Arch-rivals Mohammedan Sporting Club and Abahani have been drawn in the same group for the Twenty20 Premier Cricket League that now begins tomorrow.
   The Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis late on Monday completed the draw for the 12-team event, which has been considered as the curtain raiser for the upcoming Dhaka Premier Cricket League.
   Defending champions Mohammedan and runners-up Old DOHS were the top two seeded teams in the draw followed by Abahani and Victoria Sporting Club, the other two semi-finalists of the last year.
   Promotees BKSP and Surjo Tarun have been placed with either side. The rest of the six teams were drawn in two groups through a lottery.
   Bangladesh Biman, a serious title contender, has been drawn in Group A that also featured both Mohammedan and Abahani. Mohammedan will take on BKSP in the opening match at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium at 9:30am.
   All 12 teams will play in three different grounds on the opening day.
   At the DCS, DOHS take on Surjo Tarun at 1:00pm. Abahani face Kalabagan KC at the BKSP-2 ground, which will also host the Victoria-Sonargaon match in the evening.
   Biman and City Club will play in the first match at BKSP-1 before Partex meet Young Pegasus at the same ground.
   The group phase and semi-finals of the tournament will conclude on February 28, but CCDM officials said they will wait until March 15 to hold the final and third-place decider.
   ‘The final and third-place decider will be telecast by Nimbus, so we have decided to wait for them until the end of the South Africa series,’ said MA Kabir, the acting secretary of the CCDM.
   Groupings
   Group A: Mohammedan Sporting Club, Abahani, City Club, Bangladesh Biman, Kalabagan KC and BKSP.
   Group B: Old DOHS, Victoria Sporting Club, Partex, Young Pegasus, Sonargaon Cricketers and Surjo Tarun.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter says the 2010 World Cup in South Africa could be played on artificial pitches.
   ‘We have envisaged, though it’s not yet a final decision, that the 2010 World Cup could be played on artificial turf,’ Blatter told BBC Sport.
   And Blatter also suggested future Africa Cup of Nations tournaments should be played on artificial turf.
   ‘I think it’s now time in this region to think about artificial turf,’ said the head of football’s governing body.
   Many players and coaches dislike artificial pitches arguing the surface is disadvantageous to teams that are not used to playing on them.
   In October England struggled in a crucial Euro 2008 qualifier against Russia in Moscow, losing 2-1 on an aritificial pitch.
   Under the ‘Win in Africa with Africa’ project, FIFA is laying an artificial pitch in all 53 of its member countries on the continent, with the exception of South Africa.
   Playing surfaces in many African countries can be badly affected during the rainy and dry seasons.
   ‘An artificial pitch gives you the same conditions during the whole year,’ said Blatter, who expressed his concern over the quality of the 2008 Nations Cup pitches in Ghana.
   ‘I’ve followed with a lot of interest most of the matches of this competition, and I have to say that African football is at a very high level,’ he said.
   ‘What I’ve not liked so much is the turf, especially in Accra - the grass is too high.
   ‘Artificial turf is a solution to the owners of stadiums - you can use it more than just once a week, you can use it for other sports.
   ‘I think it’s better than uneven ground, where control of the ball not easy.’
   Pitches aside, Blatter was satisfied by Ghana’s hosting of the Nations Cup, despite problems with ticketing, transport and hotels.
   ‘I think the organisation was not so bad - we should not be so critical,’ he said.

Sri Lanka (154/2) beat India (195/5) by eight wickets in D/L method
   Sri Lanka hammered India by eight wickets on Tuesday to revive their hopes in the rain-hit tri-series.
   Set a revised 154 to win from 21 overs, Sri Lanka reached the rain-adjusted target with two overs to spare for their first win of the series.
   India made 195 for five from 29 overs after an early downpour delayed the start of play, but the game was shortened again when further rain arrived during the break between innings.
   Rain has played havoc with the series, with the first two matches washed out.
   After veteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya gave Sri Lanka, thrashed by Australia by 128 runs in their previous match, a flying start with 27 from 13 balls they were always comfortably placed to reach the Indian total.
   Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene said his side showed great character in a match they needed to win.
   ‘We needed to show character. I thought the guys did show character today and fought really well,’ he said.
   ‘Winning the toss was a bit of an advantage on that wicket earlier on.
   ‘We managed to keep them to a decent score and the chase was well-calculated so credit to the guys for the way they handled themselves today.’
   Jayasuriya sparked Sri Lanka when he hit two massive sixes in one Shanthakumaran Sreesanth over that went for 23.
   It was a nightmare match for the fiery Indian quick, who conceded 48 runs in only three overs and was also pulled for another six by Tillakaratne Dilshan.
   Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said his side were always on the back foot after the flying Sri Lankan start.
   ‘The kind of start they got I think was really amazing,’ Dhoni said. ‘There’s nothing much you can do as a captain.
   ‘It was really amazing to see Dilshan bat and the way he carried on with his innings.’
   Although Ishant Sharma removed Jayasuriya, Dilshan’s classy half-century guided his side safely to the target.
   Man-of-the-match Dilshan was unbeaten on 62, having faced just 59 balls, hitting six boundaries and one six. He put on 85 with Jayawardene (36 not out).
   Only spinner Harbhajan Singh, who claimed Kumar Sangakkara with his first ball and finished with 1-15 from four overs, was able to trouble the Sri Lankan batsmen.
   After Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl, young batsman Rohit Sharma again impressed with 70 not out to anchor the Indian effort.
   Sharma struggled for touch early, but grew in confidence as his innings progressed and played some wonderfully inventive shots.
   The 20-year-old struck one powerful six off Muttiah Muralitharan and faced just 64 balls, hitting six boundaries.
   Sharma and skipper Dhoni reprised their match-winning partnership against Australia on Sunday to boost the Indian total late on.
   The pair put on 68 in just 46 balls after coming together when Gautam Gambhir, who was also looking dangerous, was run out for 35 (off 33 balls).
   Dhoni made 31 from 26 balls before he too was run out attempting a risky second run.
   Veteran Sachin Tendulkar threatened to tear the Sri Lankan attack apart at the top of the order and played some glorious strokes, particularly through the leg side.
   But on 32 (from 30 balls) he tried to heave the recalled Farveez Maharoof over mid-on and only succeeded in getting a thick outside edge, the ball flying to deep third man.
   The result evened up the tri-series ladder considerably, with India on top on eight points, Australia on seven and Sri Lanka on six.

Independent security experts have advised Cricket Australia against touring Pakistan next month, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf said on Tuesday.
   Ashraf told Reuters he had received a letter from Cricket Australia chairman Creagh O’Connor on Monday expressing concern about Australia’s first tour to Pakistan in 10 years.
   ‘In the letter they have reiterated their commitment to supporting us but at the same time they have said they have got security briefings advising them against playing in Pakistan at this time,’ Ashraf said.
   Cricket Australia and some of the Australian players have expressed reservations about the three-test tour because of the political uncertainty following the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto on December 27.
   Ashraf said he had told Cricket Australia it should send a security delegation one week after the general elections on February 18 to assess the situation for itself.
   He said he had told O’Connor that cricketers were safe in Pakistan and no touring team had been affected by the security environment in any series.

