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The shocking attack on the Togo football squad draws parallels with the attack on the Sri Lankan in Lahore, says Simon Taufel

Jason Dasey12-Jan-2010The shocking attack on the Togo football squad en route to the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola draws parallels with the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore, during their tour of Pakistan in March last year, according to Australian umpire Simon Taufel.Separatist rebels opened fire on the bus carrying Togo players as it crossed into the restive Angolan enclave of Cabinda on Friday. The attack was eerily similar to the Lahore attacks, where six policemen and two civilians were killed, and six members of the Sri Lankan team and reserve umpire Ahsan Raza were injured.Taufel, who was also present at the time said there were “too many” similarities between the two incidents. “It’s one of the first things that came to mind – how similar and terrible, and how lucky. A bus carrying sports people cowardly attacked by ambush with their bus driver killed and a miracle that any people survived such an incident,” Taufel told . “It is difficult to rationalize the thoughts in the minds of those who carry out such an act, so I don’t know about the similarities there.”It’s a tragedy for the people involved and their families. For innocent people to be attacked going about their peaceful business and jobs is unjust. The people in the bus are soccer players, not soldiers, and my heart goes out to the families of the victims.”Taufel said the attack on the Togolese team also brought back some painful memories. “Just when you thought you could move on, it all comes back with an event like this. I suppose the experience and feelings never really leave you. You just learn how to deal with them and make the best of it.”I’m just grateful to be still here after what happened and thankful for the help of the rest of the people involved. The events of recent days are another reality check for me and a reminder to cherish the present and make the most of life.”Though Sri Lanka immediately cancelled their tour after the Lahore attacks, Taufel believed it was “a tough question” facing the Togo players on their participation. “It has to be entirely up to the people involved,” Taufel said. “The feelings and issues are too complex. Unless you are there and go through the event, that judgment is far too difficult for others to make – it’s a personal decision by the players and one of a duty of care that the administrators will need to look at.”Taufel also called for “a high focus on effective protection and response” to stop these kinds of attacks on sports teams. “For me, I don’t believe that you can control or ever 100% prevent these kinds of people attempting such acts. It is a problem that we now have to deal with on an ongoing basis. So, while we need to attempt to prevent such an event, we also need to prepare for and manage the problem. Costs should never be an issue for sporting administrators to consider and there needs to be a zero tolerance to breaches of security plans and arrangements.”

Southampton face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium this weekend as they go in search of their first win of the Premier League campaign.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Saints have picked up three draws and one defeat from their opening four Premier League matches. After losing to Everton on the opening day, the Saints managed draws against Manchester United, Newcastle and most recently West Ham.

What could the Austrian do to give his side the best chance of coming away with their first win? Making some changes to the starting XI could be one way to go about it, and in Moussa Djenepo, there has been one player in particular who has failed to make the most of his opportunities this season.

The winger has started all four of Southampton’s league matches this term and averaged a dismal SofaScore rating of 6.28. Only Nathan Tella, who has played 10 top-flight minutes, has a lower rating than the Mali international, highlighting how much he has struggled recently.

Djenepo has failed to make an impact defensively or offensively in his four starts, struggling at both ends of the pitch for the Saints. The £34k-per-week dud has failed to produce a single goal or assist in the league this season, whilst only creating 0.8 chances per game and completing 40% of his attempted dribbles with the ball. He has also missed one ‘big chance’, showing that he has not had the quality in the final third to punish Premier League opposition.

Defensively, he has been too lightweight. As per SofaScore, Djenepo has lost 63% of his total duels against opponents, whilst he has also been dribbled past as often as he has won possession back (0.5) per game. This shows that he has not been strong enough to win individual battles against opponents, handing the advantage to the other team.

He also lost possession of the ball a whopping 61 times in four games, 15.3 times per match, and has completed a disappointing 70% of his passes. All told, he has not offered enough defensively, offensively or in transition to suggest that he deserves to keep his place in the starting XI.

