SPORTS SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2015

Brumbies look to bury last kick nightmare

SYDNEY: Christian Lealiifano returns to the been reminding the fly-half about his off-tar- play for the , but playmaker Matt The Cape Town-based side have scored scene of his missed conversion nightmare as get kick. “I wouldn’t say redemption. I Toomua remains in doubt. just 32 tries in 16 games and have only man- Australia’s ACT Brumbies bid to stay alive in haven’t thought about that kick until you Pocock missed the second half of last aged two four-try bonus points. But they are the against South Africa’s just asked me,” Lealiifano told reporters. “I’ve week’s loss to the Canterbury after stronger in defence, letting in just 35 tries Western Stormers in this weekend’s play- taken every game as if it’s going to be my failing a concussion test. “He’s on track to and remain a tough side to break down. offs. last, so playing 100 games is a special time. play,” Larkham said. “He’ll certainly be avail- Much depends on flanker Siya Kolisi in the Lealiifano plays his 100th game for the I’m going to give the team as much as I can able for selection at this stage.” Toomua absence of captain Duane Vermeulen, and Brumbies in Cape Town where he missed a and hopefully we can get the result.” pulled up sore following his stint off the he will have to compete strongly at the potential match-winning conversion in last Brumbies coach bench against the Crusaders in just his sec- breakdown against Pocock. month’s loss to the Stormers. In today’s other backed Lealiifano to rise to the occasion and ond game in eight matches following ankle The Highlanders, the second-best Kiwi elimination game, the Otago Highlanders make amends for that miss. “He’s working injuries. “Coming back from a syndesmosis ... team behind tearaway leaders Wellington will bank on their home ground dominance very hard at it and that’s what gives every- everything is cleared medically, it’s just Hurricanes, are strengthened by the return to knock out twice champions Waikato one confidence around him,” Larkham said. whether he feels good, which I suspect he from injury of No.8 Nasi Manu, All Blacks cen- Chiefs in the all-New Zealand showdown. “Particularly since that miss, Christian has will,” Larkham said. tre Malakai Fekitoa and lock Mark Reddish. The Brumbies missed out on crucial com- spent more time in training practising his The Stormers are South Africa’s last hope “Nasi’s a real spiritual leader for us,” scrum- petition points when Lealiifano fluffed a sim- conversions and penalty kicks. for Super 15 glory this season after topping half Aaron Smith said. “He does a lot of key ple try conversion with eight minutes left as “I think we saw a bit of a turnaround over the national conference by three points from talking to the big boys especially. the Stormers went on to win 25-24. the last month with his goal-kicking.” the Golden Lions but with the least competi- “He sets the mood with the way he plays, The South African media have this week Wallaby flanker is on track to tion points of all the six play-off teams. he’s a pretty easy man to follow.” —AFP It’s business now at African stars get chance to shine Women’s World Cup JOHANNESBURG: Qualifying begins this weekend for the fourth African Nations Championship, a senior national football team competition unique to the continent. VANCOUVER: It’s down to business at the Only home-based footballers are eligible, offering space on Women’s World Cup as the knockout rounds the international stage for many who would otherwise remain get under way today with top-ranked in the shadows. Many African national teams, including Algeria, Germany and former runners-up China both Ghana, Ivory Coast and Senegal, are composed almost exclu- in action. Germany, winners in 2003 and sively of foreign-based stars. So the African Nations 2007, take on Sweden in the opening last 16 Championship-or CHAN-gives the best home talent a chance to clash in Ottawa with China next up against don the national kit and display their skills. Launched in 2008, ambitious African newcomers Cameroon in the brainchild of Confederation of African Football (CAF) presi- Edmonton. dent Issa Hayatou has been won by the Democratic Republic of Previous results are all forgotten now, Congo in Abidjan, Tunisia in Khartoum and Libya in Cape Town. including Germany’s 10-0 hammering of The shock Libyan triumph last year was remarkable as the Ivory Coast, or Sweden’s struggles to north Africans won only one of their six matches, drawing the advance, in a one-off free for all. “What has other five, including all three in the knock-out stages. happened before doesn’t really matter now Libya triumphed in the 16-team competition thanks to because this is where it really starts,” said penalty-kick accuracy and nerves of steel, winning a quarter- Germany coach Silvia Neid. final, a semi-final, and the final against Ghana via shootouts. “You won’t be given 10 opportunities, They are among 42 countries chasing 15 places at the 2016 you have to seize the two or three you get. finals while Rwanda