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Banyana captain’s Rio joy

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Banyana Banyana captain Janine Van Wyk described Banyana’s qualification for the Olympics as a great way to make up for the failure to qualify for the World Cup.

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Banyana Banyana captain Janine Van Wyk described Banyana’s qualification for the Olympics as a great way to make up for the failure to qualify for the World Cup and the best way to see how the squad has progressed.

Speaking after Sunday’s 1-0 defeat of Equatorial Guinea in Bata, Van Wyk, spoke of the disappointment of missing out on the global showpiece in Canada and the elation of making it to the Rio Games.

“Oh yes it does (erase the pain of missing out on the World Cup),” Van Wyk told Safa Media. “This is the next big event that we could have qualified for and we have done it.”

A goal just after the hour-mark by Jermaine Seoposenwe helped Banyana overcome an Equatorial Guinea outfit that they had previously played second fiddle to – Van Wyk and her teammates defying the odds to book a second successive Olym-pic participation after their debut in London 2012.

“In 2008 we played in the final of the African Women’s Championship (AWC) and we lost to them 3-1. We travelled to them in 2012 after beating Nigeria for the very first time and, understandably, our emotions were on a high after that achievement.

“We played Equatorial Guinea two days after and they beat us 4-0, and everyone was asking if we would ever beat them ... So, here we are, we proved everyone wrong. We were strong as a team and we believed in ourselves and we knew we were capable of beating them. We saw in the first leg that we could actually defeat them because we were on top and dominated play. That is exactly what we did in the second leg – we created some chances and could have scored early on. We went really strong at them, and we fought hard ... I am extremely proud of the team.”

Earlier this year, Banyana missed out on World Cup qualification by a whisker – some poor finishing ensuring they finished fourth at the AWC when third would have seen them qualify.

That near miss was the driving force behind their impeccable Olympics qualifying campaign that saw them go unbeaten against Botswana, Gabon, Kenya and Equatorial Guinea.

“This team has put in the time, hard work, effort and sacrifices to qualify for the Olympic Games. We really deserve this reward.

From day one when the coach started with us she said we want to get to the Olympic Games because we missed out on something big – the World Cup – so we also wanted to do it for her.”

Now that they have qualified, Banyana are eager to build on their experience from London.

“As a team we will show how much we have progressed since then. It will be interesting to see and compare the level that we are at competing against some of the best in the world. I believe South Africa has talent and can compete with international teams. We can’t wait to start preparations for Rio”. - The Star

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Guardiola wary of Arsenal

Pep Guardiola has warned his Bayern Munich players to brace themselves for a ferocious test from an Arsenal side fighting for Champions League survival.

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Pep Guardiola has warned his Bayern Munich players to brace themselves for a ferocious test from an Arsenal side fighting for Champions League survival.

Arsene Wenger's side are in severe danger of failing to reach the knockout stages for the first time in 16 years after two dismal defeats.

The Gunners were beaten at Dinamo Zagreb and then suffered the embarrassment of losing at home to Olympiakos, leaving them pointless at the bottom of Group F.

Another loss when Bayern visit the Emirates Stadium would put Arsenal on the verge of a stunning exit and Bayern boss Guardiola expects the hosts to fight like wounded animals on Tuesday.

“For them, they have an advantage because they have to win, when that happens with these kind of players, and the history of this club, they are going to make the best performance possible,” Guardiola told reporters on Monday.

“I don't expect anything other than a fight for the 90 minutes.

“We have to look for another way to compete against them because of the enthusiasm they will have, so we will have to be intelligent and control our game.

“Of course I prefer to come here with six points, but I can imagine my team with zero points and playing in Germany against Arsenal.

“I can imagine the mentality of my team -- we would be an animal, because it is our last chance, you give everything and that will happen with Arsenal, so you have to be prepared.

“We saw what happened with Arsenal against Zagreb and Olympiakos, when no-one expected them (their opponents) to win, and it will be the same for us tomorrow.”

Guardiola's team have won all of their opening nine German league matches - a Bundesliga record - and have also made a 100 percent start to their Champions League campaign.

But Guardiola has no intention of letting his players rest on their laurels.

“There are still 12 points up for grabs, we are not qualified yet and have to fight and against one of the best teams in Europe,” Guardiola added.

