Fifa ballon Dor 2012 shortlist announced

FIFA released the shortlist for Fifa ballon d'or 2012 with titans
Lionel Messi and Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo expected to steal the show
as they battle for World Player 2012 bragging rights. Intrinsically,
it is Lionel Messi whose capacity to make it four in a row that is
most intriguing of the two.

This time around the 23-man shortlist for the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or
award which now combines the FIFA World Player of the Year will be
decided by head coaches and captains of senior men's national teams as
well selected media personalities.

The result of this coveted accolade will be made public at a glamorous
gala to be held in Zurich on January 7, 2013.

Real Madrid have the distinction of having the most players (six) on
the shortlist, whereas Barcelona have five. Current World Cup holders,
Spain are represented by seven players ahead of other national teams.
Africa is represented by Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba, both of Ivory
Coast.

Here is the full shortlist:

Sergio Agüero (Argentina, Manchester City),
Xabi Alonso (Spain, Real Madrid),
Mario Balotelli (Italy, Manchester City),
Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid),
Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus),
Sergio Busquets (Spain, Barcelona),
Iker Casillas (Spain, Real Madrid),
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid),
Didier Drogba (Côte d'Ivoire, Shanghai Shenhua),
Radamel Falcao (Colombia, Atletico Madrid),
Zlatan Ibrahimović (Sweden, Paris Saint-Germain),
Andrés Iniesta (Spain, Barcelona),
Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona),
Manuel Neuer (Germany, Bayern Munich),
Neymar (Brazil, Santos),
Mesut Özil (Germany, Real Madrid),
Gerard Piqué (Spain, Barcelona),
Andrea Pirlo (Italy, Juventus),
Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid),
Wayne Rooney (England, Manchester united),
Yaya Touré (Côte d'Ivoire, Manchester City),
Robin van Persie (Netherlands, Manchester United),
Xavi (Spain, Barcelona).

Afcon 2013 final draw results

The draw everyone has been waiting has finally been concluded in the
South African coastal city of Durban. The outcome will see African Cup
of Nations debutants Cape Verde who dumped powerhouse Cameroon in the
qualifiers face the 2013 edition hosts South Africa (Bafana Bafana) at
the 93 000 seater Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on 19 January.
The two sides are in Group A which also includes Morocco and Angola.

The full draw results are as follows:

Group A

South Africa
Cape Verde
Morocco
Angola

Group B

Ghana
D. R. Congo
Niger
Mali

Group C

Zambia
Ethiopia
Burkina Faso
Nigeria

Group D

Ivory Coast
Togo
Algeria
Tunisia

Guide to the 2013 Afcon venues and stadia

Johannesburg1		Durban1		Port Elizabeth1
Soccer City2		Moses Mabhida Stadium		Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
26°14′5.27″S 27°58′56.47″E / 26.2347972°S 27.9823528°E / -26.2347972; 27.9823528 (Soccer City)		29°49′46″S 31°01′49″E / 29.82944°S 31.03028°E / -29.82944; 31.03028 (Moses Mabhida Stadium)		33°56′16″S 25°35′56″E / 33.93778°S 25.59889°E / -33.93778; 25.59889 (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium)
Capacity: 94,700		Capacity: 54,0003		Capacity: 48,000
Johannesburg Durban Port Elizabeth Rustenburg     Nelspruit
Nelspruit			Rustenburg
25°27′42″S 30°55′47″E / 25.46172°S 30.929689°E / -25.46172; 30.929689 (Mbombela Stadium)			25°34′43″S 27°09′39″E / 25.5786°S 27.1607°E / -25.5786; 27.1607 (Royal Bafokeng Stadium)
Mbombela Stadium			Royal Bafokeng Stadium
Capacity: 41,000			Capacity: 42,000

Afcon 2013: Knockout phase format and venues

2013 African Cup of Nation Knockout phase format

	Quarter-finals				Semi-finals				Final
	2 February – Durban
	Winner Group A
					6 February – Durban
	Runner-up Group B
	3 February – Rustenburg
	Winner Group D
									10 February – Johannesburg
	Runner-up Group C
	3 February – Nelspruit
	Winner Group C
					6 February – Nelspruit
	Runner-up Group D
									Third place
	2 February – Port Elizabeth
	Winner Group B
	Runner-up Group A
									9 February – Port Elizabeth

Quarterfinals

2 February 2013 17:00	Winner Group B	Match 26	Runner-up Group A	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth

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2 February 2013 20:30	Winner Group A	Match 25	Runner-up Group B	Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban

---

3 February 2013 17:00	Winner Group D	Match 28	Runner-up Group C	Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg

---

3 February 2013 20:30	Winner Group C	Match 27	Runner-up Group D	Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit

[edit] Semifinals

6 February 2013 17:00	Winner Match 25	Match 29	Winner Match 28	Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban

---

6 February 2013 20:30	Winner Match 27	Match 30	Winner Match 26	Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit

[edit] Third place play-off

9 February 2013 20:00	Loser Match 29	Match 31	Loser Match 30	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth

[edit] Final

10 February 2013 20:00	Winner Match 29	Match 32	Winner Match 30	Soccer City, Johannesburg

2013 Afcon finals: The final 16 teams and how they are seeded

Ivory Coast, South Africa, Zambia and Ghana are the top seeds, while Nigeria, Mali, Angola and Tunisia, will be in Pot 2, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Algeria and Niger are in Pot 3 while Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo, Cape Verde and Ethiopia  are in Pot 4. The criteria for seeding takes into account results from the last three Afcon tournaments namely Ghana, Angola and Gabon and Equatorial Guinea,  with the iam of keeping the "big guns" apart.

The 2013 finalists include nine of the 16 finalists from Afcon 2012, that is, Zambia, Ivory Coast, Mali, Ghana, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Niger and Angola, while Cape Verde are only debutants. The most notable absentees include seven-time champions Egypt and four-time title holders Cameroon, the two sides will miss the 2013 spectacle thanks to the heroics of Central African Republic and Cape Verde respectively.

The January 19 opening match and the final of the Nations Cup 2013 will be hosted by Johannesburg at the 93,000-seater FNB stadium with the other 29 games to played in Durban, Nelspruit, Port Elizabeth and Rustenburg.

Ivory Coast favorites to win Afcon 2013?

 

 Zoom  

  Ivory Coast will arrive in South Africa come January 2013 as favorites to lift the coveted continental cup. However, the Ivorians have often failed to live up to expectations. But with some of their stars nearing retirement, it is possible that we may witness a change of attitude from Africa's highest ranked squad. They've previously been blamed for lack of commitment at Afcon tournaments in reflection of their superior club form.

The Elephants were runners-up in 2006, fourth in Ghana 2008, exited in the quarters in 2010 (Angola) and finished second in 2012. This time around the star-studded side showed a fiery attitude in the qualifiers as they dislodged a determined Senegalese squad in home and away thrillers.

Didier Drogba promised fireworks at Afcon 2013 since many of the Ivorian stars are preparing for retirement from international football. The former Chelsea legend wants nothing short of the golden trophy to take back to Abidjan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2014 World Cup qualifiers: Europe zone October 12 fixtures

10/12 15:00 +00:00	Russia	v	Portugal
10/12 15:30 +00:00	Finland	v	Georgia
10/12 16:00 +00:00	Czech Rep	v	Malta
10/12 16:00 +00:00	Faroe Island	v	Sweden
10/12 16:00 +00:00	Kazakhstan	v	Austria
10/12 17:00 +00:00	Armenia	v	Italy
10/12 17:00 +00:00	Albania	v	Iceland
10/12 17:30 +00:00	Turkey	v	Romania
10/12 17:30 +00:00	Liechtenstei	v	Lithuania
10/12 18:00 +00:00	Bulgaria	v	Denmark
10/12 18:00 +00:00	Moldova	v	Ukraine
10/12 18:00 +00:00	Belarus	v	Spain
10/12 18:15 +00:00	Slovakia	v	Latvia
10/12 18:30 +00:00	Serbia	v	Belgium
10/12 18:30 +00:00	Macedonia	v	Croatia
10/12 18:30 +00:00	Netherlands	v	Andorra
10/12 18:30 +00:00	Estonia	v	Hungary
10/12 18:30 +00:00	Switzerland	v	Norway
10/12 18:45 +00:00	Wales	v	Scotland
10/12 18:45 +00:00	Ireland	v	Germany
10/12 18:45 +00:00	Slovenia	v	Cyprus
10/12 18:45 +00:00	Greece	v	Bosnia-Herz
10/12 19:00 +00:00	Luxembourg	v	Israel
10/12 19:00 +00:00	England	v	San Marino
10/16 15:00 +00:00	Russia	v	Azerbaijan
10/16 16:00 +00:00	Israel	v	Luxembourg
10/16 16:00 +00:00	Belarus	v	Georgia
10/16 16:30 +00:00	Iceland	v	Switzerland
10/16 17:00 +00:00	Andorra	v	Estonia
10/16 17:00 +00:00	Cyprus	v	Norway
10/16 18:00 +00:00	Croatia	v	Wales
10/16 18:00 +00:00	Czech Rep	v	Bulgaria
10/16 18:00 +00:00	Faroe Island	v	Ireland
10/16 18:00 +00:00	Bosnia-Herz	v	Lithuania
10/16 18:00 +00:00	Latvia	v	Liechtenstei
10/16 18:30 +00:00	Macedonia	v	Serbia
10/16 18:30 +00:00	Hungary	v	Turkey
10/16 18:30 +00:00	Slovakia	v	Greece
10/16 18:30 +00:00	San Marino	v	Moldova
10/16 18:35 +00:00	Austria	v	Kazakhstan
10/16 18:45 +00:00	Belgium	v	Scotland
10/16 18:45 +00:00	Italy	v	Denmark
10/16 18:45 +00:00	Germany	v	Sweden
10/16 18:45 +00:00	Albania	v	Slovenia
10/16 18:45 +00:00	Portugal	v	N Ireland
10/16 19:00 +00:00	Romania	v	Netherlands
10/16 19:00 +00:00	Poland	v	England
10/16 19:00 +00:00	Ukraine	v	Montenegro
10/16 19:00 +00:00	Spain	v	France

