Ajax must raise intensity levels

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Ajax Cape Town are going to have to lift their game and raise their intensity levels several notches if they are to ensure their mini tour up north does not end pointless.


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Anthony McLennan


Ajax Cape Town are going to have to lift their game and raise their intensity levels several notches if they are to ensure their mini tour up north does not end pointless.


After back-to-back wins in the league and cup, Ajax had gone into their clash with log leaders Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium on Wednesday night in an optimistic mood.


But a 1-0 defeat to a below-par AmaKhosi side has left coach Roger De Sa with quite a bit of work to do ahead of Saturday evening’s showdown with SuperSport United at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.


It wasn’t that the Urban Warriors were particularly wasteful in front of goal against Chiefs, as has been their problem throughout the season.


The bigger issue was that they barely managed to create any clear-cut opportunities; their build-up play ponderous and lacking a cutting edge.


“We never got going,” admitted De Sa after the Chiefs game. “I thought we had quite a lot of possession, but the possession didn’t mean anything. Rushed decisions, trying to shoot from 40-metres.


“We froze a bit, I don’t think we were fluent, our passing all-round was poor. Our crosses were poor, our shooting was bad. We were lethargic, we were second to every ball.


“We were disappointing all-round. I don’t think we were crisp in our passing, our final pass was poor, and our decision-making in the final third was terrible. Our finalisation was poor, I think we had 11 or 12 shots at goal and never hit the goal once, the goalkeeper never made a save, except from Nathan Paulse’s headers.


“That’s disappointing on our side. I think we missed a hell of an opportunity to get something out of our match in Joburg. But we only have ourselves to blame, and hopefully we’ll learn from it and move on and get better.


“There is a lot to work on, a lot to improve on. But there are a lot of young boys [in the Ajax team] who will get better,” he said.


Things are certainly not going to get any easier when Ajax meet with former Urban Warriors coach Gordon Igesund’s SuperSport United side in the Limpopo Province.


SuperSport may have lost 5-2 to bottom side AmaZulu in their most recent action, but as De Sa says: “You can’t read too much into their last defeat”.


“I’m sure they will be revved up and Gordon will have them fired up to play us. But we have to just knuckle down and go for it.


“We have got a chance to redeem ourselves on Saturday and we’ve got to do a lot better against SuperSport, who could be a lot tougher [than Chiefs].”


As things stand on the table right now, Ajax are in sixth position. SuperSport, captained by former Ajax defender Clayton Daniels, are eighth, with just one point separating the two clubs.


It’s however the Pretoria outfit who boast the better record of late, having taken 10 of the last available 15 points in the league, Ajax having only claimed five points from their last five Premiership encounters.


The two sides met as recently as December, when a tight first-round league affair ended in a 0-0 draw in the Mother City.


SuperSport’s two mid-season arrivals, strikers Jeremy Brockie and Kingston Nkhatha, have both been scoring freely and are full of confidence. Add the likes of Dove Wome, Thuso Phala and David Mathebula to the mix, and it could be a tough evening for the young Ajax rearguard.


In this respect, De Sa may just look at bringing experienced centre-back Dominic Isaacs into the starting XI.


With the two games coming within three days of each other, the Ajax boss is certainly likely to make several changes to keep his side fresh. With an almost fully-fit squad, he does at least have options, and could be looking to give game-time to players such as Thabiso Nkoana and Bantu Mzwakali as he looks for more penetration and pace in attack, while the fit-again Granwald Scott could be the man to bring some composure to the centre of the park.






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News sport : Jets take linebacker David Harris off market, sign him to big deal

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David Harris sacks Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill (USA Today Sports Images) David Harris of the New York Jets looked like the top inside linebacker in this year's free-agency class, and you can be pretty sure that Buffalo Bills and their new coach Rex Ryan were ready to pounce.


Ryan won't get the chance to reunite with Harris. The Jets re-signed him just a few days before free agency starts.


Harris got a three-year, $21.5 million deal with $15 million guaranteed, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Like running back, inside linebackers have been devalued a bit in recent years, but Harris earned that deal.


