Category: Sports

Man City defender, Kolo Toure, has predicted a tough match in today’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg.

The West African giants set up today’s clash in Rustenburg after the Ivorians topped Group D, while Nigeria finished second in Group C.

“This match against Nigeria will be like another final,” defender Kolo Toure said.

“Nigeria is a top team, they have great players. We know it’s going to be a very, very tough game. We need to concentrate, try not to make too many mistakes.

“If we believe in ourselves, I think we can do it.”

For a fifth successive tournaments, the Ivory Coast are favourites to win the title but Africa’s top-ranked team have failed to live up to expectations on the four previous occasions.

“Winning this tournament would be massive for us. We’ve been waiting some 10 years to do this, so this would be a huge achievement,” Toure added.

“We are just praying and doing our best on the pitch like we did for the first three games. But everything is in the hands of God and we just hope that this time will be our time.”

TOGO captain Emmanuel Sheyi Adebayor believes the Hawks can go all the way to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Tottenham Hotspur star led his side to defy all odds to secure a historic quarterfinal qualification berth on Wednesday.

Togo survived some dodgy decisions from English-born South African referee Daniel Bennett to draw 1-1 with Tunisia to finish second behind Ivory Coast in Group D.

Adebayor, who was convinced by Togo President Faure Gnassingbe to rescind his decision to quit the team, had the following to say.

“I’m very proud of my country, of what we have been through,” said Adebayor.

“I think you guys know better than I do that two months ago when we qualified against Gabon, we went through a lot of difficult moments regarding me coming to the Nations Cup or not.

“Today I’m here and I’m very happy I’m part of the history. It’s a good thing for the country and a good thing for me.

“We can even go beyond what we think we can do and I hope now we have a chance to win the cup. We just have to go for it now.”

Togo face in-form Group C leaders Burkina Faso in Nelspruit in one of the two all-West African quarter-final clashes.

How is the mood like in the camp ahead of Sunday’s match?

The team spirit is high and we are very good. There is no distraction at the moment. We are working towards Sunday’s (today) game and everybody is feeling good.

Cote d’Ivoire had been having upper hand over Nigeria in the recent encounters and some of the matches you’d involved for the Super Eagles, the team lost the games. Are you looking at the game as a payback time?

In football there is no payback time. I think all the time I had been involved we lost to Cote d’ivoire and it’s been very close. We’ve been very unlucky as well too but credit to them. It is not a paying back time. We want to qualify for the next stage and I think winning is more important than paying back.

Going into this game, Cote d’Ivoire has been tagged as favourite while Nigeria is seen as underdog. Are you okay with this tag?

Not really, but if you put the squad they have on paper you can say that Cote d’Ivoire are favourite but football is quite different. They lost in the last edition final against Zambia when they were regarded as favourite as well. Also, Zambia as the defending champions is out of this tournament. I think they (Cote d’Ivoire) have a very strong squad and people might think we are underdog. That doesn’t put us under any pressure. We know the important of the game and we’ve qualified from the group stage and now we are in the knockout stages and we are focused. It is not about the name; it is not about the individual, it is about qualifying for the semi-final.

What is the team’s strength going to Sunday’s game and what the massage is for the Nigerians back home?

Sometimes in football, you don’t normally get what you deserve. If you are not there with good mentality or showing good spirit during the game you might not get the desire result. There are different views to our participation before we come here, some expect us to do well while some people do not have faith in the team but everybody is entitling to their opinion. Nigeria is a big nation with passion for football. We are now in the quarter-finals and what we want from them now is support. We want them to pray for us and believe in us. We don’t want to be distracted, there is much expectation and people have different opinions about the game. But after the game we will have answer to that.

You’ve been to six Africa Cup of Nation and during that time you’ve only won third position. Shall we be expecting something better than this year?

This is my six AFCON participations and I don’t believe that we’ve not been able to win. I have played with the team that was strong with big players before and we’ve never made it to the final. Now we are here to win. We are in the quarter-finals with great players. Personally, I am here to win the Cup and I want to win it because this is my sixth participations. What I can say is that I’m here to give my best. We will just try and try to win the trophy here.

What role do you think experience will play in Sunday’s game when we have some new debutants coming up against the fast experienced Ivoirians side? How confidence are you that these players are good for such big game ?