“They have great quality and are a very technical team.

“It is very difficult to play against them and find one Arsenal player who does not have quality.” – AFP

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Toure hurt by lack of recognition

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has expressed his disgust at those who are quick to criticise his performances.

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Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has expressed his disgust at those who are quick to criticise his performances and admits to being hurt by what he feels is a lack of recognition.

The Ivory Coast captain also claimed that winning trophies and earning a lot of money have not made him any happier as he feels sickened by “lots of bitter people who tried to dirty my name”.

Last season, Toure scored 10 league goals, half his total from the previous campaign, as City failed to defend their title, finishing eight points behind champions Chelsea in second place.

“I have just come out of a season with City where we finished second in the English league, which is the hardest in the world,” Toure told L'Equipe on Tuesday.

Concerning the goal-scoring exploits which helped City win the league the previous season, Toure said: “I scored 26 goals, 20 in the Premier League, and nobody mentioned it. You understand a bit my disgust.

“Here (in England), when it is bad, they stress it; when it's good, they leave that in the dungeon. They have always used their little methods to annoy and alienate me.”

Toure, who joined City from Barcelona in 2010 and has won the Premier League twice and the FA Cup once, says the media should focus more on his trophy haul rather than his pay packet.

“The journalists were talking about my salary and saying that it was a disgrace,” the 32-year-old Ivorian added.

“They asked what I was going to change at City. And so, did you see what happened next? We won nearly everything. In fact, it is recognition that I do not have that hurts me. It is a bit sickening.

“It has hurt me. Everyone thinks I am happy: I have won titles, lots of money, but, no, I am not happy.” – Reuters

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McClaren hoping to break Tyne-Wear ‘hoodoo’

The Magpies have crashed to five straight defeats in the Tyne-Wear derby and Steve McClaren says the Black Cats are favourites.

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Steve McClaren believes Sunderland will be favourites in the derby but says it is time for Newcastle to break the hoodoo.

The Magpies have crashed to five straight defeats in the Tyne-Wear derby and McClaren says the Black Cats are favourites to keep that run going when the two sides clash at the Stadium of Light this weekend.

However, Newcastle can take plenty of heart from Sunday's 6-2 thrashing of Norwich and McClaren says it is crucial they take the feel-good factor into the game against Sam Allardyce's men.

"Football is all about momentum and we have to take it forward," McClaren said. "It's a tough one next. Sunderland have won the last five derbies, they are the favourites and are at home.

"It's a hoodoo and we have just got to break it. It will be a tough game. We have to prepare like we have every week. We had good focus last week and we must take that into the game."

Allardyce has also said it is a make-or-break game for his newly inherited Sunderland side, who will be fired up to make it six wins from six and boost their own survival chances. - Fermale First

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Fines didn’t deter Mourinho - FA

The FA insist they had to issue Jose Mourinho with a suspended stadium ban because £101 000 in disciplinary fines since 2013 failed to improve his behaviour.

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The FA insist they had to issue Jose Mourinho with a suspended stadium ban because £101 000 in disciplinary fines since 2013 failed to improve his behaviour.

Chelsea’s Portuguese manager, who returned to Stamford Bridge two years ago, was fined £50,000 — in addition to the possible ban — for saying referee Robert Madley had been ‘afraid’ to award a penalty in a 3-1 defeat against Southampton.

And the FA have published the written reasons for their decision.

‘It appears to us that increasing levels of fine are not on their own going to be a reliable deterrent for Mr Mourinho against improper comments to the media.

‘We have in mind particularly that the more than doubling of the January 2015 fine as compared with the May 2014 fine has not deterred him from this latest and more serious breach.

‘In our judgment the fair way to impose this deterrent is to suspend the ban so that Mr Mourinho is able quite easily to avoid its ever coming into effect. The matter is in his hands.’

The FA’s three-man panel threw out Mourinho’s comments on English not being his first language.

‘His English is far too sophisticated for that to affect our conclusion, as the interviews themselves demonstrate,’ they said.

Ahead of tonight’s Champions League game against Dynamo Kiev, Mourinho insisted Chelsea could complete a historic quadruple despite a poor start to the season.

The 52-year-old said: ‘We can win all four. I think we can win all four but also lose all four. Everything is open, we are in October.’

