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South Africa announce World Cup plans

March 31, 2008

South Africa have announced that their domestic football season will end three months early in 2010 to give national team manager Carlos Alberto Parreira  maximum preparation time for the World Cup Finals.

The Premier Soccer League (PSL) will end in March instead of May, allowing the former Brazilian World Cup winners time to work with his squad in a specially arranged training camp. With South Africa hosting the 2010 Finals, the South African FA are understanably keen to do everything in their power to ensure the success of the national team at the tournament.

“We are doing this because we want to assist the national team in the best way we can. The World Cup year is a big football year,” PSL chief operating officer Ronnie Schloss told the Johannesburg-based Sunday Times newspaper.

Somewhat bizzarely, Parreira had requested that the players be released from their clubs a massive seven months before the tournament began, but that was understandbly rejected.

Parreira has been under fire over the team’s first-round exit at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in January, with the team ranked only 71 in the world.

However, last weeks 3-0 victory over Paraguay - South Africa’s first victory over South American opposition - has eased the pressure in what was a much improved performance.

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Vogts to lead Azerbaijan charge

March 31, 2008

Former Scotland manager Berti Vogts has been appointed as the new manager of Azerbaijan, announced the Azeri FA on Sunday.

The 61 year old, who also managed the German National Team, will take over from Macedonian Gjoko Hadzievski after Azerbaijan finished bottom of their qualifying section for EURO 2008.

Vogts was the German manager when they won the European Championships in 1996, but his reputation has suffered greatly since then after a much criticised spell in charge of the Scottish national team, which included several embarrasments including a 4-0 thumping by Wales and failure to reach Euro 2004.

He then took over as manager of Nigeria, but quit after a disappointing African Nations Cup, in which the Super Eagles exited at the quarter finals to host nation Ghana.

The German, who won the FIFA World Cup in 1974 as a player, has also held the reins of the Kuwait national teams and Bundesliga outfit Bayer Lerverkusen.

Vogts has signed a two year contract with Azerbaijan, to lead them through the qualifying phase for the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa. Although qualification for the tournament itself is an almost impossible task from a group which also includes Germany and Russia, Vogts will be expected to improve the fortunes of the national team and avoid bottom spot.

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2010 World Cup City Guide - Cape Town

March 30, 2008

Cape Town also known as the Mother City is the 2nd largest city in South Africa with a population size of around 3million inhabitants.  Cape Town is the provincial capital of the Western Cape and acts as the legislative capital for the whole of the South African republic. Many of the government buildings including the parliament itself are located within Cape Town. The judicial and executive departments lie in South Africa’s other major cities.

Cape Town history was not documented until about the 15th century when the first Europeans visited the area so little is known about the cities inhabitants before then.  The Dutch controlled the city from 1652 as they used it as a major shipping port to the Dutch colonies in the East Indies. Labour at that time was quite hard to find in Cape Town so lot of slaves had to be brought into the country. The British took advantage of the Netherlands battle with France during the Napoleonic wars in 1795 to take control of the Cape area. The Cape switched between being British owned and Dutch owned quite a few times before the Anglo-Dutch treaty of 1814 where Cape Town permanently moved to being under British control.

The British formed the Union of South Africa in 1910 making Cape Town the legislative capital for the union which consisted in the city itself and the defeated Boer republics.

The prison that Nelson Mandela was held captive in for his anti-apartheid movement is 10km off of the Coast of the city and it was from the Cape Town City Hall that he made his first public speech since his release which signalled the beginning of a new era for South Africa. Since then South Africa have held their first democratic elections (1994)  and although the country still has some major problems especially with HIV/Aids and violent drug crime they are making progress and the economy has been in a boom due to  ever increasing tourism and property opportunities. 

Cape Town has hosted a variety of sporting events over the past decade or so with the 2 most notable being the Rugby World Cup in 1995 and the 2003 Cricket World Cup but the 2010 World Cup will by far be the biggest sporting event ever held on South African soil.

