THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
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AFCON 2013
NATION SPORT
dedicates goal Mphela goes in Keita to ‘warring’ Mali search of goals S TRIKER Katlego Mphela is confident he can help the struggling Bafana Bafana attack when they play their second match of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) against Angola today. The hosts opened the tournament with a lacklustre goalless draw against Cape Verde Islands on Saturday and have received plenty of criticism in the aftermath. It was the third consecutive match they failed to score following a 1-0 friendly loss to Norway and another 0-0 stalemate against Algeria earlier in January. “I think we have quality strikers here,” Mphela said in Durban on Monday. “Statistically you know I’ve played in these tournaments before and I’m the most experienced striker in this team, so I think I can be the difference.” The 28-year-old, who won his 50th cap on Saturday and has scored over 20 goals for Bafana Bafana, believed it was his responsibility, as a forward, to break their goal-scoring drought. “Now that the Afcon is here, and we obviously didn’t play well in our first game, we want to do well in our second one,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll get some goals for the team to get through to
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the next round.” Mphela, slowly nursing his way back from six months on the sidelines due to a knee injury, had a 22-minute run out against Cape Verde, but made little impact, along with most of his teammates, who had frozen under pressure, according to coach Gordon Igesund. The Mamelodi Sundowns striker is tipped to start when South Africa face the Angolans in Durban and he believed he was up to the task. “My fitness is ok now. I’ve played a couple of friendlies already and the other day I came in as a substitute, playing about 20 minutes,” he said. “If I’m picked and I start against Angola, then I think I’m more than ready. I’m prepared to step up to the plate and try to obviously get what we need, which is goals.” Mphela also defended the Bafana midfielders, who were blasted for a lack of creativity in the opening match. “The last game we did not create enough chances, but in the two friendlies we played before that we created a lot, so I don’t think (supply) was an issue,” he said. “As the coach has said, the players were a bit frozen for the opening match. “I think going into the next game we’ll create more chances.”
EYDOU KEITA has dedicated his lone goal that secured all three points from a Group ‘B’ 2013 Africa Cup of Nations tie for Eagles against Niger on Sunday 20 January 2013 to Malians back home. Mali have been hit with war recently and the country is far from being peaceful. The former Barcelona striker said the goal meant so much to him, as he believes it will bring solace to the people of Mali back home.
“The goal meant a lot to me, and so I dedicate it to my wife, family and all Malians back home, Keita said during a post-match press conference in South Africa. Keita’s 83rd minute strike ensured Mali defeated Niger 1-0 to record the first victory at the Africa Cup of Nations. Mali now top Group B on three points, leaving Ghana and DR Congo on one point each, while Niger is placed bottom without a point.
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Zambia’s Herve Renard accepts blame for draw
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AMBIA head coach Herve Renard admitted the best of the defending Africa Cup of Nations champions may only be seen in the knockout stages after drawing with 10-man Ethiopia. The 2012 champions faced the lowest-ranked side in the competition, but despite goalkeeper Jemal Tassel’s 35th-minute red card, struggled to assert their dominance. With expectation amongst supporters understandably higher after last year’s success,
Renard, who laid the blame firmly on himself, apologised after the match. “Our fans expected more than we did today, and they are right. Today, it was the fault of the coach,” said the Frenchman. “I did not prepare the team well to start the competition – we’ll see how things go after the third game.” “I would like to congratulate Ethiopia for a very good performance. I’m not surprised – I said ‘be careful of this team, they are able to play very good football’.
Zuma gets AFCON silver plate
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RESIDENT Jacob Zuma has been honoured with the 29th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) silver plate, the local organising committee (LOC) said on Monday. Spokesperson Sipho Sithole
said it was a gesture of appreciation for displaying good co-operation and support for the 2013 AFCON tournament currently underway in South Africa. Sithole said Zuma was honoured along with LOC CEO Mvuzo Mbebe, Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula, AU Commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Issa Hayatou, president of the SA Football Association (SAFA) Kirsten Nematandani, and general secretary of the Confederation of African Football Hicham El Amrani. “The prestigious awards were presented to them at the end of the official AFCON opening match between South Africa and Cape Verde held at the National Stadium in Johannesburg where the two nations played a goalless draw.” The opening match of the tournament was on Saturday at the National Stadium, with Bafana Bafana playing to a goalless draw against Cape Verde Islands.
“Today, we have to thank our goalkeeper – without Kennedy M’weene it could have been a very, very bad
result.” Ethiopia secured their first AFCON point since 1982 but may have taken all three after Saldin Said missed a penalty and had a chance bounce over the crossbar. Despite the missed penalty, Ethiopia’s coach Sewnet Bishaw was pleased but felt Tassel should have stayed on the pitch. “I’m happy as we missed a penalty and drew. This is our first experience after 31 years so, as you see, it was fantastic. “The players have shown their characters and shown the rest of the world they can play football. “The goalkeeper also has to defend. He went to defend the ball, and shouldn’t have been red-carded.”
Annan worried over fitness level at AFCON Gyan, Wakaso injury fears
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HANA is sweating over the fitness of Captain Asamoah Gyan and midfielder Mubarak Wakaso ahead of their clash with Group B leaders Mali on Thursday. The tournament favourites were held to a 2-2 draw by the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday in their first 2013 Africa Cup of Nations game and resumed training on Monday without the duo. Coach Kwesi Appiah revealed
that despite taking knocks during their last match, the pair have been resting and should be ready for their upcoming clash. “Asamoah Gyan and Mubarak Wakaso, they had some few knocks yesterday and we decided that they rest today but hopefully they should train tomorrow,” he told MTNfootball. Kickoff is at 5pm at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Igesund urges fans to remain positive
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EAD coach Gordon Igesund has called on South African football fans to remain positive ahead of Bafana Bafana’s second Africa Cup of Nations match. Head coach Gordon Igesund has called on South African football fans to remain positive ahead of Bafana Bafana’s second Africa Cup of Nations match in Durban on Wednesday night.
The host team played to a goalless draw against Cape Verde in the tournament opener on Saturday, and while they have been criticised for their continued struggle to score goals, Igesund believed they would find the back of the net against Angola. South Africa, who last won the continental showpiece in 1996, have scored seven goals in their last nine matches.
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HANA midfielder Anthony Annan says he is battling for fitness ahead of Thursday’s crucial game against Group B leaders Mali. The Osasuna player has been an injury doubt since picking up an ankle injury last week during a pre-tournament friendly against Egypt in Abu Dhabi. But Annan was a second half appearance last Sunday in Ghana’s 2-2 draw with DR Congo at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. It was after the match the combative midfielder admitted he was far from his best form. “I am not 100% fit. I am working on my fitness level and hopefully, I should be in line against Mali,” Annan said. ‘’The team’s medics are doing a great job and in no time I expect to be fully fit without any problems. “We’re disappointed with the result but we must
understand DR Congo is also a good side and played well. “We need to go back to the drawing board to see where we went wrong. But I’m confident we’ll bounce back.”
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