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Ajax cries foul over Chiefs ‘deal’

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Ajax Cape Town is unhappy at the prospect of Kaizer Chiefs playing three of their home games at Cape Town Stadium.

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Local football club Ajax Cape Town is objecting vociferously to talks between the city and Kaizer Chiefs that may see the PSL giants play at least three of their home games at Cape Town Stadium.

Ajax’s chairman Ari Efstathiou said last night he had it under “good authority” that the events were already a done deal.

“I think it’s a snub for Cape Town and Capetonians. This is a stadium built by residents, for the people of Cape Town, and now the city is inviting outside teams to use the ground,” said the chairman.

He warned that Ajax may find a new venue, moving their home games against Chiefs and Orlando Pirates to Port Elizabeth or East London.

“So we will have this ridiculous situation of the Cape Town club going to play outside the city, and an outside club from Joburg using the Cape Town stadium,” Efstathiou said.

The City of Cape Town’s Mayco member for tourism, events and economic development Garreth Bloor confirmed the city was in negotiations with “various parties” to ensure that the stadium was financially viable, but he did not say whether the Chiefs may play more games in the city.

Responding to Efstathiou’s warning that Ajax may move its bumper home games against Pirates and Chiefs to a new venue, the city said the Cape Town club had a three-year agreement to play all of their home matches at the city’s stadium. “The matches to be played at Cape Town Stadium for this season have already been agreed to and published by the PSL.”

He said other promoters had also booked the stadium and hosted events. None of these contracts had exclusivity clauses.

Kaizer Chiefs plays their home games at the FNB Stadium in Soweto and draws some of the biggest crowds in the PSL.

The Chiefs’ visits to Cape Town Stadium during their away clashes against Ajax have been lucrative for the city, attracting tens of thousands of spectators.

Kaizer Chiefs spokesperson Vina Maphosa did not want to comment on the possibility of the team moving some of their home games to Cape Town. – Cape Argus

*kieran legg@inl.co.za

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Relaxed Mashaba shows his hand

Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba added some experience to his young side for the vital qualifying clash with Mauritania.

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Shakes Mashaba’s nonchalance as he announced a 25-man squad for next month’s clash with Mauritania belied the pressure the Bafana Bafana coach must be feeling as he looks to help South Africa get their first win in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Mashaba has surprisingly called up Kaizer Chiefs’ veteran left-back Tsepo Masilela in what will no doubt be seen as a turn-around in the ‘’youth is best policy’’ he has espoused since taking over.

He was in a particularly jovial mood at the press conference held at Safa House yesterday as he greeted the gathered media in no less than four languages, including directing a Shangaan greeting to a white journalist.

Acknowledging Women’s Month, he then suggested that “maybe we should take the women to Mauritania because they will get us the results”.

But it is Bafana who will have to ensure they get their first win of the campaign after they were surprisingly held goalless by Gambia at home in the opening group match for the 2017 tournament to be played in Gabon.

And it is the experience of players such as Masilela that Mashaba will have to rely on to overcome a Mauritania side he has respect for after they restricted Cameroon to a single goal in their own backyard.

Masilela, previously a shoo-in at left-back in the senior national team, has never played under Mashaba, although he was once called up as a replacement for injured Patrick Phungwayo for the Afcon finals earlier this year.

But yesterday Mashaba preferred him ahead of SuperSport United’s Sibusiso Khumalo who had earlier looked to be somewhat of a favourite.

The match will take place at the Stade Olympique in Nouakchott on September 5 (7pm SA time) and Bafana will charter a flight and only go there two days before the match.

“We are not taking Mauritania for granted,” Mashaba stressed. “The fact they went to Cameroon and lost just 1-0 means we can’t take them easy.

“We have to go there and fight tooth and nail to get the three points.

“But we must not put ourselves under pressure.”

Mashaba said they were unable to get the tape of that match between Cameroon and Mauritania and thus know very little about their opposition.

That though will not hinder their planning, for Bafana will simply play their own game.

“We are going to take the game to Mauritania.

“We can’t let them relax. From the first whistle we will go at them. But it is the how we do it that will be important. We won’t just go there and rush forward.”

With only the group winners and two of the best runners-up set to qualify for the finals, Bafana will do well to get off the mark in Mauritania if they are not to miss out. - The Star

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Van Gaal wants Bale at United

Gareth Bale is still the player who Louis van Gaal thinks can transform Manchester United into genuine Barclays Premier League contenders.