Hasenhuttl needs to ruthlessly axe him from the team and offer another player a chance, as Djenepo is not providing the goods at this moment in time. Dropping him also could motivate the 23-year-old to work harder in training and improve when he gets his next opportunity to play.

AND in other news, Ralph must unleash £52k-p/w Saints “phenomenon” vs Man City, he’s a game-changer…

Crystal Palace and West Ham have been linked with a possible swoop for Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette, according to 90min.

And, as to be expected, a number of Eagles fans have been giving their thoughts to the rumours on social media.

90min shared a story on Thursday, providing an update on Lacazette’s future at the Emirates Stadium.

They suggest that the French forward, who turned 30 in May, is likely to leave the club in the coming months.

He could sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club in the New Year when he is into the final six months of his contract, however, remaining in London is also a possibility.

The report suggests that the Eagles and the Hammers are possible destinations for Lacazette, who is open to remaining in the capital.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared the links to Lacazette on Twitter. There were plenty of laughing emojis in the replies, along with these comments from some Palace supporters.

“And no hope”

Credit: @50pheadleif

“He will be looking for 140-160k a week. That’s a NO from CPFC.”

Credit: @KarlHogan2

“Be our 3rd choice striker”

Credit: @Jay_Rodrigues09

“no thanks!!”

Credit: @RobColeman18

“Let’s throw palace and West ham in to a transfer rumour. Original”

Credit: @whitsy13

“We don’t sign old men anymore x”

Credit: @palacecarlton

In other news: ‘Bring on Monday’, ‘Buzzing’ – Many Palace fans go wild at official post.

Leicester City will be hoping to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League when they host champions Manchester City this afternoon.

The Foxes pulled off an astonishing 5-2 victory over the Cityzens at the Etihad Stadium last season, as well as defeating them in last month’s Community Shield, and Brendan Rodgers may be able to repeat the trick at the King Power Stadium this time around.

After the likes of Patson Daka, Boubakary Soumare and Jannik Vestergaard arrived in the Midlands over the summer transfer window, Leicester’s recruitment got even better on deadline day when Ademola Lookman signed on a season-long loan deal from RB Leipzig.

The 23-year-old impressed with Fulham last season, bagging four goals and providing four assists in 34 top-flight appearances, and Rodgers is looking forward to working with the youngster this time around.

“I’m really excited about working with Ade. He’s a top talent. I wanted to take him to Celtic when he was at Charlton. I was aware of him when he was 15,” he said in Thursday’s press conference.

“He has all the tools; he has a great dribbling ability, how he views the game, he has an eye for a goal. My hope is that this environment will give him a chance to flourish. Hopefully, he can find a home here. I have no doubt the supporters will be excited by him.”

Lookman could get a first chance to impress his new fanbase when Pep Guardiola brings his charges to the King Power Stadium, with Rodgers confirming that the former England under-21 international is available for selection.

“He’s available. He looks fit and strong. If he doesn’t start, he may play some part in the game,” the Northern Irishman revealed.

Although Lookman prefers to be on the left wing, allowing him to cut inside on his stronger right foot and unleash efforts on goal, Harvey Barnes’ presence on that flank could see him fielded in a more unusual role.

“He can play in a number of positions. His preferred position is off the left side. He can play on the inside as well and on the right. He’s very balanced,” Rodgers admitted.

Therefore, the former Liverpool boss must take advantage of his new signing’s versatility and unleash him against Manchester City today.

With Ayoze Perez unavailable through suspension, this could be the ideal game for Lookman to get used to his new surroundings without any great pressure to perform, and he could inspire the Foxes to another memorable victory over Guardiola’s side.

