News sport : Five years later, DeMarcus Cousins gets last word on writer who predicted he'd get arrested

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

You'd forgive DeMarcus Cousins if he woke up Friday morning feeling a little salty. The Sacramento Kings center once again found himself on the outside looking in when the roster of coach-selected reserves for the 2014-15 NBA All-Star Game were announced on Thursday night, joining Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard as the most notable omissions from the midseason exhibition — notable even among NBA stars — despite ranking sixth in the NBA in scoring (23.8 points per game), third in rebounding (12.3 rebounds per game) and sixth in Player Efficiency Rating (25.2, miles above the league average of 15) to go with markedly improved defensive work and standing as pretty much the sole bulwark against the Kings once again being one of the very worst teams in the NBA.


[Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball]


According to NBA.com's stat tool, Sacramento has outscored opponents by 6.4 points per 100 possessions with Cousins on the floor, equivalent to a top-five mark in the NBA over the course of the season, and has been outscored by a whopping 12.8 points-per-100 with Boogie on the bench, significantly below the Philadelphia 76ers' league-worst mark. The Kings have played like a top-10 unit on both sides of the ball with Boogie in the mix and like a bottom-five outfit without him, and their season — which, lest we forget, started with such promise! — began to crater when he went down to a bout with viral meningitis that led to enough losses to provide cover for jettisoning head coach Michael Malone in favor of the uninspiring Tyrone Corbin.


And yet, despite the statistical arguments in his favor, despite the inarguable impact his presence and absence have on the Kings' likelihood of winning and losing, and despite even his demonstrable steps toward cutting down on self-inflicted wounds — he's got just four technical fouls through 32 games, tied for 23rd in the league and (for the moment) below his ambitious preseason goal — Cousins is presently on track to be just the second player ever to be this productive and not be named an All-Star. Looking on the bright side, the other is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, so at least he's in good company. (Nos. 3 through 6 on that second list — this year's models of Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, James Harden and LeBron James — have all been named to this year's All-Star Game, and Nos. 7 and 8 — 1998-99 Karl Malone and Shaquille O'Neal — didn't get an All-Star Game that year due to the lockout pushing the start of the season back to February.)


But rather than stewing over what some have reasonably termed a robbery, Boogie seems to have woken up smiling this Friday. That's because he had an anniversary to celebrate:




Yep, it's been five long years since Clay Travis — formerly of AOL FanHouse, Deadspin and CBS Sports, a former contributor to Yahoo Sports, and currently of FOX Sports — tweeted that Cousins, then starring as a freshman for John Calipari's Kentucky Wildcats, was bound four a troubled future:



This was an irresponsible and ridiculous statement to make even at the time, because it was based on, well, nothing. The sum total of Cousins' transgressions at that point consisted of a suspension during his sophomore year of high school for a physical altercation with a bus driver (in which Cousins said he was defending himself), allegations that he'd been improperly recruited by the next school he attended, some on-court outbursts of emotion aimed at referees, and some bouts of bickering with Calipari.


That's it — a penchant for technicals, for arguing, for not demurring in the way that college kids are expected to in the face of authority figures and legendary marquee coaches, rather than anything in the way of off-court trouble or disciplinary action. (That legendary marquee coach, by the way, continues to swear by Cousins, calling him his "son" just as he does with fellow UK products like John Wall and Anthony Davis.)


It's been more of the same at the pro level, as Cousins' clashes — with former coach Paul Westphal, with other players, with referees, with announcers, with Team USA brass (though those differences were eventually resolved) and so on — often drew more coverage and interest than the fact that he was becoming a star, a leader and a player/person worth treating (and paying) like a franchise cornerstone ... and, of course, that he's never actually gotten into any trouble off the court.


With the anniversary approaching, Drew Franklin of Kentucky Sports Radio pulled Travis' card:



... and whether Boogie already had the date circled or just saw this and said, "Oh, right," he decided to have a wonderful bit of fun with it.


Rather than cop to having been irresponsible and 100 percent wrong, Travis smirked into the skid:




... which, of course, does nothing to show any sort of remorse for having been so blindly, blatantly off-base back then. Oh, well. Being small is its own punishment, I suppose, while living well — and calling out nonsense in the process — is pretty damn good revenge.


More NBA coverage:



- - - - - - -


Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!



