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Nasri named France`s finest

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Midfielder: Wins award


Arsenal star Samir Nasri has been named the French Player of the Year by France Football magazine.

The 23-year-old has come of age with the Gunners this season while being snubbed by Raymond Domenech for France's shambolic World Cup campaign also seems to have worked in the midfielder's favour.

The former Marseille ace topped the voting by garnering 99.5 points, comfortably beating the challenge from Chelsea winger Florent Malouda who secured 90.

Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was third with 83.

Yoann Gourcuff won the prestigious accolade last year and Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery picked it up in both 2007 and 2008.
 
Melissa Reddy


Celebrating Shabba`s spirit

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Shabba: The people's champion


Vladimir Vermezovic's voice lowered and his tone was laced with the greatest dash of sincerity. "The real hero has been Siphiwe Tshabalala," he declared on national radio. "He has been having a tough time, a hard week but still gives all to the team and scored a great goal. He is a good player and a good man."

Kaizer Chiefs had just successfully defended the Telkom Knockout trophy with 'Shabba' scoring a cracking goal - reminiscent of his World Cup thunderbolt, in the 3-0 Soweto derby victory over Orlando Pirates on Saturday night.

The winger had picked up the SAFA Footballer of the Year award on Friday and despite all the celebrations surrounding him over those two days, his only thought was of his mom, Rebecca, who was in hospital and fighting for her life.

She had complained of a headache and collapsed at work.

"I said tonight I am going to play for my mom and I am now going to take this medal and my award to her bedside to make her feel better," Tshabalala said after the game.

The Bafana Bafana star managed to deliver his winner's medal to the Intensive Care Unit, but before he could return to place his SAFA trophy next to his mother, she had passed away late on Sunday morning.

Vermezovic wasn't the only one who appreciated Shabba's courage and tenacity. Reneilwe Letsholonyane, dedicated his TKO Midfielder of the Tournament prize to Shabba.

"I would have been happy if Siphiwe was here unfortunately the circumstances do not allow for him to be at the ceremony, our friendship is such that when ever he or I achieve something we celebrate the occasion together.

"I offer my heartfelt condolences to Siphiwe and his family on the passing away of his mother, in this time of grief Siphiwe is a pillar of strength of his family, especially his younger sister."

Chiefs skipper Jimmy Tau added: "I would like to dedicate this award to my team-mate Siphiwe Tshabalala, who lost his mother this week. I would like to tell him that the whole team is with him and his family in mourning."

Last week, there were several questioning whether Tshabalala deserved to be the frontrunner for the Footballer of the Year award as Bongani Khumalo and Steven Pienaar both enjoyed an impressive annum.

Those very people seem to forget how they felt in the 55th minute of the opening World Cup game against Mexico at Soccer City, when the left flanker scored one of the goals of the tournament and the first of Africa's debut global showpiece.

Also forgotten were his countless goal-assisting crosses at the end of last year and throughout 2010, the strike against Thailand, along with his match-winning efforts for the black and gold.

Remember this though: for seven days the midfielder sweated it out in training, attended to his ailing mother and performed admirably in his club's biggest game of the season thus far. Instead of being derailed by ma Rebecca's condition, he figured that if he worked and fought harder, it would inspire his mom to do the same.

He put on a brave face and used his left foot as she would have wanted him to.

You can debate his merits on the field as much as you like, but there are few sportsmen who command such respect, love and support from their peers and an entire nation.

To me, Tshabalala should not simply be rewarded as SAFA's Footballer of the Year, he must be heralded as the kind of character that celebrates all that is triumphant about an often-tainted game.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family Shabba, your mom passed on as a very proud woman.
 
Opinion


Sniffing copy and paste journalism

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What! I'm going to Swansea?





---- Beware serious subject below ----

Before circulating a story for public consumption, journalists and editors should be absolutely certain that what they publish is grounded in fact.

That is what separates journalism from fiction.

That is one of the 'commandments' in media around the world.

But not in South Africa. Especially not in the country's football media. The Hound is happy to name and shame in the latest instance of shoddy journalism where two of the biggest (and supposedly most respected) publications in the country ran a false story about Davide Somma.

'Somma, who won his first cap for South Africa against the USA last month, has joined promotion-chasing English Championship side Swansea City FC on a four-month loan from Leeds United,' wrote Soccer Laduma.

'New Bafana striker Davide Somma has left Leeds United on loan to promotion-chasing Swansea City,' said Times Live.

The number of facts in their (non-)stories?

Zero.

The number of sources mentioned in their (non-)stories?

Zero

The Hound's crusading and gnashing of teeth for better standards in the local media world aside, users on both the aforementioned websites were insulted by the fabrication.

