Archive | October 2016

Birthdays of Sports People – 27th October….

Image result for recent pic of Maria Mutola

Maria Mutola (Athletics) – Mozambican 800 metres runner, who won three outdoor world titles and Olympic gold in 2000, born 1972.

Patty Sheehan (Golf) – first woman to win US and British Opens in the same season (1992), born 1956.

Glenn Hoddle (Football) – Former England midfielder and manager, born 1957.

Kumar Sangakkara (Cricket) – Sri Lanka batsmen, who retired from Test cricket in August 2015, born 1977.

David Warner (Cricket) – big-hitting Australia batsman, born 1986.

Amy Tinkler (Gymnastics) – Rio 2016 Floor Olympic bronze medallist, born 1999.

 

Wenger says Iwobi is nervous in front of goal….

Arsène Wenger has challenged Alex Iwobi to find the missing piece in his game, having said he is currently “too nervous” in front of goal. The Arsenal manager played Iwobi in the No10 role in the 2-0 EFL Cup win against Reading on Tuesday night, and he watched him link the play smartly. Like many of Arsenal’s attacking midfielders over the years, Iwobi would love to be given the roaming role behind the striker. At present, though, there is a significant obstacle in his way – Mesut Özil. Iwobi had sightings of goal against Reading but he could not finish and one moment served to undermine what was a positive all-round performance.

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Crowd trouble mars West Ham vs Chelsea game….

Crowd trouble as West Ham beat Chelsea

Crowd trouble marred West Ham’s EFL Cup fourth-round home win over Chelsea, with police making seven arrests. Plastic bottles, seats and coins were thrown during the Hammers’ 2-1 victory at London Stadium as hundreds of supporters clashed and riot police entered the concourse. It is the latest outbreak of disorder at West Ham’s new ground this season. West Ham boss Slaven Bilic called the behaviour “unacceptable”, adding: “We are totally against it as a club.” The Premier League club says it will ban any fans involved for life and is confident it can identify those responsible via its high-definition CCTV system and through fans’ ticket purchasing history. Security was boosted for the London derby and an alcohol ban imposed as part of a “robust policing plan” following crowd trouble at the stadium this season.

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Uzbekistan wrestler stripped of Olympic medal for a second time….

Soslan Tigiev

Uzbekistan wrestler Soslan Tigiev has been stripped of an Olympic medal for the second time, for failing a drugs test at the Beijing Games. He is one of nine athletes, including six medallists, disqualified by the International Olympic Committee after samples from the 2008 Games were retested. The 33-year-old has lost the silver he won in the men’s freestyle wresting. Four years ago he was disqualified from London 2012 after winning bronze. The IOC has been retesting more than 1,200 samples from Beijing and London.

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EFL Cup Quaterfinal Draw….

Juan Mata celebrates

Liverpool vs Leeds United

Manchester United vs West Ham United

Hull City vs Newcastle United

Arsenal vs Southampton

Ties will take place on 29 and 30 November.

Rita Jeptoo’s doping ban doubled….

Rita Jeptoo

Kenyan marathon runner Rita Jeptoo has had her two-year ban doubled after an IAAF appeal was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. She became Kenya’s first high-profile athlete to fail a test when she tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug EPO in 2014. Jeptoo, 33, says she may have been prescribed banned substances at a local hospital after a road accident. Jeptoo will forfeit her 2014 Boston and Chicago Marathon titles as part of the punishment.

Guardiola still awaits Yaya Toure agent’s apology….

Pep Guardiola and Yaya Toure

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola wants to recall midfielder Yaya Toure but is still waiting for an apology from the player’s agent. The Ivorian, 33, has played just once this season, in the Champions League play-off round. He was then left out of the competition’s group stage squad. Dimitri Seluk claimed Toure had been “humiliated” by the decision. Asked if Toure could play in the EFL Cup tie at Manchester United, Guardiola said: “You know the situation.” The Spaniard said in September Seluk “must apologise” if Toure is to play in the first team again, but the agent told BBC Sport at the time: “What do I need to apologise for? He should speak to Yaya, who is doing his job.” But with no apology forthcoming, a stand-off remains between the manager and player. Guardiola, speaking ahead of Wednesday’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford, added: “I would like to take Yaya [with the team], believe me, I would like, but you know the situation.” City won their first 10 games under the ex-Barcelona boss but have failed to win in their last five.

A woman’s fight against Malawi’s ‘hyenas’….

Natasha spends time with girls in various public schools sharing her life experiences

Natasha Annie Tonthola is a Malawian and the founder of Mama Africa Foundation Trust which she uses to fight injustice meted out to girls in rural Malawi. Fight against issues of male ‘hyenas’ (men paid to have sex with young girls from their village, as part of a sexual initiation ritual) and girls dropping out of school are very dear to her. Hear her:

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EFL Cup Results (25 Oct., 2016)….

Alexsandar Mitrovic

Tuesday 25th October, 2016:

Bristol City 1 – 2 Hull City

Leeds United 2 – 2 Norwich (Leeds won 3 – 2 on penalties)

Liverpool 2 – 1 Tottenham

Newcastle 6 – 0 Preston

Arsenal 2 – 0 Reading

Brazil legend Carlos Alberto passes on….

Image result for pic of Carlos Alberto

The former Brazil captain Carlos Alberto has died, aged 72. He is sadi tohave had heart attack. Alberto was the skipper of Brazil’s 1970 World Cup winning side and netted the iconic fourth goal in the final against Italy when he blasted home Pele’s cool layoff.  The right-back played 53 times for his country, scoring eight goals. He played the majority of his career in his native Brazil, turning out for Santos over 400 times, before finishing his career in America.

