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Evander Holyfield and Francois Botha of South Africa Meets in Uganda
A Title Challange Fight By Holyfield
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American Evander Holyfield will challenge South African Francois Botha for the World Boxing Federation world heavyweight title in Uganda on Jan. 16, the South African Press Association reported on Thursday. Organizers for the fight at Kampala's Nambole Stadium said that both boxers had signed contracts and a crowd of 80,000 are expected to watch the bout.
"I am very much looking forward to going to Uganda and I expect a tough fight against Francois Botha," said Holyfield (47-10 with 2 draws), who has not fought since losing a points decision to Nikolai Valuev in a World Boxing Association title fight in December 2008. "I am going to win and I will cherish the WBF world title," said the 47-year-old American, a former world cruiserweight and heavyweight champion. "I have always been my own harshest critic. My performance against Carrion, without making any excuses, was arguably the worst of my career," said Botha, who retained his WBF title by drawing with Pedro Carrion of Cuba in Germany in October.
"Expect the fittest, toughest and best ever - and extremely serious -- Francois Botha in Uganda in January. I owe my fans and members of Team Botha the performance of my life. I intend to make good on that," he added.
Pantsil and Mensah Out From Ghana African Cup Squad
Both Sidelined By Injuries
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John Pantsil and John Mensah has been both forced to withdraw from Ghana's African Cup of Nations squad through injuries. The Fulham full-back Pantsil twisted his knee during the Cottagers' 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on Monday and is now facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines. He is guaranteed to miss Africa's showpiece event in the New Year, with Getafe's Derek Boateng called up as his replacement.Pantsil admits he is bitterly disappointed to miss out on the prestigious tournament, especially as he feels Ghana are among the favourites to land the crown."I am so sorry that I cannot make Angola 2010," he said.
Ghana captain John Mensah will also miss this month's African Nations Cup finals after picking up a hamstring injury, the Ghana Football Association said on Friday. Mensah, who suffered the injury playing for Sunderland, joins fellow defender John Paintsil on the sidelines after the Fulham player twisted his knee last weekend. This is two great palyers in a roll and would certainly affect the Ghanian squad's standing going into the tournament.
Cameroon, Nigeria and USA Gets a Good Draw in World Cup 2010
Brazil, Portugal and Cameroon Draw into Zone of Death
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Spain, the world’s top-ranked team, was grouped with Switzerland, Honduras and Chile, while Argentina heads a group that includes Nigeria, South Korea and Greece. South Africa may become the first home nation not to advance beyond the first round, having been placed in a forbidding group with France, Mexico and Uruguay. The United States received a favorable draw for the 2010 World Cup . Anything short will be considered a major disappointment. The Americans drew a top seed in England, but avoided a second European power team and a top African team, instead the other teams in their group includes Slovenia and Algeria.
Brazil, a five-time World Cup champion, was drawn into the so-called Group of Death with the Ivory Coast, which is led by perhaps the world’s top striker, Didier Drogba, and Portugal, which finished fourth at the 2006 World Cup and features Cristiano Ronaldo. Only two teams will advance from each of the eight four-team groups, meaning that one team from among Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal will go home early. Italy, the reigning World Cup champion, was placed with Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia. The final group, headed by the Netherlands, also includes Denmark, Japan and Cameroon.
Injured Obafemi Martins To Return In Time For World Cup 2010
Martins is a Huge Hope in Nigeria's 2010 World Cup Quest
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The news of Obafemi Martins' injury last weekend was a huge setback to Super Eagles' preparation for the Nations Cup in Angola. However, the good news is the stricker is expected back in time for the one that matters the most, FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa. It was revealed that the Wolfsburg striker, whose brace helped the Nigeria to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, will be undergoing a surgery on his shin and is not expected to be back until mid-January. It means the former Newcastle United and Inter Milan player is a huge doubt for the continental showpiece which begins on January 10.
The injury is the latest in Martins' injury-blighted career. This year alone, he has faced some difficult times on the sidelines. He underwent hernia operation in January and was out of action for Newcastle for over two months before returning to action against Everton on February 22.
Martins also had a mild disagreement with manager Alan Shearer after making a very late complaint over a groin problem in May as they prepare for league game.
Caster Semenya Test is Not Complete
Says IAAF
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Gender tests on South African athlete Caster Semenya are yet to be completed, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) revealed. The 18-year-old had been expected to find out if she was eligible to compete as a woman on Friday. But the IAAF said it will not discuss the case at its meeting in Monaco.
The IAAF would also not confirm claims from South Africa that Semenya will be allowed to keep the 800m gold medal she won at August's World Championships. The governing body was responding to an earlier statement from South Africa's Department of Sport and Recreation that said: "Because Caster has been found to be innocent of any wrong, she will then retain her gold medal, retain her title of 800m world champion, retain her prize money." Semenya burst on to the world scene when she ran one minute, 56.72 seconds for the 800m in July, smashing her previous personal best by more than seven seconds. She also broke Zola Budd's long-standing South African 800m record before arriving in Berlin as the newly crowned African junior champion.