As they pointed out, Somma has just signed a contract extension with Leeds United and the loan transfer window doesn't open for a while yet.

For their part, Leeds rubbished the false reports emanating in the South African media.

"Leeds United would like to confirm that striker Davide Somma has not joined Swansea City," read a statement on the club's official website.

"The story, somewhat strangely, claims that Davide has joined the Welsh club on loan.

"We can confirm the story is totally incorrect."

With some cheek, the Times published a follow-up story about Somma, that audaciously denied their own fabricated story.

This has left The Hound flabbergasted. Is this what journalism has come to? Writing fake stories and then refuting them?

It's time football fans said enough! For too long the media has undermined the intelligence of fans, who clearly deserve better than fictional stories copied and pasted from an online blogger who signed Somma in his Football Manager computer game.

Woof.



Posted: 07/12/10 07:52
 
The very best of the TKO final

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Ngcobo: Man of the match




Kaizer Chiefs were crowned Telkom Knockout champions on Saturday night after a thoroughly professional performance against bitter rivals Orlando Pirates.

Bucs didn't turn up on the night and Amakhosi made the most of it, scoring three times and dominating large chunks of the encounter.

Here, Football365.co.za re-lives the best of the action from a jam-packed FNB Stadium. Congratulations Amakhosi - hard luck Pirates.

Man of the Match


Kaizer Chiefs forward Sthembiso Ngcobo proved to be the difference on the night with two excellent goals - the first with a drive from the edge of the box and his second with a clinical header. He was also a constant thorn in Orlando Pirates' side for the 83 minutes he was on the pitch. Could this be the performance which finally lifts the former Free State Stars man to Chiefs stardom?

Moment of the Match


The celebrations after the match have to be highlighted. The victory meant so much to all connected with Chiefs and it showed when skipper Jimmy Tau lifted the trophy. It would have been the same had Bucs gone the distance, but for now it is Amakhosi's turn to bask in the light that is cup glory.

Attempt & Save of the Match


Chiefs have their goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune partly to thank for the victory after pulling off the save of the match from a brilliant header from Happy Jele, which is our attempt of the match. The Pirates defender rose highest to meet a Daine Klate corner and headed towards the top corner. However, Khune pulled off a magnificent save by diving through the air before tipping the ball wide.

Talking Point


Lucky Lekgwathi's omission from the Bucs starting line-up was mystifying. Arguably Pirates' most consistent performer, Lekgwathi was just the player needed to bring calm to Ruud Krol's defence. However, the Dutch mentor opted against fielding the veteran defender and his absence was felt. All of us in the Football365.co.za offices could not believe the decision and we're sure Krol has a lot of regrets now.

Goal of the Game


While Ngcobo's two goals were excellent, Siphiwe Tshabalala capped off a wonderful night for the Naturena-based club with a stunning effort. The build-up play was just as good as the finish and credit must go to Josta Dladla and Ngcobo for creating the chance to score. Dladla fed Ngcobo on the edge of the area but the big forward dummied, allowing the ball to run to Shabba, who took two touches before slamming home past the hapless Moeneeb Josephs.

This way for the best match report in Mzansi

This way for the reaction from both Vlad V and Ruud Krol

This way for all the pretty pictures from the FNB Stadium




Posted: 04/12/10 20:29

Your Comments

Hannahmabasa

"As for the game, well, what can I say. Congratulations to the boys. The game was meant to separate boys from men, and we know what happened. We can talk of who made the mistake, but I believe for a team this big, any player chosen should have done better. Ok, the captain should have started, but we have no way to tell how things would have penned out. The problem is that Musona probably visited the boys during their dreams and they were so worried he might repeat it again, and then allowed Sthembiso to steal the show. It was a very unprofessional approach from Pirates, starting from their midweek focus on him. Krol probably should have stayed with his 3-1 defeated first team, which is what VV did. He allowed the last derby to decide his starting 11. But who can blame him, fans are very unstable in SA. Losing to Chiefs is the prerequisite to press the panic button, no matter how good a progress you have made overall. They won MTN and lost on the final of TK. If you ask me, this is already a successful season for them. But no, Chiefs decides otherwise, hence fans now want him gone. You cannot continue measuring your success by what happens between you and Chiefs. If he goes, its going to take too long for them to match the progress Chiefs is making, because I dont see VV going, well, of course thats if he also stays away from losing to Pirates this way. But the Motaungs are a bit more patient than Khoza and most other bosses."
Hannahmabasa