In other news… Get it done: Leicester make contact over £30m wizard, he’s a “great talent” 

England are preparing for a delicate balancing act on their way to a final decision on the India tour with the ECB planning to fly its players to Abu Dhabi on Thursday

Cricinfo staff03-Dec-2008
Reg Dickason has completed his inspection of Chennai and is now heading to Mohali © Cricinfo Ltd
England will fly to Abu Dhabi on Thursday with a view to resuming their tour of India if they receive the requisite security clearance. A full-strength squad, minus the injured Ryan Sidebottom, has been named despite concerns that some players would opt out, and they will train in the Middle East before heading to Chennai early next week ahead of the first Test on December 11.However, the onward trip from Abu Dhabi is still subject to Reg Dickason’s assessment of the security plans in India. Dickason inspected the venue of the first Test in Chennai on Wednesday and said that his security concerns have been addressed. He is scheduled to visit Mohali, the venue of the second Test, later. The security consultant will, meanwhile, hold meetings in India with Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, and Sean Morris, the chief executive of England’s Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA).Hugh Morris and Sean Morris will then fly to Abu Dhabi to confirm to the ECB and the players that the added security recommendations are in place for the tour to begin.All the players have received reports from the ECB security team and also the recommendations that Dickason has insisted the BCCI in India put in place, which include a heavy police and commando presence around the team”The only consideration in all our discussions has been the safety and security of the team and support staff,” said Hugh Morris. “We have been delighted by the input of the PCA and also the willingness of the BCCI to act upon our recommendations regarding security.”While we have sought to reassure players that their safety is paramount we have not pressurised any player into making the trip against their will. Those who leave for Abu Dhabi are all anticipating travelling to India if both Sean and I are happy that Reg Dickason’s security plans have been activated. The board and players will be kept fully informed.”There had been speculation that some players would opt out even if the tour went ahead, but Hugh Morris said that a few days at home had allowed them to clear their minds. “The players have been fantastic over the last few days,” he told . “The reason we came back from India in the first place was to take some time to reflect. We have all been able to do that.”Sean Morris added: “The PCA and ECB have worked extremely closely on this issue and the players have been fully supportive throughout. We will access the highest calibre of security advice on a regular basis so that we can provide the players with the latest accurate information.””I have been assured by the ECB that they would never compromise the players’ safety and security. Hugh and I are travelling to India this weekend to confirm for the players that the security is of the high standard that the ECB and PCA demand.”Sidebottom, who was named in England’s original 15-man tour party, has been ruled out of the series with a side injury. Stuart Broad will miss the first Test having picked up a hamstring strain in Cuttack during the fifth ODI. He will remain in England for intensive physiotherapy and then fly out to Chennai where his fitness will be reviewed ahead of the second Test.The 14-man Test squad will be supplemented by 10 players from the Performance squad with Adil Rashid, the Yorkshire legspinner, a late addition on Thursday to bolster the spin department.Squad Kevin Pietersen (capt), Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Owais Shah, Andrew Flintoff, Tim Ambrose, Matt Prior, Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad (flying straight to Chennai), Steve Harmison, James Anderson, Monty Panesar.Additional players Ravi Bopara, Mark Davies, Robbie Joseph, Amjad Khan, Sajid Mahmood, Samit Patel, Liam Plunkett, Ollie Rayner, Adil Rashid, Alan Richardson

Former Premier League striker Dean Windass is stunned that Jesse Lingard was not among the big-money movers on transfer deadline day.

Manchester United creative midfielder Lingard spent the second half of last season on loan with West Ham United and rediscovered his best form, scoring nine goals and adding five assists in 16 appearances.

Lingard has returned to Old Trafford following the temporary switch and only been handed four minutes of action so far this season.

West Ham boss David Moyes confirmed that he was still keen to make a late swoop for the 28-year-old, who is thought to be on £75,000-a-week at United, less than two weeks before the transfer window slammed shut.

Although the Red Devils put a £25million valuation on Lingard and appeared willing to sell, West Ham plumped for Croatia international Nikola Vlasic on deadline day instead.

Windass believes Lingard will be starved of action with his current employers, particularly following the return of club legend Cristiano Ronaldo.

He exclusively told Football FanCast: “I’m surprised he has stayed. Clearly, he didn’t want to go back to West Ham.

“There’s always discussions on the phone behind closed doors and if he had been on the phone to Moyes and said ‘I want to come back’, that deal would have been done. 

“Those discussions never took place and I’m very surprised. I can’t see Jesse getting a game at United.”

