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Belgian with Nigeria scores to settle

Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet has many scores to settle when leading Malawi’s Flames into Saturday’s away decisive World Cup qualifying battle against Africa kings Nigeria.

Nigeria Football Federation sacked Saintfiet as technical director a few years ago only to rub salt on his wounds last week when the Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi allegedly attacked the Malawi mentor racially.

Therefore, going into the Group F game at UJ Usuene Stadium in Nigerian city of Calabar, Saintfiet is unhappy that his concerns about Calabar security earned him alleged racist attacks.

The remarks forced the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) to lodge a complaint to Fifa which has since acknowledged receipt of the letter. FAM earlier wrote Fifa expressing security fears in Calabar. Apparently, Saintfiet once worked as Nigeria Football Federation technical director.

“We can confirm that we have received a complaint on the said matter, but please understand that we cannot comment any further at this stage,” Fifa Media Department confirmed FAM’s complaint on racism on Friday.

On the pitch there is more battle. At stake in this meeting Group F is a place in the final two-legged qualifying phase is a place at the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil. Saintfiet could also earn permanent Malawi job if he beats Nigeria.

On seven points, Malawi trails Nigeria by two points and need nothing short of a win to be among the 10 top group leaders to slug it out in the final qualifying round for the five World Cup places.

Malawi are ranked 118 and have never qualified for the World whereas Nigeria, who just need a draw, are ranked 35th in the world and boast World Cup experience under their belts.

“Nigeria are a good team, we respect them but I have good players who can do the job. I would have to be stupid to come to Malawi and say we cannot beat Nigeria,” Saintfiet vowed.

So bold is Saintfiet he has dropped captain Joseph Kamwendo and recalled Tawonga Chimodzi who is expected to be the team’s creative hub with Robert Ng’ambi providing the attacking threat as a second striker behind Atusaye Nyondo.

Saturday’s game also marks the end of Tom Saintfiet’s two-month ‘voluntary’ tenure. FAM chief executive officer Suzgo Nyirenda on Wednesday said Saintfiet would return to Malawi after the game in Nigeria.

“A decision on the future of the coach and the technical panel will be made. It is expected that the coach will return home with the rest of the delegation on 9th September 2013 pending decision of the executive committee,” Nyirenda said.

Saintfiet jetted in from Belgium on July 5 amid controversy after FAM earlier claimed it would extend the tenure of caretaker coaches Eddington Ng’onamo, Patrick Mabedi and Ernest Mtawali.

FAM eventually revealed the hiring of Saintfiet as a volunteer only entitled to $10 000 for a win against Nigeria, free accommodation and transport. This happened at a time when FAM had not resolved a row among players who wanted a raise from the current K30 000 [$80) for a win.

Saintfiet, who accuses the local media of writing propaganda against him, withdrew the appearance fee demand due to pressure. He worked previously in Namibia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Asia.

City's Demichelis out for six weeks

Manchester City's new signing Martin Demichelis will be out for up to six weeks with a knee injury, the Premier League club announced on Friday.

The 32-year-old Argentine centre-back only arrived from Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

After injuring himself in training, he underwent a scan that revealed ligament damage, but a statement on the City website said that surgery would not be necessary.

"A knee injury sustained in training is set to keep new arrival Martin Demichelis out for around six weeks," read the statement on www.mcfc.co.uk.

"The club doctor confirmed a scan last night (Thursday) revealed ligament damage, but that surgery is not required."

Demichelis's absence adds to manager Manuel Pellegrini's problems in defence, with captain Vincent Kompany currently sidelined by a groin problem and Micah Richards unavailable due to a hamstring complaint.

Bafana, Botswana in do-or-die clash

South Africa and Botswana will both be targeting maximum points when they meet in a 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifier at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, kick-off at 3:30pm.

Ethiopia lead Group A with 10 points, followed by Bafana Bafana with eight points and then Botswana and the Central African Republic, with seven and three points, respectively.

This means that the top three teams still have a chance to go through the next round of qualifiers depending on various permutations.

Bafana need to beat Botswana and hope that Ethiopia drop points in their match against Central African Republic, which will be played in Brazzaville, also on Saturday.

Coach Gordon Igesund has called up a strong squad including a host of overseas-based players and he says he’s expecting an open game.

“I think that due to the fact that both teams can still qualify, that’s going to make it an exciting game because they are not going to sit back and play for a point,” said Igesund.

“A point for them is no good so I think the game might be a little bit open with an attacking approach from both sides and that will be great for us.

“We understand that we have another opportunity to qualify, but we can’t do more than what we can do.

“We need to go out there and beat Botswana and whatever happens in the game between Ethiopia and CAR is out of our hands.”

Botswana, on the other hand, will need to grab all three points in Durban and hope that Ethiopia will suffer defeat in Brazzaville in order to go through on goal difference.

Coach Stanley Tshosane says his side know what is expected of them and is counting on his stars who are based in the Premier Soccer League to help his side to settle.

“The situation is quite simple and uncompromising,” he said.

“The fact that Bafana currently have one point more than Botswana at this stage, and are two points behind Ethiopia, and Botswana trail the leaders by three points, is not really significant.

“But what is significant is that both Bafana and Botswana have superior goal differences to that of Ethiopia, and who knows, this could finally be the deciding factor.

“The experience gained by playing in the PSL has been an important factor in the Botswana team's progress, and it won't be anything new for them to play in Durban either.”

The last meeting between the two sides ended in a 1-1 draw with Ofentse Nato cancelling Morgan Gould’s opener but a similar result will not benefit either side on Saturday.

Half-fit Gyan 'will not play

He has promised that only fully fit players will play on Friday, so Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah says his captain will also be dropped if he is not ready for Zambia.

The gaffer stopped short of making a declarative statement about Asamoah Gyan for the hugely-anticipated match in Kumasi after the striker was unable to finish training on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Gyan trained alone and has started running and ball juggling.

