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Home , Dele Alli

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2016 SPORTS

Cameroon and Morocco closer to Nations Cup qualification

JOHANNESBURG: Cameroon twice points clear in Group F as they kept up a for Cameroon, playing their first game Seychelles. Jonathan Pitroipa’s penalty Senegal have a 100 percent record came from behind on Saturday to take a 100 percent record. under new coach Hugo Broos, after handed Burkina Faso a 1-0 win over after overcoming Niger 2-0 in Dakar with giant step towards African Nations Cup Renard, who has won two of the last Hlompho Kekana had put South Africa Uganda and a share of top spot in Group goals from Mohamed Diame and Oumar qualification and Morocco are also on three Nations Cup titles, was appointed 2-1 up early in the second period with a D alongside their opponents. Niasse while Group K rivals Namibia tri- course for the finals after making a win- Badou Ezaki’s successor last month. remarkable effort from inside his own Democratic Republic of Congo are umphed 3-1 in Burundi. Mauritius beat ning start under new coach Herve Leaders Cameroon maintained a five- half. Saturday’s ties, marking the halfway first in Group B after beating Angola 2-1 Rwanda 1-0 and Seychelles also had a Renard. point advantage over third-placed South point of qualifying for the 2017 finals in in front of 90,000 fans in Kinshasa thanks rare victory, 2-0 at home to Lesotho. Youssef El Arabi converted a 26th- Africa in Group M after the two former Gabon, also yielded victories for Burkina to a first-half penalty by Cedric Bakambu Qualifiers continue on Sunday minute penalty as Morocco won 1-0 at champions slugged it out for a 2-2 draw Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, and a second-half scorcher from substi- through until Tuesday by which time Cape Verde Islands, the leading African in Limbe. Namibia, Senegal and small Indian tute Elia Meschack. four of the six rounds of preliminaries team in the world rankings, to go three Nicolas N’koulou scored the second Ocean island nations Mauritius and Angola replied with a late penalty. will have been completed.—Reuters

Rooney faces battle to regain England place after Berlin win

LONDON: Outstanding performances by Kane’s 21 and Vardy’s 19. “I am a big fan of three attacking players in England’s 3-2 , but today we didn’t miss comeback win over Germany on Saturday him in the game,” Matthaeus said during has sparked renewed debate about where live television coverage. injured captain Wayne Rooney fits in for the Euro 2016 finals. SURPRISE PACKAGE After ’s team fell 2-0 Geoff Hurst, whose hat-trick won behind to the world champions in Berlin, England the 1966 World Cup final against the ’s two leading scorers West Germany, believes Vardy could be a this season, Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry surprise package in the European Kane and Leicester City’s , Championship finals in France. brought England level with superb goals. “He’s come from nowhere, a very good Many observers, including Germany’s level-headed guy who’s very sensible, very former World Cup-winning captain Lothar intelligent,” Hurst told the BBC on Sunday. Matthaeus, made teenager Dele Alli the “Either or Vardy definitely man of the match in what Hodgson called deserve their place with the season they’ve his best night as England manager. had. “And Alli has made an impact not just Alli, 19, played in the ‘No.10’ role just at club level but in internationals.” behind the main striker, which is arguably Under-achievers at recent international Rooney’s most effective position. tournaments, England have often been When playing as a lone striker, the criticised for taking players who were not Manchester United captain has often 100 per cent fit-including Rooney at the looked isolated and become frustrated by a 2006 World Cup. lack of involvement, tending to drop too Trevor Brooking, the FA’s director of deep to seek the ball. football development from 2004-14, told Before injuring a knee against the BBC the most important thing for Sunderland on Feb. 13 Rooney was on a Rooney was to be fully fit this time. good run, but still has only seven league “The starting point is get himself fit goals this season-like Alli-compared to because he’s not an automatic choice to come back in, with the side as they have done without him,” he said. “He’s not quite cracked tournaments for England.