Millions of cricket-mad Asians are following the game over the Internet through computers and mobile phones and big business loves it.
   India’s cricketing wealth, which is estimated to be about 50 times more than any of their rivals, dominates the game in cyberspace with millions following the national team from their homes in the United States and the United Kingdom.
   ‘Our largest markets are North America, mostly Indian expats, West Indians, Pakistanis, UK, Australia and India,’ said Charlie Austin of Cricinfo, cricket’s largest portal which attracts over seven million visitors every month.
   ‘We also reach hundreds of thousands of users in New Zealand, the Middle East, Pakistan and South Africa,’ he told AFP.
   Cricket is ideally suited for cyberspace as the game is played over long hours, mostly during work hours. It is also a sport involving a wide range of statistics.
   ‘The length of the matches and the statistics-rich nature of the game combined drives high global usage and builds loyalty,’ said ESPN Inc, global sports media powerhouse, when it bought into Cricinfo.
   For nearly 15 years, Cricinfo has become a bible for fans and journalists.
   The portal, which was earlier owned by the Wisden Group, makes money by banner sales, along with online partnerships with cricket goods store Cricshop and fixed-odds betting with Bet365.
   The explosive growth in mobile phone usage worldwide, has opened up another cash cow, with ringtones, wallpapers, live video streaming, regular bulletin updates via voice and text messages.
   India, with over a billion people at home and millions scattered over the globe, currently dominates television audiences. Around 450 million people in India watch whenever the home team plays, according to industry figures.
   ‘Any brand that associates itself with cricket, is assured of a good return,’ said Jude de Valliere of Right Angle Sports Marketing. ‘India’s biggest passion is cricket. It’s an advertisers dream market.’
   India may not be the number one team in the world, but it has enormous commercial appeal, and less affluent countries like Sri Lanka cash in on it.
   ‘India’s financial muscle off the field has given the country clout over how the game is run globally,’ said Arjuna Ranatunga, Sri Lanka’s cricket chief and former World Cup winning captain.
   Even the International Cricket Council, the sport’s governing body, has acknowledged India’s financial prowess, saying the subcontinent powerhouse accounts for 70 per cent of the game’s worldwide revenues.
   Broadband boom in the US, UK and Australia has lifted the sport’s growth in cyberspace. But Asians have caught on to cellular technology faster and use their mobile phones to follow the game.
   ‘In India, which is the biggest force in cricket, we are making a lot of progress on the mobile phone front, because cellular access is growing considerably faster than the internet,’ said Austin.
   ‘Mobile subscribers are not shy to dial a phone number and get regular updated bulletins from Ravi Shastri. Whereas in the UK its the opposite, and the focus is on online advertising and betting.’
   Austin reckons the future of the game lies in China and the USA playing competitive cricket in a big way.
   Technology is booming in those countries and an uptake in cricket will send global brands clamouring to get into those markets.

Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful will lead Mohammedan Sporting Club in the upcoming Twenty20 and Premier Cricket League, the club announced at a press conference on Tuesday.
   ‘Mohammedan has a tradition of recruiting the national captain in their squad and this year it is not going to be an exception,’ said Lokman Hossain Bhuyian, the general-secretary of the club.
   Ashraful will lead a strong squad that includes national players Aftab Ahmed, Junaed Siddique, Abdur Razzak. The squad also included former national players Monjurul Islam, Foysal Hossain, Anwar Hossain along with promising Imrul Kayes.
   ‘Last year Mohammedan were crowned Twenty20 champions, but finished second in the league. My mission will be to lift both trophies this year,’ Ashraful said.
   Former skipper Minhajul Abedin was named coach of the side, although he is under-contract with the Bangladesh Cricket Board and currently touring Malaysia with the Under-19 team as assistant.
   ‘We have already talked with BCB and they were positive in releasing him to coach Mohammedan,’ said Lokman.
   Also during the briefing, an 18-member cricket committee for the club was revealed with Golam Mohammad Alamgir as the chairman and Hanif Bhuiya as secretary. The committee has four vice-chairmen in Lutfor Rahman Badal, Mizanur Rahman, Habibullah Khan Don, Morshed Reza.
   ASM Faruque, Roquibul Hasan, Nizamuddin Ahmed, Mobassar Munam, Rafiqul Islam, Sakil Rizvi, Khondokar Asadul Islam Ripon, Mohammad Nadeem, Mohammad Yunus, Saufi Azhar Hossain, Mahmudul Hasan Saju and Azhar Hossain Shantu were made members.
   Mahbubul Anam, Enayet Hossain Siraj, Khondokar Jamil Uddin and M A Matin have named as an advisor to the committee.

Leading cricket umpire Simon Taufel said Tuesday that greater use of technology to help match officials was inevitable following a series of recent controversies.
   Taufel said it was just a matter of time before umpires were able to refer lbw or caught-behind decisions to an off-field official for checking.
   ‘I think given the events over the last month or so it’s probably reasonably inevitable that we’re going to be using more technology in some way, shape or form,’ the Australian told local radio.
   ‘What is likely to happen too is that if that does eventuate, we will probably use technology to err on the side of caution rather than make a judgment without double-checking things.
   ‘What you will probably find is that more decisions, if it’s in the hands of match officials, will tend to be either consulted or referred with the television (umpire).’
   Ranked the top umpire by the International Cricket Council for the past four years, Taufel warned the introduction of new technology or umpiring processes should be approached with caution.
   ‘We have to make sure that we’re not just transferring human error from on the field to off the field,’ he said.
   ‘That the technology and the process is strong enough so that we get the right answer and we’re just not confusing someone else and perhaps delaying the game unnecessarily and still getting the wrong answers.’
   Several of Taufel’s colleagues on the ICC’s elite panel of umpires have come under fire recently for their decision-making.
   West Indian umpire Steve Bucknor was axed from India’s Test tour of Australia after being faulted for several decisions during the highly charged second match in Sydney.
   South African Rudi Koertzen was also criticised after giving Adam Gilchrist out leg before wicket despite television replays showing the Australian deflecting the ball into his pads in the one-day loss to India on Sunday.

Dhaka Mohammedan have brought in two Moroccan footballers for their IFA Shield campaign that begins in Kolkata from February 25.
   Forward Hakim Dawudi and attacking midfielder Adil Karauchi are the two new faces in the traditional black and white outfit. Mohammedan will also take a number of players from other leading Dhaka clubs to form a strong team.
   The departure of the team is still to be decided.
   ‘We will go to Kolkata the day before the match. The tournament is scheduled to kick-off on February 25. and we may have to take the field one or two days later, after receiving the fixture we will decide when to fly,’ said Mostakur Rahman, the additional general secretary of the club.
   Apart from Dhaka Mohammedan, Santos FC of South Africa is the other overseas team. Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan are also set to play in the competition.