Cape Town has 2 football teams that play in South Africa s premier league; these are Ajax Cape Town and Santos. Cape Town will host games for the 2010 World Cup in the new 70,000 seater stadium they are building in the Green Point Area of the city.

Transport in Cape Town

The public transport in the city is terrible. It is improving but it is going to take quite a while to catch up with European standards.

The buses and trains are mostly used by the locals if you decide to use the buses remember to ask the drivers where the bus is going exactly as it is very easy to get lost and end up in an undesirable bit of town. The trains are best avoided if they can be but if you decide to use them always pay for a first class ticket and never ride after dark. Tourists are a major target for thieves on the train so don’t carry your camera with you and don’t wear any jewellery even earrings.

By far the best way to get around the city is to have your own car but this can obviously be difficult if you are not 100% sure where you are going so the next best alternative is the metered council run taxis which are considered as being safe .
We will run through all the transport options for you:

The buses are run by the Golden arrow bus company and if you check out their website below you can get details on routes and times of the buses.

http://www.gabs.co.za/

The trains are run by Metrorail and the station in Cape Town is situated right in the centre of the city on the corner of Adderley Street and Strand Street. You can check out the routes and times at the link below.

http://www.capemetrorail.co.za/

Car Hire

There are a number of reputable car hire companies in Cape Town where you can hire a car. Below are a few links to the major ones and you can pick up from the airport on arrival.

Car Hire in Cape Town 2010 World Cup

Metered Taxis are available either from outside most major hotels or by arrangement with a hotel to call one for you. They are reasonably cheap and have a meter rate on the door when you get into the cars so you have some sort of idea what you are paying. You can also negotiate a set fee with the taxi driver if you are going slightly further afield. These are run as mentioned previously by the local council so are seen as one of the safest options for travelling around the city.

Minibus taxi these are used mostly by locals as they don’t have set routes and can be quite confusing for tourists. If you can afford a metered taxi that is the best way to go but if you feel the need to use a minibus taxi make sure you ask the driver where exactly he is going to drop you off as often you get dropped off close to your destination but not exactly at it.

Scooters and motorbikes are a very popular way to get around the busy city and you are able to hire them from this site http://www.ldvbiking.com/index.html who seem to offer excellent prices.

Tourist Attractions in Cape Town

Cape Town has lots of attractions to visit and lots of fun activities to do.

The Castle of Good Hope which has an interesting history and with a military museum and an art collection is an afternoon well spent.

Robben Island where Nelson Mandela, as well as other political prisoners, were held captive during apartheid. There are a number of trips a day to the island but they are booked quite far in advance so you will have to arrange the trip as soon as you arrive. The tour runs from the Nelson Mandela gate at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.

For more info visit http://www.robben-island.org.za/

Kirstenboch Botanical Gardens is one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the world, displaying plants from all over South Africa.

The South African Parliament is worth a visit to find out about the country’s political system and the history of how they got to where they are now.

Two Oceans Aquarium located on the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and is worth a visit to see the weird and wonderful sea creatures that live in the waters around Cape Town. For more info visit http://www.aquarium.co.za/

The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is a tourist spot in itself with dozens of bars, restaurant and shops. This is also where a lot of the tours start from. For more info visit http://www.waterfront.co.za/

If you are into museums then there are a whole host of them throughout the city here are just a few of them:

Bo-Kaap Museum which is located in the Muslim section of the city the address is 71, Wale Street Bo-Kaap.

South African National Gallery contains some of the finest pieces of South African art. Located just off Government Avenue.

District Six Museum gives the history of the area which was attempted to be cleared of all other races except whites during the apartheid. Eventually all the buildings were bulldozed and the area still remains uninhabited. Located at 25A Buitenkant Street.

South African Maritime Museum which is located at the Victoria and Albert Waterfront.

Things to do in Cape Town

Cape Town’s surroundings mean there are lots of activities to do all in the one place. You can go deep sea fishing; you can go hiking on Table Top Mountain as well as the other peaks but if that is just too energetic for you there is also a cable car to the top (check out http://www.tablemountain.net/ for more info). Water sports are also available on the many beaches in Cape Town. Both coasts are equally popular with the Atlantic coast having a well developed shopping and restaurant scene but the water in the False Bay beaches are much warmer than the Atlantic coast as the water comes from the glacial melts of Antarctica.