"We cannot risk Gyan or take chances by fielding a weak team. He is our captain and a very good player for us but if he is not fit, we don’t take that risk in such a situation," said Appiah.

"We know Ghanaians will want to see him on Saturday, but seriously, we cannot take such chances.

Stadium dilemma continues for Egypt

The Egyptian Football Association continue their search for a stadium to host their match against Guinea in the World Cup African qualifier next Tuesday .

The EFA announced earlier that Borg Al Arab stadium in Alexandria would host the game before the Ministry of Interior refused to secure the premises.

Egypt assistant coach Diaa Al Sayed said " As of now we don't know where we will play the match. The EFA's board has promised to fix this problem so all we can do is train and wait".

EFA spokesman Azmy Megahed meanwhile revealed to supersport.com that talks with El Defaa El Gawy stadium in Cairo we also ongoing.

" We hope CAF understands our situation and the restless atmosphere here" Azmy added.

Egypt are on the top of their group with 15 points and have already qualified to the African play-off next November.

New look Keshi set to snuff out Malawi

Head coach of the Nigeria national team, Stephen Keshi joked on Wednesday that his recent weight loss could be attributed to a poor eating habit.

The Big Boss, as he is popularly known, spot a trim and super fit look in the team’s press conference ahead of Saturday’s 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifying game against Malawi and it was apparent that he had lost a fair amount of excess weight.

Dispelling insinuations that he was spending more time in the gym, the Big Boss instead insisted that hunger has was the secret behind his new look.

“My weight loss? My brother, for night, I dey cry and hunger dey catch me (I am hungry for food),” he joked in Nigerian pidgin.

He then revealed that discipline was the main reason behind his new look.

“In life, you have to be disciplined. You stick to what you believe in and work towards it.

“Sometimes, you tell yourself ‘I can’t do it, I can’t do it’ but you can! Discipline is not easy.

“If you develop that mental toughness and attitude that you will go through irrespective of what obstacle you face, you will succeed,” he said.

Keshi replaced Samson Siasia as Super Eagles coach in 2011 and became the first Nigerian to win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations as captain and coach.

Roy reveals England's starting XI

England manager Roy Hodgson has made the unusual move of revealing his starting line-up for the World Cup qualifier against Moldova at Wembley later on Friday.

Captain Steven Gerrard is due to be partnered in midfield by Frank Lampard and Jack Wilshere for the first time, while injuries to Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge mean Southampton's Rickie Lambert starts up front.

England have four games remaining in their bid to reach next year's World Cup in Brazil, playing away to Ukraine on Tuesday before home games against Montenegro and Poland next month.

They currently trail leaders Montenegro by two points in European qualifying Group H, but have a game in hand.

England team to play Moldova (4-3-3):

Joe Hart; Kyle Walker, Phil Jagielka, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole; Steven Gerrard (capt), Jack Wilshere, Frank Lampard; Theo Walcott, Rickie Lambert, Danny Welbeck

Moyes, Fellaini ready for United - Round

Manchester United's assistant coach Steve Round has defended the club's new manager David Moyes by insisting that he is ready for the challenge of life at Old Trafford.

Moyes succeeded the legendary Alex Ferguson in July but has endured a difficult start to his time at United, picking up only four points from his first three league games and missing out on several transfer targets.

But Round, who followed Moyes to United from Everton, believes the 50-year-old Scot has the necessary attributes to turn his time with the 20-time English champions into a success.

"Without a doubt, David was ready for this job," Round told regional newspaper the Manchester Evening News.

"He has an incredible desire to succeed. He now has the stature and presence to move to a club like this. I really do believe he will be a big success.

"Now I have been in this club and environment I can understand why Sir Alex and the board appointed him – to keep that continuity, work ethic, drive and feeling about the club going.

"It was very important to them and I can understand now that I have been here and lived it. They were made for each other."

Moyes's only major signing during the transfer window was Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini, who arrived from Everton for a fee of £27.5 million.

Although mooted moves for Barcelona's Cesc Fabregas, Thiago Alcantara, who joined Bayern Munich from Barcelona, and Athletic Bilbao's Ander Herrera failed to materialise, Round feels Fellaini will prove his worth.

"We wanted someone who could give us strength in the middle of midfield and allow one or two of the others to play," he said.

"Technically, he is excellent. His chest control is arguably one of the best in the world. His feet are really good. He is aggressive, tackles, and has great fitness stats.

"He is one of the highest runners in matches. He will regularly do over 12 kilometres a game.

"He doesn't have the same range of long passing as Michael Carrick, but the way he keeps the ball and his short passing is very good.

"When you are building a squad to compete on all fronts you don't want every single player to be the same. You want options and differences.

"Marouane can sit in front of the defence, go box to box and drop off the front man. He is ready for this step up

Johnson happy with Grobler

SuperSport United coach Cavin Johnson has praised striker Bradley Grobler for his role in their 3-1 Premiership victory over Kaizer Chiefs in Atteridgeville last weekend.

Trailing by a goal at halftime, United scored two goals in five minutes, including a Grobler penalty, for their third league victory in as many games.

"I've always known Bradley to be a very good professional, someone who I think has got one of the best techniques in the Premiership, as far as goal-scoring is concerned," Johnson said this week.

"He's been waiting patiently, he's been doing very well at training and he came out against Chiefs and didn't have the ball a lot.

"But where he was running, and the way he was moving, he made the wingers play a lot better."

Having struggled at Ajax Cape Town last season, the 25-year-old joined Matsatsantsa midway through the previous Premiership campaign, on loan from the Urban Warriors.

Johnson believed Grobler had plenty to offer the team, highlighting the player's work ethic as a major contributing factor.

"Mame [Niang] brings a whole different game when you play him," Johnson said.

"Bradley brings a different type of game and that's why we opted for Bradley against Chiefs.

"For that reason, he's been watching at training, he's been learning... hopefully he'll be able to stay in the team for a lot longer than just one game."

Currently at the summit of the league standings with nine points, United lead their nearest rivals, Chiefs, by two, and next face newly-promoted Mpumalanga Black Aces on September 15.