Defeat in Kiev would leave their hopes of a second Champions League title teetering.

Mourinho has targeted four points from two games against Sergei Rebrov’s men but with a side short on confidence, that will be easier said than done.

‘First of all we are losing 24 hours, like we did in Porto,’ he said. ‘When you play Tuesday, the fact one team plays Friday and the other plays Saturday means we are already losing 24 hours of important recovery.

‘We have a tactical plan to compensate for that. We need to keep the tactical awareness, the tactical discipline, the spirit, the effort, the concentration.’ – Daily Mail

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City hope to avoid more injuries

Manchester City will be almost as concerned to avoid further injuries as they are to take three Champions League points when Sevilla visit the Etihad Stadium.

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London - Manchester City will be almost as concerned to avoid further injuries as they are to take three Champions League points when Sevilla visit the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

Four days later Premier League leaders City have a big local derby at third-placed Manchester United.

Manuel Pellegrini's side are already without top scorer Sergio Aguero who hit six goals in two games, five of them in 20 minutes against Newcastle United, before suffering a hamstring problem playing for Argentina.

Playmaker David Silva was also injured on international duty and will miss Wednesday's game against his fellow countrymen.

Captain Vincent Kompany was not considered fit enough to play in Saturday's 5-1 win over lowly Bournemouth while midfielder Samir Nasri strained a hamstring injury in that game.

“I prefer to play with Aguero and Silva,” Pellegrini told reporters before adding he was “very happy” with the performances of attacking players Raheem Sterling, who scored a hat-trick, Wilfried Bony and record signing Kevin De Bruyne.

Both teams have three points from two Group D matches after losing to Juventus and beating Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Wednesday's game will be an emotional occasion for City winger Jesus Navas who came through Sevilla's academy and played nearly 400 times for the club.

Navas, a World Cup and European Championship winner who last played for Spain in March 2014, won two UEFA Cups, one European Super Cup and two King's Cups before leaving for City in 2013.

Sevilla's stuttering start to their La Liga campaign continued on Saturday when the Europa League holders had to come from behind to rescue a point in a 1-1 draw at modest Basque side Eibar.

Unai Emery's side are 12th after eight matches, having managed only two wins, although they did beat Spanish and European champions Barcelona 2-1 earlier this month.

“The draw left a bitter taste but was also positive as it was the third match in a row we accrued points,” said goalkeeper Sergio Rico after the game at Eibar.

“That allows us to continue growing as a team although there are still things to improve.” – Reuters

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No reason to fear Bayern - Wenger

Arsene Wenger says Arsenal have no reason to fear Bayern Munich in their make-or-break Champions League showdown.

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Arsene Wenger says Arsenal have no reason to fear Bayern Munich in their make-or-break Champions League showdown because the German giants have weaknesses that can be exploited.

Bayern will arrive at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night in imperious form, having just set a record for the best start to a domestic season with their ninth consecutive Bundesliga victory.

Pep Guardiola's side have also dominated the European campaign, with a 100 per cent record from both Group F matches so far, netting eight times without reply.

Arsenal have suffered successive defeats from their first two Champions League fixtures and will be in severe danger of failing to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time in 16 years if they lose to Bayern.

But Gunners boss Wenger, while willing to show his admiration for the 2013 European champions, has no doubts Arsenal can rattle the Germans if they emulate the performances that brought them successive 3-0 wins over Manchester United and Watford.

“You can consider the teams who win the Champions League are the best in the world because most of the time they win after the World Cup of the clubs in recent years,” Wenger told reporters on Friday.

“However, there is no team without weaknesses.

“What we want to do tomorrow is win the game. We want to defend well, attack well, score the first goal, that is massively important in the big games.

“You can never promise you will score three goals in 20 minutes because that would be absolutely crazy. What we can do is start in a strong way and that is what we will try to do.”

To overcome Bayern, Wenger admits Arsenal need to show a completely different attitude from the tame displays delivered in their European losses against Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos.

“We have some ground to make up in Europe as we have not been at our requested level in our first two games,” Wenger added.

“Our focus has been much stronger in the Premier League than it has been in Europe and we know in this game the focus needs to be exactly the same than in the Premier League.

