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Chile, Mexico in six goal thriller

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Mexico frustrated Chile's hopes of clinching a Copa America quarter-final berth , snatching a 3-3 draw in a pulsating battle.

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Mexico frustrated Chile's hopes of clinching a Copa America quarter-final berth, snatching a 3-3 draw in a pulsating battle with the host nation in Santiago.

Two goals from Mexico's veteran striker Vicente Vuoso cancelled out a brace from Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal for Chile, who also had two goals ruled out for offside in a frenetic late onslaught.

Mexico spent the opening exchanges camped in their own half as Chile swarmed forward looking for an early goal to put them on the path to the quarter-finals from Group A following their opening win over Ecuador.

But the Mexicans stung the hosts on virtually their first foray into enemy territory, sweeping forward on the counter-attack to score when Vuoso prodded home Juan Carlos Medina's cross on 21 minutes.

Chile hit back instantly however, getting back on level terms within a minute thanks to a towering header from Vidal. Charles Aranguiz swung in a corner and Vidal powered home a long-range header to make it 1-1.

The Chilean goal failed to deter Mexico and only a superb save from Claudio Bravo, parrying a Gerardo Flores header onto the bar from close range denied 'El Tri' from taking a 2-1 lead.

But Mexico did not have long to wait before grabbing their second goal, Atletico Madrid striker Raul Jimenez heading home Adrian Aldrete's corner to make it 2-1.

Chile again poured forward, and equalised for the second time in the 42nd minute when Vidal's pinpoint cross was met by Eduardo Vargas, who guided his header into the bottom left-hand corner.

The home side looked to have taken control of the game early in the second half and deservedly took the lead through Vidal's second penalty of the tournament.

The midfielder won the spot-kick after being bundled over by Flores and stepped up to convert and make it 3-2.

Mexico refused to roll over though and on 66 minutes struck back. A long ball over the top from Aldrete found Vuoso, and the striker kept his cool to steer home his second past Bravo.

Chile thought they had grabbed a winner on 80 minutes though, but Alexis Sanchez was adjudged fractionally offside after jabbing home a low shot. – AFP

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Double World Cup winner Zito dies

Central defender Zito, who won two World Cups with Brazil, has died aged 82, the Brazilian Football Confederation said.

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Sao Paulo - Central defender Zito, who won two World Cups with Brazil, has died aged 82, the Brazilian Football Confederation said on Monday.

Zito, who had been unwell since suffering a stroke last year, played alongside Pele when Brazil won the World Cup in 1958 and 1962 and scored in the 3-1 victory over Czechoslovakia in the 1962 final.

He worked for Santos after he retired as a player and was a key figure in developing young players at the club, including Neymar.

“I have no words to describe that guy, I simply thank him for all he did for me, for having believed in me and helped me at the start of my career,” Barcelona striker Neymar wrote on Instagram, alongside a picture of the two together.

“Rest in peace, he did so much for us here....Thank you ZITO!”

Reuters

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Blatter could make a Fifa U-turn

Sepp Blatter is actively considering reversing his promise to stand down as Fifa president, one of his advisers said.

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London - Sepp Blatter is actively considering reversing his promise to stand down as Fifa president, one of his advisers has told Sky News.

Klaus Stoehlker, who advised Blatter during the recent election campaign, said Blatter could remain head of world soccer's governing body if a “convincing candidate” to replace him did not emerge.

Blatter stepped down as Fifa president almost two weeks ago, as the Swiss-based body was rocked by corruption allegations.

Stoehlker, who Sky News says stressed he is not an official spokesman, was in a meeting when contacted by Reuters and unable to comment immediately.

Switzerland's Schweiz am Sonntag newspaper reported on Sunday that Blatter, 79, may seek to stay on.

Fifa refused to be drawn when contacted by Reuters, saying only that “Klaus Stoehlker's mandate from the Fifa President ended on 31 May 2015” and emailing a link to Blatter's two-week-old resignation speech.