The headwear gave them away. Ricky Ponting and Phillip Hughes sat together after Australia’s win in Durban and the most obvious sign of the generational gap that divides them was the state of their baggy green caps

Brydon Coverdale in Durban10-Mar-2009
Ponting has captained Australia for five years but only now, with a new generation at hiscommand, does he have the chance to create his own distinct legacy for the next captain © AFP
The headwear gave them away. Ricky Ponting and Phillip Hughes sattogether after Australia’s win in Durban and the most obvious sign ofthe generational gap that divides them was the state of their baggygreen caps. Ponting’s was battered and faded, a victim ofsweat-drenched toil and booze-soaked celebrations from 130 largelysuccessful Tests. Ponting’s was baggier but Hughes’ was,appropriately, greener.Whereas Hughes’ cap – one of ten handed out over the past year – hasseen only the eastern half of South Africa during the past two weeks,Ponting’s has travelled the world for nearly 14 seasons. It has beensprayed with so much beer that it must smell like a bar-roomdishcloth. Most of those celebrations came with a familiar group offaces: Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer,Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, to name just a few.It was a squad that Ponting inherited from Steve Waugh who, in turn,had accepted it from Mark Taylor and, before him, Allan Border. It wasa group that struck fear into the hearts of those who faced it andforged the greatest cricketing dynasty Australia has known. It was asquad that, over the past few years, eroded steadily with eachretirement.The departures of so many luminaries left Ponting with the youngestand most inexperienced side he has ever led. Ponting has captainedAustralia for five years but only now, with a new generation at hiscommand, does he have the chance to create his own distinct legacy forthe next captain. The “Ponting Age” has truly begun.The loss to South Africa in Australia this season was the end of anera. Australia had not been defeated in a home series for 16 years.Through most of that period they were unquestionably the world’s bestside. The beginning of the end of that era came in the 2006-07 Asheswhen Warne, McGrath, Langer and Martyn all retired. Gilchrist departeda year later. The loss of Hayden this summer left Ponting as the onlylink to the full stretch of Australia’s glory days.It has forced a change in Ponting’s leadership style. Where once hewas criticised for captaincy by consensus, turning to the likes ofWarne, Gilchrist and Hayden for advice, now he is demonstrably incharge in every aspect of Australia’s on-field performances. There arefewer committee meetings on the ground. Ponting directs traffic withthe confidence of a policeman.His authority extends beyond the field. During the net sessions in thelead-up to the Kingsmead Test it was notable that Ponting stood in theumpire’s position and watched every one of his new bowlers and batsmenwith an analytical eye, handing out advice when required andpresumably confirming in his mind who he wanted in the side.Those decisions haven’t been as easy of late. During the glory days ofwhat is sometimes known as the Warne-McGrath era, the team pickeditself. All the selectors had to do was cut and paste the squad fromthe last match and if there was an injury, throw in the man who hadbeen next in line. Now things are far less simple.Phillip Hughes, Marcus North, Ben Hilfenhaus and Andrew McDonald arenot names that most observers would have expected 12 months ago to bein the Australian Test side. It has meant an enormous challenge forPonting.”It’s certainly a unique phase in my career as a captain,” Pontingsaid. “To have a number of debutants, and a number of inexperiencedguys in the side, it’s something I haven’t been accustomed to in themajority of my career as a captain. I’ve said right from the start,that when these challenges come up and this transitional phase firststarted, I always looked at as being one of the most exciting littlephases of my career.”Being the captain of the side when I was, when we were so dominant,Test series and Test matches seemed to roll into one another. We werewinning everything that came along and we were expected to wineverything that came along. If you look at our group of players [now]… a lot of people around the world didn’t think that this wasachievable.”It has helped that Australia entered this match with an unchanged sidefor the first time in 16 Tests. Following the controversial homeseries against India in early 2008, the squad rarely looked settledthroughout the remainder of the year. Now Ponting is in charge of agroup of men who have been told their roles and are keen enough andcapable enough to perform to specifications.Players like Hughes, Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle and Doug Bollinger couldhave ten-year careers ahead of them. They are without questionbenefiting from starting their careers under a leader who believes inthem and is willing to persist with them. Five years into hiscaptaincy, Ponting is finally starting to leave his own unique mark onthe Australian team.