I think it is a big occasion, when I was coming up as a young player I look forward to this kind of opportunity because this is where I am going to make my name; this is where people are going to recognise me. This is what I am going to say to them and I will tell them this is the best chance for them to make their name and show the whole world what they can do. If they play against big players, it will give them the opportunity to prove themselves; if you want to move from where you are to the bigger club so the world the kind of player you are or you want to be scared. It is two things you just have to pick one and face the occasion; if you want to play well and become a better player from there or you want to be scared and ruin your career. I am going to motivate them so that everybody rises up to the occasion. It is not an occasion where nobody is going to switch off but it is an occasion where everybody is going to be present.

Working with young players, it was discovered that there was lack of communication in the game against Burkina Faso and in the Ethiopia game. What are you doing to have better communication in the game against Cote d’Ivoire?

I think they have been improving when you are talking about communication. In our last three games I’ve seen lots of improvement from young players. We’ve moved on from game after game. To be a big player doesn’t come overnight. As the coach rightly said, we’ve lots of young players coming. We are in the tournament now and they are getting better. I don’t see any differences between myself and them. We interact very well and we have best of relationship. The kind of relationship I have with them is the best I have seen since I made it into the national team. But I will also let them know that they are in the position where they will have to accept responsibility. We’ve been really working well on and off the pitch. We don’t have longer time to be together before this tournament. But, honestly we are doing well.

COTE d’Ivoire have said they wish to finally be crowned champions of Africa and are not taken in by the tag of favourites. “We have always been tagged as favourites for this tournament, but we have not won it since then. This time we want to win it,” said Saint Etienne midfielder Max Gradel. “That would be great for our country because it was a big blow when we lost last year’s final. But good enough the new competition has come quickly and we now want to go on to win the trophy.”

The Elephants have only won the Nations Cup once in 1992 but since 2006, they have finished at least in the top four and were beaten in the championship games seven years ago in Egypt as well as last year by Zambia.

Mali have beaten South Africa 3-1 on penalties after the score ended 1-1 after 120 minutes of play in the Africa Nations Cup quarterfinal in Durban.

Siphiwe Tshabalala was the only player to score from the spot for South Africa in a match which saw the host nation take the lead through Tokelo Rantie, before his goal was cancelled out by Seydou Keita.

In the opening five minutes South Africa really put pressure on Mali while the 50 000 strong crowd made an electrifying noise inside the warm Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Bafana Bafana gave away a goal in the second half and were headed for extra time.

Tokelo Rantie’s close-range finish gave Bafana Bafana a slender 1-0 advantage at halftime in their Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal clash against Mali at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

The Sweden-based striker netted after 31 minutes when he was on the end of a flowing move that involved Itumeleng Khune, May Mahlangu and eventually Thuso Phala.

Mali veteran Seydou Keita unexpectedly fired his team back into the game in the 58th minute, muscling his way through defenders before applying a calm finish. There is no golden goal rule in Africa Cup of Nations, much like other tournaments.

The extra time rules are standard, but the match ended goalless after 120 minutes and the game had to be decided on penalties.

The Eagles of Mali are through to the semi final again where they will face either Cote d’Ivoire or Nigeria.

MARIO Balotelli has slammed England’s press, weather, food and drivers at his official unveiling as an AC Milan player.

The 22-year-old striker has joined AC Milan from Manchester City after a frustrating period in the English Premier League and claims he wants to ‘be centre stage’ for the Italian giants.

Having been regularly consigned to the bench with both Manchester City and Inter Milan, in his previous stint in Serie A, Balotelli hopes to ‘play a leading role’ in any AC Milan success.

“Four years have passed (since I played with Inter), I’ve grown,” Balotelli said on Friday.

“I’m here to win and be centre stage.

“When I played for Inter, I won but not always played, while here at Milan I hope I can win and play a leading role, that’s the difference.”

The tempestuous Italian added he has no regrets about leaving England, and when asked what he disliked about the country, he answered:

“The press first, the weather, the food, the way they drive and that’s it,” Balotelli said.

Balotelli claimed the move to AC Milan was ‘a dream come true’, but despite that, he did not rule out a return to England.