Reuters

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Caf denies asking Blatter to stay on

Africa's soccer confederation (Caf) has not heard of any of its members asking Sepp Blatter to stay on as Fifa president.

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Cape Town - Africa's soccer confederation (Caf) has not heard of any of its members asking Sepp Blatter to stay on as Fifa president, an executive committee member said on Monday.

“At Caf level we are not aware of any African countries who have written to ask Blatter to stay on,” Kalusha Bwalya, a Caf executive committee member and president of the Football Association of Zambia, told Reuters.

“We feel it is better to get on with our own work in the mean time and see what everyone has to say in the next months. Everybody is waiting for clarity.”

The confusion surround Fifa's leadership took a new twist on Sunday when the Schweiz am Sonntag newspaper reported that Blatter, 79, may seek to stay on as president, less than two weeks after he promised to step down, four days after being re-elected.

The report said Blatter had received messages of support from African and Asian football associations, asking him to rethink his decision.

Blatter was honoured by the support and had not ruled out remaining in office, the newspaper said, citing an anonymous source close to him.

But Bwalya, a former Zambia international, said Caf was waiting for Fifa's executive committee meeting before taking a position.

“The African members will then report back to the Caf executive when we met on August 6 and we'll see what will be done after that,” he said.

“At the moment there are a lot of rumours floating about and everyone is rushing to turn the smallest piece of information into a story.”

Blatter was re-elected for a fifth term as Fifa president on May 27 when his opponent Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein withdrew after Blatter won the first round of voting by 133 votes to 73.

Four days later, as corruption allegations continued to batter Fifa, Blatter, in a shock announcement, said he would stand down and call a new election, due to be held between December and February.

The FBI are investigating bribery and corruption at Fifa, including scrutiny of how soccer's governing body awarded World Cup hosting rights to Russia and Qatar.

Uefa insiders told Reuters that European soccer's governing body was left perplexed by the reports that Blatter would stand again and that the plot would be too outrageous even for a Hollywood script.

Officially, European soccer's governing body did not want to comment but the German football association (DFB) called on Blatter, who is staying on until the election, to leave quickly.

“We only know the media reports which strengthen our clear position,” spokesman Ralf Koettker told reporters. “Blatter's announced resignation must be formally completed as soon as possible.”

Germany coach Joachim Loew said: “As far as I can speak as a coach, Fifa must have a new structure and there has to be a certain new start because all of this has damaged football, and that was dangerous. I think resigning from a resignation should normally not happen.”

Fifa has not directly denied the newspaper report, instead referring Reuters to the speech Blatter made on June 2 when he said he would not be a candidate.

However, Domenico Scala, the official overseeing the process of choosing a new president, said on Sunday that Blatter's departure was an “indispensable” part of planned reforms to soccer's governing body. – Reuters

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Bafana firing blanks, again!

South Africa fired blanks in their opening Afcon qualifier against Gambia, again highlighting Bafana’s glaring weakness.

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Durban – South Africa’s goalless draw in their opening Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the tiny nation of Gambia left them on the back foot and with a major scoring riddle to solve.

Bafana Bafana coach Ephraim Mashaba stood by his team selection even though Saturday’s stalemate extended their recent poor scoring form.

South Africa fired blanks in the Cosafa Cup with goalless draws against Malawi and Botswana to bow out early from the regional competition last month.

In the build-up to that event the side also failed to hit the back of the net against Lesotho.

Saturday night Mashaba fielded Thamsanqa Gabuza, who only trained once with the squad after he arrived as a late replacement for Tokelo Rantie, who failed to show up because of his wedding.

The coach said he had to wait on Rantie because the country had no other strikers like the England-based professional.

“Rantie is the only player in South Africa who can harass defenders in front and behind, and he can create chances to score by himself,” said Mashaba after the game at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Nevertheless Mashaba’s preference for rookie First Division campaigners such as Siphelele Ntshangase and Gift Motupa ahead of experienced pros such as Kermit Erasmus, Bernard Parker and Lehlohonolo Majoro would have raised eyebrows.