Dyke plays down England's 2014 hopes

No-one believes England have a realistic chance of winning the World Cup in Brazil next year, Greg Dyke, the new head of the English FA said on Thursday.

A day after warning that England will have little chance of competing seriously for honours in future unless more English players start playing in the Premier League, Dyke told the BBC: "It doesn't mean we can't do well in Brazil as long as we qualify.

"But I don't think anyone realistically thinks we are going to win the World Cup in Brazil."

Dyke painted a potentially bleak future for the country's national team on Wednesday which he said could only be averted if the spiralling influence of foreign players in the Premier League is curtailed.

At the same time he challenged England to win the World Cup in 2022 and to reach at least the semifinals of Euro 2020.

England are far from assured of reaching next year's finals in Brazil, although they are in a decent enough position to qualify and will go top of their group if they beat Moldova as expected at Wembley on Friday.

They then face Ukraine in Kiev next Tuesday when another victory would significantly boost their chances.

Dyke said on Thursday he was confident England would qualify for the finals, telling the BBC: "I asked a bunch of journalists what would be seen as doing well in Brazil, and the consensus was, if we reach the quarterfinals we'll do very well indeed.

"That's not to say we can't win. But lets not kid oursevles. It's pretty hard to win in Latin America anyway for a European side. We're certainly not going to go there as odds on -favourites that's for sure."

In his speech on Wednesday, Dyke was anxious not to accuse the Premier League of being the agent of England's bleak international future.

But just about everything he said implied he thought it was.

He said he was merely describing how the soccer landscape had changed in England since the influx of foreign players began after the formation of the cash-rich Premier in 1992-93.

BIG FIVE

One of the great ironies of the debate is that in the early 1990s Dyke was the chief executive of London Weekend Television and called together the chairmen of the then "Big Five" clubs - Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur - to discuss a far more lucrative TV deal if the top clubs broke away from the Football League.

That eventually happened with the Premier League starting in 1992, but Dyke admitted on Wednesday that no-one could then see it would become the most successful and richest league in the world - or the downside that has affected the English game.

In 1992-93 72 per cent of the players appearing in Premier League matches were English. Last season that figure had dropped to 32 per cent.

Dyke said: "The issue, quite simply, is this. In the future it's quite possible we won't have enough players qualified to play for England who are playing regularly at the highest level in this country or elsewhere in the world.

"As a result, it could well mean England's teams are unable to compete seriously on the world stage."

"What none of us could have foreseen (in 1992) was because of the very success of the Premier League we would end up with a league largely owned by foreign owners, managed by foreign managers and played by foreign players."

TANKER TURNING

He said things had to change to give England any chance of ending decades of under-achievement at international level.

"English football is a tanker that needs turning," he said announcing he was setting up and chairing an FA commission to investigate change.

His comments were met with a wide-range of opinions in the media on Thursday.

The Times supported his stance, saying "Finally the FA has a leader with the courage to set the agenda" adding: "For years someone at the FA has needed to stand up and say what Greg Dyke said yesterday."

The Sun also took a swipe at "arrogant Richard Scudamore" the chief executive of the Premier League.

"Until (he) removes his head from the sand there is little or no hope," it wrote.

The Sun continued: "In July Scudamore called suggestions the Premier League was hindering the national team's progress 'absolute nonsense'

"The only nonsense came from his own lips. It is this sort of arrogant, self-serving denial of the obvious that has so damaged England."

Dyke's commission will meet later this month and report back early next year.

"We will come up with a set of ideas," Dyke told the BBC, "The hardest bit is, how do you then implement them?

Van Persie praises Moyes' methods

Manchester United striker Robin van Persie on Thursday hailed new manager David Moyes' style, nixing rumours about his unhappiness over coaching methods at Old Trafford.

"It's wonderful to work with new manager David Moyes," Van Persie told the Dutch popular daily broadsheet De Telegraaf.

Moyes "has his own ways and means and that suits me", said the Dutch skipper, who is currently on duty for the Oranje back in the Netherlands.

"He has his own style and I am happy with it," Van Persie added.

Moyes – shortly after taking the reins from Alex Ferguson at one of the world's most famous football clubs in July – hailed the mercurial Van Persie and said he hoped the striker would have as big an impact in the new English Premier League season as he did in his spectacular debut for Manchester United the year before.

Van Persie was a huge hit at Old Trafford last season after switching from Arsenal and was the Golden Boot winner in England's top flight, banging in a total of 30 goals in 48 appearances.

But reports have surfaced over Van Persie's apparent unhappiness with Moyes' methods, saying he was yet to be convinced by the former Everton boss.

Van Persie however swiftly dispelled reports on Thursday.

"He (Moyes) takes care of his own training, knows what he's doing, prepares us really well ahead of our next opponents.

"It keeps us sharp, which is good, because the previous season's title has made us hungry for more," he said.

Ozil confident of Arsenal success

Arsenal's record signing Mesut Ozil on Thursday expressed confidence that he can hit the ground running at the Emirates Stadium and help the club end their eight-year trophy drought.

Ozil signed from Real Madrid on Monday for a reported fee of £42.4 million after being told he could no longer be certain of a first-team place at the Bernabeu following the arrivals of Isco and Gareth Bale.

The German midfielder's international manager, Joachim Low, has expressed surprise at the move but Ozil says he is motivated by the challenge of helping Arsenal win a first title since the 2005 FA Cup.

"I want to improve myself further and I am looking forward to the style of play," Ozil told the Arsenal website.

"Arsenal are well known for the strength of their technical game and their desire to play attacking football. I think I will fit perfectly into that. That is why I chose to sign for the club.

"In the last few years, Arsenal haven't been so successful, but we want to become more successful. We want to win trophies. I think the fans are looking forward to that too.

"We have a very strong and a very young team that can improve a lot under the manager. I think we will win trophies because we have the potential."

