Tag Futebol

I mentioned in my blog ‘Africans at the Palace’ a few weeks ago that Palace striker Kwesi Appiah had signed up to play in the inaugural iPAY2PLAY charity football tournament.The brainchild of former Ghana U21 International Papa Agyemang and Peterborough United’s Gabriel Zakuani, iPAY2PLAY aims to raise money for HIV awareness projects in developing areas of Africa through sponsorship, particularly by means of professional footballer and celebrity endorsement.The first ever tournament is scheduled to kick off Monday 21st May at 1pm at Lucozade Powerleague, Wembley Stadium.Each participant will pay towards their place and also raise money.TeamIMANI alongside Tackle Africa (www.tackleafrica.org )will provide a platform for participants to raise funds to help bring change to the lives that really need it.TackleAfrica deliver HIV education through football coaching in six African countries, helping save lives through the beautiful game. Peterborough and Congo player Gabi Zakuani and TeamIMANI will be visiting Ghana with TackleAfrica in June.I’ve actually had the huge privilege to visit Uganda, Zambia and Kenya to help deliver TackleAfrica projects in those countries, alongside a team of other UK-based, TackleAfrica trained volunteers.  TA have developed an amazingly innovative training mannual which combines basic football drills such as passing or shooting, with HIV education messages, and I’ve seen first hand how well this works. It provides behaviour changing education in some of the communities in sub-Saharan Africa worse hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  The overwhelming love for football, and the English game in particular means that TackleAfrica have a fantastic platform for delivering these projects to an audience that laps it up.The iPAY2PLAY tournament has managed to land some major players from the Premier League and international areas, and in addition to our Kwesi, the long list of players and celebrities is below. Click on their names to donate to their fundraising pages.Gabriel Zakuani – Peterborough and DR CongoKwesi Appiah – Crystal PalaceLeon Legge – BrentfordEmmanuel Frimpong – ArsenalYannick Bolasie – Bristol CityEddie Kadi – Comedian and DJKazenga LuaLua – Brighton and Hove AlbionLomana Tresor LuaLua – Blackpool and DR CongoCraig Mackail-Smith – Brighton and Hove AlbionAlbert Adomah – Bristol City and GhanaMatthew Briggs – FulhamKevin J – ComedianKwadwo Asamoah – Udinese and GhanaJustin Hoyte – MiddlesboroughLethal Bizzle – Rap starKojo – Comedian and DJCarlton Cole – West Ham and EnglandNile Ranger – Newcastle and England U21

iPAY2PLAY will consist of four 5-a-side teams; three of which are comprised of professional players & celebrities and one of a corporate sponsors. Teams will play each other once, after which there will be a further two matches between the first and second-placed teams and third and fourth-placed teams to determine the Champions and third and fourth places respectively.

iPAY2PLAY will be covered by Sky Sports, BBC Sport, VOX Africa TV, The Voice Newspaper and many more.

Partners include: TeamIMANI, The Sports Clinic, Tackle Africa, Lucozade Powerleague and Everyday I’m Tackling.

If anyone wants to get involved, there are opportunities for much needed corporate sponsorship.

If your company are interested in entering a team to play against professional footballers, contact [email protected]

To donate £20 or more, text ‘IPAY12’ and your amount to 70070 or visit www.justgiving.com/ipay2play

TeamIMANI® (Swahili: Faith) is a London-based sports and lifestyle apparel brand which aims to transcend religious and political divisions, instead promoting the idea of unity, inspiration through faith alone.

www.teamimani.com

Tweets by TeamIMANI

http://www.facebook.com/TeamIMANI

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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes the rules concerning the tapping up of players must be reviewed.Wenger has watched as clubs have chased Arsenal’s Samir Nasri throughout the off-season, with Manchester United and Manchester City strongly linked to the France midfielder.

Although the rules say that clubs cannot speak to players without the permission of the clubs involved, Wenger feels that they are not respected.

When quizzed if he thought other clubs had tapped-up his players, Wenger offered this response: “I would like to return the question to you.”

