The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Harry Kane

  • Kane out until March with ankle injury

    Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane will be out of action until March after suffering an ankle injury in last weekend’s English Premier League (EPL) defeat by Manchester United.

    “Following preliminary assessments, we can confirm that Harry Kane has damaged ligaments in his left ankle,” the north London club said on Tuesday.

    Read Also: Kane beats Shearer record for most goals in a year

    The England forward had hobbled away from Wembley on Sunday after picking up a knock towards the end of the 1-0 defeat by United.

    “The striker will continue to be monitored by our medical staff as he commences rehabilitation and is expected to return to training in early March,’’ Spurs said in the statement.

     

    NAN

  • Harry Kane’s brace sees England edge Tunisia 2-1

    Two goals from Harry Kane ensured England’s 2018 World Cup campaign got off to a winning start as they beat Tunisia 2-1 in their Group G opener at the Volgograd Arena.

    The captain broke the deadlock with an easy tap-in on 11 minutes to give England a dream start.

    The Three Lions were guilty of failing to close out the game after Jesse Lingard missed three great opportunities while Raheem Sterling missed an open goal.

    And they were pegged back when Tunisia scored a penalty after Kyle Walker was adjudged to have fouled Fakhreddine Ben Youssef.

    It looked like another frustrating game for England but Kane popped up with a last-minute winner following a well-worked corner to give Gareth Southgate’s men the three points.

    The Three Lions came racing out the blocks and could have been 2-0 up inside the first five minutes.

    First, Lingard had an effort turned round the post by Mouez Hassen after latching onto a loose ball before Sterling missed an open goal.

    England kept rallying and found the breakthrough on 11 minutes when Kane tapped the ball in after Hassen brilliantly kept out John Stones’ powerful header from a corner.

    Hassen was then forced off with a shoulder injury and Jordan Henderson gave substitute goalkeeper Farouk Ben Mustapha an early test with a firm volley from the edge of the box.

    Lingard then missed a great chance on 23 minutes – making a complete hash of a volley from six yards out after Manchester United team-mate Ashley Young laid the ball on a sixpence for him.

    And England were made to pay for their missed chances when Tunisia won a penalty after Walker was adjudged to have fouled Ben Youssef. Ferjani Sassi coolly slotted the ball home to level the game up.

    However, England came again and nearly retook the lead but Stones scuffed a loose ball at the crucial moment.

    And Lingard missed another chance just before the break after clipping the ball onto the post.

    England struggled to maintain the same tempo after the break and struggled to create many opportunities.

    But they kept plugging away and were rewarded for their efforts when Kane headed home from close range to give England the perfect start.

  • Kane gets huge boost ahead World Cup

     

    England captain Harry Kane has been handed a huge boost ahead of the world cup after signing a new six year contract with Tottenham.

    The contract will see Kane who was recently charged with the responsibility of leading England to the World Cup in Russia, remain with Spurs till 2024. Kane has so far enjoyed smooth sail in his role as Three Lions captain, scored the second goal against Super Eagles in a friendly match at the Wembley last week.

    Kane has established himself as one of the Premier League’s elite players in recent seasons after coming through the ranks at Spurs and he has been rewarded for his fine form.

    The England striker scored 30 goals in 37 league appearances in the season just finished, making it his best individual campaign in the division after surpassing his haul of 29 from 2016-17.

    Prior to signing the new deal Kane had been linked with a move away from Spurs, predominantly to Manchester United and Real Madrid, but supporters can now breathe a sigh of relief as worry days are over.

    The 24-year-old has been named in the Professional Footballers’ Association’s (PFA) Premier League Team of the Year in each of the last four seasons and instantly boosts Spurs’ chances of once again securing Champions League football next term.

    The announcement comes at a particularly important time for Spurs, who are due to move into their new stadium at White Hart Lane next season.

    Kane follows Coach Mauricio Pochettino in signing a new long-term deal in the past month, with the Argentinian’s extension seemingly coming just in time to put Real Madrid off an approach in the wake of Zinedine Zidane’s resignation.

    Spurs announced the deal in a video on Twitter, as the camera focused on the big screen at Spurs’ new stadium before revealing a picture of Kane next to the “2024, new contract” caption. Kane is expected to play a starring role for Gareth Southgate’s men at the World Cup.

     

  • Nigeria fall to England in Wembley

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    The Super Eagles of Nigeria continued preparations to the 2018 FIFA World Cup with a 2-1 loss to  England at the Wembley Stadium, London, in an international friendly match.

    Two first half goals from Gary Cahill at the seventh minute and Harry Kane after 39 minutes sealed the victory for the Three Lions, and a 47th minute consolation from Alex Iwobi was insufficient for Nigeria to leave London avoiding a defeat.

    Kieran Trippier had a chance six minutes into the match when he stepped up and curled the ball around the wall but goalkeeper Francis Uzoho to palmed it away for a corner. The resulting corner became the first goal, Gary Cahill converting the corner kick.