“We maybe could be suspected in the first two games of not taking the opponent seriously enough.

“Now we have the needed belief and confidence that we are doing something right, so that helps.” – AFP

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Ronaldo, Messi headline Ballon d'Or shortlist

Real Madrid's blockbuster 'BBC' forward line and Barcelona's devastating 'MSN' trio are set to go head-to-head for the 2015 Ballon d'Or award.

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Real Madrid's blockbuster 'BBC' forward line and Barcelona's devastating 'MSN' trio are set to go head-to-head for the 2015 Ballon d'Or award after all six were named on the 23-man shortlist by Fifa on Tuesday.

Real's Cristiano Ronaldo, who set a club scoring record with his 324th goal on Saturday, will be going in search of his third consecutive World Player of the Year award.

He faces competition from his team mates Karim Benzema of France and Welshman Gareth Bale who make up the Spanish side's 'BBC' frontline.

Joining them are four-times winner Lionel Messi, the Argentine great, and his fellow South American strikers Neymar and Luis Suarez who form Barcelona's feared MSN frontline that fired a combined 122 goals last season.

Barcelona, who won La Liga, the Champions League and domestic cup last year, have the most players on the shortlist with Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta, Argentine defender Javier Mascherano and Croatian Ivan Rakitic joining their front three on the award.

Real have five with Colombian James Rodriguez and German World Cup-winner Toni Kroos also named.

German champions Bayern Munich also have five representatives with Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Mueller, Arjen Robben, Arturo Vidal and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Vidal is joined by Chilean compatriot Alexis Sanchez after their Copa American success in July.

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure, winner of the last four African Player of the Year awards, is the only non European or South American to make the list.

The list was composed by the Fifa Football Committee and a group of experts from France Football. The winner will be announced in Zurich on January 11.

Shortlist

Sergio Aguero (Argentina/Manchester City)

Gareth Bale (Wales/Real Madrid)

Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid)

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid)

Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City)

Eden Hazard (Belgium/Chelsea)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden/Paris Saint-Germain)

Andres Iniesta (Spain/Barcelona)

Toni Kroos (Germany/Real Madrid)

Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich)

Javier Mascherano (Argentina/Barcelona)

Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona)

Thomas Mueller (Germany/Bayern Munich)

Manuel Neuer (Germany/Bayern Munich)

Neymar (Brazil/Barcelona)

Paul Pogba (France/Juventus)

Ivan Rakitic (Croatia/Barcelona)

Arjen Robben (Netherlands/Bayern Munich)

James Rodríguez (Colombia/Real Madrid)

Alexis Sanchez (Chile/Arsenal)

Luis Suarez (Uruguay/FC Barcelona)

Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast/Manchester City)

Arturo Vidal (Chile/Bayern Munich). – Reuters

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Sterling targets more goals

After a hat-trick against Bournemouth, Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling has set his sights on bigger targets.

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After a hat-trick against Bournemouth, Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling has set his sights on bigger targets, starting with Wednesday's Champions League encounter at home to Europa League holders Sevilla.

Sterling inspired City to a 5-1 demolition of Bournemouth on Saturday in his best performance since joining from Liverpool in a deal that could be worth up to £49 million ($75.7 million, 66.7 million euros).

With Wilfried Bony also scoring twice, Manuel Pellegrini's side barely missed the injured Sergio Aguero and David Silva, but ahead of successive games against Sevilla and Manchester United, Sterling knows that City's path is about to become a great deal steeper.

“That was my best game so far for City. I had chances and I finished them, so I'm happy,” the England forward told the club website.

“The movement up front and the passing from midfield has been really good in the last few games and we've been playing some good, free-flowing stuff.

“We have to put this game to one side now and look towards Sevilla on Wednesday and Man United next weekend. But our focus for now is purely on Wednesday.”

Having crushed Newcastle United 6-1 prior to the international break, City have now scored 11 goals in two games, but the transition from domestic to continental competition has been a consistent area of concern in recent seasons.

City won their first five Premier League games without conceding a goal, only to crash 2-1 at home to Juventus in their opening Group D assignment last month.

A 90th-minute Aguero penalty saw them win at Borussia Moenchengladbach in their second group game, but with Juventus having beaten Sevilla 2-0 on the same night, a shootout for second place is already on the cards.