"Well, what can I say. Congratulations to the boys. This was meant to separate boys from men, and we all know what happened. We can talk of who made the mistake, but I believe for a team this big, any player chosen should have done better. Ok, the captain should have started, but we have no way to tell how things would have penned out. The problem is that Musona probably visited the boys during their dreams and they were so worried he might repeat it again, and then allowed SN to steal the show. It was a very unprofessional approach from Pirates, starting from their midweek focus on him. Krol probably should have stayed with his 3-1 first team, which is what VV did. He allowed the last derby to decide his starting 11. But who can blame him, fans are very unstable in SA. Losing to Chiefs is the prerequisite to press the panic button, no matter how good a progress you have made overall. They won MTN and lost on the final of TK. If you ask me, this is already a successful season for them. But no, Chiefs decides otherwise, hence fans now want him gone. If he goes, its going to take too long for them to match the progress Chiefs is making, because I dont see VV going, well, of course thats if he also stays away from losing to Pirates this way. But the Motaungs are a bit more patient than Khoza and most other bosses."
Hannahmabasa

"Well, what can I say. Congratulations to the boys. This was meant to separate boys from men, and we all know what happened. We can talk of who made the mistake, but I believe for a team this big, any player chosen should have done better. Ok, the captain should have started, but we have no way to tell how things would have penned out. The problem is that Musona probably visited the boys during their dreams and they were so worried he might repeat it again, and then allowed SN to steal the show. It was a very unprofessional approach from Pirates, starting from their midweek focus on him. Krol probably should have stayed with his 3-1 first team, which is what VV did. He allowed the last derby to decide his starting 11. But who can blame him, fans are very unstable in SA. Losing to Chiefs is the prerequisite to press the panic button, no matter how good a progress you have made overall. They won MTN and lost on the final of TK. If you ask me, this is already a successful season for them. But no, Chiefs decides otherwise, hence fans now want him gone. If he goes, its going to take too long for them to match the progress Chiefs is making, because I dont see VV going, well, of course thats if he also stays away from losing to Pirates this way. But the Motaungs are a bit more patient than Khoza and most other bosses."
 
SuperSport United Goalkeeper Jacob Mokhasi Is Ready To Face Golden Arrows If Given The Chance

SuperSport United goalkeeper Jacob Mokhasi is ready to grab his chance if given the number 1 jersey when United take on Golden Arrows in the League game at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.

Dec 17, 2010 8:40:00 AM

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United are currently facing a goalkeeping crisis following Wayne Brown's poor performance between the poles and Emille Baron reportedly going Awol this week.


Speaking to KickOff.com, Mokhasi says he is ready to play at anytime but declined to blame Brown for their loss against Platinum Stars last weekend.

"Goalkeepers all over the world make mistakes and it is unfair for people to blame Brown for our loss. We are both professionals and support each other during games or at training. I am sure that he has put behind him what happened last week.

"Brown has taken his chance well and I have to wait for mine to come. I am working hard at training and if given a chance to play, I am ready to take it."

United are set to meet Abafana Bes'thende on Saturday without the services of striker Fikru Tefera and Dipsy Selolwane who are out due to yellow card suspensions; however defender Morgan Gould returns after serving his suspension last weekend.

Arrows head into the match having suffered a 3-1 home defeat at the hands of log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.

Despite the loss to the Brazilians, the Chatsworth-based outfit has still made a good start to their campaign and find themselves in fifth place.

In head-to-head stats, SuperSport and Arrows have met 20 times in the League since 2000/01. United has won 11 games to the KwaZulu-Natal side's six and outscored them 33 goals to 19.
 
Manchester City


Toure: City out to silence doubters

Kolo Toure accepts everyone is waiting for Manchester City to fail - but insists the team remain determined to silence the critics.



By PA 11:10AM GMT 16 Dec 2010

City produced a composed collective display to beat bottom club West Ham 3-1 at Upton Park which moved Roberto Mancini's multi-million pound squad level on points with leaders Arsenal, who play Manchester United on Monday night.

However, the performance which looked to have cast aside criticism over disharmony in the dressing room was overshadowed by the news star striker Carlos Tevez has handed in a written transfer request, which has been rejected by the club.

The Argentina striker had a touchline bust-up with Mancini at the end of the win over Bolton at Eastlands, but did not face his former club on Sunday because of a suspension and is said to want to return to his homeland for family reasons.

Earlier in the season, Mario Balotelli was involved in a training-ground fracas with City team-mate Jerome Boateng, while Emmanuel Adebayor and Vincent Kompany had an on-field row during the defeat by Wolves. Toure, though, insists City are united in their ambitions.

"It is normal that everybody will criticise our team because we have so many big players now and the chairman has put in a lot of money," said the centre-back, signed from Arsenal in July 2009. "Everybody's expecting City to be one of the best teams in this league and I think we need to agree on that. The only thing we need to do is just get the points and try to be one of the best teams in this Premier League."
 