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Gareth Bale is still the player who Louis van Gaal thinks can transform Manchester United into genuine Barclays Premier League contenders.

Chelsea beat United to sign Pedro from Barcelona this week but Old Trafford executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward remains confident of landing a big player this summer.

He believes that United can attract a more high-profile name after their 3-1 victory over Bruges all but assured them of a place in the Champions League group stages.

Van Gaal has told friends in the past week he thinks Bale can be persuaded to leave Real Madrid at some stage. When, during United’s pre-season tour, he spoke of the creative player he needs, it is understood he had Bale (right) in mind.

The chances of Woodward pulling off that deal soon are slight, especially as relations with Real Madrid are not great while the Spaniards try to prise David de Gea away from Old Trafford.

United retain a strong interest in Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller and hope to sign Southampton striker Sadio Mane, although his manager Ronald Koeman insisted last night: ‘We will always have rumours, but nobody is for sale.’

United are also eyeing Real Madrid’s Spanish prospect Borja Mayoral, 18, who could be key as Real look to complete a deal for De Gea. They may be more likely to listen to offers for their keeper if Mayoral, top scorer in the European Under 19 Championship with three goals, were part of a deal. – Daily Mail

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Chelsea keen on one more signing

Chelsea’s hierarchy believe that they can land another big signing before the end of the transfer window.

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Roman Abramovich and the Chelsea hierarchy believe that they can land another big signing before the end of the transfer window, having completed the £21.1m deal for Pedro from Barcelona in time for Sunday's game at West Bromwich Albion.

The club have long looked upon the £70m-rated Paul Pogba at Juventus as ideal for their needs but, with the Italian club having already sold midfielder Arturo Vidal to Bayern Munich this summer, it would take a massive investment to get Pogba. Even so Abramovich is keen that the club do not falter in their title defence in their third season under Jose Mourinho.

The urgency with which the Pedro deal was completed this week reflects the club's belief that they were too slow to add new faces this summer. There is a will to make further signings, beyond that of defender John Stones from Everton, to make sure that Mourinho has a highly competitive squad when the transfer window closes on 1 September.

Stones will only be signed if the player is himself prepared to push to leave Everton, with Chelsea having raised their bid to £30m - what they believe is a fair price for the 21-year-old. In the past they have walked away from deals, most notably over Wayne Rooney, when the impetus was not there from the player.

New signing Pedro had his first training session at Cobham yesterday and said that Mourinho had been key in bringing him to the club. There was late interest from Manchester United but Chelsea had long since received assurances that Pedro wanted to come to Stamford Bridge.

Pedro said: “He [Mourinho] is one of the main reasons why I'm here. He phoned me a few times and said he needed me to make the team stronger. He has won titles wherever he has been. I am really looking forward to playing under him and, hopefully, winning more titles.” – The Independent

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Arsenal a good test for Reds - Milner

Liverpool midfielder James Milner claims their clash with Arsenal is the perfect opportunity to test his side's improvement.

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Liverpool midfielder James Milner claims Monday's clash with Arsenal is the perfect opportunity to test his side's improvement since last season.

Brendan Rodgers' team have been widely written off as also-rans in this season's title race after limping to a sixth place finish that saw the Reds trail in 25 points behind champions Chelsea last term.

The departure of star forward Raheem Sterling to Manchester City and the continued fitness problems of England striker Daniel Sturridge have also played a role in Liverpool's low approval rating.

But the Reds have made a quietly encouraging start and head to the Emirates stadium in third place after grinding out 1-0 wins over Stoke and Bournemouth.

Arsenal slumped to a 2-0 home defeat against West Ham before getting back on track with a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.

And Milner, a close-season signing from Manchester City, believes Liverpool will get the kind of stern examination in north London that should indicate how much they need to improve to challenge for the title.

“They look sharp,” Milner said. “They had a disappointing result in their first game against West Ham but they are a quality team and will want to bounce back from that and try to get their run going.”

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is a doubt for the Arsenal game due to a foot injury.

Rocked by their surprise loss to West Ham, Arsenal looked more composed and clinical against Palace and German defender Per Mertesacker has revealed how clear-the-air talks helped them kick-start their campaign.