Ozil, who is expected to make his debut at Sunderland on September 14, says he believes his style of play will enable him to adapt quickly to life under Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

"I am the sort of player that likes to create goals. I think a lot of my teammates know me as a player who is not selfish," he said.

"It makes me very happy when I create goals or score goals myself, but the most important thing is that the team reaches its goal and plays positive football."

The 24-year-old is also looking forward to testing himself amid the breathless cut and thrust of the English top flight.

"I am happy to be playing in the Premier League because everyone knows it is the strongest league in the world. There are simply a lot of top teams," he said.

"I want to prove myself there. It is a new challenge for me, a new task. I am looking forward to that. I want to improve further under the boss and in the team. I am really excited about it.

"I am so happy to be playing at Arsenal. I am honoured by it. I hope we can have a successful season."

Ozil is currently on international duty with Germany and is expected to feature in their World Cup qualifying games against Austria and the Faroe Islands.

His Germany teammate, Lukas Podolski, who also plays for Arsenal, said he was delighted at the move.

"Mesut and I are going to rock Arsenal," he was quoted as saying by German daily Bild.

"It's great that he's coming, he's a good friend and a brilliant footballer.

Podolski is currently out with a hamstring injury and unlikely to play before the end of the year but said Ozil was a "great fit" for the north London club, who also have Germany's Per Mertesacker in their line-up.

"We're already playing great football, the only thing that was missing was the final punch, that element of surprise," said Podolski.

"That's exactly what Mesut will give us

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Bafana ready to tame Zebras - Serero

Ajax Amsterdam midfielder Thulani Serero believes Bafana Bafana will be up for the challenge when they host Botswana in a 2014 Fifa World Cup set for Saturday at Moses Mabhida Stadium, kick-off at 15h30.

The two nations last met in this competition in September last year in the first leg in Gaborone, with Kaizer Chiefs defender Morgan Gould scoring for South Africa as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

For the first time since the start of camp, Bafana Bafana had a full compliment of players after all 23 players reported for camp. The players trained under overcast conditions at People’s Park with Serero stating afterwards that players were fully aware of the expectations from this match.

“It will be a different and more disciplined Bafana Bafana side that will meet Botswana on Saturday. At our last meeting, we had just lost our coach (Pitso Mosimane) and did not play well that day. But this time it will be different. We have a new coach in Gordon Igesund, a new style of play and we are stronger all round and have a different mentality. We all know we have to win to give us a chance to advance and we will be up for the challenge,” said Serero.

The Ajax Amsterdam midfielder last played forBafana Bafana in Durban during the Africa Cup of Nations tournament earlier in the year. The player said he was happy with his current form.

“I was troubled by injuries last season but I am a bit more settled now and it has been easier for me since the start of this season. I am more mature than I have been during the past two years at Ajax. I am looking forward to playing and doing my bit for Bafana Bafana,” he said.

Both South Africa and Botswana need maximum points to have any chance of progressing to the next and final round of qualifiers, and with that in mind, Serero said he expected their opponents to attack.

“It will suit us if they come to play an open game. That means we can hit them on the counter .I am confident we can do the business and win. We are much stronger and things are looking good for us,” concluded the midfielder who has played 12 times for Bafana Bafana.

Serero’s confidence was shared by Tokelo Rantie who added that with Bafana Bafana creating numerous chances in matches, the goals will come.

“There is always pressure when you play for the national team but we have to be focused. As for me I don’t think there is any pressure for me to score, even though the nation expects the team to hit the back of the net, especially in this match,” said the striker.

“I believe I am up for the challenge of unlocking the Botswana defence. The confidence is high in the camp and the players know we have to win to stand any chance of going to Brazil in 2014.”

Botswana announced a 23-man squad that arrived in Durban on Wednesday (4 September), which includes seven players based in South Africa. They have included a number of players who are based on South Africa.

“I expect Joel Mogorosi of Bloemfontein Celtic and Mogakolodi Ngele of Platinum Stars to play a key role for Botswana. Both players know our style of play and will be helping their coach with information,” said Orlando Pirates winger Daine Klate.

“Also, their players will want to be in the shop window as this match will be watched by every PSL coach. So I expect they will play above themselves, but we’re ready. We just need to concentrate for 90 minutes and stick to our game plan

Sudan host Lesotho in Omdurman

Group D bottom placed sides Sudan and Lesotho face off on September 8th at the Omdurman, Khartoum Stadium in a 2014 World Cup qualifier.

The hosts will be playing more for pride and to win a game in-front of their fans will be more than welcome.

The Sudan team is third in the group with two points after recording only two draws.

Coach Mohamed Abdallah Mazda, who is building a team ahead of the 2015 Afcon qualifiers, expects his youthful players to raise to the occasion and make use of home advantage.

The Black Stars of Ghana who lead the group face Zambia in the group decider this weekend.

After a 0-0 draw in Maseru last year, Sudan will hope to win this time round.

Salah Ibrahim, who scored in June in the 1-1 draw away to Zambia in Ndola, is expected to lead the Sudan attack together with Amir Kamal, Amin Elmani and skipper Saif Ali.

Lesotho whose team lost 2-0 at home to Ghana in their last group tie in June will look to Moitheri Ntobo, Tsepo Lekhoana and skipper Moitheri Ntobo.

Leslie Notsi, the Lesotho coach, said early this week that they were heading to Sudan to get maximum three points.

The Lesotho team also has only two points from two draws.

Burkina Faso gunning for top spot

Burkina Faso will go out in search of maximum points when they host Gabon in their 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifier at the Stade du 4-Août in Ouagadougou on Saturday, kick-off at 17h30 (CAT).

The Stallions are currently in second place in Group E with nine points, one point behind group leaders Congo.

This means that Paul Put’s side will need to beat Gabon and hope that Congo will drop some points when they visit Niger in Niamey, also on Saturday.

Burkina Faso go into this game looking to continue with their winning momentum following their back-to-back 1-0 wins over Niger and Congo.

