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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2014 SPORTS Cup of Nations to go ahead despite Ebola fears RABAT: African football’s governing not, in any case, move towards taking a request and that everyone’s working before come to the rescue of the tourna- matches at the ground of their oppo- body CAF insisted yesterday next year’s risk. The principle of precaution must intelligently and in a manner in which ment organisers, replacing cash- nents. Both will be in action Saturday Africa Cup of Nations finals would go prevail.” Organisers CAF, the the festival of African football remains a strapped Kenya in 1996 and strife-torn with Guinea hosting Ghana and Sierra ahead as scheduled despite the hosts Confederation of African Football, later festival,” Faridi said. Libya last year. Leone meeting Cameroon in Yaounde. Morocco demanding it be postponed insisted that there would be no change However, CAF later added that it had Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia are other Were South Africa chosen, they would over the deadly Ebola epidemic. in the scheduling of the tournament. been conscious of the “health risks from countries with the infrastructure and become the first country to host back- Moroccan health officials fear the bien- CAF “confirms that there is no change Ebola virus and it has implemented the expertise to possibly host the competi- to-back Cup of Nations tournaments. nial, 16-nation, three-week African foot- in the schedule of its competition and precautions as required by the World tion at three months’ notice. South African Football Assocation ball showpiece could trigger a spread of events. We would like to note that since Health Organisation”. Ebola has claimed more than 4,000 boss Danny Jordaan told AFP he had the deadly virus. the first edition of the Africa Cup in CAF contradicted Faridi by saying the lives this year, according to the World received a call from CAF president Issa Dubbing Ebola “a major health prob- 1975, this cup has never been delayed or request made by Morocco would be “dis- Health Organisation, with virtually all Hayatou without divulging the details. lem”, an advisor to Moroccan Sports cancelled”, the Cairo-based body said in cussed during the next meeting of CAF’s the victims coming from west African “I will meet the CAF president next Minister Mohammed Ouzzine reiterated a statement. executive committee on November 2 in countries Guinea, Liberia and Sierra week in Namibia, where he is attending the country’s reluctance to host the The demand to delay the continent’s Algiers”. Leone. the African women’s championship,” tournament. footballing showcase has been lodged The Algiers meeting will be followed Guinea and Sierra Leone are involved Jordaan said. “The overall interest of Morocco, with CAF. And Faridi, speaking before a day later by a meeting between in the qualifying competition for the South African officials are attending Moroccan and African citizens, counts CAF’s statement, hinted that Morocco’s Moroccan officials and CAF, the govern- 2015 tournament, but have been barred an annual meeting of the national foot- above all,” advisor Hamid Faridi told request would be accepted by the body, ing body said. from playing at home. ball association. Egypt have staged the Atlantic Radio yesterday.”Morocco drew with whom a meeting has been set for Should the tournament be shifted The Guineans, ironically, play home championship a record-equalling four up its request on the basis of very seri- “next week”. from Morocco, South Africa could poten- matches in Moroccan city Casablanca times, Tunisia three times and Algeria ous health recommendations. “We can- “I think CAF was expecting this tially step in to stage it, having twice while the Sierra Leoneans play home once.—AFP Keane hat-trick leads Irish rout of Gibraltar DUBLIN: Robbie Keane scored a hat-trick to strike his 63rd international goal. as the Republic of Ireland made easy work McClean then saw a shot well-saved by of beating minnows Gibraltar 7-0 in a Euro Perez but the second goal was not long in 2016 qualifier at Dublin’s Lansdowne Road coming, when Keane ran on to Hoolahan’s yesterday. pass to make it 2-0 against a static defence. Victory saw the Republic make it two Keane then scored his third goal in 12 wins from two in Group D although the minutes with a penalty after the hard- contrast between this match and their next pressed Perez tripped Hoolahan. qualifier, away to world champions Unsurprisingly, some of the Republic’s ini- Germany on Tuesday, could scarcely be tial urgency waned at this point, greater. “It was