The three Twenty20 cricket matches between the Combined Divisional Eleven and West Bengal U-19 team in the upcoming second Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games will take place on February 23, 24 and 26.
   The first match will take place at Bogra’s Shaheed Chandu Stadium, the second will be hosted at the Rajshahi Divisional Stadium and the third at the Fatullah Stadium.
   Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Olympic Association named former star shooter Kazi Shahana Parvin as the female manager of the Bangladesh contingent.
   Former star footballer and BOA deputy secretary general Ashrafuddin Ahmed Chunnu was elected as chef de mission and BOA member Anisur Rahman Dipu was nominated as the general team manager.

Youngmen’s Club Fakirerpool defeated Arambagh 3-1
   in the Senior Division
   Football League at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Tuesday.
   Parvez of Arambagh put Fakirerpool in front in the
   28th minute but Khalil equalised shortly afterwards. Rony however restored Youngmen’s lead on the stroke of half time and Baten sealed the fate of the match scoring the third on the 60th minute.
   Youngmen’s has 17 points from seven matches while Arambagh remained on 12 points.
   The two other matches between Badda Jagarani and City Club and Mahakhali XI and Sunrise ended goalless.

The main draw of the Dhaka Bank 22nd International Junior Tennis starts at the Ramna National Tennis Complex today.
   Six players qualified for the boys’ singles toppling their opponents on Tuesday.Paul Brown of Britain, Lee Yong Jun of Korea, Jayaprakash Mohit of India, Ahuja Sagar of India, Haris Aditya of Indonesia and Oh Su Bin of Korea qualified for the main draw.

India want to play top-ranked Australia more often to exploit the commercial value of the intense rivalry, a senior Indian board official said.
   ‘I had a discussion with CA CEO James Sutherland. Both of us have recognised that the India-Australia series should be played frequently,’ Indian board secretary Niranjan Shah told The Hindu newspaper on Tuesday.
   ‘It will bring a new dimension to India-Australia cricket and it will also become a big commercial success,’ he added.
   The test series against Australia for the Border-Gavaskar trophy has grown bigger than the one against traditional rivals Pakistan in India, a country of 1.1 billion people with the largest global cricket audience and multi-million dollar sponsorship deals.
   ‘This has to be incorporated in the (ICC’s) Future Tour Programme. But the BCCI as a whole has to take a decision on this,’ Shah said. Hosts Australia won 2-1 a four-Test series last month, which ended in acrimony after India spinner Harbhajan Singh was charged for allegedly racially abusing Australia’s Andrew Symonds.
   The Indian off-spinner was later cleared at an appeal.
   Australia will tour India in October and November for four Tests.

A Pakistan-born player is in line to become the first Muslim to play first-class cricket in Australia when he plays for New South Wales in their top-of-the-table match with Victoria here on Friday.
   Usman Khawaja, the 21-year-old son of Pakistani immigrants, has been named for the first time in a sport traditionally dominated here by Anglo-Saxons.
   ‘There are a lot of guys out there and a lot of young cricketers and a lot of subcontinental people in Australia too now,’ Khawaja said Tuesday.
   ‘So I expect over time there to be a lot more multicultural teams.’
   His selection comes a month after a furious row about race and sportsmanship exploded during the Sydney Test between Australia and India.
   India’s Harbhajan Singh was suspended after allegedly calling Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds a monkey. The International Cricket Council’s appeals commissioner John Hansen later overturned the suspension, citing a lack of evidence.
   But Khawaja, who came to Australia when he was four, said he had not encountered any problems on the field because of his background.
   ‘I have never come across anything that could be classified as racial vilification, so it is pretty good I think, and I have played club cricket for over seven years now full time and no problems,’ he said.
   In Sydney club cricket this season, Khawaja tops the batting figures, with 907 runs at 60.47. He has been invited to the Australian Sports Institute’s Cricket Centre of Excellence.

Controversial paceman Shoaib Akhtar and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria could face disciplinary action for publicly criticising Pakistan’s cricket authorities, the cricket board said Monday.
   The players, who recently lashed out at the Pakistan Cricket Board, have one week to explain their comments, the PCB said in a statement.
   ‘The Pakistan Cricket Board has issued letters to Akhtar and Kaneria, seeking their explanation on their recently published articles and statement in the media,’ it said.
   Akhtar on Friday accused the PCB of double standards in awarding central contracts to players.
   The 32-year-old was dropped from Pakistan’s five-match one-day series against Zimbabwe last month over fitness concerns, but was appointed captain of a domestic team for the ongoing Pentangular Cup.
   Akhtar, who was in October fined 3.4 million rupees (about 52,000 dollars) and banned for 13 matches for a string of disciplinary offences, has been dropped from a list of 15 players who were given central contracts by the PCB.
   Instead, the maverick paceman was offered a special retainer for one year, which he refused.
   Kaneria, who has been demoted from ‘B’ category to ‘C’, vented his anger in a website column.
   ‘I deserve a better deal because I have taken over 200 wickets and my achievements are no less than Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis,’ the leg-spinner said, referring to the cricketers who played for Pakistan in 1980s and 90s.
   The PCB has warned players against making public statements criticising board policies.

AC Milan will move into the coveted fourth spot and a Champions League qualification place if they beat Livorno at home today in the last of their games in hand on rivals.
   Milan had been languishing down in mid-table for most of the first half of the season as their Club World Cup commitments left them with three games in hand and a mountain to climb if they were to make the top four spots.
   All the talk in early January was of reassessing their aims and trying to make up the ground on the Champions League places.
   But a run of six wins in seven matches since the turn of the year has propelled them to within two points of fourth-placed Fiorentina, who they beat 1-0 two weeks ago.
   Should they beat lowly Livorno they may well start setting their sights a bit higher and think of catching third-placed Juventus or even second-placed Roma.
   However, Milan have been far from impressive in those six recent victories, four of which came by a 1-0 scoreline, including an ill deserved win over Siena on Sunday.
   That was earned thanks to 18-year-old striking sensation Alberto Paloschi, who scored 18 seconds after making his entrance as a second-half substitute for Brazilian Serginho.
   He became the second 18-year-old striker this season to make a big impression on Milan following Brazilian starlet Pato.
   Paloschi only got his chance because Pato and Kaka are injured and Alberto Gilardino was suspended, although he will return for the Livorno match.
   Gilardino has already seen himself shunted down the Milan pecking order since the January arrival of Pato and the sight of another teenager making a stunning debut must have been a further kick in the teeth.
   But Gilardino insists he was happy for Paloschi, despite the threat the youngster may pose to his first team opportunities.
   ‘I feel very happy. He’s a young lad who deserved his goal and I hope he will score many more like that because for an 18-year-old to come on like he did and score such an important goal after just 18 seconds is an important thing for him.
   ‘He deserves it. He’s a good player, he comes from the Milan area and that makes it even more special.
   ‘He’s a player who has a great feel for the goal, in the area he commands respect and he’s clinical.
   ‘He’s 18 and he doesn’t need any pressure on him right now. He’s got a lot of potential and he’s very talented.’
   Paloschi is unlikely to get another run-out, though, with Gilardino coming back, Filippo Inzaghi fit again and Ronaldo likely to manage more than the 45 ineffectual minutes he offered on Sunday.