[Check out Shutdown Corner's full 2015 free agent rankings – click here for offensive players, and click here for defensive players and specialists]


Harris hasn't missed a game since 2008, and has had either 123 or 124 tackles each of the last three seasons. He's consistent and can play three downs, which has a lot of value.


The Bills just agreed to trade linebacker Kiko Alonso to the Philadelphia Eagles. It seemed clear, given Ryan's history with Harris and Harris' impending free agency, that Harris to the Bills was an obvious fit. Now the Bills will have to look elsewhere if they want to add a veteran inside linebacker.


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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : Who's going to win, who's going to lose big in free agency? (Podcast)

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Welcome to the latest Shutdown Corner podcast! On today's as-yet-untraded episode, we have:


• A breakdown of the current free agent market, one of the best in a long while (0:15 mark)


• Could anybody sign Ray Rice? (7:45 mark)


• What teams have the most to lose in free agency? (20:52 mark)


• How are Denver fans feeling about Peyton Manning? The answer might surprise you! (25:03 mark)


All this and more as part of the Shutdown Corner Podcast. Listen up, and while you're listening ...


Subscribe via iTunes right here.


Non-iTunes subscription link here.


Leave us a nice review here.


The Shutdown Corner podcast is the product of Kevin Kaduk (@KevinKaduk), Frank Schwab (@YahooSchwab) and Jay Busbee (@JayBusbee). New episodes every Tuesday and Friday, with bonus episodes when you least expect it. Enjoy!






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News sport : Syracuse hit with five years probation, vacated wins in NCAA probe

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Oct 18, 2014; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; A Syracuse Orange flag is ran across the field after a score during the third quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at BB&T Field. Syracuse defeated Wake Forest 30-7. (Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports) The NCAA revealed the penalties associated with its long-term investigation into Syracuse on Friday. While much of the investigation centered on the misdeeds of the Orange basketball program, the football program took a hit as well.


As a result, the football program was placed on five years probation for violations that date back to 2001. The NCAA also vacated the football program’s wins from games played with eligible students in the 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.


Several of the violations were self-reported by the university, but the NCAA found other transgressions as well.


From the NCAA’s release:



Syracuse discovered and self-reported 10 violations in this case, which primarily involved men’s basketball but also football. The self-reported violations, dating back to 2001, include academic misconduct, extra benefits, the failure to follow its drug testing policy and impermissible booster activity. The other violations found included impermissible academic assistance and services, the head basketball coach’s failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance and monitor his staff, and the school’s lack of control over its athletics program.



The NCAA said that the violations involved academics, issues with drug testing policies and improper relationships with a booster.



From 2001-02 through 2011-12, the school failed to exercise proper control over the administration of its athletics program and used deficient monitoring systems, which allowed violations to occur involving academics, compliance with its own drug testing policy as well as staff and student relationships with a booster. Students and staff committed violations freely or did not know that their conduct violated NCAA rules. Many of the violations were not detected for years. Staff members did not ask and ensure that relationships and activities with the booster met NCAA requirements. In at least one instance, a staff member did not report potential academic violations due to concern of retaliation.



Part of the academic misconduct included three football players from 2005 through 2007. Per the NCAA’s release, a part-time tutor “certified that the students completed the required number of hours for an internship” when he “had limited knowledge of activities completed.”


Football players were also involved with a booster who provided “more than $8,000 in cash” to three football players for volunteering at a YMCA.


The NCAA’s full 94-page decision can be read here.


For more Syracuse news, visit CuseConfidential.com.


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







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News sport : Ineligible receiver downfield rule change proposal tabled

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The ineligible receiver downfield rule won't be changing for 2015.


According to a release by the NCAA, the NCAA rules committee tabled a proposal that would limit the cushion linemen and players declared ineligible would have to go downfield. Currently, there is a three-yard cushion. The rule change would have dropped it to one yard, which is like the NFL rule.



Panel members, who met on a teleconference Thursday, felt more discussion about the rule should take place within the college football community before a final decision is made. Additionally, the panel was concerned about the lack of participation in the rules process by head coaches, both in the survey process and comment period. Specifically, while 57 percent of Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches supported this proposed change in the initial survey, only 65 FBS head coaches participated in the survey. Also, while 54 percent of FBS head coaches were supportive of the rule change in the comment period, only 46 FBS head coaches offered comments.



