Showing posts with label Football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Football. Show all posts

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Ahoy, El Loco@Malaysiakini! Crown Now In Our Hands

Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United have the edge over Liverpool in the title run in as Sir Alex Ferguson's side look to pull away at the top of the Premier League table this weekend.

Having replaced faltering Liverpool at the summit, United will move five points clear of nearest rivals Chelsea and Liverpool if they defeat Everton at Old Trafford today. (Live, 2/1/09 1.25am MYT, Astro Ch813 Star Sports –ed.)

Rafael Benitez's Liverpool, who have drawn seven of their last 10 league outings, entertain Chelsea tomorrow (Live, 2/1/09 11.55pm MYT, Astro Ch812 ESPN –ed.) in the biggest fixture of the weekend.

By then, Ferdinand is hoping that United, currently two points clear with a game in hand over Benitez's side, will have opened up a significant gap at the top as they eye a third successive title.

Ferdinand believes that United's experience of winning the Premier League will help them in the run-in.
But the England defender is taking nothing for granted.

"It is easier when you have got experienced players in your camp, the likes of (Ryan) Giggs, (Paul) Scholes, players who have won the league before," said Ferdinand.

"There is the experience in there and maybe that is the edge we have got on the other teams, that we've got the experience of older pros who have been there."

Everton's Australian international Tim Cahill heads for Old Trafford eyeing another century of goals after notching his 100th career strike in midweek.

Cahill reached the landmark when he opened the scoring against Arsenal in midweek although David Moyes's side had to settle for a point after Robin Van Persie scored a last minute equaliser for the Gunners.

Everton go into their toughest fixture of the campaign unbeaten in nine games and with an FA Cup replay against neighbours Liverpool to follow on Wednesday.

Yet Belgium international Marouane Fellaini believes that Everton's recent good form will help them get a result at Old Trafford.

"It was awful to give the goal away on Wednesday and we are so disappointed," said Fellaini.

"But we've got a great opportunity ahead of us. We are a good side -- we have shown that on many occasions -- and we are capable of going to Old Trafford to get a good result." -- AFP via NST

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Frederic Oumar Kanoute fined for backing Palestinians

Sevilla's Malian international striker Frederic Kanoute has been fined for displaying a t-shirt with the word "Palestine" during his side's 2-1 Spanish Cup over Deportivo La Coruna in the Spanish Cup.

The federation did not reveal the amount of the fine but Spanish media said it was between 2,000 and 3,000 euros (2,700 and 4,000 US dollars).
pix:Frederic Kanoute expresses support for Palestine after scoring goal, more pix: Kanoute facing Palestine shirt fine

Kanoute lifted his jersey to show the t-shirt with the word written in various languages after he scored in the 39th minute of Wednesday's match in an act of support for Palestinians in Gaza where an Israeli military offensive has claimed at least 785 lives since it began on December 27.

"It was something that I felt that I should do. Everyone should feel a bit responsible when there is such a big injustice. I am 100 percent responsible for what I did and I don't care about the sanction," he told private television Telecinco on Thursday.

Federation rules prevent players from displaying any sort of publicity or slogan during matches.

The federation said it was not penalizing the political nature of the message but the fact that the player had displayed a message in violation of the rules.
France-born Kanoute, a Sevilla player since a 2005 move from English Premiership side Tottenham, is a practising Muslim who has supported various humanitarian causes in the past.

In 2006 he set up a foundation to help orphans in Mali and the following year he reportedly spent around 500,000 euros (700,000 dollars) of his own money to save a privately owned mosque in Seville from being sold after a contract to use the premises by the local Muslim population had expired.
-- Agence France-Presse, Saturday, 10 January 2009

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

iklan gratis - free ads