Gor Mahia on verge of creating CAF Cup history

Johannesburg (AFP) – Gor Mahia are set to become the first Kenyan club to reach the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-finals after a 3-2 victory away to Young Africans of Tanzania at the weekend.

The Group D leaders need two points from two matches to clinch a last-eight place in the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League.

Nairobi-based Gor host Rayon Sports of Rwanda on August 19, then complete their mini-league scheduled 10 days later away to second-place USM Alger of Algeria.

Gor are the only Kenyan club to have lifted a CAF trophy, winning the now defunct African Cup Winners Cup 31 years ago.

AFP Sport looks at the four groups and predicts which clubs are likely to reach the last eight of a competition won last year by TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Group A

Matchday 4 wins for Raja Casablanca of Morocco and V Club of DR Congo have established them as hot favourites to occupy the top two places in the final standings.

Mahmoud Benhalib became the eight-goal leading Confederation Cup scorer thanks to a brace as Raja overwhelmed ASEC Mimosas of the Ivory Coast 4-0 in a clash of former African champions.

Jean-Marc Makusu Mundele was another sharpshooter to bag a brace, giving V Club a 2-0 home win over third-place Aduana Stars of Ghana.

Group B

Leaders Al Masry of Egypt and second-place Renaissance Berkane of Morocco are virtually certain to qualify, needing one victory each to be sure.

The pacesetters met for a second time in 11 days with Masry edging Berkane 1-0 in Port Said thanks to an Islam Issa goal soon after half-time.

Experienced African campaigners Al Hilal of Sudan and rookies UD Songo of Mozambique remained winless after four rounds by drawing 1-1 in Indian Ocean port city Beira. 

Group C

The hardest mini-league to predict with just three points separating leaders Williamsville of the Ivory Coast from bottom club Djoliba of Mali.

Williamsville overcame twice African champions Enyimba of Nigeria 2-0 in Abidjan with a bullet-like header from Guy Serge Yameogo after a corner sealing maximum points. 

CARA of Congo Brazzaville maintained a perfect home record in the competition by edging Djoliba 1-0 thanks to an early Racine Louamba goal.

Group D

Gor completed a double over great east African rivals Young Africans despite a couple of goalkeeping howlers from Boniface Olouch, who gifted the Tanzanians two goals. 

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Neymar blames ‘brattish’ behaviour on his inner child

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Neymar has tackled critics who derided his play-acting at the World Cup, admitting he “overreacts” and blaming his “brat” like behaviour on his inner child.

The Brazilian superstar was widely lambasted in Russia for his theatrical reactions to challenges which often left the world’s most expensive footballer wincing and rolling on the ground.

“Boot studs on the shins, kick in the spine, stomp on the foot, you may think I overreact, and sometimes I do, but for real? I suffer on the pitch, but you have no idea what I go through outside of it,” he said in comments on a television commercial for a razor blade.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward, speaking in Portuguese with English subtitles, continued “You may all think I’ve fallen too much, but the reality is I did not fall, I crumbled.”

“And that hurts more than anyone stepping on your post op ankle,” he added, alluding to the surgery on the injury he suffered back in February.

“When I act like a brat, it isn’t because I’m a spoiled child, but because I still haven’t learned to deal with my frustrations.

“There’s still a boy inside of me, sometimes it dazzles the world. Other times it pisses every one off.

“And my fight is to keep this boy alive, but inside of me, not inside the field.”

He adds: “You can keep throwing rocks at me, or you can throw your rocks away and help me get up. Because when I do get up the whole of Brazil gets up with me.”

This is not the first time Neymar has addressed his taxing World Cup.

On his return from Russia he took a tongue in cheek swipe at his detractors with an online video teaching children how to dive.

And last week, in an interview with AFP, Neymar disclosed he “didn’t want to see a ball, or to see any more football played” after Brazil’s premature exit.

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Hair to the throne? Arsenal’s Guendouzi compared to Vieira

Singapore (AFP) – French whizz Matteo Guendouzi said he hopes he’s embarking on a “big adventure” with Arsenal after a scintillating start which has drawn comparisons with the great Patrick Vieira.

The 19-year-old midfielder, instantly recognisable by his long hair, had fans salivating in friendlies against Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in Singapore.

Guendouzi, a strong tackler with confident distribution, was a dynamo at the base of midfield, where against PSG he played alongside the similarly hirsute Mohamed Elneny.