If you are interested in Deep Sea Fishing Cape Town is ideal and it is available all year round. There are a few different charters that we recommend these are:

Have a look at their website for location and pricing details.

Shark Cage Diving is available from Gansbaai which is about 90 minutes outside of Cape Town. You are able to come face to face with a great white all safe in your cage. There are a few companies offering this exhilarating service:

Scuba Diving opportunities are fantastic in Cape Town as a result of the 2 different seas to choose from, the Atlantic ocean and the Indian. There are a couple of companies that you can book with and will take you to the best spots depending on the time of the year that you go.

These are:
Scuba Shack - http://www.scubashack.co.za/
Dive Action - http://www.scubadivecapetown.com/

Surfing and Kite Surfing in Cape Town is world renowned because of the top class surf breaks. If you are not a pro and need lessons then the companies below can provide this for you.

Cape Sports Centre offer kite surfing and windsurfing lessons
http://www.capesport.co.za/kitesurfinglessons.asp

Downhill adventures provide surfing lessons
http://www.downhilladventures.com/surfing.php

Hiking routes around Cape Town are simply amazing with literally breathtaking views. If you are an experienced hiker then check out:

Hike Cape Town - http://www.hikecapetown.co.za/  for information on walking in and around the city.
If you are less experienced or just would like someone to guide you this can also be arranged.

Have a look at:
Table Mountain Walks - http://www.tablemountainwalks.co.za/  or
Take-a-Hike - http://www.take-a-hike.co.za/
For options of guided walking tours.

Tours in and Around the City

There are plenty of tours available in Cape Town covering a variety of activities whether they be within or out with the city. Some of the options available are:

African Eagle Day Tours who offer a wide range of full or half day tours. http://www.daytours.co.za/

Day Trippers offer more energetic adventure trips as well as township tours and mountain biking activities. http://www.daytrippers.co.za/

Legend tourism offer personalised tours as well as standard tours http://www.legendtourism.co.za/

Hylton Ross offer a huge range of tours from Wineland tours to whale watching http://www.hyltonross.co.za/

Waterfront Boat Company offer once in a lifetime extreme trips such as helicopter trips and speed boat cruises. If you can afford it these are not to be missed http://www.waterfrontboats.co.za/

Food and Drink - Eating Out

Restaurants

It is always worth asking your hotel for some recommendations on where to go for dinner locally as they can often advise a nice little traditional restaurant to let you try the local delicacies this site is also a place to check out for some of the top restaurants in Cape Town: http://www.wininganddining.co.za/western-cape/cape-town

Some of the local delicacies to look out for on the menu are:

    Bobotie which is a curried mince with an egg based toppings
    Smoorsnoek a stew consisting of flaked fish with tomatoes and potatoes
    Bredie another type of stew
    Milk Tart a local form of a custard tart

Some of our recommendations for eating out to experience the traditional Cape flavours are:

Jonkershuis located at Groot Constantia for booking info check out: http://www.grootconstantia.co.za/30/jonkershuis_restaurant_at_groot_constantia

Emily’s located at the Victoria and Albert waterfront and is the 2008 waterfront restaurant of the year and one of the best known restaurants in South Africa. Booking info is located at http://www.emily-s.com/home.htm

The Cape Malay Restaurant located in the Cellars-Hohenort Hotel in Constantia is another restaurant we recommend for some of the best dining in the whole of Cape Town. Booking info available at http://www.dining-out.co.za/member_details-MemberID-48.html

Africa Café located on Shortmarket Street is perfect for those looking to try traditional African fare. Booking info available from http://www.africacafe.co.za/start_index.html

Marco’s African Palace is found in the Bo-Kaap district and has many specialities including springbok and ostrich. Booking info available from http://www.marcosafricanplace.co.za/

The Green Dolphin located on the Victoria and Albert waterfront allows you to enjoy some Jazz music with your dinner. Booking info available at http://www.greendolphin.co.za/

Bars and Clubs
Caveau Wine Bar and Deli has over 300 wines from which to choose and they are even available by the glass. There are 2 locations in Cape Town one at Heritage Square and the other Newlands. Check out http://www.caveau.co.za/  for more info.