“Obviously when everything goes very smooth in pre-season, you avoid those talks. But there was a need for it when we came out of the (West Ham) match,” he said.

“You could already feel something when you are in the relegation zone, and not having produced what everyone expected from you, so it was important to bounce back.

“Against Palace it was a very encouraging performance from top to bottom.”

Arsenal's early inconsistency is nothing in comparison to the dismal start made by Chelsea, who have endured their worst opening for 17 years after a 2-2 draw against Swansea and then a 3-0 thrashing at Manchester City.

Blues boss Jose Mourinho has acted swiftly by signing Pedro Rodriguez - the Barcelona winger who ignored Manchester United's interest to move to Stamford Bridge -- and Ghana left-back Baba Rahman from Augsburg.

With Pedro and Rahman potentially in line for debuts at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday, Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic has no doubts his team will soon bounce back from lacklustre opening he blames on the earlier than usual start to the season.

The kick off was moved to August 8 to give England manager Roy Hodgson extra time to prepare his side for Euro 2016.

“Those 10 days in terms of preparation between what we did last year and this year make a difference and is maybe a problem,” Matic said.

“This is football. We have to cope with that. I feel in training that everyone is hungry, everyone wants to win the title. We know what we have to do.”

Early pace setters Manchester City will look to maintain their 100 percent record when the leaders travel to Everton on Sunday.

Fourth placed Manchester United, who host Newcastle on Saturday, have also won their first two fixtures, as well as defeating Club Brugge in a midweek Champions League play-off first leg tie.

None of those matches featured a goal from captain Wayne Rooney, but the England striker is confident of getting off the mark soon.

“It's early on in the season. I've experienced this (criticism) before and the goals will come, I know that,” Rooney said.

“I understand I have to be the one who's going to lead that line and try and find the goals for us.”

Fixtures (1400 GMT unless stated)

Saturday

Crystal Palace v Aston Villa, Leicester v Tottenham, Manchester United v Newcastle (1145 GMT), Norwich v Stoke, Sunderland v Swansea, West Ham v Bournemouth

Sunday

Everton v Manchester City (1500 GMT), Watford v Southampton (1500 GMT), West Brom v Chelsea (1230 GMT)

Monday

Arsenal v Liverpool (1900 GMT) - AFP

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I joined Chelsea to win titles - Pedro

Chelsea new boy Pedro has vowed to add to his medal haul after sealing a £21million move from Barcelona.

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Chelsea new boy Pedro has vowed to add to his medal haul after sealing a £21million move from Barcelona.

The Spain international trained with his new team-mates yesterday after concluding a four-year deal which includes a significant increase on the £60 000-a-week deal he was on at the Nou Camp.

The 28-year-old has won 20 major trophies during an illustrious career in Catalonia, including three Champions League, five La Liga and two Fifa World Club Cup medals.

Pedro also helped Spain to their World Cup triumph in 2010 and the European Championship success in 2012 but he insists he expects to extend his collection at Stamford Bridge.

‘I am very happy to be here. I am very excited to start my adventure at Chelsea and I am here to keep winning titles,’ he said.

Pedro nailed his colours to the Chelsea mast by changing his Twitter photo to a banner reading ‘Pride of London’ after becoming Jose Mourinho’s fourth signing of the summer in the wake of Asmir Begovic, Radamel Falcao and Abdul Baba Rahman.

Manchester United looked to have sealed a deal for the Spaniard after executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward travelled to Barcelona to tie up a deal. But Sportsmail understands Pedro was underwhelmed with United’s advances and his camp were unaware of Woodward’s trip.

Mourinho also stole a march on United with a personal phone call to the winger.

Pedro has also said he will never forget his first match at Stamford Bridge in 2009 when John Terry’s sportsmanship left a lasting impression.

Pedro was a substitute as Barca knocked out Chelsea in a Champions League semi-final in controversial circumstances — referee Tom Henning Ovrebo failing to give the home side three clear penalties.

But Terry stunned Barcelona by going to their dressing room after the match. ‘He shook everyone’s hand and congratulated us,’ Pedro said. ‘It surprised us. They are the moments when it is hurting the most. It showed a lot of courage.’

Pedro’s arrival means Juan Cuadrado is set to leave Chelsea eight months after joining from Fiorentina. Juventus are showing interest in the Colombian.

Chelsea will now focus on landing Everton defender John Stones before the transfer window closes.

