Pakistan (265/9) beat South Africa (240) by 25 runs
   Mohammad Yousuf hit a brilliant century to lead Pakistan to a 25-run victory over South Africa in a day-night international here Saturday and level the series 1-1.
   Yousuf’s 143-ball 117 ensured Pakistan posted a fighting 265-9 in their 50 overs before the home team overcame poor fielding to restrict the South Africans to 240 in 49.3 overs.
   South Africa won the first match by 45 runs on Thursday with the next in the five-match series to be played at Faisalabad on Tuesday.
   Graeme Smith topscored for the tourists with a 96-ball 65 before Shaun Pollock (37) and Albie Morkel (31) gave Pakistan a scare during their 47-ball 55-run partnership for the seventh wicket.
   Morkel, who hit three boundaries and a six, was run out in the 42nd over, while Umar Gul finished any hopes of an upset when he ended Pollock’s 46-ball 37-run knock with four overs remaining.
   Pakistani fielders dropped as many as five catches but their bowlers produced a spirited display and never gave up.
   Smith was the main beneficiary of Pakistan’s poor fielding and was let off on 19, 31 and 44. He hit five boundaries before edging left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman to wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal in the 35th over. Smith and AB de Villiers (35) had steadied the tourists’ innings by adding 76 for the third wicket after Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis—both failed to score—fell in quick succession.
   Gul trapped Gibbs off his third ball while Sohail Tanveer had Kallis caught at gully to leave South Africa at 4-2.
   De Villiers (35) supported Smith before paceman Rao Iftikhar struck twice, removing De Villiers and Justin Kemp (eight) to finish with a career-best 3-43.
   Leg-spinner Shahid Afridi, who dropped Smith off his own bowling, dismissed Mark Boucher for 14 to press home Pakistan’s advantage. Earlier, Pakistan’s innings was built around a patient knock by Yousuf who repaired the innings with Malik during their 107-run stand for the fourth wicket.
   Yousuf also added 60 for the third wicket with Younis Khan (32) to repair the early loss of Kamran Akmal (nought) and Imran Nazir (two).
   Yousuf hit paceman Kallis for his seventh boundary to complete his 13th one-day hundred off 129 balls.
   In all, he hit nine boundaries before he was bowled by Morkel in the penultimate over.
   Younis released the pressure of early wickets by hitting three boundaries before he was run out, sent back by Yousuf while attempting a sharp single to short mid-wicket. Younis made 32.

Dirk Kuyt displayed nerves of steel to earn Liverpool a dramatic victory over nine-man Everton as a controversial Merseyside derby ended in a 2-1 win for Rafa Benitez’s men at Goodison Park on Saturday.
   Benitez’s side looked to be heading for defeat against their neighbours when Sami Hyypia’s astonishing own goal gave the hosts a first half lead.
   But Kuyt kept his cool from the penalty spot to equalise after skipper Steven Gerrard had been fouled by Tony Hibbert in the 54th minute.
   Everton were forced to play the final 38 minutes with 10 men after Hibbert was dismissed by referee Mark Clattenburg for his foul on Gerrard.
   Yet David Moyes’s side looked like holding out for a point before Kuyt won it from the penalty spot with virtually the last kick of an absorbing game after Phil Neville had handled a goal-bound shot by Lucas which earned the Everton captain his marching orders.
   The hosts had waited for this game since an ill-advised and graceless outburst from Benitez following February’s goalless draw at Anfield.
   Annoyed by what he saw as Everton’s negativity, rather than focusing on his own team’s impotence, Benitez made a reference to “small clubs”, much to the fury of all at Goodison Park. The remarks have not been forgotten at Everton.
   Stoking the fires ahead of the high stakes encounter, defender Alan Stubbs opted to pour scorn on Liverpool’s title credentials, making pointed reference to Benitez’s lavish pre-season spending.
   With Everton having lost three of their previous four top-flight games and Liverpool’s unconvincing form since losing pole position in the table last month, this was a game neither side dared lose and that was demonstrated in a high tempo first half which started slowly before ending with Everton deservedly ahead.
   Fernando Torres’s absence ensured Andriy Voronin got his first taste of a Merseyside derby and the Ukraine striker went close to making an early breakthrough when his fifth minute shot, following excellent work by Yossi Benayoun, was spilled by Tim Howard.
   The first sign of trouble for Liverpool arrived in the 24th minute when keeper Pepe Reina flapped at Leon Osman’s cross before Victor Anichebe’s header landed on the roof after an inswinging free-kick by Mikel Arteta nine minutes later.
   Benitez’s side failed to heed the warnings and in the 38th minute Goodison Park erupted when Hyypia gave his own keeper no chance while attempting a clearance. The Finland international, who was criticised for his performance in his side’s previous outing against Tottenham, volleyed past a shocked Reina after Everton defender Joleon Lescott had flicked on a cross by Stubbs.
   Liverpool were clearly shell-shocked and four minutes later their defence was again in tatters when Leon Osman narrowly failed to double Everton’s lead following a super move involving Phil Neville and Lescott.
   Yet the visitors were gifted an undeserved equaliser in the early stages of the second half when Gerrard was hauled down by Hibbert just as the England midfielder was about to shoot inside the area.
   Kuyt kept his cool to send Howard the wrong way - the Dutch striker’s first Premier League goal of the season.
   Hibbert was ordered off by the referee - the 15th player to be handed his marching orders in 31 Merseyside derbies.
   Voronin and Momo Sissoko then spurned glorious chances to win it for Liverpool before the most dramatic of finishes resulted in Everton finishing with nine men and Benitez’s side snatching all three points.
   Everton looked like holding out for a draw when Liverpool substitute Lucas let fly with a goal bound effort which beat Howard but was kept out by the hands of Neville.
   Referee Clattenburg had no choice but to send Neville off and Kuyt stepped up to give Liverpool one of the most dramatic victories in Merseyside derby history.

Efforts to revive Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer when he was found unconscious in March were hindered by the position of his body, a doctor testified at the inquest into Woolmer’s death on Friday.
   Asher Cooper was the first doctor to reach Woolmer’s room at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, where the former England player was found unconscious on March 18, a day after Pakistan were embarrassed by Ireland in a major cricket World Cup upset.
   Cooper said the awkward position of the body initially prevented him from carrying out his usual resuscitation measures.
   ‘When I went to the room, Woolmer’s head was under the toilet bowl and I could not do resuscitating exercises,’ Cooper told coroner Patrick Murphy on day four of the inquest that is being held at Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston.
   ‘I was only able to take pictures with my cellular phone camera, which I gave to the police,’ he said.
   Cooper added that with the help of the police, Woolmer was removed into the hall, where Cooper performed CPR and chest compression.
   He continued the measures until an ambulance arrived, even though Woolmer was without a pulse and not breathing.
   Woolmer was not pronounced dead until he arrived at the University of the West Indies hospital, but Cooper said there were no signs of life when Woolmer left the hotel in the ambulance.
   Doctor Simone French, who attended to Woolmer on his arrival at the hospital, said further efforts were made to revive him before he was declared dead.
   ‘After the body was taken to the hospital we put him on the cardio machine and there was no response,’ she said.
   Pictures taken by detective constable Dennis Forbes, who also testified, showed Woolmer lying on a stretcher at the hospital with blood on his body.