As well as Aguero and Silva, City are also currently without both left-backs Aleksandar Kolarov and Gael Clichy, meaning right-back Bacary Sagna is expected to fill in on the left side of defence.

Skipper Vincent Kompany is in line to return after being rested against Bournemouth, while Pellegrini has allayed fears about the fitness of Yaya Toure after he was taken off at half-time.

Although fit, Toure is not content, as he disclosed in an interview with L'Equipe on Monday in which he said that he was “not happy” due to a perceived lack of recognition from the English media.

While the Ivorian broods, Wednesday's game is likely to be a happier occasion for City winger Jesus Navas, who played 393 games for Sevilla during a 10-year period prior to alighting in northwest England in 2013.

Sevilla's domestic struggles continued on Saturday as they could only manage a 1-1 draw at Eibar, which left them 12th in La Liga with just two wins from their opening eight games.

However, they have shown their ability to rise to the occasion as one of those victories came against European champions Barcelona.

Unai Emery's squad is also beginning to take shape after a spate of injuries, but Gael Kakuta, Sergio Escudero, Nico Pareja, Daniel Carrico and goalkeeper Beto are all expected to miss the trip to Manchester.

Beto's absence has allowed Spaniard Sergio Rico to reclaim his place in recent weeks and he believes a change of scenery can do Sevilla good as they have produced their best in European competitions over the past two years.

“Now we have to change our mentality,” said Rico, whose team have not won in England in three attempts.

“It is a different competition and we need to turn the page and think only about Manchester City. It will be very difficult to win there, but we go with all the desire in the world.”

Influential Argentine midfielder Ever Banega returned from injury as a substitute at Eibar and is expected to start at the Etihad Stadium.

Ukrainian international winger Yevhen Konoplyanka could also be brought into the starting line-up after making another strong impact off the bench. – AFP

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Stoke penalty sinks Swansea

Swansea City's poor form continued in the Premier League as they went down 1-0 at home to Stoke City.

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London - Swansea City's poor form continued in the Premier League as they went down 1-0 at home to Stoke City on Monday.

Former Barcelona forward Bojan earned and converted a fourth-minute penalty which sealed a scrappy encounter and left Swansea without a league win since August.

Bojan was bundled over by Swans skipper Ashley Williams and he got up to send Lukasz Fabianski the wrong way.

Swansea hit the post through Jonjo Shelvey early in the second half but struggled to open up a resolute Stoke side who claimed their third successive league win to climb to 11th.

Swansea drop to 14th.

“Very disappointed with the result,” Swansea boss Garry Monk said. “Once they got the goal it was clear they would defend very deep and that made it very difficult to break them down.

“We are in a period where we are not performing to those levels we had at the start of the season.” – Reuters

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Ajax wary of Tuks

Ajax Cape Town will do well to tread lightly and banish any thoughts of complacency as they host the University of Pretoria.

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Cape Town - Ajax Cape Town will do well to tread lightly and banish any thoughts of complacency as they prepare to host the University of Pretoria in a PSL fixture at Athlone Stadium on Wednesday (kick-off 7.30pm).

Ajax may be on a good trot at the moment under coach Roger de Sa, but a trip into the past is a savage reminder of the parlous state the Cape club was once in.

The year was 2012, the venue was the Cape Town Stadium, the opposition was the newly-promoted AmaTuks (the nickname of the University of Pretoria). The result: Ajax were soundly thrashed 5-1 and, of course, suitably embarrassed.

The consequence was Dutch coach Maarten Stekelenburg being fired and it proved to be the start of a humbling, struggling period for the Urban Warriors.

The warning has been posted - and even though Tuks haven’t been all that consistent of late and are currently languishing near the basement of the PSL standings, they are capable of rising to the occasion. Ajax have first-hand experience of just how dangerous the university side can be.

With this past weekend’s PSL fixtures postponed because of Bafana Bafana’s late arrival from two Central American friendlies, Ajax had an opportunity to give an extended break to players struggling with niggles and in need of some rest and recuperation.

They will come out fresh and invigorated for Wednesday’s clash against a team that, since 2012, they always harbour extra motivation to perform well against.