“What do you think? We live in a realistic world. I do not want to assess what I cannot prove.”

“I know how things happen. It doesn’t necessarily go through the player or the agent but I think it is a rule that has to be reviewed. It’s not really respected.”

Wenger re-iterated that he did not want to lose Nasri and captain Cesc Fabregas, who has been linked with a return to Barcelona.

Wenger said any additions to the squad would be focused on quality, and that he would not add players for the sake of it.

“It’s not the number, it’s the quality,” he said.

“How many will leave the club? I said from the start I will fight to keep everybody. Nicklas Bendtner might go and Emmanuel Eboue might go. They can talk to clubs, but the rest I will fight.”

Wenger’s first addition to his squad was Lille striker Gervinho, who is said to have cost around 10 million pounds.

The new Arsenal striker bagged a brace against Cologne in a 2-1 friendly win on Saturday and Wenger was pleased with what he saw.

“You could see how quick he is to get behind defenders,” he said.

“He has qualities that are always very interesting for a team like us. I hope (he’ll be a bargain). When you see all the fees around you become dizzy.”

“We do what we want and we look first at the quality of the player and after if we have the money we spend it. In this case he wanted to join us. He had only one year on his contract, so it was a good opportunity for us.”

Everton anchorman Marouane Fellaini admits his team-mates are angry following last week’s shocking 4-1 Premier League home loss to West Bromwich Albion and they want to put the record straight at Chelsea this Saturday.

The giant Belgian makes a return to the squad after missing the previous three games after seeing red in last month’s 1-1 draw with Bolton Wanderers and he now wants to play his part in the capital after a frustrating spell on the sidelines.

“All the players are still angry after losing that game at home,” he said.

“We are hoping for a good performance now to bounce back. Chelsea are a big team and a dangerous team. But we have a good record against them and tend to play better against good teams.

“Hopefully it’s the same again. We are motivated to do well against the big players. I have had a frustrating time.

“I was injured then I got back training again, the manager gave me confidence, I played again and then was sent off.

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“It is positive in a way because I have thought a lot about it and I know it is my mistake, my error and I will not do it again. I have trained hard while I have been suspended and am ready to play. The manager will decide whether I play or not but I am ready.”

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Brazil is a country that has provided an endless conveyor belt of talent across the Atlantic Ocean and onto European shores. Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho are just a select few of imports from the Samba nation that took the continent by storm, achieving huge success. There are many youngsters hoping to follow the well-trodden legendary path onto the greatest stage of club football and one such player is Interncaional striker Leandro Damiao. The 22-year-old has been incessantly linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur recently and with the club being accused of faltering at the final hurdle, he could certainly be the man to end their status as underachievers.

Damiao is not your typical Brazilian striker. He is an imposing, languid forward who provides a tremendous physical presence. Capable of scoring any kind of goal, he has already amassed a large portfolio from acrobatic finishes to poacher’s strikes. He rose to prominence last year as he netted an impressive 38 goals in 51 games for Internacional. Deadly in the box, Damiao has a fantastic sense of positioning that frequently puts him in the right place at the right time.

His excellent form for the Porto Alegre side was noted by Brazil coach Mano Menezes who drafted the prolific forward in for international duty. Damiao has since made five appearances for the Selecao with his first international goal coming against Ghana in September last year. Having made a strong case for regular selection, the 22-year-old is now widely tipped to lead the line for Brazil at the 2014 World Cup.

Despite his youth, Damiao is no stranger to responsibility. A fixture in one of Brazilian football’s premier clubs, the commanding striker is not one to shy away from the big occasion. Not long after his 21st birthday Damiao came on from the bench in the 2010 Copa Libertadores final. With his team narrowly hanging on to a first-leg advantage the striker made an instant impact, putting his side into the lead within four minutes of being on the pitch and leading the side to continental glory.

Another part of that Copa Libertadores winning unit was Sandro, a player who has enjoyed immense development in north London since his transfer. The deal was struck as part of the two clubs affiliation and the midfielder will no doubt attempt to encourage his compatriot to join him at White Hart Lane. Sandro may have endured a difficult start in the English capital but his progression will provide sound reasoning for Damiao to seriously consider a move to Tottenham.

