Sports News

Spain want to show Euro title was no fluke

Madrid  - Spain are keen to show the world that their triumph at Euro 2008 was no flash in the pan.

That's why they are desperate to do well in next June's Confederations Cup, the draw for which will be held on 22 November in Johannesburg, South Africa.

This will be Spain's first participation in the elite tournament, now in its eighth edition.

Spain will go to the tournament as one of the favourites, as European champions and as number one in the FIFA world rankings.

"La Seleccion", as it is known, has never before flown so high - or so elegantly. And it has never before been so highly regarded across Planet Football.

US hoping to improve on a third place

Washington  - At the 2009 Confederations Cup, the United States will be anxious to test their progress on the international stage along the way to the 2010 World Cup.

Getting to the world's showpiece event shouldn't be a problem - the US are champions of their region and figure to make their sixth consecutive finals appearance in South Africa - but the ambitious Americans would like nothing more than a promising performance the summer before the big show against heavyweights like Spain, Italy or Brazil.

Having finished third before (in 1992 and 1999), football fans are hoping that the team will go one better and qualify for the final.

Third time lucky for All Whites?

Wellington  - New Zealand's All Whites see 2009 as their most important year since the national team reached the World Cup finals 26 years ago, an achievement that gave them their highest ever FIFA ranking of 47th.

After slumping to a record low ranking of 156th last year, New Zealand have risen to 54th after five wins in five games in a successful Oceania Nations Cup campaign, which doubled as the regional qualifier for next year's Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup.

Half the players in the current squad were not born when the All Whites beat China 2-1 in Singapore in January 1982 to qualify for the World Cup finals in Spain, and coach Ricki Herbert, who was in that team, is looking for even younger blood for South Africa.

World Cup Hosts hoping to show the world they are ready

Johannesburg - The advertisements began in local media at the weekend. "The Champions are coming," they say. Come watch Brazil for only 70 rand.

In seven months' time, some of the greatest footballing nations will descend on South Africa for the June 14-28 Confederations Cup, an eight-country tournament held every four years in the World Cup host nation a year before the world's most-watched sporting event.

The United States, Brazil, Spain, Iraq, Egypt and New Zealand - champions of their regions - and World Cup holders Italy and host nation South Africa will battle it out for the title of Champion of Champions in a tournament seen mainly as a dry run for 2010.

Pharaohs looking for a first win

Cairo  - While football fans from the participating countries at the Confederations Cup will be looking towards the draw for the competition on November 22 in Johannesburg for answers, Egyptian fans already know in which group they will play.

The reigning African champions will compete in Group B, as the hosts South Africa have been placed in Group A and no two teams from the same confederation can be placed in the same group.

But if the Pharaohs' fans know what group their team will be playing in, they are less sure how good the team will be, even if team officials are optimistic.

“Krezja can bowl for next decade if keeps private life in order”

“Krezja can bowl for next decade if keeps private life in order”Melbourne, Nov 18: Former Australian off-spinner Colin Miller has said that off-spinner Jason Krezja, who took a record 12 wickets in his debut Test against India recently, has the potential of playing for his country for the next decade “provided he keeps his private life in order”.

Miller said that Kreja even outperformed India’s ace spinner Harbhajan Singh in the last Test at Nagpur.

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