Toure likely to miss Elephants' Guinea clash

Kolo Toure is doubtful for Ivory Coast's African Nations Cup quarter-final against Guinea because of the groin injury that forced him to miss Tuesday's group match, coach Gerard Gili said on Wednesday.

The Arsenal defender injured his groin last week in a 4-1 demolition of Benin and had to pull out of the Mali game, which the Elephants won 3-0 on Tuesday.

'Kolo is now back in the squad,' Gili told a news conference at the team's hotel in Takoradi.

'He has trained with the others today but had specific exercises to do. We'll know better later this week if he is fit to play.'

If he is not fit, Toure would be replaced by Benfica's Marc Zoro, who deputised against Mali.

Ivory Coast take on Guinea in Sekondi on Sunday.

by soccernet.espn.go.com

Cameroon boss Pfister slams ANC organisation

Cameroon coach Otto Pfister launched a stinging attack on African Nations Cup organisers after a 3-0 victory over Sudan on Wednesday, saying his team had spent most of the previous day sitting around waiting.

The German complained of a delayed flight, lost luggage, dirty hotel rooms and a shortened training session. He also said organisers had failed to allow his team to train in peace and quiet since they arrived in Ghana.

'This is a total disaster. I don't know if this is the Nations Cup or a tournament for children,' he said in an outburst which began in French and finished in English.

'We have to put on this organising committee people who have played football. Football is not just about 90 minutes, it is about preparation.

Pfister said that hosts Ghana and Ivory Coast had been given favourable conditions and were staying in luxury hotels.

'How come two teams are in five-star hotels and we are in Hotel Tralala,' he said.

'I've asked 10 times if we can at least have one training session without spectators but there are always 1,000 fans.'

Pfister then went into a detailed explanation of what had gone wrong on Tuesday, when Cameroon travelled to Tamale from Kumasi where they had played their previous games.

'We left the hotel at 7.30 in the morning and we had to wait an hour. When we arrived here, they forgot our luggage and our balls,' he said.

'Then we had to wait two-and-a-half hours in the hotel because our rooms were not ready. I had also asked for food but they had not prepared that either.

'I went into my room and it was still dirty. Then we had to train at eight o'clock in the evening.

'We completely lost the day.'

by soccernet.espn.go.com

Tunisia, Angola rule out playing for a draw

Tunisia and Angola said they would play to win when they meet in the African Nations Cup on Thursday, even though a draw will send both sides into the quarter-finals.

'I never look to finish second,' said Tunisia coach Roger Lemerre, adding that he would not pay any attention to the result of the other Group D match between Senegal and South Africa, who meet at the same time in Kumasi.

'We have a match tomorrow (Thursday) which we want to win,' he told reporters.

'If we play for a draw, we could give Angola a chance to get near our area and snatch a goal.'

But Lemerre added: 'The strategy at the beginning of the match is not always the same at the end.'

The Frenchman also said he wanted to finish top of the group so his team could stay in Tamale for their quarter-final.

The teams go into the match with four points each from their first two games while South Africa and Senegal have one apiece.

'Every time we go onto the pitch, we go to win even if the other team is better,' said Angola coach Luis Oliveira Goncalves.

'We are not going to play for a draw, we will play for a win although it would be difficult,' said Goncalves, whose team produced a shock 3-1 win over Senegal on Sunday.

'It's going to be another very difficult game against title candidates. We've prepared very well, we believe we can play a great game and the pressure is on Tunisia.'

by soccernet.espn.go.com

Arsenal win to boost qualifying chances

Copa Sudamericana champion Arsenal began its pursuit of South America's premier club title with a 2-0 victory over Mineros of Venezuela on Tuesday, getting a goal in each half to prevail in its preliminary phase first-leg match.

Jose Luis Calderon gave the Argentine side the lead in the 41st minute and Luciano Leguizamon right-footer added the insurance in the 78th.

The second leg will be played next Tuesday in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, with the winner on aggregate advancing to Group 8 with Fluminense of Brazil, Libertad of Paraguay and Liga de Quito of Ecuador in the league phase of the competition.

Arsenal won the Copa Sudamericana - South America's second-tier club championship - in December, beating Mexico's America for its first major title in 50 years of existence.

Mineros is making its fourth appearance in the Libertadores, having never advanced beyond the first round.

Tuesday's match was the first of six preliminary phase matches to determine the final qualifiers for the 32-team league phase.

by soccernet.espn.go.com

Eto'o out to make history against Sudan

Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o has the African Nations Cup scoring record in sight as the Indomitable Lions bid to secure a last eight place on Wednesday.

Cameroon, second in Group C on three points, take on table-propping Sudan in Tamale. Eto'o equalled Ivorian Laurent Pokou's mark of 14 goals by netting in a 5-1 demolition of Zambia on Saturday.

'Our players know the importance and uniqueness of this game and all of us know what it represents to our reputation. We have to remain focused and our only aim is to win the game,' said Cameroon coach Otto Pfister.

Victory will send Cameroon into the quarter-finals despite a 4-2 mauling by holders Egypt in their opening game.

Egypt, on six points, need just a point against Zambia in Kumasi to progress.

by soccernet.espn.go.com

PSV Eindhoven topple title rivals Ajax

PSV Eindhoven midfielders Balazs Dzsudzsak and Otman Bakkal scored a goal apiece to give the Dutch league leaders a 2-0 victory at Ajax Amsterdam on Wednesday.

PSV stretched their lead to eight over Ajax and Feyenoord, who came from behind twice to salvage a point at home against AZ Alkmaar in a 2-2 draw.

Dzsudzsak opened the scoring four minutes before the interval with a fierce shot from the edge of the area and 17 minutes before time Danny Koevermans set up Bakkal to settle the match.

Ajax finished with 10 men as skipper Edgar Davids was sent off in injury time.

Alkmaar, 11th with 29 points, dominated the first half against Feyenoord and grabbed a deserved lead five minutes before the break when Graziano Pelle scored from a cross from Mounir El Hamdaoui.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst equalised early in the second half on a rebound after goalkeeper Boy Waterman blocked his first attempt.

El Hamdaoui restored the lead with 18 minutes remaining with a well-placed shot after a fine pass from Moussa Dembele but a blunder from Waterman three minutes later handed Andre Bahia the opportunity to level the score from close range.

by soccernet.espn.go.com

Gilardino goal keeps AC Milan revival on track

AC Milan continued their climb up the Serie A table with a 1-0 win at struggling Reggina on Wednesday thanks to Alberto Gilardino's header.

The European champions endured a poor first half of the season but are now up to sixth following their fourth league win in five matches this month.

Gilardino, who partnered Brazilian teenager Pato upfront, was unmarked when he nodded in Andrea Pirlo's cross on 18 minutes to notch his seventh of the league campaign.

Milan could have scored more with Pirlo rattling the bar with a free kick and rare starter Emerson going close, while Reggina rarely threatened at the other end where Australian keeper Zeljko Kalac was preferred to Dida.

The match was postponed from December when Milan won the Club World Cup in Japan.

Carlo Ancelotti's men, seven points behind fourth-placed Fiorentina and 20 adrift of leaders Inter Milan, host Livorno in another game in hand on Feb. 13 after facing Fiorentina on Sunday and Siena the weekend after.

by soccernet.espn.go.com