New Werder Bremen signing Boubacar Sanogo was called up to the Ivory Coast team for next week's friendly against Egypt in Paris, the forward replacing the injured Aruna Dindane.
Sanogo, who moved to Bremen from Hamburg in a 6 million euro deal last month, joins fellow German based players Guy Demel and Steve Gohouri in a return to the team after missing June's African Nations Cup qualifiers against Madagascar.
The 24 year old forward has picked up only one cap for a team where Chelsea's Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou lead the attack and where Olympique Lyon's Abdelkader Keita and Arouna Kone of PSV Eindhoven also struggle for regular action.
Also back in the team named by coach Uli Stielike Friday, is Swiss based midfielder Gilles Yapi Yapo.
Both Egypt and the Ivorians are using the match as preparation for decisive African Nations Cup qualifiers next month.
Squad:
Goalkeepers, Boubacar Barry (Lokeren, Belgium), Stephan Loboue (SpVgg Greuther Furth, Germany)
Daniel Cousin has vowed to fire Rangers to European glory after opening his account on his debut in Saturday's 2-0 win over St Mirren.
The 30 year old forward came off the bench to kill off any expects of a Saints comeback in the 79th minute after Barry Ferguson had opened the scoring at Ibrox.
It was an impressive start from the Gabon international, who checked into Glasgow Thursday after completing a £1 million move from Lens.
Cousin now has his sights set Tuesday's final Champions League qualifier against Red Star Belgrade, with the 2 ties of that fixture all that now stand between Rangers and a £10 million jackpot.
He said, "I am really happy to have scored in my 1st game especially at Ibrox in front of all the fans, it is good to score on my debut. I would really like to score Tuesday. I came here to score as many goals as I can. However, it does not really matter who scores, the most important thing is to qualify. It is very important for us as a team to play well Tuesday because we need to qualify. However, the Scottish championship is only as important as European football."
Cousin admitted that his introduction to the SPL was a surprisingly painful one however has no concerns about his ability to adapt to Scottish football.
He added, "As soon as I came off the bench, someone gave me a kick and I am not really used to being trodden on as much. However, if I did not think I would adapt well to the Scottish game, I would not have come here."
11 August 2007
Daniel Cousin enjoyed a dream start to his Rangers career by grabbing a goal on his debut to help secure win over St Mirren in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.
Skipper Barry Ferguson, who netted twice in Inverness last week, opened the scoring, before the former Lens forward came off the bench to claim a goal of his own.
Boss Walter Smith had spoken this week of his eagerness to see Rangers turn Ibrox into a fortress again and instil a sense of fear in their opponents and he will were satisfied to see his side take a step in the right direction today.
Rangers, whose players wore Madeleine McCann T-shirts during the warm up to reflect 100 days since the infant's disappearance in Portugal, made 2 changes from the side who defeated FK Zeta in their midweek Champions League qualifier.
Out went Kirk Broadfoot and Brahim Hemdani, and in came Alan Hutton, back from suspension, and Kris Boyd for the visit of the Paisley club.
Cousin was named on the bench however there is no place in the 18 man team for fellow new recruit Steven Whittaker, who is still short of match fitness.
Saints made one change from the side who lost to Motherwell last week, with Ryan McCay replacing Billy Mehmet, who was named on the bench.
The 1st chance of the game fell to Rangers when DaMarcus Beasley raced down the left flank before squeezing a cross into the box. Boyd rose above everyone else in front of goal however connected awkwardly with the header and the chance was lost.
St Mirren then forced their hosts into desperate defending to keep the scoreline level.
A Mark Corcoran free kick found Would Haining and the former Oldham man was only denied the opener when his header was cleared on the line by Sasa Papac.
At the rebound, McCay went to ground under load from Carlos Cuellar however there appeared to be little in the incident and no penalty was awarded by referee Mike McCurry.
At the other end, Saints soon found themselves under pressure. Beasley collected a Kevin Thomson pass before turning on the edge of the box and unleashing a drive which was only only touched wide by goalie Chris Smith.