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard has warned his team-mates they will miss out on next season’s Champions League if they do not quickly shake off a costly habit of drawing matches they should win.
   A goalless stalemate at Chelsea on Sunday was the Reds’ 11th draw of the season.
   And while Gerrard took encouragement from aspects of his side’s performance, the reality was that Manchester City, Aston Villa and Everton all won at the weekend, thereby gaining ground in the battle for fourth spot.
   ‘Our form has been very inconsistent of late, but the performance against Chelsea was very pleasing and something that we can now build on,’ Gerrard told the club’s website, www.liverpoolfc.tv.
   ‘A lack of consistency has been our problem this season, along with drawing games that we should have won. Coming to Stamford Bridge and getting a point is acceptable, but to draw certain games like we have at home this season, like against Aston Villa and Wigan, they are the most frustrating things.’
   Liverpool have not won away at Chelsea, Manchester United or Arsenal since Rafael Benitez took over as manager at Anfield in 2004, and that record added to the disappointment with Sunday’s result.
   ‘When you control games like that away from home, it’s disappointing not to take maximum points,’ Gerrard added. ‘It would be a waste if we don’t kick on from this and keep on drawing games that we should be winning.
   ‘But not many teams go to Chelsea and get a point, so it’s a positive result to build on.’

Juande Ramos faces a key test of his ambitious plans for Tottenham as his side are one of five British clubs competing in the UEFA Cup round of 32 first leg midweek clashes.
   Ramos, who arrived in October, will be looking for an unprecedented third successive UEFA Cup, having won with Spanish side Sevilla in 2006 and 2007.
   Tottenham head to Czech side Slavia Prague, a club Ramos has already beaten 4-2 in the Champions League this season with Sevilla.
   The English side, winners in 1972 and 1984, are among six former champions still in contention. And captain Robbie Keane insists that they can win both the UEFA Cup and the League Cup final against Chelsea on February 24.
   ‘I can’t see why we can’t win both Cups,’ said Keane.
   ‘There’s no point being where we are if we’re not trying to win both. With this team we have a great chance.’
   Tottenham are boosted by the signings of Gilberto and Jonathan Woodgate, but could be without key defenders as Michael Dawson was injured in the 3-0 Premier League victory at Derby and Ledley King is struggling for fitness.
   Former winners Bayern Munich, Galatasaray, Bayer Leverkusen, PSV Eindhoven and Anderlecht are all looking to keep their bid for a second trophy alive.
   Bayern Munich, winners in 1996 and regarded as favourites this season, travel Thursday to Scottish side Aberdeen, the side who beat them in the quarter-finals of the 1983 Cup Winners’ Cup.
   Jimmy Calderwood’s Aberdeen, however, face an injury crisis ahead of their biggest European match in over 20 years as Richie Byrne, Richard Foster, Jackie McNamara, Derek Young and Jamie Smith will all miss Thursday’s clash.
   And they could be further hit if Barry Nicholson (knee), Zander Diamond (ankle)
   and Darren Mackie (hamstring) do not overcome knocks suffered in Sunday’s 5-1 defeat by Celtic.
   Werder Bremen, who are lying second to Bayern in the Bundesliga, travel to Portuguese side Sporting Braga boosted by having held Bayern 1-1 at the Allianz Arena at the weekend.
   Former winners Galatasaray host Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday as Portuguese giants Benfica will be without midfielder Augustin Binya for their game against visiting Nuremberg as he sits out a six-match suspension.
   Belgian champions Anderlecht, struggling in fifth in the league, will be looking to put their domestic woes
   behind them and restore some national pride when they host French side Bordeaux, who
   won all four matches to top their UEFA Cup group in the autumn.
   ‘I’m not surprised that people consider our league to be in decline. We have a point to prove against Bordeaux. It would be good for the whole of Belgian football and the start of something new for us,’ said defender Olivier Deschacht.
   Scottish leaders Rangers host Greek giants Panathinaikos while Sporting Lisbon play at home against Swiss outfit Basel and Russia’s nine-time champions Spartak Moscow play at French side Marseille.
   Everton, eyeing Champions League action next season, travel to SK Brann in Norway while fellow Premier League side Bolton have their work cut out against visiting in-form Spaniards Atletico Madrid.

Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam on Tuesday said the plan to take Premier League matches overseas was ‘not a good idea’ and called for the proposals to be rejected.
   The world’s top football league has suggested adding one more round of fixtures to their schedule, with 10 games to be played at five different venues outside England from 2011.
   Asian cities touted as possible venues include Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Melbourne, and Singapore.
   While football’s elite league is already hugely popular in the region, with fans flocking to watch the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool when they visit on pre-season tours, Bin Hamman is unimpressed.
   He fears that the popularity of English football is already acting as a barrier to the development of Asia’s own leagues and national sides and said he would recommend his executive committee throw out the plans.
   ‘I always welcome the exchange of knowledge and expertise between foreign football associations and clubs,’ he said in a statement emailed to AFP.
   ‘And I support matches organised between AFC and other confederations which benefit the development of our clubs here in Asia.
   ‘But at the present time, I can’t see the wisdom in the proposed plans.
   ‘With relation to the overall principle, it is my belief that it is not a good idea to organise domestic leagues in other territories other than their own,’ he added.
   ‘If this principle is accepted, then the FA Premier League must accept reciprocal arrangements within their own territory.
   ‘Saying that, my recommendation to the AFC executive committee would be to reject any initiatives of this nature.
   ‘And we would urge the AFC member associations to protect their own national leagues and clubs within their territories. This is our position.’
   English media and supporters groups have also flayed the proposals but influential figures within English football, including Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, have welcomed the initiative.
   Bin Hammam’s opposite number at UEFA, Michel Platini, described the plans as ‘comical.’
   Platini believes there is no chance of the sport’s world governing body FIFA backing the plans when their executive committee meet on March 14 in Zurich.
   ‘It’s a strange and comical idea,’ the former France and Juventus playmaker said over the weekend.
   ‘I was laughing. I laughed because it will never be received by FIFA, by the fans and by the national associations. It’s a nonsense idea.
   ‘Soon you will have in England no English presidents, you already have no English coach, you have no English players and maybe now you will have no clubs playing in England. It’s a joke.’
   Nevertheless, English Premier league chief executive Richard Scudamore has vowed to push on with the proposals.
   The matches would help consolidate the popularity of English football around the globe and boost club revenues by increasing the value of broadcasting/new media rights and attracting new sponsors from the markets concerned.
   The sale of overseas broadcasting rights is already the fastest-growing source of revenue for the league, particularly from armchair fans in Asia and the Middle East.
   Scudamore estimated that the clubs could generate more than five million pounds (10 million dollars) each for their one trip.