Everton have already rejected three offers — the latest for £30m. – Daily Mail

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Spurs looking for another striker

Tottenham Hotspur are confident they will bring in another striker before the transfer window closes.

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Enfield, England - Tottenham Hotspur are confident they will bring in another striker before the transfer window closes with West Bromwich Albino's Saido Berahino still top of their list.

West Brom have already turned down a bid for the 22-year-old but Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said it was important for the club to sign a forward so he can play with two up front.

He also told reporters Tottenham have more than one target as they try to reinforce a forward line consisting of England's Harry Kane and new signing Clinton Njie from Olympique Lyonnais.

“If you have one (target) and you fail, you are dead. We have confidence we will bring in one offensive player,” he said ahead of Saturday's Premier League game at Leicester City.

“We need one more striker for different games, sometimes to play together. This season we can play in two different systems. We worked very hard in pre-season to improve because we need to play in different (systems).

“Like we played against Stoke, with two strikers, (Nacer) Chadli and Kane,” he added, although Belgium international Chadli is more of a wide player than a striker.

Pochettino's limited options were clearly shown against Stoke when, with Spurs leading 2-0, Kane was taken off with a slight calf problem meaning there was nobody to hold the ball up and keep possession.

Stoke struck twice in the last 12 minutes to snatch a 2-2 draw, leaving Spurs with one point from their opening two matches after a 1-0 defeat at Manchester United.

Njie trained with his new club for the first time on Thursday after returning to Paris to sort out his work permit but Pochettino is excited about the new arrival.

“He is fast and technical, and his condition is high,” said the Argentine of the Cameroon international who cost 10 million pounds ($15.69 million). – Reuters

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De Bruyne feels transfer talk strain

Wolfsburg admit Manchester City target Kevin De Bruyne is feeling the strain of the constant transfer speculation.

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Brussels - Wolfsburg admit Manchester City target Kevin De Bruyne is feeling the strain of the constant transfer speculation surrounding his future amidst reports he will join City before the weekend.

Although he publicly pledged his future to Wolfsburg on Monday, British tabloid The Sun claim De Bruyne is set to jet to Manchester and become a City player in the next 48 hours in a deal worth £50 million after the Premier League giants raised their offer.

But Wolfsburg's sporting director Klaus Allofs denied the paper's claim in a press conference on Thursday, insisting De Bruyne will play against Cologne on Saturday.

“Of course, he'll be there”, rather than be visiting Manchester, Allofs insisted.

“It looks like everyone is losing the overview with this story, but we're trying to keep a clear head,” he added.

The majority of the questions coach Dieter Hecking and Allofs faced ahead of the Cologne match involved De Bruyne, who has a Wolfsburg contract until 2019, and the City speculation is clearly taking a toll on the midfielder.

“Kevin is a bit tired, because there is so much going on,” Hecking told German daily Bild after the Belgian international trained alone on Wednesday.

“It's a situation which is still bothering him and we're trying to keep him in the best condition.”

At an awards ceremony on Monday, the 24-year-old said he is “sure” he will stay at Wolfsburg this season and replied “of course” when asked if he will line up for the defending champions against Bayern Munich in the German Cup at the end of October.

But Wolfsburg face an anxious wait until the transfer window closes on August 31 and Allofs says their sole objective is to keep De Bruyne on their books.

“The matter already has some influence and is being discussed within the team, we have to deal with it,” Allofs told Sky Sports News.

“Of course, the coach wants some clarity, specifically so the players can concentrate.

“We will make every effort so that Kevin stays with Wolfsburg for another year.”

The Belgian was named Germany's player of the season in 2014/15 and has been outstanding for Wolfsburg since signing from Chelsea in January 2014.

AFP

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Chelsea agree deal for Pedro

English champions Chelsea have agreed a deal with Barcelona for the signing of Spanish international winger Pedro Rodriguez.

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English champions Chelsea have agreed a deal with Barcelona for the signing of Spanish international winger Pedro Rodriguez, both clubs announced on Thursday.

“FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC have reached an agreement for the transfer of Pedro Rodriguez for 30 million euros ($33.2 million, £21.2 million), three of which are variables depending on performance,” Barcelona said in a statement.

Pedro chose the Premier League champions over rival suitors Manchester United and Manchester City, the 28-year-old's arrival at Stamford Bridge ending a summer-long transfer saga.

Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho's latest acquisition turns up in London boasting five La Liga trophies and three Champions League titles.

“I am very happy to be here. I am very excited to start my adventure at Chelsea and I am here to keep winning titles,” Pedro told his new club's website.

“Thanks to the club and the supporters for giving me the opportunity to put the blue shirt on.”

He left Barcelona having fallen down the pecking order at the Camp Nou under Luis Enrique, who has preferred the all-star front three of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez and has used the Canary-Islands born player more sparingly.

The compact Pedro - full name Pedro Eliezer Rodriguez Ledesma - is a product of Barcelona's youth academy. He made his first team debut in January 2008 after catching the eye for their B team.

He developed to become an integral part of Barcelona's winning machine, and was the first player ever to score in the Spanish league, Copa del Rey, Champions League, both the European and Spanish Super Cups as well as the World Club Cup.

His brilliant performances at club level saw him secure a place in the Spain squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Pedro started both the semi-final and final, and was a key figure in their victory over the Netherlands.

A year later he scored the opening goal in the Champions League final at Wembley as Bar?a beat Manchester United 3-1.

He was a substitute alongside then Chelsea players Fernando Torres and Juan Mata in Spain's Euro 2012 victory over Italy. The winger was also part of the squad which travelled to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup.

Pedro came on as a late substitute in Barcelona's most recent major success - May's Champions League final win over Juventus in Berlin.

His final act for Barca was to score the winning goal in last week's dramatic 5-4 extra-time defeat of Sevilla in the Uefa Super Cup in Tbilisi. – AFP

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Mashaba names Bafana squad

Tsepo Masilela was named in Bafana Bafana’s 25-man squad to take on Mauritania in their 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

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Johannesburg – Defender Tsepo Masilela was named in Bafana Bafana’s 25-man squad to take on hosts Mauritania in their 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on September 5, in in Nouakchott.

Masilela returns to the national setup after a two-year absence for the injured Patrick Phungwayo.

Top contenders for a national callup missing from the squad were Kamohelo Mokotjo, Oupa Manyisa, Kermit Erasmus and Thabo Rakhale.

Mashaba said he would not underestimate the much lower-ranked Mauritania in their clash.

South Africa’s opposition are ranked 113th in the world, and Bafana at number 72 should have the firepower to brush aside the nation, but the coach was far less confident.

“Rankings don’t mean much on the field of play,” said Mashaba.

“Mauritania held Cameroon for the better part of their match in June, away in Cameroon so it clearly shows we need to be at our best to come back victorious.”

Bafana drew 0-0 with Gambia in the opening match of the qualifiers at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban in June.

“Even though this match comes after a well-deserved rest, not just for the players but also for the technical team, due to the spacing in between, it has also killed the momentum of the team. But I have complete confidence in the players that we have selected and I believe they will deliver,” said Mashaba.

The Bafana mentor said he was confident of getting a good result in the West African country.

“Some of the players have been on a long break and only started playing recently, but I know we will get the result we want. If you look at the squad we have picked, it is based on the opposition. They recently lost by a narrow margin to Cameroon, which means we cannot take them lightly.

“We need to drum into our players the fact that they should not look at the opposition and stop asking who Mauritania is. Let’s give them the respect they deserve. We need to score first and demoralise them because if they net first they might make it difficult for us to come back. In short we have to go there prepared so we can get a result.”

Bafana Bafana squad:

Goalkeepers: Jackson Mabogkwane (Mpumalanga Aces FC), Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs), Ronwen Williams (Supersport United)

Defenders: Erick Mathoho (Kaizer Chiefs), Rivaldo Coetzee (Ajax Cape Town), Thulani Hlatshwayo (Bidvest Wits), Siyabonga Nhlapo (Bidvest Wits), Anele Ngcongca (Racing Genk), Mzikayise Mashaba (Mamelodi Sundowns), Siyabonga Zulu (Platinum Stars), Tsepo Masilela (Kaizer Chiefs)

Midfielders: Dean Furman (Supersport United), Andile Jali (KV Oostende), Bongani Zungu (Sundowns), Mandla Masango (Randers FC), Phumlani Ntshangase (Bidvest Wits), Jabulani Shongwe (Bidvest Wits), Themba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns), Mpho Makola (Orlando Pirates), Ayanda Patosi (Lokeren), Daylon Claasen (1860 Munich),

Strikers: Thulani Serero (Ajax Amsterdam), Thamsanqa Gabuza (Orlando Pirates), Sibusiso Vilakazi (Bidvest Wits), Tokelo Rantie (Bounermouth) – African News Agency.

