Monday 25 May 2015

The Spaniard is the hot favourite to succeed Carlo Ancelotti following the Italian's sacking on Monday

The Spaniard is the hot favourite to succeed Carlo Ancelotti following the Italian's sacking on Monday

'Benitez 99 per cent certain to join Real Madrid'
Carlo Ancelotti's agent Ernesto Bronzetti says Napoli boss Rafa Benitez is "99 per cent certain" to take over at Real Madrid.
The La Liga club announced the sacking of the Italian on Monday and also confirmed they would unveil his successor next week.
Madrid president Florentino Perez refused to shed any more light on Ancelotti's potential replacement but admitted a Spanish speaking coach would be his preference.
Goal revealed last week that Benitez is top of the club's shortlist and it appears only to be a matter of time before Benitez is appointed at the Bernabeu.
"Rafa Benitez is 99% certain to take charge of Real Madrid," Bronzetti told Rai Sport.
Regarding the former AC Milan boss' dismissal, he added: "Ancelotti wants to take a year off. The team was concerned at the news and some of the players cried when he announce his departure."
Benitez won the Coppa Italia last season but has failed to mount a serious title challenge in Naples this term, with his side set to finish in a disappointing fourth spot.

The Red Devils must safely negotiate a two-legged play-off in August in order to enter the group stages and their manager is expecting a tough test

The Red Devils must safely negotiate a two-legged play-off in August in order to enter the group stages and their manager is expecting a tough test

Champions League qualification is not a 'piece of cake', warns Van Gaal

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has warned his side that qualifying for the Champions Leagueproper will not be a "piece of cake" after their fourth place finish secured a play-off spot.

The Red Devils missed out on a place in Europe's elite tournament last season after a disastrous campaign under David Moyes saw them finish in seventh place.

However, United will return to the competition next season and face a two-legged play-off in August which, if they were to lose, would see them drop into the Europa League instead,

Van Gaal's side will be seeded for the draw for the play-offs which takes place on August 7, but even so the Dutchman has warned his team they must not take qualification for granted.

"First we have to qualify ourselves still because we have to play two matches to qualify for the Champions League and that’s not so easy," he told MUTV.

"I hope that we succeed but still we have to be aware that it’s not like it’s a piece of cake.

"But I have a lot of confidence that we qualify ourselves but first I want to hear the draw and then we will talk about it."

Should Manchester United win their play-off they will be placed in Pot 2 for the draw for the Champions League group stages.

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From the web

The 26-year-old's season began on June 13 at the World Cup and could end on July 4 at the Copa America, leaving the Gunners boss concerned

The 26-year-old's season began on June 13 at the World Cup and could end on July 4 at the Copa America, leaving the Gunners boss concerned
May 26, 2015 01:45:00
Wenger fears Alexis Sanchez burnout after 'unreasonable' Copa America

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he fears for the health of Alexis Sanchez with the Chilean set to feature in this summer's "unreasonable" Copa America.

Sanchez has excelled in his debut campaign for the Gunners and will hope to add to his tally of 24 goals from 51 games when he faces Aston Villa in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

The 26-year-old was granted permission from Chile to feature in the final and join their Copa America squad at a later date for their opening game on June 11, but Wenger feels he could be left exhausted.

"I will watch but with a little bit of fear because Sanchez has played 50 games for us and goes there again, having already played in the World Cup last summer," he told reporters.

"You are a little bit concerned and I feel this competition is a bit too much. I am really surprised that Fifa authorised that.

"It's disappointing that they speak a lot about the health of the players but when you look at the competition that is organised, this Copa America, and look at the date of the start of the Premier League, it is not reasonable.

"Moving the fixture calendar forward deeply affects pre-season and I believe it is the wrong decision of the Premier League to start on August 8.

"The players have played the World Cup, then you have no winter break, you come out and when you reach the FA Cup Final, you play on May 30 and the European players called up by their international teams play until June 14.