However, Gabon will not make things easy as they also stand a chance to top the group and reach the next stage of the qualifiers.

The Panthers are currently in third place with seven points and could clinch top spot should they beat the Stallions and Congo lose to Niger, depending on the number of goals scored in both matches.

Gabon thrashed Niger 4-1 in their previous qualifier mid-June and will be looking to continue with their scoring form against a side that has kept two consecutive clean sheets.

When the two sides met in Libreville in June last year, Remy Ebanega scored the only goal of the match to hand Gabon a 1-0 win.

2013 Africa Cup of Nations star Jonathan Pitroipa has scored two goals so far in the group stages and will be expected to make things happen for his side in the absence of the injured Alain Traore.

Gabon, on the other hand, will be spurred on by the presence of Borussia Dortmund star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who netted from the penalty spot during the win over Niger.

Burglars hit Robinho home

Burglars broke into the home of AC Milan forward Robinho and escaped with numerous items of jewellery including a Rolex watch worth €30,000 , according to La Gazzetta dello Sport on Thursday.

The robbers struck on Wednesday after the Brazilian player had left his home near the club's San Siro ground to pick up his partner and their kids from the airport.

The newspaper said the player "may have forgotten" to activate the house alarm and that police had failed to find any fingerprints, suggesting the burglars had worn protective gloves.

Italy's domestic ANSA news agency added that a friend of the player called police just after 9:30 pm (1930 GMT) to say the house had been broken into and valuables taken.

Ronaldinho free kicks rescue Mineiro

Ronaldinho scored from two free kicks to rescue a 2-2 draw for South American champions Atletico Mineiro at home to Brazilian champions Fluminense.

A referee was given a police escort off the field at halftime after controversially disallowing a goal in Internacional's 1-0 win over Corinthians while Cruzeiro's 3-1 win at Bahia kept them top of the Brazilian championship in other games on Wednesday.

Mineiro fell behind when a defensive blunder gifted a 12th-minute goal to Fluminense's Wagner but equalised in first-half stoppage time when Ronaldinho won a free kick and scored with a shot which went in off the crossbar.

In a generally scrappy game which produced more than 50 fouls, Rhayner put Fluminense back in front in the 73rd minute only to be sent off for a second bookable offence two minutes later.

Another exquisite Ronaldinho free kick seven minutes from time salvaged a point for the Roosters.

Mineiro, who have sat on their laurels since winning the Libertadores Cup in July and fielded second-string teams in several games, are 13th in the 20-team table with 21 points from 17 games.

Former Real Madrid and Brazil coach Vanderlei Luxemburg's Fluminense, last year's champions, are 16th with 19 points, one place above the relegation zone.

Dunga, another former Brazil coach, saw his Internacional side end a run of six straight draws by beating Corinthians 1-0.

Argentine Andres D'Alessandro scored the winner with a deflected free kick, although Inter were fuming after a disallowed goal in the first half.

Corinthians goalkeeper Cassio was injured in a collision with Inter forward Leandro Damiao as he cleared a cross, then Fabricio collected the rebound and fired into an empty net.

The referee at first signalled a goal but then awarded a foul to Corinthians, generating furious protests from the hosts. He was escorted off at halftime by riot police wielding truncheons and plastic shields.

Cruzeiro (37 points) stayed four clear of Atletico Paranaense at the top. First-half goals from Borges and Everton Ribeiro put them in control in front of a sparse 9 000 at the Fonte Nova, one of Brazil's World Cup stadiums.

Fahel pulled one back for Bahia before former Sevilla, Malaga, AS Roma, Real Madrid and Brazil striker Julio Baptista completed the scoring.

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Newcastle loan Amalfitano back to France

Newcastle United have loaned midfielder Romain Amalfitano to Dijon until the end of the season, the French club confirmed on Wednesday.

Amalfitano, 24, joined Newcastle in July 2012 from Reims but has rarely featured for the Premier League club and will now look to relaunch his career in the French second tier.

Amalfitano's brother Morgan joined West Bromwich Albion on loan from Marseille on transfer deadline day.

Rooney wound a horror show - Theo

Theo Walcott says the head injury that has sidelined England colleague Wayne Rooney looks like "something out of a horror film".

Rooney was left with a sizeable gash on his forehead after being caught in the face by Manchester United teammate Phil Jones earlier this week.

The wound required stitches and forced the 27-year-old striker to withdraw from England's squad for the World Cup qualifying double-header against Moldova and Ukraine.

Asked to describe the injury during a press conference at England's St George's Park training base on Tuesday, Walcott pointed to a bottle of water beside him and said: "I've seen a picture of it and it's about that big.

"It is a very big gash. It is not a nice sight, to be honest. It is not going to help his looks, I wouldn't think. It's not very nice to see. It's like something out of a horror film."

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge had been in line to deputise for Rooney at home to Moldova on Friday, but he is now doubtful with a thigh injury that prevented him from training on Tuesday.

With Tottenham Hotspur's Jermain Defoe yet to start a league game this season, it means either Rooney's United teammate Danny Welbeck or Southampton's Rickie Lambert will lead the line against Moldova.

"It is sad to see Wayne out, but it is an opportunity for someone to come in and take their chance," Walcott added.

"Danny Welbeck has started the season well for his club and Rickie Lambert has had a great start to his England career, so the manager has some great options and I am sure he knows what to do.

Cesc key for Spain in Finland

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque is missing several key performers for Friday's World Cup Group I qualifier away to Finland but one player who will be available comes into the match in a rich vein of form.

Cesc Fabregas has impressed for Barcelona during the opening weeks of the La Liga season and could make the difference for the world and European champions as they seek to maintain their grip on top spot ahead of France and take a step closer to securing an automatic berth at next year's tournament in Brazil.

The 26-year-old former Arsenal captain has made five assists in his three league appearances this term, already half as many as the whole of last season, and Del Bosque will look to him to help unlock Finland's stubborn defence.

Spain struggled in their qualifier against them in Gijon in March, taking a 1-0 lead through centre back Sergio Ramos before conceding a late equaliser to draw 1-1.