    Gernot Rohr’s men almost got the leveler 26 minutes into the match, as they sneak in past the Three Lions backline. Unfortunately, Odion Ighalo could not get to a twisting pass before 24- year old Jordan Pickford.

    Harry Kane doubled the lead after Shehu Abdullahi carelessly lost possession and the Tottenham Hotspur took advantage, finding space on the edge of the box before smashing it into the bottom corner.

    The Super Eagles began the second half with four substitutes that saw the introduction ofd Tyrone Ebuehi, John Ogu, Oghenekaro Etebo and Kelechi Iheanacho, and that brought a lot of spark to the Nigerian side.

    Read Also: Full-Time: England 2 – 1 Nigeria: Fans Boo Dele Alli

    Nigeria halved the deficit just as the second half began courtesy of Alex Iwobi’s cool finish after Odion Ighalo had struck the upright. This made Iwobi the first Nigerian to score in an international match against England.  All attempts to find the equalizer proved abortive.

    Speaking at the end of the match, England Manager, Gareth Southgate said “I think we played really well than in recent games. We were deservedly two goals up in the first half. The period leading up to their goal, they changed their system and we took some time to adjust. But after that we dealt with it well. It was a decent exercise for us to adjust to that.

    The Super Eagles have thus had four international friendly matches ahead of the World Cup, recording a slim victory over Poland in Wrowclaw, a draw against DR Congo and two losses against Serbia and England. They take a final trip to Austria where they face Czech Republic on Wednesday.

    Nigeria, grouped in Group D alongside Croatia, Argentina and Iceland, begins their World Cup campaign against Croatia on June 16th, 2018.

  • Wembley friendly: Kane to lead lions against Eagles

     

    Tottenham talisman Harry Kane will lead the Three Lions of England against Super Eagles when both teams square up at the Wembley on June 2nd, just as Tiajin Teda midfielder John Obi Mikel will be leading the Nigeria side. 

    Both teams are World cup bound in Russia and the friendly tie is not only aimed at putting finishing touches to preparation but also aimed at putting the boys in a the best frame of mind for the World cup which kicks off on June 14.

    England coach Gareth Southgate confirmed Tuesday that the Spurs impressive striker who has so far netted 108 goals in 150 appearances for the Tottenham has remained in a super form going into the world cup with interesting run in the just ended English premier league season with 30 goals to his credit only second to Liverpool’s Mohammed Salah who reigning African footballer of the year and who netted 32 goals in the season.

    Former England international and sports broadcaster Gary Lineker was among the first to congratulate Kane on his appointment describing it as a deserved honour. Taking to his social media on Tuesday Lineker said

    “Congratulations to @HKane on being named @England captain for the World Cup. A much merited honour. Good luck”

    An elated Kane described his appointment as a huge responsibility which he intends to give his best and thanked his family and friends for their support.

    ‏”A very proud day, it means a lot to me to be named @England captain. Massive thanks to family, friends and fans who have supported me through thick and thin. #EnglandCaptain #ThreeLions.

    England will battle Tunisia,Panama and Belgium in the Group stage in Russia while June 2nd friendly opponents Nigeria will face Croatia, Iceland and Argentina.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Manchester City players dominate PFA Team of the Year

    Players from the Premier League champions-in-waiting Manchester City dominated the Professional Footballers’ Association’s ( PFA ) Team of the Year announced on Wednesday, occupying five out of 11 spots.

    City defenders Kyle Walker and Nicolas Otamendi, midfielders David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne as well as all-time top scorer Sergio Aguero were named in the side.

    Tottenham Hotspur had three players on the list, including England striker Harry Kane, who made the team for a third straight year along with Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea.

    Read Also: Champions League: Manchester City & Barcelona Out

    Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, who has 40 goals across all competitions this season and was nominated for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award, also made the team.

    Chelsea had a lone representative in defender Marcos Alonso.

    PFA Team of the Year: David de Gea, Kyle Walker, Jan Vertonghen, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Alonso, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, Sergio Aguero.

    NAN

  • Kane upbeat amidst struggles with crutches

     

    Harry Kane was pictured wearing a foot brace and using crutches on Monday as Tottenham and England continue to sweat on the prolific striker’s fitness.

    Kane, who has scored 39 goals for club and country this season, appeared to struggle a little as he hobbled his way into the back of a car in Essex followed by his fiancée Katie.

    Dressed in a hoodie, tracksuit bottoms and trainers, Kane struggled through the rain with the aid of the crutches.

    The 24-year-old is set to undergo scans to determine the severity of his ankle injury sustained during Tottenham’s 4-1 victory at Bournemouth on Sunday.

    The Premier League club are continuing to assess the problem as the swelling on his right ankle needs to go down before they can determine the extent of the injury.

