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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2015 SPORTS Ireland braced for Bosnia as Sweden renew Denmark rivalry PARIS: A diminished Republic of month-are also fitness concerns. 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012. punch on Markus Rosenberg. With German Bernd Storck, have another Ireland hope to emerge from the first However, O’Neill added: “The momen- Zlatan Ibrahimovic fresh from winning chance to progress as they face Norway leg of their Euro 2016 qualifying play- tum swinging towards them doesn’t Scandinavian derby Sweden’s Golden Ball award and hav- over two legs, with the first game in off away to Bosnia-Herzegovina tomor- bother me, it genuinely doesn’t bother Meanwhile, Scandinavian rivals ing scored nine goals in six league Oslo on Thursday. row with their chances of reaching the me. We have got ourselves into this Sweden and Denmark meet in the first games for Paris Saint-Germain, Erik “We feel we know Hungary well, and finals still intact. position and we don’t want to throw it leg of their tie in Solna, just outside Hamren’s side will be hopeful of taking know what to expect,” said confident Martin O’Neill’s side go to Zenica away lightly. Stockholm, on Saturday. a lead into the return. Denmark, mean- Norway coach Per-Mathias Hogmo before hosting the Bosnians in Dublin “We have earned the right to be The two nations, linked by the while, will be without Hannover mid- after naming his squad. The other tie on Monday with a place in France next there, particularly with our results Oresund Bridge spanning the water fielder Leon Andreasen after he cut his sees Ukraine host Slovenia in Lviv on summer up for grabs, but with suspen- against the world champions, and we from Copenhagen to Malmo, have hand with a knife opening a parcel and Saturday before the return in Maribor sions and injuries giving the Irish man- have accumulated the points. We are plenty of previous in the European needed an operation. “It pleases me next Tuesday. ager plenty to think about. pleased to be here.” While Ireland fin- Championship. Denmark won Euro ‘92 that we get the opportunity to decide Ukraine have been described as a “Make no mistake about it, the ished third behind Germany and in Sweden, but only after losing to the it all at home,” said Danish coach “technically sophisticated and robust games will be difficult, but you Poland in qualifying Group D, Bosnia hosts in the group stage, while a 2-2 Morten Olsen after the draw was made. team” by Slovenia coach Srecko wouldn’t be expecting any sort of came in behind Wales and Belgium in draw between the sides at Euro 2004 in Hungary had been poised to qualify Katanec, but they do not retain happy walkover in play-off games,” said Group B. Portugal took them through to the automatically as the best third-placed memories of qualifying play-offs. O’Neill, who must do without the sus- Mehmed Bazdarevic’s squad fea- quarter-finals at Italy’s expense. team until a late Turkey goal in the Beaten by Slovenia in a play-off for pended Jonathan Walters and John tures the likes of Chelsea goalkeeper Then there was the Euro 2008 quali- 89th minute of their final match took Euro 2000, Ukraine also suffered an O’Shea and injured goalkeeper Shay Asmir Begovic and Roma duo Miralem fier in Copenhagen in 2007 that was them through instead. That was ago- agonising defeat to France in a two- Given. Pjanic and Edin Dzeko. abandoned after a Danish supporter nising for a country with a rich foot- legged tie for a place at the 2014 World Newcastle United goalkeeper Rob And along with that quality comes ran on to the pitch and attacked the balling history but which hasn’t been Cup. The four play-off winners will join Elliot and Southampton striker Shane experience of these occasions, albeit German referee who had just awarded to a major tournament since the 1986 the 19 other qualified nations and the Long scorer of the goal that secured a the memories are not happy-Bosnia Sweden a penalty and sent off World Cup. hosts France in the finals draw in Paris famous 1-0 win over Germany last lost to Portugal in play-offs for the Denmark’s Christian Poulsen for a However, Hungary, coached by on December 12.