Stay connected with Ball Don't Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL, "Like" BDL on Facebook and follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.






from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1wJ2cZI
Read More

Bafana on track - Mashaba

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Bafana Bafana are on track for their long term plan of qualifying for the 2018 Fifa World Cup, Shakes Mashaba said.


|||

Johannesburg - Bafana Bafana are on track for their long term plan of qualifying for the 2018 Fifa World Cup, coach Shakes Mashaba said in Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea, on Friday.


The South Africans were on their way home after finishing last in their group at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament. Taking the lead in all three matches, they ended up losing 3-1 to Algeria, 2-1 to Ghana and securing a 1-1 draw against Senegal.


“The experience gained in this tournament will assist all of us. I strongly believe we are still on track regarding our mission and mandate to build a formidable team for 2018,” Mashaba said.


“We started on a high note by winning games in the building phase and some of the players might not yet be at the level we want them; but I am confident they will grow and take us to another level.”


He said South Africans needed to be reminded of Bafana's achievements in a short space of time.


“We also need to look at Safa's Vision 2022. When we started, the first phase was to build a team, which I think we have managed to do.


“The second phase was to qualify for Afcon, which we also managed to do - by defeating Sudan, Congo and denying African champions Nigeria a chance to participate in the tournament.”


The ease with which South Africa qualified raised the hopes of the nation and Mashaba said expectations were high when the team set off for Afcon.


“I understand why South Africans are disappointed. We are also very disappointed but we are not discouraged because we played the top countries on the continent with a wealth of experience.


“We still competed and I believe if we had used all our scoring chances, we would still be in the tournament.”


He said Bafana Bafana had made their presence felt at the tournament.


“If you listen to the CAF officials and everybody around here, they are raving about the team - a very good and young team. If you look at the average age of this team, we have a long life span.


“The players have established themselves and I will not be surprised if one or two gets an overseas offer. If you look at the stats, we were the fastest and quickest attacking team, but of course there are some areas that we need to work on when we get back home.”


He admitted there were one or two players who under-performed in Equatorial Guinea but had no regrets about his chosen squad.


“I believe the squad we assembled is one of the best and they gave a good account of themselves,” Mashaba said.


“We would have loved to see the team progressing to the next round as it would have given us a better platform to test our character as a team.


“With time we will get better and make all South Africans proud.”


Sapa






from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1BzMi6G
Read More

News sport : Media Tour Day 4: Gordon doesn't want to be distracted by commemorations

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

When he announced his intentions to step away from the No. 24 car at the end of 2015, Jeff Gordon mentioned that he didn't want the entire season to become a retirement tour.


Heck, Gordon has even refrained from calling his departure from the Cup Series a retirement, though as he continues to say he likely won't be back in a Cup car after the 2015 season, that's basically what it is.


On Thursday, Gordon reiterated his desire to not be distracted by the accolades he's sure to get throughout the season.


"I am concerned," Gordon said via USA Today about the inevitable recognitions."I have seen others go through it and through those experiences you take a mental note of what you think was good and what wasn't.


"Statements and comments and accolades and already the things that have been put out there are very overwhelming to me and much appreciated, but I want to race hard and be competitive and focus at the race track."


• There will be no human named Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. in the near future.


Because of his teammate's retirement plans, Junior was asked about his future. He turned 40 in 2014, but doesn't have any plans to step away in the near term.


"Jeff made his decision based on factors in his life, whether it be his health or his kids," Earnhardt said via USA Today. "… I don't have any back issues and I don't have any kids on the way. I don't have any factors."


• New Hampshire Motor Speedway general manager Jerry Gappens was arrested earlier in January after he was allegedly spotted by police with a 19-year-old female in a car.


The 53-year-old is charged with indecent exposure and lewdness.


"Mr. Gappens acknowledges using poor judgment that has resulted in a misdemeanor charge that is both embarrassing and devastating to him and his family, and for that, he sincerely apologizes," a statement from his lawyer to WMUR 9 in New Hampshire said.


"He regrets his actions. While he made a bad decision, he did not, in my opinion, engage in conduct that violates the referenced statute or any other criminal law. Mr. Gappens cooperated fully with the police, and we hope to have this difficult situation resolved soon."


• Organizers in Brazil have canceled the IndyCar Series opener in Brazil. The race, scheduled for March 8, was supposed to be run in the nation's capital of Brasilia. The IndyCar season will now open on March 29 in St. Petersburg, Fla.