Coach Zenga parts company with Wolves….

Walter Zenga

English championship club Wolves have parted company with head coach Walter Zenga after just 87 days in charge. Former Italy goalkeeper Zenga took charge at Molineux seven days before the start of the season and his side took eight points from their first four league matches, but have claimed only eight from the following 10 games. Zenga is one of the few former goalkeepers to have gone into full time coaching just like our own Imama Amapakabo of Enugu Rangers.

Spanish Football Federation fined by FIFA….

Fifa

The Spanish football federation has been fined 220,000 Swiss francs for violating youth player transfer rules in the case involving Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. Real and Atletico are banned from registering players in the next two transfer windows after losing an appeal against their own punishments. FIFA has given the Spanish FA six months to improve its transfer system. It has strict rules restricting Under-18 players moving to foreign clubs. FIFA’s investigation concerned youth players who played for Atletico between 2007 and 2014, and Real from 2005 to 2014 with the clubs respectively fined £622,000 and £249,000 for breaching rules. Barcelona were banned from registering players for two transfer windows in April 2014, but bought Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal in 2015, finally registering them to make them eligible to play when their suspension was lifted in January 2016. Real and Atletico are banned from registering new players until January 2018.

Griezmann named La Liga player of the season for 2015/16….

Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann has been crowned the best La Liga player for 2015-16

Atletico Madrid and France forward Antoine Griezmann has taken home the award for the best player in La Liga last season. But the glitzy awards ceremony in Valencia was overshadowed with no Barcelona players attending after manager Luis Enrique was overlooked for the best coach award. Enrique was not even part of the nominee list despite guiding Barcelona to the title and the players reacted with a defiant protest. The squad were given a day off but despite that Carles Rexach, an ambassador for the club, collected their gongs on their behalf. It was a night of unprecedented success for Atletico – their manager Diego Simeone won the best coach award while Jan Oblak and Diego Godin were named best goalkeeper and defender respectively. Griezmann, such a vital figure for both club and country, scored 22 goals in 38 La Liga games last season, adding six assists without missing a game.

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Osaze Odemwingie joins Rotherham United….

Peter Odemwingie

Rotherham United have signed unattached former West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City striker Peter Osaze Odemwingie on a short-term deal until January 2017. The 35-year-old is Millers boss Kenny Jackett’s first signing since taking over the Championship’s bottom club on 21 October, replacing Alan Stubbs. He has also played for Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow, French club Lille and on loan at Bristol City last season. League One Bolton Wanderers revealed he was training with them on Friday. But the Bolton News reported that an injury to Wanderers midfielder Tom Thorpe could force the club to seek to sign a midfielder instead of a forward. Nigeria international Odemwingie, who has also played for Cardiff, last played a competitive match on 19 April.

Birthdays of Sports People – 25th October….

Shaun Wright-Phillips

Shaun Wright-Phillips (Football) – New York Red Bulls’ former QPR, Chelsea and Manchester City winger, born 1981, 35 today.

Michael Lynagh (Rugby) – former Australia fly-half, born 1963, 53 today.

Paul Anderson (Rugby) – Former St Helens, Bradford and Great Britain prop, born 1971, 45 today.

Birgit Prinz (Football) – former Germany women’s international, named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and runner-up on five other occasions, born 1977, 39 today.

 

Giggs reckons you don’t swap shirts and laugh after a thorough beating….

Ryan Giggs

Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has criticized the club’s players for laughing and joking around after their 4-0 defeat by Chelsea on Sunday at Stamford Bridge. The Red Devils never recovered after conceding in the first minute. United sit seventh in the table, with only 14 points from their first nine games. “If you get beat 4-0, you congratulate the opposition, you thank the supporters and then you get off the pitch,” Giggs told the Premier League channel. “You don’t stand around on the pitch, swapping shirts and laughing, with the team that’s just beat you.”

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Dead wrestler will not lose medal after positive re-test….

Besik Kudukhov

Deceased Russian wrestler Besik Kudukhov will not lose his London 2012 silver medal despite a positive re-test for the banned steroid Turinabol. The four-time world champion, who won silver in the men’s freestyle 60kg, died in a car crash a year after the London Olympic Games. “The International Olympic Committee will not deprive wrestler Besik Kudukhov of his silver medal in the 2012 Olympic Games in London,” said vice-president of United World Wrestling Georgy Bryusov. Indian bronze medallist Yoheshwar Dutt tweeted that he did not want to be awarded the silver when the failure came to light in August. “If possible he must be allowed to keep the medal. It will keep his family’s honour intact. For me humanity is above everything else,” he said.

Anthony Ogogo suffers another injury setback….

Ogogo won Olympic bronze at middleweight in 2008

British middleweight Anthony Ogogo has a “serious eye injury” and needs time out of boxing to assess the damage. The 2012 Olympic bronze medallist, 27, lost his unbeaten professional record against Craig Cunningham on Saturday when he was retired by his corner. He was unbeaten in 11 professional contests before meeting Cunningham in Birmingham. “After seeing an eye specialist today it turns out that I have fractured my eye socket in two places,” said Ogogo. Ogogo spent a year out with an Achilles tendon injury in 2014 and dislocated his shoulder in his comeback fight. He added: “This is obviously an incredibly tough time for me. I have overcome a lot of adversity previously and now face an uncertain time in terms of my eyesight with now another mountain to climb.” Kalle Sauerland, Ogogo’s promoter, said the injury was “very serious” and that the Suffolk-born fighter would take time out to “seek the best possible medical advice”. Anthony Osezua Ojo Ogogo was born 24 November, 1988 in Britain to an English mother and Nigerian father.