EAGLES 2011 UPDATE

 NOT A DONE DEAL!

Obafemi Yet To Udergo Medical, Agrees Personal Terms



Birmingham admit there is still plenty of work to be done before striker Obafemi Martins completes his possible loan move from Rubin Kazan.

The former Newcastle player is due to fly into Birmingham to launch negotiations with the Carling Cup finalists.

But sources close to Blues indicate there will be no concrete announcements regarding 26-year-old Martins until Monday.

Martins is still to undergo a medical and to negotiate terms while Birmingham also have to obtain a work permit for the Nigeria international.

Blues boss Alex McLeish is desperate to bring in a new forward before the transfer window closes.
He failed in his attempts to sign Robbie Keane and Kenny Miller.

Martins moved from Inter Milan to Newcastle in 2006 and scored 39 goals in 105 appearances for the Magpies.

He was sold to Wolfsburg for £9million in the summer of 2009 but after 12 months moved to Rubin Kazan.

Victor Moses Returns, Set For Eagles Debut

Victor Moses’ return to competitive football is one that will certainly gladden the heart of Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia ahead of the February 9 international friendly game against Guatemala.

The 20 year-old striker had suffered from a shoulder injury which put his availability for the friendly against Guatemala ranked 117th in serious doubt but Wigan Athletic played out a goalless draw against Bolton Wanderers in the 4th Round of the FA Cup on Saturday with Moses playing for 72 minutes in the game.

The Latics coach, Roberto Martinez hailed the impact of the Kaduna-born striker who is set to make his Nigerian debut in less than 10 days time.

“He has been working with the group for 10 days and was ready for the game, but I didn’t think he would last as long as he did.

“He was a bit tired at the end of the game but he is going to be a major player for us until  the end of the campaign.

“He is actually three weeks ahead of schedule. That comes down to his desire and hard work behind the scenes,” the Manager asserted.

Obiora Nwankwo Joins Parma Today

New Super Eagles invitee, Obiora Nwankwo, will fly out to Parma today, Monday, to complete the remaining part of the season there.

 The loan transfer of the enterprising midfielder from Italian champions, Inter Milan, was concluded on Thursday by representatives of the player, Parma and Inter officials in Milan.

Nwankwo has also put his signature to the deal and will be moving out to his new base today.
Under the terms of the loan, the player, who was signed by Inter a year ago from Eco Football Club of Lagos, in a co-ownership deal with Parma, will have his new club take over payment of his salary from February, 2011.

Before the move to Parma was sealed, Catania and Cesena, two other Italian sides, made late attempts to take the player, but Parma really wanted him and went all out to exercise their right over Nwankwo, since they co-own him with Inter.

The midfield ace's contract with Parma will be deposited with the Italian league today and his registration effected.

Complete Sports gathered that the Flying Eagles star at the last FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt is happy with the transfer as it will afford him the chance of regular first-team football.

Though Inter had foot dragged at letting him leave because they needed him as cover, Nwankwo had made his intentions of going to a club that will guarantee him playing time clear.

Nsofor Gets Grant’s Praise

Avram Grant was happy to hail Victor Obinna on Sunday after his star showing against Nottingham Forest.

The Nigerian was the centre of attention at Upton Park as his hat-trick helped the Hammers book their place in the FA Cup fifth round.

His treble condemned Forest to a 3-2 defeat, preserving West Ham's impressive record in cup competition this season in the process.

Grant was delighted to see Obinna steal the show and help his side progress, with the African ace more than capable of tearing the best defences to shreds on his day.

He said: "He is a good talent. He has not played so many games in the last few years and he is developing.

"He will get better and better. He scored three goals but we need him to be efficient in the league games.”

Liverpool to demand Anelka

By Harry Harris, Football Correspondent
ESPNsoccernet has been informed on Sunday night that Liverpool do not wish to sell Fernando Torres, but would be willing to do a deal worth £50 million which includes Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka returning to Anfield.

PA PhotosFernando Torres has been on Chelsea's radar for 18 months

• Suarez passes medical
• £50m could get Torres
• Transfer request rejected
It is now a straight £50 million deal to include Anelka, take it or leave it, according to ESPNsoccernet sources at both Liverpool and Chelsea.
Whether that is £40 million plus Anelka valued at £10 million has not been confirmed by either club and there are many imponderables as the transfer window edges to its 11pm GMT close on Monday night with potentially the biggest and most spectacular deal in the balance.
Roman Abramovich's latest offer was well short of the £50 million mark, with a bid of £35 million in cash plus Daniel Sturridge, taking the total package to £40 million - and there is, as yet, no sign that the Blues' owner will meet Liverpool's demands.
Among many of the factors that put the Torres move to Stamford Bridge on a knife edge, with insiders saying "it will go to the wire," is whether Abramovich will sanction a record busting deal for British football. There are real doubts that he will.
Or, indeed, if Anelka would co-operate in switching to Liverpool as the makeweight, or whether Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti is prepared to sacrifice Anelka to get Torres.
Torres returned from a short break in Spain on Sunday and trained on his own at Melwood, purely because he arrived latter than his team-mates, which had been agreed in advance. It is not to be interpreted that he is already being ostracised by Dalglish and the owners in preparation for a sale.
The club then spent time reassuring Torres and his representatives that they have been making efforts to recruit players in the January transfer window, but had been rebuffed in their bids for Ashley Young and Charlie Adam, although a renewed bid for Adam is expected on Monday. Villa have made it plain that Young is not for sale unless the price becomes too attractive to turn down.
Abramovich felt he could get Torres on the cheap, by first offering £28 million knowing that Torres wanted to go to his club with the player submitting a written transfer request to back it up.
While it was widely speculated that Chelsea had bid anything from £35 million to £60 million, ESPNsoccernet revealed that those figures were preposterously wide of the mark, and that the actual bid was £28 million, followed by a subsequent offer of £32 million.
With Liverpool making it perfectly plain 'with thanks, but no thanks', it has become clear that Liverpool will only entertain the figure they had agreed with Torres last summer when the striker accepted that he would stay for the season with the promise that the club would deliver the players to return to the Champions League.
Although that £50 million buy-out clause only kicks in at the end of the season, Torres has argued that there is no chance of Champions league football now, and that the club should honour the principle of their agreement.
Liverpool will do that for that buy-out price of £50 million, but will accept a player exchange because they do not have time to sign a replacement on the final day of the transfer window.
Having signed Luis Suarez from Ajax for nearly £23 million, they have a striker arriving without any Premier League experience and don't want to be left short in that department, so would want Anelka, who has vast experience and once played for Liverpool, rather than the inexperienced Sturridge.
Liverpool are determined to turn out Torres alongside Suarez, or Anekla alongside Suarez. With only one day left, that seems an awful lot of work to do to make the deal happen.
Ironically, Liverpool travel to Chelsea for a vital Premier League clash just a week after the transfer window closes, and the indications are quite strong that Torres will remain in a Liverpool shirt. Only a complete U-turn of Abramovich's transfer policy in the final 24 hours of the January transfer window could alter that.