Ntshangase and Motupa are support strikers at best, and the former delivered in that role when he replaced Thulani Serero midway through the second half against the Scorpions.

However his poor finishing cost South Africa the win. With two minutes left on the clock he had a great chance one-on-one with the Gambian goalie but curled a strike wide.

The Scorpions had little sting of their own up front but promised to be much stronger as the qualifiers progressed, particularly because they would have more time to prepare for the next round in early September when they host Cameroon in Banjul.

Their new Swiss coach Raoul Savoy, appointed last month, fielded a new-look side put together with players from the Gambian diaspora. Many of them trained together for the first time when they camped in Uganda and recorded a 1-1 draw against the Cranes.

“We’re not thinking of qualifying. But imagine if this team trains properly for about 10 days ...” said Savoy.

“If we win against Cameroon at home then we can do something. In football there are no small games or small teams. We did well to get a point; we’re not small, and we have got some top players in Europe,” he added.

In contrast South Africa has a thriving league and the national team has facilities that are the envy of many countries on the continent.

Yet the goal-scoring issue has plagued all the recent national coaches from Pitso Mosimane, through Gordon Igesund, to Mashaba.

“We need to work on our scoring, nothing else. We played good football otherwise,” insisted Mashaba.

“As long as we talk of grooming strikers at Bafana we’ll go nowhere.

“The national team is not development level; there’s no time to make players. We need players to come and perform, that’s all.

“The 16 PSL teams are talking of a goal-scoring problem, and now you expect the national team, which gets together for four days, to solve the scoring problem. We can only guide the players on what we want at national team level,” said Mashaba.

Whatever the solutions are, Mashaba’s next qualifier away to Mauritania is a “must-win” game because only the group winners qualify for the 2017 Afcon in Gabon.

South Africa are in Cape Town where they host Angola in a friendly tomorrow afternoon.

The only doubtful player is midfielder Oupa Manyisa who injured his leg against Gambia. - The Star

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City confident of landing Sterling

Manchester City are growing increasingly confident aboout landing Raheem Sterling for less than Liverpool’s £50million valuation.

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Manchester City are growing increasingly confident aboout landing Raheem Sterling for less than Liverpool’s £50million valuation.

Sportsmail understands City will not pay more than £40m for the England star.

Liverpool’s hopes of sparking a bidding war for the forward in an attempt to maximise the transfer fee they’ll receive looks unlikely to materialise.

Arsenal and Chelsea are both interested, but have other priorities in the transfer market, while Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are unlikely to pay beyond the £30m City, who will make an improved bid this week, have already offered.

Sterling has just two years left on his current deal and Liverpool know his value will begin to fall rapidly over the next 12 months as a result, a factor Etihad chiefs are also more than aware of.

Meanwhile, Juventus defender Patrice Evra has urged his former Manchester United team-mate Paul Pogba to stay in Turin rather than move to City.

Pogba has been linked with a £60m move to the Etihad Stadium but Evra said: ‘I have told him he needs to make the best decision for him.

‘If he wants to leave for one of Europe’s big clubs then that is fine but I think it would be a good idea if he stays where he is. I don’t think Juventus will let him leave.’ – Daily Mail

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Jose set to sign £30m deal

Jose Mourinho’s new £30million four-year deal with Chelsea is expected to be signed in the coming weeks.

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Jose Mourinho’s new £30million four-year deal with Chelsea is expected to be signed in the coming weeks, with both sides satisfied with the progress of negotiations.

Mourinho is set to commit to the Premier League champions until 2019 and though Chelsea are not ready to announce the deal yet, there are no concerns on either side and both club and manager are anticipating the contract being signed imminently.

The relative ease of negotiations contrasts with the stormy relationship Mourinho had with the board of directors in his last spell at the club when he eventually left by mutual consent in 2007 as the acrimony became unmanageable.