Damiao rapid progression never ceases to amaze and he is becoming an ever more rounded player. Tottenham are looking to make Emmanuel Adebayor’s loan move from Manchester City permanent, but in the Brazilian they would possess ambitious striker, eager to make his mark on the European stage. The Togolese may have impressed during his spell at White Hart Lane, but Damiao offers different qualities. He thrives with the ball played into him and remains composed under pressure. He can retain the ball and involve the players around him, bringing the best out of the supporting wide players and midfielders.

He may not be proven on the European stage but the 22-year-old represents a cheaper and more exciting prospect. Tottenham will face stiff competition to acquire his services with both Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus taking an interest in the striker, but if they can win the race for his signature it could prove to be a real coup in the coming seasons.

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Who do you think could be the man to solve Tottenham’s striker problems? Let me know on Twitter.

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Emmanuel Adebayor has stated that he will train by himself instead of returning to Manchester City, as the former Arsenal striker has been omitted from the club’s pre-season tour to the United States.

The 27-year-old found himself out of favour with Roberto Mancini in 2010/11 and spent the second half of the season on loan at Real Madrid. Following the Spanish side’s decision not to take up a permanent deal for the attacker, the former Togo international has confirmed he has been summoned back to England in an impersonal e-mail.

“This is very hurtful and insulting and says a lot about Manchester City,” the African frontman told The Sun.

“On the one hand they want to become the biggest, most successful club in the world, yet the people who run the club are not acting in that way at all. No one at City is man enough to speak to me face-to-face to explain. I just received an email from Brian Marwood’s secretary, a lady at the club called Claire, telling me to report for training on July 9,” he continued.

However, whilst City’s first team has travelled across the Atlantic to start pre-season fixtures, Adebayor has maintained that he will not be training with the reserve side in their absence.

“When I spoke to the other players, I found out the first team was leaving for the pre-season tour of the USA on July 8. So it’s clear they don’t want me here but no one even called. Brian Marwood just got his secretary to send me an email. And I heard this was the same with at least six other players.

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“But I can tell them this. I will not be turning up on July 9 to train with the reserves. No chance. I will train on my own,” he concluded.

The comments all but confirm a departure from Eastlands, with Tottenham, Paris St Germain and Zenit St Petersburg being linked with a move for him this summer.

According to a high placed source at the London club, Ray Wilkins lost his job after some first-team players raised concern over the ability of their coach. In light of Chelsea’s successive league defeat the press seem to have gone wild in search of reasons for the team’s instant loss of form.

There is no secret that Chelsea have a long list of injuries, but it seems the main catalyst for their recent poor results is the furor that surrounds the sacking of former coach Ray Wilkins.

There has been little news as to why Wilkins contract was terminated with immediate effect, and rumours are now beginning to circulate. One such rumour would have us believe that player power has once again come to the fore, much like it did with Scolari, and Wilkins has become its latest victim.

The Guardian reports “that Ancelotti was aware of some of his players’ concerns about Wilkins, and did not stand in the way of the dismissal.” If this is true, it seems that the players have once again proved they have sufficient influence and clout to call the shots within the club.

The plot thickens, as today “Carlo Ancelotti has made the startling admission that he does not consider himself to be in control at Chelsea after effectively seeing his position at the Premier League champions undermined by the surprise dismissal of his assistant first-team coach Ray Wilkins.”

If Ancelotti feels that he is not in control, then the question lies, who is in control? Well, Ancelotti’s remarks would certainly add weight behind the premise that player power is still causing trouble at Chelsea.

However, “It was Avram Grant’s imposed appointment as director of football in 2007 which clearly heralded the beginning of the end for José Mourinho.” Whether the players or the powers that be are at fault for Ray Wilkins departure, it would certainly seem as if lightning is about to strike twice at Stamford Bridge. What do you think? Comment and shed some light on this complex situation.

If you like what I’ve written why not follow me on twitter, where you can also keep up to date with the latest Chelsea news!

