Eagles can’t stop Chipolopolo - Renard

NATIONAL team coach Herve Renard says it will be difficult for Nigeria’s Super Eagles and any team to beat Zambia at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations finals in South Africa.

And Renard says Saturday’s match against Tanzania is an opportunity for local players to show they can deliver.

He insisted that the team has enough time to prepare for the continental championship kicking off on January 19.

Renard said in an interview in Lusaka Monday that the team will swing into full preparations on December 26 in South Africa.

“We have a lot of time to prepare but like I have said before what is important is for the team to be ready on the D-day. We have about a month before we play our first game of the tournament against Ethiopia,” he said.

Zambia face Ethiopia on January 21 in a Group C match before taking on Nigeria and Burkina Faso on January 25 and January 29 respectively.

Renard said the results from friendly matches are not important because his aim is to ensure the team is ready for the Africa Cup of Nations finals.

The 2012 Africa Cup winning coach said it is good that almost all the players are in and will train together for a month.

He said the team will not be under pressure in South Africa because they will be ready for the challenge.

Renard said the team’s aim is to go to South Africa and defend the Africa Cup trophy.

“The year 2012 was a fantastic year for Zambian football. The football spirit is very high at the moment in the country. Just look at the Zone Six final between Zambia and South Africa. The stadium was full and some people were outside. This is very good but I think even 2013 will be the same,” he said.

And the coach said young players will have a platform to show their potential when Zambia plays Tanzania on Saturday.

The charismatic coach said he intends to use senior players only for 45 minutes.



source: THE NATION

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FC Barcelona Agree New Deal With Messi, Xavi And Puyol

messi, xavi, puyol

Barcelona trio Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez and Leo Messi are all to sign new deals at the club, securing that three of the club's "reference players" will remain at the Camp Nou far into the future.

Puyol, 34, is to extend his deal for a further three years until June 2016; Xavi, 32, will extend his contract another two seasons up to 2016, while Messi, 25, will add two extra years to his deal, keeping him at the Camp Nou until June 2018.

Barca announced the news via their club website on Tuesday morning.

"FC Barcelona can announce that it has reached agreements with Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez and Leo Messi for the renewal of their respective contracts," the official statement read. "This news means that FC Barcelona has secured its ties with three of its most important players. Over the course of the next few weeks, Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez and Leo Messi will all be signing their respective new contracts."

The news came after club captain Puyol told reporters on Monday that ideally he would like to play until he was 40, as long as he could keep contributing to the cause.

"I want to continue playing, but I do not want to be a passenger," he said. "The moment I do not feel okay, I will stop, regardless of my contract."

Puyol said that his contract negotiations had been put on hold recently while he concentrated on getting back in shape to help the team after a suffering a string of injuries in recent months.

"I was concentrating on getting back to fitness," he said. "It was a difficult time, but you have to learn from these experiences and they make you stronger. I feel fine now. The moment I stop enjoying it, I will stop playing".

Puyol played all 90 minutes in Sunday evening's 4-1 win over Atletico Madrid, which stretched Barca's lead in the table to nine points over Atletico and 13 over Real Madrid. 'Tarzan' said he still considered Jose Mourinho's Madrid a dangerous challenger for the title.

"If there is one team who never give up, it is Real Madrid," he said. "They have shown that in other seasons. We cannot become complacent, we still have to go to the Bernabeu. If you were told about 13 points at the start of the season, you would not believe it. But our numbers are very good and have been won on the field."

When asked about his plans for his career once he eventually hangs up his boots, Puyol joked that he would not become Barca club president and his fellow centre-half Gerard Pique had his eyes on that job.

"I do not want to be Barca president, like Pique," he said. "I will let him have that job, as he is my friend."



source:soccernet

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Katongo Named BBC’s African Footballer Award

Christopher Katongo has won the 2012 BBC African Footballer of the Year award.
The 30-year-old Zambia captain beat off competition from Demba Ba, Didier Drogba, Younes Belhanda and Yaya Toure to become the first winner from southern Africa in the history of the award.
Katongo told BBC Sport: “This is a fantastic moment for me. I thank the people who voted for me. It is something I will never forget in my career.

“This means a lot for the young people and the young players who look up to me. I could not have achieved this without the support of my team-mates.”

The shortlist for the award was drawn up by football experts from every country in Africa, who based their choices on players’ skill, technical ability, teamwork, consistency and fair play.
And a record number of people nominated their favourite online or by text message with just over 40% of the votes going to

Katongo, who plays his club football in China for Henan Construction.
While all the players on the shortlist have enjoyed a superb year, with four of the players picking up silverware, it is Katongo whose performances and achievements have been considered by African football fans to be the greatest.

“I think the things that they (the fans) like about me is my discipline and that I am the kind of player who can fail one day but pull up his socks and keep going. I think that is why they voted for me,” added Katongo.
“To be among the top players who have won this award, I will go to sleep with a smile on my face.
“I did my best and the people have spoken. That’s the beauty of this award.”

Katongo, who is also a soldier in his home country, was inspirational as he led Zambia to their first Africa Cup of Nations title in February.

He scored three goals en route to the final of the tournament in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon and then struck a successful penalty in an 8-7 shoot-out victory over favourites Ivory Coast to lift the trophy in Libreville.
PREVIOUS WINNERS
2011 – Andre ‘Dede’ Ayew (Marseille & Ghana)
2010 – Asamoah Gyan (Sunderland & Ghana)
2009 – Didier Drogba (Chelsea & Ivory Coast)
2008 – Mohamed Aboutrika (Al Ahly & Egypt)
2007 – Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal & Togo)
2006 – Michael Essien (Chelsea & Ghana)
2005 – Mohamed Barakat (Al Ahly & Egypt)
2004 – Jay Jay Okocha (Bolton & Nigeria)
2003 – Jay Jay Okocha (Bolton & Nigeria)
2002 – El Hadji Diouf (Liverpool & Senegal)
2001 – Sammy Kuffour (Bayern Munich & Ghana)
2000 – Patrick Mboma (Parma & Cameroon)




source:theheraldng

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Messi Extends Barcelona Contract to 2018

Lionel Messi has agreed a new contract with Barcelona, keeping him at the Spanish club until 2018.

The Argentina international, 25, has enjoyed a record-breaking year for club and country, scoring 90 goals in 2012, reports the BBC.

Messi has scored two goals in each of the last eight games that he has started for Barcelona.

Defender Carles Puyol, 34, and midfielder Xavi Hernandez, 32, have also agreed new deals that will keep them at Barcelona until 2016.

"In the coming weeks Puyol, Xavi and Messi will sign their respective new contracts," the club confirmed.

"This news means that FC Barcelona has secured its ties with three of its most important players."

Messi's current deal expires in June 2016, with Puyol's running until 2013 and Xavi until 2014.

Messi, who has been with Barcelona since he was 13, made his league debut against RCD Espanyol on October 16, 2004.

He has been in the best goal-scoring form of his career in 2012 and surpassed Gerd Mueller's 40-year-old record of 85 goals scored in a calendar year with a brace in a 2-1 win over Real Betis on December 9.

Messi took his tally for the year to 90 on Sunday with another two goals as Barcelona defeated Atletico Madrid 4-1.

He is in contention to be named World Player of the Year for a fourth time, having been named on a three-man shortlist alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and team-mate Andres Iniesta.

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