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 . 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. Figueredo continues to fight thought to have hurt his candidacy. Seven can- Singapore so we want revenge. Of course, “We are very proud with what we have Figueredo’s extradition to both the United States against extradition to the United States. —AFP Singapore have a team that will be playing achieved so far. Ten points is a good result for their people but we have determination for us and we now want to go all the way to and quality to look for the victory,” said the the United Arab Emirates. That is our goal Bosnian. and the players are very convinced they “I said to the players that we have to can do that.” The region’s 2018 World Cup show more determination because this qualifying process doubles as a means of game is more difficult than the first one entry to the 2019 Asian Cup, which is because our opponents are playing at expanding to 24 teams for the first time. home, but we have the quality to get the However, Stange does not intend to make win. things easy for Japan as they seek another “I want us to attack and score, but to memorable result against the four-time score a goal is the most difficult thing in Asian Cup winners. football.” “I think that all of us are rather curious to With 11 of Japan’s 23 players arriving in find out whether the 0-0 draw in Japan was Singapore after playing for clubs in Europe an accident or if we can deliver another last weekend, travel fatigue and acclimati- surprise,” he said. —AFP Hunch that put Nepalese football in the dock KATHMANDU: Like most Nepali football agreed to lose matches again and again,” fans, Sarbendra Khanal was bitterly disap- Khanal said. pointed when the country crashed out of World Cup qualifying in 2011. But the veteran Betting syndicates investigator was also suspicious. The Khanal, 49, began his investigation after Himalayan nation was never expected to he was promoted to head the crime division reach the World Cup in Brazil, or even come this year. He started with former defender particularly close. But after results like the Anjan KC, who became a coach after injury thumping 9-0 defeat to Jordan, something cut short his career. seemed amiss. The 28-year-old’s lifestyle and close ties to “Every time I watched a match, it always Dinesh ‘Chari’ Adhikari, a local gangster who seemed to end in a zero for ,” Khanal, died in a police shoot-out last year, immedi- chief of the Metropolitan Police Crime ately raised suspicions. “He frequented casi- Division in Kathmandu, told AFP. “I just could- nos, spent huge amounts on imported cars n’t understand why we kept losing.” His hunch and big houses... he was living beyond his was confirmed by suspicious betting patterns means and we were wondering where the reported by the Sportradar monitoring serv- money came from,” Khanal said. SAN JOSE: Costa Rica’s national team footballers (L) (C) and Bryan Ruiz (R) train at the Proyecto Gol in Ribera de ice, which has a partnership with the Asian A scan of KC’s bank account revealed Belen, 30 km west of San Jose, yesterday. Costa Rica will face Haiti tomorrow in a qualifying match for the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup. — AFP Football Confederation. transactions between the coach and suspect- And it led to a money trail that has now ed match-fixers based in Singapore and left six people, including Nepal’s former cap- Malaysia. According to the charge-sheet seen tain, goalkeeper and a coach, facing match- by AFP, sums ranging from $1,000 to $7,000 Warner denies involvement in 2006 WC scandal fixing claims that could earn them life sen- were deposited in accounts belonging to the BERLIN: Disgraced football official Jack Warner World Cup’s organising committee, which euro ($7.2-million) payment, which is alleged to tences for treason. coach, four players, their relatives and the yesterday denied any wrongdoing in the award- German daily Bild claims was aimed at buying have been used to purchase the support of Five of the accused, who all deny involve- team physiotherapist-all courtesy of the ing of the 2006 World Cup to Germany over a “votes for the German bid”. FIFA’s executive committee. ment in match-fixing, were released on bail at alleged overseas betting syndicates. document appearing to link him to the ongoing The draft contract, which reportedly offered The scandal took a dramatic twist last week a court hearing on Tuesday. The sixth, a phys- The discovery was followed by a coordi- scandal. “I have never, ever had any agreement a lucrative friendly against Germany, but no when police carried out raids at the Frankfurt iotherapist, has been charged in absentia. nated series of arrests last month. In addition of any kind with anyone on Germany’s hosting cash, is with Warner, the ex-president of the headquarters of the German Football With Nepal’s soccer chief Ganesh Thapa to KC, skipper Sagar Thapa and goalkeeper of the 2006 World Cup,” wrote Warner in an Confederation of North, Central American and Association (DFB) and led to Wolfgang also being probed by FIFA for alleged embez- Ritesh Thapa, defender Sandip Rai and former email to broadcaster Sport 1. “I have said a Caribbean (CONCACAF) Niersbach resigning as DFB president on zlement and bribery, and the world body team-mate Bikash Singh Chhetri were also thousand times that I have no intention of talk- who is banned for life by FIFA. Monday. Beckenbauer, who is being investigat- itself convulsed by corruption claims, the six taken into custody on allegations of match- ing or writing to anyone about my 30 years But it remains unclear whether the docu- ed by FIFA’s ethics committee, is staying tight- are not the most high-profile football figures fixing over a period of eight years. “We sojourn in the FIFA. “Nor do I have no intention ment was ever used. German football has lipped on the matter publically, despite growing currently facing accusations. believe that KC was the ringleader, he knew (sic) of joining the international media circus lurched into a crisis over Spiegel magazine’s calls to explain his part in the scandal, and will But they could be the most heavily pun- which players needed money and he target- whose only objective seems to be demean and report last month alleging that the votes of four only speak as part of an official investigation. ished after prosecutors opted for treason ed the ones who would agree to lose match- denigrate.” On Tuesday, the German Football members of FIFA’s executive committee were “Franz Beckenbauer is still available to talk to charges rather than other options which carry es,” Khanal said. The case covers the World Association (DFB) confirmed reports of a draft bought in 2000, when Germany narrowly won the appropriate bodies and will not therefore be lighter sentences. “Stealing doesn’t really Cup qualifiers in 2011 as well as games with agreement, signed in part by Franz the vote to host the 2006 finals. commenting publicly,” his management group cover it... this case is about people who Bangladesh and Afghanistan played at a Beckenbauer, who was chairman of the 2006 At the centre of the scandal is a 6.7 million- said yesterday.—AFP played on behalf of millions of Nepalis and regional competition.—AFP