Fabregas puts Gunners through

PA Photos

Cesc Fabregas strokes the ball home from the penalty spot

Teams

Arsenal	Huddersfield Town
1 Manuel Almunia	13 Ian Bennett
18 Sebastien Squillaci	18 Jamie McCombe
27 Emmanuel Eboué	5 Peter Clarke
6 Laurent Koscielny	2 Lee Peltier
28 Kieran Gibbs	12 Tom Clarke
23 Andrei Arshavin	32 Jack Hunt
8 Samir Nasri	20 Kevin Kilbane
2 Abou Diaby	4 Joey Karl Gudjonsson
15 Denilson	7 Gary Roberts
52 Nicklas Bendtner	11 Anthony Pilkington
29 Marouane Chamakh	19 Alan Lee
Substitutes
53 Wojciech Szczęsny	Nick Colgan 25
7 Tomas Rosicky	Gary Naysmith 3
4 Cesc Fábregas	Antony Kay 8
17 Alex Song	Scott Arfield 16
14 Theo Walcott	Aiden Chippendale 34
19 Jack Wilshere	Chris Atkinson 31
10 Robin Van Persie	Lee Novak 21
Substitutions
Tomas Rosicky for Samir Nasri (33)	Scott Arfield for Tom Clarke (60)
Alex Song for Marouane Chamakh (46)
Cesc Fábregas for Abou Diaby (69)
Yellow Cards
Kieran Gibbs (27)	Scott Arfield (68)
Cesc Fábregas (90)	Anthony Pilkington (84)
	Jamie McCombe (85)
	Jack Hunt (90)
Red Cards
Sebastien Squillaci (42)
· Squads: Arsenal | Huddersfield Town

Cesc Fabregas came off the bench to net another late penalty as ten-man Arsenal laboured into the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 2-1 victory over League One Huddersfield at Emirates Stadium.
• Nasri a doubt for Barca tie
The Gunners - who made sweeping changes from the midweek Carling Cup semi-final win over Ipswich - took the lead when Nicklas Bendtner's angled shot deflected off Terriers skipper Peter Clarke on 22 minutes.
However, influential midfielder Samir Nasri limped off with a hamstring problem, which could yet rule him out of the Champions League showdown with Barcelona, before Sebastien Squillaci was shown a red card by referee Mark Clattenburg for blocking Jack Hunt's surging run.
Alan Lee headed a deserved equaliser for the Terriers, but Fabregas won it from the spot after Jamie McCombe was adjudged to have pushed Bendtner over.
The Premier League title challengers were on top soon after kick-off. Bendtner, who netted a superb goal to open the scoring against Ipswich in midweek, charged into the right side of the Huddersfield penalty area. The ball eventually broke to Andrey Arshavin at the far post, but the out-of-sorts Russian blasted his shot high into the stands.
Arshavin continued to see plenty of possession, and cut in from the left before his low centre across the six-yard was turned just wide by Bendtner, while an angled shot was pushed onto the outside of the post by veteran keeper Ian Bennett.
A stray pass from Squillaci suddenly set Kevin Kilbane clear, but as he played in Lee, Laurent Koscielny got across to cover.
Arsenal took the lead on 22 minutes via a deflection. Bendtner collected the ball on his chest before charging toward the right side of the penalty area, where he fired in an angled drive which ricocheted off Clarke and flew into the bottom corner.
Huddersfield immediately went on the offensive and it needed a deft touch from Squillaci to poke the ball away from Lee as he looked set to net after a low ball into the Arsenal penalty area from the right by Anthony Pilkington.
There was concern for Arsenal when Nasri pulled up holding his hamstring after chasing a long drop-kick from Almunia. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger was taking no chances, immediately replacing the French playmaker with Tomas Rosicky.
It should have been 1-1 on 38 minutes when former Aston Villa midfielder Joey Gudjonsson floated a high ball into the Arsenal penalty area, which eluded the centre halves and dropped for Pilkington, but he headed wide.
There was then high drama when Squillaci was shown a red card, adjudged last man by Clattenburg, after he blocked Hunt following a surging run from the Terriers defender, which had started in his own half. With no other defensive cover on the bench, striker Marouane Chamakh was sacrificed as Alex Song came in alongside Koscielny for the second half.
Arshavin was played clear by Rosicky down the left channel and took the ball into the area before stabbing it into the side-netting.
Arsenal were forced to be both patient and cautious as Huddersfield looked to get forwards themselves at every opportunity.
Arshavin made a brave sliding challenge at the near post to take the ball away from Gudjonsson as he shaped to shoot. The Terriers refused to lay down as they were cheered forwards by their army of supporters packed behind Almunia's goal.
McCombe glanced a header just wide and then Almunia made a brilliant save at full stretch to push behind Lee's header, which look destined for the bottom-left corner.
The equaliser, though, eventually came on 66 minutes when Lee crashed in a bullet header from Pilkington's corner as the Clock End erupted in a sea of blue and white.
With 21 minutes left and Wenger desperate to avoid a replay, Abou Diaby was replaced by Fabregas, whose last-gasp spot-kick had kept his side in their third-round tie here against Leeds.
Bendtner sent a header just over as suddenly Arsenal found some fluency again. The Gunners were handed a reprieve with five minutes left when Bendtner went down in the box under what looked minimal contact from McCombe, who received a yellow card.
Fabregas stepped up to send the 'keeper the wrong way and once again save his team's blushes.

 

HOME > NEWS > OBAFEMI MARTINS RETURNS TO ENGLAND

 

Obafemi Martins returns to England

Martins returns to England

Posted: 2011-01-28 14:10

Nigeria striker Obafemi Martins has joined Premier League side Birmingham City on a six month loan deal from Russian club Rubin Kazan. 

The striker, who last played in England for Newcastle, will stay with Birmingham until the end of the season.

Martins became a father for the first time in December, and his desire to be close to his young family is said to be the major reason behind the move.

Martins joined Rubin Kazan from German club Wolfsburg at the start of the current campaign, but has yet to light up the Russian top division. 

Four more battles in Cup

Friday, 28 January 2011 15:00 Ung Chamroeun

Kirivong Sok Sen Chey striker In Vichheka will regain the lead in the scorers charts of the 2011 Samdech Hun Sen Cup if he can net more than once on Sunday. Photo by: Sreng Meng Srun

The 2011 Samdech Hun Sen Cup wraps up its final four fixtures of the round of 16 this weekend at Olympic Stadium. We take a look at the match-ups spread over tomorrow and Sunday.

Police Military of Stung Treng v National Police Commissary
Saturday January 29 – 2pm
Coach Hok Sochivoan has skillfully led the Police Military of Stung Treng team to be the only provincial side to advance to the knockout stage as leaders of their group. The former national team player was philosophical ahead of this weekend’s last 16 fixture against National Police Commissary.

“As a coach, I want my team win every match, but [if we] win or lose depends on our strength and our luck,” he said.

Sok Sam Ath and Hout Chhaya are touted as the players to watch for Stung Treng.

Hok Sochivoan will meet his past Cambodia team colleague and now Police Comissary coach Ung Kanyanith on the sidelines of this highly anticipated clash.

In the National Police Commissary camp, skipper Sophal Udom and Oum Dimanche are still doubfuls for the upcoming match with knee injuries.

“However, we have enough class to defeat the Stung Treng side,” assured club vice president So Moniroath. “We are a lot of young talent players such as Tith Dina, Long Nasy and Soy Piseth.”

