIA, February 28: Now that the possible move of international keeper Essam Al-Hadari has been annulled, Ismaili football director Ihab Galal says the faxes that the coastal club supposedly received from the Brazilian club were all false, saying the Brazilian side have never been interested in the goalie.
Palmeiras were said to be targeting the Egypt keeper and were understood to be in talks with the Dervishes.
Early on Saturday, Al-Hadari's personal website posted a letter that Palmeiras allegedly sent to Ismaili chairman Nasr Aboul-Hassan to inform him of their decision to back out of the deal.
However, Galal assured that all the letters related to Al-Hadari's anticipated move were faxed by an anonymous sender with an obvious intention to deceive Ismaili.
"We verified that all these faxes weren't sent by Palmeiras," he told Nile Sports.
"Mohmad Youssef, who was representing Palmeiras in the negotiations, is not really an agent.
"The whole thing is clearly a fraud."
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Zamalek in hunt of lost money
CAIRO, February 28: Reports from Cairo on Sunday confirmed Zamalek have contacted Portuguese side Sporting Braga to get back the money they paid to sign attacking midfielder Rainford Kalaba on loan after the player declined to complete the move.
The Cairo side have already paid Braga $25,000 to acquire the Zambian international's services on loan until the end of the season.
But Kalaba, who is reportedly targeted by Zamalek's arch-rivals Ahly, refused to join up with his new team for no apparent reason.
"We don't know whether the player intends to change his mind and complete the move," Zamalek spokesman Sabri Serag told reporters.
"But we don't care anymore, we've asked Braga to send back the money they received from us.
"A player who does not want to play for Zamalek is unwelcomed here."
Kalaba was due to be one of Zamalek's January arrivals as they sought to strengthen their attack following the departure of Mido and Amr Zaki to the English Premier League.
The White Knights have also signed Egyptian-born Qatari winger Hussein Yasser on a free transfer after Ahly terminated his contract
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Hassan poised for deal extension
CAIRO, February 28: Zamalek of Cairo manager is about to okay a one-season deal with his club, expirng next summer.
Board members Ibrahim Youssef and Hazem Emam have been assigned to negotiate with the former Egypt hitman over the new deal.
"We unanimously want to renew Hassan's contract for the sake of the team," Youssef told daily Al-Masa’a.
"The promising results and Zamalek's current status in the league table urged us to make this decision."
Zamalek suffered a terrible form and a string of poor results under Swiss tactician Michel Decastal and Frenchman Henri Michel early this season.
However, the Cairo giants have shown a great deal of consistency since Hassan took the helm late in November, after both of his predecessors were sacked.
Now Zamalek, who lie fifth in the Egyptian Premier League table, revel in a six-match winning streak.
The White Knights were languishing in 10th spot near the relegation zone by the time Hassan was appointed as tactician.
"A meeting with Hossam and his backroom boys is due to be held in the immediate future," Youssef, a former Zamalek defender, added.
"We will probably sit down after Zamalek's friendly game with Mansoura on March 2nd."
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Weakened Al-Jazira narrowly-defeated
ABU DHABI, February 28: Dubai outfits Al-Nasr secured a narrow but vital 2-1 victory over a second-string Al-Jazira side in the Etisalat Emirates Cup at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Saturday night.
Younus Ahmed scored for Al Nasr in the 26th minute, while substitute Jamal Ibrahim doubled the lead, with two minutes left on the clock.
Abdulla Qasem scored for Al Jazira in the 56th minute. It was Al Jazira first defeat in the tournament. They have won four and drawn one.
With Al Jazira already having qualified for the semifinals, coach Abel Braga gave his top players like captain Ibrahim Diaky, forwards Rafael Sobis and Ricardo Oliveira, defender Rozario and goalkeeper Ali Kasheif a rest and started with virtually a second XI.
Al Wahda from Group A, Al Ain from Group B and Al Jazira from Group C, have already made the cut. The top three and the best second-placed team from any of the groups go through to the semifinals.
Al Wahda take on second-placed Al Ahly in Group A, while Al Ain meet Ajman in Group B, on Sunday.