A look at different scenarios for the three unclaimed quarter-finals places from Super League

Cricinfo staff17-Dec-2008Only three quarter-final places have been sealed going into the final round of Super League matches. Two others will be taken by teams coming up from the Plate League, which will be decided through the Plate semi-finals that will be played at the same time as the seventh round of league matches. Bengal will take on Goa and Himachal Pradesh will face Madhya Pradesh in the Plate League semi-finals. That leaves three spots still up for grabs, with five teams fighting for them. One of them, Uttar Pradesh, will not even be playing in the last round. Cricinfo looks at possible scenarios, and what these teams need to do to make it to the next round.

Cheteshwar Pujara will look to guide Saurashtra to the quarter-finals, preferably via the surest way: an outright win with a bonus point© Cricinfo Ltd
Group AMumbai and Gujarat are already through, and the fight for third place is between Saurashtra and Delhi. Saurashtra currently lead Delhi by one point, both have the same number of outright wins, and Saurashtra have a much better run-quotient.Saurashtra, 18 points, face Hyderabad in Rajkot
They are the one team who can manage to qualify without having to keep an eye on what Delhi do.If they win with a bonus point, they would have put it across Delhi.If they win without a bonus point, Delhi would need to win with a bonus point to force a tie. In that case, Saurashtra could benefit from their superior run-quotient at present: 1.440, as opposed to Delhi’s 0.926.In other cases, Saurashtra need do only as well as Delhi do, and they will be through.Even if Saurashtra lose their match, they have an outside chance if Delhi manage only one point from their match.Delhi, 17 points, face Rajasthan in Jaipur
No matter what Delhi do, they will have to wait for the result in Rajkot.Even if they win with a bonus point, a win for Saurashtra can force a tie.If they win without a bonus point, they would have to hope Saurashtra do not win their match.If they manage only a first-innings lead, Saurashtra must concede the first-innings lead in their match.If they concede a first-innings lead, Saurashtra have to lose outright, and the matter is decided by run-quotient.If they lose outright, there is no way they can advance.Punjab, 12 points, face Mumbai in Mumbai
A far-fetched thought, if ever there was one. If they beat group leaders Mumbai with a bonus point, they would equal Saurashtra’s current tally, 18. And there can be a tied scenario, if both Saurashtra and Delhi fail to score, or Saurashtra fail to score and Delhi get only one point. And Punjab will come out the best out of that tie, because they would have registered three wins (Delhi and Saurashtra have two). Surely even Punjab will not be thinking such thoughts, though.Group BOnly Tamil Nadu have made it through so far. Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka are frontrunners for the other two spots, but Railways haven’t been knocked out completely.UP, 17 points, don’t have a game left
Still they will fancy their chances because they lead the next two teams by three points and six points respectively.The only way they can be knocked out is if Railways beat Tamil Nadu with a bonus point. In that case, Railways will be tied with UP, but will qualify by the virtue of one more win than UP.Even in that unlikely scenario, UP can go through if Karnataka fail to get a first-innings lead against Maharashtra. But if Karnataka get the lead, and are consequently tied with UP, Karnataka will pip them because of more wins.Karnataka, 14 points, play Maharashtra in Bangalore
It should be an easy game for Karnataka, and a win should not be a surprising result. That will clearly take them through.Even a first-innings lead will be enough for them to qualify because in a tied scenario they will score over UP, owing to more outright wins.Even if they don’t get a lead or lose the match, they can still qualify if Railways and Baroda don’t win their matches.Railways, 11 points, play Tamil Nadu in Chennai
Nothing less than a win will do for Railways. Because they have to go past Karnataka – if both of them are tied at 14, Karnataka will go through because of more wins.A win with a bonus point will surely carry them through, because if they are tied with UP at 17, they will have more wins.In case they win without a bonus point, and consequently fall behind UP, they would have to hope Karnataka don’t get a first-innings lead.Baroda, 9 points, play Andhra in Vadodara
Talk of outside chances. They will have to win their match and also hope that Karnataka don’t get a single point from their match, and also that Railways don’t win theirs. It will be a real convoluted surprise if Baroda do manage to go through.