Del Bosque has often deployed Fabregas, who has played 83 times for Spain, as a so-called "false nine", foregoing a traditional striker and using him in a roving forward role that is tricky to defend against.

At Barca he typically plays further back in midfield and had an excellent game there at Valencia on Sunday when he twice set up World Player of the Year Lionel Messi to score.

"We are not going to be over-confident against a team like Finland, not at all," sports daily Marca quoted Fabregas as saying on Wednesday.

"We already experienced the match in Gijon and those are things that you learn from."

Del Bosque's main concern is the absence of midfield stalwarts Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso, who are injured along with Javi Martinez.

Javi Garcia and Mario Suarez are in the squad as cover and could get the chance to impress their coach and improve their chances of selection for next year's finals.

"The coach has tried various options (in training) but if I play or not I am here to contribute, to give things to the team," Suarez, who plays at Atletico Madrid, told a news conference on Wednesday.

With Gerard Pique suspended, Raul Albiol will probably partner Ramos in central defence, or Del Bosque may opt to give 23-year-old Ignacio Fernandez, who plays with Ramos at Real, his first cap for the senior side.

Playmaker Isco, who has been on fine form for Real in recent weeks, is a doubt after injuring an ankle in training on Tuesday and sitting out Wednesday's session.

DAVID, GOLIATH

Finland, ranked 65 in the world and bidding to qualify for the finals of a World Cup for the first time, are third in the group, four points behind the French, who play minnows Georgia in Tbilisi on Friday.

"Spain know we are able to make it very difficult for them, we can dull their attacks," Finland coach Mixu Paatelainen told a news conference last week.

"But this is of course a David and Goliath situation, what happened in Gijon is in the past now."

The task facing Paatelainen's young squad has been made even harder due to the absence of Chievo Verona midfielder Perparim Hetemaj through suspension.

However, Paatelainen is not throwing in the towel and believes Finland can steal a place in the playoffs.

"The group will be decided in the next few games and we will be a difficult opponent," he said. "Everything is still open."

Tight defending will be vital if Finland are to avoid defeat, according to left back Jukka Raitala.

"We know they will hit back hard if they are given too much space," he said on the team's website (www.palloliitto.fi).

"But we will not aim at 0-0," he added. "Surely we must look to score as we are playing at home.

"We have a great chance to show what we can do and again snatch something like the miracle in Gijon.

Pressure building on strikers - Rantie

Bafana Bafana striker Tokelo Rantie has conceded feeling a weight of expectation on his shoulders as South Africa continues its search for a clinical finisher in attack.

The 22-year-old is among three strikers – the others are Kermit Erasmus and Bernard Parker – named in Gordon Igesund's latest squad to face Botswana in a must-win World Cup qualifier in Durban on Saturday.

“Yes (we do feel the weight of expectation),” Rantie said on Wednesday. “I mean people expect us to score and only goals can win you the game.

“I believe we will do it. We have Kermit, we have Bernard and those guys they can score goals.”

The match will be South Africa's 16th international of the year, and even though they have scored 19 goals in those games, an alarming statistic reveals that only three of those have come against opponents higher than them in the global Fifa rankings.

In matches against Norway, their only European opponents in 2013, Algeria, Cape Verde Islands, Zambia and Nigeria they have drawn blanks, with a 1-1 scoreline versus Mali and a 2-0 win over a depleted Burkina Faso the only positives.

Coach Igesund has already spoken this week about their conversion rate in front of goal and according to Rantie.

“I feel we have strikers in the team that can score goals and I think it will come.

“Sometimes things don't actually go your way when you expect them to, but I think it will happen for us this weekend.”

Fortunately for the 67th ranked hosts, Botswana are not even inside the top 100 in the world, leaving Rantie confident of victory.

“I am confident we'll be able to get maximum points from the game,” he said.

Bafana are currently lying second in Group A, two points behind leaders Ethiopia, but with a superior goal difference.

They must win the match and hope the East Africans either draw or lose against the Central African Republic in their game which kicks off simultaneously in Brazzaville, Congo on Saturday.

“I think we need to focus on our own game,” Rantie explained.

“We don't need to worry much about what's going on in the CAR-Ethiopia game.

“If we can focus on our winning our own game, hopefully the result in the other one will go for us.”

The former Orlando Pirates striker and Siyanda Xulu only reported to camp on Tuesday, along with five outstanding Buccaneers players that were away on Champions League duty in Egypt.

Rantie recently left Swedish side Malmo for England where he signed for Championship outfit Bournemouth for a reported club-record fee.

He admits the move was excellent for his career and hoped he could carry his club form forward to his country.

“It's a great move for me and for my career,” he added.

“We all know what players can learn in England, it's a great league.

“Hopefully I'll be able to manage and do the same things I have been doing at Malmo at my club and with Bafana Bafana.

Essien trains with Ghana

For the first time in over two years, Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien trained with Ghana as they started preparations for Friday's World Cup qualifying Group D finale in Accra on Monday.

Essien last played for Ghana over two years ago before retiring to focus on his club career after a succession of debilitating knee injuries.

However the 30-year-old only took part in the group's running sessions while remaining on the sidelines when the players did ball work.

Among those who participated were captain Asamoah Gyan, Albert Adomah, Rashid Sumaila, Mahatma Otoo, Kwadwo Asamoah, Jonathan Mensah, Razak Braimah, Fatau Dauda, Rabiu Mohammed, Christian Atsu, Mubarak Wakaso and Awal Mohammed.

Other players, including Schalke star Kevin-Prince Boateng, are expected to arrive today and be involved in tomorrow's double session. Ghana need just a point from the game to win their group and advance to the ten-team play-offs.

De Sa concerned about penalties

Orlando Pirates coach Roger de Sa questioned the number of penalties awarded in CAF Champions League matches following their 2-1 defeat to Zamalek in their Group A clash in Egypt on Sunday.

