Woodgate enjoying final fling at Middlesbrough

Once described as England's most cultured defender, signed by Real Madrid and scorer of a winning goal in a League Cup final, Jonathan Woodgate is back at his hometown club trying to end a rollercoaster career in style.

Middlesbrough-born Woodgate, 35, scored the winner in midweek win against Blackpool to keep Middlesbrough on course for a return to the Premier League.

It was only his second appearance of the season as the injuries that have blighted his career took their toll.

Now Boro face Arsenal in the FA Cup, fifth round, on Sunday when Woodgate's experience, on or off the field, could be vital as the Championship side attempt to spring a second colossal upset after outplaying Manchester City in round four.

Yet Woodgate's final fling might have been cut short.

Manager Aitor Karanka had to persuade the club skipper not to retire last month after he spent the first half of the season in the treatment room – a part of a football stadium Woodgate has become all too familiar with during a career that began at Leeds United and had stops at Real and Tottenham Hotspur.

"Woody is very important to me and I'm very pleased to see him enjoying this moment," Karanka told the club's website.

"I wouldn't have said this, but two weeks ago he said he was thinking of retiring.

"I had a chat with him and told him that he needed to enjoy his last days as a player. For me, to be a player is the best thing in the world."

Woodgate, nicknamed "The Ghost" at Leeds where he helped them reach the Champions League semifinals in 2001, earned eight England caps and joined Real from Newcastle in 2004.

He missed his first season in the Spanish capital with injury and when he did finally make his debut he scored an own goal and was sent off in his first match.

Woodgate later joined Tottenham and scored the winning goal in the 2008 League Cup final.

With the clock ticking on his career, Woodgate is relishing every opportunity he gets, although he is happy to stay in the background and pass on his know-how to the likes of Ben Gibson, Daniel Ayala and Kenneth Omeruo.

"I am at the age now where I look at the bigger picture. It's not all about me, it's about the team," he told the Northern Echo."

McCarthy signs new Saints deal

Defender Jason McCarthy confirmed Friday he has penned a new two-and-a-half-year deal with Premier League side Southampton.

The 19-year-old made his professional debut in Saints' 3-1 win at Crystal Palace last December and has been involved in the first-team squad on a number of occasions.

Captain of the club's Under-21s side, McCarthy's new deal runs until 2017.

"It's great to put pen to paper," he told Southampton's official YouTube channel.

"Obviously at the start of the year I knew I was out of contract at the end of the season.

"I was pleased with my progress at the time and I think I've done well this season so far.

"I've been with the club since I was seven years old, so it really shows that I'm at the right place."

He becomes the second young defender in as many days to sign new deals at Saints, with Jordan Turnbull, currently on loan at Swindon, signing a deal until 2018 on Thursday.

Hearts charged for super clash delays

Hearts of Oak have been charged on two counts by the Ghana FA in respect of their FCPPL clash with Asante Kotoko last week.

The Phobians who ended up victors on the day courtesy a solitary strike by striker Selasi Adjei have been charged by the Ghana FA prosecutor for “failing to promptly change and use an alternative goalkeeper's strip as directed by the match officials pursuant to the GFA Regulations.

"Their action is said to have breached Articles 17(1)(c), 17(1)(d), 17(2) and 17(5) of the GFA General Regulations.”

Also, "Hearts of Oak have also been charged for delaying the kick-off of the match due to your reluctance to change their goalkeeper’s strip when it clashed with the home team’s strip as directed by the match officials pursuant to the GFA Regulations.

"The Club is hereby charged for a breach of Articles 17(3), and 23(1) of the GFA General Regulations in respect of their match against Asante Kotoko,” a Ghana FA statement read.

It further stated that Hearts of Oak “is to submit their written Statement of Defence to the charge(s) on or before Tuesday, February 17, 2015 on or before 5pm at the GFA Secretariat failure which the Disciplinary Committee shall proceed to adjudicate the case without their Statement of Defence.”

Background

The Kotoko-Hearts super clash did not start at the 15:15 GMT kick-off time as scheduled for live tv coverage by SuperSport due to a confusion over Hearts of Oak’s goalkeeper jersey whose number was not visible.

Apparently, the Phobians had presented an orange apparel with shirt number ‘31’ to be worn by goalkeeper Mutawakilu Seidu but that was rejected at a technical meeting before the encounter. The match officials feared the orange apparel may clash with Kotoko’s predominantly red home kit.

As a result, Hearts looked for an alternative green shirt for their shot-stopper but his shirt number was not visible. The fourth referee identified the anomaly just before kick-off and prompted centre referee Dally-Gagba to hold on and ordered the Phobians to find a proper kit for the goalkeeper. Sanity prevailed after 15 minutes before the match day 6 clash could start.

Hearts of Oak coach, Herbert Addo, explained the Phobians’ side of the story to supersport.com: “It was no issue. There was a number at the back [of the alternative green shirt], number 31.”