Auburn coach Gus Malzahn was an opponent of the rule, saying it would stifle creativity. The three-yard cushion is beneficial for offenses to throw delayed passes off of run fakes or option reads. With the three yards, linemen can pull a strong run block fake before the quarterback elects to pass and not be ruled too far downfield.


The current rule will be a "point of emphasis" for the 2015 season, according to the NCAA, meaning that it will be looked at closely by officials.


The following rule changes for the 2015 were approved. The most notable is the addition of an eighth official on a more widespread basis.


An eight-person officiating system will be allowed if a conference or school chooses. A center judge was used experimentally in several conferences during the past two seasons. The benefits of having the extra official include getting the ball spotted more efficiently and detecting holding and hands-to-the-face penalties.


A 15-yard unsportsmanlike foul will be called on players who push or pull opponents off piles – for example, after fumbles.

If a helmet comes off a defensive player in the final minute of a half, 10 seconds will be run off the game clock, and the play clock will be set at 40 seconds. Previously, the play clock was set to 25 seconds.

Officials will return to giving teams an initial sideline warning when their personnel move out of the designated team bench area.

Officials will treat illegal equipment issues – such as jerseys tucked under the shoulder pads or exposed back pads – by making the player leave the field for at least one play. The equipment must be corrected for the player to return to the game. The player may remain in the game if his team takes a timeout to correct the equipment issue.

Instant replay reviews will be allowed to see if a kicking team player blocked the receiving team before the ball traveled 10 yards on onside-kick plays.

Teams must be provided at least 22 minutes prior to kickoff for pregame warm-ups. Teams may mutually agree to shorten this time period.

If the play clock runs to 25 seconds before the ball is ready for play, officials will reset the clock to 40 seconds. Previously, the play clock was reset when it reached 20 seconds.

Based on research findings of the National Football League, non-standard/overbuilt facemasks will be prohibited.

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






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News sport : Reports: Brandon Marshall traded from Bears to Jets

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The Chicago Bears have not wasted time moving Brandon Marshall.


According to reports — first from Bear Report's Aaron Lemming, then from ESPN's Adam Schefter — Marshall will be traded to the New York Jets, pending a physical.




Other reports indicate that the Bears will receive a mid-to-late-round draft pick in return. The trade can become official when the league year starts on Monday.


Marshall caused problems in the Bears' locker room last season in what was a horribly trying year that caused Marc Trestman and most of his staff to get canned. Enter John Fox as the new head coach, and you can understand why he'd want to avoid as many potential headaches in his first season.


[Check out Shutdown Corner's full 2015 free agent rankings – click here for offensive players, and click here for defensive players and specialists]


The Jets have talent at receiver, but you'd have to think they'd part ways with Percy Harvin, who would make too much to keep. Eric Decker was signed to No. 1 wide receiver money in the offseason, but with Marshall they might make a nice pair — for whoever wins the starting QB job — with Jeremy Kerley as the third wideout.


Can new Jets head coach Todd Bowles handle Marshall and keep him in line? That will be an interesting first test for him, but there's little doubt that new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey can use another top playmaker to help revive the Jets' offense.


As for the Bears, they need a sidekick to Alshon Jeffery. Clearly, they felt keeping Marshall wasn't worth the problems he could bring, but they certainly need a No. 2 — and possibly a No. 3 — receiver for Jay Cutler.


That is, assuming the Bears don't plan on axing Cutler, too.


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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : Philippine dunker gives us what might be the worst windmill attempt ever

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After sharing the Philippine Basketball Association's 2014 Slam Dunk Contest crown with Rey Guevarra of the Meralco Bolts, pint-sized powerhouse Justin Melton found himself looking forward to another spirited competition in this year's model.


[DraftKings: FREE $20k Fantasy Basketball Contest with First Deposit. Draft your team now.]


"After talking to a few contestants, it seems like everybody is somewhat prepared so I expect a nice show out there," Melton told Alder Almo of the Philippine Star.