But senior figures at Chelsea have stressed that board members, Mourinho (right) and owner Roman Abramovich now have far more experience in how to make the club run smoothly and that the manager’s current spell in charge has been characterised by co-operation.

Mourinho is expected to earn £7.5m a year and his anticipated signature on the deal will be seen as a significant staging post in his desire to build a legacy at the club.

Mourinho has previously been accused of short-termism, with his spell of three years and three months at Chelsea between 2004 and 2007 being the longest he has remained at any club.

But he has said that he would like to participate in a long-term project at Chelsea and see the current crop of young players mature in the first team.

Meanwhile, Chelsea target Toby Alderweireld has conceded that he does not know where his future lies.

The defender was on loan at Southampton from Atletico Madrid last season, and the Saints have an option to buy him this summer, but he is wanted by Mourinho, as well as Manchester City and Tottenham.

Alderweireld, who will speak to Atletico about his future when he returns from holiday, said: ‘The only thing I can say is that I’m happy in England, but it isn’t just up to me.

‘I don’t have an answer now, but it would be good to come back to England.’ – Daily Mail

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Rooney edging closer to England record

England striker Wayne Rooney moved within one goal of equalling their all-time scoring record when his late goal secured a 3-2 win in Slovenia.

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LJUBLJANA - England striker Wayne Rooney moved within one goal of equalling their all-time scoring record when his late goal secured a 3-2 win in Slovenia and kept up the Group E leaders' 100 percent record in Euro 2016 qualifying on Sunday.

Jack Wilshere earlier twice smashed the ball into the top corner from outside the area, his first international goals, as England moved within touching distance of the finals in France with 18 points from six Group E games, nine above second-placed Slovenia.

Milivoje Novakovic had coolly given the hosts a 37th-minute lead after a series of England errors and Nejc Pecnik made it 2-2 late on before a defensive howler set up Rooney for his 48th England goal, one behind record holder Bobby Charlton.

“It was a long time ago when England last went a season unbeaten and we're proud of that achievement,” Rooney told ITV after the Three Lions managed the feat for the first time since 1990-91.

“We need to keep improving now over the next season and make sure we qualify for the Euros. We're certainly a team that is progressing.”

Raheem Sterling missed a golden chance early on for England and also shot narrowly wide after 14 minutes with his mixed performance under particular scrutiny.

He was kept in the starting line-up despite being booed in the recent 0-0 friendly with Ireland because of an average display and his behaviour in requesting to leave Liverpool.

Novakovic then grabbed the opener against the run of play.

Right back Phil Jones bungled a throw-in and Slovenia quickly broke up field where England played too high a line and enabled the 36-year-old to amble on to a through ball and calmly slot beyond Joe Hart.

Jones was substituted for midfielder Adam Lallana at halftime, with media reports blaming an ankle injury, and midfielder Jordan Henderson was employed at right back.

England made three starting changes from the bore draw in Dublin with Kieran Gibbs replacing Ryan Bertrand at left back and Fabian Delph and Andros Townsend coming into midfield.

The trio had their moments but Lallana's introduction made the difference with the tricky player having a hand in both Wilshere's wonderful strikes, in what was the best game in an England shirt for the Arsenal man.

Club team mate Gibbs was as fault for Slovenia's equaliser with former Sheffield Wednesday player Nejc Pecnik climbing above him to head home after 84 minutes.

But just a minute later, Rooney latched on to misplaced intervention from Bojan Jokic and, having missed two easier chances earlier, fired home as England almost booked their passage to France with the top two qualifying automatically. – Reuters

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Neymar shines in Brazil’s win

Neymar scored the first, made the second and was named 'man of the match' in Brazil's Copa America win over Peru.

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Temuco - Neymar scored the first, made the second and was named 'man of the match' in Brazil's 2-1 Copa America win over Peru, but coach Dunga preferred to focus on the team's performance rather than the number 10's individual brilliance.