Jean-Claude Darcheville then cranked up the load further when his snap shot was blocked by David van Zanten for a corner.
Beasley turned provider when he slotted into the path of Boyd. Boyd's 1st touch was awkward before he recovered to send a volley over the crossbar.
Rangers started well in the 2nd half, Beasley sending an angled drive inches wide of target shortly after the restart.
Darcheville then connected with a Ferguson free kick several yards out only for his powerful header to flash past the post.
Taking matters into his own hands, it was Ferguson who scored the opener after 52 minutes.
Hutton punted the ball to Lee McCulloch, who did well to chest into the path of the onrushing Gers captain and Ferguson placed his shot into the top corner.
Rangers made their 1st change when Darcheville was withdrawn for Nacho Novo, before Thomson forced a superb one-handed save from Smith and Boyd hooked inches over.
That effort was Boyd's last involvement in the game, as he made for new signing Cousin to make his Rangers debut.
It proved to be an inspired move when the Gabon international opened his goalscoring account for his new club with 79 minutes gone.
It was Beasley who did all the hard work, collecting a Novo pass and racing towards goal, before releasing to Cousin at the perfect moment to drive home from the corner of the six-yard box.
The triumph sets Rangers up for Tuesday's vital Champions League qualifier against Red Star Belgrade at Ibrox.
05 August 2007
Robin van Persie netted the goal which won Arsenal the Amsterdam Tournament, however was then carried off against Ajax.
A match which was a physical, and often bad-tempered affair, was settled by finish from the Dutchman with only 3 minutes left.
However, the former Feyenoord player then had to be helped from the field following a heavy challenge from Johnny Heitinga, however was able to soon rejoin his team mates as they celebrated a 2nd pre season tournament win.
Villa warmed up for the new Premier League season with a commanding 3-0 triumph over Italian champions Inter Milan at Villa Park.
Inter, who beat Man Utd 3-2 at Old Trafford earlier in the week, were a goal down in the 14th minute when Gareth Barry slotted home from Stiliyan Petrov's cross.
Sweden forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic dragged a shot wide 2 minutes before the break and 3 minutes into the 2nd half Villa doubled their lead.
Barry's free kick into the box was headed home by former AC Milan defender Martin Laursen. The 3rd came midway through the 2nd half when Gabriel Agbonlahor advanced into the box and was tripped by Walter Samuel, Barry converting the penalty.
Tottenham manager Martin Jol opted for Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov up front and was rewarded with a goal from each in a 2-0 triumph over Torino.
Keane volleyed the home side in front in the 16th minute at White Hart Lane after the visitors failed to clear a free-kick.
Berbatov was then gifted a simple tap in on 65 minutes when Steed Malbranque collected Pascal Chimbonda's cross, rounded the goalie and rolled the ball across the box.
Spurs have now won 7 out of 7 in their pre season programme ahead of next week's league opener at Sunderland.
Valencia spoiled Sven-Goran Eriksson's Manchester City welcoming party by triumphing 1-0 at Eastlands to leave the new manager with a lot of work to do before the Premier League opener at The Hammers next week.
With 5 new transfers in his starting line-up, some of whom the former England manager had never even seen play, there is always going to be an element of the unknown about the clash with one of Spain's 4 Champions League entrants.
Eriksson would certainly were able to pick several positives out of the narrow defeat, not least the display of young midfielder Michael Johnson.
But David Silva's early winner, combined with a series of missed chances that included 2 by player forward Rolando Bianchi, suggested it could take some time for Eriksson's new-look side to gel.
Owen Hargreaves in the end made his Man Utd debut as the Premier League champions enjoyed a comfortable 3-1 triumph over Peterborough.
Hargreaves played 45 minutes after coming on as a subsitute and looked back to his best in his traditional holding position in midfield.
He was the only 1st team player of note in a youthful United side that proved too strong for Peterborough, managed by Alex Ferguson's son Darren.
