THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 SPORTS Balboa is a hero from afar

MALABO: Javier Balboa may have only first visited the country of his parents birth in 2007 but the Spain-born winger’s goals have made him a national hero as they have helped Equatorial Guinea secure an Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against Ghana in Malabo Thursday. “I’ve always felt very loved in the country,” said Balboa, who plays for Portuguese club Estoril, in an interview with AFP. “Obviously, scoring two goals (against Tunisia in a 2-1 quarter-final victory) ... I became the reference for the public, but it’s a team job.” Balboa, 29, also scored a penalty against Gabon and is joint leading scorer in the tournament with Tunisian Ahmed Akaichi and Congolese Thievy Bifouma with three goals each. Born in Madrid to Equatoguinean parents, Balboa says it is nice to “play where you are loved, and here (Equatorial Guinea) I feel very loved.” But his relationship with Equatorial Guinea is tenu- ous. He does not speak the vernacular of this small for- mer Spanish colony. “I am sorry because my parents always spoke Spanish, but it was the music and the African atmosphere at home,” he recalled. He explains his tardiness in first visiting Equatorial Guinea-to make his debut for the national team-as being down to his parents reluctance to move from Spain. “I never had the opportunity to come here because my parents have always remained in Spain.” Vice-cap- tain of the ‘National Thunder’ behind Middlesbrough striker Emilio Nsue, Balboa is among the oldest players in the squad. And Equatorial Guinea, late replacements as hosts when Morocco pulled out over the Ebola epidemic, have exceeded expectations to set up a semi-final with four-time champions Ghana in Malabo Thursday. After Group A draws with Congo Brazzaville and Burkina Faso, they defeated Gabon to finish second behind the Congolese and reach the knockout stage. They then shocked Tunisia by coming from behind to win 2-1 in a match remembered most for a controversial stoppage-time penalty that Balboa converted. He scored the winner 12 minutes into extra-time by superbly flighting a free-kick into the roof of the net. “It’s been a great joy,” said Balboa. “As the head of state MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s Dutch striker Robin van Persie (right) has an unsuccessful shot as Cambridge United’s English goalkeeper Chris Dunn tries to block dur- ing the FA Cup fourth round replay football match. —AFP (president Teodoro Obiang) said, we are already the country’s heroes. “It’s amazing. The result exceeded expectations. “In the group stage, nobody was counting on us, and United thump Cambridge before the last match against Gabon (2-0), everyone thought that we would be eliminated. “ Recalling the penalty incident that revolved around a MANCHESTER: Manchester United manag- Preston and that will not be easy. They won teams because the possibility to survive is an attacking player through the air,” said clash between Ivan Bolado and Hamza Mathlouthi, er Louis van Gaal reiterated his determina- away against a cup fighter like Sheffield higher. The FA Cup is a title and I am living Van Gaal. “We could also score through the Balboa said: “Maybe there was no penalty but, hey, tion to win a trophy in his debut season United, so it will be difficult for us to win in for titles as a coach, but it is always difficult. air, not only along the floor, and that was these sort of situations happen every weekend in the after his side beat Cambridge United in the Preston North End. “It is even sometimes more difficult to our game plan and he has confirmed it best leagues in the world.” FA Cup fourth round. “I heard from (assistant manager) Ryan win against a lower team than a big team. again. “We could have scored more, I think. He has made six appearances for Estoril this season.”I United prevailed 3-0 in Tuesday’s replay (Giggs) they (Sheffield United) are very That is good, but that is also what football In the second half we played a bit more for- had some muscle injury, I broke a finger and the new against fourth-tier Cambridge at Old good cup fighters and Preston beat them is. It is what we all like, that not always the ward, I believe. We created more chances. coach trusted other players,” said Balboa. Trafford thanks to goals from Juan Mata, 3-1. So Preston is not a piece of cake.” better team is winning. Robin van Persie had four opportunities Equatorial Guinea coach Esteban Becker said that Marcos Rojo and James Wilson, setting up a Reflecting on his side’s performance “We have a real chance now. Why? We and could have scored more.” Cambridge Balboa was growing as a player the longer their interest fifth-round trip to third-tier Preston North against a team who are currently 79 places are the highest qualified team in the FA could not match the dizzying heights of End. below United in the English league system, Cup, so people are maybe betting on us. I their first meeting with United, a 0-0 draw in the tournament lasted. With rivals such as Manchester City, the Dutchman added: “I don’t think we am not allowed to. I give you a tip.” at the Abbey Stadium, but the £1 million “It was not good at first, but Javier grew from match Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur having played a very good match. Cambridge might have taken a sensa- ($1.5 million, 1.3 million euros) in funds to match,” the Argentina-born coach told AFP. “He has exited the competition at this stage, United “But it is always difficult against a defen- tional lead, with forward Tom Elliott miss- generated by the replay was a huge conso- many qualities, but I asked him to run more. “And now are now favourites to end an 11-year wait sive team. We could have done better, but I ing a glorious one-on-one opening by hit- lation for losing manager Richard Money. he runs well, fights and plays better. He enjoys the to lift the world’s most famous domestic am pleased with the result. “Cambridge ting a post inside the first minute before “It means we can be safe and stable national team and when the ball is at his feet, he is cup competition. have played very well; a very