National Defence Ministry v Chhma Khmao
Saturday January 29 – 4:30pm
Despite the controversial exodus during the off-season of six key players, Cup holders National Defence Ministry (MND) are still in with a chance of retaining the trophy while Chhma Khmao will attempt to save some face after being relegated from the top tier last year.

MND assistant coach Hor Sok Heng recognised that his team have been weakened for this campaign, but praised the performance of youngsters such as Phoung Soksana and Chhin Chhoeun.

“Sure, we are not so strong compared to previous years, but we will try to defend the title,” he said, adding that their only injury concern was Touch Sok Heng.

Svay Rieng outfit Chhma Khmao face an uphill struggle for a place in the quarterfinals, with star duo - Men Piseth (suspened) and Sok Kolamara (knee injury) – out of action.

“We will have to work hard to win the match,’ said coach Pin Dara. “We lost our two best players, but we still have Kong Vichea, Khom Piseth and Uong Dara.”

According to the coach, Chhma Khmao receive vital financial support from Dy Vichea, son-in-law of Prime Minister Hun Sen and also son of the former chief of the National Police.

Naga Corp v Koh Kong
Sunday January 30 –2pm
Naga Corp manager Lam Tiny says he is still shocked at the decision by the Football Federation of Cambodia to forbid former MND players Sin Dalin and Nov Soseila from playing with their new team in the competion.

“I don’t know well about FIFA rules, but I just want them keep playing football,” said the manager. “It won’t affect the result of our match [this weekend]. We already have a strong squad to beat Koh Kong.”

Lam Tiny said he demands a solid performance from his back line, revealing that bonuses are given for keeping clean sheets, something they have achieved in every game during the group phase this year.

“I hope my old players, such Om Thavarak, Neang Chenla, Meas Channa, Pok Chanthan and Teab Vathanak, will try their best with some of them playing for the last time in their football careers,” added the manager.

Meanwhile, Koh Kong’s first choice goalkeeper Soup Phy will be on the bench because of a leg injury. Coach Kao Sara is struggling to stay optimistic ahead of the match against one of the top clubs in the Kingdom.

“We are a young side, so it’s difficult to say positive, but we will try our best,” he said. “We have striker Hun Sopheak, who has scored goals in each game of the group stage.”

Kirivong Sok Sen Chey v Takeo
Sunday January 30 – 4:30pm
The final game of the weekend signifies a first in the knockout stage of the Samdech Hun Sen Cup, a match up featuring two provincial sides. To add to the excitement, the two teams from Takeo have progressed to face each other in what promises to be a dramatic derby clash.

Phan Chan Phath, manager of Kirivong Sok Sen Chey, says his side have a “100 percent” chance of winning against Takeo because of their considerable experience in the top flight.

“We beat them in a friendly [during the off-season], so we can repeat it again,” he said.

Star striker In Vichheka, who with 15 goals so far in the tournament is one behind Preah Khan Reach’s Khoun Laboravy, is set to add to his tally and keep himself firmly in the hunt for the Golden Boot award.

On the other hand, forwards Meak Chhordaravuth and Pov Phearith, who were banned from group stage matches, will return to the squad after receiving an agreement with former club Chhma Khmao. “They are tall. They will play alongside In Vichheka to provide more firepower for Kirivong,”

Takeo coach Ith Vannarith is relishing Sunday’s match, but acknowledges the tough test they face in overcoming their provincial rivals.

“In football, there is no mercy. We both will try our best to win the game,” he said. According to the coach, among three players in his side that have played previously for Kirivong, only defender Hang Chantrea is confirmed for Sunday, while Him Salam and Mam Sophal are doubtful with health problems.

 

Nigeria Premier League wins case against Globacom

NPL wins case against Globacom

Posted: 2011-01-27 21:12

A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered Globacom to pay the Nigeria Premier League it's outstanding sponsorship fee from the final year of their contract.

The League organising body was forced to head for the courts after the telecommunications firm defaulted on their sponsorship commitment.

Attempts by new NPL chairman Davidson Owumi to have the issue resolved yielded no fruit and the they we forced to take the matter to court.

In his judgement at the court on Thursday afternoon, Justice Olasuyi Olateru-Olagbegi, ordered Globacom to pay up the contract fee of the 2009/2010 season owed NPL.

The judgement means that Globacom will pay up the sum of N922,383,000 for last season's fee for the title sponsorship rights of the Premier League in Nigeria.

Globacom's defense for their refusal to pay was based on alleged corruption at the NPL, but the judge was left unimpressed, according to NPL counsel Emmanuel Oboh.

“The judge didn't entertain their prayer on the issue of corruption for breaching a contract since that cannot stand in this situation and was not an issue of objection,” Oboh said.

The NPL has been in the High Court in Lagos since March 9, 2010 challenging Globacom Nigeria Limited for breach of contract before it won the case on Thursday.

Adebayor looks for fresh start

Emmanuel Adebayor said he was hoping to put a nightmare year behind him after signing a loan deal with Real Madrid.

GettyImagesEmmanuel Adebayor is hoping for a fresh start in Madrid

• Sevilla chief defends fans
• Mourinho plots Premier League return
After a positive start with Manchester City, Adebayor suffered psychological trauma as he was on the Togo coach attacked by gunmen in Angola last January, and he has been unable to recover his best form.
With Jose Mourinho seeking reinforcements in attack after Gonzalo Higuain was ruled out for much of the season, Adebayor has moved to the Bernabeu until the end of the season with a view to a permanent move and the striker is now hoping for better times ahead.
"My dream has come true to be able to play football again at the highest level, especially with Real Madrid," he said. "After Arsenal, when I went to Man City, don't get me wrong, it's true that I had an up and down time, and I was nearly dead as well on the way to the African Nations Cup.
"I was a little bit traumatised by all those kinds if things and it was a very difficult moment for me and today all those kinds of things are behind me. 2010 started very badly for me, but 2011 started very well by signing a contract with Real Madrid.
"Hopefully there's a lot of good coming my way, so I have to praise God that I'm still alive and I get the chance to wear the white shirt of Real Madrid.
"I'm very honoured and very, very happy to join this club, and for all that has happened over the last six months today I'm more comfortable, more relieved and I'm very happy."
Having performed well under Mark Hughes at Eastlands, Adebayor failed to convince Roberto Mancini but, asked what went wrong under the current City manager, he said: "I'm a footballer and what I need is to play football, to be out there on the pitch.
"I don't think there's a lot of things wrong. Right now he's lost confidence in me. He doesn't have any confidence in me anymore and he has decided to choose other players, so for me I'm very happy to be back again on the football pitch with Real Madrid and the chance to play football again."
Although Adebayor will have the chance of a permanent move, he says he is focusing on the next six months for now.
"At the moment I'm here for six months and I'm very honoured, and happy and grateful to wear Real Madrid shirt," he said. "The most important thing for me is to enjoy myself here and everybody is making me feel at home. I'm going to talk to the boss (Mourinho) to see how I can help the team win things.
"I'm a player who loves challenges, and who came here to achieve a lot of things. It's not going to be easy but I'm here to help the team achieve things."
He added: "I'm here to learn. Players never stop learning. I will learn and from then I will have to improve my game. I have to score goals, I have to create goals, I have to make things happen.
"I have to pay back all the people who have confidence in me by playing well on the pitch. Football isn't just about scoring goals - it's about attitude and what you can achieve and how you can help your team win games."