The Nose Wine Bar located at Green Point has local live entertainment to keep you amused while you sip at your tasty yet pricey glass of wine. Check out http://www.thenose.co.za  for more info.

Mannenbergs Jazz Café another popular spot down at the Victoria and Albert waterfront specialising in coffee during the day and Jazz in the evening. Reservations are essential for this hotspot as some of the top jazz musicians perform here. Check out http://www.manenbergsjazzcafe.com  for more info.

Blushlounge located at Greenpoint is a bar, lounge and nightclub for the young professionals. Very stylish bar with quality service. Check out http://www.blushlounge.co.za/  for more info.

Intercity Travel

The World Cup is going to be located in 9 different cities and unfortunately South Africa is much bigger than the UK which means that travelling times can be huge between different cities. There are a few different options when it comes to travelling.

By Train

    Bloemfontein – Weekly (21 hours)
    Durban – Weekly (36.5 hours)
    Johannesburg – Daily (25 hours)
    Nelspruit - Connection from Johannesburg
    Polokwane – Connection from Johannesburg
    Pretoria - Connection from Johannesburg

Check out http://www.spoornet.co.za/SpoornetWebContentSAP/html/passengers.htm  for train routes and times. The information on their will be more up to date than the information we have here as they have still to do many of the planned track upgrades.

By Bus
There are a few major intercity bus companies in Cape Town check out the links below for the route and pricing details:

Each of the companies above offer a comfortable air conditioned coach service to the various cities, make sure to have a look at all of them to check out the most direct route and the best price.

By Car
If you decided to hire a car (see link to available car hire companies above) then you can drive to the other cities. If you decide to do this make sure to get a good quality road map or indeed a sat nav unit with the South African Cities programmed into it. Your hotel should be able to advise you of the best route to take and what areas to avoid.

http://www.shellgeostar.co.za/  offers a map routing service which also points out the petrol stations etc. This is a good place to start if you are considering travelling by car between the cities.

By Air
This is by far the quickest way to city hop and isn’t as expensive as you might think. It is ideal if you are going to have to travel between different cities for the World Cup. There are a few major budget in-house airlines that are ideal for city hopping these are:

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Peruvian stars out of 2010 World Cup

March 30, 2008

Peru’s hopes of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup Finals have been dealt a massive blow after stars strikers Claudio Pizarro and Jefferson Farfan were banned from international football for a massive eighteen months.

The Chelsea and PSV stars were among four players suspended by the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF) after breaching squad discipline in November.

The quartet had allegedly been involved inincidents at the team hotel in Lima after a FIFA World Cup™ qualifier against Brazil in November.

They will now miss a total of eight 2010 South Africa qualifying matches. As Peru have picked up just two points from their opening four games, it already seemed likely that they would miss out on the 2010 Finals, but this setback has made their task even harder.

Farfan is a key member of the Peruvian national team, although Chelsea striker Pizarro has been widely criticised of late both for his performances for Peru and Chelsea.

Peru drew 1-1 with Brazil but were hammered 5-1 by Ecuador three days later when Farfan was left out of the lineup.

Peruvian football has been plagued by in-fighting among the directors for years and the country has not qualified for a world finals since 1982.

Indiscipline has been rife from players, although they have often hit back, accusing the national media of harrassment and undue pressure from newspapers and TV.

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Italy Lose in Spanish Friendly – 03/26/2008

March 29, 2008

The Azzurri left Elche, Spain, defeated after a 1-0 loss in a friendly match on Wednesday.

The game, largely a tune-up for each for Euro 2008, was started with both teams fielding high caliber players that resembled that of a tournament match. The first half was played at a cautious pace, with each side feeling out the other with short spells of attacking pressure shared between the two. Although the half’s possession was dominated by Spain, the closest the match came to its first goal was a Luca Toni strike which was called back after Fabio Cannavaro had committed a foul prior to the power forward’s header finding the net.