Oh, Melton gave the fans a show, all right. It just might not have been the one that the 5-foot-9 former standout at Division II Mount Olive intended to perform.


Get ready to have a better Friday:




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


To recap: Melton wrapped his teammate's T-shirt around his head in an attempt paying homage to the blindfolded dunk-contest escapades of the likes of Cedric Ceballos (for whom it worked out) and Baron Davis (for whom it did not). He took one dribble from the top of the key, jumped, windmilled the ball with his left hand, and threw it directly into the ground, a solid 10 feet away from the rim. Then his pal laughed in his face.


Hard to believe that Melton was flying by the seat of his pants, isn't it?



Let this be a lesson to all you students out there who think you don't need to do an outline before you start writing your essays. It's like my grandfather used to say: If you fail to plan, you plan to come up 10 feet short on a windmill dunk in front of everybody.


After Melton was eliminated from the competition for whatever the hell that was, Guevarra, his 2014 co-champ, went on to take his second straight title, clinching the victory by getting East Bay Funk-y:



Guevarra won the contest despite dealing with a left hamstring injury that has kept him out of the Bolts' lineup and prevented him from being able to properly prepare for the competition.


“I’m just really thankful that I was still able to do those dunks,” Guevarra said, according to the Philippine Inquirer.


Melton, surely, wishes he could say the same.


Oh, well. It could be worse, Justin. You could be this Chinese dunker.


Hat-tip to SportsGrid.


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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.






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News sport : VOD: Stanford kicker Jordan Williamson recalls emotional struggles after 2012 Fiesta Bowl

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Stanford kicker Jordan Williamson finished his time with the Cardinal as its all-time career leader in points scored, but Williamson’s career hit a dark time following the 2012 Fiesta Bowl.


Austin Meyer chronicled Williamson’s trials following two missed kicks in the game, including one in overtime, that cost the Cardinal the win. It tells the story of depression, fear and ultimately perseverance in a 6-minute YouTube documentary called “It Comes Down To You.”



The video tells an all-too-common story of the ridicule college athletes face on social media and the devastating effects it can have. Williamson, who exhausted his eligibility after this past season, ultimately came out better for the ordeal, but that’s not always the case for some athletes.


This is a great short documentary that paints a good lesson that college athletes are still just people.


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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






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News sport : Rich Rodriguez didn't talk to Anu Solomon for two weeks after Fiesta Bowl

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Boise State defensive lineman Kamalei Correa (8) tackles Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon (12) during the final seconds during the second half of the Fiesta Bowl. (AP Photo/Matt York) Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez was so mad after his team’s loss to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl that he didn’t talk to quarterback Anu Solomon for two weeks.


The Wildcats were down 38-30 and facing a third-and-goal with no timeouts in the waning moments of the game when Solomon, a freshman, inexplicably took a sack instead of throwing the ball away. Instead of giving his team another chance to tie the game on fourth down, Solomon was unable to get another play off as time expired.


Solomon threw for 335 yards and a touchdown in the game, but he completed only 28-of-49 passes and threw two interceptions in the loss. The loss was a tough one to get over for Solomon.


“It hurt the next couple weeks,” Solomon said per The Daily Wildcat. “I say it to myself, ‘Anu, you looked sloppy at times.’ Watching those films, watching those sloppy mistakes I made, I was so disappointed in myself.”


With spring practice already underway and the ankle injury that bothered him late in the season fully healed, the Fiesta Bowl loss is in the rearview mirror for Solomon. Still, Rodriguez, back on speaking terms with his quarterback, says Solomon has plenty to work on.


“He’s a little big bigger and obviously he’s got a little bit more confidence in him now, which is good,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a big spring for him, too, because he knows there’s a lot of things he can work on to get better.”


Solomon says he’s faster and stronger than he was last year, but still is working on his “pocket presence, accuracy and leadership.”


Solomon threw for 3,793 yards and 28 touchdowns while running for 552 yards and two additional scores as a redshirt freshman. A faster and stronger version of him has to strike a bit of fear in the hearts of defensive coordinators across the Pac-12.


For more Arizona news, visit GOAZCats.com.