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I’ll give my all - Furman

Bafana midfielder Dean Furman says he is ready to help SuperSport United chase PSL glory.

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The acquisition of Bafana Bafana midfielder Dean Furman by SuperSport United, points to the evolution going on at Matsatsatsa a Pitori under the tutelage of Gordon Igesund.

Traditionally SuperSport have been known for producing and promoting youngsters but Igesund’s appetite for success seem to be directing the club to bringing in more experienced players with proven pedigree. So far this season SuperSport have signed eight players ... who didn’t come cheap. Half of the players signed are from abroad and they are likely to be on massive pay cheques.

With the signing of Furman, Bongani Khumalo, Michael Boxall, Isaka Cernak, Grant Kekana, Phume-lele Bhengu and Fagrie Lakay, the SuperSport bosses will be looking for return on their investment. Igesund will have to deliver the title. And the four-time PSL championship winning coach feels landing Furman’s signature will set them up for glory.

“We have always said we want to be the team that challenges for the championship. One thing I do know is that you can’t buy success. You can go out and spend millions and still not win the championship. It takes a lot of hard work, discipline and organisation,” said Igesund.

“We want to be challenging and Dean is going to play a huge role in that. Dean has been the missing piece of the puzzle for me in the middle of the park. We have such an attacking team and to have a player like him in the role that I want him to play for us, gives a lot of players freedom going forward. He is going to make a big impact.”

Furman, who captained Bafana Bafana at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, knows much will be expected from him. However he is not perturbed by the expectations.

“My biggest level of pressure comes from myself. I have a certain level I want set for myself. I have a certain level that I want to bring to the team. I know that’s what the coach and other players will be expecting from me. I have no divine right to just walk into the team. I have got to prove myself,” he said.

“I loved playing for Gordon with the national team. Now for me to come and play domestically week-in-and-week-out will be great for me. Hopefully I can help us get success.”

Furman joins a growing list of South Africans who have returned to the PSL after finding the going tough abroad. The notion has been criticised by many as they see it as a step backwards. However Furman says it’s not so in his case.

“I don’t see it as a step backward. The league is strong, very physical and there’s an immense amount of skill. Individually it will be a chance to develop my game further playing in a different style every week.”

Furman, 27, could make his debut when SuperSport take on Mpumalanga Black Aces at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday night.

“I’ve been working hard behind the scenes. If called upon and the coach thinks I am ready, I can give all that I can with my current level of fitness,” said the player who signed a two-year deal. - The Star

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City strengthens defence

Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi has signed for Manchester City, the Premier League side announced.

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Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi has signed for Manchester City, the Premier League side announced on Thursday after a deal was agreed with his current side Valencia.

The 27-year-old has signed a five-year contract although no financial details of the transfer were released.

Otamendi will bolster central defensive ranks at City that include two familiar faces in former Porto team-mate Eliaquim Mangala and international colleague Martin Demichelis, as well as captain Vincent Kompany.

Otamendi told the club's website, www.mcfc.co.uk: “I am here to give my best, to fight game by game and push City to the highest peaks for as long as possible, and I wish we will be able to win several cups and titles.

“That's most important. To be here inside a club that looks so wonderful from the outside is a dream.”

Valencia were believed to be hoping to use the sale of the player to write off part of the fee they still owe City for striker Alvaro Negredo.

Otamendi joined the Spanish club from Porto just a year ago. Initial reports at the weekend claimed Valencia wanted to offset his loss by signing Mangala on loan in exchange but City had no intention of allowing the Frenchman to leave Eastlands.

City manager Manuel Pellegrini said: “Nicolas Otamendi was arguably the best defender in La Liga last season and so naturally I'm delighted to have added a player of his quality.

“He is an established international for one of the best nations in world football and I have no doubt that he has the right mentality to fit into a squad where he will find many familiar faces, including Eliaquim and Fernando who he played alongside in Portugal.

Otamendi has 25 caps for Argentina and was a member of the side that reached the Copa America final in the summer alongside new City team-mates Demichelis, Sergio Aguero and Pablo Zabaleta. – AFP

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Chelsea feeling the pressure

Two games into the new season and the pressure is already on Premier League champions Chelsea.

