MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2017 SPORTS Infantino calls unprecedented African summit meeting JOHANNESBURG: FIFA President Gianni divided into two groups with some 25 association presidents get together is for ment minister who uses just one name. fund the bankrupt Zimbabwe Football Infantino will meet more than 50 presi- meeting Infantino and other FIFA offi- annual FIFA and CAF Congresses. The CAF elections are to be held in Addis Association, responded by saying it was dents of African football associations in cials on Tuesday and the rest repeating The meetings, which are being held Ababa on March 16. a celebration of his birthday and his elec- an unprecedented summit in the exercise the next day, organisers told behind closed doors, will be followed by Chiyangwa has invited a wide array of tion as President of the Council of Johannesburg this week, officials said Reuters. It is the first time such a summit a trip by Infantino to Harare on Thursday African football administrators to travel Southern Africa Football Associations, a yesterday. has been held at which FIFA deals direct- to join birthday celebrations for the from Johannesburg to Harare as he seeks regional body made up of 14 countries. Each of the continent’s 54 member ly with all the leaders of African football. Zimbabwe Football Association to galvanise support for Ahmad. Infantino’s presence in Harare is seen countries has been invited to a day-long Infantino, however, did meet about President Philip Chiyangwa, a vocal criti- In an exchange of letters published as a tacit sign of support for the anti- executive summit with Infantino, called 20 association presidents in Nigeria last cal of Hayatou who is backing his oppo- by local media last week, Hayatou threat- Hayatou camp. to discuss general issues in the game July in a gathering that pointedly nent in next month’s CAF president elec- ened Chiyangwa with sanctions if he Hayatou and CAF last year formally and explain FIFA’s plans to expand the snubbed long-standing Confederation of tion. Hayatou, 70, is seeking to extend went ahead with the meeting, saying he endorsed the candidacy of Bahrain’s World Cup and changes to its develop- African Football (CAF) President Issa his tenure in office into a third decade had no right to call such a gathering. Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa ment structures. Hayatou and members of his executive but faces a strong challenge from But Chiyangwa, a wealthy business- who Infantino beat in the FIFA presiden- The association presidents will be committee. Usually the only time all Ahmad of Madagascar, a former govern- man who has used his own money to tial elections. — Reuters Balotelli sent off in Nice victory PARIS: Mario Balotelli was sent off on his to a single point if they beat Toulouse at return to the Nice team but Lucien Favre’s the Parc des Princes on Sunday night. side held on for a 1-0 win at Lorient on Elsewhere, Marseille overcame the Saturday which sees them close the gap on absence of injured leading scorer Bafetimbi Ligue 1 leaders Monaco. Wylan Cyprien Gomis to beat Rennes 2-0 and boost their scored the only goal of the game in hopes of European qualification. Brittany, collecting Arnaud Souquet’s pass Clinton Njie and Florian Thauvin, the lat- and firing home from inside the area in the ter with a superb strike, both netted in the 15th minute. The result allowed Nice to go second half for the hosts as Marseille back above Paris Saint-Germain into sec- moved to within a point of fourth-placed ond place and close to within three points Lyon, albeit having played two games of Monaco, who could only draw 1-1 at more. “We had an obligation to win here Bastia on Friday. and it was quite an accomplished perform- “To win away from home does us good ance,” said Marseille coach Rudi Garcia, and it is well deserved because we had to whose team face great rivals PSG next. hold on at 10 against 11,” Favre said. “Life without Bafe is possible, but in a “We saw how difficult it is for all teams different style. Now we have eight days with the Monaco result, so logically it was before the match against PSG, but first of going to be difficult for us too.” all we will enjoy this result.” On-loan Balotelli was sent off after apparently Swansea City striker Gomis, scorer of 16 talking out of turn to match referee Tony league goals this season, suffered a knee Chapron midway through the second half. injury in last weekend’s defeat at Nantes It was his third red card this season in the that will rule him out for around a month. French top flight, although his