The Bangladesh Football Federation on Saturday announced a 16-member squad for the away match of the World Cup pre-qualifiers against Tajikistan on October 28.
   Defender Nazrul Islam, who decided not to play the match because of a row with coach Naeemuddin, has been excluded from the squad. Arup Baiddya, Zahed Parvez and Nasirul Islam, who were parts of the 20-member squad in the home match on October 8, were also excluded.
   Bangladesh, who held the Tajiks 1-1 at home, will leave for Tajikistan on October 24.
   Squad: Biplob Bhattachariya, Mazharul Islam Himel, Wali Faisal, Rajani Kanta Barman, Hasan Al Mamun, Ariful Islam, Mahmudul Hasan, Amit Khan Shuvro, Araman Aziz, Abul Hossain, Jumratul Islam Mithu, Zahid Hossain, Enamul Haq Sharif, Mohammad Robin, Zahid Hasan Amili and Saiful Islam Moni.
   Officials: Syed Naeemuddin (coach) and Amirul Islam Babu (co-ordinator).

Bangladesh lost 9-1 to UAE in their second match of the AFC Under-16 Championship qualifying round at the Military Physical Centre Stadium, Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
   Bangladesh, who made a stunning start in the tournament crushing Palestine by the identical margin, were trailing the first half 0-2.
   Sohel scored the consolation goal for Bangladesh in the 61st minute.
   Before leaving for Abu Dhabi, the Bangladesh coach had promised to earn at least two wins in the tournament, against Palestine and Turkmenistan.
   Bangladesh, placed in group D, will face Turkmenistan on October 22, Uzbekistan on October 25 and Tajikistan on October 28 in their other matches of the six-nation meet.
   The top two teams from the group will qualify for the 16-nation final round.

The Bangladesh Football Federation has decided to hold its long overdue election of the executive committee within the next 70 days after having a constitution approved by the FIFA, the world football’s governing body.
   The BFF announced a roadmap for the election, which was scheduled to be held more than a year ago, after the executive committee meeting on Saturday that also approved its new constitution.
   The FIFA had made nine observations to the BFF constitution after they received a draft a few months earlier. In line with the observations, a new draft was prepared, which will be sent to the FIFA on Sunday.
   The BFF hoped to get it back within two weeks with final approval, which will enable them to ask the National Sports Council to reconstitute the district and divisional football bodies accordingly.
   The BFF meeting also postponed the national championship, which was scheduled to begin on November 2, for an indefinite period after they failed to find any sponsor for it. The federation, however, decided to hold women’s championship as planned from mid-December.

More than a month after wrongly adjudging Sachin Tendulkar out caught behind in the final one-day international against England at Lord’s, umpire Aleem Dar has apologised, saying that it occurred due to a sudden lapse in concentration.
   Tendulkar, batting on 30, was beaten while trying to drive a full-length delivery from Andrew Flintoff outside the off stump.
   However, replays showed that the bat had clipped the pad instead and Tendulkar stood long enough to register his bewilderment before slowly heading off.
   His wicket was a big blow for India as they were bowled out for a modest 188, losing by seven wickets and the series 4-3.
   ‘Immediately after I gave Tendulkar caught by wicketkeeper Matt Prior off Andrew Flintoff I realised from his reaction that I had given a wrong decision,’ Dar told IANS.

Former Australian wicketkeeper Rodney Marsh paid a short visit to Dhaka on Saturday to brief the officials of the Bangladesh Cricket Board on the facilities at the Global Cricket Academy, now being constructed in Dubai, UAE.
   Marsh, who is the coaching director of the academy, made a presentation before the BCB officials at 11:00am at the Navana Tower before going to the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, where he also talked to the reporters while watching Dhaka-Khulna match.
   Marsh said the academy will be better-equipped than existing ones in top cricketing nations like Australia, England, India and Sri Lanka. Players will be able to stay 24 hours at the indoor stadium that will have six 100-metre lanes providing them a facility to practise from both ends.
   Besides, there will be 12 artificial wickets and 27 turfs and five-star hotel-standard accommodation facilities. The BCB officials, however, showed little interested at the briefing as the players will be needed to pay a hefty fee to use the facilities of the academy. The amount of fee will be decided later on, Marsh said.
   The BCB officials smiled only once when Marsh assured that the academy will also offer the Bangladeshi coaches and IT specialists a very good job opportunity.

Chairman of selectors David Graveney said Saturday he was confident Andrew Strauss would be in the frame for a recall to the England sqaud for their tour of New Zealand in the new year.
   Strauss was left out of the side to face Sri Lanka in the three-Test series starting in Kandy on December 1 after a disappointing run of form, but Graveney believes he can force his way back.
   ‘I’m confident he will be in the mix to go to New Zealand,’ said Graveney.
   ‘He’s extremely disappointed - it would be strange if he wasn’t - but he is a fighter and we believe he will come back into the frame very quickly.
   ‘We certainly believe he has a huge part to play. There are technical issues that he will sort out with (coach) Peter Moores.’
   Strauss, 30, will meet Graveney over the weekend to decide whether he will be on stand-by for the Sri Lanka tour in a ‘performance squad’ based in India.
   ‘I’ve suggested to him that we wait a couple of days then sit down and work out the best plan for him in terms of being on standby for Sri Lanka and also to get in the right situation to be considered for New Zealand,’ Graveney said.
   Strauss was given a central contract last month but has paid the price for his poor form, with the announcement completing a miserable year where he has missed out on deputising as captain and was also dropped from the one-day squad. Graveney explained: ‘We looked at his form over the last 12 months and he hasn’t performed to the level he can do.’
   Graveney had a face-to-face meeting with Strauss to explain the decision that will mean Michael Vaughan and Alastair Cook open the batting in Kandy.
   Another player to miss out was Mark Ramprakash, whose heavy run-scoring in domestic cricket could not persuade the selectors.
   ‘You can’t do any more than what Mark Ramprakash has done, he has been the outstanding player in domestic cricket for a number of seasons,’ Graveney added.
   Graveney will talk to Ramprakash about being on standby in India, while seamer Chris Tremlett will definitely be asked to travel to Chennai.
   Steve Harmison will have to prove his fitness and form in two four-day matches in South Africa for Highveld Lions before he is added to the 15-man squad.
   ‘We need to see what cricketing form he is in, in a match environment,’ Graveney said.

Andrew Symonds wants to make it clear that he has not complained about his treatment from spectators during the one-day series in India. Symonds has been a target of sections of the home crowds, especially during the seventh match in Mumbai on Wednesday, but he insists he has not sought to make an issue out of the abuse and has only responded to questions when asked about the incidents.
   ‘Over the past couple of weeks, I have felt as though I have been put in a situation that is not of my making,’ Symonds said in the Sydney Morning Herald. ‘I never made a complaint at any venue, but I did answer media questions asking whether I had heard the chants aimed at me in Vadodara.’
   At the time Symonds said he was not bothered by the treatment, but he was more upset that the abuse had been denied by local authorities. ‘I tried to defuse the original situation by interacting with the crowd,’ he said. ‘I feel that the print and TV media have badly misrepresented my views at times over the past three matches.’
   Symonds, who is uncomfortable in the off-field spotlight, said he understood racism in all sports was a sensitive, serious and global issue. ‘It is pleasing to see the authorities here in Mumbai tackling the issue following the seventh one-day match,’ he said in the Australian. ‘I would much prefer the focus be on the cricket and for the cricket to be played in an atmosphere where players and spectators can enjoy a good day out, full of excitement and go home having had a great day of sport.’
   Tim Nielsen, the Australia coach, was impressed with the way Symonds had coped with the unwanted attention. ‘The most positive thing from my regard is that he has been the Player of the Series under that sort of pressure,’ Nielsen said. ‘That shows a strength of mind and a lot of support from his team-mates.’