Arsenal have long missed a midfielder of the stature of Vieira, a member of the “Invincibles” side, which went through the 2003/2004 Premier League season unbeaten.

With only three appearances so far — also including this month’s outing against Boreham Wood — it’s early days for Guendouzi, an under-20 international signed from Lorient.

But he said there was a positive feeling at Arsenal as the London club opens a new era under Unai Emery, following Arsene Wenger’s 22-year reign.

“I’m very happy about how the team played,” he told AFP, after Arsenal’s 5-1 demolition of a youthful PSG side at the International Champions Cup in Singapore.

“It gives us confidence and it really made things easy for me. With such a good team and a good feeling around the team, I think we can really do some good things here.”

– ‘Working, working, working’ –

Arsenal is traditionally one of England’s biggest clubs but Guendouzi’s arrival is well timed as Emery rebuilds a team which finished only sixth in the Premier League last season.

However, Emery has plenty of midfielders to choose from including Uruguay international Lucas Torreira, another new signing, and Switzerland’s Granit Xhaka.

Guendouzi said he hopes to get his chance in competitive games but that he also wants to learn from team-mates such as Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey.

“Yes I hope to play, that’s true but this is a big squad, with a lot of great players with a lot of experience,” he said.

“It’s a question of working, working, working, and afterwards the coach will make his choices. But I hope to play a few games.”

Arsenal complete their pre-season against Chelsea and Lazio before a tough start to the season when they play champions Manchester City and Chelsea in their first two games.

But they have the advantage of working with a nearly full-strength squad as many of their rivals await the return of players after the World Cup.

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French World Cup glory costs China firm $9 mn and counting

Shanghai (AFP) – A Chinese kitchen appliance maker said Monday it has so far made refunds worth nine million dollars, fulfilling a costly pledge to reimburse customers if France won the World Cup.

Vatti, one of the French team’s sponsors, is coughing up after Didier Deschamps’ side beat Croatia 4-2 in the final in Moscow a fortnight ago.  

According to Vatti’s latest figures, the Chinese firm has made refunds — either in cash or gift cards — of more than 62 million yuan.

And the cost to Vatti of the success of “Les Bleus” does not stop there, with a portion of refunds still outstanding.

The total payout over the marketing stunt will amount to nearly $12 million. 

Vatti, founded in 1992, promised before the World Cup to refund customers who bought their “Championship Package” of selected products if France lifted the trophy.

Vatti stock dived as France made their way through the tournament, but the firm is publicly sanguine.

“The amount to repay could be very significant, but it was included in our annual budget. It will not have huge consequences on the company,” Wang Zhaozhao, a Vatti representative, previously told the China Securities Journal.

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Five most eye-catching close-season transfers so far

Paris (AFP) – With Europe’s top clubs preparing for the start of the new season, there have already been several headline-grabbing moves in the transfer market, including Cristiano Ronaldo’s stunning switch to Juventus and the arrival of Gianluigi Buffon in France.

Here, AFP Sport looks at five of the close-season movers who could make the biggest impact:

Cristiano Ronaldo (POR)

Real Madrid (ESP) to Juventus (ITA) (100 million euros)

— The end of Ronaldo’s reign at Real Madrid took the football world by surprise, although it wasn’t met with total shock. The 33-year-old had hinted at a desire to leave after winning a third straight Champions League title with Real against Liverpool, but a move to Italy didn’t appear to be on the cards.

The arrival of the Champions League’s all-time record goalscorer will surely boost the Turin giants’ hopes of finally winning Europe’s premier competition for the first time since 1996.

Some will think that Ronaldo’s time at the top is coming to an end, but his recent form has suggested otherwise. The Portugal captain scored 44 goals for Real in all competitions last season before netting four times at the World Cup, including a hat-trick against Spain, and will undoubtedly bring a massive presence to Juventus both on the pitch and off it.

Gianluigi Buffon (ITA)

Juventus (ITA) to Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) (free)

— As Ronaldo looks to win the Champions League in a third different country, Buffon will be hoping to finally lift the famous trophy for the first time in his first season playing outside of Italy.

The 40-year-old was expected to retire at the end of last term, but instead decided to have another crack at European glory with big-spending PSG. Buffon will miss the first three Champions League games of the campaign, though, after his tirade against English referee Michael Oliver following a late Ronaldo penalty which saw Juve lose to Real in the quarter-finals in April.