Adam Eckersley gave Ferguson senior's side the lead in the 23rd minute when the left back fired a powerful shot beyond Posh goalie Shwan Jalal.
Ferguson junior looked to have pulled off a masterstroke when Rene Howe, a half time subsitute, levelled matters with a fine shot 4 minutes after the restart.
But United were always the stronger and they made their fitness tell later in the 2nd half with goals from Richie Jones in the 72nd minute and a 3rd from Fangzhuo Dong 10 minutes later.
Portsmouth's new recruit David Nugent was on target as they came from behind to beat Leicester 3-1 in a pre season friendly at the Walkers Stadium.
Iain Hume put the Foxes ahead in the 14th minute when a clever ball from Mark de Vries put him through on goal.
Pompey levelled 6 minutes later though as £6 million signing Nugent, who had come close to scoring twice before in the early stages, sidefooted in Arnold Mvuemba's cross.
Nugent turned provider for the 2nd as Lomana LuaLua latched onto his cross to score.
LuaLua was then heavily involved in Portsmouth's 3rd as his good work presented substitute Franck Songo'o with a chance to drill home from the edge of the box with 8 minutes to go.
Ricardo Vaz Te and Gary Speed were both on target as Bolton recorded a 2-1 triumph at Championship club Colchester.
The visitors found themselves a goal down in the 5th minute when former Charlton forward Kevin Lisbie was given too much space in the area and fired past Ali Al-Habsi.
That lead was shortlived though as Wanderers hit back with 2 goals in as many minutes.
Speed swept home the leveller from the penalty spot after Vaz Te was tumbled over by Mark Yeates, comfortably triumphing over Dean Gerken in the home goal.
First half goals from Stewart Downing and Yakubu gave Boro a 2-0 triumph over AZ Alkmaar.
Andrew Taylor, Julio Arca and Jeremie Aliadiere all combined to set up Downing and the England winger comprehensively beat visiting goalie Sergio Romero with a fierce left footed drive.
Boro's second, and clincher, came only 14 minutes later when Taylor's cross from the left found the head of Yakubu who powered his effort beyond Romero from 6 yards.
Long term injury absentee Dean Ashton was back on the scoresheet for The Hammers as they came from behind to beat Roma 2-1 at Upton Park.
The visitors had taken a 13th minute lead through Ludovic Giuly, before The Hammers equalised as George McCartney headed in Freddie Ljungberg's corner in the 63rd minute.
3 minutes later Alan Curbishley's side were in front as Ashton, who missed the whole of last season with an ankle injury, cut in from the right wing and fired in a shot from an acute angle.
Sunderland warmed up for their season opener against Spurs next week with an entertaining 1-1 draw with Juve.
Daryl Murphy gave Roy Keane's side the lead when he stabbed home after Ross Wallace's 7th minute corner was headed into the danger area by Dickson Etuhu.
Cristian Molinaro grabbed a deserved equaliser for the Italian side with 2 minutes left, the substitute smashing a powerful drive into the roof of the net.
Jason Koumas scored both goals as Wigan beat crisis club Leeds 2-1 in a pre season friendly at Elland Road.
Koumas put the Premier League side in front only a minute before the interval, slotting home after good work from Emile Heskey.
Jermaine Beckford equalised 10 minutes into the 2nd half however Koumas sealed win with a deflected free kick on 69 minutes.
Reading warmed up for the start of the season with a 3-2 win against Wolves at Molineux.
Seyi Olofinjana opened the scoring with a header from Gary Breen's 14th minute cross however Reading were level within 3 minutes through Stephen Hunt.
Bryn Gunnarsson then put Steve Coppell's side in front and Dave Kitson diverted home a shot from Hunt only seconds before the interval.
Jay Bothroyd pulled one back for Mick McCarthy's side 6 minutes from time.
Blackburn showed their Premier League class to comfortably see off Lancashire rivals Preston 3-0 at Deepdale.