Not even Stephen Fleming, who was widely considered one of the modern game’s most astute leaders, has led New Zealand to a series win in South Africa. But the recently installed captain, Daniel Vettori, has no qualms about taking over the reins ahead of his side’s three-Test tour which gets underway in November.
   ‘I have thought about the responsibilities and have planned how I want to do things,’ Vettori said at Sydney before flying out to South Africa. ‘I like to think I have always thought about the game. Really, it is not too much of a step up.’
   Vettori took over the one-day captaincy from Fleming after the World Cup and, in September, the selectors decided to install him as the Test captain too. But although he only has limited experience in captaining Northern Districts at first-class level, he isn’t alien to the role and has substituted for Fleming on occasions.
   ‘While I haven’t done the job full time, I have done enough to take confidence from what I have done,’ he said. ‘But I’m not silly enough to see it [the captaincy] as a bed of roses. It is more of a progression. We know Stephen Fleming is going to retire at some stage and I’m pleased to have been given the opportunity to follow him.’
   One criticism levelled at his leadership in the past has been a tendency to underbowl himself, an accusation he stringently denies. ‘Anyone saying that has probably got it wrong,’ he said. ‘I think the thing I have done well is bowl at tough times. I have no problem managing my own bowling. I’m happy to bowl after 10 overs if the situation so demands, just as I’m happy to bowl at the death.’

New Zealand coach John Bracewell has said that wicketkeeper-batsman Gareth Hopkins could play as a specialist batsman in the middle order in the one-day team, following the early retirement of Craig McMillan.
   With New Zealand set to tour South Africa later this month, Bracewell said that Brendon McCullum would continue as the team’s first-choice wicketkeeper.
   ‘We’ve got better resources to cover death batting and finishers than we have to cover openers,’ Bracewell told the Press. ‘There is the opportunity for a finisher like Gareth Hopkins to come in as a specialist there.’
   McCullum was promoted as an opener after former captain and regular opener Stephen Fleming quit one-dayers after the World Cup. McCullum partnered Lou Vincent during the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa and earned praise from Bracewell for his abilities as a wicketkeeper. Hopkins, who has played five ODIs for New Zealand, was part of the squad in South Africa but didn’t get a game.
   ‘Brendon will keep the gloves as he is far and away our best keeper,’ Bracewell said. ‘Technically I think he is the best keeper in the world - he now needs to become the best keeper-batsman in the world.’
   Commenting on McMillian’s sudden retirement, Bracwell said it was unfortunate he chose to quit, though at the same time respected the decision.
   ‘He was batting so well. He was hitting the ball hard down the ground, rotating the strike and had a good attitude to where he was going with his cricket.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez insisted his team got their just rewards after Dirk Kuyt’s last minute penalty gave them a controversial victory in the Merseyside derby on Saturday.
   Everton were furious after referee Mark Clattenburg denied them what looked a clear penalty moments after Kuyt’s winner at Goodison Park when Steve Finnan pulled down Joleon Lescott.
   However, Benitez was quick to pour scorn on the home team’s claims, saying: ‘In England you don’t like to see players diving and it was a surprise to me.’
   The Reds boss was also unimpressed with Everton’s no-nonsense tactics, following on from last season’s jibe when he branded Everton a small club.
   He said: ‘We were trying to go forward and create chances with the ball on the ground and they were playing long balls and trying to kick the ball high.’
   Benitez surprisingly hauled off captain Steven Gerrard when it was 1-1.
   The Spaniard explained his decision, saying: ‘In this game sometimes you need to play with your brain and we were playing with heart.
   ‘We were playing with one more player and we needed to keep the ball and to pass the ball.’

Steve McClaren insists England can still qualify for Euro 2008, despite Wednesday’s disappointing 2-1 defeat to Russia.
   The Three Lions relinquished grip on their on destiny in Group E after surrendering a second half lead in Moscow.
   England are now hoping Russia drop points in Israel in order to ensure success over Croatia at Wembley will secure their place in Austria and Switzerland next summer.
   Despite missing out on the chance to book an early place in the European Championship next summer this week, McClaren says there is still hope in the England camp.
   ‘We still have hope, it is not the end,’ stated McClaren.
   ‘It would be a huge disappointment if we did not get there but we are not even thinking about that at the moment.
   ‘There will be a lot of criticism after this result but we will deal with it and get on with it.
   ‘We are in a results business. Now we have to rely on Israel getting one for us.’
   Meanwhile, McClaren has reiterated it was Spanish referee Luis Medina Cantalejo’s decision to give Russia a penalty that turned the game.
   The England boss was happy with his side’s display until the home side were handed the chance to get into the contest from a penalty spot.
   ‘I felt very comfortable with the way we set up and the way we applied ourselves,’ he continued.
   ‘I thought we were in total control. I was happy with the preparation. The pitch was okay - that is not an excuse.
   ‘The attitude, spirit and commitment of the players was right. Tactically, I could not fault them. One decision has cost us.’

Juventus hitman David Trezeguet has revealed that he is considering international retirement, but is happy with life in Turin.
   Despite netting seven times already this term, Trezeguet wasn’t selected in Raymond Domenech’s latest France squad.
   ‘I’m seriously considering quitting international football,’ he admitted.
   ‘I have been playing for France since 1997 and those 10 years are a long time to me.
   ‘Now though Domenech is choosing not to pick me and I think that the way he has treated me is frankly unacceptable.’
   It remains to be seen whether or not the ex-Monaco man will be selected for Les Bleus’ crucial trip to Ukraine, but he has already indicated that he may refuse the call.
   While his international career is causing him misery, Trezeguet is delighted that Alessandro Del Piero has committed to the Bianconeri.
   ‘I’m happy that Del Piero has renewed his contract until 2010 as he is a real leader of this team,’ the 30-year-old enthused.
   ‘This is the eighth season that Alex and I have played together here. We have achieved great things and I promise that there are more to come.
   ‘We know that we aren’t equal to Inter, Milan and Roma, but we are Juventus so we will give our best.’
   The Juve faithful are already looking forward to Week 11’s crunch match against Inter – the hotly-contested Derby d’Italia and the return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to his former club.
   ‘The game against Inter will be important for us players, the fans and the whole club,’ Trezeguet concluded.
   ‘It’s only natural that there would be such anticipation after everything that has happened.
   ‘Ibrahimovic is one of the most complete players I know and he is letting everyone know that. I wish him all the best.’

Paul Robinson has admitted he was at fault for Russia’s winning goal as England saw their Euro 2008 qualification hopes taken out of their hands with defeat in Moscow.
   The Tottenham goalkeeper, whose position in the national side has been under scrutiny for some time, could only push Alexey Berezutskiy’s shot into the path of two-goal substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko.
   Defeat for Steve McClaren’s side means they now need Russia to slip up against Israel or Andorra, or hope Croatia are stunned by Macedonia, prior to their final fixture against Slaven Bilic’s men.
   Robinson said: ‘For the second goal, I just didn’t get enough on the ball.
   ‘I got a hand on it but not a strong enough hand and the ball fell in the middle of the area. But we had chances as well to have gone further ahead at 1-0.
   ‘It seems like we have had a kick in the teeth. We were confident going into the Russia game. We showed that in the first half. We were in total control.
   ‘We couldn’t believe afterwards that we hadn’t won the game. But the penalty for their first goal gave them a lift and the crowd got behind them and, when a team has got momentum, it is difficult to stop.’
   Despite England’s perilous position, Robinson is refusing to give up hope on reaching the finals in Austria and Switzerland next summer.
   Robinson added: ‘It was a low dressing room afterwards. We had come off the back of some very good results and we were quite optimistic. It is out of our hands but we’ve got a game against Croatia still to play.