As things stand currently, Platinum Stars top the PSL standings with 14 points, followed by Mpumalanga Black Aces (14), Bloemfontein Celtic (14), Wits (13) and Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and Ajax (all on 10 points).

Tuks are third-from-bottom, having accumulated just four points from their opening six games.

Ajax’s Bafana contingent - defenders Rivaldo Coetzee and Mosa Lebusa - touched down in South Africa on Saturday.

Lebusa, especially, after a national team debut, will be keen and hyped to continue the rapid progress he has made over the last few seasons.

The 23-year-old left back started both games in Central America - against Costa Rica and Honduras - but was substituted in the second half in both. He has, however, done enough to come into Bafana contention in the future.

Still young, and still improving, he certainly is a player the national coach can pencil in as a long-term squad member.

Lebusa, originally from Welkom in the Free State, came through the hugely successful Ajax youth academy. His mature performances at junior level quickly saw him promoted to the PSL squad in 2012, and he has never looked back. He is certainly among the best left backs in the country.

Lebusa’s form and resulting elevation to Bafana level also resulted in him recently having his contract lucratively extended at Ajax.

“Mosa is a model Ajax Cape Town team player and is an example to all our academy players, proving that hard work and dedication does get results,” said Ajax Cape Town chief executive Ari Efstathiou.

There’s no doubt the Bafana experience and international exposure will greatly benefit Lebusa, and he should be bouncing with motivation and confidence when Ajax tackle AmaTuks on Wednesday.

This week’s fixtures - PSL:

Tuesday: SuperSport United v Golden Arrows; Jomo Cosmos v Kaizer Chiefs

Wednesday: Orlando Pirates v Wits; Ajax Cape Town v University of Pretoria (Athlone Stadium, 7.30pm); Bloemfontein Celtic v Mamelodi Sundowns; Black Aces v Platinum Stars; Maritzburg Utd v Chippa United; Polokwane City v Free State Stars

Telkom Knockout quarter-finals:

Saturday: Orlando Pirates v Maritzburg Utd; Black Aces v Kaizer Chiefs; SuperSport United v Golden Arrows

Sunday: Free State Stars v Mamelodi Sundowns

Cape Argus

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Bayern confident of Guardiola stay

Bayern Munich are confident coach Pep Guardiola will stay on at the German champions past the end of his current contract.

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Berlin - Bayern Munich are confident coach Pep Guardiola will stay on at the German champions past the end of his current contract next year despite reported interest from other major European clubs, CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said on Monday.

Guardiola, who won more than a dozen titles in his four years at Barcelona, joined the Bavarians in July 2013, winning dominant back-to-back Bundesliga titles in his first two season in charge.

Undefeated Bayern are already seven points clear at the top of the league after a record-breaking nine-match winning start as they chase an unprecedented fourth consecutive Bundesliga crown and the third under Guardiola.

“I have said that in the second half of 2015 there will be a (contract) discussion and after that there will be clarity,” Rummenigge told reporters ahead of his departure for London where Bayern face Arsenal in Tuesday's Champions League group match. The team had left a day earlier.

“That talk is still pending but it will still take place sometime before the end of the year,” he added.

“There are a lot of things in favour of Bayern but it is clear there are most likely other good-looking brides out there other that Bayern. But at the end of the day we are optimistic that Pep Guardiola will stay at Bayern.”

Bayern are top their Champions League group with two wins in two matches but the Spaniard has yet to emulate predecessor Jupp Heynckes who won the treble, including the Champions League in 2013.

Guardiola, who has refused to comment on any issue related to a new deal with Bayern, is reportedly top of the wish list for several major European clubs.

“I know of no interest for Pep Guardiola but I am also not interested in that. We have a season to play and am optimistic he will be our coach after July 1, 2016.” – Reuters

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Wenger has ‘perfect preparation’ for Bayern

If Arsenal can be accused of underestimating their last two Champions League visitors, the same mistake will not be made against Bayern Munich.

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If Arsenal can be accused of underestimating their last two Champions League visitors, the same mistake will not be made when last season's semi-finalists Bayern Munich step out at the Emirates tomorrow night.