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







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News sport : Brad Keselowski to run 2 awesome retro paint schemes in 2015

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No other Sprint Cup Series team is going to run a collection of cars in 2015 better than the No. 2 team.


We've already expressed our love for Brad Keselowski's regular all-white scheme and on Thursday night in Las Vegas, Team Penske revealed two cars that Keselowski would run later in the season.


One is a replica of the black and gold No. 2 that Rusty Wallace drove. Keselowski will drive it at Michigan.



The other is a copy of the car that Bobby Allison used to drive with Miller sponsorship.



They're absolutely fantastic, even if that's not an adjective you'd normally use to describe Miller Lite.


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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!







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Rooney seeks FA Cup glory

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Wayne Rooney is hoping to finally get his hands on the FA Cup this season as Manchester United prepare to face Arsenal in the quarter-finals.


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Wayne Rooney is hoping to finally get his hands on the FA Cup this season as Manchester United prepare to face Arsenal in the quarter-finals.


The United and England captain has won Premier League titles, the League Cup and the Champions League in his career but the FA Cup has so far eluded him.


“We have an FA Cup quarter-final against Arsenal on Monday and that is massive for us,” said Rooney, who saw his boyhood favourites Everton win the trophy back in 1995 by defeating United in the final.


“We haven't been to a final for a few years, we want to try to win that game and we are looking forward to that.


“Of course, I think it is a massive trophy. It is a trophy that, growing up as a youngster, I used to love watching and I was fortunate enough to see Everton lift the FA Cup in 1995 when I was nine years old.


“It is something which I would love to do and hopefully it can be this year.”


The 29-year-old has twice been on the losing side in the final, forming part of the team that lost on penalties to Arsenal in 2005 and then featuring in the 2007 final defeat to Chelsea.– AFP






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Bafana to play Nigeria in friendly

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Bafana Bafana will play Nigeria in an international friendly on March 29 at the Mbombela Stadium, the Safa announced.


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Johannesburg – Bafana Bafana will play Nigeria in an international friendly on March 29 at the Mbombela Stadium, the Safa announced.


The match marked the 12th meeting between the continent's bitter rivals. In the past 11 meetings, Bafana prevailed once, lost seven encounters and drew the other three.


South Africa and Nigeria drew their two previous matches in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with the first ending in a goalless draw at Cape Town Stadium, while the return game ended in a 2-2 draw.


“The upcoming game will definitely be another grudge encounter and both countries' coaches would like to put the record straight,” Safa president Danny Jordaan said in a statement.


“Whenever the two nations clash, the entire country comes to a standstill, more so with a huge Nigerian community in South Africa, this will be another explosive clash.” – Sapa






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Welbeck can play anywhere - Wenger

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Striker Danny Welbeck is playing an important role in Arsenal's season despite being moved into an unpreferred wide role, manager Arsene Wenger said.


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London - Striker Danny Welbeck is playing an important role in Arsenal's season despite being moved into an unpreferred wide role, manager Arsene Wenger said.


Arsenal face Welbeck's former club Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Monday and the England international is again likely to be shunted out to the flank, just as he often was during his time at Old Trafford.


After joining Arsenal for 16 million pounds ($24.3 million) last year his chances of playing in his preferred central position have been limited since Olivier Giroud returned from injury in November to score nine league goals in 15 matches.


“He's (Welbeck) very important and has played many, many games since the start of the season,” Wenger told a news conference.


“I think he's played in nearly every single game. His position is one of the three up front - central, left or right. He can play anywhere.


“He's one of the players who has played the most games for us, but not in the last couple of games. You have moments in the season where some players play a bit less.


Welbeck made a fast start to his career at the Emirates but the 24-year-old has only bagged a mediocre seven goals in 26 games.


“Most of the time it's up front because not every single player can play every game in the biggest part of the season,” Wenger said.


“You have a player like Olivier Giroud who is playing at the moment but he missed four months. During that period Welbeck played every single game.


“He plays very well for me and is an exceptional player who will have a great future here. I am very, very happy that I bought him,” Wenger added. – Reuters






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Soweto derby - captains have their say

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Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates tackle each other in the Soweto derby. We hear from the respective captains.