Al Nasr earned a couple of corners before the half hour mark but failed to convert from any of them. But they didn’t have to wait too long to go ahead. Mohammed Mal Allah back tapped it for Younus Ahmed and the latter evaded a couple of defenders, made space and fired it goalwards. The ball hit the right post and went in, in the 26th minute.
Al Jazira, who were a bit subdued, found their bearings and came up with a couple of dangerous chances. Mohammed Salem Mubarak sent in a fine pass from the left but Ali Mabkhout fired his shot over the bar in the 31st minute.
With two minutes to go for half-time, Mohammed Salem Mubarak swerving and dangerous left-footer was punched away by goalkeeper Hameed Abdullah, who dived to his left to keep it away.
Jazira’s forays after the break bore fruit as they levelled in the 56th minute through Abdulla Qasem, who scored off a corner. Jazira could have increased the lead in the 62nd minute but Ali Mabkhout’s charge and the resultant shot, off a counter, just went wide of the far post.
Al Nasr too came close in the very next minute but Mahmoud Hasan’s threatening freekick was fended away by goalkeeper Khalid Seif, who pushed it over the cross bar.
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Banide takes charge of Al-Nasr Dubai
DUBAI, February 24: French manager Laurent Banide, 42, has signed a four-month deal to coach Dubai’s ailing club Al-Nasr till the end of the season.
The newcomer comes to replace Tunisian axed manager Adel Al-Sellimi, who was fired only last Friday over a row with the club administration.
Banide had previous spells at AS Monaco as assistant-coach between 2005 and 2007, before coaching Doha’s Umm Salal in 2008, Al-Kuwait SC and UAE’s Al-Dhafra in 2009.
AL-Nasr are threatened with relegation, now lying at the surprising 10th place on the league table standings (out of 12 clubs.)
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Palmeiras want Al-Hadari
CAIRO, February 24: Brazilian side Palmeiras have raised their bid for Egypt international and Al-Ismaili keeper Essam Al-Hadari to $1million.
After having their initial $500,000 offer immediately rejected by the Dervishes, the four-time Brazilian champions doubled their bid to acquire the services of the Egypt number one.
"The board will consider the offer on Wednesday after speaking with Al-Hadari," Ismaili board member Walid Al-Kilani told Modern Sport TV.
"We signed Al-Hadari for $600,000, so when the first bid was made, we were not ready to sell him for less than his original price."
Al-Hadari, who joined Ismaili from Swiss side Sion last summer, has been admittedly unhappy with life at Ismailia Stadium, largely due to the 'team's underachieving'.
The 37-year-old was linked with a move to Sudanese giants Merreikh, in addition to reported interest from English Championship side Watford.
Ismaili have been given a deadline 48 hours to respond to the bid from Brazil as the transfer window there closes by the end of March.
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Pharaohs squad for England friendly announced
CAIRO, February 24: Injury-prone Al-Ahly playmaker Mohamed Abou-Treika has been to Egypt's African Cup of Nations winning squad for next month's friendly with England.
The 31-year-old has just returned to action, following a long-term foot injury, with a cameo appearance in Ahly's 2-2 league draw with Gaish on Tuesday.
Abou-Treika, along with Hull City striker Amr Zaki, is Hassan Shehata's only addition to the 23-man list called up for Angola 2010.
Once again, there was no place for West Ham forward Mido or Ahly veteran Mohamed Barakat, despite the latter's recovery from a hamstring injury.
Egypt Squad:
Goalkeepers: Essam Al-Hadari (Ismaili), Abdul-Wahed Al-Sayed (Zamalek), Mahmoud Aboul-Saoud (Mansoura).
Defenders: Wael Gomaa, Sayed Moawad, Ahmed Fathi (Ahly), Mahmoud Fathallah, Hani Saied, Mohamed Abdul-Shafi (Zamalek), Moatassem Salem (Ismaili), Ahmed Al-Muhammadi (ENPPI), Abdul-Zaher Al-Saqqa (Eskisehirspor, Turkey).