At last week's AGM supporters understandably expressed dismay at the defeats by unfancied Monaco last season and Olympiakos last month. A 3-1 loss in February to Arsène Wenger's compatriots and former club could not quite be retrieved in a classic heroic failure three weeks later, which brought elimination at the first knockout stage for a fifth successive year; and losing 3-2 to the Greeks left Arsenal without a point from this season's opening two group matches. That necessitates winning the third one, which is unfortunate, as Bayern have just established a new Bundesliga record by taking maximum points from their first nine league games, scoring 29 goals against four.

At least Wenger's side are buoyant themselves after a 3-0 victory at Watford on Saturday to follow the demolition of Manchester United by the same score. The manager's carefully calculated gamble in picking just about his strongest team paid off as they resisted the home side's pressure on either side of half-time to break out and score three typically well worked goals in 12 minutes.

“For us it is a perfect run in the Premier League, and on the other hand also perfect preparation for the Bayern game because we had no injuries and we got the three points,” Wenger was able to claim. “We are now in a position where we can focus and give everything on Tuesday night. The confidence level is there. We know exactly what is needed: a 0-0 is not even a good result. To score goals, we have to attack.”

Saturday's game at Vicarage Road, ultimately comfortable as the result was, did not provide a perfect template, as the three goals all stemmed essentially from counter-attacks. On the other hand the way United were blitzed from the start in the last home game showed the way.

“It is ideal, but that is difficult to plan,” Wenger pointed out. “We did not plan to be 3-0 up after 20 minutes. What we want to do is play up to our level, because we play against a big team.”

Perhaps that will prove a paradoxical advantage, as the manager admitted his players may have taken Monaco and Olympiakos too lightly: “We feel that the pain inflicted was a bit by ourselves, maybe subconsciously we thought 'anyway we will win these'. Now to correct we need a great performance. We have put ourselves in a bad position in the Champions League and want to make something special because that's the only way we can stay in the race.”

Watford's race is to stay in the Premier League and they will not do it without improving on a dire record of one goal in five home games. – The Independent

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Herrera relishing midfield competition

Manchester United's Ander Herrera welcomes the stiff competition for places in the side's midfield.

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Manchester United's Ander Herrera welcomes the stiff competition for places in the side's midfield and is keen to learn from the more experienced players in the squad, such as vice-captain Michael Carrick and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

The Spaniard enjoyed a fine game in the 3-0 victory at Everton on Saturday, scoring the second and providing an assist as Manchester United returned to form in the Premier League after a limp defeat to Arsenal before the international break.

The former Athletic Bilbao midfielder also believes the competition for first team places can only benefit the club.

“You take advantage of that (the competition in the middle of the park). When you play with the best players you take advantage of that like we did,” Herrera told the club's website (www.manutd.com).

“This is good for me, good for the club. When the club signs top players you are going to take advantage of that and that is what I'm doing.

“You have (Schweinsteiger) and also Michael Carrick and they are very experienced guys. I think Morgan (Schneiderlin) and me can learn a lot from them,” he added.

Herrera is desperate to become one of the first names on coach Louis van Gaal's team sheet but acknowledges he will have to improve to make that happen.

“I think people value me because I always try to give everything for the team. I will try to do my best to establish myself in the first team. I am a team player and when I play I will do my best,” the 26-year-old said.

“I want to be a top player. You want to always be in the team but this is Manchester United. You have to play really good if you want to be in the team every day, so that's what I want to do,” he added.

Herrera will be hoping for more first team action when the Red Devils travel to Russia to face CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Wednesday and then host local rivals Manchester City in the league on Sunday. – Reuters

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Shaw recovery stuns United medics

Luke Shaw will return to Manchester United's training ground later this week to take the next step in his rehabilitation.

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Luke Shaw will return to Manchester United's training ground later this week to take the next step in his rehabilitation.

Old Trafford boss Louis van Gaal has revealed the left-back is already walking without the aid of his crutches following the broken leg he sustained playing against PSV Eindhoven last month.

The Red Devils have been sending physios to Shaw's home on a daily to ensure he is maintaining his core fitness.

And it's now understood the 20-year-old will begin work in the pool at United's Carrington training base in the next few days.

United have a specially adapted pool which is fitted with an underwater treadmill, where cameras can monitor and help combat the levels of muscle wastage.

Shaw is still expected to miss next summer's European Championships with England but the rate of his recovery so far has shocked even United's doctors. - Female First

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