From the Indianapolis Star:



IndyCar CEO Mark Miles told The Indianapolis Star that the cancellation of the Brasilia event "is disappointing," but it won't hurt the sanctioning body or its competitors.




"Economically, we're protected, and the paddock is protected," he said.




If true, IndyCar learned from the last-minute cancellation of a scheduled race in Qingdao, China, in 2012. IndyCar did not receive the money it was promised, but Miles said this event was financially front-loaded.




Band, the television station promoting the race, announced the cancellation, saying the decision was made by the local government. No additional details were given.



• The 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductions are Friday night. The telecast begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.


- - - - - - -


Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1JV7sCp
Read More

News sport : Seahawks players think you regular people don't understand the difficult plight of the student-athlete

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

The NCAA isn’t one of the most well liked entities in sports and apparently, that dislike made it to the podiums of Super Bowl media day.


Seattle Seahawks defensive back Richard Sherman and defensive end Michael Bennett railed against the NCAA when asked about the treatment of college athletes, the demands on their time and whether or not they should be paid.


"I think the NCAA is one of the biggest scams in America," said Bennett, who went to Texas A&M. "These kids put so much on the line. They [the NCAA] say, 'We give you a free degree.' That's like me owning a restaurant and saying, 'I'll give you a free burger.' It makes me so mad and irate. Universities need to do more for the student-[athletes].”


Apparently, Bennett had not been informed that the NCAA’s five major conferences — the ACC, Big 12, SEC, Pac-12 and Big Ten — last week adopted a plan to not only pay for the tuition, room, board, books and fees of student-athletes, but also various costs of attending college, including personal expenses and transportation.


And either had Sherman, who spent a part of his media session railing against the lack of understanding regarding the time demands on student-athletes.


"I don't think college athletes are given enough time to take advantage of the free education they're given," Sherman said. "It's frustrating because a lot of people get upset with student-athletes and say you're not focused on school and not taking advantage of the opportunity you're given.


"I would love for a regular student, for just one semester, to have a student-athlete schedule during the season and show me how you balance that. Show me how you would schedule your classes when you can't schedule classes for 2 to 6 o'clock on any given day.


"Show me how you're going to get all your work done when you get out [of practice and meetings] at 7:30 or so and have a test the next day and you're dead tired from practice and you still have to study and get the same work done."


Sherman, who told the reporter he appreciated the question before going on his 640-word rant — the longest answer he gave all day — also noted that despite all the time invested in the sport, student-athletes didn’t have enough money to enjoy what little free time they did have.


"And people are upset that student-athletes need a little cash," Sherman said. "I tell you from experience that one time I had negative 40 bucks in my account. It was in the negative more times than positive. You have to make a decision whether you put gas in your car or get a meal.


"People say you get room and board and they pay for your education. But to [the school officials'] knowledge, you're there to play football. Those are the things coaches tell you every day. Luckily I was blessed to go to Stanford, a school primarily focused on academics. But as [former Stanford coach] Jim Harbaugh would attest, we were still there to play football."


This isn’t some new argument, but it is becoming a tired one. Sherman graduated Stanford with honors and took full advantage of everything his education had to offer. But he — and every other student-athlete — knew exactly what he was getting into when he signed on to be a student and be an athlete. It’s demanding, but it does come with a free education, and quite honestly, it’s not too much different from a student who gets a scholarship, but has to maintain a high GPA to keep it. Athletes are only required to keep a 2.0 GPA. So while Sherman paints this picture of keeping his nose in a book for 90 percent of his college career, there are plenty of athletes who take full advantage of their free education by doing the bare minimum while making sure to attend every party possible.


Bennett, who again, has been far too busy with preparing for the Super Bowl to keep up with college news, has a plan to compensate college players for their time.


"I think the NCAA should come up with a plan for college athletes to receive some of the money they bring into the schools,” Bennett said. “My school, Texas A&M, I think makes $50 million just on jersey sales. So I would say pay $60,000 [to student-athletes] for every year you stay in college. Keep that in a 401(k). After you graduate, hold that money until you are a certain age and then you get the money."


OK, this plan is absurd and unrealistic and $50 million on jersey sales? What? Colleges would go broke if they tried to pay EVERY student-athlete $60,000 a year in addition to the basics of tuition, room, board, books, etc. Most college students don’t make $60,000 in their first job, but the third-string linebacker, who doesn’t see the field in two seasons, should be making $60,000 a year? OK.


