Sports FRIDAY, JULY 18 , 2014 Kenya eye CAN success after World Cup visit JOHANNESBURG: Watching World Cup matches in Brazil Angola and Gabon in a mini-league. the biennial tournament. Uganda were scheduled to play has convinced the football stars of Kenya they can qualify The six-match group phase kicks off in September, lasts Equatorial Guinea, but the central Africans were disquali- for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) in Morocco. A three months, and the top two finishers are guaranteed fied for fielding ineligible Cameroon-born Thierry Fidjeu. country famous for their athletes has not featured at the places at the tournament. Kenya hardly justified the opti- Mauritania, beaten 3-1 on aggregate by the continental football showpiece since making a first-round mism of Onyango this week when held 0-0 by Burundi in a Equatoguineans, were restored to the competition and vis- exit 10 years ago. Nairobi warm-up that turned nasty during the second half. it a Ugandan side battling to score. The ‘Cranes’ managed But ‘Harambee Stars’ goalkeeper Jeremy Onyango Harambee Stars midfielder Victor Wanyama from English just one against the Seychelles and played a goalless draw believes that is about to change as they prepare for a third- Premier League club Southampton was sent off for hack- with Malawi this week in a warm-up that concerned coach round eliminator in Lesotho this weekend. ing down an opponent. Lesotho had to substitute mid- Milutin Sredojevic. “An inability to score is a chronic prob- Onyango was among 16 players and four coaches who fielders Ralekoti Mokhahlane and Motlalepula Mofolo and lem in Uganda,” admitted the Serb. “We must attack from travelled to Brazil thanks to the generosity of President striker Thapelo Tale during a bruising 2-0 warm-up loss the right, the centre and the left to try and score goals.” Uhuru Kenyatta. The head of state told the national team away to Botswana. Tanzania received a boost before hosting neighbours he would bankroll a visit to the World Cup after they won But coach Seephephe Matete is hopeful the injured trio Mozambique when star frontmen Mbwana Samata and the regional CECAFA Challenge Cup last December. will recover as his ‘Crocodiles’ try to build on a surprise 2-0 Thomas Ulimwengu were freed by Democratic Republic of Onyango told Kenyan reporters the trip was an eye-opener home win over Liberia in the previous round. Congo outfit TP Mazembe. The Lubumbashi club are in for him and his team-mates. “Seeing is believing. We He was unconcerned about the Botswana result: “It is a Tunisia preparing for the resumption of the CAF watched the stars from the stands and realised they do not timely wake-up call to my players, who tend to relax when Champions League next weekend. Midfielder Arnaud possess extraordinary skills that we lack. “We only need to results are going well for them.” Mendy from English fifth-tier club Lincoln City is in the believe in ourselves and we will do well in the Africa Cup of It is 36 years since Uganda last played in the Cup of Guinea-Bissau squad for an away game against Botswana. Nations qualifiers,” stressed the shot-stopper. Nations finals and 34 years since Tanzania made their soli- Malawi have axed full-back and captain Moses Chavula Should Kenya eliminate Lesotho in a two-leg tie, they tary appearance. Both enjoy home advantage as they try to and must do without injured midfielder Robert Ng’ambi would join 2013 Africa Cup runners-up Burkina Faso, edge closer to ending embarrassingly-long absences from when they meet Benin in Cotonou.—AFP Germany return to top of FIFA’s rankings PARIS: Germany’s charge to claim Sunday’s der ten places to 20th, their lowest ranking for World Cup title has seen them return to the top 18 years. of FIFA’s world rankings for the first time in around 20 years. Latest FIFA rankings The latest list, published yesterday, has 1. Germany (+1) Germany moving up one place on the strength 2. Argentina (+3) of their 1-0 defeat of Argentina ar Rio de 3. Netherlands (+12) Janeiro’s Maracana. 4. Colombia (+4) Lionel Messi’s Argentina are placed second, 5. Belgium (+6) an improvement of three places, with the 6. Uruguay (+1) Netherlands leaping 12 rungs into third after 7. Brazil (-4) their impressive World Cup third place finish. 8. Spain (-7) The James Rodriguez-inspired Colombia 9. Switzerland (-3) move up to fourth (+4), ahead of Belgium (+6) 10. France (+7) and Uruguay while disappointing Brazil 11. Portugal (-7) dropped four spots to seventh. 