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Bolton are hopeful that Fabrice Muamba will be healthy enough to return to his north west home by the end of the week.

The former England under-21 international had a cardiac arrest on the White Hart Lane pitch in the Trotters’ FA Cup fixture with Tottenham on February 18th, and has been in a battle for his life since.

Muamba has been making steady signs of recovery however, and Owen Coyle is optimistic that the midfielder can get back to a normal life.

“He’s doing well. My hope is that he comes back to have a great family life and anything on top of that will be a bonus,” the Scottish coach told The Sun.

“With his improvement there’s always hope, but we don’t get too far ahead of ourselves.

“Although we got an incredible lift from his improvement we still have to give it some balance,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Manchester United have moved closer to completing the signing of Phil Jones, after reaching an agreement with Blackburn Rovers.English Premier League champions United were expected to announce the move last week, but it was not until Monday they revealed terms had been agreed with Blackburn after discussions between the respective clubs’ lawyers.

The agreed fee is reportedly in the region of 16.5 million pounds, which may rise to as much as 20 million depending on appearances and Jones’ medal haul at Old Trafford.

United have agreed to a five-year deal with the England Under-21 international.

“Manchester United is delighted to announce it has signed an agreement with Blackburn Rovers for the transfer of Phil Jones,” a statement on the club’s website read.

“The player passed a medical in Manchester last week and has agreed to a five-year contract. The deal will be completed once the player returns from international duty.”

Blackburn also wished centre-back Jones, who played for England in their 1-1 draw with Spain at the European Under-21 Championships on Sunday, all the best in his move to Old Trafford.

“Much as we would love him to stay on with us – and we made all efforts to convince him to stay – Phil has to finally follow his heart,” a Blackburn statement said.

“We are extremely happy with his contribution to our team and we wish him all the very best in his future endeavours.”

Jones is expected to form a defensive partnership with 21-year-old Chris Smalling when experienced duo Rio Ferdinand, 32, and Nemanja Vidic, 29, move on.

United are also expected to finalise the signing of Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea, who manager Sir Alex Ferguson said last month would be joining from Atletico Madrid.

In addition to Jones and de Gea, Ferguson is rumoured to be interested in Aston Villa winger Ashley Young.

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has admitted Lee Cattermole was fortunate to escape a red card, after he handled Kenwyne Jones' header on the line in Saturday's 2-0 win over Stoke City.

The former Black Cats forward's nodded effort was set for the back of the net until Cattermole's intervention, but referee Martin Atkinson missed the incident at the Stadium of Light.

Asamoah Gyan's brace secured the victory for the hosts, but Bruce has conceded his team were let off the hook.

Bruce also praised his players for their spirit after their 5-1 humbling at north east rivals Newcastle United last weekend.

"I think it clips the bar, that takes it away from Cattermole, there is no disputing it is handball," he said.

"We got away with one, but we might have won 2-1 anyway, they at the time were shouting for a goal and I think the referee got that right, but there is no hiding it was handball.

"We have plenty of occasions this year where it hasn't gone for us. Whether it is pivotal who knows, after the week we have had, we are due a bit of luck."

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"It has been a tough week, you have all been in the North East long enough, I am pleased with all the players, the young players they will all learn from it and they were determined to try and make amends and we have repaired some damage, thankfully it showed some bottle after a really difficult week.

"The players have worked extremely hard all week."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Newcastle could face the threat of losing Demba Ba to Paris Saint-Germain, according to TalkSport.

The Newcastle forward has been the subject of plenty of transfer speculation in and around Europe in the past few months, given his impressive form for the Magpies that has seen Ba yield some 16 goals so far this term.

PSG are the latest club to express an interest in the Senegalese striker and join a plethora of clubs who have been alerted by the reports that the striker has a buyout clause in his contract of just £7m.

Why Demba Ba has previously dismissed all transfer speculation, claiming to be happy and content on Tyneside, the type of money that could potentially be on offer in the French capital may be too hard to resist if the Ligue 1 giants meet the initial £7m fee for the striker.

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