Look this is a much longer argument for another forum, but shelling out more $2 million yearly for student-athletes on top of the other millions that are already shelled out for collegiate basics would put most programs in the red.


While several student-athletes, such as former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, have painted a rosy picture of college athlete life — Winston claimed that he didn’t need more than the scholarship he was given — Bennett painted a deplorable picture of athlete life during his time at A&M, which is why the steep compensation would be the only solution to making athletes feel better.


"I think there are very few schools that actually care about the players," Bennett said. "Guys break their legs and they get the worst surgery they could possibly get by the worst doctors with the worst treatment."


Yeah, that Dr. James Andrews guy, who did Braxton Miller’s shoulder and many other major collegiate surgeries, is the worst.


"They don't understand," Bennett continued. "When I was in college, I was going to class and some student came up to me and said, 'I'm paying your tuition.' I said, 'You don't pay my damn tuition. My mom paid that when she worked two jobs and I woke up every morning at 6 a.m. and worked hard.' Student-athletes don't get enough credit.”


So today, when you’re out and about on a college campus, hug a student athlete. Apparently, they need it.


- - - - - - -


Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!


And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook






from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1vfEJ8C
Read More

News sport : UCLA's Jim Mora tweets photo of recruit, claims to be hacked, deactivates account

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

Jim Mora does not appear to be very Twitter-savvy.


The UCLA head coach deactivated his account following his handshake fiasco with Kansas State coach Bill Snyder at the Alamo Bowl. However, earlier this month, Mora’s Twitter account resurfaced.


It didn’t last long.


On Thursday, Mora accidentally tweeted out a photo of five-star guard Maea Teuhema, an LSU commit that Mora is trying to flip to UCLA. BruinsNation.com was able to get a screenshot of the tweet, which featured Teuhema photoshopped into a Bruins uniform.



(via BruinsNation.com)

Mora presumably attempted to send the photo to Teuhema via direct message. Instead, the photo was visible to be seen by his thousands of followers. It’s also an NCAA violation.


To explain the gaffe, Mora took a familiar route and said his account was “hacked.”



(via BruinsNation.com)

To take it even further, Mora’s account is once again deactivated.


He should probably just avoid Twitter at all costs moving forward.


For more UCLA news, visit BruinSportsReport.com.


- - - - - - -


Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!







from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1uJ3PGX
Read More

Figo names 5 Euro Fifa nominations

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Luis Figo identified the five national federations that formally nominated him to run for Fifa president.


|||

Lisbon - Luis Figo identified the five national federations that formally nominated him to run for Fifa president against Sepp Blatter.


The Portugal great said in a statement he received the endorsement of Denmark, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Poland.


He was also backed by his own national federation before the entry deadline on Thursday.


Figo has little track record in football politics, and was a surprise entry on Wednesday.


“It has been a great start - my thanks to everyone concerned,” the former Barcelona and Real Madid playmaker said.


“I would like to thank my colleagues and friends from the nominating FAs and across the global football family who have already given their backing to my campaign, and sent messages encouraging me in this mission.”


Blatter, who has headed Fifa for 17 years, has not said which five of Fifa's 209 members nominated him for the May 29 election.


Opposition to Blatter is centered on Europe, with UEFA the only one of Fifa's six continental confederations actively campaigning against him.


Netherlands federation president Michael van Praag named the five European associations nominating him, at his campaign launch on Wednesday: Belgium, the Faroe Islands, Romania, Scotland and Sweden.


England has said it is formally backing Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, the Fifa vice president for Asia who shapes as the only non-European in the contest.


Former Fifa official Jerome Champagne, a longtime Blatter ally from France, also sought to enter the race, though he has not confirmed if he submitted nomination papers.


It could be two weeks before the official field of candidates is confirmed.


Fifa has created an election oversight panel, led by its audit committee chairman Domenico Scala, which will validate nomination papers and receive vetting reports from Fifa's ethics committee.


Sapa-AP






from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/162u4lr
Read More

News sport : FSU QB recruit Deondre Francois claims he was 'hacked,' did not decommit

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

(via Rivals) Oh, recruiting. You are so weird.


Deondre Francois, the top dual-threat quarterback in the country according to Rivals.com, tweeted Thursday afternoon that he decommitted from Florida State. However, a few minutes later, Francois mysteriously deleted the tweet and left Seminoles fans scratching their heads.