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London – Two games into the new season and the pressure is already on Premier League champions Chelsea to find their first win.

Jose Mourinho’s side travel to face West Bromwich Albion this weekend with a few question marks hanging over their heads following a draw and defeat from their first two matches.

Even so early in the season, the 3-0 loss at Manchester City sparked panic in some quarters and Chelsea know they need victory to settle things down.

“We know that this is another year,” Chelsea full back Branislav Ivanovic said. “Last year we won the title and we play with extra

pressure now and we have to adapt to that. We have to forget last season and start thinking about the points this season.”

The five-point gap between themselves and Manchester City is already a talking point and even with so long to go in the season, Ivanovic knows they need to find form.

“At the moment, yes it looks a big gap – two games, five points – but also we have to look at our situation and improve,” he said.

“(The Man City match) was a very difficult game for us but we can come back. This is the Premier League. Every game is another final so we have to look forward.

“We know what we haven’t done well in the first two games but there are another 36 and we have to improve ourselves. For sure we will not give up after these two bad results for us. We didn’t compete with them and this was the problem for us.”

If media reports are to be believed, though, Ivanovic may be dropped for the trip to West Brom, with new signing Baba Rahman set to come into the side for his debut.

Captain John Terry, who was replaced at half-time by Kurt Zouma in the City loss, could also be left out but West Brom manager Tony Pulis has problems of his own.

Pulis is frustrated by the transfer window, saying that until it closes, West Brom will not be fully able to concentrate on matters on

the pitch.

“I am concerned that we haven’t hit the button yet,” he told the Daily Mirror. “We are still trying to find our way. It has been a

little bit of a messy window for us.

“As soon as we get through the window, we can settle down and then start preparing the team the way we want to prepare it for the

season.”

City, meanwhile, will be out to maintain their impressive start to the season by winning at Everton.

Two wins out of two have put City alongside Leicester, Liverpool and Manchester United at the top on six points.

Victory for City would be their ninth top-flight win in a row, equalling a club record dating back to 1912.

Manager Manuel Pellegrini knows better than to get carried away, though, aware that leads can evaporate in a handful of matches.

“In football, nothing is significant until the end,” he said.

“Chelsea were eight points in front of us last season and on New Year’s Day, we were on the same number of points. It is important not to drop points.”

Liverpool will have their first real test when they travel to Arsenal on Monday night while Leicester welcome Tottenham and Manchester United face Newcastle.

Bottom side Sunderland take on Swansea while newly promoted Bournemouth, also yet to earn a point despite two encouraging

performances, are away to West Ham.

Norwich take on Stoke, Crystal Palace host Aston Villa and Watford meet Southampton in the weekend’s other matches. - ANA-DPA

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Chiefs must improve defensive record

The recent lack of stability in the Kaizer Chiefs defence has raised a lot of questions.

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The recent lack of stability in the Kaizer Chiefs defence has raised a lot of questions.

The Steve Komphela-coached side has conceded four goals in three matches, three in their MTN8 clash against Maritzburg United and one in their semi-final encounter with Bloemfontein Celtic, while securing a 0-0 stalemate against Chippa United in their league opener.

Left-back Tsepo Masilela who was part of a solid back four last season, admits there is still a lot of work to be done at the club, with their recent showings not as good as they should be.

“We should improve in all departments, firstly in defence. I think we have conceded too many goals and obviously going forward we also need to score goals to win games.”

Adding to that, Masilela says their defensive errors have nothing to do with a different back four this season.

“I don’t think so; it is just that we have been unfortunate. Who knows? If they were still here maybe we would still concede?”

Amakhosi face Free State Stars in their second league fixture at the FNB Stadium this weekend and Masilela is wary of the team from Bloemfontein. “It is going to be tough, they are playing the champions. Obviously, everyone that plays the champions wants to win. But we are playing at home, we are confident that we are going to get a win.”

The left back is also hoping for a big a crowd, something he believes helps Chiefs perform at their level best.

“It is nice playing in front of a packed stadium. What can I say? When we play away the support has been great, and hopefully the numbers will increase in our home games.

“To be honest, it is a big stadium (FNB), but Kaizer Chiefs is also a big team.