Buffon will likely start all of PSG’s big matches, but the lower quality of Ligue 1 may be perfect for the latter stages of his career, with French international Alphonse Areola more than capable of stepping in to give him a rest during more low-key encounters.

Alisson (BRA)

Roma (ITA) to Liverpool (ENG) (72.5 million euros)

— Despite the revelation that he had earlier suffered concussion, Loris Karius’ horror show in the Champions League final confirmed what many onlookers had known for years — that Liverpool needed a new goalkeeper.

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Rooney scores first DC United goal before breaking nose

Washington (AFP) – Former England captain Wayne Rooney grabbed his first goal for DC United but also suffered a broken nose in a 2-1 victory over Colorado Rapids in the MLS.

Rooney, 32, scored the opening goal against ex-Manchester United team-mate Tim Howard but was left bloodied after a clash of heads with Colorado defender Axel Sjoberg in stoppage time.

“Delighted to score my first goal for DC United,” Rooney tweeted after his team won for just the fourth time in 18 matches this season. Two of those victories have come since Rooney made his debut on July 14.

The striker, England’s all-time record goalscorer, said he required five stitches after breaking his nose in the collision with Sjoberg.

Rooney, who played for boyhood club Everton last season following his return from Old Trafford, signed a three-and-a-half year deal with DC United worth $13 million earlier this month.

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Bayern Munich and Manchester City still have a long way to go in United States

On paper, Manchester City and Bayern Munich are two of the biggest clubs in club soccer. One is a reigning Premier League champion as well as one of the most exciting, attacking teams on the planet. The other is the biggest and most successful club in Germany.

In reality, neither club is heavily supported in the United States. Their fanbases are dwarfed by bigger clubs in the United States such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal and others. That’s not an indictment on City or Bayern. It’s just that it takes decades to grow a fanbase to be anywhere near the numbers of the seven aforementioned teams.

A good example of the work that City and Bayern need to do was evidenced at the International Champions Cup game featuring the two teams in Miami on Saturday night. In front of an attendance of 29,195 — an estimated 80% of which were Bayern supporters — the crowd was still far smaller than you’d expect for two soccer powerhouses.

Before you blame the lack of quality talent on display, the players on the pitch included Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez, Rafinha, Kingsley Coman and Sandro Wagner, among others.

And don’t blame Miami. Tuesday’s match between Real Madrid and Manchester United is already expected to bring in a massive crowd to the same stadium where Bayern-City played to the 2-3 result.

With Bayern Munich and Manchester City, it is what it is. And it isn’t from a lack of effort. Both City and Bayern have been two of the more progressive clubs when it comes to promoting their clubs across social media and the Internet. But right now, both clubs aren’t big enough in the United States to fill a 65,000-seat stadium. The clubs are better suited for a stadium similar to Red Bull Arena that seats 25,000.

If cultivating a sports audience was as simple as having the best team, success would happen overnight. But growing a fanbase is an experience that can take months or years of numerous touch points across television, social media, the Internet or — in the case of the International Champions Cup — matches in front of tens of thousands of potential new fans.

That’s the beauty of the International Champions Cup. It’s a built-in way to grow a fanbase in the United States. With games being played across the United States, it’s an opportunity for clubs to get as close and personal as possible to soccer fans. It’s not about winning games, although that helps. It’s about building a brand, growing an audience and making a connection.

Support local soccer

From soccer fans across the United States, the battle cry is to “support local soccer.” That’s fine if you’re fortunate to have a MLS local to you, but what about everyone else — including soccer fans in South Florida?

Even though Manchester City and Bayern Munich are based five thousand miles away from Miami, these two clubs are making the effort, more-so than Major League Soccer clubs who are based in the United States. For example, take Real Madrid. In the last five years, Los Blancos has played three times in South Florida. That’s three times more than any Major League Soccer team have played in South Florida. You could argue that Real Madrid are more local to Miami than any MLS club is to Miami.

The same can be said for countless cities across the United States where teams from overseas have made repeated trips to U.S. cities to entertain local soccer fans. For MLS, perhaps building a fanbase outside of their own local market isn’t a priority? But it should be.

For Bayern Munich and Manchester City, the more the clubs put into the International Champions Cup, the more they’ll get back.

The same goes for other clubs from around the world wanting to become more popular in the United States.

SEE MORE: Schedule of International Champions Cup games on US TV and streaming

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