“We went to the pre-match and the officials thought the orange will clash with the red which we protested. Eventually, what happened? He wore the orange and it didn’t interfere with the Kotoko jersey. We have to know the rules of the game. Sometimes you have to give and take, and they decided to do so – there was no complain from Kotoko and there was none from the officials. Next time we will make sure that we bring two proper jerseys of different colours, just in case,” he added.

Centre referee Emmanuel Dally-Gagba has also been charged for failing to discharge his duties to ensure that the regulations of the GFA were followed and for the match to kick-off exactly at the stipulated time.

"His actions is said to have breached Articles 23(1)(a), 23(1)( (1b) and 37(7)(d)of the GFA General Regulations in respect of the Match day 7 game.”

Venue switch for Chippa-Maritzburg

Chippa United have confirmed a change of venue for Saturday’s home Absa Premiership clash with Maritzburg United.

The club will now host the game at the Wolfson Stadium in Kwazakhele, abandoning their usual Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium home.

Chippa, who relocated from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth at the end of last season, have registered the Wolfson Stadium with the PSL as their alternate venue.

”Ever since Chippa United relocated to Nelson Mandela Bay region, we are committed to execute our plan of developing football in the region,” club COO Lukhanyo Mzinzi said.

“We’ve been enjoying a satisfying crowd at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium during the first round of the season and we want to experience the same thing again by seeing the Wolson Stadium packed to capacity tomorrow [Saturday].”

Chippa lost their first game of 2015 on Tuesday night when they were defeated 2-1 by University of Pretoria.

Safa rally behind Chiefs, Downs, Bucs, Wits

The SA Football Association (Safa) has thrown its weight behind Premier Soccer League clubs Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and BidVest Wits as they embark on their CAF club competition this weekend.

League Champions Sundowns, together with runners up Chiefs will contest the CAF Champions League while Nedbank Cup winners Pirates and third-place finishers in the League, Wits, will take part in the CAF Confederations Cup.

Sundowns will be hoping a lot of love will be on their side as they face St Michel in Seychelles on Valentines Day (Saturday, 14 February) in the preliminary stage of the competition. The match kicks off at 16h30.

The Brazilians last played in the Champions League in 2001 when they reached the final. They lost 4-1 on aggregate to Egyptian giants Al Ahly after a 1-1 draw at home and 3-0 loss in Cairo.

Orlando Pirates are the only South African club to have won the competition (1995) and reached the 2013 final where they lost to Al Ahly.

The second leg will be played on the weekend of 27, 28 February and 1 March.

PSL log leaders Kaizer Chiefs host Township Rollers from Botswana at FNB Stadium also on Saturday, 14 February in a match which kicks off at 19h30.

In the CAF Confederations Cup, BidVest Wits welcomes Royal Leopards of Swaziland at BidVest Wits Stadium on the same day with an earlier kickoff of 18h00.

Pirates have been given a bye – they automatically advance to the next stage of the CAF Confederations Cup where they will meet either Elgeco Plus of Madagascar or Uganda Revenue Authority.

“The South African Football Association (SAFA) would like to wish the four teams involved in the CAF Club Competition all the best as they will be flying the flag the of the country. As South Africans, it is encouraging to see so many teams involved in the competition as this will in turn help our national teams to do well in major tournaments,” said Safa CEO Dennis Mumble.

“We saw Orlando Pirates going all the way to the final last year only to fall on the last hurdle. Our wish as an Association is for all clubs to emulate Pirates and do even better by winning the trophy. The experience gained in the competition can only serve to make a stronger Bafana Bafana. Good luck to all the four clubs and we are confident they will make us proud.”

The draws for the 19th edition of the Orange CAF Champions League 2015 and the 12th Orange CAF Confederation Cup was conducted in Cairo in December last year.

A total of 58 clubs entered the Champions League draw with 56 in the Confederations Cup.

Source: Safa Media

Fifa clear ex-Kotoko man Ochaya

The Federation of International Football Associations (Fifa) have cleared former Asante Kotoko defender Joseph Ochaya to play for KCC, says the Ugandan club.

KCC also confirm that the player’s International Transfer Certificate (ITC) has been sent. The news comes as a welcome boost to the club ahead of Caf Champions League ties and the second round of the Uganda Premier League (UPL).

Coach Abdallah Mubiru’s men face Cameroon’s Cosmos De Bafia in the first leg preliminary round of the Champions League this Saturday at Namboole, Kampala.

“We have received his ITC and he is now ready to play for the club,” club official Peter Kibazo confirmed on the KCC website.

Club secretary David Tamale, however, clarified that the Ochaya, who was on Wednesday named in the 36-man under 23 side to prepare for an All Africa Games qualifier against Mozambique, will only play in Caf ties after clearance from the continental body.

“We are doing everything possible to ensure he is cleared before the game on Saturday and we’ve sent all the necessary documentation to get him a Caf license,” he told the club website.