Ryan Giggs has warned his Manchester United team-mates that one more slip-up could hand the Premier League title to Arsenal.
   The champions have been left skating on thin ice after their London rivals pulled five points clear at the top of the table by beating Blackburn on Monday night, a day after United lost to local rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford.
   ‘We have to make sure we don’t produce any more performances like Sunday’s,’ Giggs admitted. ‘We probably can’t afford to drop any more points.’
   Since emerging from a sluggish start to their season, United have been regarded by most pundits as strong favourites to hold off an inexperienced Arsenal side and retain their title.
   But they have never been able to pull away from Arsene Wenger’s revitalised young squad and now, with only 12 games left, it is the Gunners who have opened up what could be a critical advantage.
   Giggs admitted the City defeat was fundamentally down to United’s players not producing the goods on the day, distancing himself from assistant manager Carlos Queiroz’s attempt to blame the setback on the fatiguing impact of last week’s international friendlies.
   ‘The team just did not perform as they have done all season,’ said the veteran Welsh winger. ‘It was probably the result City deserved really. They played better.
   ‘City scored at important times and we didn’t recover. They could just sit back then try to catch us on the counter-attack. Defensively we didn’t play well. Attacking-wise, we just didn’t turn up.’
   The title race’s tilt in favour of Arsenal has increased the stakes involved in Saturday’s FA Cup 5th round clash between the two sides at Old Trafford.
   ‘It is important to show in the next game at home to Arsenal that the City result was a one-off,’ recognised Queiroz.
   ‘We need to show we’re ready to fight for the championship until the end of the season. We have a long race in front of us.

Aiyegbeni Yakubu, Everton’s record 11.25-million-pound summer signing, is set to be unleashed on UEFA Cup opponents SK Brann today after being included in their squad for the trip to Norway.
   Furious Everton boss David Moyes had axed Yakubu at the weekend after the Nigeria forward returned two days late from the African Nations Cup in Ghana.
   But that incident now appears to have been forgotten as the Merseyside club pursue their quest for European silverware.
   Midfield duo Steven Pienaar and Mikel Arteta were both left behind as Everton flew out for the first leg of their round-of-32 tie.
   South Africa’s Pienaar is still recovering from the ankle injury he suffered in Ghana while Spaniard Arteta has a groin problem.
   Tim Howard, Everton’s American goalkeeper, said the Yakubu incident was now in the past and implied that Yakubu had apologised to his team-mates.
   ‘We love The Yak,’ said the United States international. ‘He’s been a hugely positive influence on us, not just with the amount of goals he has scored for the team but in the dressing room as well.
   ‘Yes, these things happen but it has been dealt with and the manager has taken care of that. Now we all get on with it. Yak has spoken to us and the sooner we get past it, the better.’
   In Yakubu’s absence, Everton secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Reading to maintain their grip on fourth place in the Premier League table.
   Moyes and his squad travel to Norway seeking a sixth consecutive win in the competition with a last-16 tie against either Rosenborg or Fiorentina awaiting if they can overcome Brann.
   ‘It has been an unbelievable journey so far and we do not want it to end,’ said Phil Neville, the club captain.
   ‘Our supporters have
   been absolutely magnificent and they have added to the excitement.
   ‘Some people might try and make the UEFA Cup out to be a drab and dreary competition but that’s nonsense if you look at the backing we have had.’
   The former Manchester United star added that he was expecting a tough test from Brann.
   ‘They are going to be fit, organised and difficult to break down and you only have to look how well Rosenborg played against Chelsea earlier this season to see that Norwegian football is of good quality.
   ‘What we need to do is keep our concentration, keep it tight and make sure that we are still in the game when we get back to Goodison.’

Newly appointed Iran coach Javier Clemente has said he is inspired by the task of trying to steer the team to qualification for a fourth World Cup.
   ‘For me it is a really great challenge,’ the 57-year-old Spaniard told sports daily AS on Tuesday. ‘They live football there with exactly the same emotion as here. It’s really beautiful.’
   The former Spain and Serbia coach accepted the offer from the Iranian Football Federation on Monday, agreeing to take charge of the three-times Asian Cup winners during the qualification phase for the 2010 World Cup.
   Clemente, who visited Iran last week, said he believed the team had a real possibility of making the tournament in South Africa.
   ‘The players are very skilful, but a little slow,’ he said. ‘They play a patient passing game and there is plenty of work to do, but they have been Asian champions and they have potential.’
   Clemente confirmed he would continue to live in the Basque Country on the north coast of Spain and would travel to Iran in order to prepare for matches.
   ‘I will live in my house on the beach in Zarautz and travel to Tehran a week or two before the games and whenever is necessary,’ he said.
   ‘To be coach of Iran you don’t have to live there. You can only see one match live at a time and the rest you have to study on the video and as far as I know the video works the same in Tehran and Zarautz.
   ‘Iran is just like Spain in that there are only 30 or so players that really need to be followed and that isn’t such a difficult task. You compile reports about each one and the squad will develop from that.
   ‘My aim is to get Iran into the 2010 World Cup and I’m not concerned about anything else.’

Cameroon coach Otto Pfister has confirmed he will remain with the Indomitable Lions and is focusing on qualification for the 2010 World Cup finals.
   The 70-year-old German had hinted at quitting after Cameroon’s 1-0 loss to Egypt in Sunday’s African Nations Cup final in Ghana.
   However, he confirmed to German football magazine Kicker (www.kicker.de) that he would be staying.
   ‘I am going on holiday for three weeks and then we go on. We have friendly matches in the next month and then the World Cup qualifiers begin at the end of May,’ Pfister said. The final defeat to Egypt was the second losing Nations Cup final for Pfister, who was also beaten in 1992 when Ghana lost on penalties to the Ivory Coast in Senegal.
   ‘I have to accept it, I cannot change it. Life goes on,’ he said. ‘The whole team was really down after the loss but after two, three hours everyone was laughing again.’ Cameroon have not yet announced plans for friendly matches in the coming months but begin their World Cup qualifying campaign against the Cape Verde Islands at home on June 2.
   They play three further World Cup qualifiers in June against Mauritius and Tanzania (twice).

Chelsea are understood to be keen on a summer move for Hamburg captain Rafael van der Vaart.
   Chelsea scout Rainer Bonhof, a former Germany international, was in the crowd - and he admitted one player stood out. He told the German press: ‘I can’t say which player I came to watch but when you have a look at the match, you could imagine who was the most interesting. Chelsea were linked with a move for Van der Vaart last summer, while Juventus are also interested. But the midfielder insists he is staying focused on Hamburg for the rest of the season.
   Van der Vaart said: ‘The interest of other clubs is at the moment secondary.’