"Then you start on August 8. If you count six weeks' preparation, where is the time for recovery?"

Baada ya Ligi Kuu kufikia tamati je nani ni mchezaji bora kwa msimu huu?

Baada ya Ligi Kuu kufikia tamati je nani ni mchezaji bora kwa msimu huu?
Msuva- Mfungaji bora msimu huu
MSIMU wa 2014/15 wa Ligi Kuu ya Vodacom Tanzania Bara (VPL) ulimalizika Mei 9 huku Ruvu Shooting Stars ikiungana na Police Morogoro kuporomoka daraja.
Mshambuliaji hatari wa Yanga, Simon Msuva, amejihakikishia kutwaa tuzo ya kiatu cha dhahabu cha mfungaji bora wa msimu akifunga mabao 17 ikiwa ni sawa na idadi ya mabao ambayo mfungaji bora wa VPL msimu wa 2012/13, Kipre Tchetche wa Azam FC alifunga.
Bado haijajulikana timu itakayotwaa zawadi ya timu yenye nidhamu na wanasoka watakaokabidhiwa tuzo ya kocha bora, kipa bora, mchezaji bora na refa bora wa VPL 2014/15, lakini katika kipengele cha mchezaji bora vita inaonekana wazi kuwahusisha Emmanuel Okwi wa Simba, Simon Msuva wa Yanga na Shomari Kapombe wa Azam FC.
Wakali wengine wenye fursa ya kuwania tuzo hii ni pamoja na kiungo fundi wa Coastal Union, Joseph Mahundi, Jacob Masawe wa Ndanda FC na Rafael Alpha wa Mbeya City na Rashid Mandawa wa Kagera Sugar.
EMMANUEL OKWI - SIMBA
Mganda huyu amekuwa na mchango mkubwa katika kikosi cha Wananamsimbazi tangu arejee msimu huu akitokea kwa wapinzani wa jadi, Yanga.
Okwi alipokosekana uwanjani, kikosi cha Simba ama kiliambulia sare au kipigo. Hakuwapo uwanjani wakati Simba ikilala 1-0 dhidi ya Kagera Sugar jijini Dar es Salaam mzunguko wa kwanza na katika kipigo cha 2-0 dhidi ya Mbeya City jijini Mbeya mzunguko wa pili.
Nyota huyo wa timu ya taifa ya Uganda (Cranes), amefunga mabao 10 msimu huu ikiwa ni saba nyuma ya kinara Msuva, lakini mabao ya Okwi yalikuwa na maana kubwa katika timu yake.
Alifunga magoli magumu katika mechi ambazo Simba ilionekana kuambulia sare au kupoteza mchezo. Mfano, bao lake katika sare ya 1-1 ugenini jijini Mbeya dhidi ya Tanzania Prisons na mabao yake yaliyoipa Simba ushindi wa 1-0 dhidi ya Yanga na ushindi wa aina hiyo dhidi ya Mtibwa pamoja na 'hat-trick' yake iliyoachangia ushindi wa mabao 4-0 dhidi ya Mgambo Shooting.
Okwi, mchezaji wa zamani wa SC Villa ya Uganda na Etoile Sportive du Sahel (ESS) ya Ligi Kuu ya Tunisia, amekuwa nguzo muhimu kwa kikosi cha Mserbia Goran Kopunovic cha Simba akitengeneza mabao mengi ya washambuliaji Ibrahim Ajibu na Elias Maguli.
Hata bao la mshambuliaji Mrundi Amissi Tambwe wa Yanga lililoipa Simba sare ya 2-2 dhidi ya Coastal Union jijini Dar es Salaam Septemba 21 lilitokana na pasi murua ya Mganda huyo.
Kwa kifupi, ukiondoa magoli yote yaliyofungwa na Okwi msimu huu, Simba inakuwa miongoni mwa timu mbili ambazo zingeporomoka daraja. Achilia mbali pasi zake za magoli.