Things got weirder when an assistant at Francois’ school, IMG Academy, told a reporter, Jacksonville.com’s Richard Johnson, that Francois did indeed decommit from FSU. The tweet with that news soon disappeared too when Johnson reached out to IMG Academy head coach Chris Weinke (yes, that Chris Weinke).





And then after all of that, nearly three hours after Francois’ initial tweet, the quarterback re-affirmed his commitment to the Seminoles and said his account was hacked.



Ah, that notorious Twitter hacker strikes again.


Francois is the No. 39 rated player in the class of 2015, so it would have been a big loss for Florida State’s class.


As it currently stands, the Seminoles’ class is ranked No. 4 in the country by Rivals behind Clemson, USC and Alabama. Of course, those rankings can always change as the recruiting cycle comes to a close with National Signing Day on Wednesday.


For more Florida State news, visit Warchant.com.


- - - - - - -


Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!







from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1ETV2bh
Read More

News sport : Conan O'Brien takes on Marshawn Lynch, Rob Gronkowski in Mortal Combat X

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

All right, this is just genius. Marshawn Lynch and Rob Gronkowski playing Mortal Kombat X with Conan O'Brien. Absolutely nothing can prepare you for this one, but we guarantee this is the best video you're going to watch today. Spend the 12 minutes necessary to watch it. You won't regret it. (Warning for video game violence and some salty late-night-broadcast TV language.)


"Let's be chicks!" "Lick the gun!" "I'm your [censored], Marshawn." "Use your bumblebees, Gronk!" "Fallback game gotta be strong." You're going to have one-liners for weeks on this one.


____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.



And keep up with Jay over on Facebook, too.







from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1wIsR8S
Read More

News sport : Greatest Super Bowl QB: Joe Montana or Tom Brady? Join the debate!

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,



Joe Montana. Tom Brady. Both among the best ever at their position. But only one can be the best Super Bowl quarterback ever. Here, we lay out the case for both, and we want you to have your say as well.


Yahoo Sports' Kevin Kaduk (@kevinkaduk) and Jay Busbee (@jaybusbee) kick around the Brady-vs.-Montana debate right here, and you can join in. This is the latest of our many Super Bowl Arguments videos, and you're invited to the party. Offer up your thoughts in the comments below and on Twitter at #SBarguments. Your words might end up on a future episode. Get to arguing!Check out our previous Super Bowl week arguments here:


• What's the greatest (and worst) Super Bowl ever?


• What's the best Super Bowl host city?


• What was the greatest Super Bowl commercial ever?


• What was the worst Super Bowl halftime show ever?


____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.



And keep up with Jay over on Facebook, too.







from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1HrmNgm
Read More

News sport : So far, Allenby greeted with few hecklers at Phoenix Open

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

When Robert Allenby called a news conference ahead of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, a lot of people wondered why the Aussie would subject himself to the merciless fans at TPC Scottsdale's par-3 16th.


They boo if you back off your shot, miss the green or do anything that's not entertaining. They research for chants. That sounded like a recipe for a miserable experience for Allenby, whose version of events after missing the cut at the Sony Open in Hawaii has been lampooned, poked at and contradicted without resolution.


Turns out, the fans were good to the 43-year-old on Thursday as Allenby shot 1-under 70.


“I was a little bit, you know, a little bit nervous going into 16,” Allenby said. “I was actually really surprised. They were fantastic, you know. There was nothing mean at all. … I think some of the comments were actually pretty funny.”


Allenby's story may not entirely add up, but ultimately he was the victim of a robbery, losing his credit cards to at least one person who has used them to rack up over $20,000 in fraudulent charges. Besides, the crowd at 16 wants to have a good time, not give someone a hard time.


If the Aussie duplicates his opening 70, he'll have made the cut for the 10th time in 12 career Phoenix starts.



Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.







from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1CTjCd8
Read More

Costa banned for 3 games

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Diego Costa has been banned for three games for stamping on Liverpool's Emre Can.


|||

London - Chelsea striker Diego Costa will miss Saturday's crucial English Premier League game against title rival Manchester City after being handed a three-match ban for stamping on an opponent's leg.


The Spain international contested the English Football Association's decision to charge him with violent conduct for treading on the right ankle of Liverpool's Emre Can during the second leg of the League Cup semifinal on Tuesday.