Pirates conceded a penalty six minutes into the match, but despite the loss they still lead the group with seven points from four matches.

"It's quite sad, every team talk we give we talk about conceding a penalty," De Sa said on the team's arrival at OR Tambo on Tuesday.

"You don't touch them in the box because they're looking for it [penalties].

"I don't know how many penalties are awarded in these competitions, and this time Senzo Meyiwa [Pirates goalkeeper] didn't save it."

In three away games Pirates have conceded four penalties, with Meyiwa pulling off a crucial save in their 3-0 victory over Al Ahly on August 4.

Al Ahly have joined Pirates on the same number of points, but the South African team boasts a positive five-goal difference, six better than their Egyptian counterparts.

The excessive heat also played a role in Pirates' lacklustre performance and, De Sa said his side would plan better for the extreme temperatures.

"There were difficult conditions with the heat, that was the downside for us," he said.

"Perhaps in hindsight, we might have spent too much time in the heat and was one of the factors why we were so flat. The more time you spend in 40 degrees the more lethargic you become."

While the loss would come as a blow, the coach said his team was still in a prime position to progress.

"We would have liked to have come back with something out of the game," De Sa said.

"I always thought it was going to be difficult playing Zamalek. They're a tough team to play against."

Pirates will have enough time to regroup before they head to the Democratic Republic of Congo to take on AC Leopards on September 15.

Gonalons drafted in to replace Capoue

Lyon's defensive midfielder Maxime Gonalons was called up Monday by France coach Didier Deschamps for a World Cup qualifying double-header as a replacement for the injured Etienne Capoue.

France play Georgia in Tbilisi on Friday before travelling to Belarus next Tuesday.

Tottenham Hotspur's Capoue injured his leg during Sunday's north London derby against Arsenal in the English Premier League.

"I've called up Maxime due to Etienne Capoue's injury and the uncertainty surrounding Clement Grenier," said Deschamps from France's training centre in Clairefontaine, just outside the capital Paris.

Gonalons has played six times for France but was not picked for the 0-0 friendly draw with Belgium in August.

His club teammate Grenier, who is still part of the squad, missed Lyon's 2-1 defeat at Evian on Saturday due to a thigh problem.

France trail world and European champions Spain by a point in Group I with three games left. Only the winners will earn their ticket to next year's World Cup in Brazil while the second-placed finishers will enter the play-offs.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Mickael Landreau (Bastia), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham/ENG), Steve Mandanda (Marseille)

Defenders: Eric Abidal (Monaco), Gael Clichy (Manchester City/ENG), Mathieu Debuchy (Newcastle/ENG), Patrice Evra (Manchester United/ENG), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal/ENG), Eliaquim Mangala (Porto/POR), Adil Rami (Valencia/ESP), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal/ENG)

Midfielders: Clement Grenier (Lyon), Maxime Gonalons (Lyon), Josuha Guilavogui (Saint-Etienne), Geoffrey Kondogbia (Sevilla/ESP), Samir Nasri (Manchester City/ENG), Paul Pogba (Juventus/ITA), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle/ENG), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille)

Forwards: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid/ESP), Andre-Pierre Gignac (Marseille), Olivier Giroud (Arsenal/ENG), Dimitri Payet (Marseille), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich/GER)

Drogba wanted me at Chelsea - Yaya

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure revealed on Monday that he would have become a Chelsea player if he had taken Didier Drogba’s advice back in 2005.

Both players were invited by state television RTI to clarify rumours about their lingering animosity which many in Ivory Coast feel is the cause of the national team’s lack of success in top competitions.

Toure, who was named African Footballer of the Year last December for the second time in a row, said he had no differences with the Elephants’ captain Drogba, who was sitting to his side during the interview.

And that during his trying days in Ukraine with Metalurh Donetsk, the former Chelsea star pressured him to join the London club, which would have worked out but ran into snags at the last minute.

“I have never had quarrels with Didier Drogba like people have been saying,” Toure said. “Didier has been my long-time friend. He did everything possible for me to join Chelsea back in 2005 and we have been close pals since then.

“Would your enemy ever want you to work with him in the same place? Didier is my friend, my brother, my adviser. We have never had a fight and we’ll never,” he said.

The Ivorian team’s 4-1 loss to Mexico last month in an international friendly brought back sad memories of their near-misses in the Africa Cup of Nations, with many supporters back home unwilling to attend the team’s upcoming match against Morocco in the 2014 World Cup qualifying.

However, Toure promised they would try to deliver to reconcile with fans and officials, even though nothing is at stake as the Elephants are already through to the knockout stage of the qualifying.

Kaka love affair 'never' over for Milan

Dozens of delirious AC Milan supporters took to the streets of the city late Monday to herald the return of Brazilian midfielder Kaka following his arrival from Real Madrid.

Kaka was one of Real's most expensive signings in 2009 when the club paid Milan €65 million for him after a highly-succesful six-season spell with the Rossoneri.

After being left on the sidelines under Jose Mourinho, Kaka's chances of more regular first team action at the Santiago Bernabeu faded further when his former coach at Milan, Carlo Ancelotti, took over the 'Galacticos' for the new season.

With Brazil hosting the 2014 World Cup, Kaka launched a plea to leave Real and the Spaniards allowed the 31-year-old to return to his former club on a free transfer.

Kaka was met by dozens of fans upon his arrival at Milan-Linate airport on Monday, a scene that was repeated when he met club vice-president Adriano Galliani late on Monday.

At the Giannino restaurant, a favourite haunt of AC Milan and its players, were dozens of fans noisily convened to celebrate Kaka's arrival.

The player sipped Champagne and was presented with a cake adorned with the words 'Some love affairs never end'.

Kaka, who has signed a two-year contract, was delighted to be back.

"I really wanted to come here and now I'm back I am so happy. I've returned home!" said the Brazilian, who took a significant pay cut to facilitate his move to the San Siro.