organised Mata and Rojo gave United a two-goal half- financially,” said Money. “We are not going magic. “—AFP But Van Gaal admits the visit to team and with the mentality that was time advantage. to have a spending spree in the summer Deepdale in two weeks will be testing, superb. The fans were fantastic from Although he failed to get his name on and have one massive effort to be promot- especially after Preston’s impressive 3-1 Cambridge United. We have done what we the scoresheet, Belgian international ed. We need to grow. 2018 World Cup replay victory away at cup specialists had to.” Marouane Fellaini impressed in a role as a “We need a new stadium and a new Sheffield United. striker alongside Robin van Persie, playing training ground or new facilities at the stadium 7 months “Every club in the FA Cup wants to win; MONEY FOR MONEY a part in the two first-half goals. training ground. That is what the cup run behind schedule we also,” said Van Gaal.”We have to beat He added: “I prefer to play against lower “Now with Fellaini, we have always also will do for us.”—AFP

MOSCOW: The 2018 World Cup stadium in the southern Russian city of Rostov is seven months behind schedule and faces a “tight deadline” to be ready in time, says the Gomez guns down Roma Rostov regional construction ministry. The completion date for the 45,000-seat stadium has slipped from May ROME: Two second half goals from dive of Lukasz Skorupski and in off the leg on March 4 in Turin. Fiorentina won the was by far the busier of the two custodians 2017 to that December, the ministry added in the state- German international Mario Gomez gave post. last of their six Italian Cups in 2001. The sec- and had to be alert on several occassions to ment. Fiorentina a 2-0 win over AS Roma in the Then with time running out Gomez ond semi-final will feature Lazio against deny Belgian midfielder Radja Nainggolan The ministry did not specify what had gone wrong, Italian Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday and popped up again inside the penalty area, either Napoli or Inter Milan, who meet late and Roma skipper Francesco Totti. but said: “Taking into account the tight deadline for the set up a last four meeting against Juventus. calmly created a yard of space, and then yesterday. Fiorentina who began life without construction of the stadium, a double-shift work sched- On a rain-soaked night at the Stadio drove the ball high into the net on 89 min- Roma, who came into the tie second in Colombian winger Juan Cuadrado, who ule has been organized.” Olimpico Fiorentina grabbed the opener, utes to put the result beyond doubt. Serie A and seven points behind Juventus, signed with Chelsea on Monday, struggled Also, a meeting late yesterday called by the govern- somewhat against the run of play on 65 It took the 29-year-old German’s tally took the game to the visitors in a one-sided to create sustained pressure on Skorupski ment to cut World Cup costs, to be chaired by First minutes, following a sweeping counter- since January 21 to five goals in an emphat- first half that reaped no goals. in the home goal as Roma dominated pos- Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, was postponed, attack down the left wing. ic return to form-but for Roma the poor run The capital club generated nine shots at session as well as opportunities. Russian media reported. The reasons for the delay were Manuel Pasqual skillfully controlled a goes on as this defeat follows four succes- goal and three on target while Fiorentina, The match opened up after the break as not immediately clear, and no new date announced. looping ball down the flank and his pin- sive draws which has cost them ground in who lie sixth in the Italian top flight failed both teams went looking for the winner Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who chairs the point cross was met by Gomez who bril- the title race with Juventus. to muster a single shot on goal. but it was Gomez who was the hero with World Cup organizing committee, previously said he liantly flicked the ball past the despairing Fiorentina will meet Juventus in the first Romanian ‘keeper Ciprian Tatarusana his two late goals. —AFP considered Rostov’s riverside arena to be among the most difficult of Russia’s 12 stadiums to build, and costs could rise. Construction workers have to endure tem- peratures as low as minus 15 degrees (5F). The Rostov regional government has estimated the cost of the sta- dium at 20.2 billion rubles ($305 million), and the region’s total costs to prepare for the World Cup at 85 billion rubles. Most of Russia’s stadiums appear to be on schedule, although one key exception is the 69,000-capacity sta- dium in St. Petersburg, which will host one of the semifi- nals. That arena was once supposed to open in 2008 as the new home for Zenit St. Petersburg, but is targeting a 2016 completion in time for the 2017 Confederations Cup, following almost a decade of cost overruns and delays. There were also delays last year to the planned arena in the western city of Kaliningrad when the federal and local government failed to agree on a site. That dispute has been resolved, and preliminary construction work began last month, although without a final agreement on the stadium’s design. The total budget for the World Cup has been set at 664 billion rubles, mostly funded by the federal and regional governments, although Mutko said last week that the budget would be affected by the Russian gov- ernment’s plans to slash spending by 10 percent, under pressure from a fall in the oil price and international sanctions. World Cup stadiums and associated infrastructure would be exempt from the cuts, but “various organiza- tional issues” and “subsidies to the organizing commit- tee” would be cut, he said in comments reported by the Tass agency. Mutko has also said the government was trying to keep down the costs of building materials for World Cup projects, and could scrap import duties on World Cup-related items, effectively increasing the tourna- ment’s government subsidy.—AP ITALY: Fiorentina’s Mario Gomez scores during an Italian Cup, quarterfinal match between Roma and Fiorentina, at Rome’s OlympicStadium. —AP