The FA's independent commission rejected the appeal on Friday and Costa, the Premier League's top scorer, will be suspended for Chelsea's next three league games - starting with the visit of second-place City to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea will pull eight points away from City with a win.


Costa will also miss an away game at Aston Villa and a home match against Everton. His next game is likely to be the Champions League last-16 first leg against Paris Saint-Germain on Feb. 17.


The incident involving Costa and Can wasn't seen by match officials but was caught on video. A charge followed as part of the FA's fast-tracked procedures.


Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said Costa's movement toward Can was "absolutely accidental," saying his player "puts his foot there when he's looking to the ball."


Mourinho, who was fined this week for saying there was a "campaign" against his side, canceled his regular pre-match media conference on Friday.


The absence of Costa, who has 17 league goals in his debut year at Stamford Bridge, is a huge loss for Chelsea, with the striker adding a cutting edge that was lacking in the team last season.


Mourinho will likely start veteran striker Didier Drogba up front against City.


Sapa-AP






from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/161ZZSZ
Read More

Klate joins SuperSport on loan

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Daine Klate has left Orlando Pirates and joined his former club, SuperSport United, on loan until the end of the season.


|||

Johannesburg - Daine Klate has left Orlando Pirates and joined his former club, SuperSport United, on loan until the end of the season, SuperSport announced on social networking site Instagram.


“SUFC has acquired midfielder Daine Klate on loan until the end of the season” posted supersport_unitedfc.


Pirates had earlier announced Klate had left the club on their official website, orlandopiratesfc.com.


“Orlando Pirates Football Club can confirm the departure of Daine Klate to SuperSport United,” the Buccaneers' website read.


“The 29-year-old returns to Matsatsantsa after five very successful years with the Mighty Buccaneers.”


SuperSport clarified that they had signed a loan deal with Klate until the end of the season, but said the player was already in advanced talks with them to sign on a permanent basis in June.


Klate joined Pirates from SuperSport in 2010 and spent five years with the Soweto outfit before opting to return to Pretoria under new coach Gordon Igesund.


Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza thanked Klate for his contribution to the club.


“A winner of five league titles - two of (them) while with us,” Khoza said in the statement.


“Daine is an icon in his own right. He was a team player, a true ambassador of the game.”


“He will forever be remembered at Pirates for his contribution. When we induct players in the future, he will be used as a reference point alongside other distinguished gentlemen such as Kaizer Motaung and Jomo Sono, players who represented this club with discipline and dedication.”


Meanwhile, Pirates announced the signing of Chippa United defender Mpho Mvelase on a three-year contract, shortly after confirming Klate's departure.


Mvelase's capture comes less than 24 hours after Pirates signed the Platinum Stars pair of Siyabonga Mpontshane and Tshepo Gumede.


Sapa






from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1CGspPc
Read More

Host of PSL transfers on the cards

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

As the transfer deadline approaches, PSL clubs are in a race against time to secure their targets.


|||

Johannesburg - As the Friday 5pm transfer deadline approaches, South African Premiership clubs are in a race against time to secure their targets.


Despite a number of players already making their moves, the Premier Soccer League is on standby to do last minute paperwork.


According to www.kickoff.com, Daine Klate heads a list of a number of players who will leave their teams this afternoon.


Kickoff said Klate's agent, Tim Sukazi, had told radio station Metro FM that his client would definitely be leaving Orlando Pirates by the time the January window closes at 5pm.


Klate could be on his way back to former club SuperSport United, although Wits is also believed to be in the running to land the 29-year-old.


Kickoff went on to speculate that another high-profile client of Sukazi's - Bongani Ndulula - would also be leaving for greener pastures.


The Bafana Bafana and AmaZulu striker has been linked with a move to Kaizer Chiefs, as replacement for Kingston Nkhatha, who joined SuperSport United earlier this month.


Meanwhile, http://ift.tt/1dKmm1I insists a move for Pirates' Oupa Manyisa to Mamelodi Sundowns is still on.


On Thursday afternoon, soccerladuma posted an article entitled, “Race Against Time For Manyisa To Sundowns Deal?” in which the website said: “Oupa Manyisa is racing against time to transfer deadline in order to complete his expected PSL record-breaking transfer to current league champions, Mamelodi Sundowns.”


Manyisa's agent, Thabo Moloto, famously said earlier this month that the deal had already been mapped-out before the player departed for the Africa Cup of Nations with Bafana Bafana.


