Kenichi demands better finishing

Kenichi Yatsuhashi is hoping his side can improve their finishing as they round up preparations for the league.

Hearts beat newly promoted Dreams FC 2-1 in their last preseason fixture at Dawu to raise optimism in the Phobian camp.

The result follows Hearts 2-1 win over Nigerian side Ifeanyi Ubah a fortnight ago. These results have coincided with improved performances from Hearts.

For Yatsuhashi, there is more to come from his side if they work on their conversion rate. “Since the beginning we have been creating many chances and we need to convert more chances into goals,” Kenichi told Adom FM Sports.

“We are improving on converting to the goal but we can do a lot better.”

“We will try our best to do it better and better in each game in training. Between now and next weekend ( Edubiase game), we will be a more better team two weeks from now, a month from now and more better come the end of the season.”

Hearts face New Edubiase in the opening fixture of the league this weekend.

Nuhu sure of Africa progress

AshGold key man Nuhu Fuseini is bullish about the team's chances in qualifying for the next stage of the Adrican Champions League.

He was speaking after his side accounted for MO Bejaia in Obuasi on Sunday. A goal from Tijani Joshua was enough to secure the 1-0 win.

And Nuhu Fuseini who played an instrumental role in the Miners’ slim victory is confident his team will qualify in Algeria. “I have had the opportunity to play for the local national team so it wasn’t any big game for me. The result was God’s will, so am not disappointed,” Nuhu said.

“I believe we will qualify in Algeria. M.O Bejaia only came here to defend to rely on counter attacks. Next two weeks when we play the second leg tie they will surely open the game. We are sharp and smarter than them, so we will also capitalize on that against them in Algeria.

“The game was a tactical game, the Crabs came to defend a typical Italian style, but we managed to score a goal. They will have to score two goals at home and when we travel to Algeria we won’t give them that opportunity.”

Sundowns stumble, Chiefs win big

South African clubs recorded mixed results on the opening weekend of CAF Champions League action after Mamelodi Sundowns lost 1-0 at Chicken Inn in Zimbabwe and Kaizer Chiefs trounced hosts Volcan 4-0 in the Comoros Island.

Both clubs are chasing elusive international glory after they crashed out of the same competition in the first round last year.

Sundowns, known as ‘The Brazilians’ and owned by mining magnate Patrice Motsepe, are expected to overturn in a fortnight the 34th minute goal by Mitchelle Katsvairo they conceded to Chicken Inn in Bulawayo.

Pitso Mosimane, coach of the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) leaders, said: "We failed to catch the rhythm. It was difficult for us, we didn’t have the energy to up it up.

"The difficult thing is that we have some injuries, so I decided to rest my important players like Khama (Billiat) and (Keegan) Dolly because we have a long way to go. 1-0 is not bad."

However, it is expected to be a mere formality for local rivals Kaizer Chiefs at the end of this month when they welcome Volcan from the Comoros Island after they won 4-0 with a brace by South Africa international defender Erick Mathoho.

Should Chiefs keep to form, they will be handed a first-round clash against the winners of the match between AS Coton Tchad and Asec Mimosas of the Ivory Coast next month.

Angola’s Libolo will also fancy their chances of reaching the first round after they trounced Racing Micomseng from Equatorial Guinea 5-1 with Luz Phellipe grabbing a hat-trick.

V Club of Congo, Cameroon’s Union Douala, Saint George from Ethiopia and Al-Ahli of Libya will also be expected to advance after comfortable first-leg wins.

Kenya champions Gor Mahia and Nigeria’s Enyimba suffered shock losses to CNaPS of Madagascar and SC Vipers of Uganda.

Experienced campaigners Gor Mahia fell 2-1 at home in Nairobi, while two-time African champions Enyimba failed to convert several clear-cut chances in the first half and paid dearly for that when they were beaten by a 73rd minute winner for the first-timers by Erisa Ssekisambu.

The pressure will be on ‘People’s Elephant’ Enyimba to win abujawell in the second leg in the southern Nigerian city of Port Harcourt so as to stay alive in the competition.

"I believe we will advance to the next round. In the next game, we will have our full squad and play differently from how we did. It is not over for us," said Enyimba coach Paul Aigbogun.

Nigeria’s Warri Wolves and Ferrovairo Maputo from Mozambique enjoyed walkovers at the expense of Sporting Praia Cruz from Sao Tome and Principe and Centre Chiefs of Botswana, respectively.

Wolves will battle Al Merriekh of Sudan in the first round and Ferrovairo face the winners between AS Vita Club of DR Congo and Mafunzo from Zanzibar.

Wits, Akwa off to flying start

Africa Sports of the Ivory Coast, South Africa’s Wits and Akwa United from Nigeria won away from home in CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round first leg matches at the weekend.

Africa Sports defeated Diables Noirs in Brazzaville 2-1 courtesy of a brace by Ange Pacome Dogba Gnagbo, Wits were 3-0 winners at Light Stars of the Seychelles and 10-man Akwa pipped more experienced V Club Mokanda 1-0 in Pointe Noire.

Wits coach Gavin Hunt said they could have won by a bigger margin at Praslin.

"We had total domination of this match and we should have won by a wider scoreline, though we played in difficult conditions with the hot weather and artificial pitch, which were not in our favour,” he said.

"Our opponents also had good chances to score in the opening minutes and that could have changed the complexion of the match."

Ajax Cape Town completed an encouraging start for South African clubs in the competition after they won 2-1 at Angola’s Sagrada Esperenca.