Spain and Nigeria Are Top Picks U17 World Cup
Phil Tosin
The Spanish under-17 football team bull-dozed their way to the quarter-finals of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup Nigeria 2009, with a 4-1 win over 10-man Burkina Faso team in Kano, yesterday, while the other top pick, Nigerian Green Eaglets ran all over New Zealand earlier 4-0. Sergi Roberto of Spain opened the scoring for the Spainards about 19th minutes into the game, with a nice side shot into the corner after Isco was thumped just outside the box.
Speaking at the post-match conference, the Burkina Faso coach, Rainer Willfeld said he lost the match to technically better side, a team with the most experience and record in the tournament. Not too quickly many would say, the Nigerians have the home court advantage and have been playing at their best lately. The next few matches would be crucial for both teams, the Nigerians are scheduled next for November 14th. Other teams to watch are Uraguay, Mexico, and the South Koreans.
Caster Semanya May Be A Hemaphrodite
Test Shows Both Male and Female Characteristics
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Sebastian Coe, a former Olympic runner who now oversees London's Olympic committee, said international athletics officials should have acted more quickly once the questions arose so as to protect Semenya from harmful speculation. This is not easy," Coe told reporters Thursday. "The science of this is complicated. And when you are dealing with a gender issue like this, it's sensitive, it's complicated, it is something that also polarizes people, and it's a debate that, frankly, far too long has been in the corner of conferences and something that governing bodies have not wanted to grasp." Semenya's masculine build and dominant performance fueled existing questions about her gender.
Reports in two newspapers last month said the results of the tests showed Semenya has both male and female characteristics. The IAAF has declined to confirm those reports and said a decision in the case will come late next month.The process of gender verification has undergone big changes since it was first introduced for international competition in the 1960s, the IAAF said. As it stands for now, it seems the athlete has both male and female composition- Haemaphroditis like characteritics.
African Nations Looks To Develop Sports
High Profile Sports Events
The football world cups of 2010 and 2014 are being held in South Africa and Brazil respectively, and the 2016 Olympics is being staged in Rio.
The success of South Africa has given hope to other countries in the continent looking to host international sports events as a way of boosting their economies and progressing with major infrastructure projects.
This month, Nigeria is hosting the Fifa U-17 World Cup, with Dr Emmanuel Igbinosa of the nation's sport commission saying that such sporting events can help "encourage inward investment into developing nations".
Fireworks Illuminate the Skies of Ghana in Victory
As Africans Celebrate Historic Triumph over Brazil
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GHANA Satellites, that West African country's Under-20 version of the famous Black Stars of Ghana, made history at the capacity Cairo International Stadium, when they beat pre-tournament favourites and four times champions Brazil 4-3 in a pulsating shoot-out to lift the FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
Ghana's deserved victory in the enthralling and energy-sapping final marked the first time any African country would be winning one of FIFA's biggest prizes. And it could not have come at a better time than in a year generally referred to as Africa's year, the year Africa hosted the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa earlier this year, the just finished Egypt 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, in a series of world extravaganzas, which will be climaxed by next year's World Cup to be hosted in Africa, tagged South Africa 2010.
The baton of hosting has already been passed on to Nigeria, by organisers of Egypt 2009, as Nigeria, who will host the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, becomes the cynosure of the world's eyes later this month.
It was a good omen for Africa when the courageous Ghanaian youngsters played their much-fancied Brazilian counterparts to a standstill despite losing a player to a rather harsh Red Card as early as the 37th minute.
Playing against such adversity, the young Ghanaians proved worthy ambassadors of the Black African race when they played a highly technical and disciplined game to withstand the onslaughts of the free-scoring Brazilians for at least 83 minutes, which included 30 minutes of extra-time after the regulation 90 minutes could not produce a goal from both team.
In spite of the obvious disadvantage, the Ghanaians gave as much as they took from the marauding and goal-hungry Brazilians, who were trying to win the Cup for the fifth time, a feat which would have been second only to Argentina's six titles.
The hero of the Ghanaian triumph yesterday was striker Emmanuel Agyemang Badu, who scored the last penalty in a nerve-racking penalty shoot-out which went to sudden-death after the two countries lost two penalties each.
Ebony-skinned Dominic Adiyiah won two trophies - the golden ball and golden boot for emerging as the tournament's top scorer with eight goals.
But Ghana also has their agile goalkeeper, Daniel Agyei, to thank for his role in the entire tournament, and in particular, for saving two penalty kicks in yesterday's shoot-out. To underscore Agyei's feat of keeping his country in the penalty contest, anytime his team mate missed a penalty, he caught the next one from the Brazilian penalty-taker.
Incidentally, it was Ghana, which was the first African country to qualify for next year's World Cup in Africa, while the Black Satellites were the only country left to represent Africa at the quarter-final stage of the U-20 World Cup.
The African and South American champions, who had not lost a game during the competition, keep that proud record intact, but at the end of the day, it was the Black Satellites, who followed in the footsteps of Argentina, victors at Canada 2007, in lifting the famous trophy.