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Kaizer Chiefs captain Tefu Nashamaite says:


We are arware of the excitement of the Derby. But the key for us is not to be taken up by the hype and we are taking it just like any other game. We have just beaten Ajax and next up is Pirates and thereafter Maritzburg United.


We are taking things one game at a time with the intention of maximising the opportunities that come our way.


And while we acknowledge that Pirates have some dangerous players in the likes of (Lehlohonolo) Majoro and Kermit (Erasmus), it will be a mistake for us to single them out for special attention.


We are focusing on stopping Pirates as a team. At this stage of the season, the most important thing for us is not who the opposition is but rather the need to make sure we don’t drop points while hoping the other teams below us shoot each other down.


You have to remember that we come from a very disappointing season where we lost a championship we looked to be winning easily and we still have some anger from that. We’d be fools to let what happened last season happen again.


It was very good for us to get the win over Ajax because you know people always focus on the negative and that’s why there was all that talk after we lost our first league match to SuperSport. But we are the ones in the lead right now and after the midweek win, we draw confidence from that going into the Derby. We are going to do our best to get the maximum points. We really believe that this is the time for us to win the champion-ship and we won’t let it slip.


Orlando Pirates captain Oupa Manyisa says:


Going into the Free State Stars game we knew that it was going to be a difficult encounter for us. Free State has always been a difficult side to play away and we are glad to have managed to come out with a point from that encounter.


Derbies are always difficult and a loss against Stars could have psychologically wounded us building up to this important match. We lost to Chiefs in the first round and we don’t want to see a reoccurrence of that at this stage of the (PSL) championship race.


Playing in a Soweto derby has always been a dream of mine. There are a whole lot of talented players that I grew up with who shared the same dream as I did back then.


Our day to day conversations would be about playing on this big stage and what it would feel like to have the whole country watching us on the day. I’m just one of the lucky few who made it. And to captain the Sea Robbers on such an occasion is one of those out-of-body experiences which I will cherish forever.


It’s going to be a tricky affair. We just have to focus and operate as a unit.


The last time we lost our league encounter (following Senzo Meyiwa’s passing) it was against Chiefs. After that defeat we sat down as players and the technical staff and spoke about what we wanted to get out of this season. The goal was simple. We want to win our remaining (PSL) fixtures. Yes, we drew once in 2015 but that goal is still alive to this day.


We haven’t lost yet and playing against Chiefs will be one of those encounters that will be a must win for us. - The Star






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Cisse apologises for spitting, Evans denies

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Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse apologised for spitting at Jonny Evans, but the Manchester United defender denied any wrongdoing.


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London – When two English Premier League opponents spat at each other, the television evidence seemed clear.


Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse apologised for spitting at Jonny Evans, but the Manchester United defender denied any wrongdoing in the incident.


Video replays showed the pair spitting at each other on Wednesday during United's 2-0 win after Cisse reacted angrily to a tackle by Evans.


After the incident was missed by the referee, a three-man panel of former officials decided on Thursday that both players should be charged. Cisse accepted it, while Evans has until 1800 GMT Friday to respond to the English Football Association.


Fifa rules mandate a minimum six-game ban for spitting incidents, but Cisse faces a possible seven-game ban because he was suspended this season for elbowing Everton's Seamus Coleman.


Before being informed of the charge, Cisse said he had “apologies to make to a lot of people” - his teammates, Evans, and the supporters.


“I reacted to something I found very unpleasant,” Cisse said in a statement. “Sometimes it is hard not to react, particularly in the heat of the moment. I have always tried hard to be a positive role model, especially for our young fans, and yesterday I let you down.


“I hope children out there playing football for their clubs and schools this weekend will know better than to retaliate when they are angry.”


Evans is trying to avoid a suspension despite the video evidence.


“I did not spit at Papiss Cisse,” Evans said in a statement. “I was totally unaware of any spitting incident and had assumed that the issue at the time was with the challenge and his attempted retaliation to the tackle from the floor.


“During the game, Papiss Cisse and I spoke about the incident and it is clear by my reaction in the television footage that I was totally surprised by any suggestion of spitting. It is not in my character or in my nature to spit at anybody, nor is it something I have ever done or would ever do.” – Sapa-AP






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