 

Nigeria Football Federation dismisses Guatemala scepticism

NFF dismisses Guatemala scepticism

Posted: 2011-01-27 17:41

The Nigeria Football Federation on Thursday strongly condemned a report in a section of the media on Wednesday suggesting that there is uncertainty over the planned Nigeria-Guatemala friendly international billed for the United States of America on February 9, 2011.

Acting General Secretary Musa Amadu stated that the game has been confirmed and will hold on February 9.

“It is sad that a section of the media is hell-bent on constantly engineering negative reports that are capable of jeopardizing the efforts of the Nigeria Football Federation to organize matches for our national teams.

“I wish to state here that should the international friendly match between Nigeria and Guatemala fail to take place on February 9, the whole nation should hold responsible a section of the media that has been vigorously involved in this campaign, as well as those characters who are going about with frivolous law suits.

“To start with, the man whom the national sports paper that published the story claimed to have spoken to is not the Secretary General of the Guatemala Football Federation, otherwise known as Federacion Nacional de Futbol de Guatemala. The Secretary General is Mr. Hector Efran Trujillo Aldana, and the President is Mr. Bryan Jimenez.”

Amadu also took time to hand down a lecture on the process of organizing international matches.

“The way international friendly matches work in the modern day, we do not have to sign a contract with the Guatemala Football Federation to play Guatemala. All it needs is a match agent, otherwise known as the organizer, who is the go-between for both countries. The organizer will have an investor. In the case of the planned match between Nigeria and Guatemala, the match agent is Mr. Babatunde Epoyun, a Nigerian based in the USA, and the investors are the Africa Soccer Investment Group.

“We have done a lot of paperwork, and we have a letter dated January 5, 2011, signed by the Sports Director of the Guatemala Football Federation, Mr. Sergio Torrado, accepting to play this match in Miami on February 9, 2011. The investor is ready and the two teams are ready.

“However, I must say with every sense of responsibility that a section of the media appears bent on making things very difficult for the NFF. The story that Guatemala does not know about the match has come at a time that our team has secured date to appear at the USA Embassy for issuance of visa.

“It has also come just after we issued a letter of comfort to the organizer and the investor when they developed cold feet following reports from Nigeria that top officials of the NFF would appear in court on February 3, and that Nigeria could be banned from international football.

“The investor became reluctant after those reports, but we have re-assured him. This new story is bound to generate more uncertainty.

“The other day, they also tried to discredit the Green Bowl Soccer Tournament in the USA, until we came out with all the documents that had been signed on the tournament. Nigerians should ask these people why they are sustaining this campaign.

“On our part, we have done everything possible to ensure this match stays on the cards and we are doing everything possible to get more matches. But signals are important in the sports world and we only hope and pray the media will fully complement our efforts in this regard,” said Amadua.

EPL's Dempsey, Spector, Jones highlight Americans Abroad

Jermaine Jones drew rave reviews after his first match with Blackburn.

AP

In a banner week for Americans in England, the one player who scored two goals might have turned in the third-most notable performance.
Clint Dempsey's brace against Stoke City -- and the fact that he set a personal-best in goals for one season abroad -- would steal the headlines almost every other week, but considering Jonathan Spector's continued good form and Jermaine Jones' Premier League debut, that might not be the case this time.
Spector earned another start in central midfield for West Ham and tallied his fourth goal in nine games (across all competitions) by scoring the opening goal of the Hammers' 2-2 draw against Tim Howard's Everton. Spector's renaissance as a midfielder is certainly the surprise of the season, but perhaps West Ham manager Avram Grant spotted something that we all should have seen beforehand.
As a right back, Spector's attacking qualities were what really gave him value. His crosses from the right were paramount to the United States' success at the 2009 Confederations Cup, and now that he's been given the chance to focus with an attack-centric mindset, Spector is reviving his career as an aggressive contributor in the center of the pitch.
In the United States national team pecking order at central midfield, Spector still lags behind, among others, Jones, who was mercifully loaned from parent-club Schalke after an inactive spell of almost two months and played 90 minutes in his first match for Blackburn. Jones' play drew rave reviews from Rovers manager Steve Kean, and the hard-tackling, smooth-passing midfielder should be a fixture in the starting XI for the foreseeable future.
Although Jones will miss out on Schalke's ongoing UEFA Champions League quest, the fact that he'll be getting prime minutes for a team competing for a spot in next season's European competitions should keep his place on Bob Bradley's Gold Cup roster secure.
Outside of England, but equally as noteworthy:
Oguchi Onyewu, who is still just 15 months removed from a major knee injury, received his first action on the club level since September 2009, going the distance in both of FC Twente's matches this past week in the Netherlands. Michael Bradley was relegated to the role of late-game substitute for the second consecutive match as Borussia Monchengladbach fights a more-serious case of relegation in the Bundesliga.
Former Los Angeles Galaxy striker Edson Buddle scored a goal in his debut with FC Ingolstadt 04 in Germany's second division.
Here is how all of the above and the rest of the Americans playing abroad fared over the past week (statistics encompass all competitions):

