Nigeria's Keita flooded by Death Treat

JOHANNESBURG, KOMPAS.com - Nigeria’s Sani Kaita has received more than 1,000 death threats by email in the wake of his red card against Greece, it was revealed on Sunday. The 24-year-old midfielder was shown a red card in the 33rd minute of his side’s 2-1 defeat to Greece in Group B on Thursday and his email address was posted on the internet alongside the message: “This man must die”.
Nigeria’s team spokesman Peterside Idah confirmed Kaita had already had ’more than 1,000’ death threats via email. “We take this issue very seriously. We have informed Nigeria’s government and football’s governing body FIFA,” said Idah.
Idah said that Kaita’s team mates are “appalled” and the Nigerian appealed to the African nation’s fans to show some compassion. “This is a young man who does his best to serve the team and his country,” he said.
Kaita, who plays his club football for Russian side Alaniya, was surprisingly calm about the threats. “I am not worried about it,” said the defensive midfielder who won a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games when Nigeria finished runners-up.
“Only god decides who lives and who dies. “Everybody has their own destiny on this earth.
“I am proud to be part of this team. I hope we can go further and that I will be available for the team again.” While security at the Nigeria team hotel in Durban has not been stepped up, Idah said the team are happy with the current arrangements.
“There are already a lot of security forces on the ground,” he said. “The arrangements by the world’s governing body FIFA have been thorough.” Kaita was sent off for a kick on Greece’s Vasileios Torosidis and is suspended for the last group game against South Korea on Tuesday .
Nigeria must win to keep alive their slim chances of progressing to the knock-out phase after losing their first two matches. After his dismissal, Kaita apologised immediately.
“I apologise to everyone - the Nigerian people, the officials and my team-mates,” he said. He would not be the first player to receive death threats - Colombia’s Andres Escobar paid the ultimate price when he was shot dead shortly after returning from the 1994 finals where his own goal in the 2-1 defeat by the United States saw the hotly-fancied South Americans go out in the first round.

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France Lost In Africa

POLOKWANE, Kompas.com - Pelatih Perancis Raymond Domenech sangat kecewa dengan penampilan timnya saat melawan Meksiko pada laga kedua penyisihan Grup A Piala Dunia 2010, Jumat (18/6/10), di Stadion Peter Mokaba, Polokwane. Dalam duel krusial tersebut, "Les Bleus" nyaris tak berkutik sehingga menyerah 0-2.

Domenech mengaku kehilangan kata-kata untuk melukiskan kegagalan timnya. Bagaimana tidak, pada babak kedua mereka tidak melakukan satu pun tendangan ke arah gawang, yang berarti tak pernah membahayakan gawang lawan.

"Saya tidak memiliki kata-kata. Sangat mengecewakan karena kami tidak mampu menyeimbangkan permainan. Jika kami tahu penjelasannya, kami akan mencari lagi jalan keluarnya," ujar Domenech kepada TF1.

"Kami memiliki tekanan yang bagus, tetapi tidak bekerja dengan baik. Jelas sekali, ini sangat mengecewakan bagi saya, seperti halnya semua orang yang menonton. Saya tidak tahu apa yang harus dikatakan kepada para pemain. Kami butuh keajaiban. Kami akan bermain paling kurang hanya untuk kehormatan. Kami harus memperlihatkan sesuatu pada pertandingan terakhir."

Memang, dengan kekalahan dari Meksiko ini membuat posisi Perancis sangat kritis. Tim "Ayam Jantan" terancam tidak lolos ke putaran kedua, karena baru mengoleksi satu poin, hasil imbang tanpa gol melawan Uruguay, pada laga pertama.

Pada pertandingan terakhir untuk penyisihan grup ini, Perancis akan menghadapi tuan rumah Afrika Selatan, yang juga hampir pasti tersisih, karena baru mengumpulkan satu poin. Meksiko dan Uruguay, yang kini berada di posisi teratas, hanya perlu satu poin lagi untuk memastikan diri maju ke babak 16 besar.

Editor: lou

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The Official Song FIFA World Cup 2010

Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) (The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup (TM) Song)

Shakira | MySpace Music Videos

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Argentina=Maradona

Johannesburg. Diego Maradona is set to unleash his trio of goal poachers to get Argentina off to a flying start against Nigeria in Johannesburg on Saturday.

The two-time world champions boasts a salivating forward line of Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain, and coach Maradona is tinkering with pitching in all three in an attacking 3-4-3 formation at Ellis Park.

Between them the dazzling trio netted more than 80 league goals last term for Barcelona, Manchester City and Spain’s Real Madrid, respectively.