2014 World Cup qualifiers: Europe zone fixtures, results and tables

Group Stage 2012 - Group One
CLUB	P	W	D	L	GD	PTS
Serbia	2	1	1	0	5	4
Belgium	2	1	1	0	2	4
Croatia	2	1	1	0	1	4
Scotland	2	0	2	0	0	2
Macedonia	2	0	1	1	-1	1
Wales	2	0	0	2	-7	0

Group Stage 2012 - Group Two
CLUB	P	W	D	L	GD	PTS
Italy	2	1	1	0	2	4
Bulgaria	2	1	1	0	1	4
Armenia	2	1	0	1	0	3
Czech Rep	1	0	1	0	0	1
Denmark	1	0	1	0	0	1
Malta	2	0	0	2	-3	0

Group Stage 2012 - Group Three
CLUB	P	W	D	L	GD	PTS
Germany	2	2	0	0	4	6
Sweden	1	1	0	0	2	3
Ireland	1	1	0	0	1	3
Austria	1	0	0	1	-1	0
Kazakhstan	2	0	0	2	-3	0
Faroe Island	1	0	0	1	-3	0

Group Stage 2012 - Group Four
CLUB	P	W	D	L	GD	PTS
Romania	2	2	0	0	6	6
Netherlands	2	2	0	0	5	6
Hungary	2	1	0	1	2	3
Turkey	2	1	0	1	1	3
Estonia	2	0	0	2	-5	0
Andorra	2	0	0	2	-9	0

Group Stage 2012 - Group Five
CLUB	P	W	D	L	GD	PTS
Switzerland	2	2	0	0	4	6
Iceland	2	1	0	1	1	3
Albania	2	1	0	1	0	3
Cyprus	2	1	0	1	-1	3
Norway	2	1	0	1	-1	3
Slovenia	2	0	0	2	-3	0

Group Stage 2012 - Group Six
CLUB	P	W	D	L	GD	PTS
Russia	2	2	0	0	6	6
Portugal	2	2	0	0	4	6
Luxembourg	2	0	1	1	-1	1
N Ireland	2	0	1	1	-2	1
Azerbaijan	2	0	1	1	-3	1
Israel	2	0	1	1	-4	1

Group Stage 2012 - Group Seven
CLUB	P	W	D	L	GD	PTS
Bosnia-Herz	2	2	0	0	10	6
Greece	2	2	0	0	3	6
Slovakia	2	1	1	0	2	4
Lithuania	2	0	1	1	-2	1
Latvia	2	0	0	2	-4	0
Liechtenstei	2	0	0	2	-9	0

Group Stage 2012 - Group Eight
CLUB	P	W	D	L	GD	PTS
Montenegro	2	1	1	0	6	4
England	2	1	1	0	5	4
Poland	2	1	1	0	2	4
Ukraine	1	0	1	0	0	1
San Marino	1	0	0	1	-6	0
Moldova	2	0	0	2	-7	0

