Spot-on Gyan sends Ghana off to a flier June 13, 2010 SERBIA (0) vs GHANA (1) A PENALTY five minutes from time from Asamoah Gyan handed Ghana a winning start to their Group D campaign against ten-man Serbia. The Rennes striker rifled home from the spot after Serbian substitute Zdravko Kuzmanovic handled when attempting to head clear a cross. It came 11 minutes after the Serbians, [...]
Dire affair will give Fabio much-needed light relief June 13, 2010 ALGERIA (0) vs SLOVENIA (1) IF Fabio Capello was feeling a touch disheartened after Saturday’s night’s solitary point in Rustenburg, he will have had every reason to be cheered by this dire affair between the other two sides in England’s group. West Brom’s Robert Koren settled the match on 79 minutes and gave his country [...]
Dutch have grown as a team, insists veteran Gio June 13, 2010 FORMER Arsenal defender Giovanni van Bronckhorst believes Holland have learned their lesson from their Euro 2008 campaign and are ready to mount a strong World Cup charge. The 35-year-old veteran wins his 100th cap for the Dutch against Denmark in Johannesburg today and says the team have grown from the disappointment of two years ago [...]
Cup chiefs ponder vuvuzela ban June 13, 2010 WORLD CUP organising chief Danny Jordaan is considering calls to ban vuvuzelas from the tournament following complaints. The trumpet-like instruments have constantly droned through every match of this World Cup so far, drowning out singing and chanting from the fans. Asked if it was a possibility that fans could be prevented from bringing the instruments [...]
SPORT | IN BRIEF June 13, 2010 Sam’s the man at Queen’s TENNIS: American Sam Querrey gave himself a pre-Wimbledon boost after beating close friend and training partner Mardy Fish to win the Aegon Championship at Queen’s Club. The 6ft 6in Querrey, 28, used his big serve to full effect on the grass, coming through 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 against world No90 Fish, [...]
RACING TRADER June 13, 2010 ITALY are the world champions and are aiming to become the first country to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962. Marcello Lippi is still at the helm, but they are an ageing side and confidence doesn’t seem too high at home. They are still as short as 1/16 with William Hill to qualify [...]
I know my starting XI, says Capello June 10, 2010 ENGLAND VS USA IT’S taken a hard-fought Premier League season, ten qualifying matches and a few injury heartaches, but Fabio Capello’s deliberation is over. Finally, the England boss admitted last night he knows his starting line-up for the World Cup opener with the United States on Saturday. All that stands in the way of Capello [...]
We won’t set out to wind up Rooney, vows US boss Bob June 10, 2010 UNITED STATES coach Bob Bradley insists his side will not set out to wind up Wayne Rooney in tomorrow’s World Cup opener. Rooney’s temperament has been brought into question after he lost his cool with referee Jeff Selogilwe in a low-key warm-up with Platinum Stars on Monday. Selogilwe went on to warn the England striker [...]
Mandela has sights set on the big stage June 10, 2010 NELSON MANDELA is determined to climb off his sick bed and make a brief appearance at today’s opening World Cup match – at the age of 91. The former South African president wants to sample a taste of the atmosphere at the showpiece event when the hosts take on Mexico at Johannesburg’s 94,000-capacity Soccer City. [...]
Hotshot Rooney is our City slicker June 10, 2010 THE CITY are backing Wayne Rooney to be a hit at this World Cup. No fewer than 32 per cent believe the England striker will follow in the footsteps of Gary Lineker in 1986 and claim the Golden Boot in South Africa. But the majority can’t see the Manchester United front man firing England to [...]