nice to get the early goal in although Perez made a fine fingertip the game,” Republic manager Martin O’Neill save to keep out McGeady’s powerfully- told Sky Sports. “I thought we got a little struck shot and leave the score 3-0 at half- sloppy in the last 20 minutes of the game time. but outside of that I am very, very pleased. But within 60 seconds of the re-start, the “We have not got any serious injuries, just a Irish had their fourth goal, with the 34-year- couple of knocks and bruises, now we can old Keane, now playing for the LA Galaxy, concentrate on Germany.” squaring to Wigan’s McClean, who duly For Gibraltar, European football govern- tapped in. ing body UEFA’s 54th and youngest mem- Gibraltar, struggling to adjust to the ber nation, it was their second straight 7-0 pace of international football, were 5-0 drubbing after they went down by the down in the 51st minute with a goal that same scoreline against Poland in their first summed up their performance. competitive match last month. Keane tried to lob Perez but the keeper Given Keane’s quickfire treble put the got a hand to the ball. Hoolahan’s follow-up Irish 3-0 up inside 18 minutes, against a was blocked by Scott Wiseman but Perez side with just two full-time players, then inadvertently deflected the ball into Gibraltar did relatively well to avoid a dou- his own net. ble-figure defeat. McClean, after more good work by “It is disappointing but we are all learn- Keane, made it 6-0 with a 53rd minute tap- ing and eventually we will get there,” said in. Minutes later it was 7-0 when, after Gibraltar manager Allen Bula. “Look at all McGeady and Keane combined in the the stats of other teams when they joined build-up, Norwich midfielder Hoolahan UEFA, they lost 6-0, 7-0. Everyone has taken strolled past a couple of attempted chal- a beating, and we will learn.” lenges before shooting from close range. Gibraltar, with a population of fewer Republic of Ireland goalkeeper David GLASGOW: Scotland’s Ikechi Anyah (top) is challenged by Georgia’s Solomon Kverkvella during their Euro 2016 Group D qualifying soccer than 30,000 people and just 600 registered Forde had been a virtual spectator for most match at Ibrox Stadium yesterday. —AP footballers, were not expected to offer of the match but he then made an impres- much in the way of resistance but did at sive save to deny Gibraltar a consolation least keep the score to 3-0 before half-time. goal when he turned Roy Chipolina’s pow- However, the floodgates opened after erful header over the crossbar. Scotland see off Georgia the break as James McClean scored twice, Now the only question was whether Gibraltar keeper Jordan Perez put through Ireland-with Keane having been substitut- GLASGOW: A deflected Shaun Maloney strike “Scotland played better than we played and up the danger. his own net and Wes Hoolahan made it 7-0 ed to make sure he was not injured ahead was enough for Scotland to see off Group D created the chances. I am happy with the second Brown then saw his curling shot whistle just before the hour mark. of the Germany clash-would equal their rivals Georgia 1-0 and pick up their first Euro half but we have to start playing like that from by the post as Scotland went into the break on a It took the Republic just six minutes to record 8-0 victory against Malta in a 1984 2016 qualifying points in Glasgow yesterday. the first minute,” the former Newcastle player high. score their first goal when Hoolahan played European Championship qualifier. But the The home side, buoyed by a good perform- said. Scotland continued to push forward after the in Aiden McGeady behind left-back Joseph fact they did not match that feat was little ance in their narrow 2-1 defeat by world champi- break and, just as it did against Germany, Ikechi Chipolina and his square ball set up Keane consolation for Gibraltar.—AFP ons Germany in their opening fixture, dominat- RASPING LOW SHOT Anya’s pace caused the Georgian defence prob- ed early possession at Ibrox. “We had a good chance in the second half lems with Murtaz Daushvili entering the referee’s However, the Scots could find no way past an but I cannot say we deserved something from book for cruelly halting his surging run. organised Georgian defence until their pressure the game.” Regular Scotland captain Darren Alan Hutton, enjoying a new lease of life at paid off in the 28th minute when Maloney’s Fletcher had found himself on the bench as one Aston Villa after two seasons in the wilderness, well-drilled shot came off defender Akaki of four changes Strachan made from the narrow stampeded forward down the right before find- Khubutia on its way over the line.