At the half, coach Roberto Donadoni made three substitutions, which included taking off Andrea Pirlo and Marco Materazzi with Andrea Barzagli, Gennaro Gattuso, and Marco Borriello coming onto the pitch. From the second half on, both sets of coaches made use of their large stock of substitutes exchanging players and experimenting with team chemistry.

The lone goal of the match came around the 86th minute, when a clearing header by Cannavaro failed to make it outside the eighteen-yard box. Spanish striker David Villa lined up the falling ball and struck an outstanding volley, sending the ball sailing past an outstretched Gianluigi Buffon into the top-left hand corner.

Despite the final score, Roberto Donadoni was pleased with the efforts of his side. “We didn’t deserve to lose, but we accept the result. I am satisfied with my team’s performance, with the game and I have no reason to reproach my players.”

Overall, it should be said that Spain was arguably the better team on the day. The Spanish squad played quick and attacked frequently, and looks to be in good shape for Euro 2008. The Italians also played a strong game, though in this writer’s opinion, they didn’t seem as potent as they’ve shown in other games of late.

Report by Justin Barrie

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Viduka still part of 2010 World Cup plans

March 28, 2008

Australia coach Pim Verbeek has confirmed that Mark Viduka remains part of his plans for the 2010 World Cup and that he intends to speak to the veteran striker next month.

The Newcastle United striker was not part of the Socceroos squad for their 0-0 draw with China in Kunming last Wednesday - a match in which they showed little attacking threat and were lucky to escape with a point after Middlesborough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer saved an 87th minute penalty.

Viduka has not played for Australia since their 2007 Asian Cup exit to Japan in July, however he has yet to confirm if he is officially retired from international football.

Verbeek is naturally keen to add the experience of the former Leeds United and Celtic striker to help with Australia’s bid to reach the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa, as they face a difficult task to qualify from a tough Asian qualifying section.

He is hoping to get Viduka on board for a block of World Cup qualifiers home and away in June that will decide whether the Socceroos progress to the final Asian qualifying phase for a place in South Africa in 2010.

“I’ve always said that Mark Viduka is on my list and I will be travelling to England to find out his ideas about the future for the Socceroos,” Verbeek told reporters here after returning from China on Friday.

“So far, he has not given me the idea that he’s not interested anymore, so I’m looking forward to meeting him and to speak with him and find out if he wants to be part of us.”

Australia also had to do without Premiership based duo Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell, who have both suffered a spate of recurring injuries.

Australia lead their qualification group with four points after last month’s 3-0 home win over Qatar and the draw in China.

The Socceroos’ next qualifier is against Iraq, scheduled for Brisbane on June 1.

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South Africa earn landmark victory

March 28, 2008

It may have taken almost 12 years and a run of 10 matches - but South Africa finally claimed their first victory over South American opposition on Wednesday with a 3-0 victory over Paraguay.
 
South Africa, hosts of the 2010 World Cup, have been in dreadful form of late and endured a miserable 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, but were highly impressive in their victory over a technically strong Paraguay side, who currently top the South American qualification section.
 
South Africa first met South American opposition in 1995 when they held the mighty Argentina 1-1, but had never won against a CONEMBOL side. Fittingly, it was with Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira in charge that Bafana broke their South American duck.
 
While the favourites to win the 2010 World Cup finals such as Brazil, Italy and Argentina will not pay much notice to the form of the hosts, it is a vital sign of encouragement for a nation which has been getting increasingly worried it’s dream ticket of hosting the 2010 World Cup finals would end in embarrassment.
 
South Africa are currently sitting 71st in the FIFA World Rankings, behind the might of Uzbekistan and exited the CAF Africa Cup at the first hurdle after a highly disappointing campaign.
 
Aside from the natural desire of the South African people for their national team to put up a good show, performances at the last three World Cups by France, South Korea and Germany have shown the importance to the success of the tournament that the hosts perform well. It seems unlikely South Africa can repeat this feat, but any sign of progress is encouraging for them at the moment.
 