Jambo ambalo linaweza kumwangusha Okwi katika mbio za kumsaka mchezaji bora wa msimu ni kwamba hajawahi kutwaa tuzo ya mchezaji bora wa mwezi wa VPL msimu huu, ikiwa Bodi ya Ligi Kuu Tanzania (TPLB) itazingatia kigezo hicho.
SHOMARI KAPOMBE - AZAM FC
Hajabahatika kutwaa tuzo ya mchezaji bora wa mwezi msimu huu sawa na Okwi wa Simba, jambo ambalo linaweza kumwangusha katika kinyang'anyiro hiki, lakini Kapombe amekuwa nguzo muhimu katika kikosi cha Azam.
Amefunga bao moja tu msimu huu, lakini amekuwa mpishi mzuri kwa magoli ya Mrundi Didier Kavumbagu na wakali wengine wa Azam FC msimu huu. Kapombe amekuwa akitumiwa na Azam katika nafasi ya beki wa pembeni huku akilazimika kucheza nafasi ya beki wa kati kutokana na kuumia kwa Aggrey Morris na Pascal Wawa.
Kapombe pia ni miongoni mwa wachezji wachache waliocheza mechi nyingi zaidi msimu huu, Wengine ni pamoja na Masawe wa Ndanda FC, Msuva wa Yanga, Busungu wa Mgambo, kipa Said Mohamed, beki wa pembeni kushoto David Luhende na beki wa kati Salim Mbonde (wote wa Mtibwa Sugar).
Azam kumaliza nafasi ya pili VPL msimu huu kunampa nafasi kubwa Kapombe kutwaa tuzo ya mchezaji bora wa msimu kutokana na mchango wake mkubwa katika kuimarisha safu ya ulinzi ya Wanalambalamba na kupika mabao.
Msimu huu Azam FC imefungwa mabao 18 sawa na Yanga, Azam pia imefunga mabao 36, mawili nyuma ya Simba na 16 nyuma ya Yanga.
SIMON MSUVA - YANGA
Majaribio ya kucheza soka la kulipwa ughaibuni aliyokuwa akiyafanya Afrika Kusini yamesababisha akose mechi mbili za mwisho na kutoifikia rekodi ya Tambwe ya msimu wa 2013/14 ya kufunga mabao 19 huku Msuva akionekana dhahiri kuchangia timu yake ya Yanga kuambulia vipigo vya 2-1 dhidi ya Azam FC na 1-0 dhidi ya Ndanda FC.
Karibu makocha na wachambuzi wote walioanika vikosi vyao vya VPL 2014/15 wamemjumuisha kikosini winga huyo wa zamani wa Moro United.
Mabao yake 17 na pasi za mwisho zilizozaa mabao ya Tambwe na wakali wengine katika kikosi cha Mdachi Hans van der Pluijm, yanambeba kutwaa tuzo ya mchezaji bora wa VPL.
Msuva alifunga mabao katika mechi ambazo Yanga ambazo Yanga ilionekana ama kuambulia sare ama kufungwa. Mfano mabao yake matatu katika mechi zao mbili dhidi ya Mgambo Shooting.
Kutotwaa tuzo ya mchezaji bora wa mwezi kunaweza kumfanya Msuva aungane na kina Okwi na Kapombe kutoingizwa katika orodha ya wachezaji wanaowania tuzo hiyo licha ya kuipa Yanga taji la 25 la Tanzania Bara.
RASHID MANDAWA - KAGERA SUGAR
Alitwaa tuzo ya mchezaji bora wa mwezi Novemba wa VPL. Ni miongoni mwa washambuliaji wanne wa kati hatari kutoka Tanzania kwa sasa. Wengine ni Mbwana Samatta wa TP Mazembe, Amour Omar Janja wa JKU, Juma Liuzio wa Zesco.
Mandawa amefunga mabao 10 msimu huu na kukisaidia kikosi cha Mganda Jackson Mayanja cha Kagera Sugar kumaliza nafasi ya sita katika msimamo wa ligi.