ENGLAND

Premier League
Clint Dempsey, M/F, Fulham - Started, played 90 minutes and scored both goals in Fulham's 2-0 victory over Stoke City on Saturday. Dempsey got onto the end of an Andrew Johnson cross and touched home the opening goal from short range in the 33rd minute. He then drew a penalty on Ryan Shawcross in the 54th minute and scored on the ensuing spot kick to double the Cottagers' lead. His eight league goals mark a new career high. SEASON: 26 games, 23 starts, 9 goals
Brad Friedel, GK, Aston Villa - Started, played 90 minutes, made three saves and earned the clean sheet in Villa's 1-0 victory over Manchester City on Saturday. SEASON: 25 games, 25 starts, 79 saves, 41 goals allowed, 5 clean sheets
Marcus Hahnemann, GK, Wolverhampton - Started, played 90 minutes, made two saves and earned the clean sheet in Wolves' 5-0 victory over Doncaster Rovers in their FA Cup third-round replay on Tuesday. Hahnemann was in the 18 but did not play in Wolves' 3-0 loss to Liverpool in league play on Saturday. SEASON: 16 games, 16 starts, 50 saves, 27 goals allowed, 1 clean sheet
Stuart Holden, M, Bolton - Started, played 87 minutes in Bolton's 4-0 loss to Chelsea on Monday. SEASON: 20 games, 19 starts, 2 goals
Tim Howard, GK, Everton - Started, played 90 minutes and made three saves in Everton's 2-2 draw with West Ham on Saturday. SEASON: 24 games, 24 starts, 65 saves, 30 goals allowed, 5 clean sheets
Eddie Johnson, F, Fulham - Not in the 18 for Fulham's 2-0 victory over Stoke City on Saturday. SEASON: 12 games, 1 start
Jermaine Jones, M, Blackburn - Started, played 90 minutes in Blackburn's 2-0 victory over West Brom on Sunday. SEASON: 17 games, 16 starts, 1 goal
Eric Lichaj, D, Aston Villa - Not in the 18 for Villa's 1-0 victory over Manchester City on Saturday. SEASON: 8 games, 6 starts
Jonathan Spector, M/D, West Ham - Started, played 90 minutes and scored the opening goal of West Ham's 2-2 draw with Everton on Saturday. Spector, starting in central midfield again, was the beneficiary of some excellent misdirection by the West Ham attack, as Luis Boa Morte drew Tim Howard out of the goal with a strong run down the left and picked out an unmarked Spector, who was trailing the play, in the center of the box. The American confidently finished into an empty net for his first goal in league play this season. SEASON: 11 games, 10 starts, 4 goals
Championship
Conor Doyle, F, Derby County - Not in the 18 for Derby County's 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday. SEASON: 11 games, 4 starts
Robbie Findley, F, Nottingham Forest - Not in the 18 for Nottingham Forest's 1-0 victory over Derby County on Saturday. Findley was reportedly delayed in getting his final visa and wasn't eligible for the match. SEASON: 0 games
Mike Grella, F, Leeds United - Not in the 18 for Leeds' 2-2 draw with Portsmouth on Saturday. Grella had a prospective loan to Scottish club Motherwell for the remainder of the season nullified by a FIFA rule that stipulates a player can only play for two teams in a given season. Grella's first loan of the season, to Carlisle United, was an emergency loan, which both Motherwell and Leeds did not think would count against him. He also featured in one match for Leeds earlier this season. SEASON: 12 games, 7 starts, 3 goals
Brad Guzan, GK, Hull City - Started, played 90 minutes and made four saves in Hull City's 1-1 draw with Reading on Saturday. SEASON: 7 games, 7 starts, 31 saves, 9 goals allowed, 1 clean sheet
Zak Whitbread, D, Norwich City - Started, played 86 minutes in Norwich City's 2-1 victory over Sheffield United on Saturday. SEASON: 5 games, 4 starts
League One
Anton Peterlin, M, Plymouth Argyle - In the 18, did not play in Plymouth Argyle's 3-1 victory over Milton Keynes Dons on Tuesday. Peterlin was also in the 18 but did not play in Plymouth Argyle's 2-0 loss to Charlton Athletic on Saturday. SEASON: 5 games, 4 starts
Frank Simek, D, Carlisle United - Started, played 90 minutes in Carlisle's 4-0 victory over Huddersfield Town in the first leg of the Football League Trophy North Sectional finals on Tuesday. Simek also started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle's 1-0 victory over Notts County in league play on Saturday. SEASON: 29 games, 29 starts
League Two
Jon-Paul Pittman, F, Wycombe Wanderers - Started, played 63 minutes and scored two goals in Wycombe's 4-0 victory over Burnham in the quarterfinals of the Berks & Bucks Cup, a 13-team tournament fielding mostly non-league teams. Pittman returned a couple of weeks ahead of schedule after tearing a knee tendon in September and netted a brace in his first match back. He was also in the 18 but did not play in Wycombe's 1-0 victory over Rotherham in league play on Saturday. SEASON: 6 games, 3 starts, 2 goals

SPAIN

La Liga
Jozy Altidore, F, Villarreal - Started, played 62 minutes in Villarreal's 3-0 loss to Sevilla in the second leg of its Copa del Rey quarterfinal tie on Tuesday. Altidore had two good chances on goal, firing over the bar from 18 yards and having a snap-header from inside the area saved. Villarreal was eliminated from the tournament by Sevilla on aggregate, 6-3. Altidore was in the 18 but did not play in Villarreal's 2-1 victory over Real Sociedad in league play on Sunday. SEASON: 13 games, 7 starts, 2 goals

GERMANY

Bundesliga
DaMarcus Beasley, M, Hannover 96 - Not in the 18 for Hannover's 1-0 loss to Schalke 04 on Saturday. SEASON: 4 games
Michael Bradley, M, Borussia Monchengladbach - In the 18, came on as an 86th-minute substitute in Monchengladbach's 3-1 loss to Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday. SEASON: 22 games, 20 starts, 4 goals
Steve Cherundolo, D, Hannover 96 - Started, played 90 minutes in Hannover's 1-0 loss to Schalke 04 on Saturday. SEASON: 19 games, 19 starts
Ricardo Clark, M/D, Eintracht Frankfurt - Started, played 90 minutes at center back in Frankfurt's 1-0 loss to Hamburg SV on Friday. It was the second straight match that Clark started at the position. SEASON: 7 games, 4 starts
Daniel Williams, D, SC Freiburg - Not in the 18 for Freiburg's 1-1 draw with Nurnberg on Saturday. SEASON: 5 games, 2 starts
2. Bundesliga
Edson Buddle, F, FC Ingolstadt 04 - Started, played 88 minutes and scored a 78th-minute goal in Ingolstadt's 1-1 draw with MSV Duisburg on Friday. Buddle, who almost scored right before halftime on a short-range header, side-volleyed home a six-yard blast off a failed clearance from a corner kick to open the scoring. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start, 1 goal
Luis Robles, GK, Karlsruhe SC - Started, played 90 minutes and made five saves in Karlsruhe's 4-2 loss to Alemania Aachen on Saturday. SEASON: 13 games, 13 starts, 50 saves, 23 goals allowed, 3 clean sheets
Bobby Wood, F, TSV 1860 Munich - In the 18, did not play in Munich's 1-0 victory over VfL Osnabruck on Friday. The appearance on the bench for Wood, a U.S. Under-20 forward, marked his first match with Munich's first team. SEASON: 0 games
Dave Yelldell, GK, MSV Duisburg - Started, played 90 minutes and made four saves in Duisburg's 1-1 draw with FC Ingolstadt 04 on Friday. SEASON: 22 games, 22 starts, 56 saves, 19 goals allowed, 8 clean sheets
3. Liga
Matt Taylor, F, Rot Weiss Ahlen - Started, played 90 minutes and scored on a 59th-minute penalty kick in Rot Weiss Ahlen's 3-2 loss to Koblenz on Saturday. SEASON: 12 games, 12 starts, 8 goals

FRANCE

Ligue 1
Carlos Bocanegra, D, St. Etienne - St. Etienne didn't have a match this past week and hosts Toulouse on Saturday. SEASON: 18 games, 18 starts, 1 goal
Charlie Davies, F, FC Sochaux - Not in the 18 for Sochaux's 2-1 victory over Paris FC in the Coupe de France on Friday. SEASON: 0 games

NETHERLANDS

Eredivisie
Oguchi Onyewu, D, FC Twente Enschede - Started, played 90 minutes and contributed at left back in Twente's 5-0 victory over SC Heracles Almelo on Wednesday. Onyewu also started, played 90 minutes and picked up a yellow card in Twente's 2-1 victory over FC Groningen on Sunday. SEASON: 2 games, 2 starts

BELGIUM

Eerste Klasse
Sacha Kljestan, M, RSC Anderlecht - In the 18, did not play in Anderlecht's 2-0 victory over Standard Liege on Sunday. SEASON: 21 games, 18 starts, 3 goals