Brazil coach Carlos Dunga admitted he is already dreaming of winning the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Just 18 months into his term as national coach, the former midfielder Dunga pointed to the Copa America 2007, which Brazil won in Venezuela, as his greatest achievement so far, in an interview published on the website Terra Sports Monday.
   But he stressed that he will not settle just for that.
   ‘In the national team you do not have to think about what you have already won, but about what you can still win,’ Dunga said.
   Dunga - Brazil’s captain when the South American giant won the 1994 World Cup - is the first person with no prior managing experience to coach Brazil, and Dunga said he is happy with the results he has delivered so far.
   ‘No former player took over the Brazilian national team as a rookie coach. No former player obtained the results that we are obtaining. That is why we have to go for more. We have to win where Brazil has never won before. We have to win better, to get a better result, where Brazil has already won before,’ Dunga said.
   He became Brazil coach in August 2006 and was named coach of the year in 2007 by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.

Inter Milan technical manager Marco Branca admitted his team would have to be wary of Liverpool when the two teams clash in the Champions League later this month, despite the English side’s recent troubles.
   Speaking to Radio Kiss Kiss on Monday, Branca said the sky is the limit for the all-conquering Serie A leaders as he set his sights on a clean sweep of trophies this season.
   ‘We don’t place limits on ourselves,’ he said. ‘Even if the Champions League is a difficult competition to win, and which mirrors life in that you need a little bit of luck to succeed.’
   In the second round of the Champions League Inter face a team that have reached two of the last three finals, winning the title in 2005 before losing to AC Milan last May, and that despite never looking likely to win their own domestic title.
   This season has been something of a disaster for Liverpool who are 16 points behind leaders Arsenal in the Premier League despite making a promising start to their campaign.
   ‘Objectively they seem to be struggling,’ said Branca. ‘But you have to take into consideration the historical passion of the club, their fans, the English spirit which came to the fore, for example, in the final against Milan.
   ‘We’ll have to be at 110 percent in the match.’
   Three years ago Liverpool trailed 3-0 at half-time to AC Milan but they forced extra-time and penalties after a storming second-half comeback before lifting the title following the spot-kicks.
   The first leg is at Anfield on February 19 with the second leg at the San Siro on March 11

Arsenal moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League as goals from Philippe Senderos and Emmanuel Adebayor secured a 2-0 win over Blackburn on Monday.
   Arsene Wenger’s side took full advantage of Manchester United’s defeat on Sunday to open up a substantial advantage over the reigning champions.
   If the Gunners go on to take United’s crown this could prove to be a defining weekend in the race for the title.
   After a brief wobble in December, Arsenal are unbeaten in 10 league games and show no sign of nerves as their duel with United hots up.
   But for Blackburn goalkeeper Brad Friedel’s heroics at the Emirates Stadium the leaders would have won by more.
   This was the kind of gritty display that is not always Arsenal’s trademark and it proved they are prepared to get their hands dirty to win the title.
   ‘It has been a very good weekend for us after the results on Sunday,’ Wenger said. ‘We were under pressure to get the win but we controlled the game and Friedel kept them in it.
   ‘We are in a good position and believe we can do it but we know it is far from over. We will have to fight until the last minute of the championship.’
   Blackburn boss Mark Hughes added: ‘We were disappointed to concede so early but I was delighted with the response. We passed it around on a par with Arsenal after that.
   ‘2-0 is a little bit harsh on us. I thought the performance merited more than that. But Arsenal are in pole position and if they keep winning they will win the title.’
   United’s slip-up in the Manchester derby had presented Arsenal with the chance to give themselves some breathing space. It was a tantalising prospect and clearly added an extra edge to their play.
   They were razor sharp early on, with Eduardo setting the tone as his penetrating run earned a fourth minute corner.
   Eduardo took the set-piece himself and his teasing cross was perfect for Senderos, who escaped Benni McCarthy’s slack marking and powered a header past Friedel.
   Wenger’s side should have been further ahead after a sublime one-touch move gave Mathieu Flamini a clear sight of goal.
   Adebayor swept a volleyed pass out to Cesc Fabregas, who wrong-footed the Rovers defence with a header that sent Flamini clear, only for the French midfielder to shoot straight at Friedel.
   Few teams in Europe can match Arsenal’s sense of adventure. Even the central defenders are given license to go forward, as William Gallas showed with a surging run and shot that deflected just wide.
   It is a year since Fabregas found himself in hot water for aiming a petulant tirade at Hughes’s defensive tactics after Blackburn ground out an FA Cup draw at the Emirates.
   Blackburn were marginally more aggressive this time and could have been level before half-time despite being out-played for long periods.
   Brett Emerton’s cross picked out McCarthy and he should have done better than glance a weak header away from goal. Even then Roque Santa Cruz almost converted the South African’s miscue with a diving header at the far post.
   Santa Cruz was off-target again with a lunging effort from Bruno Berner’s cross moments later.
   Blackburn winger David Bentley has prospered to such an extent since leaving Arsenal two years ago that he is now regarded as one of England’s brightest stars.
   He forced Jens Lehmann into action after the break with a free-kick which the Arsenal keeper scrambled away.
   Arsenal were quickly back in the ascendancy though. Eduardo lifted a pass to Alexander Hleb on the opposite side of the penalty area and the Belarus winger crashed his shot against a post.
   Adebayor was next to threaten with a low shot after leaving Andre Ooijer for dead but Friedel saved well.
   Fabregas went close with a 20-yard shot that skimmed wide after good interplay between Hleb and Eduardo.
   But Rovers refused to cave in and Friedel denied Adebayor twice in quick succession. The American keeper’s best save was yet to come as he sprang to his right to keep out Hleb’s stinging drive.
   Adebayor delivered the knockout blow in stoppage time when he collected Hleb’s pass and drove his shot past Friedel. United have been warned.

Arsene Wenger has warned Manchester United that Arsenal won’t be affected by the pressure of leading from the front in the Premier League title race.
   Wenger’s side extended their advantage over United to five points with a 2-0 win over Blackburn on Monday and the French coach took encouragement from the way they once again handled a tricky situation with extreme confidence.
   United’s defeat in the Manchester derby on Sunday had left Arsenal with the tantalising prospect of opening up their first substantial gap at the top. But the pressure that comes with such an opportunity, plus the obstacle of a resolute Rovers, could have proved too much for the young Gunners.
   Instead they rose to the occasion with goals from Philippe Senderos and Emmanuel Adebayor taking their unbeaten league run to 10 matches.
   ‘I feel we handled the pressure very well each time this year when we’ve had our backs to the wall,’ Wenger said.
   ‘Last week we played first at Manchester City and we won. This week we played last and we won as well. We’ve come up with the same answer each time.
   ‘We always had the belief from the first day, but there’s still a long way to go. As soon as you’re not at your best at the top, you can drop points. We have seen that over the weekend.
   ‘We have still 12 games to go. We are in a good position. We believe we can do it. But we’re not fools as well. It’s far from being over.
   ‘We’ll have to fight until the last minute of the championship. We still have hard games ahead of us.
   ‘I don’t want my team to focus on the difference between us and the rest. I want us to focus on strengthening our lead and asserting our authority.’
   Senderos opened the scoring in the fourth minute when he escaped Benni McCarthy’s slack marking to meet Eduardo’s corner with a powerful header that gave Brad Friedel no chance.
   Fridel produced excellent stops to deny Mathieu Flamini, Adebayor and Alexander Hleb. But Adebayor put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time with a fine finish. As long as Adebayor remains in such prolific form, Arsenal will believe they can end their four-year wait for the title. The Togo striker has scored 12 times in nine games to draw level with Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo on 19 league goals this season.
   Ever the purist, Wenger insisted he admires the contribution of the players who create Adebayor’s goals as much as the finisher’s efforts.
   ‘He can score goals, but I believe that all the strikers benefit from our outstanding teamwork,’ Wenger said.
   ‘It’s not a coincidence that strikers who play here score goals because everybody goes forward, everybody gives you good balls. The team feeds you when we go forward. They have given us a lot of good food.’
   While Blackburn boss Mark Hughes claimed the score was harsh on his side, in truth they were never dangerous enough to warrant extending their seven-match unbeaten run. Hughes knows what it takes to win the title after his success as a player with Manchester United and he believes Arsenal are made of the right stuff.
   ‘Arsenal needed the three points and they’ve taken advantage of the results over the weekend,’ Hughes said. ‘They’re in pole position. If they keep on winning, they’ll win the title.’
   Hughes, who will take his team to Florida for a warm-weather training camp this week, was more concerned about Andre Ooijer’s hamstring injury, which threatens to rule the Dutch defender out for a month.