Ajax were ordered to honour this match by the South Africa Football Association (SAFA) after they earlier withdrew citing concerns over internal transport arrangements in Angola.

The biggest winners of the weekend in the Confederation Cup were Al Ittihad of Libya, who thrashed Sonidep from Niger 4-1 in Sfax, Tunisia, after their home game was moved there because of the lawlessness in Libya.

However, Nigeria’s Nasarawa United are walking a tight rope after they could only manage a 2-1 home win against debutants Generation Foot of Senegal.

Generation Foot complained about biased officiating, insisting a late penalty was dubious.

"Our players were not fit, but it will be wrong for anyone to write us off just because of our narrow win at home," said Nasarawa coach Kabiru Dogo.

"We will correct our mistakes so as to get a result in Senegal."

Skipper Emmanuel Makama added: "It was not an easy game. We will double our efforts for the next game."

A 2-0 loss by Bandari at Eloi Lupopo of DR Congo completed a miserable weekend on the continent for Kenyan clubs after Gor Mahia lost 2-1 to CNaPS of Madagascar in Nairobi in the Champions League.

Police of Rwanda, Gagnoa from the Ivory Coast and Morocco’s Kawkab Marrakesh enjoyed decent home wins in their respective preliminary round first leg matches.

The return leg matches in Africa’s second-tier club competition will be played on the weekend on February 26-28.

Baroka slip, Spurs close in

Round 19 of the 2015/16 National First Division season saw Witbank Spurs close to within a point of Baroka FC at the top of the standings, as the former claimed a 2-0 home win over Milano United, while the latter were beaten 1-0 at home by FC Cape Town.

Royal Eagles and Highlands Park are very much in the race for promotion in third and fourth respectively. They claimed wins over African Warriors and Santos to both reach the 35-point mark, just four adrift of leaders Baroka.

Mbombela United are in fifth after a 3-1 win over AmaZulu on Sunday, with Sifiso Thomo, Victor Shongwe and Phetolo Sekome scoring their goals, while Moroka Swallows’ troubled deepened after they lost 2-1 at home to fellow strugglers Mthatha Bucks. The Birds are now marooned at the bottom of the log, three points adrift of second-from-bottom African Warriors.

In the only Cape derby of the round, Vasco Da Gama were beaten 2-1 at Parow Park by Cape Town All Stars. The visitors recovered from being a goal and a man down to secure victory thanks to a brace from Thembinkosi Lorch.

Round 20 of the NFD will be played this coming weekend on February 20-21.

NFD round 19 results

Friday 12 February

Santos 1-2 Highlands Park

Saturday 13 February

Vasco Da Gama 1-2 Cape Town All Stars

Moroka Swallows 1-2 Mthatha Bucks

Witbank Spurs 2-0 Milano United

Thanda Royal Zulu 2-2 Black Leopards

Sunday 14 February

Baroka FC 0-1 FC Cape Town

Royal Eagles 3-0 African Warriors

Mbombela United 3-1 AmaZulu

Koeman wants Saints to ride momentum

Southampton's 1-0 win over Swansea City on Saturday is the latest positive result in a solid run of form that has given manager Ronald Koeman belief that his side can finish in the European places this season.

Shane Long sealed all three points for Southampton in the 69th minute, allowing Koeman's team to extend their unbeaten Premier League run to six matches and the manager urged his players to ride the momentum to qualification for Europe.

The win moved Southampton up to sixth, ahead of West Ham United on goal difference and a point behind Manchester United. The top four sides qualify for next season's Champions League with the fifth-place finishers entering the Europa League.

"If (leaders) Leicester (City) can win the title, then we can be fourth or fifth in the league," Koeman told the club's website (www.saintsfc.co.uk).

"If we get another opportunity to play in Europe, we would like to take it.

"We are doing well. We had a difficult start to the season. We had a difficult period in December but we are back again, fighting for a high position in the table, what we want.

"That's our ambition, to finish the highest position possible."

Fan exodus good for Klopp's soul

One week after Liverpool fans streamed out of Anfield in protest over ticket prices, home supporters were also leaving Villa Park early on Sunday after Jurgen Klopp's side handed Aston Villa a 6-0 thrashing that the German described as "good for the soul".

Liverpool made short work of the Premier League's bottom side with goals from Daniel Sturridge, James Milner, Emre Can, Divock Origi, Nathaniel Clyne and Kolo Toure putting the Merseysiders back in the hunt for a European berth.

Liverpool moved up to eighth in the table with the win, just two points outside the top six, while the gap separating Villa from second-bottom Sunderland expanded to seven points.

"We knew about the importance of the game in our situation and in the situation of Aston Villa too, with the results and number of games (left). There are only 12 games left," Klopp told the club's website (www.liverpoolfc.com).

"We came out and... won 6-0. It (doesn't happen) too often in a manager's life, so we should keep it for bad times.

"It was a good game for us, a result for the soul, for the table, for our goal difference, so everything was good."

Injury-prone striker Sturridge marked his first Premier League start under Klopp with the opening goal and the manager declared himself pleased with the England international's performance.

"We need the goals of Daniel and he needs the goals, that's clear," Klopp said.

"It's not a surprise that he can score goals of course but it's a surprise how well tuned he is with the team when he starts.

"With his movements, he's a real striker, that's good to see... but we can only speak about this when he's available. When he's not then we cannot say 'with Daniel it would have been different'."