PORTUGAL

Liga de Honra
Bryan Arguez, M, G.D. Estoril Praia - Not in the 18 for Estoril's 2-2 draw with Naval 1° Maio in its League Cup group match on Wednesday or for Estoril's 1-1 draw with Belenenses in league play on Saturday. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start
Greg Garza, D, G.D. Estoril Praia - Not in the 18 for Estoril's 2-2 draw with Naval 1° Maio in its League Cup group match on Wednesday or for Estoril's 1-1 draw with Belenenses in league play on Saturday. SEASON: 1 game
Tony Taylor, F, G.D. Estoril Praia - Started, played 90 minutes in Estoril's 2-2 draw with Naval 1° Maio in its League Cup group match on Wednesday. Taylor was in the 18 and came on as an 87th-minute substitute in Estoril's 1-1 draw with Belenenses in league play on Saturday. SEASON: 16 games, 3 starts, 4 goals

SCOTLAND

Premier League
Dominic Cervi, GK, Celtic FC - Not in the 18 for Celtic's 1-0 victory over Aberdeen on Saturday. Cervi was still on international duty with the U.S. national team, though he was not included on the match roster for Saturday's 1-1 draw with Chile. SEASON: 0 games
Maurice Edu, M, Rangers FC - In the 18, came on as an 80th-minute substitute in Rangers' 1-0 victory over Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Tuesday. Edu returned to the starting lineup and played 75 minutes in Rangers' 1-0 loss to Hearts of Midlothian on Saturday. SEASON: 21 games, 16 starts, 3 goals

MEXICO

Primera Division
Daniel Antunez, M/D, Estudiantes Tecos - In the 18, did not play in Tecos' 2-0 loss to Puebla on Sunday. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start
Jonathan Bornstein, M/D, Tigres UANL - Started, played 55 minutes in Tigres' 2-1 victory over America on Sunday. SEASON: 2 games, 2 starts
Edgar Castillo, D, Puebla - Not in the 18 for Puebla's 2-0 victory over Estudiantes Tecos on Sunday. SEASON: 2 games, 2 starts
Herculez Gomez, F, Pachuca - In the 18, came on as an 86th-minute substitute in Pachuca's 1-1 draw with Santos on Saturday. SEASON: 3 games
Sonny Guadarrama, M, Atlante - In the 18, came on as an 81st-minute substitute in Atlante's 1-0 loss to Monterrey on Saturday. SEASON: 2 games
Sammy Ochoa, F, Estudiantes Tecos - Not in the 18 for Tecos' 2-0 loss to Puebla on Sunday. SEASON: 0 games
Jose Francisco Torres, M, Pachuca - In the 18, did not play in Pachuca's 1-1 draw with Santos on Saturday. SEASON: 1 game

Bun Kenny draws top seed in Futures opener

Tuesday, 25 January 2011 15:00

By H S Manjunath

Vishnu Vardhan of India, the top seeded player for this week's ITF Men's Futures event, practices at the National Training Centre yesterday ahead of his opening round match against Cambodia's Bun Kenny. Photo by: Sreng Meng Srun

Cambodia’s eagerly awaited tryst with tennis destiny in the form of its first US$15,000 ITF Men’s Futures event at the National Training Centre starts today.

However, the draw has not favoured Bun Kenny, one of the two national players who have been granted wild card entries into the 32-man event, as he has been pitted against top seed and the tournament’s highest ranking player Vishnu Vardhan of India in the first round.

The Kingdom’s second entry, two-time SEA Games bronze medallist Tan Nysan, will match strides with the third seeded 32-year-old Matsui Toshihide of Japan.

“It is a very interesting pairing,” said Tennis Federation of Cambodia General Secretary Tep Rithivit yesterday of the match involving the No 1 seed.

“Of course, Bun Kenny will be playing the most accomplished player in the whole draw. It is a tough beginner no doubt, but we are excited to see how he gets on with it.”

Ranked 387th in the world, the tall and well built Vishnu Vardhan, 23, has already created a buzz around professional circles with a steady rather than a spectacular progression to justify his billing as the best of the current crop of Indian players.

He was part of the Indian squad that took the mixed  doubles silver medal with Sania Mirza at the Asian Games in Guangzhou last November, as well as a bronze medal in the team event.

“It is a stern test of skill and stamina for Kenny playing someone as strong as Vishnu,” said national team coach Braen Aneiros. “We have to wait and see how Kenny handles the pressure.

“Tan Nysan’s match-up against the Japanese third seed should be an exciting affair. Nysan has the flair and finesse to trouble the best in the business. It could be a tough call,  but certainly not one beyond him,” added the coach.

The tournament’s second seed, 422nd ranked Nikolaus Moser of Austria, begins his quest for the title against Arata Onozawa of Japan, who is 605th in the world.

Thailand No 1 Danai Udomchoke, who was ranked as high as 77 in 2007 but has slipped over the years to 458, said he is happy to be here as a wild card. The fourth seeded Thai, who is arguably the second best known name in his country after Paradorn Srichapan, will play India’s Vijayant Malik.

Thailand No 2 Kittipong Wachiramanowong, who has also been granted a wild card entrance, plays one of the qualifiers in his opening round.

Indiam Yuki Bhambri, 18, who won the Australian Open Junior singles in 2009  and took silver in the First Youth Olympics in Singapore last August, has enjoyed a long run as the world’s top junior.

The fifth seeded youngster could be the one to upset all calculations.

Meanwhile, top rated Chinese player Wang Chuhan duly sealed his place in the main draw by winning his second round in the qualifiers yesterday. He put out Trijati Sunu Wahyu of Indonesia 6-3, 6-3.

In the day’s other qualifiers, Dae-Soung Oh of Korea beat Czech player Jan Belcah 6-4,6-3, Divij Sharan of India ousted Russia’s Arutunyan Araik 6-1, 6-0, India’s Kaza Vinayak Sharma edged Luca Margaroli of Switzerland 6-3, 7-5, Estonia’s Vladimir Ivanov defeated Hsu Hung Yuan of Taipei 7-6, 6-2, Elbert Sie of Indonesia walked over India’s Christopher Marquis 6-0, 6-1, Ashutosh Singh of India squeezed past compatriot Abhijeet Tiwari 6-4, 7-5 and David Agung Susanto of Indonesia overcame New Zealand’s Matt Simpson 6-3, 6-1.

All the winners of yesterday’s second round matches qualified for the main draw to be played over the next two days. Matches begin at the National Training Centre next to the Cambodian Country Club from 10am.

Prek Pra, BBU glide into quarterfinals

Monday, 24 January 2011 15:00 H S Manjunath

BBU’s Tuy Sam slides in a challenge on Rithy Sen’s Ouk Channarith during their last 16 Samdech Hun Sen Cup match. Photo by: Sreng Meng Srun

Prek Pra Keila attracted their usual load of faithful fans to the Olympic Stadium on Saturday, and they weren’t to be disappointed as their side handed out a 5-1 drubbing to Battambang in the last 16 knockout round of the 2011 Samdech Hun Sen Cup.

The provincial side went behind as early as the third minute, when central defender Ha Rithy’s panic reaction in a goal-mouth melee saw his clearance nestle in his own net. From that point on, Battambang were forced to chase shadows as a youthful Prek Pra took advantage of a creaky defence. Yu Arafat and Zen Pukry gifted the Metfone C-League side a 3-0 advantage at half time.

The ever reliable Mat Hasan then knocked in a fourth before Sos Sohana put the game beyond doubt.