New Zealand (165/0) beat England (158) by 10 wickets
   A dominant batting performance by openers Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder powered New Zealand to a 10-wicket win over England in the second one-day cricket international here Tuesday.
   The overwhelming victory, completed with 17.5 overs to spare in the rain-shortened game, lifted New Zealand to 2-0 in the five-match series.
   Set an adjusted target of 165 to win in 36 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis system, McCullum belted 80 off 47 balls and Ryder cracked 79 from 62 with six extras.
   Their unbroken stand was a New Zealand record against England, eclipsing the 160 by Martin Crowe and Geoff Howard set in 1984.
   England, sent into bat after New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori won the toss, were all out for 158 with five balls remaining in their innings, which was interrupted by a 140-minute rain delay.
   England captain Paul Collingwood had no excuses for the below-par performance.
   ‘We were well beaten, weren’t good enough,’ he said.
   ‘We started off well until the rain break and after that it was just a devastating period for us. We’re not making any excuses tonight, we weren’t good enough, simple as that.’
   Vettori meanwhile was full of praise for McCullum and the 23-year-old Ryder, who was playing only his second international.
   ‘They can be an exciting opening pair for us for a lot of years and if they keep playing like that they’re going to make some crowds pretty happy,’ Vettori said.
   ‘They go out and be aggressive, and play their natural games and when you sit back and watch it they are actually playing really good cricket shots. Nothing looks out of control.’
   McCullum had an early life in New Zealand’s run chase when he was dropped by wicketkeeper Phil Mustard off James Anderson’s second ball but his innings was chanceless from then on.
   In the paceman’s second over, McCullum took 11 runs off the first three balls and Ryder followed with a boundary as they upped the tempo.
   McCullum’s innings included eight fours and five sixes while Ryder smashed 11 boundaries and two sixes as they massacred the England attack.
   It has been a remarkable turnaround for New Zealand following the tourists’ wins in the two Twenty20 matches last week.
   Earlier, the home side stayed calm when England openers Alastair Cook and Mustard tore into the New Zealand attack and romped along at seven runs an over.
   The breakthrough came in the sixth over when New Zealand bowling spearhead Chris Martin removed Cook (13) and Ian Bell in successive balls to have the tourists 41 for two.
   Kevin Pietersen avoided the hat-trick and, with Cook, took England to 85 for two when rain stopped play after 15 overs.
   When play resumed, England were unable to regain their momentum. Pietersen lasted less than two overs before he was trapped leg before wicket by Michael Mason for 29, starting a rout in which they lost eight wickets for 73 runs.
   Cook was run out for 53 after facing 69 balls while the only other batsmen to reach double figures were Ravi Bopara and Stuart Broad, who both scored 23.
   The tourists suffered from poor decision-making, with three run-outs in the innings.
   For New Zealand, Martin, Mason and Vettori took two wickets apiece while Jacob Oram conceded just 12 runs from his seven overs.
   New Zealand won the first match in Wellington by six wickets on Saturday and have the chance to seal the series in the third match at Auckland on Friday.

Roma captain and talisman Francesco Totti claimed on Monday that league leaders Inter Milan are consistently benefitting from some dubious refereeing decisions.
   Inter Milan won 2-0 at Catania on Sunday but television replays later showed that their first goal should have been disallowed for offside.
   That follows on the heels of two highly controversial penalty decisions going in their favour in January.
   ‘I don’t want to attack Inter because I don’t think the club has anything to do with it and because they have good players who are winning on the pitch,’ said Totti in an interview with Sky Italia.
   ‘But there’s definitely something going on. Something in the sense that they’re having a little helping hand.
   ‘I think there’s a little bit of psychological pressure on everyone because they’re afraid of Inter at the moment.
   ‘If the referees had the courage and loyalty to say what they see, it would be easier (for us). But they’re denying the facts.’
   Totti seems to be suggesting that referees are subconsciously helping Inter rather than blatantly cheating in favour of the champions, particularly against smaller teams. It is an accusation that has long been levelled against successful, winning teams.
   ‘Unfortunately it’s always existed, it’s a part of football. Before it was Juve and now it’s Inter,’ added Totti.
   Two seasons ago Juventus were demoted to Serie B and stripped of their previous two league titles for their part in a match-fixing scandal that also saw points deductions handed out to AC Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio and Reggina.
   ‘I don’t think Inter would have done what Juve did. Inter are winning on the pitch,’ added the Roma captain.
   ‘And referees can make mistakes because it’s not easy to manage a game for 90 minutes and not make a single mistake.’
   Inter are currently eight points clear of Roma having won 17 and drawn five of their 22 league matches this season. Last season they romped to the title by 22 points from second-placed Roma.