12. Chile (+2) Deposed world champions Spain slumped 13. Greece (-1) seven spots to their new modest placing of 14. Italy (-5) eighth, with Switzerland and France (+7) com- 15. USA (-2) pleting the top ten. Costa Rica’s remarkable 16. Costa Rica (+12) charge to the quarter-finals was rewarded with 17. Croatia (+1) a jump of 12 places to 16th. 18. Mexico (+2) England’s woeful first round exit resulted in 19. Bosnia and Hercegovina (+2) Roy Hodgson’s side plummeting down the lad- 20. England (-10). — AFP DENMARK: Simon Makienok of Brondby (left) vies with Martin Skrtel of Liverpool at Broendby stadium during friendly match. Broendby won 2-1. — AFP Pakistan to tour India KARACHI: Pakistan’s football team are set to The PFF attempted to play against India in Liverpool lose to Brondby tour India for a two-match series, officials said England in 2011 but the plan was shelved yesterday, as the two nations resume their after sponsors backed out. A triangular series LONDON: Liverpool started life without Luis in young players that are hungry,” said Rodgers. rivalry after a nine-year hiatus. The last time in England, involving India, Pakistan and Suarez on Wednesday with a 2-1 defeat against “We will progress again from last season. It’s the two sides met was in 2005 when India Bangladesh was also cancelled last year due Danish side Brondby in the club’s opening pre- going to be a really exciting season. I’ve seen toured Pakistan for a three-match series to lack of funds. When India toured Pakistan season friendly. development in the players already in the short which ended with one match apiece and a the first match at Quetta ended in a 1-1 draw Christian Norgaard gave the home side the period of time that we’ve been back. This sea- draw, though the hosts scored more goals. while India went in front with a 1-0 victory in lead from a free-kick midway through the first son we have the belief to go along with the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) secre- Peshawar. half before Liverpool’s Swedish international quality. tary Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi said the team will Pakistan won the third and final match winger Kristoffer Peterson levelled early in the “We want to improve and continually play both matches in the southern Indian city Lahore 3-0, taking the series on better goal second half. improve. We’re working very hard behind the of Bangalore. “We have been making all-out average. India, a cricket mad country, has But Ferhan Hasani hit the Brondby winner in scenes, as we always do, in terms of getting the efforts to revive football ties with India and shown greater interest in football after intro- stoppage time. Liverpool manager Brendan best quality players into the club.” hope that these matches will prove to be a ducing the Super Football League to be held Rodgers shrugged off the loss in the team’s first Chelsea defeated fourth-tier Wycombe landmark in the sports relations of the two in September this year. They will also hold game since Suarez’s EUR95 million ($128 mil- Wanderers 5-0 with Patrick Bamford, Izzy Brown countries,” Lodhi told AFP. the Under-17 FIFA World Cup in 2017, target- lion) move to Barcelona, preferring to concen- (2), John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic on the Pakistan team will visit India from August ing a big youth population to get inspired trate on the challenges of the new Premier scoresheet. In Austria, Crystal Palace enjoyed a 16 to 21 and play matches on August 17 and from the world event. But both India and League season which starts on August 16. 13-1 romp at GAK Graz with Stephen Dobbie 20 in Bangalore. India cut all bilateral sport- Pakistan lag at the bottom of the FIFA team “This year, we know it’s going to be extreme- grabbing four goals and Glenn Murray, Joe ing ties with Pakistan in the wake of 2008 rankings released after the World Cup in ly competitive. Every team will strengthen and Ledley and Jonathan Williams all netting twice. Mumbai attacks, which were carried out by Brazil this week. India are 151 in the world we’ll be exactly the same. But the beauty for us Yannick Bolasie, Jerome Thomas and Marouane Pakistan-based militants. while Pakistan languishes at 165. — AFP is that we’re a young group and we’re bringing Chamakh finished off the rout. — AFP.