— AFP Suspended FIFA chief Blatter in hospital, to leave Monday GENEVA: Suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter is in hospital after being placed under medical observation for stress, but he is expect- ing to leave the facility early next week, his spokesman said yesterday. “He is now, at this moment, in hospital,” Blatter’s spokesman Klaus Stoehlker told AFP by phone, adding that Blatter was admitted several days ago. “He is preparing to leave on Monday and will be back on the job on Tuesday,” Stoehlker said. The spokesman added that 79-year-old Blatter had “regained his good humour” and has vowed to persist with “his fight against the (FIFA) ethics committee” which suspended him for 90 days over corruption allegations. “He said to me, ‘I SINGAPORE: Japan’s football head coach Vahid Halilhodzic attends a pre-match was elected FIFA president by 209 congress press conference for the 2018 FIFA Group E World Cup qualifier between Singapore members and no (ethics) commission can force and Japan, in Singapore yesterday. Japan will play against Singapore at the national me out,’” Stoehlker quoted Blatter as saying. stadium today. — AFP Blatter, long the most powerful man in football, suffered a medical incident last weekend and had been placed under medical observation from his home. Revenge mission for Stoehlker previously said the stress-related ailment had been brought on by the pressure Japan in Singapore the embattled Swiss national has faced in recent weeks. Blatter has been at the centre of the ZURICH: A picture taken on July 20, 2015 shows FIFA president Sepp Blatter gesturing during a worst scandal to ever hit world football, which SINGAPORE: Japan coach Vahid sation to the tropical conditions could be a press conference at the football’s world body headquarters in Zurich. Blatter has been hospi- kicked off in May when 14 ex-FIFA official and Halihodzic said his players will be on a mis- factor in selection. talised after being placed under medical observation for stress, but he is expecting to leave sports marketing executives were charged by sion for revenge when they face Singapore “Some players have just arrived from the facility early next week, his spokesman said yesterday. — AFP the US justice department over decades of graft in a World Cup qualifier today. Europe and they are still getting used to and bribery. The Lions spoiled Halihodzic’s first com- the differences in the temperature and the didates are in the running to succeed Blatter, and Uruguay. Blatter was elected to a fifth term as FIFA’s petitive match as the Blue Samurai coach heat so I don’t know who will start the including Platini. “It will be for the US authorities to state president days later, but he has since been five months ago when they repelled every- game yet,” said Halihodzic, who will be tak- whether or not they agree to Uruguay being giv- engulfed by the scandal. In September, Swiss thing that came their way to earn a surprise ing his team on to Phnom Penh for their Figueredo agrees to extradition en priority. If the US authorities do not agree, the prosecutors opened a criminal case against him 0-0 draw at Saitama Stadium. next qualifier against Cambodia on Separately, former FIFA vice president issue will be decided by the FOJ,” a statement over mismanagement and a suspicious $2 mil- Japan have since found their feet in Tuesday. While Japan and Singapore are Eugenio Figueredo, who served under Blatter, from FOJ spokesman Folco Galli said. Figueredo, lion payment made in 2011 to European football Group E, reeling off three consecutive wins tied on 10 points in the group, two points agreed to be extradited from Switzerland to his 83 and a former vice-president of the South chief Michel Platini. in which they have scored 12 goals without behind leaders Syria, Singapore coach home country of Uruguay, where he faces cor- American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), Before he was suspended, Blatter, who has conceding. However, Halihodzic is deter- Bernd Stange is insisted that qualifying for ruption charges. was charged by the US with using his influence been in charge of FIFA since 1998, said he would mined to see his side banish the memories Russia 2018 is not a target for his side. But the extradition could be challenged by to solicit millions of dollars worth of bribes. step down on February 26, next year, when a of their first meeting when they face the “World Cup qualification is more of a the United States justice department, which While Figueredo was detained in Switzerland, FIFA congress elects a new president. Southeast Asian side at Singapore’s matter for Japan but we are aiming to go charged Figueredo as part of its sweeping Uruguayan authorities launched a separate Platini had been favoured to win the vote, National Stadium. “We have a bad memory all the way to the Asian Cup in the United indictments in May. investigation and have since charged him with but his suspension by FIFA’s ethics committee is of the result of our first game against Arab Emirates in 2019,” said the German. The Swiss justice ministry (FOJ) has approved abusing his office.

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