“I don’t know how to put it. We always find it full to capacity when we play the Derby, or when we play Sundowns. But when we play the other games, the numbers are not that good. Hopefully we’ll get more people coming to the stadium and we (the team) should be getting good results to pull in the crowd”.

Meanwhile, Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula yesterday shot down calls for an inquiry into allegations that South African officials paid $10 million (about R129m) bribe to secure the rights to host the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

Responding to questions in the National Assembly, Mbalula said the allegations were being pursued through diplomatic channels with the US.

An indictment by the US justice department refers to two South Africans – co-conspirator No15 who is alleged to have paid off a relative of former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner, and co-conspirator No16 who arranged the payment of the US$10 million to Warner and others to secure the rights to host the World Cup.

“Nothing, absolutely nothing points to anybody having committed any crimes in this particular matter,” Mbalula said. – additional reporting by ANA

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Mourinho convinced Pedro

The Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's personal intervention sealed a £21.1m deal to sign the Barcelona winger Pedro.

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The Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's personal intervention sealed a £21.1m deal to sign the Barcelona winger Pedro, ahead of Manchester United who also look likely to be rejected by Southampton in their pursuit of the Senegal international Sadio Mané.

As things stand, Southampton are not interested in selling the 23-year-old Mané, who has three years left on his contract and is regarded as a key figure in their season. The talks between the clubs are not thought to have reached the point where an offer has been made, but Southampton do not believe that they have to sell, having made around £37m from the sales of Morgan Schneiderlin and Nathaniel Clyne this summer.

In the case of Pedro, Chelsea were confident that they had a deal agreed in principle with the player for some time. They were prepared to meet the £21.1m buyout clause in Pedro's contract and were sure they had an understanding that he wanted to join them. Their interest was long-standing, dating back to January, although they have delayed in completing the deal over the summer.

A phone call from Mourinho to Pedro this week is understood to have made it clear to the player that Chelsea wanted him, while Louis van Gaal's delay in making up his mind undermined the United bid.

United's late intervention helped Chelsea, in that it tested Barcelona's willingness to negotiate over the buyout clause. The Premier League champions are thought to have offered Barcelona €28m (£19.7m) plus €2m (£1.4m) add-ons for the player, while United's offer was €25m (£17.6m) plus €5m (£3.5m) add-ons. Pedro is expected to have a medical at Cobham today.

Chelsea recognise that they need to strengthen their squad before the end of the transfer window and Pedro may not be the last major signing before September. The club's owner, Roman Abramovich, has an interest in another high-profile target to make sure Mourinho's squad has an edge this season that it has lacked in the two previous games. The club are confident that the low-key start - defeat in the Community Shield, and one point from their first two league games - can be remedied in time.

The move for Mané, who was signed by Southampton from Red Bull Salzburg for £10m last summer, reveals that United still feel that their squad lacks pace and a reliable Premier League goalscorer. Mané scored 10 in the league for Saints last season, having made his debut only in September. He scored a hat-trick in three minutes against Aston Villa in May. With a valuation of around £15m, his price is likely to rise with another good season behind him.

Van Gaal has been unsure for weeks about whether Pedro has the potential explosion of pace he has been looking for, since deciding to allow Angel Di Maria to leave for Paris Saint-Germain. But by failing to making his mind up, the Dutchman has subjected the club's executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, to widespread criticism from United fans, who were anticipating the player's arrival and will now expect a top-class creative player to be signed in the next 10 days.

Van Gaal's prevarication - a trait for which his predecessor David Moyes was widely ridiculed - left United quibbling over the £3m differential between their own valuation of Pedro and his £21.1m release clause. A firm Van Gaal decision against buying the player could have meant Woodward avoiding a high-profile defeat to Chelsea in the transfer market. The size of the transfer fee and personal terms would never have presented a problem to United.

In the event, it had become increasingly clear in the past week that the winger's prospects of a move to Old Trafford might be falling through. There had been a growing mood in Barcelona that the club might keep the player, whom they had no particular desire to sell. The uncertainty led to Pedro being fielded in the starting XI for Barcelona in the Super Cup against Atletico Bilbao on Monday. Chelsea were close to signing the player in January and followed through with the deal this week.

The former Barça striker Hristo Stoichkov last week warned Pedro not to join United, describing Van Gaal as “mediocre” and someone who “destroys” clubs. – The Independent

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