Darren Gough, the former England fast bowler, has criticised England’s insistence that Steve Harmison must prove his fitness and form before securing a place on the plane to Sri Lanka.
   Harmison, who has been recovering from a back injury, wasn’t among the squad of 15 named Friday for England’s three-Test tour of Sri Lanka. However, if he doesn’t have any adverse reaction to his brief stint at Lions in South Africa, he could yet join up with the team.
   This, however, does not sit well with Gough who feels Harmison is being treated unfairly.
   ‘Steve is such a vital bowler for England and he has proved time and time again how good he is,’ Gough told the Northern Echo. ‘He brings something different to everyone else and he is a must for me in the England team.
   ‘He is a match winner and with (Matthew) Hoggard also coming back, England will go into Sri Lanka with a very good bowling line up, with everyone vying for a spot desperate to do well and win.’
   Harmison will travel to South Africa with England’s recently appointed bowling coach, Ottis Gibson - a man who Gough insists is key to ‘firing’ up Harmison.

Tottenham captain Ledley King is on course to return to full training in around two weeks as he steps up his recovery from knee surgery.
   King, 27, has been plagued by injuries in the last two years and has yet to feature for Martin Jol’s side this season. But Jol believes the England defender should be able to play by the end of November if his return to training goes as planned.
   ‘He’s still making progress and hopefully he will be back with the group in two weeks’ time, maybe longer,’ Jol said.
   ‘I’m used to it because he was out of the team injured last year for seven months, so hopefully when he returns now he will be back for a lot of games.
   ‘He’s training in a smaller group and that is good. Hopefully in two weeks he will join us. He’s naturally fit so hopefully it would take another two or three weeks from then.’

Dimitar Berbatov grew up worshipping Alan Shearer — and slept in a No 9 Newcastle shirt!
   The Spurs striker was bought a Toon strip bearing his name and Big Al’s number as an 18th birthday gift from his parents.
   And that was the reason he chose the No 9 shirt when he moved to Tottenham in the summer of 2006.
   The Bulgarian, 26, will be relishing the chance to walk out at St James’ Park on Monday where Shearer was so popular for 10 years.
   Berba’s mum Margarita, 45, a former champion handball player, recalls how the Shearer shirt became her boy’s prized possession.
   She told The Sun: ‘Dimitar wore this shirt all the time.
   ‘He even used to sleep in his Newcastle shirt! It’s that special to him.
   ‘Dimitar told me it was his dream to play for Newcastle United one day and wear the same shirt as Alan Shearer, who is my son’s hero.
   ‘Shearer was a major inspiration for him to work hard for himself and the team. He liked the fact that Alan Shearer scored goals but was not a selfish player.
   ‘Dimitar thinks this shirt may even have been a sign he was meant to play in England.’
   Berbatov was brought up in a sports-mad house. His father Ivan was a striker for CSKA Sofia but the youngster chose Newcastle as his team. Berbatov was such a fan of Toon legend Shearer he even tucked into the ex-England hitman’s famous pre-match meal of chicken and beans.
   Shearer netted 148 league goals in 295 games for Newcastle and in his schooldays little Dimi got into trouble for scribbling Shearer’s name and records on his school books.
   Then when he hit the big-time, he bought his mum a Honda Civic with a personalised number plate that included the No 9.
   His old schoolmate Mario Bekov, who has known Berbatov for 20 years, said his admiration for the former Toon ace bordered on obsession.
   He said: ‘Dimitar never missed a Newcastle game when it was on television. And Shearer was up there with Pele as a God for him.’
   Another pal, Stefan Damianov, recalled how Berbatov considered himself to be an honorary Geordie as he followed the Toon and grew up in a mining region of Blagoevgrad.
   He said: ‘People in this part of Bulgaria like the Newcastle team especially and identify themselves with the football-mad culture of the people there and loyalty to the team.’
   Sadly for Berbatov, Shearer had hung up his boots by the time he made his first visit to Tyneside last December.
   But this next visit will still be crucial with only goal difference separating Spurs from the bottom three at the start of the weekend.
   Berbatov enjoyed an explosive first season in English football and scored 23 goals after his £10.9million move from Bayer Leverkusen.
   He is idolised by Spurs fans and is already considered as good as White Hart Lane legends Alan Gilzean, Glenn Hoddle and Jurgen Klinsmann.
   But Berbatov has not enjoyed as much success so far this term with just two goals to his name in nine appearances.
   He remains highly ambitious and is unlikely to be impressed by Tottenham’s shaky start to the season.
   His mum added: ‘Dimitar has told me he’s hungry to win cups and wants to play in the Champions League in the next few years.’
   Tottenham came within a minute of taking all three points from Liverpool two weeks ago until Fernando Torres stole a point with his header.
   And Berbatov’s fellow striker Darren Bent has called for a repeat of the Anfield performance as Spurs look to kick-start their league campaign.
   England forward Bent is warning they could face an early bombardment from Toon — who have won three and drawn one of their league home games this term. The Geordies have also beaten Spurs 3-1 on their last two visits to St James’ Park.
   Bent said: ‘If we play like we did at Anfield then we can go there and get what we want.
   ‘Newcastle start really fast and we’ve got to be prepared for that — but we know what we’ve got to do.
   ‘People think it will be straightforward after what we did at Anfield but it doesn’t always work like that.’

The ‘passion for Diego’ – Argentine football legend Diego Armando Maradona – will soon take two Mexican couples to the altar of a church devoted to the player in Buenos Aires, as part of and international movement that worships the former player as ‘the god of football.’ Football fan and groom-to-be Adrian Gonzalez stressed that the non-legally-binding wedding is symbolic.
   ‘We are going to promise each other eternal love with our feet on the ball, and then we will say some vows,’ he explained.
   After the wedding, he said, the couple will try to watch a football game between Boca Juniors and Velez Sarsfield for the Argentine tournament, and go on a 17-day honeymoon.
   He ‘asked me to marry him in the Maradonian Church, now that passion for Diego has united us,’ his fiancee, Olivia Pozos, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
   Pozos, 22, comes from the Mexican city of Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz, but currently lives in Buenos Aires on a student exchange.
   The woman, who is an electronic engineering student, said she and Gonzalez, 25, who works for a communications company back in Xalapa, got in touch with the Maradonian Church and set their wedding date for October 29.
   ‘We are very excited waiting for the big night,’ Pozos said.
   The couple is set to marry in Buenos Aires, like their friends Emma Trujillo, 22, and Mario Martinez, 24, who are also from Xalapa, a beautiful city enclosed by mountains some 430 kilometres east of Mexico City.
   Pozos explained that her fiancee is ‘a great fan of football, especially of Diego Maradona.’ After listening to him talk about the kicking game, she said, she herself entered ‘a world that she really did not know.’
   ‘Everything that surrounds Diego is spectacular. And in order to understand a bit of that magic that emanates from him, the first thing I saw was the best goal in history, that goal that Adrian always tells me was ‘a dream’ in the 1986 World Cup (in Mexico) against the England team,’ Pozos noted.
   She said learning the importance of that goal made her ‘understand the reason behind all the display of love for ‘The 10’ (as Maradona is known after his jersey number), all those songs and poems are due to all the joy that Diego left on the pitch.’
   Pozos underlined her happiness at being in Buenos Aires, visiting the humble Boca neighbourhood with its peculiar ‘taste of football.’ The experience, she said, made her ‘remember everything that (Adrian) said about Diego and his beloved team, Boca Juniors.’
   ‘An unexpected day in August, talking over the Internet, (Gonzalez) proposed to me and asked me to marry him in the Maradonian Church,’ she recalled.
   She added that they find it ‘difficult’ to talk to relatives and friends about their wedding, because many find it wacky.
   ‘It is hard to make people understand, and much more to demand tolerance. They do not understand that sometimes football can unite people,’ she said.
   When they return to Mexico, both couples have plans to get legally married, with Catholic and civil ceremonies.
   The Maradonian Church has congregated fans of the talented former player since 1998. According to its own scores, it has more than 80,000 members in 60 countries.
   Against England, in Mexico 1986, Maradona scored one of the most celebrated goals in football history.
   On October 30, the legend’s birthday, a group of fanatics celebrates Maradonian Christmas and starts counting a new year. At the end of this month, the calendar is set to move to the year 47 DD (‘Despues de Diego,’ after Diego in Spanish).