WARM-UP GAMES “You’ve got three warm-up games in May and June and Wayne’s got to prove BERLIN: England’s Harry Kane, left, is challenged by Germany’s Jonathan Tah during a friendly soccer match between Germany and England in he’s worth his place,” added Brooking. Berlin, Germany, Saturday. — AP “It’s very tempting to have Kane and Alli as automatic choices if they stay fit and continue playing like they are. Then you’ve got the option to bring Jamie Vardy on.” England stun Germany, With 51 international goals, Rooney is England’s record scorer and his 109 appear- ances make him the country’s fourth most capped player. Solutions to the selection Russia, Poland cruise dilemma could include playing him on the left of the midfield three, where he has sometimes operated for United, or drop- PARIS: scored a dramatic stoppage- ping Alli deeper, which might limit the time winner as England rallied from two goals Tottenham man’s effectiveness. down to stun world champions Germany 3-2 Suddenly, however, the prospect of in Saturday’s international friendly in Berlin. Police fire tear gas as Rooney catching (114 caps) Russia and Poland stepped up their prepara- and (115), let alone goal- tions for Euro 2016 with thumping victories keeper Peter Shilton (125) looks less than a over Lithuania and Finland, while Austria over- Guinea-Bissau stun Kenya Wayne Rooney formality. — Reuters came tournament newcomers Albania 2-1. In Berlin, a minute’s silence was observed in JOHANNESBURG: Kenyan police fired the roof of the net. memory of the victims of the Brussels terror tear gas to disperse protesting spectators Guinea-Bissau have seven points with attacks, with both sets of players wearing after a stunning 1-0 home defeat by min- two qualifying rounds to come in June Klinsmann, USA under scrutiny black armbands in honour of Dutch great nows Guinea-Bissau yesterday in a 2017 and September, Congo and Zambia six Johan Cruyff who passed away on Thursday at Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. Trouble each and Kenya one. All group winners ahead of Guatemala rematch the age of 68. Toni Kroos gave Joachim Loew’s erupted at the Nyayo National Stadium in are guaranteed places at the 2017 tourna- men a 43rd-minute lead at the Olympic WASHINGTON: The pressure is on coach Mix Diskerud was in an unfamiliar defen- Nairobi when the visitors snatched a late ment in Gabon, but just the best two of 11 Stadium with a crisp left-footed drive that beat lead through a disputed Sanchez Semedo runners-up in the four-team groups join Jurgen Klinsmann and the United States as sive midfield role. “I think it was a lack of , who was then immediately they host Guatemala tomorrow aiming to focus, concentration, and wrong decisions,” goal. Harambee Stars players and sup- them. The withdrawal of cash-strapped stretchered off with a leg injury, at his near porters believed the ball did not cross the Chad Sunday after three consecutive bounce back from an embarrassing 2-0 Klinsmann said. “We have to take responsi- post. After seeing a first-half effort incorrectly defeat in Guatemala City in 2018 World Cup bility for it, every one of us, coaches, play- line and TV replays were inconclusive. defeats has reduced Group G to three ruled out for offside, Mario Gomez doubled Play was temporarily halted by the teams, meaning only one from Egypt, qualifying. ers, and move on and get it done on Germany’s advantage on 57 minutes by head- Klinsmann blamed “lack of focus” for the Tuesday. “We always said that World Cup Zimbabwean referee and Kenya are set to Nigeria and Tanzania can make it. ing home a Sami Khedira cross for his first be punished by the African Football Egypt have four points, Nigeria two and defeat in Guatemala City, which left the qualifying is a long road, a tricky road, a dif- international goal in almost four years. But Confederation (CAF). Victory completed a Tanzania one in the revised standings United States in third place in Group C in ficult road.” Harry Kane halved the deficit four minutes lat- the fourth round of qualifying in North and They’ll get a chance to start moving for- er as the Tottenham striker produced a piece double over Kenya for traditional whip- ahead of a Tuesday clash between the Central America and the Caribbean (CON- ward again when they host Guatemala in of skill befitting Cruyff to fire beyond a help- ping boys Guinea-Bissau, ranked 18 places Pharaohs and Super Eagles in Alexandria. CACAF). Guatemala outplayed the visitors Columbus, Ohio, needing a win to gain less Manuel Neuer. lower in Africa, after a home 1-0 win four Should record seven-time African throughout and