The combative Brazil coach made three changes in the second half, the most telling of which was in the 65th minute when he replaced centre forward Diego Tardelli with Douglas Costa, who scored the winner in the third minute of injury time.

“Neymar was decisive but Dani Alves was decisive, Miranda was decisive at certain moments, Douglas Costa was decisive,” Dunga told reporters after the game.

“You talk about Neymar and say that he made the pass for the goal but Dani Alves made a pass for a goal.”

Dunga was clearly seeking to accentuate the collective spirit in his squad but even he must know that Neymar was head and shoulders above his team mates in a pulsating contest.

The striker was at the heart of all Brazil's good moves, in spite of being singled out for some tough tackling by a committed Peru side who were unfortunate to lose.

The 23-year-old captain exhibited some terrific skill, at one point deftly lifting the ball over the same Peruvian player twice in a matter of seconds, only to be bundled to the ground.

After Brazil lost an early goal, Neymar put away Dani Alves' cross with a textbook header and almost got a second only to see his 25-yard shot crash off the bar.

The goal was his 44th in 64 internationals and takes him to fifth place on Brazil's all-time scorers list behind only Pele, Ronaldo, Romario and Zico, according to the Copa America's official statisticians.

“He is a player who can make a difference,” said David Luiz. “I am happy we have his quality on our side.” – Reuters

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Mali beat Germany to reach semis

Mali defied the odds in the U-20 World Cup race on Sunday, booking a semi spot with a 4-3 win over Germany.

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Cape Town – Mali continue to defy the odds at the Fifa U-20 World Cup after they booked their place in semi-finals with a 4-3 win on penalties over Germany following a well-fought 1-1 draw in Christchurch, on Sunday.

Julian Brandt’s opener had put the tournament favourites ahead, though a Djigui Diarra penalty save and Souleymane Coulibaly header levelled things up, leaving the sides level for an hour. Niklas Stark then fired the crucial spot-kick wide and sent Fanyeri Diarra’s send into dreamland.

The outstanding moment of the opening passages of play was a disappointing one for the match, as Germany’s top scorer Marc Stendera was forced off the field, and without him the tournament’s most prolific side struggled to find their rhythm. Good pressing from the Malians limited their chances, although the Africans often struggled to make any themselves.

A couple from efforts from distance were all that brought either goalkeeper into action before Frank Wormuth’s charges broke the deadlock shortly before the break. A Hany Mukhtar free-kick couldn’t get beyond the defensive wall, but the ball eventually fell to Brandt, who hit a volley from the edge of the area that skipped off the turf and into the bottom corner.

Mali returned after the break looking bright and up for the challenge. Their early pressure looked to have been for nothing though after the referee pointed to the spot for a foul on Jeremy Dudziak. But the Africans held strong as Mukhtar saw his effort saved and, within two minutes, parity was restored.

A foul on the left flank gave Youssouf Kone the chance to swing a cross into the German area and Coulibaly met it perfectly. The defender got free at the front post and his diving header flashed beyond keeper Marvin Schwaebe and into the far corner.

Later, a weak back-pass left Malian hearts in mouths as Hamidou Maiga almost gifted the Germans a path into the last four. Mukhtar should also have atoned for his penalty miss, but directed his header wide, ensuring the game went to extra-time.

Malick Toure should have put Mali ahead for the first time when he headed over from three yards out as the Germans seemed to tire as the additional 30 minutes wore on. A shootout always looked like where it was headed though, and while Adama Traore saw his effort saved, Brandt then fired over before Stark’s off-target effort saw Europe’s two front-runners go out on spot-kicks in the space of minutes.

After the match, Fanyeri Diarra, Mali’s coach, said: “We said we would show Christchurch a great game and we did it. Germany is a big nation at this level and we know we were not the favourites, but we fought the battle until the end. Before the tournament I didn’t think our team was ready but we have grown in confidence and believed in ourselves. We have carried on step-by-step and have been building on our good results. There are always surprises in these tournaments and we are one of them. Now we are ready to face whatever comes next.”