Arsene Wenger reckons Theo Walcott is ‘ready’ to stake his claim for a central attacking role with Arsenal.
   Leading scorer Robin van Persie is set to be sidelined for around six weeks after he sustained a knee injury while on international duty with Holland.
   The Barclays Premier League leaders host managerless Bolton on Saturday looking for an 11th straight victory.
   Wenger has a couple of options to partner Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor in the front line, with Croatia international Eduardo da Silva and Walcott pressing to make the starting XI.
   Walcott found himself thrust into the public eye following a potential £12million move from Southampton in January 2006 - and was a controversial inclusion in Sven-Goran Eriksson’s World Cup squad when he had yet to make his debut for Arsenal.
   The 18-year-old has since chalked up close to 40 first-team appearances, and netted his first senior goal in last season’s Carling Cup final against Chelsea.
   Having recovered from a shoulder injury which required surgery during the summer and kept him out of the European Under-21 championships, Wenger believes Walcott has looked sharp in the early stages of the new campaign.
   The Arsenal manager feels now could be the time to move the attack-minded youngster to a more central role.
   ‘Walcott will get a chance as well in this position because I feel now he is ready to play through the middle,’ said Wenger.
   ‘We are only in October and he made a big impact last time he came on - and you know things change quickly.
   ‘In football you have always to be ready, and it is a good opportunity for him as well, not only for Eduardo.’
   Wenger spent some £8million to bring the Brazilian-born forward to Emirates Stadium from Dinamo Zagreb during the summer, just after Thierry Henry went to Barcelona.
   It has, though, taken the 24-year-old a while to adapt to life in England, with two goals in seven appearances.
   Now fit again after a niggling groin injury, Eduardo was on target for Croatia in their Euro 2008 qualifiers against both Andorra and Isreal.
   ‘It is time for him, yes,’ said Wenger.
   ‘At the start he was very good, after he was injured a little bit and struggled to find his rhythm back. Now he looks to me sharp again.’
   Wenger added: ‘Of course when you come from the Croatian championship and you come to the English Premier League it is quite a shock.
   ‘But I feel he adapts well and with the right commitment, he will get through that easy.
   ‘He just has to adapt to the pace of the game and the intensity of the impact in the fight - every time you need to switch it on 100 per cent to win the ball, and it takes time to adapt to that.’
   Wenger admits the loss of van Persie - who had netted five goals in his last four Arsenal appearances - is a setback.
   However, the Arsenal manager is hoping someone else will now stake their claim.
   Wenger said: ‘We have shown as well in the past that we can deal with those kind of problems.
   ‘It is another opportunity to show that, because of course we miss an important player, I do not deny that, but you will always hope someone comes in and takes the chance.’

Patrice Evra has revealed Manchester United ‘have a point to prove’ in the Champions League this season.
   United resume their campaign in the Ukraine against Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday having already won their first two group matches and handily placed to seal a last 16 berth with time to spare.
   And once their spot in the knockout stage is secured, the Red Devils can start to plan their revenge for last season’s gut-wrenching semi-final exit.
   Having beaten AC Milan at Old Trafford in the opening leg at Old Trafford, a tired and weary United side were hammered in the return meeting at the San Siro, allowing the Serie A giants to move on to the final, where they subsequently accounted for Liverpool.
   ‘Losing against AC Milan last season was very frustrating,’ said Evra.
   ‘I don’t like making excuses but we had players missing through injury and suspension and it affected us.
   ‘This year we have even more quality, so our chances are good.
   ‘Just because we have signed quality players it doesn’t automatically mean we will do better. But I do feel as though we have a point to prove after last season’s frustration.’
   No trip to Kiev can be taken lightly, but Sir Alex Ferguson has done his best to minimise the effects of the journey by ordering a Sunday flight for his team rather than setting off 24 hours before kick-off as usual.
   With their own dietician and chef on board, nothing will be taken to chance.
   And while a number of senior men, including Owen Hargreaves, Michael Carrick and Gary Neville, remain on the injured list, Ferguson will feel confident of picking up at least a draw, as he did on his only previous trip to Kiev with United seven years ago.
   The only survivor from that night will be Ryan Giggs, who signed a one-year contract extension earlier this week.
   Evra knows Giggs well having played on the same flank since his £5million arrival from Monaco in January 2006.
   In fact, at times Evra has even occupied Giggs’ usual left-wing slot as Ferguson tried to cope with a mass of early-season absentees, producing performances so effective some United supporters have branded the jovial Frenchman their club’s best performer so far this term.
   ‘If some fans are saying that then it is a nice compliment but really it is all about the team,’ he said.
   ‘I always work for the team and just try to respect this great shirt, which means giving everything and trying to do well in each match.
   ‘I am not aiming to be something special but I feel good this season.
   ‘I want to do my best because I want to reach the same level as I did last year.’

Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann says his return to Premier League football is just a ‘question of time’ despite Germany’s number one shot-stopper being dropped from the north London club’s squad.
   Lehmann, 37, produced a top-class performance in last week’s 0-0 draw with the Republic of Ireland in Dublin as Germany booked their Euro 2008 place, but has failed to win a place in Arsene Wenger’s squad this weekend.
   Since picking up an achilles tendon and elbow injury, the German has missed the last ten games for Arsenal with Spaniard Manuel Almunia wearing the number one shirt again at home to Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.
   And coach Wenger has chosen Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski on Arsenal’s bench instead of Lehmann.
   ‘I am an Arsenal player and will have to wait for another opportunity to come my way,’ Lehmann told German tabloid Bild.
   ‘It is just a question of time.’
   Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger says he expects an impatient Lehmann will ‘fight every day’ to win his place back in the side, despite speculation in the British press the German will be released in time for January’s transfer window.
   ‘Patience is not his best quality and Jens will fight every day to be back in the team,’ said Wenger.
   ‘Jens has not played for us yet he has played for Germany. He will come back and fight to regain his place.’
   But the pressure is on Lehmann to win back his status as Arsenal’s number one
   ‘keeper and German coach Joachim Loew says he has to regain his club place to keep his role in the national team for Euro 2008.

Bolton were quick to sack Sammy Lee after a disastrous start to the season but their attempt to find a replacement could be a lengthy affair.
   When the Premier League club, currently second bottom of the table, got rid of Lee on Wednesday, chairman Phil Gartside must have believed a successor would be in place quickly.
   It has not gone according to plan.
   Birmingham boss Steve Bruce hinted he would have been interested in taking over at the Reebok Stadium after Bolton approached the Blues for permission to speak to him, but their request was turned down.
   Then Leicester’s Gary Megson emerged as a surprise candidate but Bolton’s bid to talk to him was also rebuffed by the Championship club’s owner Milan Mandaric.
   ‘That approach has been completely rejected,’ Mandaric dismissively said on his club’s website.
   Bolton, obviously keen to get a new man in before they fall any further adrift, next made contact with Chris Coleman, the former Fulham manager now in charge at Spanish club Real Sociedad.
   Coleman, who has only been at Sociedad for four months, would probably have jumped at the chance for a quick return to England.
   Alan Smith, Coleman’s adviser, told The Times, ‘Bolton have asked Real Sociedad for permission to speak to Chris.
   ‘It’s a very interesting proposition for him to return to the Premier League, but at the same time he is happy in Spain.’
   But once again Bolton were out of luck as Sociedad made it clear they had no intention of letting Coleman leave.
   A club spokesman said, ‘We told Bolton that Chris Coleman has a three-year contract.
   ‘We are delighted with Chris Coleman and we want him to see out his full contract with us.’
   Despite the three strikes against them, Bolton will persevere and Paul Jewell, currently unemployed after leaving Wigan in May, could be their next target.