Centre back Christopher Samba scored twice with fellow defender Andre Ooijer putting Rovers ahead in the 1st minute.
Steve Howard produced a late equaliser as Derby finished their pre season preparations with a lively 2-2 draw against UEFA Cup finalists Espanyol.
Marc Torrejon's own goal gave the Rams a 1-0 half time lead however Sergio Sanchez pulled the La Liga side level before Luis Garcia converted a controversial penalty.
Everton were held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in their final pre season friendly.
Sheffield United forward Billy Sharp scored on his return to Bramall Lane to hand the Blades a 1-0 friendly triumph over Nottingham Forest.
The 21 year old learnt his trade in the United academy however was unable to break into the 1st team under Neil Warnock, who allowed him to leave for Scunthorpe in 2005.
Sharp's former team mates at Scunthorpe had to settle for a 1-1 draw in their Lincolnshire derby with Grimsby at Blundell Park as Andy Crosby opened the scoring for the Iron before having to leave the pitch.
And it was his replacement Andy Butler who scored an own goal to level for the League 2 side.
Southampton recorded a 1-0 triumph at Brentford thanks to Marek Saganowski's finish from Nathan Dyer's cross only after the interval.
Championship new boys Bristol City had to settle for a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth at Ashton Gate after twice falling behind. Brian Wilson and Louis Carey were the men to find the net for Gary Johnson's side.
Barnsley completed their pre season programme with a shock 2-0 defeat to Bury at Gigg Lane courtesy of goals from Richie Baker and Dave Challinor.
Blackpool, also looking forward to their Championship debut next weekend, crashed 2-1 at Carlisle.
David Fox gave the Seasiders the lead with a fabulous volley, however United hit back after the interval and goals from Chris Lumsdon and Danny Graham were enough to claim the win.
Hull rounded off pre season with a goalless draw against Belgian club Antwerp at KC Stadium.
Dagenham warmed up for their Football League bow next weekend with a 2-1 triumph over Fisher Athletic, Paul Benson and Jon Nurse finding the net.
Robbie Fowler made his 1st appearance for Cardiff in their 1-0 triumph over Dutch opponents Twente at Ninian Park.
The former Liverpool forward's debut lasted only 24 minutes, however, as he struggled to shake off the effects of a thigh injury suffered in training earlier this week.
Warren Feeney scored the only goal, smashing home from Trevor Sinclair's free-kick.
04 August 2007
Skipper Barry Ferguson gave Rangers a significant psychological boost by inspiring a 3-0 win over Inverness on the opening day of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League campaign.
The long trek north to the Highlands was a daunting prospect for the Ibrox side, who endured 2 defeats and a draw against Charlie Christie's side last term.
Results of that ilk typified a dismal season for the Glasgow giants and today's win, thanks to a double from Ferguson and a Nacho Novo strike, will be seen as a signal of intent as Rangers attempt to mount a realistic challenge for Celtic's SPL crown.
Manager Walter Smith made 2 changes from the side which scraped a 2-0 triumph over FK Zeta in the midweek Champions League qualifier, Charlie Adam and Jean-Claude Darcheville making way for the introduction of Kevin Thomson and DaMarcus Beasley.
It was the U.S international who could have opened the scoring early on, pouncing on a Ferguson through-ball and racing down the left flank and into the box. Beasley's blistering pace had taken him past several Caley Thistle players however he had taken too long to pull the trigger and goalie Michael Fraser had raced off his line to block.
Kris Boyd was then the 1st player to be booked with only 11 minutes on the clock for a challenge on Ian Black, who needed treatment. The home crowd howled vehemently at the foul, however the away fans were in raptures 5 minutes later.
A long ball from Allan McGregor was touched into the path of Ferguson by Lee McCulloch and the Ibrox captain unleashed a superb, left footed volley which cracked off the inside of the post and into the back of the net from 20 yards.
Brahim Hemdani then had his name taken by referee Kenny Clark for a foul on Dennis Wyness, before Rangers should have doubled their advantage.