Jason Krejza, the uncapped offspinner, is confident he can make a success of his likely Test call-up after Bryce McGain was ruled out of the opening match in Bangalore with a shoulder injury

Cricinfo staff02-Oct-2008
Jason Krejza, who has a reputation as an aggressive spinner and a big turner of the ball, said he would not be intimidated by India’s batsmen © AFP
Jason Krejza, the uncapped offspinner, is confident he can make a success of his likely Test call-up after Bryce McGain was ruled out of the opening match in Bangalore with a shoulder injury. It leaves Krejza as the only fit specialist spinner in Australia’s squad and he is now set to become the country’s 402nd Test cricketer.He arrives on the international scene with a modest domestic record; he has 43 first-class wickets at 45.46 from 23 matches mostly with New South Wales and Tasmania. However, Krejza has a reputation as an aggressive spinner and a big turner of the ball, and he said he would not be intimidated by India’s batsmen.”I am confident that I can come over here and be successful, that is why I targeted this tour,” Krejza told the . “If I can spin it hard and get it in the right areas, get a few big wickets, that would be great.”I’m not intimidated, because bowling to our guys, Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting and the others, it isn’t much different. They treat spinners as Indians do, very, very aggressively. I have confidence that I’ve got the skills to do it.”Krejza, 25, is also keen to try out his version of the doosra. “I’ve been working on it for four or five years,” he said. “It will definitely come out this series, because I want to keep these Indian batsmen on their toes.”Krejza collected 3 for 35 in the weekend’s tour game against the RCA Centre of Excellence, which was his first chance to bowl in match conditions in India. He was on the recent Australia A tour but rain prevented him bowling a ball.It was also during the Australia A games that McGain picked up his shoulder strain, a niggle that has lasted much longer than he initially expected. Although McGain will remain with the squad until he can be properly assessed, the team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris believes it will be two to three weeks before he will be able to bowl, meaning a flight home is a strong possibility.That would be good news for Beau Casson, the left-arm chinaman bowler who made his Test debut in the Caribbean but was overlooked for the squad for India as the selectors wanted one wrist-spinner and one finger-spinner. Casson suffered a minor injury when he slipped in the outfield on the Australia A trip but he said if the call came for him to replace McGain he would jump at the chance.”I’ll be ready if needed, absolutely,” Casson told the . “That was the reason for missing a few games with Australia A in India, because I wanted to get back on the park as soon as possible.”I’ve had [physio] Pat Farhart weave some of his magic and the groin has responded really well. I’ve played three games of cricket since and, being one-dayers, I’ve had to move from side to side a fair bit, so I couldn’t be happier with the way I’m feeling.”

Leicester City would be making a shrewd signing if they can acquire Noni Madueke, according to former Foxes defender Steve Howey.

Madueke has made a stunning start to the season, scoring five goals and adding an assist in six PSV Eindhoven appearances.

The 19-year-old winger, who has already been capped by the England under-21s, has been attracting interest from a number of Premier League clubs throughout the transfer window.

Among Madueke’s suitors are Leicester and Crystal Palace, with Dutch giants PSV seeking £20million (per The Sun).

Leeds United have also been keeping tabs on the former Tottenham Hotspur youngster, along with reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

Brendan Rodgers has already led Leicester to silverware this season, having beaten Manchester City to the Community Shield.

The Foxes then got their Premier League campaign off to a positive start by seeing off Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend.

While Howey believes Madueke would need time to adjust to the pace of the Premier League, he feels the teenager would be a hit at the King Power Stadium.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “If a Premier League team can nick him, I think that could be good business.

“At 19, it’s a lot to ask for him to move back to another country and adapt to that game.”