Midfielders: Mohamed Abou-Treika, Ahmed Hassan (Ahly), Shikabala (Zamalek), Abdul-Aziz Tawfik (ENPPI), Ahmed Eid (Harras Hodoud), Hosni Abd-Rabou (Ahly, UAE), Hossam Ghaly (Nassr, Saudi Arabia).
Strikers: Emad Meteb (Ahly), Ahmed Raouf (ENPPI), Al-Sayed Hamdi (Petrojet), Geddo (Ittihad), Mohamed Zidan (Dortmund, Germany), Amr Zaki (Hull City, England)
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2012 CAN African Cup of Nations: Egypt draw South Africa
JOHANNESBURG, February 24: African Cup of champions reigning holders Egypt were drawn in the same 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group as 2010 World Cup host South Africa Saturday.
Sierra Leone and Nigeria complete Group 7, which promises to be among the toughest. Only group winners are guaranteed places at the tournament so South Africa has its work cut out as it attempts to reclaim a place among the African elite after failing to qualify for Angola.
Group 1: Mali, Cape Verde Islands, Zimbabwe, Liberia; Group 2: Nigeria, Guinea, Ethiopia, Madagascar; Group 3: Zambia, Mozambique, Libya, Comoros Islands; Group 4: Algeria, Morocco, Tanzania, Central African Republic; Group 5: Cameroon, Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritius; Group 6: Burkina Faso, Gambia, Namibia, Mauritania; Group 7: Egypt (holders), South Africa, Sierra Leone, Niger; Group 8: Ivory Coast, Benin, Rwanda, Burundi; Group 9: Ghana, Congo, Sudan, Swaziland; Group 10: Angola, Uganda, Kenya, Guinea Bissau; Group 11: Tunisia, Malawi, Chad, Botswana.
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2010 AFC Champions League: Bunyodkor thrash Al-Ittihad for three
TASHKENT, February 24: Uzbek giants Bunyodkor turned on the style to thrash Jeddah giants Al-Ittihad 3-0 in Tashkent's Jar Stadium on Tuesday.
Goals from Rivaldo, Jasur Hasanov and Denilson settled the Group B encounter in favour of the Uzbeks, who comfortably outclassed the Saudi side.
Bunyodkor pressed from the outset and after Joao Victor fired wide inside the opening minute, the hosts took the lead shortly afterwards.
Denilson surged forward and threaded a pass to Victor Karpenko in space in the corner of the box. He laid the ball back first-time for Rivaldo to curl home left-footed into the top corner from 25 yards.
Al Ittihad were looking panicked at the back and after Karpenko forced keeper Tisir Al Antiaf into a smart stop, Bunyodkor doubled their lead in the 20th minute thanks to some dreadful defending from the visitors.
Al Antiaf failed to adequately deal with Karpenko's cross from the right and the keeper's weak punch fell to Jasur Hasanov on the far side of the box.
The midfielder scuffed his shot into the ground but it bounced over a prone Denilson and with Al Antiaf slow to regain his feet, evaded Osama Al Harbi on the line and dribbled into the net, although the defender should have done better.
Al Ittihad came close to pulling a goal back just before the half-hour mark when Abdelmalik Ziaya glanced Mohammed Noor's free-kick towards goal but Bunyodkor keeper Ignatiy Nesterov did excellently to turn the ball around the post low to his left.
But Al Ittihad looked a shadow of the team that reached last year's final as the half-time whistle provided a welcome respite for the Saudis.
Nesterov was called into action again just before the hour mark when he pushed Hicham Aboucherouane's chip over the bar before Denilson played in Server Djeparov with a lovely pass but the midfielder shot wide of the far post when well placed.
Al Antiaf partially made up for a mixed opening 45 minutes when he displayed fantastic reactions to keep out Rivaldo's powerful header from six yards after Djeparov had whipped in a dangerous cross but it proved a mere respite as Bunyodkor netted a third in the 66th minute.
Again slack marking was to blame as a deflected free-kick looped into the air and Al Harbi merely looked on as Denilson headed his first goal for his new club.