Boyd was singled out for most of the criticism following the poor display against Zeta, hitting the post in the opening seconds of the qualifier before missing a sitter in the 2nd half.
He had the chance to silence his critics when Ferguson released him into the box, however the luckless forward was denied by the woodwork for the 2nd time in 4 days as his effort rattled off the crossbar.
Ferguson was the provider again, this time delivering a good ball to the feet of Beasley however the winger fired straight at the goalkeeper, with Boyd waiting for the ball several yards out and with the gaping net in his sights.
As half time approached Hemdani swung the ball to Carlos Cuellar and the centre-half, who netted in a pre season friendly against Ajax, was denied his 1st competitive goal when Fraser parried wide.
Boyd had suffered a knock in the 1st half and, clearly still struggling, was replaced by Novo 3 minutes after the restart, with the Spaniard playing on the right and McCulloch pushed further forward through the middle.
Rangers dominated the play early on however were finding it difficult to convert possession into clear-cut chances and Caley slowly started to grow in confidence.
They made a change of their own after 62 minutes, when Rory McAllister was sacrificed for Don Cowie, however any hope of a comeback was dashed when Rangers found the back of the net again 2 minutes later.
McCulloch did well to hold off 2 defenders to meet a long goal kick, before squaring into the path of the onrushing Novo, whose thunderous strike from only inside the box left Fraser with no chance.
Inverness shuffled their pack again, Roy McBain making way for Richie Hart and Dean McDonald taking the place of John Rankin.
With time fast running out, Hart tried his luck with a drive which deflected wide, before Wyness saw an angled effort held by McGregor.
However, Rangers ran out comfortable winners when Ferguson grabbed his 2nd of the day in the final minute, sending a cheeky lob over the goalie from 10 yards to set the Ibrox side up perfectly for next week's 2nd leg against Zeta in Montenegro.
27 July 2007
Dundee United's unbeaten record against FC Barcelona was finished by a last gasp goal by debutant Thierry Henry.
In the final minute, defender Darren Dods pulled down Giovani and Henry, on as a 2nd half substitute, stepped up to take the resulting penalty.
United's debutant goalkeeper, Grzegorz Szamotulski, saved the 1st effort, however Henry netted the rebound.
Barry Robson had a goal ruled out only before Henry struck, whilst Lee Wilkie had a header cleared off the line.
FC Barcelona nearly had taken the lead on 18 minutes when Ronaldinho's 25-yard free kick rebounded off the far post.
Henry came on as a 2nd half substitute for Samuel Eto'o and came close to scoring within seconds of making his entrance, however his shot was only off target.
Afterwards, FC Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard admitted that United had deserved something from the game.
"It was a shame the public did not see more goals and Dundee United deserved a goal for the way they played," he said.
"It seemed more than a friendly game, because there is lots of aggression and they gave us a very tough match."
United manager Craig Levein thought his side were hard done by when they conceded a penalty.
And he also thought that Robson's goal should have stood.
"I might have had my blinkers on for 90 minutes, however I thought it was a good goal that we scored and I did not think it was a penalty either," he said.
"I thought it was a good game, however I am disappointed at the result. I would said that to take FC Barcelona within 2 minutes is a good sign for us, because they are a team of quality."
04 July 2007
Leicester City confirm an interest in signing Joseph-Desire Job from Sedan.
The Cameroon international's agent Barry Silkman informed Sky Sports News on Saturday that the Foxes were keen to bring in the former Boro striker.
Foxes chairman Milan Mandaric has now admitted that that plans are afoot to make Job the 8th new addition to Martin Allen's squad.
"We are working on this," Mandaric informed the Leicester Mercury. "We have made an offer to him and we hope we can sort it out in the next 2 or 3 days. He is only the sort of forward we were looking for. He is strong physically, and he knows English football well from his time at Boro. He has experience of football in the Premier League which is where we are attempting to lift this club back up to."