first, also Njie, filling in as the central striker, fired against Lorient back in October, was later home first-time after the ball broke to him overturned. “I didn’t see what happened. inside the area to open the scoring just All of a sudden the card came out. before the hour mark. Five minutes later Apparently there were words,” said Favre. Marseille had scored again thanks to a VERONA: Napoli’s Piotr Zielinski scores during a Serie A soccer match between Chievo Verona and Napoli, at the Bentegodi stadium in Verona, The Italian, who has scored nine league superb goal from Thauvin as he smashed a Italy, yesterday. —AP goals, has endured a frustrating couple of shot high into the net on his left foot to weeks-he was dropped from the team for a make it 2-0. There was no way back after 1-0 win against Saint-Etienne and then that for Rennes, who have now gone 10 SOCCER missed last week’s draw at Rennes due to league games without a win. illness, but returned in Lorient in place of Lille eased their relegation fears with a injured leading scorer Alassane Plea. It was 1-0 win at fellow strugglers Caen in their a first away win since the end of November first game under new coach Franck Passi. Napoli beat Chievo to go for Nice, while Lorient remain rooted to the They had defender Adama Soumaoro sent foot of the table. off just after the hour mark but Anwar El Ghazi, a January signing from Ajax, struck MARSEILLE WIN WITHOUT GOMIS the only goal of the game with 20 min- second, Inter past Bologna Defending champions PSG, fresh from utes left. Giant Malian striker Cheick their famous win against Barcelona in the Diabate’s late penalty secured a 1-1 draw Champions League in midweek, can for Metz at home to Nantes and Angers ROME: Napoli eased past Chievo 3-1 away The win took Napoli up to 54 points in sec- would invite everyone for a Brazilian-style din- leapfrog Nice again and cut Monaco’s lead beat Nancy 1-0. —AFP yesterday to provisionally move second and ond place behind Juventus, one point ahead ner when he got his first goal,” Pioli told Italian Gabriel Barbosa came off the bench to score of AS Roma who host Torino later. television. “I’m happy for him. his first Serie A goal as lethargic Inter Milan In Bologna, Inter moved back level with “He’s working hard after a troubled start snatched a late 1-0 victory at Bologna to Atalanta on 48 points and above Lazio who which is normal for a young player coming reclaim fourth place in the standings. both won on Saturday after Brazilian Gabriel from abroad, but he’s doing well now and the Napoli bounced back from their settled a lacklustre contest with an 81st- whole squad deserves credit for that.” Champions League defeat by Real Madrid and minute winner. Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic denied extended their undefeated league streak to The 20-year-old Brazilian forward, nick- Vasilis Torosidis with an excellent save in stop- 14 games by defeating Chievo. named “Gabigol”, entered in the 74th minute page-time as Bologna rallied, while the home Lorenzo Insigne opened the scoring in the and took seven minutes to end his goal side will feel hard done by after Eder’s blatant 31st minute with a delicious effort when he drought when he finished calmly after being penalty-box foul on Blerim Dzemaili went cut in from the left and curled a right-foot picked out by Danilo D’Ambrosio’s cross. unpunished. strike into the far corner, before Marek Hamsik Before the youngster’s intervention, Inter Elsewhere, bottom-club Pescara’s decision finished from close range after hesitant had lacked the ideas and verve that have to reappoint Zdenek Zeman for a second spell defending in the 38th. characterised recent performances under in charge prompted an immediate change of Piotr Zielinski added a third in the 58th Stefano Pioli and looked set to rue a remark- fortunes as they ended a 22-game winless minute when he finished calmly from the able miss from Rodrigo Palacio, who fired over streak and picked up their second victory of edge of the box, before Riccardo Meggiorini from four yards in the 12th minute. the season with a stunning 5-0 triumph over pulled a goal back for the hosts. “In the locker room they said that Gabigol Genoa. —Reuters Chelsea’s Conte wary of ‘Double’ talk LORIENT: Lorient’s Senegalese defender Zargo Toure (3dL) heads the ball during the WOLVERHAMPTON: Antonio Conte has warned and reach the last eight. That’s fantastic.” French L1 football match Lorient vs Nice at the Moustoir stadium in Lorient, western his players to avoid complacency as they seek to “We must bow down to them,” said Conte.