It was almost four moments later but Anzur Ismailov glanced Djeparov's corner over the bar from close range when the unmarked defender should have scored.
Bunyodkor continued to pepper the Al Ittihad goal before the visitors were awarded a penalty for a foul on Sultan Al Numare in stoppage-time but Noor saw his effort come back off the post to sum up Al Ittihad's miserable night.
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2010 AFC Champions League: Spiritless Al-Wahda sink in Isfahan
ISFAHAN, IRAN, February 24: Al Wahda’s Asian Champions League (ACL) campaign got off to the worst possible start when they were beaten 1-0 by the Iranian side Zobahan last night.
A brilliant solo effort by Igor Castro, the Brazilian forward, proved a worthy match winner .
Wahda, the Pro League leaders, held Zobahan at bay for an hour before Castro sliced through the Wahda defence and launched an unstoppable left-foot shot from 20 yards which gave Adel al Hosani, the goalkeeper, no chance.
Wahda had a great opportunity to equalise 10 minutes from time, but Saleh al Menhali, the substitute, fired wide with only the goalkeeper to beat.
However, Josef Hickersberger’s men will count themselves lucky for having kept the score down to just one goal. Zobahan dominated the game and made most of the attacking moves, yet they only won through Castro’s individual brilliance. .
Rivaldo, the former Brazil international, was on target as big-spending Bunyodkor began their campaign with a 3-0 win over Al Ittihad last night.
The Uzbek club, coached by the former Brazil World Cup-winning manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, got off to a comfortable start in Group B with a home victory against their Saudi Arabian opponents.
The 37-year-old Rivaldo, who was part of the Brazil side that won the 2002 World Cup under Scolari, put Bunyodkor ahead in the fourth minute. Jasur Hasanov doubled the advantage in the 21st minute, and Denilson, the Brazilian top scorer in last season’s Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi, completed the scoring in the 67th minute.
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2010 AFC Champions League: Al-Jazira slump at home
ABU DHABI, February 24: Al Jazira’s trials in the Asian Champions League continued with a home defeat in the Group A opener to the Qatari league champions Al Gharafa at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.
Abel Braga’s men had a similar start on their first appearance last year when they were beaten by the Qatari side Umm Salal 1-0 at home, but on this occasion they were beaten by a more organised team on the night.
The Moroccan Othman el Assas put the visitors ahead and the Iraqi forward Younis Mahmood doubled it seven minutes into the second half to get their team’s campaign off to a perfect start.
The Brazilian Rafael Sobis kept Jazira’s hopes alive with a 55th minute strike but that was as far as they could go as the Gharafa defence stayed solid. And they could have scored more had they been on target from the chances they created.
El Assas scored with a stinging shot from 35 yards that went in off the inside of the post.
Gharafa could have taken the lead in the first five minutes had a powerful header from Juninho not crashed against the crossbar, before el Assas's 16th-minute strike.
Mahmood could have doubled the lead shortly after the break, but was off target with a close range shot with Clemerson Araujo and Juninho also guilty of missing good chances.
However, Gharafa did go two goals up when Mahmood picked up a long pass from the Brazilian Juninho and slammed it into an empty goal with the goalkeeper Ali Kasheif caught out of position.
After Sobis pulled one back for the home team, Jazira’s reply was limited to a couple of long range shots, the closest an effort from Sobis, and a free kick from Subait Khater.
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Ailing Cairo's Ahly squander two massive points
CAIRO, February 24: Underdogs Al-Gaish staged an impressive comeback to hold Al-Ahly 2-2 in the Egyptian Premier League on Tuesday.
Ahly produced a ruthless attacking display in the first half to lead through a brace from Egypt striker Meteb.
They eased off the gas after the break, giving Gaish the chance to narrow the gap via a powerful shot from substitute Talaat Moharam.
Ahly keeper Ekrami, who made his second consecutive start after joining his boyhood club from Gouna in January, spilled a weak header from Mikael Dogbe just before the end.
The Togolese striker earned Gaish a valuable draw on the follow-up to deny Ahly what looked like a certain win.