Mandaric has also said that Job is unlikely to be the last of the new faces at the Walkers Stadium as Allen continues his overhaul of the Leicester squad.
"It is a lot of work when you are completely rebuilding," added Mandaric.
"From what I saw towards the end of last season, I was not impressed, and it needed more than only one or 2 new players to put it right. Job would have given us the forward we need. All departments still require strengthening, so there maybe 4 or 5 new players still to arrive."
04 July 2007
Teddy Sheringham's agent has informed Sky Sports News that the former England international is thinking about an offer from Colchester United.
The Championship club have called a press conference for 2.30pm Wednesday when they would present Sheringham to the media.
Reports say that the 2001 Footballer of the Year maybe in line for a player-coach position at Layer Road after being released by The Hammers at the end of the Premier League season.
The former Spurs and Man Utd player had also been in contact with clubs in America, however his agent Barry Neville has informed Sky Sports News that he is thinking about the offer put to him by Colchester.
The U's have certainly demonstrated their ambition in targeting Sheringham, and also broke their transfer record twice Tuesday to bring Clive Platt and Mark Yeates to the club.
24 June 2007
FC Tobyl and SK Slovan Bratislava are among the sides happiest with their UEFA Intertoto Cup 1st round 1st leg results whilst Cliftonville FC were frustrated by 10 man FC Dinaburg as uefa.com rounds up the action from the opening day. To see a full list of competing clubs and fixtures, click here.
Cliftonville FC 1-1 FC Dinaburg
Cliftonville FC came from behind to level thanks to a debut goal by Ciaran O'Connor however would not defeat 10 man FC Dinaburg at Solitude. Jurijs Sokolovs put the visitors in front after 20 minutes, finishing off a cross from Zaur Kaziev following a defensive error by Declan O'Hara. O'Connor, a recent signing from Glenavon FC, equalised 5 minutes before the break when he followed up a rebound after Chris Scannell's shot was saved. Dinaburg were then reduced to 10 men only before the hour when Alexey Kostenko was dismissed after tangling with Barry Johnston however the Latvian club held firm.
FK Baku 1-1 FC Dacia Chisinau
An own goal 10 minutes from time by Maxim Andranik gave FK Baku a well-earned draw against Dacia Chisinau. The visitors had taken the early initiative, putting Khalidou Sissoko under constant load in Baku's goal, and the Senegalese goalie was almost beaten 5 minutes before half time when Valentin Onila caught him off guard with a long-range header which drifted wide. Onila soon broke the deadlock, though, scoring with a fierce volley before the break. Baku poured forward in the 2nd half however struggled in front of goal, their best chance coming when Dzhamshid Magerramov crashed a shot against the crossbar from distance. Andranik came to their rescue when he turned a right wing cross past his own goalie and Farid Guliyev could have secured a home win in the closing stages had his 85th minute header not flown wide.
Ethnikos Achnas FC 1-0 FK Makedonija Skopje
Cypriot side Ethnikos Achnas FC will take a narrow advantage into the return leg in F.Y.R. Macedonia inspite of missing a number of chances against Makedonija. Captain Christos Poyiatzis scored the only goal from the penalty spot on 7 minutes after goalie Ljupco Kolev had brought down Zoran Stjepanović, even though the home side spurned a series of clear chances to put the tie beyond their Macedonian counterparts, who fielded a team consisting mostly of players from their U21 national squad. Slovenian forward Patrik Ipavec saw his shot come back off the post midway through the 1st half whilst there were further misses from Poyiatzis, Panayiotis Engomitis and Damir Suljanović in the 2nd period.