took advantage of lethar- ground on group leaders Trinidad and Substitute Jamie Vardy made an immediate days ago. champions Egypt win, Nigeria will be gic US defending to score both goals. Tobago, who with seven points lead impact after replacing , with Gaining maximum points lifted the eliminated and miss the finals for the third Klinsmann, already criticized in the wake Guatemala by one-and are heavy favorites the Leicester City forward superbly flicking team from the Portuguese-speaking West time in four editions. Ghana, runners-up of last year’s semi-final Gold Cup exit and hosting winless St. Vincent and the home ’s right-wing cross on 74 African country to the top of Group E, one to Ivory Coast in the last Cup of Nations, Confederations Cup playoff defeat, Grenadines on Tuesday. In other matches minutes. point ahead of co-favourites Congo and surrendered a perfect 2017 qualifying appeared unhappy with his team’s effort. Tuesday, Group A leaders Mexico go for a England should have gone ahead after Zambia, who drew 1-1 in Brazzaville. record when held 0-0 by Mozambique in But plenty of pundits pointed to his own fourth win in as many matches when they Vardy pounced on a loose pass inside the The match produced the same result Maputo. A sleep-inducing affair produced puzzling lineup choices as a contributing host Canada on the heels of their 3-0 victo- Germany area, only for Dele Alli to blaze over and the same scorers as the first meeting hardly any clearcut chances with both factor. ry in Vancouver on Friday. Honduras, bot- with the goal gaping. But Dier ensured Roy in Zambia last Wednesday. teams showing the effects of having to Klinsmann, juggling after injuries to tom of Group A, will try to gain ground Hodgson’s side weren’t left to rue that miss as Matt Besler, John Brooks and Fabian when they host El Salvador. Both goals came after goalmouth play twice in four days. the Tottenham powered home a scrambles with Jordan Massengo giving Botswana avenged a midweek Group D Johnson, started Geoff Cameron at full- In Group B, leaders Costa Rica host header from ’s corner in the back rather in the more central role he Jamaica and Panama host Haiti. The top Congo an early second-half lead and loss in the Comoros by winning 2-1 in 91st minute to complete a remarkable turn- Winston Kalengo equalising. Zambia Francistown and Benin went top of Group often plays for Stoke. two teams from each of the three groups around. “We played brilliant today. I thought DeAndre Yedlin, who plays at right-back advance to the final six-nation round of almost won at the death with a C by trouncing South Sudan 4-1 in we fully deserved the win,” Kane told ITV. Christopher Katongo shot deflected on to Cotonou. —AFP with Sunderland, started in midfield and qualifying. — AFP “We had a lot of chances that on another day we probably could have scored two more. We’re all buzzing. We never gave in and what a night.” Earlier Russia, who will face England in their opening match of the European Championship, cruised to a 3-0 victory over Lithuania in Moscow with goals from Fedor Smolov, Aleksandr Golovin and Denis Glushakov. Poland have again been drawn alongside title frontrunners Germany at this summer’s finals, having already faced them in qualifying, and strolled to a morale-boosting 5-0 demolition of Finland in Wroclaw. Rennes midfielder Kamil Grosicki and Verona winger Pawel Wszolek both netted twice apiece with Filip Starzynski also on target as star striker Robert Lewandowski came on for the final 27 minutes. Austria co-hosted the 2008 finals with Switzerland and booked their place at this year’s edition after dropping just two points during qualifying in a group that also featured Sweden and Russia. In Vienna, Marcel Koller’s side defeated an Albania team heading to their first major tour- nament courtesy of early strikes from Marc Janko and Martin Harnik, with Ermir Lenjani pulling one back for the visitors. Hungary will also travel to France in June after a 30-year finals absence, and BRAZZAVILLE: Congolese defender Arnold Davy Bouka Moutou (L) and Congolese midfielder Balazs Dzsudzsak struck 11 minutes from Sagesse Babele (R) try to contrast Zambian left winger Lubambo Musonda during the 2017 time in Budapest to cancel out Mario HERNING: Denmark’s Pierre Emile Hoejbjerg (L) and Ragnar Sigurdsson of Iceland vie Africa Cup Nations qualification football match between Congo and Zambia at the Kintele Mandzukic’s first-half opener in a 1-1 draw for the ball during the friendly football match Denmark vs Iceland in Herning, Stadium in Brazzaville, yesterday. — AFP with Croatia. —AFP Denmark. — AP