    Kane limped off during the first-half at the Vitality Stadium after his ankle appeared to buckle in collision with Bournemouth goalkeeper Asmir Begovic as he put the ball in the net only for it to be disallowed.

    He hobbled around the side of the pitch and appeared to be preparing to come back on before disappearing down the tunnel to be replaced by Erik Lamela.

    A spell on the sidelines for the 24-year-old could have serious ramifications for both club and country.

    Spurs face an important FA Cup quarter-final at Swansea next weekend, while England manager Gareth Southgate will on Thursday name his squad for the forthcoming friendlies against Holland and Italy, with the World Cup just three months away.

    He was sidelined for seven weeks and missed 10 Spurs games due to the initial injury, picked up against Sunderland in September 2016.

    However, he then returned to action within a month of sustaining a similar problem in an FA Cup tie with Millwall last March.

    Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino was optimistic about the latest injury setback and said Kane remained upbeat.

    ‘We hope that it’s not a massive issue,’ said the Argentinian coach.

    ‘He felt that when he ran and twisted his ankle that it was impossible to stay on the pitch.

    ‘Harry has a great character and is always positive, happy with the victory for the team, of course disappointed with his problem. But if you’re positive you start the recovery from injury from now.’

     

     

     

  • Klopp furious as late Kane penalty kick denies Liverpool

    Klopp furious as late Kane penalty kick denies Liverpool

    Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp launched a scathing attack on referee Jon Moss and his officials after Harry Kane’s controversial last-gasp penalty kick gave Tottenham a dramatic 2-2 draw on Sunday.

    Reds boss Klopp was furious that his side’s chances of a vital victory over their top-four rivals were wiped out in an incident-packed finale at Anfield.

    After Victor Wanyama equalised for Tottenham with 10 minutes left to cancel out Mohamed Salah’s early opener, Moss and his linesmen took centre stage.

    First, Tottenham were awarded a penalty kick for Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius’s foul on Kane, even though Klopp felt the England star was offside.

    Kane’s spot-kick was saved by Karius and when Salah put Liverpool ahead in stoppage-time, Klopp must have felt justice was done.

    But in the final seconds, Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk nudged over Erik Lamela and Moss gave another penalty kick, with Kane this time converting from the spot.

    Read Also: Klopp  must take blame for Liverpool ’s poor defence – Schmeichel

    Klopp confronted Moss on the pitch at fulltime and still had not calmed down when he spoke to the media.

    “I am not allowed to go in their room until half an hour after. It was clear offside, unbelievable, I don’t know what they were discussing,” Klopp said of the first penalty kick.

    Speaking about the second spot-kick, the German said: “Yes, Virgil van Dijk touches him, but we all know Lamela wants the touch and we all know there were so (many) hard fouls in the first half and we didn’t get any fouls.

    “That was the level for the game today, but then a situation in the last minute like that? Wow! He (the official) wanted to be middle of interest and he is.

    “It was clear two sides (of) high quality both wanted to win desperately, but the result was massively influenced by linesman decisions.

    “We have to take it, that’s how it is.”

    NAN

  • Player Of The Month: Kane equals Gerrard’s record

    Player Of The Month: Kane equals Gerrard’s record

     

    Harry Kane has equalled Steven Gerrard’s record of six Premier League Player of the Month awards after winning December’s prize.

    The Tottenham striker scored eight goals in six matches, including back-to-back hat-tricks against Burnley and Southampton in a vintage month.

    He set a record of 39 Premier League goals in a calendar year in the process and has now joined the former Liverpool captain in the history books.

    Kane admitted he was proud of the award as he gets set to return to league action in Spurs’ home clash with Everton this weekend.

    ‘It’s amazing, very proud of that,’ Kane said of matching Gerrard.

    ‘I’d probably say my favourite goal was the one that broke the [calendar year] record against Southampton,’ he added.

    ‘Obviously there’s a lot of talk before the game about whether I’d do it or not so to get that goal early on in the game as well, it was a great achievement.’

    Gerrard won the first of his Player of the Month awards in March 2001, and his final one came 13 years later.

    Kane topped a shortlist that included Chelsea wing-back Marcos Alonso, West Ham United’s Marko Arnautovic, Liverpool duo

    Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, Jesse Lingard of Manchester United, Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez and Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi.

  • Kane beats Shearer record for most goals in a year

    Kane beats Shearer record for most goals in a year

    Harry Kane scored a Premier League record 37th goal in 2017 on Tuesday in Tottenham Hotspur’s game against Southampton at Wembley Stadium.

    The England forward thus toppled a 22-year-old record held by former England striker Alan Shearer.

    Read also: Kane suffers angle ligament damage

    The 24-year-old Kane headed in Christian Eriksen’s free kick in the 22nd minute to overtake Shearer’s 36 goals in 1995 with Blackburn Rovers.

    Kane had equalled the 36-goal tally while scoring a hat-trick in Spurs’ 3-0 win at Burnley on Saturday.

    NAN