The Malaysian Insider :: Sports
The Malaysian Insider :: Sports |
| Aguero leads Manchester City to 3-1 win at Newcastle Posted: 15 Dec 2012 06:51 AM PST  Manchester City's Sergio Aguero (C) reacts after Yaya Toure (unseen) scored against Newcastle United during their English Premier League soccer match in Newcastle, northern England December 15, 2012. — Reuters pic United, who can restore their advantage to six points when they host struggling Sunderland in a later kickoff, have 39 points to City's 36. Third-placed Chelsea, on 29, will have a game in hand due to the European champions playing the Club World Cup final in Japan on Sunday. City, determined to come back strongly after the bitter disappointment of losing 3-2 to local rivals United in stoppage time last weekend, were a goal up after 10 minutes at St James' Park. Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure split the defence with a superb pass to find Samir Nasri, adjudged to be just onside, who rolled the ball back for striker Aguero to stroke home. Nasri, mockingly described by City manager Roberto Mancini as only half a man in the defensive wall that failed to keep out Robin van Persie's winner last Sunday, did his best to make amends with a spirited but short-lived performance. The French playmaker smacked the ball against the post in the 20th, with Tim Krul off his line and well beaten, but then limped off after 37 minutes following a heavy challenge by Davide Santon. Javi Garcia headed City's second two minutes later, the Spaniard climbing high to meet a corner that Santon might have cleared off the line had the Italian defender not been completely wrong-footed. City, with no room for Mario Balotelli even on the bench after Mancini said the mercurial Italian needed to train more, looked in control until Demba Ba got Newcastle back into the match with a powerful header six minutes after the break. The goal, after Newcastle defender Fabricio Coloccini hooked the ball high into the box when a corner was cleared, was the Senegal striker's 11th in the league this season. It spurred a Newcastle revival that could easily have seen the scores levelled. However, a 78th minute strike from Toure to calm City's nerves with the Ivorian poking the ball through the home defence off an angled cross from Pablo Zabaleta. Defeat for Newcastle left them in danger of tipping into the relegation places, with the club two points above the drop zone with a haul of 17 points from 17 matches, and increased the pressure on manager Alan Pardew. — Reuters |
| Kosovo wants FIFA membership in bid to play friendlies Posted: 15 Dec 2012 06:11 AM PST BERNE (Kosovo), Dec 15 — Kosovo's football federation (FFK), disappointed at failing to get FIFA approval to play friendly internationals at senior level, said it would now push for membership of soccer's world governing body. FIFA's executive committee agreed on Friday to allow teams from its member associations to play Kosovo sides at "youth, amateur, women's and club football" level. However, it made no mention of Kosovo's request to play at senior international level. "The FIFA executive committee decision is an important decision because it recognises Kosovo's role and participation in international football," said FFK president Fadil Vokkri in a statement sent to Reuters. "We will make the best out of it for the good of our players, teams and clubs. "But that decision is disappointing and not fully satisfactory because it seems to exclude the top national team for unexplained reasons." Kosovo had not previously requested FIFA membership, but Vokkri said that had now changed. "The FFK will present its request for affiliation to FIFA which is the logical step since the majority of the United Nations member states, 97, have recognised Kosovo," it said. "One hundred and eighteen of FIFA's 209 member associations represent countries and territories having recognised Kosovo, meeting the criteria defined in... the FIFA statutes for the affiliation." FIFA agreed in principle to allow Kosovo to play friendlies last May but, following opposition from Serbia and UEFA president Michel Platini, has dallied over how to implement the ruling. In September, Albania captain Lorik Cana and Swiss internationals Xherdan Shaqiri, Granit Xhaka and Velon Behrami were among several Kosovo-born players who sent a declaration to FIFA backing the FFK's campaign. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 but has not yet won recognition from the United Nations. On membership, FIFA statutes state: "Any association which is responsible for organising and supervising football in its country may become a member of FIFA. In this context, the expression "country" shall refer to an independent state recognised by the international community." However, countries can only join FIFA if they are first members of a regional confederation and UEFA only accepts applications from countries which are recognized by the United Nations. — Reuters |
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