Seongnam: Asian champions Seongnam Ilhwa of South Korea crushed local side Al Wahda 4-1 yesterday to set-up a Club World Cup semi-final showdown with European champions Inter. Mauricio Molina, Asian player of the year Sasa Ognenovski, Choi Sung-Kuk and Cho Dong-Geon were all on target with Fernando Baiano hitting the Gulf team’s consolation.
Sydney: Australian A-League champions Sydney FC have boosted their forward line ahead of next year’s AFC Champions League by snapping up Finland’s leading marksman Juho Makela on a 15-month deal. Makela, 27, comes to Sydney as Finland’s leading goalscorer with HJK Helsinki, netting 16 goals in 18 appearances and taking home the country’s striker-of-the-year award.
Stampede: Jordan has launched a probe into clashes that injured dozens of people as a stampede caused an iron railing to collapse at a football match in the capital, the government said yesterday. The probe would look into what triggered the incidents after Friday night’s game between fierce rivals Al-Wehdat and Al-Feisali, Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi said.
Michel: Former France coach Henri Michel on Friday signed a 13-month contract to coach Equatorial Guinea, the co-hosts of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. Michel put pen to paper on a deal which many thought would have gone to compatriot Philippe Troussier, who had been in negotiations with the country’s football authorities.
Konan: Hanover match-winner Didier Ya Konan is out until next year as the Ivory Coast striker damaged knee ligaments after scoring both goals in his side’s 2-1 win over Stuttgart. Friday’s win leaves Hanover third in the table as Ya Konan sealed his side’s fifth straight win in the league.
Keller: Bundesliga strugglers VfB Stuttgart are on the verge of firing their second coach of the season according to Sport Bild magazine yesterday. Stuttgart, who sacked Swiss coach Christian Gross in October, have called a press conference for today where it is expected they will announce they are axing 40-year-old Jens Keller following Friday’s 2-1 defeat by Hannover left them 16th in the table.
Basketball: Derrick Rose had 29 points and nine assists as the Chicago Bulls held off a late rally by the Los Angeles Lakers for an 88-84 victory Friday night at the United Center arena. It was the Bulls’ first win in nearly four years over the Lakers whose score was a season low. The Bulls hit eight three-pointers, of which Rose scored three. The Lakers had won seven consecutive games against the Bulls since a 94-89 Chicago win in December 2006 at the United Center.
Rugby Union: Defending champions Tou-louse continued their unbeaten start to this season’s European Cup with a 28-16 Pool 6 victory over Glasgow on Friday. However, they missed out on a crucial bonus point after taking their foot off the accelerator in the second half where they added just a penalty to their 25-16 interval advantage. “We had a very good first half, but the second half was all about frustration,” said Toulouse’s former All Black scrum-half Byron Kelleher, whose side have three wins in three matches.
Squash: Nick Matthew, who thought he might never play again after a shoulder injury three years ago, made history by becoming the first Englishman to become World Open champion on Friday. The 30-year-old top seed defeated fellow Yorkshireman James Willstrop 7-11, 11-6, 11-2, 11-3 in the first all-English final, and looked an almost certain winner from the midway stage onwards against a brave but tiring opponent.
Cricket: England bowler Jimmy Anderson, who left the Ashes tour of Australia to be at the birth of his second child, is the proud father of a new baby girl and will back for the third Test, his spokesman said. His model wife Daniella gave birth on Thursday in Manchester, northwest England. The girl, who has yet to be named, weighed seven pounds and nine ounces (3.4 kilogrammes).
Athletics: The Italian athletics federation has split with legendary race walking coach Sandro Damilano, who helped Alex Schwazer to the 50km title at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Damilano, whose relationship with Schwazer went downhill after the Beijing Games, will continue to work on a personal level with Italian team members Giorgio Rubino and Elisa Rigaudo, the federation said.