qualify automatically as hosts of the You have to concentrate and be cool in the January 16-February 7 tournament. last 16 or go home.” Reigning champions A region-based draw pits Libya against Morocco and Tunisia Japan kept their defence on track by win- with the top two after a double-round mini-league progressing. ning all three of their group matches with The other five geographical areas will use a home-and-away only Brazil, the 2007 runners-up, posting a knockout system with two or four games required to secure better record, as both took maximum points. qualification. A downside of going regional is that powerhouses Brazil face a tougher test in the last 16 can be drawn together and the pairing of Ghana and Ivory clash against Australia in Moncton on Coast later this year means one of them will miss the finals. Sunday than in their group games against Of the 16 teams who competed at the 2014 Nations South Korea, Costa Rica and Spain. Japan Championship in South Africa, 13 could qualify again. But the also face a tricky tie against a young Dutch draw means Mali or Mauritania, Burundi or Ethiopia and Nigeria side, who advanced as third in their Group A, or Burkina Faso cannot make successive appearances. in Vancouver on Tuesday. Fourteen preliminary-round, first-leg games are scheduled The United States, two-time winners, VANCOUVER: Two young fans cheer the United States before a FIFA Women’s for this weekend one in the north, four in the west, three in the counted on veterans Megan Rapinoe, Abby World Cup soccer game in this file photo. —AP east and six in the south. National coaches like Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Wambach and Hope Solo to keep them on Mashaba of South Africa, Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic of Uganda track with two wins and a draw against finishers following three draws. are now contenders. “These three teams and Bobby Williamson of Kenya also handle CHAN assignments. Sweden and next clash with Colombia, who European champions Germany have have been battle hardened, it just toughens But others nations like Senegal separate the coaching of the shocked France 2-0 in their second group demonstrated an impressive forward line you up for the biggest matches where any senior and CHAN squads with Aliou Cisse stepping aside and game, next in their sights in Edmonton on with 15 goals in three games including four slipup and you’re out,” he said. Moustapha Seck handling the home-based stars. Swaziland, Monday. from Anja Mittag and three from Celia Sasic. “Whoever gets out of our group can who caused the biggest shock of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations France, ranked third, finished top of their Sweden, runners-up in 2003 and third in make the semi-finals as a minimum,” Stajcic qualifiers last weekend by winning away to Guinea, can field vir- group ahead of England and next play South 2011, emerged batter and bruised from predicted. And Neid is not taking the demor- tually the same side when they host Angola in the CHAN. Korea, who got past the group stage for the Group D, the so-called ‘Group of Death’, alised Swedes lightly. “Sweden have a lot of Veteran midfielder Tony Tsabedze, whose brace sank the first time, on Sunday in Montreal. England where the United States took top spot ahead quality on their team. The games we have Guineans, has drawn attention from South African clubs and set up a clash with former champions of Australia. Coach Pia Sundhage was deflat- played against them have always been com- some plan to watch him at Somhlolo Stadium near Mbabane. Norway on Monday. ed after her side managed just three points petitive and close-fought,” she said. Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Mauritius and the Seychelles are Hosts Canada qualified top of their from three draws. “As of now, we have to show passion and other countries whose best players are predominantly home Group A and continue their bid for a first title “We didn’t lose (in the group), and we give everything. The team in better form on based. against Switzerland in Vancouver tomorrow. scored four goals but we didn’t do enough the day will go through to the quarter- Zimbabwe host Comoros Islands and could field five of the “The games only get tougher now,” said to win the group or even be runnersup,” said finals.” China’s young side, who finished sec- starters who shocked Malawi in the Cup of Nations, but scor- Canada coach John Herdman. Germany 55-year-old Sundhage, who coached the US ond in Group A behind Canada, face a chal- ers Cuthbert Malajila and Khama Billiat are ineligible because topped Group B with two wins and a draw, to two Olympic golds and silver at the last lenge from debutants Cameroon, just the they play for South African clubs. Return matches are set for as the fifth-ranked Swedes backed into the World Cup. But Australia coach Alen Stajcic second African nation to reach the knockout July 3-5, and the first round for successive weekends during last 16 as one of the best four third-placed believes all of the ‘Group of death’ survivors rounds. — AFP October. —AFP