Kutwaa tuzo ya mchezaji bora wa mwezi msimu huu na uwezo mkubwa aliounyesha katika kufunga mabao, kunambeba Mandawa kutwaa tuzo hiyo ingawa anakabiliwa na ushindani mkubwa kutoka kwa wakali wengine waliowahi kuitwaa tuzo hiyo, hasa kiungo fundi Joseph Mahundi wa Coastal iliyomaliza nafasi ya tano.
JACOB MASAWE - NDANDA FC
Siku tano kabla ya kuanza kwa msimu huu, niliandika katika gazeti hili kwamba Masawe ataibena Ndanda FC. Katika makala hiyo ya wasifu iliyokuwa na kichwa cha habari kilichosomeka: Jacob Masawe: Mchezaji Bora atakayeibeba Ndanda VPL, nilieleza namna kiungo huyo mshambuliaji alivyo hatari kwa timu pinzani.
Masawe, mdogo wake na kocha msaidizi wa Stand United, Emmanuel Masawe, alitwaa tuzo ya mchezaji bora wa VPL msimu wa 2011/12 akiwa na Toto Africans ya Mwanza baada ya kucheza mechi zote za ligi, tena akiweka rekodi ya kutoonyeshwa kadi hata moja.
Msimu huu mchezaji huyo ameweka rekodi nyingine ya ajabu; kila akifunga bao timu yake inaibuka na ushindi katika mechi husika. Amefunga mabao matano na katika mechi zote tano kikosi cha meja mstaafu Abdul Mingange kilifanikiwa kuchukua pointi 15.
Mchezaji mwingine aliyekuwa na nyota hiyo ni Ramadhani Singano 'Messi' wa Simba, lakini hatutamzungumzia zaidi leo kutokana na kutokuwa na nafasi ya kuingia katika orodha ya wakali wanaowania tuzo ya mchezaji bora wa VPL 2014/15.
Masawe alifunga katika ushindi wa 1-0 dhidi ya Azam FC mjini Mtwara Novemba Mosi 2014, akafunga katika ushindi wa 1-0 dhidi ya Prisons jijini Mbeya Januari 4, 2015, akatupia katika ushindi wa 1-0 dhidi ya Coastal Union mjini Mtwara Februari 21, 2015 na akatikisa nyavu katika ushindi wa 2-1 dhidi ya Ruvu Shooting mkoani Pwani Machi 4.
Ndanda FC imekusanya pointi 31 katika mechi zote 26 msimu huu. Pointi 15 zote zinatoka na Masawe aliyefunga mabao ya ushindi katika mechi hizo. Achilia mbali mabao mengine aliyopika.
Kinachoweza kumwangusha Masawe katika kinyang'anyiro cha mchezaji bora wa VPL msimu huu ni kutokana na timu yake kumaliza nafasi ya 10 msimu katika msimamo wa ligi na hakuwahi kutwaa taji la mchezaji bora wa mwezi ikiwa TPLB ikiamua kumteua mmoja wa waliowahi kutwaa tuzo hiyo kuwa mchezaji bora wa msimu.
Msimu uliopita tuzo hiyo ilitua kwa mshambuliaji Kipre Tchetche wa Azam FC wakati msimu wa 2012/13 ilitua kwa beki wa kati wa Yanga, Kelvin Yondani.
Wachezaji waliotwaa tuzo ya mchezaji bora wa mwezi msimu wa 2014/15 ni:-

Jina                                        Timu                 Mwezi
Antony Matogolo -          Mbeya City      Sept
Salum Abubakar             Azam FC        Oktoba
Rashid Mandawa            Kagera           Novemba
Joseph Mahundi             Coastal          Desemba
Said Bahanunzi              Police             Januari
Godfrey Wambura          Coastal          Febr
James Mwasote             Police             Machi
Mrisho Ngassa               Yanga            Aprili

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