Marcos Cafu reveals he has no intention of retiring and hailed Milan team-mate Kaka as ‘without a shadow of doubt the best player in the world.’
   Ricky Kaka is the hot favourite to win both the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, succeeding Italy’s World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro.
   ‘In this moment, without a shadow of a doubt Kaka is the best player in the world,’ commented Brazil legend Cafu.
   ‘He has matured a great deal, has proved and continues to prove that he is a champion. I consider him the Number One and really believe he deserves the Ballon d’Or.’
   Another top player has been linked with the Rossoneri this week, as Chelsea’s Didier Drogba told a French newspaper he was considering a switch to San Siro.
   ‘Drogba is very talented and any player or Coach would love to have him in their team. We know he’s great, as he has always shown that on the field.’
   Former Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo is already at Milan, but is yet to make his Serie A debut this season due to recurring injury worries.
   ‘Until he steps on the pitch, I think a bit of uncertainty and lack of confidence is normal. The important thing is that he relaxes,’ said Cafu.
   ‘I am always ready, as at this club we must constantly be prepared under any circumstances. It is normal that when you don’t play regularly, it takes a little longer to get match fit.’
   The right-back could start today against Empoli, where the Diavolo will try to celebrate their first home Serie A win of the campaign.
   ‘We all have great expectations for Sunday and really hope to get our first three points on home turf against Empoli in front of the wonderful San Siro crowd.’
   As he will turn 38 at the end of this season, it is widely believed this will be Cafu’s final campaign.
   ‘This season has just started and there are many things to look at,’ assured the veteran who has been in Serie A since 1997-98.
   ‘Milan have many experienced players and I don’t know what I will do in the future. I’ll make my decision at the end of the term.
   ‘If I decide not to remain at Milan, I’ll evaluate Japan or another country, perhaps a different club in Italy. I don’t know, but in any case I don’t think I’ll retire yet.’

Roy Keane has cranked up the pressure on the Sunderland board by saying he expects more cash in the January transfer window.
   The Sunderland boss has spent almost £50million since taking over last season but will be seeking further financial support from the club’s Irish backers.
   Sunderland are 16th in the Premier League and are seeking their first away win at West Ham tomorrow.
   But Keane is already looking ahead to the transfer window and said: ‘It would be great to get to January and look to add one or two players, like the big boys. Unfortunately, having just got into the Premier League we need more than one or two.’
   One current player who has impressed is midfielder Grant Leadbitter, 21. Keane has compared him to his former Manchester United team-mate Paul Scholes, saying: ‘Since I’ve been at the club he’s been fantastic and a credit. He’s one of the people you look forward to coming in to work with.
   ‘He’s a similar type of player to Paul Scholes. Obviously, he’s not reached his levels or the consistency but even in the way he trains, his enthusiasm, he seems to love training and playing.’

England number two Terry Venables on Saturday urged the Football Association not to be too quick to write off manager Steve McClaren.
   McClaren has been under fire after England’s 2-1 defeat to Russia in Moscow on Wednesday leaves them in danger of missing out on the Euro 2008 finals.
   But Venables, a former England manager himself, believes that with backing, McClaren will put things right in the long term.
   Venables told The Sun, ‘I understand that if we don’t qualify there will be a feeling that it is time for a change.
   ‘But there is also a need for commonsense and someone has to say “yes” or ‘no’ to what we are doing.
   ‘We are not even out of Euro 2008 yet. There could still be some twists and turns.
   ‘It is time for cool heads and to calm down and have a proper look at what is going on.
   ‘Is it really worth going on another long search for a new manager? Do we know that is going to win us one of these competitions?
   ‘Or is it better to stick with what we have because deep down, those in authority know we are going forward?
   ‘We will never win something like a World Cup if people don’t follow their intuition and, instead, keep ripping it all up and starting again.’

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas and boss Arsene Wenger have been named Barclays Player and Manager of the Month respectively for September.
   Fabregas and Wenger become the first Arsenal pairing to pick up the monthly awards since August 2004, after the Gunners soared to the top of the Premier League with four wins out of four last month.
   Fabregas collects his second Player gong of 2007, having won the prize in January, following a series of inspirational performances at the heart of Arsenal’s midfield.
   The Spaniard scored in the three consecutive victories against Portsmouth (3-1), Tottenham (3-1) and Derby (5-0) before guiding the team to another three points at West Ham (1-0).
   This is the ninth time that Wenger has collected the Manager award, and marks an impressive start to the 2007/8 Premier League campaign, which has seen the team remain unbeaten and push forward their challenge as early title contenders.
   The decision was made by the Barclays Awards Panel, which includes representatives from football’s governing bodies, the media and fans.

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba said Saturday he regretted his outburst suggesting he wants to quit the Premier League club.
   The Ivory Coast star shocked the Blues when he said he wanted to leave in an interview with France Football magazine.
   But, in a massive climbdown, he now regrets making his views public.
   Drogba said: ‘On reflection, I regret making the comments I made in a recent interview public at this time.
   ‘I am a Chelsea player and will be 100 per cent committed and supportive to my manager, my team-mates and the club.
   ‘I will not be discussing my future any further until I meet privately with the club at the end of the season.’
   Drogba, who scored 33 goals last season, had earlier claimed ‘something was broken’ at Chelsea following Jose Mourinho’s departure and revealed he wanted to follow the Portuguese coach out of Stamford Bridge.
   New Blues boss Avram Grant admitted he wasn’t especially surprised by Drogba’s emotional outburst but he refused to give a response until he has spoken to the player himself.
   ‘I know that it is not the first time that he said it but I haven’t seen him yet,’ Grant said.
   ‘I can’t tell you anything before I speak with him. I can’t tell you something because I read it in the paper. I need to discuss it with him.
   ‘I have read many things that were not true, because I was on the inside, about problems in the dressing room.
   ‘Now you know there was no problem in the dressing room until now and I hope it will continue like that. This attitude has brought us good results in a very difficult time.
   ‘I am very happy with the atmosphere and the attitude of the players until now and I am sure that it will continue.’
   Chelsea are keen to keep a lid on any more controversial comments from Drogba and pulled him out of a scheduled media appearance on Friday to promote a charity song he has recorded with team-mate Michael Essien.
   Chelsea captain John Terry underwent a knee operation on Saturday and will be out for three weeks and Grant also confirmed left-back Ashley Cole will be missing for a month with ankle ligament trouble.
   Terry had delayed the operation so he could play in England’s Euro 2008 qualifier against Russia, but the defender aggravated the problem in training before the match in Moscow.
   It is the worst possible preparation for Blues boss Avram Grant but the Israeli is confident he has a big enough squad to cope.
   Tal Ben Haim or Alex will deputise for Terry and Grant said: ‘JT had an operation today and will be out for two or three weeks. Cole and (Salomon) Kalou) are also injured.
   ‘John tried his best to be available for the national team and then in the last moment of training he got injured again.
   ‘He needed the operation today and I hope everything will be well.
   ‘Chelsea is not a one-man team but JT is important for the team. I don’t want him to be injured but it has happened and there is a big squad to play and win games without him, although I prefer to do it with him.’