Argentine fans’ favorite Tevez said he hoped to “get the chance to show the coach what I can do. We have great players [and I] don’t feel my place is assured.”

The Argentines may have stumbled across the finish line in qualification for South Africa 2010, but Maradona has at his disposal a squad of sumptuous talent in his first World Cup as the head coach.

Maradona, who as the world’s greatest player, inspired Argentina to a World Cup triumph in 1986, will go with a three-man backline enabling him to field a three-man strikeforce.

Marseille centre-half Gabriel Heinze said this week that “Argentina will always go after the game” and not sit tight and be ultra-cautious.

Saturday’s opening Group B game offers Messi, the world’s best player thanks to his sensational club form with Barcelona, the ideal stage to stake an early claim as the star of the tournament.

“Player for player, there is no better national team than ours,” Messi said.

“At this stage I don’t have to prove anything. I’ve come to do things well for me and for my teammates.”

Heinze moved to ease the enormous burden of expectations on Messi to perform, saying that Argentina is not dependent on the diminutive playmaker.

Argentina has beaten Nigeria twice at the World Cup – 1-0 in 2002 and 2-1 in 1994 – and will be favoured to do so again.

The mood inside Africa’s most populous nation is not overly optimistic about the Super Eagles’ chances against Argentina.

But their Portsmouth striker Nwankwo Kanu holds out hope that Nigeria will not be intimidated in what will be its first competitive game under Swedish coach Lars Lagerback.

“Argentina has the big-name players and everyone respects them. We also acknowledge that they are good and great players,” he said.

“But Argentina also has the same respect for us because it knows the quality of our team and knows that there is plenty that we can come up with at anytime.”

All the same the pressure will be on Argentina to come through its opening match in South Africa with a win to set a platform for a crack at a third world title.

South Korea and Greece, two teams with their best results of the decade well behind them, meet in Group B’s other match.

South Korea was a surprise semifinalist in 2002 when it co-hosted the World Cup with Japan, while Greece won the 2004 European Championship.

Neither has gone near those highs since, but both have a realistic chance of advancing from the group.

However, Greece’s chances against South Korea on Saturday won’t be helped by news that center back Vangelis Moras will sit out the match despite having recovered from a persistent groin injury.

Moras is getting daily physiotherapy in a bid to overcome the nagging injury. Tests showed he was recovered, but he said it is too early for a World Cup match.

“I don’t want to risk it,” Moras said. “I want to be fit for Nigeria.”


AFP, AP /the jakartaglobe

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Scedule Match Of World Cup 2010

Information From Goal.com         Click Here

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Alasan Mourinho pindah

MADRID, KOMPAS.com — Pelatih Real Madrid yang musim lalu menangani Inter Milan, Jose Mourinho, mengungkapkan, dia meninggalkan San Siro karena merasa tak cocok dengan sepak bola Italia. Bahwa ia memilih pindah ke Madrid, menurut Mourinho, itu karena ia melihat peluang menciptakan sejarah baru di sana.

Mourinho melatih Inter pada akhir musim 2008-2009. Ini merupakan pertama kalinya ia menangani klub Italia. Selama di sana, ia kerap terlibat konflik dengan tokoh dan institusi sepak bola Italia.

"Tiga bulan lalu, saya mengerti bahwa sepak bola Italia bukan untuk saya dan setelah dua tahun, saya memutuskan berubah," ungkap Mourinho.

"Ketika agen saya mengatakan ada kesempatan ke Real Madrid, saya mengerti bahwa situasinya sangat tepat."

"Real Madrid adalah klub terbesar, tetapi saat ini mereka sedikit frustrasi. Saya datang untuk mengembangkan tim dan saya menyukai ini."

"Saya tak mau datang ke sebuah klub untuk melanjutkan sebuah proyek. Saya memilih membangun mimpi baru," tambahnya.

Selain itu, Mourinho juga kembali menegaskan niatnya untuk mendatangkan dua bek sayap baru dan menjadikan Sergio Ramos sebagai bek tengah. Menurut dia, Madrid masih membutuhkan dua pemain baru.

"Saya suka bekerja dengan dua bek sayap di sisi kanan dan dua di sebelah kiri. Bagi saya, Sergio Ramos adalah bek tengah. Mungkin saya salah, namun ia memiliki potensi untuk menjadi salah satu bek tengah terbaik di dunia," ujarnya.

"Kemudian, ada juga Pepe, Garay, dan Albiol. Untuk bek sayap, kami memiliki Marcelo dan Arbeloa. Kami kekurangan dua," tandasnya. (FBI)

TUR
Editor: tjatur

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