Yaya Toure Enjoying Opportunity To Play Further Forward For Manchester City

Ivorian may be denied brace after City reach summit

By Carl Noyce

12-Dec-2010 5:29:00 PM

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Yaya Toure says he's relishing the chance to play further forward after scoring one goal and all but netting another as Manchester City beat West Ham United 3-1 on Saturday.

Toure, who has been operating as a box-to-box midfielder in Roberto Mancini's side, scored a rasping opener before the midfield colossus saw a second effort come off the post, only to hit Robert Green and land in the goal as the away side doubled their lead.

The former Barcelona central midfielder is enjoying a more advanced role in his time at Eastlands, and the rewards that it brings.

"I enjoy the freedom of playing further forward and I am claiming two goals because it is the first time I have done that in one game. I don't use my left foot an awful lot so I got lucky with the first one!" Toure told Manchester City's official website.

Yaya, younger brother of Kolo Toure, is more concerned with the importance of the win, which took the Eastlands outfit to joint top of the league.

"It is great to be up at the top at the moment," he declared.

"It was a good match to win at West Ham because it kept the pressure on our rivals but the season is very long and we know we must continue in this way.

"It is not about me or who scores the goals but about the team."

Toure did, however, praise the importance of David Silva, who set up Adam Johnson's goal and City's third of the match.

Toure stated, "He [Silva] is a fantastic player and when Carlos Tevez is missing is probably the most important player."

Toure's praise for Silva may serve as little consolation given the news that Tevez has handed in a written transfer request to Manchester City.
 
Yaya Toure Enjoying Opportunity To Play Further Forward For Manchester City

Ivorian may be denied brace after City reach summit

By Carl Noyce

12-Dec-2010 5:29:00 PM

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Yaya Toure says he's relishing the chance to play further forward after scoring one goal and all but netting another as Manchester City beat West Ham United 3-1 on Saturday.

Toure, who has been operating as a box-to-box midfielder in Roberto Mancini’s side, scored a rasping opener before the midfield colossus saw a second effort come off the post, only to hit Robert Green and land in the goal as the away side doubled their lead.

The former Barcelona central midfielder is enjoying a more advanced role in his time at Eastlands, and the rewards that it brings.

“I enjoy the freedom of playing further forward and I am claiming two goals because it is the first time I have done that in one game. I don’t use my left foot an awful lot so I got lucky with the first one!” Toure told Manchester City’s official website.

Yaya, younger brother of Kolo Toure, is more concerned with the importance of the win, which took the Eastlands outfit to joint top of the league.

“It is great to be up at the top at the moment," he declared.

“It was a good match to win at West Ham because it kept the pressure on our rivals but the season is very long and we know we must continue in this way.

“It is not about me or who scores the goals but about the team."

Toure did, however, praise the importance of David Silva, who set up Adam Johnson’s goal and City’s third of the match.

Toure stated, “He [Silva] is a fantastic player and when Carlos Tevez is missing is probably the most important player.”

Toure’s praise for Silva may serve as little consolation given the news that Tevez has handed in a written transfer request to Manchester City.
 
Inter Striker Samuel Eto'o: TP Mazembe Are Making Africa Proud

Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o says he's proud of TP Mazembe's performance at the Club World Cup.

By Kingsley Kobo

Dec 15, 2010 5:00:00 PM

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Inter striker Samuel Eto'o says he is following the performances of African representatives TP Mazembe at the Club World Cup with great pride.
"I followed their debut by the time I arrived in Abu Dhabi," the Cameroon captain told FIFA.com on Wednesday.
"Their opening match against Pachuca was underway, and they were already winning. All the Africans in our team began to encourage them, hoping they kept the result.
"I was very pleased and proud that they won that game. They're proudly representing our continent, after their second stunning victory against the South American representatives [Internacional] and I would like to send big congratulations to them."
Inter qualified for the final on Wednesday after beating Asian representatives Seongnam 3-0. They will now meet the Crows on Saturday.


 
Obi Mikel: Teams now have Chelsea sussed

06.12.10 | tribalfootball.com
READ MORE NEWS ON: Chelsea
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John Obi Mikel admits rival teams have worked out how to play against Chelsea successfully.
Mikel believes the change in their fortunes has arrived because other teams in the top flight have finally sussed them out.
"Other teams are trying to find a way to play against us," said Mikel.
"Before, we could find a ball in behind for our strikers and we have the players in our team who can search for the strikers whenever they make a run.
"Teams are now trying to run with our strikers or stay goal-side, which makes it difficult for the rest of us to find those balls in behind all the time.
"So we can keep doing it and they will keep reading our passes or we can look for a way to change some things, leave that for a little bit and go back to it if the space starts to open up in games again."
 
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