Ahly playmaker Mohamed Abou-Treika, who has not played since the team's 2-1 win over Mansoura in October last year, was introduced in the last ten minutes to make his long-awaited comeback from injury.
He was unable to help Ahly avoid a surprising draw though.
The league leaders' second draw in a row blows the title race wide open. The Red Devils boast a five-point advantage over second-placed Petrojet, who have a game in hand.
Gaish moved into fourth place, ahead of Zamalek on goal difference but the latter played a game less.
With three attacking midfielders playing behind lone striker Emad Meteb, Ahly found no difficulty breaking down Gaish's defense in the first half.
Gaish had a decent effort early in the game when a powerful low free-kick from Mohsen Hendawi was blocked by Ekrami.
Ahly then took total control, with their silky passing game tearing Gaish's backline apart.
They deservedly went ahead after 16 minutes when veteran midfielder Ahmed Hassan found the unmarked Meteb at the far post with a precise pass.
Meteb, who ghosted behind Gaish's defense, curled a delightful shot into the far corner to score his second goal after returning from international duty in Angola, where he helped Egypt win the Nations Cup last month.
A swift counter attack helped him double Ahly's advantage eight minutes before halftime.
Meteb broke clear of defense and back-heeled the ball to the onrushing Hassan, who rounded keeper Mohamed Al-Shenawi but saw his low shot blocked by a Gaish defender.
Al-Shenawi was still lying on the ground when the ball slipped to Meteb, who made no mistake for his fourth league goal this season.
Ahly's eye-catching brand of football continued in the second half but without the effectiveness of the first.
Their fans chanted for every neat pass near the halfway line but Gaish players were still hoping they could stage a stunning comeback and overturn the deficit.
Moharam, who came on instead of midfielder Yassin Abdul-Aal as Gaish coach Farouk Gaafar sought to increase his attacking options, gave the visitors a lifeline in the 64th minute in superb fashion.
He cut inside Ahly's left-back Sayed Moawad to unleash a powerful left-footed drive that left Ekrami with no chance.
While Ekrami could hardly be blamed for Gaish's first goal, he would probably come under fire for failing to prevent them from securing a share of spoils one minute from time.
Dogbe out-jumped defender Wael Gomaa after a pinpoint cross from lively right-back Hendawi but his header looked tame, only for Ekrami to fumble it and allow the Togolese to strike home.
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2011 Asian Cup draw to be staged in Doha
DOHA, February 24: The official draw for the AFC Asian Cup 2011 Finals will be held on April 23 in Doha, it was announced yesterday.
This decision was taken at the 8th meeting of the AFC Asian Cup Organising Committee which met here yesterday under the chairmanship of AFC Vice-President Zhang Jilong.
The members discussed a number of issues to ensure the smooth conduct of the January 7-29 Asian football extravaganza next year.
At the outset, Zhang welcomed new committee member Asad Taqi of Kuwait.
“We are very happy to have Asad Taqi in our committee and his vast experience will help us as we aim to organise a good tournament,” said the chairman.
AFC President Mohamed bin Hammam emphasised the importance of this particular meeting and called upon the members to explore ways and means to enhance the commercial image of the AFC Asian Cup.
“We are delighted to see the progress in the organisation of the AFC Asian Cup. I am very happy to see the firm commitment of the Local Organising Committee,” said Hammam.
“The AFC Asian Cup is the jewel in the crown of AFC competitions and we want to see the tournament develop commercially as well as from the view point of organisation.
The AFC President stressed on pricing the tickets in a range that would be affordable and attractive to all sections of the Qatari population.
“We want the AFC Asian Cup to be a catalyst for the development of grassroots football as well as leave a rich legacy behind for the host nation.”
The members discussed in detail the marketing and promotion plans, ticketing and pricing, the final draw preparations and the draw mechanics.
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Bernardes seals Kuwait SC deal
KUWAIT CITY, February 19: AFC Cup reigning champions Al-Kuwait SC have agreed terms with Brazilian Arthur Bernardes to coach the team for the remainder of the season.