Brazil had the better of the early stages and went agonisingly close to taking the lead early on when Giuliano's free-kick was put into the box and Alex Teixeira was inches away from connecting with a header. Giuliano prompted A Sele‹o once again, playing the ball to Paulo Henrique on the left who crossed for Alan Kardec, but his volley was wide.
Douglas stung the hands of the goalkeeper with a shot from distance, but the major talking point of the first half came in the 37th minute when David Addo was given a straight red card for a foul on Alex Teixeira, after the latter was breaking quickly on the counter attack. While the Belgian believed Addo to be the last man, the Africans protested that both Jonathan Mensah and David Addy had tracked back to cover.
Ghana, who boasted the tournament's most prolific strikeforce in Dominic Adiyiah and Ransford Osei failed to muster a single shot on goal in a stop-start opening 45 minutes, punctuated by no fewer than 17 free-kicks, yet this was not the bruising encounter those statistics may suggest.
Abeiku Quansah had a goalbound shot saved four minutes after the break, but it was a routine stop for Rafael as Brazil did most of the pressing. Alex Teixeira should have done better, but headed wide from Diogo's centre and Alan Kardec had a golden opportunity, but headed straight at Daniel Agyei from Souza's cross.
As the midway point to the second half approached, Ghana had more possession, but still Brazil looked the more dangerous. Rafael Toloi slipped a perfectly-weighted pass for Alan Kardec to latch on to, but he fired wildly into the side netting. The No9 was guilty of missing yet another chance seconds later when he planted a free header from Douglas Costa's cross over the crossbar.
There was no doubt who the 67,814 in the stadium were supporting, as there was a tremendous roar from the home fans whenever their fellow Africans crossed the halfway line and the noise levels increased further when Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu's deflected shot forced Rafael to make a fine, low save to his right.
As the half wore on, the Black Satellites seemed to increasingly get into their rhythm of playing with ten men and their attacking forays became more and more regular, while at the back they defended with tremendous spirit. They earned the right to take the tie into extra time, but there was still drama to come in the latter stages of the 90 when Andre Ayew and Rafael Toloi clashed for the ball, the latter requiring serious treatment.
With Rogerio having made all three of his substitutions, there was a distinct possibility that Brazil would have been forced to play extra time with ten men. Yet despite running with a noticeable limp, the defender continued heroically to maintain the numerical advantage for his team.
Agyei frustrated Wellington Junior in the second period of extra time, with a smart stop at his near post, but with some players having played 11 and a half hours during this competition, the pace of the game decreased - and the game limped into a penalty shoot-out.
That was when the fireworks began. First, Alan Kardec and Ayew and Giuliano and Inkoom traded successful penalties, but Brazil got the first advantage after seeing Douglas Costa score and Jonathan Mensah miss. Souza then saw his penalty saved, but Bright Addae failed to reduce the deficit when his strike from 12 yards was comfortably claimed by Rafael.
That left Maicon with the chance of winning it for Brazil, but he blasted the chance high over the bar. Adiyiah kept his cool to take the shoot-out into sudden death. Then Agyei denied Alex Teixeira before Agyemang-Badu made the victory certain with the decisive spot-kick.
Nigeria Suffers Setback at Under 20 World Cup
World Sports By Mattwen Kenyon
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Nigeria suffered their second defeat of the Under-20 World Cup in Cairo on Monday, when they went down 2-0 to Spain.
Both goals came from the young Arsenal star Fran Merida - one a superb chip, the other a confidently-taken penalty.
For the second game in a row Nigeria were also reduced to 10 men - when substitute Gbolahan Salami was sent off late in the game.
The result means the Flying Eagles will struggle to reach the next round - although that is not yet certain.
Despite the outcome, this was a much improved performance by Nigeria - who started with determination and strength.
Coach Samson Siasia had made five changes to the starting line-up - only one of them enforced by the two-match suspension of Lukman Haruna.
This team were quick to the ball and sharp in possession and should have taken the lead in the first 20 minutes.
Whether Spain had got a false impression of Nigeria's talents from their first game against Venezuela or not, it took the fancied Europeans nearly half an hour to start to get into the match.
But then on 32 minutes a failed Nigerian offside trap allowed Merida through to chip the onrushing Uche Okafor and give Spain a 1-0 lead.
The advantage was almost doubled in the final minute of the first half but Okafor dived full-length to deny Aaron Niguez.
Siasia brought Sone Aluko on at the start of the second half in place of Kehinde Fatai - and he nearly had an instant impact, with a powerful drive parried away by Asenjo.
With 66 minutes on the clock Nigeria had the ball in the net but the goal was ruled out for an apparent shove on one of the Spanish defenders.
The pressure from the Flying Eagles kept on coming - substitute Gbolahan Salami saw one terrific dipping shot cannon away off the crossbar.
But all the hard work failed to produce a goal and with 10 minutes remaining Rabiu Ibrahim brought down Ander Herrera in the Nigerian box and despite vocal protests from the Nigerian team the resulting penalty from Merida doubled the Spanish lead.
Nigeria are not definitely ruled out of the last 16 yet - but they must record a big win over Tahiti in their final group game and hope that other results go their way.
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