It was sometimes hard to know where to focus at the 2008 African Nations Cup with a feast of drama both on and off the pitch.
   The battle for the African crown has been generally acclaimed as the best yet, a view supported by a record number of goals and worthy champions in Egypt, which is saying something given the horrendous organisational hiccups that dogged the three week competition.
   The atmosphere in the stadia, especially when Ghana were in action, was a riot of noise and colour.
   While the football fizzed like champagne there was plenty going on the sidelines too, not least the fact that between them the Confederation of African Football and the local organising committee managed to mismanage a whole host of situations.
   Accreditation was little short of a shambles, with the world’s media enduring a tortuous process to obtain their passes.
   It got so bad Ghana’s Minister of Sport was forced to appear on television to apologise.
   Ticketing was another dubious area with local fans almost causing a mini riot when they descended on the distrubutors to vent their anger at the non-availability of tickets.
   Many were snapped up at the face value of about four dollars and sold on by raceketeers at prices up to 50 dollars - well outside the pocket of half the population in this west African state which earns an average of a dollar a day.
   The teams too had their problems, with Cameroon coach Otto Pfister seeming to raise a new gripe almost on a daily basis.
   ‘It’s a total catastrophe,’ the 70-year-old German blasted after the beaten finalists’s kit went missing and their hotel rooms weren’t prepared.
   ‘Every day there’s something. Remember, we’ve got several world stars in the squad - it’s really hard trying to keep up the team’s morale.’
   No soooner had organisation improved than the shadow of match-fixing fell on the tournament.
   Benin coach Reinhard Fabisch claimed he’d been appproached by a man representing an Asian betting syndicate interested in fixing Benin’s opening Group B game with Mali.
   Then the Namibia players announced they’d been offered 30,000 dollars a man to throw their Group A game with Guinea.
   Hosts Ghana then had to survive a near walk-out from striker Asamoah Gyan after the torrent of abuse he received for his lacklustre display against Namibia.
   The Udinese forward and his family were subjected to threats and the family home was put under police protection.
   ‘It was more than just unfair criticism. He was threatened, his mother was threatened, his father was threatened. It’s the stupidity of the world that we live in,’ said Ghana coach Claude Le Roy.
   Over in Kumasi it wasn’t all plain sailing for champions Egypt, who changed hotels three times before finding suitable accommodation.
   It wouldn’t be normal for a tournament such as this to pass without an incident involving Tunisia’s prickly coach Roger Lemerre, who stormed out of one press conference and confiscated a tripod belonging to a Tunisian television crew.
   Then there were the usual disputes over players’ bonuses with the Zambia camp publically denying there players staged a protest before their game against Cameroon over the ever thorny issue.
   All of the above of course was put in the shade by the exploits of Mohamed Aboutraika, Egypt’s goal hero in Sunday’s final, all time top scorer Samuel Eto’o and company on the pitches of Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi and Tamale.
   Finally, Ghana striker Junior Agogo is used to the adulation of his home fans but one, an 82-year-old grandfather, went a step further when he offered the Nottingham Forest forward his granddaughter’s hand in marriage.
   ‘I’d like to meet her,’ was the Ghana star’s eager reaction.

Manchester United memorabilia marking the anniversary of the Munich air disaster was up for sale online within hours of being given out, to the dejection Monday of a survivor.
   To commemorate 50 years since the plane crash, which killed 23 people including eight United players, the club gave out plain scarves at their Old Trafford ground for Sunday’s derby game against Manchester City.
   Fans among the 75,970-strong crowd held them aloft during an impeccably-observed minute’s silence before the English Premier League match, in which City beat the champions 2-1.
   But within hours of the final whistle, sellers on the Internet auction site eBay were offering items from the tribute pack, containing a scarf, a letter from United chairman David Gill and a replica programme from the first game after the disaster.
   One pack sold for 110 pounds (214 dollars, 148 euros) plus postage, while another sold for 89 pounds.
   Munich plane crash survivor and former United player Albert Scanlon said: ‘You don’t go to these things to make money.’
   eBay user powellïash posted the message: ‘For all the idiots and so-called Manchester United FC fans who wish to cash in on this tragic event for the club, you are quite simply a disgrace.
   ‘If the Munich tribute scarf means very little to you why don’t you pass it on to someone who will cherish the item for many years—perhaps even the younger generation of United fans, many of whom are priced out at going to Old Trafford and replaced by people like you, who seem to have no concept on supporting this great club or the events at Munich.’
   Sunday’s match saw United play in an old-fashioned plain strip numbered 1-11, with no names on the back of their shirts. Sponsors’ logos were absent on both teams’ kits.

Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure has claimed Ivory Coast team-mate Didier Drogba has told him he would like to move to the Nou Camp.
   Drogba’s future at Chelsea has been the subject of conjecture since Jose Mourinho’s departure from Stamford Bridge.
   The former Marseille star has previously indicated he could leave Chelsea at the end of the season, and Toure says he spoke to Drogba about a potential move to Barcelona while they were at the African Nations Cup.
   ‘Of course, we talked about Barcelona,’ Toure told Ona FM. ‘Didier Drogba is a very important player in my country, but he costs a lot of money.
   ‘He would really like to play for Barca because we have a great team and have great players.
   ‘Drogba told me that he would like to come and play with me, but he knows that it is complicated as Eto’o, Henry and Messi are already there.’
   Italian giants AC Milan are also thought to be tracking Drogba and could move for him if he decides to leave Chelsea at the end of the season.

Manchester United lost their fourth Premier League game of the season against City at Old Trafford, a fact not helped by one notable absentee in the Red Devils’ line-up.
   Wayne Rooney found himself sitting in the stands and watching yet another defeat in his absence. United’s four defeats have occurred when Rooney has been out.
   Without Rooney this term, United have only managed to find the net nine times in 10 Premier League fixtures; an average of 0.90 a match, whereas with the England striker they have averaged 2.56 goals a game.
   With Rooney without Rooney
   16 Games 10
   13 Wins 5
   3 Draws 1
   0 Losses 4
   41 Goals for 9
   2.56 Average goals for 0.90
   7 Goals against 7
   0.44 Average goals against 0.70
   81 per cent Per cent Win 50 per cent
   2.63 Points per game 1.60

With applications set to close at midnight on Tuesday, a staggering two million tickets have been requested by Germany fans for the 14,400 available for their country’s three Euro 2008 pool games in Austria.
   After the success of the 2006 World Cup, the demand for Germany’s three games against Poland (June 8) and Croatia (June 12) in the southern Austrian city of Klagenfurt, plus the clash with hosts Austria in Vienna (June 16), has gone through the roof.
   After the euphoria of hosting the World Cup, where Germany finished third, their fans are clamouring to get tickets to see their heroes in action for the June 7 to 29 tournament with the final to be held in Vienna.
   ‘It seems to be German fans’ mission impossible to get tickets for Euro 2008,’ said German Football Federation secretary-general Wolfgang Niersbuch.
   ‘Unfortunately there will be only a few joyful winners and it is a pity we have so few tickets to give away in a ballot which will take place at the end of the month.’
   The main problem is that Klagenfurt’s Hypo Group Arena only holds 32,000 spectators and the DFB can only hand over 14,400 of the 21,765 tickets it has to fans.
   ‘We also have to give tickets to our committees, the Bundesliga clubs, the regional organisations, our sponsors and the players’ families get an allocation too.’
   For the two games in Klagenfurt, the DFB gets 5,722 tickets per game with 10,321 available for the game against Austria at the Ernst Happel Stadium, which has a capacity of 50,000.
   Each prospective customer could order up to four tickets on-line until midnight on Tuesday, with tickets coasting between 45 to 550 euros (65 to 799 dollars).
   For each ticket, there is a five percent handling charge with an extra 20 euros (30 dollars) charge for the posting of each order.
   The total price is charged to a credit card as soon as it is dispatched.