FC Tobyl 3-0 FC Zestaponi
FC Tobyl completed a convincing home triumph against their Georgian visitors however had to wait until the 2nd half before breaking through. The 1st period was a cautious affair even though Nurbol Zhumaskaliev, Ruslan Baltiev, Ulugbek Bakaev and Sergei Skorykh all threatened for the home side. The visitors' only clear-cut chance came at the start of the 2nd half when Gogi Pipia's grazed the bar however Tobyl soon responded with a goal, Nurbol Zhumaskaliev reacting 1st to a rebound from a Kairat Nurdauletov set-piece. That goal came on 63 minutes and the 2nd followed 2 minutes later, Baltiev finishing in style from Zhumaskaliev's corner. Azat Nurgaliev then set up the 3rd, providing a pinpoint cross which Bakaev tapped in.
NK Zagreb 2-1 KS Vllaznia
Zagreb were forced to come from behind to carve out a narrow advantage against their Albanian visitors, who had taken a 3rd minute lead when Arlind Nora struck following a corner. The home side drew level from a similar source 13 minutes later, however, Safet Nadarević the scorer, and Zagreb in the end turned their dominance into a lead in the 64th mintue as Tomislav Labudović found the net, the game's 3rd goal from a corner. Both sides finished the game with 10 men as Franc Ahi of Vllaznia was dismissed in the 73rd minute before the Croatian side lost Krunslav Lovrek to a red card a minute from time.
FC Differdange 03 0-2 SK Slovan Bratislava
Slovan will be confident of reaching the next round after a narrow triumph at Differdange. Mizoslav Poliacek gave his side a deserved lead on 32 minutes before his replacement Pavol Sedlak doubled the advantage 9 minutes after half time, 4 minutes after coming on. Differdange, playing at AS Jeunesse Esch's ground, had taken the game to their visitors after the break however squandered several chances and now the team from Luxemburg have it all to do in the return leg at the Slovan Stadium.
Hammerby 1-0 KÍ Klaksvik
Hammarby scrambled a scrappy triumph against KÍ before 1,633 spectators in Sweden. The home side had taken the lead as early as the 3rd minute with new recruit Charlie Davies scoring his 1st goal for the club. Those expecting the floodgates to open after the early breakthrough were to be disappointed, however, as the visiting Faroese club held out. "Of course it is a disappointment," mentioned Hammarby coach Tony Gustafsson. "We should have scored more goals however it is hard against a side that is only focused on defending."
Sant Julia 2 – 3 FK Slavija Sarajevo
Sant Julia showed good resolve to claw back a 2 goal deficit with 2 goals in as many 2nd half minutes only to fall foul of Darko Spalević's late winner. The home side held Slavija at bay during the 1st half however went behind when Varela put through his own net only before the hour-mark. Buoyed by their lead the visitors scored again 3 minutes later through Vlastimir Jovanović however the hosts bounced back into contention when Pepe (64) and then Luis (65) surprised their Bosnia-Herzegovnian visitors. With 6 minutes left on the clock, however, Spalević dented Andorran expects with a deft strike to take a slender lead into the return leg.
FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk 4-1 FC Ararat
2 goals by Aleksandr Klimenko helped FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk take a major step towards the 2nd round with a comprehensive triumph against FC Ararat. The hosts had taken the lead midway through the 1st half when Aleksandr Yurevich crossed for Aleksei Rios to head in from point-blank range and soon afterwards, Rios almost doubled the lead only to see his goalbound effort scrambled off the line. Shakhtyor's leading scorer Klimenko had 4 presentable chances to score before the break, only to fall short on each occasion, whilst Ararat's lone forward Marcos Pizelli made the most of his only chance a minute before half time, launching on a solo run before cutting in from the right, dribbling past 3 defenders and equalising from 16 metres. Shakhtyor were more ruthless after the break, though, regaining the lead on 58 minutes through Maksim Gukailo before Klimenko twice scored after fine approach play by Aleksandr Novik and Mikhail Martinovich.
Valur Reykjavik 0-2 Cork City FC
2 away goals in Laugardalsvöllur puts Cork City in the driving seat for the return leg of their 1st round match against Valur Reykjavik. The visitors had taken the lead after only 5 minutes when Colin O'Brien fired in the opening goal from 23 metres out and there were chances for either side in an eventful match as the hosts pressed forward in search of an equaliser. Cork scored the all-important 2nd midway through the 2nd half when Liam Kearney found the net direct from a free kick whilst Valur failed to reduce the arrears.