Frank Wormuth, Germany’s coach, said: “This is the reason that I love football, exciting until the last second. We can carry our hats high and I am very proud of my team who have played very well in this tournament. Today our opponents were as good as us and we knew that Mali were at the same level going into this game. In the 55th minute of the second half there was a chance for us to win from a penalty, but we missed out. It is a big disappointment for us, but we didn’t lose from our opponents we lost from a penalty and that is sometimes luck. Congratulations Mali for an excellent win.

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Thiam slots Senegal into final four

Senegal booked their place in the Fifa U-20 World Cup semis with a 1-0 win over Uzbekistan on Sunday.

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Cape Town – Senegal booked their place in the Fifa U-20 World Cup semi-finals with a 1-0 win over Uzbekistan in Wellington, on Sunday.

After Mali’s victory over Germany earlier in the day, Mamadou Thiam’s strike was enough to see Africa occupy half of the tournament’s final four spots for the first time in a decade after they came out on top in a tight encounter against the Central Asians.

With so much at stake, the game was predictably cagey in the early stages. Both teams were sitting deep, relying on their propensity for the counter attack. Uzbekistan were sitting deep, prepared to wait for their opportunities, nullifying Senegal’s lightning pace.

As a result, the crowd had to wait 21 minutes for the game’s first chance. Zabikhillo Urinboev’s was deflected into the path of Obrokhim Abdullaev, whose effort was straight at Ibrahima Sy.

Senegal went even closer right on half-time as a mistake by Abdullaev let in Alassane Sow, but his shot was tipped over by Dilshod Khamraev.

The West Africans stated the second half stronger and Roger Gomis forced Khamraev into another good save. The Senegal skipper hit a low drive from the edge of the box, but the keeper did well to push away.

As both sides looked for a breakthrough, the game opened up, with Senegal creating the better chances. Thiam and Remi Nassalan were the African’s principle architects and they combined with devastating effect.

A warning shot was fired shortly after the hour mark when Thiam ran down the left and fed his team-mate who fired wide from just 4 metres.

The roles were reversed with greater success 13 minutes from time when a quick counter-attack saw Senegal outnumber Uzbekistan inside the Central Asians’ half. Nassalan created even more space with a neat step-over and then picked the perfect past to Thiam who made no mistake.

Senegal now travel to Christchurch to face Brazil, with the prospect of an all-African final still very much alive.

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Messi rues failure to close match

Lionel Messi has been left frustrated after Argentina were held to a draw by Paraguay on Saturday.

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La Serena, Chile – Lionel Messi, who came to the Copa America looking to end Argentina’s 22-year trophy drought, was bitterly disappointed after his team were reeled in by Paraguay for a 2-2 draw in their opening match.

Argentina overran Paraguay in the first half and took a two-goal lead through Sergio Aguero and Messi’s penalty only for their opponents to hit back with a goal from Nelson Haedo Valdez on the hour and Lucas Barrios’s 90th minute equaliser.

“We were at fault in that we should have had more of the ball in the second half and controlled the match, not they,” said Messi, who left the field head bowed after Saturday’s Group B match at La Serena.

“It’s maddening to go winning 2-0 and finish with a draw,” said Messi who has come off a brilliant season helping Barcelona win a treble of La Liga, the King’s Cup and the Champions League.

“We should have slowed the match down when they were coming at us,” he told reporters.

“Now we have to think about Uruguay and we know we must win. There’s a lot to improve and this is only the first match, now we’ve got to be calmer than ever.”

Paraguay became more daring in the second half, throwing off their defensive shackles and putting the Argentine defence under pressure, sometimes outnumbering them in counter-attacks as Argentina continued to pour forward but missed glaring chances, two of them almost on the line.