The 2010 World Cup finals are arguably the greatest honour bestowed on South Africa and they will certainly be looking to make as great an impact as possible. And who knows - anything is possible with a passionate home crowd, as Korea Republic showed when they knocked out Spain and Italy in 2002.
 
Coach Parreira does have plenty of talent to choose from - Blackburn Rovers striker Benni McCarthy has been around top level European football for many years and became his country’s all-time top scorer by notching his 30th international goal against Paraguay. Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar is in good form, while Aaron Moekena adds experience in the midfield.
 
Locally-based Mamelodi Sundowns striker Surprise Moriri opened the scoring with a fine first-half volley, with McCarthy heading in the second and Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala getting the third from long range in a game when all finally fell into place for Parreira’s team.

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2010 World Cup CONCACAF Qualification Section - Update

March 27, 2008

Already, nine nations have missed out on the chance to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, although nine teams booked passage to the second round of CONCACAF qualifying on Wednesday.

Grenada were the biggest winners of the round, thrashing the US Virgin Islands 10-0 to setup a second round clash with Costa Rica. Grenada, who included Blackburn Rovers striker Jason Roberts, were in front early on in a very one-sided contest - Brooklyn based striker Ricky Charles stealing the show with four goals.

In Bridgeton, Barbados setup a showdown with the United States although they left it late to overcome a stubborn Dominican Republic side. Barbados included Wigan Athletic’s Emerson Boyce but needed a goal just six minutes from time to defeat their 10 man opponents.

St. Lucia needed late drama as well to book their place in the second round. After losing 2-1 in their first leg at Turks and Caicos, Kenwin McPhee’s strike on the half-hour in Vieux Fort looked like sending the tie into extra-time. But Titus Elva, who missed the first leg, had other ideas and popped up with a goal in the 83rd minute to make it 3-2 for St. Lucia on the aggregate. The islanders will now move on to play Guatemala in June.

Antigua are also through after they completed the formalities at home to Aruba, having taken a 3-0 away win into the second leg. They found it considerably more difficult on the night, winning just 1-0, but are comfortably through to face Cuba in the next round.

Surinam are also through, having thrashed Volcano-ravaged Montserrat 7-1 in Trinidad & Tobago. Wensley Cristoph and Kenzo Huur each scored twice for the Surinamese while Cleon Wondel, Melvin Valies and Raydell Schuurman added tallies of their own to render Vladimir Farrell’s goal little more than consolation for the islanders. Surinam now meant Guynea in the next round of the 2010 World Cup qualifying.

Belize, once one of the worst teams in World football, kept up their mini-revival, knocking out St Kitts after a plucky 1-1 draw at Warner Park was enough to secure their 3-1 win in Guatemala City last month. Their progress is likely to end in the next round, however, when they face the might of Mexico in round 2 of the CONCACAF Qualification section.

El Salvador will meet Panama in the next round, expecting a tougher test than the one handed to them by Anguilla, who went down a whopping 16-0 on aggregate. In Willemstad, the Netherlands Antilles defeated Nicaragua 2-0 on the night and 3-0 on aggregate thanks to goals from Tyronne Loran and Angelo Zimmerman. They now meet Caribbean champions Haiti.

CONCACAF second-round series (to be played in June)
As of Wednesday 26 March
Grenada-Costa Rica
Barbados-USA
St. Lucia-Guatemala
Antigua & Barbuda-Cuba
Suriname-Guyana
Belize-Mexico
El Salvador-Panama
Netherlands Antilles- Haiti
Puerto Rico-Honduras

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2010 World Cup - Asia Qualification Round Up

March 27, 2008

Japan’s hopes of qualifying for the South Africa World Cup finals suffered a major setback as the second round of qualifying fixtures for the 2010 World Cup in the Asian section threw up some surprise results.

Japan coach Takeshi Okada suffered his first defeat as a timid defensive display resulted in a 1-0 loss to Bahrain in Manama on Wednesday.