19 June 2007
Pini Zahavi's lawyers have written to the Premier League demanding an instant apology after their client was named in Lord Stevens' report into alleged transfer irregularities.
In the strongly-worded 2 page letter, the Quest investigation team are accused of attempting to on purpose harm Zahavi's reputation by leaking details of his responses to the inquiry.
And the lawyers claim the Stevens report named Zahavi in 'a wrongful attempt to justify the nomination of Quest by showing some findings against our client where none actually exist'.
Zahavi was accused of not cooperating fully with the inquiry because he failed to provide the Quest inquiry with complete bank statements.
The report added that questions remain over Zahavi's dealings with agent Barry Silkman and recommended FIFA be asked to launch their own inquiry into the Israeli agent.
Zahavi immediately issued a firm denial and his lawyers have not ruled out suing Quest and the Premier League for damages.
The letter, addressed to chairman Sir David Richards and chief exec Richard Scudamore, states, 'Our client holds the name of the Quest employee who briefed the press on a regular basis, slandering our client for no reason. This can only be seen as a deliberate attempt to harm our client's reputation. It seems that Quest's misleading publication concerning our client is a wrongful attempt to justify the nomination of Quest by showing some findings against our client where none actually exist. Due to this publication of misleading findings, our client's reputation was and is still being badly damaged. Newspapers around the world are quoting the publication calling for FIFA to investigate `Mr Zahavi's conduct', whereas his conduct was honourable.
'Therefore we expect a prompt and unambiguous statement by Quest and/or the FA Premier League, which would include an apology for the aforementioned publication and a clarification as to our client's co-operation with the inquiry, in particular his consent to provide relevant bank statements. Our client is reserving the right to hold you and Quest responsible for any damages resulting from the groundless and reckless publication.'
In the letter, dated June 19, Zahavi's lawyers dismiss the accusation he refused to provide the inquiry with complete bank statements as 'false, misleading, groundless and legally invalid'.
They argue Zahavi gave the inquiry his 'full co-operation' even though, as an Israeli agent, he fell outside the jurisdiction of the investigation.
The letter reads, 'Quest failed to tell that its demand to receive general overview of our client's bank statements has no legal basis whatsoever, neither in FIFA regulations or in the FA (regulations) and that this demand stands contrary to international banking and privacy laws. Quest also failed to tell that our client voluntarily suggested he would provide relevant bank statements connected to all transactions and transfers that were under the scope of the inquiry.'
Zahavi says that he requested the exact dates Quest were interested in however received no reply.
The letter also admonishes the Premier League for 'failing to grant our client (Zahavi) the opportunity to rebut, which appears to be the minimal standard of fairness and decency once would expect'.
The inquiry mentioned there remained questions over Zahavi's relationship with and payments to Silkman and the latter's failure to initially disclose his involvement in all the transactions in which he received fees.
The 5 transfers involved were that of Collins Mbesuma to Portsmouth, Aiyegbeni Yakubu and Fabio Rochemback to Boro, and Didier Drogba and Petr Cech to Chelsea.
Zahavi last week issued an explanation of his involvement in all 5 transfers.
His lawyers explained he was paid for helping Boro secure Rochemback from FC Barcelona after being approached by Silkman on behalf of the Premier League club.
And Zahavi loaned Portsmouth money to buy Mbesuma, with the club confirming he received no agent's fee.
Zahavi was the agent for the remaining 3 transfers and his lawyer mentioned last week, 'None of the clubs had any problems with the transfers so why were they investigated?'
The letter also queries why 7 other transfers Zahavi was involved in were cleared by Quest.
'It is necessary to emphasise that if the real reason for those transactions to remain uncleared was due to our client's refusal to provide general overview of his bank accounts, allegedly there is no grounds to clear the other 7 transactions.'