Holders Uruguay, who eliminated Argentina on penalties in the 2011 Copa America, will provide another tough test even if they were unconvincing in a 1-0 win over guest team Jamaica in Antofagasta on Saturday. – Reuters

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Goal drought irks Shakes

After their third successive goalless draw, Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba admits scoring is a problem.

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Durban – Following their third successive goalless draw, Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba says scoring goals is a nationwide problem.

Bafana ended 0-0 with Gambia in their Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier at Moses Mabhida Stadium, in Durban, on Saturday. Hosts South Africa were also beaten twice on penalties in the Cosafa Cup last month after finishing goalless in two matches in four days.

Despite countless chances, Bafana could not manage a goal against their opponents ranked 160th in the world.

“We’re not going to kill ourselves and it’s just something we need to address,” said Mashaba after the game.

“It’s not only the national team’s problem, it’s from our football at home, it is the biggest problem. All teams play, but they don’t score goals.”

Bafana may be lacking in confidence according to Gambia coach Raoul Savov.

“They missed a lot of chances at the end of the game, we were lucky,” said Savov.

“But they have not been going well the last two or three months. Maybe it’s a lack of confidence, maybe Afcon is still in their heads.”

With striker Tokelo Rantie pulling out of the match due to wedding commitments during the week, his services were severely missed up front. Mashaba, admitted his side needed a clinical striker to find the back of the net.

“People could say that the strike force today was not good but we created chances. We just need that one person that can finish.

“If we had a finisher I think I would be talking different stories. I want to warn people, this is a different level, it’s not what we take it to be.”

Mashaba said the defensive approach of Gambia helped secure the draw for his opponents.

“We knew they were going to come and not even park a bus, but a train at the back,” said Mashaba.

“The boys gave their best. The only thing is scoring goals. In the last 15 minutes we should’ve scored close to three or four goals.”

Thabo Matlaba who missed a number of chances was judged to be man of the match, and he paid tribute to Gambia for sticking to their gameplan.

“Credit must go to Gambia, they’re a good side. We didn’t know about them, I hope they knew about us,” said Matlaba.

“They were tired in the second half but we didn’t convert our chances, we were supposed to bury them but we didn’t.” – ANA

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Coach frets over Argentina’s extremes

Argentine coach Gerardo Martino is concerned by the way his side squandered their lead against Paraguay.

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Santiago – Argentine coach Gerardo Martino is concerned by the way his side squandered a two-goal lead against Paraguay in their opening Copa America match on Saturday.

Argentina looked to be cruising to victory in the Chilean city of La Serena, thanks to first-half goals from Sergio Aguero and Lionel Messi from the penalty spot, but Paraguay fought back to score twice in the second half for a 2-2 draw.

“What worries me most are the two extremes that the team played at,” Martino said. “It’s clear that we need to play matches with absolute control.”

Argentina were in cruise control early on, enjoying 75 percent of first-half possession and firing in seven shots on goal without reply.

But the Paraguayans came out fighting in the second half and scored through Nelson Haedo Valdez before Lucas Barrios slammed home a 90th minute equaliser.

“We controlled the game for 50 minutes and we could have scored again,” Martino said. “But after that it was a game in which we were filled with doubt. We retreated into our own half and we couldn’t keep up the pressure of the first half.”

Goalkeeper Sergio Romero also acknowledged the Argentines had taken their foot off the pedal in the latter stages.

“But South America is like that. No team gives you anything as a gift. We knew that Paraguay would play hard,” he said. – Reuters

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Bafana dominate, but can’t find net

Bafana Bafana’s attacking gamble against Gambia backfired as a makeshift frontline was neutralised in a dour draw.

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Moses Mabhida Stadium -

Bafana (0) 0

Gambia (0) 0

Bafana Bafana’s attacking gamble against Gambia backfired as a makeshift frontline was neutralised in a dour draw in the opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Durban on Saturday night.