Roger Federer fought to control the big game of Feliciano Lopez before eliminating the last Spaniard in contention at the Madrid Masters 7-6, 6-4 on Friday in the quarter-finals.
   The Swiss holder converted on one chance out of 11 against the cagey left-hander, who joined second seed Rafael Nadal in an exit as the lights went out for home hopes.
   Tennis powerhouse Nadal could only laugh off a shoddy performance after suffering one of the worst defeats of his career to exit
   The world number two was humbled 6-1, 6-2 as Argentine David Nalbandian produced the best result of his own sorry season.
   ‘I don’t think it’s possible to play any worse than today,’ said the befuddled Rafa. ‘I lost so quickly today that it didn’t have a chance to hurt my confidence.’
   Federer had to play swashbuckling tennis to edge past Lopez, who took the one-hour-plus first set into a tiebreaker.
   The top seed only managed to lift it with a return winner to claim the opener, then earned the long break of the contest for 5-4 in the second on a pass of the Spaniard
   The Swiss will face off Saturday against Nicolas Kiefer after the unseeded German upset Chilean fifth seed Fernando Gonzalez 7-6 , 6-2. Federer, bidding for his seventh season title, was relieved to go through.
   ‘I couldn’t break early on, I was starting to get a bit concerned,’ said the winner, now 57-6 on the season and 6-0 in the series.
   ‘But I think I got the upper hand quite early, after five or six games. I was playing well from the baseline, but would have been nice to break.
   ‘He served well and only game me one or two chances. He got frustrated midway through the second and gave me the free points I needed to finally break. Otherwise, it would have gone to another tiebreaker.’
   Nadal’s defeat in 71 minutes was the worst since the Spaniard went down at Lyon three years ago 6-3, 6-0 to Julien Benneteau.
   Nadal, the 2005 champion, came into the week carrying tendinitis in both knees, both heavily strapped.
   Nadal saved two match points against his own serve in the final game, against Nalbandian but chipped an off-balance close-range volley into the net to end the agony after 71 minutes.
   While the Spanish hero was vowing to put things right at his last two events of the season, the Paris Masters from October 29 and the Masters Cup in Shanghai, Nalbandian was celebrating a possible breakthrough.
   ‘Everything worked for me and nothing worked for Rafa,’ said the Argentine. ‘I played very well, felt comfortable and decided to attack the second serve to put him under pressure.
   Nalbandian will Saturday play Novak Djokovic, who took a step closer to a possible third Masters title this season as he overcame an ankle niggle to end the adventure of Mario Ancic 7-6, 6-2.
   Djokovic, who won Miami and Montreal at the elite level will try to add the Spanish honours to his trophy haul of five in 2007.
   ‘I have to turn around and get ready for match with Nalbandian. I have an amazing season behind me,’ said the Serb.
   ‘I’ve been playing great tennis and I have an indoor win last week in Vienna. In the second set today, I could suddenly feel my level lift.’

Carlos Tevez has learned to be daunted by few things in life, having made his way from humble origins in Buenos Aires to the highest levels of world football. Joining Manchester United was different, however.
   As he reflected this week on his first three months with the champions, Tevez admitted he wondered how he would be received after his controversial switch from West Ham.
   ‘When I arrived in the summer I must admit that I had doubts after all that had happened,’ Tevez told Sportsmail. ‘In particular I didn’t know how the senior players at the club would be with me.
   ‘Yes, I was nervous for the first time in a long time. But from the very first day players like Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand did all they could to help me. I was amazed. These players are the stars and the symbol and image of this great club. In many ways they sum United up.
   ‘United are superb in terms of professionalism. No detail is missed and that is one of the reasons I set the club apart from the others. With players like Giggs and Scholes at its heart the club will not fail.’
   Tevez’s protracted move from West Ham during the summer was, without doubt, the most difficult and controversial transfer ever by United, perhaps by any Premier League club.
   Despite his protestations this week that he makes his own decisions – ‘The owner of Tevez is Tevez’– the involvement of Iranian businessman Kia Joorabchian forced English football to examine in uncomfortable detail the prominence of third-party ownership in the modern game.
   Three months on and Tevez claims to be unfazed. He would not, however, have sat tight during weeks of ugly negotiations had it not been for one man.
   He said, ‘I am at Manchester United because of Sir Alex Ferguson. He has total confidence in me and he was key to my arrival here.
   ‘I suffered an awful lot in order to leave West Ham but now I am very satisfied with what I did. It was painful and people talked about my reputation but it has been worth it.
   ‘Ferguson is like a master to me, like a teacher. He is always giving me advice and helping my football get to the right level, the next level. That is so valuable because when I first came to England at West Ham there was nobody there to do that. Even the best players need help.
   ‘His assistant, Carlos Queiroz, is the one next to the players in training all the time. But Ferguson is in control, make no mistake. I remember after my first goal for United against Chelsea. Ferguson was very emotional with me. But then he just asked me for some more goals!’
   Tevez took time to settle when he arrived at West Ham last season. Again his best form was elusive during his early days at Old Trafford. It is coming, however. His winner against Chelsea was followed by the crucial first goal against Wigan last time out.
   He, along with many of United’s other stars, would appear on the threshold of improvement. Tevez dismisses suggestions that he and Wayne Rooney are too similar to play together, saying, ‘He is my type of player and I am very happy he is at my club and not at one of our rivals. People have looked for controversy between us but that’s rubbish. Rooney is my friend.’
   He is convinced United can bring him the medals and titles he craves and is remarkably honest in his assessment of the club’s main rivals.
   ‘Chelsea always are a dangerous team but I don’t think they will be in the race for the title by the end of this season,’ he predicted. ‘The exit of Jose Mourinho and the injuries have damaged them too much to recover. When we played them we were greatly superior and I think that is the way it will be this season.
   ‘Arsenal are more dangerous and I think that, at this moment, they have the best young players in Europe. For me it is not a surprise that they are leading the league table and they are our big rivals this season.
   ‘But I do have a doubt about them. What I don’t know is if they are prepared to cope with the pressure that will come during their worst moments of the season. That’s what we all have to deal with at some stage. It’s hard and their players are very young. We’ll see what happens.
   ‘During the first part of the season we were struggling ourselves with injuries and suspensions but I think we are arriving at our perfect point now.
   ‘This is a winning club and we are obliged to win titles. That makes me very motivated and I am sure that we will do it.’
   Tevez’s standing at Old Trafford is already such that Ferguson recently took his 17-year-old brother Miguel on a two-week trial and was impressed enough to offer a two-and-a-half year deal.
   The United manager has spoken privately of his desire to build his forward line around Carlos Tevez but the player himself is more modest.
   ‘Today Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the Premier League,’ said Tevez. ‘He has the characteristics to be the No 1 in the world.
   ‘Ronaldo is the key to United. He is sensational, our leader on the field.’
   Tevez has also told the Premier League hatchet men to forget about trying to intimidate him.
   The Manchester United striker has come in for rough treatment but he says nothing can compare to that at the local pitch – or ‘potrero’ – he grew with in Argentina. The one Tevez honed his skills on was in one of the most dangerous suburbs of Buenos Aireas.
   He said, ‘The real pressure is at a potrero where everything is allowed, where nobody protects you, where you’re playing against older and tougher lads.
   ‘The lowest tackle was around the neck, but you had to accept it.
   ‘At the potrero you work out how to do a bit of everything – go up and down, mark and play and to put up with heavy knocks.
   ‘We played matches where the winners got sandwiches and Cokes and they were terrific.’
   Despite grabbing only two goals in 10 games, boss Alex Ferguson believes the forward’s influence is growing at United.
   Ferguson said, ‘Carlos Tevez is playing very well at the moment.
   ‘His last performance for us against Wigan was his best so far.
   ‘He is proving to be a really influential player now.’