According to soccerladuma, Moloto gave further confirmation to the website that “Manyisa will be a Sundowns player before the end of the week.”


Manyisa has dominated headlines since the end of last year, with Sundowns repeatedly refusing to be drawn on whether a deal had been reached.


Along with Manyisa, Itumeleng Khune's name has also been the subject of plenty of speculation.


The Kaizer Chiefs shot-stopper, arguably the biggest name at the club, will be out of contract in June and has been free to speak to any potential suitors since the start of the year.


Pirates and Sundowns were believed to be fighting it out for Khune's signature, but news on Thursday that Pirates had signed Siyabonga Mpontshane from Platinum Stars seems to have ended any interest from Pirates.


Sundowns, however, remain an outside bet but Khune looks likely to extend his stay with Chiefs for the foreseeable future.


Sapa






from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1JSzxud
Read More

Afcon heads into knockout stage

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

At least one of the leading contenders for the Afcon title will be eliminated when Algeria and the Ivory Coast clash.


|||

Equatorial Guinea - At least one of the leading contenders for the African Nations Cup title will be eliminated at the weekend when Algeria meet the Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals.


Sunday's clash in Malabo between two teams who took part in last year's World Cup is the headline game of the last eight as the three-week tournament enters the knockout stage.


Ghana, another of the African sides who featured in Brazil six months ago, play Guinea in Malabo earlier on Sunday.


On Saturday, hosts Equatorial Guinea seek to continue their fairytale run when they face Tunisia in Bata after a derby between Congo and neighbours the Democratic Republic of Congo.


Matches previously scheduled for the small eastern town of Ebibeyin and Mongomo have been moved because of fears over security and the condition of the pitches.


Algeria, the leading African team in the Fifa rankings, have continued their marked improvement over the last 12 months, including taking Germany to extra time at the World Cup.


Since then five wins out of six in Nations Cup qualifying have been followed by victories in the group stage over South Africa and Senegal.


But Ivory Coast, who got off to a slow start before eliminating Cameroon in a crunch game on Wednesday, are now brimming with confidence.


“We are three steps from the deciding game and the teams in the quarter-final can't help but dream of the final. We will not lose this quarter-final,” said coach Herve Renard, who will have forward Gervinho back from suspension.


Ghana will start as favourites against Guinea, whose place in the last eight was secured on Thursday when they won a rare drawing of lots to pip Mali to second place in their group.


Intimidating atmosphere


Equatorial Guinea, catapulted into the finals when they took over as emergency tournament hosts just over two months ago, need to again draw extra energy from what is expected to be a capacity crowd in Bata for their match against Tunisia.


But while the intimidating atmosphere might have spooked their group opponents they will find the Tunisians wily operators with a stubborn defence and a bustling attack.


The clash of the Congos will be “the match of the tournament”, according to DR Congo midfielder Neeskens Kebano.


“We are the same country separated by a river. We know our brothers, we are the same people, the same lives,” added their coach Florent Ibenge on Thursday.


Two years ago at the last finals in South Africa veteran French coach Claude Le Roy failed to get past the first round with DR Congo. Now he takes charge of their northern neighbours.


“Our potential, talent, vigour make us a good bet for the semi-finals. We are not finished with this tournament yet,” he told reporters.


Reuters






from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1wHbhCm
Read More

Costa to contest FA violent charge

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Diego Costa will contest the FA's violent conduct charge for his alleged stamp on Emre Can, British media reported.


|||

London - Chelsea striker Diego Costa will contest the Football Association's violent conduct charge for his alleged stamp on Liverpool's Emre Can, British media reported on Thursday.


The Brazilian-born Spain striker faces a potential three-game ban after he appeared to tread down on the 21-year-old German early in the first half of their League Cup semi-final, second leg at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.


Should he fail in his challenge he would miss Saturday's top-of-the-table clash against Manchester City as well as games at Aston Villa and home to Everton.


Costa was later involved in a second stamping furore involving Liverpool's Slovakian defender Martin Skrtel, but the FA said they would not take any action over that incident.


Chelsea reached the League Cup final thanks to a towering header from Branislav Ivanovic in extra time to give them a 1-0 victory on the night and 2-1 aggregate success.


Chelsea, who cancelled their usual pre-match news conference ahead of the City game, are five points clear at the top of the table.


Reuters






from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1yIRfbe
Read More