“It was the worst scenario I could have thought of,” Okada said, as the result now leaves his side three points behind the Bahranians in Group 2, who have picked up maximum points from their opening two group games. “But we’ll be alright if we win at home. We have sufficient time.”

Ala’a Hubail headed in the sole goal in the 74th minute as Japanese goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi was only able to get his left hand to a cross from the left by Ismail Abdullateef.

“We made a mistake because we allowed an easy cross when we lowered our guard,” Okada said. “It was very unfortunate but we still have plenty of chances ahead to qualify.”

It was Okada’s first defeat as manager of the Japan national team, but with Bahrain showing good form - last week they defeated Iran - you could not blame the Japanese fans for being worried that they will not qualify for the 2010 finals.

“Where has Japanese football gone?” the influential daily Asahi Shimbun lamented, saying Japan had let go of their “crisp short passes, unpredictable combination plays and well-timed individual skills.”

In the groups other match, Oman defeated Thailand to move level with Japan on three points.

There were plenty of other surprises throughout the Asian qualifiaction section. In Group 1, Qatar beat the 2007 Asian Cup winners Iraq, who now look set to be eliminated from the tournament, although they do face a crucial double header with Australia which may be enough to save their qualification hopes.

The much anticipated Korean derby failed to produce the anticipated fireworks, ending in a 0-0 draw which keeps both sides joint top of Group 3 on 4 points, just one point ahead of Jordan who defeated Turkmenistan.

Perhaps the shock of the day came in Group 4, where consistent World Cup qualifiers Saudi Arabia were defeated 3-0 by Uzbekistan, who now look favourites to reach the FIFA 2010 Finals in South Africa. Singapore picked up their first points of the qualifiying campaign with a 2-0 win over Lebanon.

2006 World Cup qualifiers Iran have also made a difficult start to the group, following up their disappointing 0-0 opening day draw with Syria with a 2-2 draw in Kuwait, leaving them two points behind Group 5 leaders United Arab Emirates.

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Donadoni contract overshadows Spain clash

March 26, 2008

The pick of the Wednesday night international friendlies features World Champions Italy’s clash with Spain in Elche. Both sides are among the favourites to win Euro 2008 and will almost certainly be major players at the 2010 South Africa World Cup Finals.

By that end, tonight’s encounter should be an enthralling contest, giving an indication of how each nation will fair in Austria & Switzerland this summer.

However, the major talking point is the contract of Italian coach Roberto Donadoni, whose contract expires at the end of Euro 2008. As yet, it is not certain whether or not the former AC Milan star will lead the Azzurri through the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign, proving a major distraction to the Italian national squad.

“I received an offer for a contract renewal and I said no because I don’t like this type of contract,” said Donadoni.

“This doesn’t mean I will go to the European Championships less motivated: I will continue to earn my crust, indeed I’ve already earnt my crust as national team coach, otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”

Donadoni, who has endured much criticism during his reign as Italy boss - despite negotiating a difficult group which included World Cup finalists France, Ukraine and a rejuvenated Scotland challenge - was offered a two year contract extension by the Italian FA. However it came with the condition that he negotiate the Azzurri to at least the semi finals of Euro 2008 - certainly not a vote of confidence for the coach.

“Whether or not there is trust in me I can’t say, it’s something that is demonstrated every day in life,” added Donadoni.

“Am I ruling out a future with the national team? I never rule out anything.”

Inevitably, Donadoni’s contract issue is causing a distraction for the players with key midfielder Gennaro Gattuso speaking out in defence of the under pressure coach.

“I can only tell him to look forward and don’t think about it. He should just concentrate on doing well with Italy and then I think he’ll get a new contract.”

Donadoni’s latest squad includes some controversial decisions, such as the omission of in-form Sampdoria striker Antonio Cassano, who has been in spectacular form this season since returning to Italy from an unhappy spell in Madrid. Veteran Juventus forward Del Piero has struggled to get a look in under Donadoni since the end of the last World Cup in 2006. Ironically, Donadoni has favoured club-mate Vincenzo Iaquinta, who is behind Del Piero in the Bianconeri pecking order.

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