The 54-year-old will replace caretaker boss Mohamad Abdulla. Abdulla took charge of first-team affairs on a temporary basis after the club sacked Argentinian coach Ernesto Ortega. Abdulla successfully led Al Kuwait to the AFC Cup title, defeating Syria's Al Karama in the final.
Bernardes has plenty of management experience in West Asia having previously coached several clubs in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. He also won the UAE league title with Al Wasl in 1997 and the Asian Cup Winners Cup with Saudi outfit Al Shabab four years later.
The first task for the former Jeju United chief will be to prepare the team for their next Kuwait League fixture against Al Tadamon on Friday.
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Guardiola boasts Qatar’s World Cup bid
DOHA, February 19: The legendary FC Barcelona coach, Josep Guardiola, has been named an ambassador for the Qatar 2022 Bid, it was announced yesterday.
Guardiola, whose team won the 2009 UEFA Champions League, spent two years playing for Qatar’s Al Ahly Club, and recently returned to the country after leading his team to the FIFA Club World Cup title in Abu Dhabi, the sixth trophy of an historic season.
“I am very pleased to be representing Qatar’s 2022 World Cup Bid,” Guardiola said upon his appointment. “I believe this is a truly unique bid, and a wonderful opportunity to spread the magic and the benefits of the world’s favourite game across the globe.”
“Having played in Qatar myself between 2003 and 2005, and having grown to love the country and greatly appreciate Qatar’s football development and infrastructure investment, I believe the time is ripe for the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East. My experience in Qatar, as well as the outstanding organisation and football passion we witnessed in the UAE during the Clubs World Cup, makes me confident that Qatar and the Middle East can host a spectacular, passionate and unforgettable World Cup that embraces all the FIFA ideals.”
As a Bid ambassador, Guardiola will be attending events to voice his support for Qatar’s World Cup ambitions, as well as giving the leadership technical advice on staging the world’s biggest tournament.
He joins a high profile list of Bid ambassadors including the World Cup legends Gabriel Batistuta, Ronald De Boer, Roger Milla, Sami AL-Jaber and Bora Milutinovic. Guardiola, a graduate of FC Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth academy, captained Spain to the Gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
Two years later he was part of the Spanish squad that narrowly lost to eventual finalists Italy in the 1994 World Cup quarterfinals. At club level he won all major titles with FC Barcelona, including the Spanish League, Spanish Cup as well as the European Champions League in 1992.
He captained Barcelona for his last four years at the club before moving on to Brescia, AS Roma and Al Ahly in Qatar. Upon his switch to coaching he won six trophies in his first season in charge at Barcelona.
Qatar’s Bid Committee CEO, Hassan Abdulla al-Thawadi, welcomed Guardiola onto the Qatar 2022 team and hailed his recent achievements with FC Barcelona as well as his commitment to youth development.
“We are honoured to work together with Josep to bring the World Cup to Qatar in 2022. Both as a player and as a coach he has been the personification of dedication and passion on the football pitch,” al-Thawadi said.
“More than any of his astonishing successes, though, we are delighted to have him on our team because of his continued commitment to youth development in football. As the coach of FC Barcelona, he has won every title with a team based on Barcelona youth academy players, a philosophy we are most familiar with from his time helping youth development here in Qatar.
“Everywhere he goes, Josep will bring across our message that a World Cup in Qatar in 2022 will give sporting hope to millions of children across the Middle East.”
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Unsettled Kazemian lands UAE job
ABU DHABI, February 19: Jobless Iran international schemer Javad Kazemian has completed a UAE move to unfashionable Al-Emirates SC.
The 28-year-old has been a free agent since cancelling his contract with fellow local outfits Ajman after publicly criticising the club’s management.
The midfielder has won 41 caps for his country since 2001 and has never played outside the Arab world despite being linked to a number of European clubs during his early 20’s.
The move marks a return to the UAE Premier League for the former Al-Shabab man and he is expected to go straight into the squad to face his old club Ajman on Friday.
Emirates have struggled so far this season and currently sit second-from-bottom having picked up just 10 points from 14 games.
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