Hosts Ghana fared better than holders Egypt when the 2008 African Nations Cup draw was made here Friday.
   Ghana are in Group A with poor travellers Morocco, unpredictable Guinea and minnows Namibia and a team powered by midfielders Michael Essien and Stephen Appiah look set for a top-two finish and a quarter-finals slot.
   Egypt, winners of the biennial competition a record five times, are in Group C with mighty Cameroon, revitalised Zambia and dark horses Sudan, back at the Nations Cup after a 32-year absence.
   Every major football tournament delivers a group of death and in Ghana it will be Group B where giants Nigeria and Ivory Coast will not relish tackling fellow west Africans Mali and Benin.
   Intrigue envelopes Group D with nothing to choose between former champions Tunisia and South Africa, one-time runners-up Senegal and shock 2006 World Cup qualifiers Angola.
   The tournament kicks off on January 20 with a clash between Ghana and Guinea in Accra that will offer the hosts and four-time African champions a realistic chance to make a winning start.
   After a three-match programme the following day, the tournament will settle into a two-games-a-day schedule until the completion of the mini-league phase on January 31.
   The quarter-finals are scheduled for February 3 and 4 and the semi-finals for February 7 ahead of the February 10 finale with many observers predicting a west African showdown between Ghana and Ivory Coast.
   Matches will be staged in the capital, Accra, and another coastal venue, Sekondi, plus the central city of Kumasi and the northern town of Tamale as Ghana play host to the Nations Cup a fourth time.
   Former Ghana stars Abedi ‘Pele’ Ayew and Tony Baffoe and Ghana-born Michel Desailly, a member of the France 1998 World Cup-winning squad, helped African Football Confederation secretary-general Mustapha Fahmy make the draw.
   Draw
   Group A (Accra)
   Ghana (hosts), Morocco, Guinea, Namibia
   Group B (Sekondi)
   Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Mali, Benin
   Group C (Kumasi)
   Egypt (holders), Cameroon, Zambia, Sudan
   Group D (Tamale)
   Tunisia, Senegal, South Africa, Angola
   Matches to be played between January 20 and February 10

Coach Claude le Roy is convinced hosts Ghana will reach the 2008 African Nations Cup quarter-finals after being drawn in Group A with Guinea, Morocco and Namibia.
   ‘I realise expectations are high among Ghanaians and we will surely go through to the knockout phase,’ the widely travelled Frenchman told local journalists.
   ‘Let us not talk too much now. Rather let us do our talking on the field come January. A key factor is that our leading players avoid injuries while competing in various European leagues.’
   Ghana, Nations Cup winners four times, have built a formidable team around midfielders Stephen Appiah from Turkish club Fenerbahce and Michael Essien of English Premiership outfit Chelsea.
   Charismatic Le Roy led Democratic Republic of Congo to the 2006 Nations Cup quarter-finals before switching to the Black Stars, whose last African title came 25 years ago in Libya.
   Ghana kick off the three-week tournament with a January 20 clash in Accra against unpredictable Guinea, whose French coach Robert Nouzaret is relishing the chance to humble the hosts.
   ‘Facing Ghana will serve as a major motivation to my players. I’m delighted that we are involved in this match because it will make for a compelling start to the tournament,’ predicted Nouzaret.
   Namibia Football Association president John Williams said his country will relish being outsiders in a biennial tournament won a record fifth time last year by hosts Egypt.
   ‘It is always good to be underdogs as all the pressure will be on Ghana, Morocco and Guinea. The ‘Brave Warriors’ are not coming to Ghana to make up the numbers, but to make an impact,’ warned Williams.
   The largely desert south-west Africa country were shock qualifiers at the expense of DR Congo, snatching a last-minute winner in Ethiopia to grab top spot in a qualifying group by one point.
   Nigeria coach and former Germany star Berti Vogts praised 2006 runners-up Ivory Coast and Mali after the trio came together in Group B, the group of death, which is completed by Benin.
   ‘Ivory Coast and Mali are strong teams with talented players and cannot be overlooked when thinking of potential champions. I also have excellent players, but need good preparations to discover the winning touch,’ he stressed.
   Group C comprises defending champions Egypt, four-time winners Cameroon, Sudan and Zambia while Group D appears wide open with Tunisia, Senegal, South Africa and Angola chasing two knockout slots.

Diego Maradona criticised Argentina’s style of play on Friday, saying there were too many backward passes.
   Argentina have adopted a patient passing game under coach Alfio Basile, centred on playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme, but Maradona said that too often the ball went backwards.
   Basile’s team have won their first two matches in the 2010 World Cup qualifying competition, 2-0 at home to Chile on Saturday and 2-0 in Venezuela on Tuesday, but the 100 per cent start was not enough for Maradona.
   ‘The team has not left me satisfied,’ he said in a television interview. ‘I’m tired and bored of watching them pass the ball backwards.’
   ‘They gave it to Riquelme, he played it backwards, they gave it to (Javier) Mascherano, he played it backwards, it’s no good at all,’ he said.
   ‘If you’re beating Germany or Brazil 2-0 in a final, then that’s fine, but not here.’
   He added, ‘I’m moderately satisfied with the six points but nothing more.’
   Maradona also admitted that he still has ‘nightmares with drugs’, addiction disease almost causing his death many times.
   ‘I still have nightmares with drugs. Drugs flood my dreams and I cannot wake up and I see old known faces. When I wake up I hug the first person I see and say good grief it was only a dream,’ Maradona said.
   The 46-year-old recalled his youth in Argentina’s south of Buenos Aires Villa Fiorito region, ‘My youth neighborhood was private – meat private, bread private.’
   Maradona said this on Friday during the ‘Informal Mornings’ channel-13 programme in Buenos Aires.

Veteran Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar revealed Saturday that he has yet to decide if he will pen a contract extension with Manchester United as planned in December.
   Sir Alex Ferguson has indicated he would like the former Ajax star to remain at Old Trafford for another season after his contract expires next summer, rating him as one of the best buys of his entire 20-year stint as manager.
   But Van der Sar, 36, said: ‘We will decide in December what we are going to do, the same as last year. At the moment I want to get back playing and get back to the form I was in before.’
   Van der Sar should return following a toe injury for Saturday night’s Premier League clash at Aston Villa, when United will look to extend a six-match winning streak achieved without conceding a goal.
   It is a record Van der Sar is proud of, although it does not yet match the best of his career.
   ‘I once had nine clean sheets in a row in Holland,’ he said.
   ‘It is important because when you look back, those 1-0 wins probably decide whether you are going to be a contender for the league or not. Hopefully we can keep it going, although I don’t want to tempt fate by talking about it too much.’

Striker Robinho is set to be fined by Spanish giants Real Madrid for returning late to the country after celebrating Brazil’s 5-0 victory over Ecuador in a Rio nightclub alongside Barcelona’s Ronaldinho.
   Real coach Bernd Schuster is reported to be furious with Robinho who has been dropped for Saturday night’s match against Espanyol, while Ronaldinho has also been sidelined from his side’s tie against Villarreal.
   Robinho has denied reports in Brazilian newspaper O Globo that he left the club at one point to ask security staff for ‘40 condoms’.
   The Spanish press reported that both Robinho and Ronaldinho, already under fire last month for his late-night partying in Barcelona, will pay dearly for their antics.
   Brazil’s Baptista, who also returned late to Real Madrid, has been sidelined for Saturday’s game but will not be fined as he did not take part in the nightclub fiesta.