Kaka's first spell at the Rossoneri, from 2003 to 2009, coincided with his rise to prominence that culminated in him winning the 2007 Ballon d'Or after leading Milan to the Champions League title that year.

Coach Massimiliano Allegri on Friday said: "He's versatile, and his technical attributes would be a big plus to the team."

Although brought in as a replacement for playmaker Kevin-Prince Boateng, who was sold to Schalke 04 last week, it remains to be seen how Allegri slots Kaka into his system.

Kaka began his previous spell at Milan playing just behind striker Andriy Shevchenko, but went on to occupy the main striker's role as well as variously changing position in Ancelotti's preferred 4-3-1-2 system.

Allegri usually deploys a 4-3-3 formation with Mario Balotelli in the central striker's role flanked by, for example, Robinho and Stephan El Shaarawy.

Asked if he had already spoken tactics with Allegri, Kaka replied: "It's been such a frenetic few days that we haven't had time to talk about anything.

"I've not even heard from the president, Silvio Berlusconi. But I know the whole club wanted me here. For me, that's enough.

"We'll do wonderful things together

Milan confirm Kaka signing from Real

Brazilian attacking midfielder Kaka returned to AC Milan on Monday after four unhappy years at Real Madrid during which he went from one of the world's top players to an unhappy, over-priced, injury-prone reserve.

The 31-year-old's dramatic loss of form has also led to him being shelved from Brazil's plans for the 2014 World Cup after he was left out of the Confederations Cup squad this year.

Kaka has been plagued by injuries over the last few years, including one to his left knee shortly after the 2010 World Cup.

He made only 82 league appearances during his time at Real after his 65-million-euro ($85.71-million) move in 2009 and rarely played anything more than a supporting role.

Some 300 supporters were waiting for Kaka outside Linate airport on Monday.

"I'm very happy to be back," he told reporters. "After a difficult period at Madrid, I had been dreaming about a return. I'm not happy that I left in 2009 but these are things that happen in football.

"This is a young team with a lot of great players and I'm happy to have Robinho in the team," he added. "Physically, I'm fine, I haven't had any problems for a while and I want to play.

"I did everything I could for things to work out at Real Madrid and when I realised that there wasn't much space for me, I asked to leave."

He said he still believed that Milan could give him a springboard back to the Brazil squad in time for next year's World Cup.

"I think that Milan can help take me to the World Cup although I want to take one step at a time," said Kaka, who won a World Cup winner's medal with Brazil in 2002 when he was a reserve, and played at the 2006 and 2010 tournaments.

PRIVATE JET

Milan said that Kaka, full name Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, had signed a two-year contract for his return to San Siro.

The announcement of his return came two days after midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng was surprisingly sold to Bundesliga club Schalke 04.

Kaka's arrival, in a private jet along with chief executive Adriano Galliani, came exactly 10 years after he first set foot at the club as a fresh-faced youngster from Sao Paulo.

During his first six-year spell at the club, Kaka made an immediate impact, scoring 10 goals in his first season as he helped them to land the Serie A title.

He became one of the world's top players with his remarkable burst of speed, vision and ability to shoot from distance with either foot.

He helped Milan to win the Champions League in 2007 and was voted the World Player of the Year the same year.

His Brazil career virtually ended after the 2010 World Cup, when he was a central figure in the team even though he was not fully fit after previous injuries.

He was called up for a pair of friendlies last year and performed promisingly but has not been selected since a 1-1 draw against Russia in March, when he clearly failed to impress new coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

No proof that Man Utd bribe referees

I can’t believe I’m writing this article but I think it’s important to give an unbiased and objective assessment of what I think.

I was commenting on Facebook last Monday during the Manchester United v Chelsea game on the various decisions taken/given by referee Martin Atkinson who, incidentally, I felt had a reasonably good game.

For example, there was a big outcry about an alleged handball against Chelsea’s Frank Lampard. The ref didn’t give it and I agree wholeheartedly with that decision. (Remember the hand has to be moving towards the ball and not the other way).

There were also one or two other decisions which the ref didn’t give either and, in my opinion, he was correct.

Counter that with a blatant dive by Ashley Cole in the United penalty area. This was cheating of the highest and most cynical order and the ref didn’t give it either.

Where the ref fell down on the job, in my opinion, was he didn’t give Ashley Cole a yellow card for diving. In fact, you didn’t have to be an expert lip reader to see that Ashley Cole was making that very point – “if it’s not a penalty, why didn’t you book me.” I agree with Mr Cole. Why wasn’t he booked? Only the referee can answer that.

The comments going back and forth between two subscribers on my facebook page on this very issue were quite intense and at times very personal.

I made the point that both parties should “chill out”, adding “it’s only a game of football”. It didn’t have the desired effect and only increased the “banter” between the contributors.

There have been many accusations levelled at Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United over the years of alleged, and I stress alleged, attempts to influence match officials, particularly when games are played at the home of United, Old Trafford.

No evidence has emerged to substantiate these allegations and until such time as it does, they should be treated with the contempt they deserve.

There have also been allegations that Sir Alex has attempted to influence the referees by his behaviour on the touchline and sometimes by his comments in the press.

I suppose that could be put down to clever use of the English language – something that can be interpreted one way or the other.

All managers/coaches have that ability to say something that can be misconstrued and misinterpreted in such a way as to mean one thing to some and a totally different thing to others. In a way that’s their job.

When it comes to deliberately trying to influence a referee or an assistant referee to alter illegally the course of a game, then that is a different matter.

I’m not saying that club managers/coaches have or have not done this.

I’m not saying that some referee have not taken bribes to decide the outcome of a game.

I’m not saying that the game is squeaky clean and that all participants are playing to the Fifa laws of the game.

There is ample evidence of wrongdoing on both sides (teams and referees).

What needs to be done is to assess each situation as it arises and for the perpetrators to be brought before the courts, charged, and, if convicted, sent to prison.

They should also be banned from all activities within the game for life – without parole.

Our game is too big, too important, to be ruined by a small (and in most cases, thankfully, very small) minority.