Group Stage 2012 - Group Nine
CLUB	P	W	D	L	GD	PTS
France	2	2	0	0	3	6
Spain	1	1	0	0	1	3
Georgia	2	1	0	1	0	3
Finland	1	0	0	1	-1	0
Belarus	2	0	0	2	-3	0

http://intradigital.blogspot.com

2014 World Cup qualifiers: Asia zone fixtures and results

2014 Round Four - Group A
TEAM	P	W	D	L	GD	PTS
South Korea	3	2	1	0	6	7
Iran	3	1	1	1	0	4
Qatar	3	1	1	1	-2	4
Lebanon	4	1	1	2	-3	4
Uzbekistan	3	0	2	1	-1	2

2014 Round Four - Group B
TEAM	P	W	D	L	GD	PTS
Japan	4	3	1	0	10	10
Jordan	3	1	1	1	-5	4
Australia	3	0	2	1	-1	2
Iraq	3	0	2	1	-2	2
Oman	3	0	2	1	-3	2

DATE		SCORE
10/16 12:25 +00:00	Qatar	v	Uzbekistan
10/16 13:00 +00:00	Oman	v	Jordan
10/16 14:15 +00:00	Iraq	v	Australia
10/16 16:30 +00:00	Iran	v	South Korea

2014 World Cup Qualifiers - CONCACAF fixtures and Results

Friday, October 12, 2012
Time				Stage	Venue
23:00 GMT	Antigua and Barbuda	v	United States	Group 1	Sir Vivian Richards Stadium
02:00 GMT	Guatemala	v	Jamaica	Group 1	Estadio Mateo Flores
01:00 GMT	Guyana	v	Mexico	Group 2	BBVA Compass Stadium
01:30 GMT	El Salvador	v	Costa Rica	Group 2	Estadio Cuscatlan (San Salvador, El Salvador)
23:45 GMT	Canada	v	Cuba	Group 3	BMO Field
02:05 GMT	Panama	v	Honduras	Group 3	Estadio Rommel Fernandez

Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Time				Stage	Venue
23:15 GMT	Jamaica	v	Antigua and Barbuda	Group 1	Kingston National Stadium
23:15 GMT	United States	v	Guatemala	Group 1	Livestrong Sporting Park
01:00 GMT	Costa Rica	v	Guyana	Group 2	Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica
01:00 GMT	Mexico	v	El Salvador	Group 2	Estadio Corona
20:00 GMT	Cuba	v	Panama	Group 3	Pedro Marrero
20:00 GMT	Honduras	v	Canada	Group 3	Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano

Afcon 2013 qualifiers: Liberia vs Nigeria match preview

Ten foreign pros have now joined the Super Eagles at the Metropolitan Hotel in Calabar for Saturday’s AFCON qualifier against Liberia.

The 10 foreign-based players who joined the seven players from the Nigeria Premier League were Austin Ejide, Vincent Enyeama, Nosa Igiebor, Ikechukwu Uche, Elderson Echejile, Ahmed Musa, Obiora Nwankwo, Efe Ambrose and Brown Ideye.

Also in are three exciting youngsters, Ogenyi Onazi of Lazio, Inter Milan’s Joel Obi and Chelsea new boy Victor Moses, whose girlfriend recently put to bed a bouncing baby boy in London.

Three other pros are expected before dinner Tuesday in time for morning and evening trainings on Wednesday.

There is a relaxed atmosphere in the training camp with coach Stephen Keshi taking on Victor Moses over his newly born son.

“Does the boy look like you or like the mother”? Keshi pressed on, and Moses replied, “Coach, he looks pretty much like me,” and the dining hall erupted in laughter.

In the meantime, Eagles goalkeeper trainer Ike Shorunmu was excited on Tuesday morning when the team had their second training at the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar.

At the time of the session, Shorunmu was the only technical crew member that had his team of three goalkeepers complete as Vincent Enyema, Austin Ejide and Chigozie Agbim were already in town and rearing to go.

He promptly seized the opportunity of the keepers’ early arrival to drill them.

“I’m happy with the form of all the three keepers and I must say any of them could be in goal on Saturday with what I have seen so far. All they need is a little pep up from the public perception of them and we are already getting results even on that,” he said.

Shorunmu called on Nigerians to always support the team and not to put the blame at the doorstep of only the goalkeepers.

“These are some of the best goalkeepers in the world and there is no goalkeeper, no matter how great that cannot make mistakes, we must be careful the way we criticise so that we don’t destroy the team and even the careers of our players.”