Battambang’s attempts were few and far between, but a random infraction near the edge of the box brought them a penalty. Um Tola was spot on with the kick, scant consolation for a side that was forced to play second fiddle throughout the contest.

BBU too good for Rithy Sen
Newly promoted Rithy Sen had a foretaste of how tough life will be in the Metfone C-League this year, after Build Bright United bounced back to post a 6-1 victory in Saturday’s second match.

Surprisingly, the team from Kampong Chhnang came out marginally better in early trading. Rithy Sen winger Set Kamel worked his way to the box and polished off the move with a neat twist and tuck, leaving national team goalkeeper Hem Simay dumbfounded.

However, euphoria and energy gradually drained out of the travelling side as BBU hitback through a Prom Puthsethy hat-trick, his personal best in the competition.

Meanwhile, aging maestro Nuth Sinoun showed that he still has some spark left by hammering home a brace.

Sophat Chansokunthyna struck late on to extend the scoreline to six and complete BBU’s total domination of the second half.

“We did not play well in the first half, we were quite slow,” said BBU coach Meas Sam Oeurn after the final whistle. “But we made it up in the second half. The Rithy Sen goalkeeper did a wonderful job by saving many of our good attempts.”

Drogba proves to be Lofthouse's heir

This was supposed to be all about one centre-forward. The souvenir programme was the commemoration of a career, the immaculately observed minute's silence a small acknowledgement of a huge contribution.

GettyImagesJohn Terry and Kevin Davies lay down wreaths for Bolton legend Nat Lofthouse

But Chelsea, at their finest, exhibit a ruthless lack of sentimentality and the celebration of Nat Lofthouse's life was promptly hijacked by a more recent Wanderer, Nicolas Anelka, and his bruising sidekick, Didier Drogba.
There is an aptness to that. In any era, an aggressive, able target man has a role to play. Lofthouse's powers of intimidation made him the premier battering ram of his day. The best part of six decades later, that mantle has passed to Drogba.
Admittedly, the comparison is inexact. Lofthouse may have caused an injury or two, but he didn't feign it and Drogba was serenaded with chants of "cheat" at the Reebok Stadium; while Bolton's greatest player was booked just once in more than 500 games, to borrow Sir Alex Ferguson's description of Dennis Wise, Drogba could start a fight in an empty room.
He has been tried and convicted on video evidence. Black-and-white pictures captured only a fraction of Lofthouse's greatest deeds, all performed when the maximum wage was only £20 a week and teams were automatically configured in the WM formation.
But while Bolton's late great may have been at risk of many things during his years coalmining, malaria wasn't one of them. It sapped Drogba's strength but he is regaining his power and, with it, Chelsea their momentum. On a ground where they clinched their first title since Lofthouse's day six years ago, the champions' swagger returned. Suddenly they were reminiscent of past powers. Jose Mourinho's team of 2005 had an enviable resolve to subdue, suppress and impose themselves, Carlo Ancelotti's side of last summer the capacity to turn victory into a rout.
Both were evident. A first away win in three months came at Chelsea's home from home, an eighth successive victory at the Reebok featuring goals from each of Chelsea's front trio, augmented by Ramires' first in blue.
"Finally Didier Drogba played a fantastic match, scored a fantastic goal but that is not the only reason to be happy tonight," said Ancelotti. "[Nicolas] Anelka scored, [Florent] Malouda scored and for a long time they could not score. Their power and personality is very important for this team."
Drogba is one of its alpha males and his swerving, unstoppable shot from 33 yards dipped beneath Jussi Jaaskelainen's bar. "You could have put two goalkeepers in and they still wouldn't have saved it such was the movement of the ball," said Owen Coyle. It was a wonderful strike from a player who can be the barometer of Chelsea's mood.
Indeed, there is an obvious a knock-on effect. Malouda's finest form tends to coincide with his close friend's purple patches. Five minutes before half-time, the Frenchman steered a shot in at the second attempt from an acute angle to double Chelsea's lead
It was trebled when Drogba got a touch to redirect Michael Essien's low cross into the path of Anelka, who finished with composure against his former club. If anything, Anelka's mid-season decline seemed starker than Drogba's - there was no ailment to explain it - but a sharpness is returning to his game.

GettyImages Didier Drogba smashed in a wonderful opener for Chelsea that dictated the mood

Indeed, it was Anelka whose shot was blocked before Ramires slotted in, before being buried by a host of delighted team-mates. The Brazilian's midfield partner Essien brought dynamism while Ashley Cole spent so much time on the overlap the left-back seemed to be rebranding himself as a winger.It was a sign the confidence is back. "We have turned the corner with very good football, good attitude, good mentality," added Ancelotti. Coyle, meanwhile, felt that Bolton's wounds were self-inflicted and lamented the narrow margins. "I certainly never envisaged that outcome," he added.
Because even in an ultimately emphatic win, there are turning points. Petr Cech was at full stretch to tip Matt Taylor's precise header away and then stuck out a hand to turn Johan Elmander's improvised overhead kick past the post.
The Swede is Bolton's modern-day No. 9 but a spiritual successor to "the Lion of Vienna" may be the dreadlocked destroyer who defeated Bolton.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Didier Drogba - Is it too simplistic to say that when Drogba plays well, so do Chelsea? This was certainly an occasion when the Ivorian served as the inspiration, leading from the front.
BOLTON VERDICT: They have now only taken one point from five games and a bright start to the season is giving way to a descent into mid-table. Coyle has rarely rotated his team which brought understanding initially but now means too many are tiring. The worry is that the recent recruit David Wheater, who was an unused substitute, was bought to replace Gary Cahill, not partner him.
CHELSEA VERDICT: This was a display of force, fortitude and footballing ability which was all the more impressive as Frank Lampard, a frequent scourge of Bolton, was injured. Play like this and they are very much in the title race. The concern, however, is that the squad is threadbare. Ancelotti's bench shows they are particularly susceptible to injury; were a couple more sidelined, their crown could be surrendered swiftly.

 

John Mikel Obi close to return

Mikel close to return

Posted: 2011-01-24 07:08

Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi has revealed he has made remarkable recovery from a knee injury that has kept him out for several weeks now. 

Obi suffered a knee injury in a high-profile English Premier League match against Arsenal in December and has been out since then.

"I am gradually returning to fitness much earlier than expected. I was even hoping to be fully fit for this week's game versus Bolton, but I do not want to rush my return," said the Nigeria international.

"It's a good boost for me and Chelsea because no team could be the same in the absence of several key players. Hopefully, most of us are coming back soon."

The 23-year-old midfielder is expected to be fit in time for next month's friendly between Nigeria's Super Eagles and Guatemala in the USA.

Mikel also said his London club have not given up on successfully defending their EPL crown despite being 10 points adrift of leaders Manchester United.

"We have won our last two games and we need to sustain this run," he said.

"We're getting our confidence back and I believe if we continue that way and the likes of Manchester United, City and Arsenal slip, we will be back at the top. It will be a great battle, but I am optimistic that it's not over yet." 