“Even if he misses the first leg, we are optimistic he will be available for the return match in a fortnight and the second round of the UPL.”

Ochaya left KCC in 2012 for Ghana’s Asante Kotoko where he featured for close to two seasons before falling out with the club.

He then left the Ghanaian outfit unceremoniously last year after they allegedly blocked his potential move to Germany.

The fallout was referred to Fifa, who granted him permission to join his former club, where he has been training since last year.

Diski Challenge road to the semis

SuperSport United, University of Pretoria, Mpumalanga Black Aces and Mamelodi Sundowns are the four remaining sides after the epic MultiChoice Diski Challenge quaterfinals clashes.

They will contest the semifinals this Sunday at the Isaac Wolfson Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

Although the four teams will be at the Nike Football Training Centre in Soweto on the tournament's finale, they will all prefer to be there as finalists and not to play the 3rd place play-off.

Tuks and SuperSport will meet in the first semifinal at 10am. The second semifinal between Aces and Sundowns will follow at 12pm.

supersport.com looks at the clubs' journey to the semifinals.

SuperSport United

SuperSport edged Platinum Stars 2-0 in the quarterfinals clash that was played at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi, Durban. Ryan Chapman opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, heading Zama Rambuwane's cross into the back of the net. Zakhele Mgobhozi increased the lead with another header when he connected with Rambuwane's free kick. They could won by a bigger margin had the converted their numerous chances in the second half.

Group stage results: United 0-1 Polokwane, Chiefs 1-1 United, Maritzburg 0-2 United, Tuks 0-1 United, Ajax 2-1 United, Celtic 1-2 United, United 3-0 Swallows.

Group stage record: P7 W4 D1 L2 DF10 GA5 GD5 Pts13
Position: 2 (Group A)

University of Pretoria

Tuks fought back after trailing from a first-minute Letsie Koapeng's goal to win their match against Orlando Pirates 5-2. Khethukuthula Zwane equalised with an emphatic finish after 25 minutes as they teams went to halftime tied 1-1. Botshelo Mfulwane tapped in Denver Mukamba's cross seven minutes after the break to give Tuks the lead. Minutes later Mpho Maruping headed in the third and Mukamba added the fourth with a well-taken strike from outside the box. Thabo Rakhale reduced the deficit to 4-2, six minutes from time. Tuks were then awarded a penalty in added time, which was converted by Mukamba to complete his brace.

Group stage results: Celtic 0-0 Tuks, Tuks 2-1 Maritzburg, Swallows 0-2 Tuks, Tuks 0-1 United, Polokwane 3-2 Tuks, Ajax 0-0 Tuks, Tuks 3-1 Chiefs.

Group stage record: P7 W3 D2 L2 GF9 GA6 GD3 Pts11
Position: 4 (Group A)

Mpumalanga Black Aces

Aces went to their encounter against Bloemfontein Celtic as underdogs but they looked rejuvenated and frustrated their opponents throughout the 90 minutes. While both sides got a fair share of goal scoring opportunities, they went to the break still deadlocked. Aces upped the tempo with the introduction of the experienced Aubrey Ngoma and the young James Bell. Striker Judas Moseamedi and winger Thabo Nodada had a number of chances but they failed to capitalise. They finally got the winner when Moseamedi hit the post and the ball came off Enoch Phungulwa's leg for an own goal.

Group stage results: Chippa 2-3 Aces, Aces 3-3 Wits, Platinum 1-3 Aces, Pirates 1-0 Aces, Aces 1-1 FS Stars, Sundowns 3-0 Aces, Aces 3-1 AmaZulu.

Group stage record: P7 W3 D2 L2 GF13 GA12 GD1 Pts11
Position: 4 (Group B)

Mamelodi Sundowns

Sundowns clinched their place in the semifinals after beating the high-scoring Polokwane City 2-0 at the King Zwelithini Stadium. The Brazilians' game plan worked well as they managed to keep City's creative-midfielder Sibusiso Msibi quiet while also benefitting from Percy Tau's offensive runs. They took the lead in the 27th minute through debutant Katlego Babile's brilliant free kick. Their second goal came courtesy of another debutant Tshepo Ntlaba, who finished emphatically from inside the box.

Group stage results: Sundowns 2-1 FS Stars, Platinum 0-0 Sundowns, AmaZulu 1-2 Sundowns, Sundowns 2-0 Chippa, Wits 1-1 Sundowns, Sundowns 3-0 Aces, Pirates 4-0 Sundowns.

Group stage record: P7 W4 D2 L1 GF10 GA7 GD3 Pts14
Position: 2 (Group B)

The semifinalists will be meeting for the second time in the competition. SuperSport narrowly edged Tuks 1-0 with Thabani Mthembu scoring from a spotkick. Sundowns convincingly won their clash against Aces as a brace from Tebogo Reed and Ntandeyenkosi Ngubane's strike handed them a 3-0 victory.