Newcomer Thamsanqa Gabuza and a five-man attacking midfield failed to click as the West Africans comfortably sat back and dismantled the home team’s forays with a calmness that belied their lowly ranking and their relative new-look team.

Gabuza was thrust into the starting line-up after one training session and after he was replaced the side had no attacking thrust aerially, while on the ground the Gambians were hardly lacking in pace to close down the home midfielders.

After the drama of a four-hour delay because of the late arrival of some of the match officials, the clash got underway at 7pm with the expected line-up.

As released by coach Ephraim Mashaba on the eve of the game, the squad did not reflect any major surprises.

Right-back Anele Ngcongca shouldered the captain’s responsibilities ahead of goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune, and striker Gabuza came in from the international wilderness to lead the attack in front of a loaded attacking midfield dominated by Europe-based pros.

Mashaba promised to take the game to the visitors, which Bafana tried to do early on, via the foreign trio of Thulani Serero, Ayanda Patosi and May Mahlangu, supported by home-based Oupa Manyisa, who appeared restricted on the right flank.

The first clear move on the Gambian goal warmed Gabuza to the crowd of about 20 000 as he collected Patosi’s threaded pass and fired a shot which goalkeeper Modou Jobe blocked.

However, that was about it from the lanky marksman for the rest of the half, as he faded along with South Africa’s attacking thrusts.

Manyisa attempted a shot at the quarter-hour mark which the goalie gloved cleanly at the second take.

The Bucs man who sat out part of the training because of tight muscles was replaced injured six minutes before the break by livewire Mandla Masango.

There were mostly half chances from Mahlangu, Ngcongca and Matlaba as the 160th-ranked side in the world sat back and worked their way forward through counter-attacks.

The best effort in the opening period came off Patosi’s free kick, which the ’keeper dropped, but the ball rolled past the post and out for a corner.

The team, nicknamed the Scorpions, had no sting, though they were unruffled in their task. Rebuilding after a ban for age-group cheating, their federation appointed Swiss coach Raoul Savoy last month and scoured the globe for players.

As many as six players debuted this week in an international 1-1 friendly against Uganda. At right-back Ousman Koli was a towering figure and teenager Sulayman Marreh tried to orchestrate their midfield.

After the break Savoy gave his attack fresh legs as Assan Ceesay took over from Omar Colley and he packed his midfield with the introductions of Ken Mansally and Hamza Barry. Needing to counter Gambia’s “park the bus” strategy, Mashaba sent on Thuso Phala and Siphelele Ntshangase for Gabuza and Serero respectively.

With 15 minutes to go Thabo Matlaba rifled a shot which the goalkeeper parried, but to the dismay of the crowd Phala’s follow-up went straight to the ’keeper.

Ntshangase had the miss of the game with two minutes of regulation time left, when he shot wide from a good angle with only Jobe to beat.

Gambia deservedly banked a point while for South Africa it marked a continuation of a barren run following from the disappointment of the early exits from the Afcon tournament earlier this year and the recent Cosafa Cup event.

Bafana Bafana’s next qualifier is away to Mauritania in early September.

Today the side leaves for Cape Town, where they host Angola in an international friendly on Tuesday afternoon.

SA: Itumeleng Khune, Thabo Matlaba, Rivaldo Coetzee, Anele Ngcongca, Thulani Hlatshwayo, Oupa Manyisa (Mandla Masango 39), Andile Jali, May Mahlangu, Thulani Serero (Siphelele Ntshangase 67), Ayanda Patosi, Thamsanqa Gabuza (Thuso Phala 70)

Gambia: Abdou Jammeh, Sulayman Marreh, Demba Savage (Ken Mansally 65), Pa Modou Jagne, Modou Barrow, Omar Colley (Assan Ceesay 53), Ebrima Sohna, Pa Amat Dibba, Sanna Nyassi (Hamza Barry 78), Modou Jobe, Ousman Koli

Referee: Hamada Nampiandraza

Sunday Tribune

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