FUNERAL SERVICE OF LATE ANDREW EHIWARIOR

 

Late Mr. Andrew Ehiwarior Uche was laid to rest yesterday at the Takhmao christian cemetery at about 11am. Late Andrew was the President of Nigerian Community Service Association(NCSA) in Cambodia. He survived by two children namely Israel and Divine Ehiwarior. Until his untimely death, Andrew was known for his unspeakable and incomparably use of local proverbs which were far from general meaning. He was the first Africa coach to have coached a premier league side in the ever growing Cambodia league. He led Khmara FC to second placed at the end of 2007/2008 season. He also had a romanced with Kirivong sok sen chen FC. In his quest to give back to people his wealth of experience, he picked up a teaching job at IIC University as a lecturer and where he lectured English and cultural behavior. 

 In the spirit of unity as was called and well over emphasized by Mr. Tony, the Acting president of NCSA including presiding Pastors on ground performing the burial rite, all Nigerians and friends present proceeded to DO-IT-BAR for an unorganized lunch to ease off the stress the death of late Andrew has caused us since January 13th. Drinks and food were made available for people.

Death is inevitable as Mr. Tony Okeke said during the burial rite at the cemetery. No one knows exactly when it come knocking and that all humans should try to always look unto God for a total and complete leading of him in whatever one's doing. Mr. Tony was caught up with emotions as he stare seriously at the dug grave of late Andrew. He personally said to me "man this is where we all belong" and then replied him that its a matter of time and nature at which one has to come in. Contrary to Tony's belief was Mr. G.T. Morgan who bold said that he wished that the lord would take him off the earth and no man would know nor see his grave when its time for him. He further said that he faith will see him through his desire on that regard.

Presiding Pastors at the cemetery were;
Pst Joshua Osang prince, resident pastor wonders harvest church
Pst Prince Lahben, resident pastor christ embassy church
Pst Ebenezer, reisdent pastor redeem church of God
Pst Tony, assistant pastor christ embassy church
Pst Ifeanyi Daniel, resident pastor winners' chapel
Apostle Umaduka
President Matt Ellsworth president of the church of jesus later day saint

people praying before laying the corpse

pastors given sermon

Special thanks to all who made the final rest of Mr Andrew a huge success. To mention a few, Nigerian Community Service Association, United Brothers' Club, all African churches and Pastors and all those whose names cannot be mentioned here. The lord will reward all of you for your immeasurable efforts and contributions.
We all pray that the lord accept late Andrew in his bosom and grant him peace. Rest in perfect peace our their president, father, brother, friend, legend, leader and an icon. We will miss you greatly as no one could fill the vacuum you have left of us now. All glory be to lord almighty.

Last 16 Cup ties kick off

Photo by: Sreng Meng Srun

Preah Khan Reach forward Khuon Laboravy is in the running for the Golden Boot award with 13 goals so far.

The 2011 Samdech Hun Sen Cup competition welcomes the last 16 teams to Phnom Penh for the knockout rounds starting tomorrow. We preview the first four clashes at Olympic Stadium set for this weekend.

Prek Pra Keila v Battambang
Saturday January 22 - 2pm
Both teams see the best chance of claiming their first quarterfinals berth this year after previous defeats at this stage against top names. Battambang’s only appearance in the last 16 saw them concede an embarrassing 10 goals to no reply against Post Tel Club in 2009.

Prek Pra manager Sith Roset is confident his team will advance despite the suspension of defender Sos Hanafi. “Battambang won’t be a difficult obstacle [for us] because we know their tactics well after observing their last match against Build Bright United,” said Roset.

Midfielder Sen Soukey has been in sparkling form during the group stage, and will be a key player for Prek Pra.

Meanwhile, Bun Borann, general secretary of Battambang asserted that his young squad wouldn’t give their opponents an easy ride. “If Prek Pra play like they did against Banteay Meanchey, we could overcome them,” he said. “We have many young players with great speed.”

However, Battambang’s first choice goalkeeper will miss the tie after being sent off in the previous match.

Build Bright United v Rithy Sen
Saturday January 22 - 4:30pm
Progression to the quarterfinals seems a formality for Build Bright United, having done so on each of the four previous occasions, while Kampong Chhnang outfit Rithy Sen surprised everyone last season by eliminating Kirivong Sok Sen Chey 4-2.

BBU coach Meas Sam Oeurn is happy with the performance of his news recruits Keo Chea and Heng Sok Ly, with the latter leading the team’s scoring charts on 8 goals. “When I can not use Nuth Sinoun, Sok Ly is my best choice in the attack,” said the coach. “I won’t underestimate Rithy Sen, but I believe that we will win.”

Best goalkeeper award winner in 2009, Hem Simay, has recovered from a shoulder injury but the coach has voiced concerned over his weight.

Rithi Sen coach Tam Matt is hoping his side can produce another memorable upset.

“We will try to win the game, even if we are not 100 percent sure of victory,” he said, adding that midfielder Ouk Channarith was their star man.

San Osman will not feature against BBU tomorrow after suffering a injury to his left hand.

Preah Khan Reach v Neak Khiev
Sunday January 23 - 2pm
Things certainly haven’t been made easy for Neak Khiev as they are pitted against three-time Cup finalists Preah Khan Reach.

The Kampong Cham side showed potential in the first half of their group match against heavyweights Phnom Penh Crown before letting the floodgates open to lose 4-0.

“We did well in the group stage, so we will repeat it against Preah Khan Reach,” said Neak Khiev coach Vorn Vibol. “If Preah Khan Reach use their young squad against us, we will win the game.”

PKR General Secretary Ork Samnang said that the tie posed little problems for them. “We don’t worry at all about Neak Khiev,” he said. “We know well their weakness in attack and defence.”

More goals are expected from national team striker Khuon Laboravy, who amassed 13 in the group stage.

“He will be top scorer of the tournament if he keeps up his strong commitment,” added Samnang.

Phnom Penh Crown v Chhlam Samuth
Sunday January 23 - 4:30pm
Chhlam Samuth (formerly Phouchung Neak) will hope to claim sweet revenge over Phnom Penh Crown, who ousted them 1-0 in the exact same fixture last year.

In 2009, the Navy side reached the semifinals in their best Cup run to date, while reigning league champions Crown have yet to fail to make the last 4 in a Cup campaign.

Crown’s newly appointed head coach Bojan Hodak has returned to the Kingdom after missing all of the group matches while taking a coaching course in his homeland of Croatia. He offered a note of caution ahead of Sunday’s tie.

“We have to be careful. [Chhlam Samuth] gave Preah Khan Reach a hard time, only losing two-nil in the group stage. This is the Cup, and we all know that anybody can beat anyone else in a one-off game.”
However, the coach assured that everyone in his team were “fit and raring to go.”

There still remains some doubt over the eligibility to play of former National Defence Ministry players Khim Borey and Suong Virak, who were forced to sit out of the group games due of a Cambodian Football Federation enforced ban.

Tieng Tiny, Sun Sopanha and Chan Chaya will rejoin the squad on Sunday after serving one-match suspensions in the previous match. Hitman Kouch Sokumpheak will be looking to add to his eight-goal personal tally.

Chhlam Samuth coach Chay Sangha recognised his side faced a formidable challenge in overcoming the two-time Cup winners, especially considering they will be without three key players – two with injury and one suspended.

“However, I expect a 50 percent that we can win,” he said. “We’ve worked hard. My striker Pov Samnang, who has now seven goals, will make it difficult for Phnom Penh Crown.”