The Sun plays safe on Sunday debut

THE SUN ON SUNDAY celebrated a successful launch this weekend, pulling in 3.26 million punters for its debut edition.

It was certainly an impressive start for Rupert Murdoch's new tabloid, easily outselling its nearest rival, the Mail on Sunday, which managed its usual 1.9 million.

Meanwhile, the Sunday Mirror on 1.7 million, the People on 780,266, and the Daily Star Sunday with 640,406 were left trailing in its wake.

And so, Mr Murdoch was undoubtedly pleased with the newspaper's performance.

Having earlier said he would be "very happy" with the sale of two million copies, he tweeted: "Amazing! The Sun confirmed sale of 3,260,000 copies. Thanks all readers and advertisers. Sorry if sold out - more next time."

Already, there can be no doubt that the Sun on Sunday has shaken up the weekend market. In true Murdoch-style, it has arrived in a blaze of publicity and sparked a price war by retailing at just 50p.

The Daily Star Sunday tried to compete by doing likewise while Trinity Mirror - owner of the Sunday Mirror and the People - opted for an unconvincing strategy by reducing prices in only some areas of the country.

Nothing could match the novelty of the Sun on Sunday, though - even if the newspaper actually had a familiar look to it.

For a start, it was not the News of the World - that had become famous, and indeed infamous, for salacious 'kiss and tells', sensationalist undercover investigations and, eventually, its illegal practices.

Instead, it was more like a copy of the Sun in midweek. Leading with a big celebrity interview from Amanda Holden, the Sun on Sunday otherwise relied heavily on columnists such as Katie Price aka Jordan and political commentator Toby Young.

A full-page editorial - with the headline "A new Sun rises today" generally appealed to the readers' better nature, stating that, in the past, it had been "a tremendous force for good".

It added: "A newspaper which holds the powerful to account must do the same with itself. You will be able to trust our journalists to abide by the values of decency as they gather news." 

Nevertheless, this first edition was hardly hard-hitting stuff and, as such, it has generally received a lukewarm review from media commentators such as Roy Greenslade.

Of course, the opinion of the Guardian columnist will not have caused the staff on the Sun to lose much sleep but it is fair to say that the newspaper has had better days than on Monday.

The Leveson inquiry into media ethics has now moved on to cover the relationship between press and police following its coverage of the phone hacking allegations.

On a dramatic day, the Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sue Akers, said evidence suggested a "culture of illegal payments" at the Sun.

DAC Akers also claimed that payments allegedly made by the Sun to public officials, including the police, were authorised at a senior level.

Meanwhile, outside of the inquiry, singer Charlotte Church was the latest celebrity to agree damages with Mr Murdoch's company News International.

Ms Church said she was "sickened and disgusted" after a court found that her phone had been hacked and the newspaper had gained access to her medical records.

Certainly, then, it would have been more interesting if this bad day had come straight before the launch of the new newspaper.

But, even if it had, it still remains likely that the curiosity of some members of the British public would have no doubt got the better of them following Mr Murdoch's multi-million pound campaign.

Rightly or wrongly, many readers will consider the Sun on Sunday to be a fresh start for the News International stable.

They will be pleased that it stayed away from trouble whilst also providing a big celebrity splash, exclusive columnists, and a 28-page football pullout.

From a journalism purist's perspective, this new newspaper may not quite have the same week-to-week impact as the News of the World - but nor will it be half the trouble of its predecessor.

For that reason alone, it looks as if the Sun on Sunday is here to stay for some time yet, regardless of what the inquiries say.

Carling Cup Final 2012: Reds back to winning ways at Wembley

Cardiff City 2 Mason 19, Turner 118
Liverpool 2 Skrtel 60, Kuyt 108

After extra time. Liverpool won 3-2 on penalties.

Cardiff City Heaton - McNaughton (Blake 106), Hudson (A Gerrard 99), Turner, Taylor - Cowie, Whittingham, Gunnarsson - Mason (Kiss 91),  Miller, Gestede. Booked: Turner, Kiss. Subs not used: Marshall, Earnshaw, Conway, Naylor.
Liverpool Reina - G Johnson, Skrtel, Agger (Carragher 86), Enrique - Henderson (Bellamy 58), S Gerrard, Adam, Downing - Suarez, Carroll (Kuyt 103). Booked: Henderson. Subs not used: Doni, Maxi, Spearing, Kelly.
Attendance 89,044 at Wembley Referee Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear)
Kick-off at 4pm. Live on BBC and Sky.
Penalties: 0-0 S Gerrard saved, 0-0 Miller misses, 0-0 Adam misses, 0-1 Cowie scores, 1-1 Kuyt scores, 1-1 Gestede misses, 2-1 Downing scores, 2-2 Whittingham scores, 3-2 G Johnson scores, 3-2 A Gerrard misses.


LIVERPOOL made a winning return to Wembley, beating Championship side Cardiff City on penalties after a thrilling 2-2 draw.

The shootout began and ended with unsuccessful spot-kicks from a player named Gerrard.

But, while Steven's effort brought a fine save from Cardiff City goalkeeper Tom Heaton, cousin Anthony's miss proved to be decisive.

It was a cruel way for the Final to end for the Welsh side who had defended stoutly and pushed their Premier League opponents throughout the contest.

Indeed, Cardiff took the lead on 19 minutes when Joe Mason lost his marker and slotted cooly past Pepe Reina.

Before and after the goal, though, Cardiff impressed with a tenacious performance in defence.

Malky Mackay's men had a little bit of luck, too, when Glen Johnson curled a shot against the bar inside two minutes.

But there was nothing fortunate about the way Heaton kept goal or skipper Mark Hudson marshalled the back line.

Eventually, though, on the hour mark, the waves of pressure from the Reds paid off.

Slovakian centre-back Martin Skrtel converted from Stewart Downing's corner, putting the ball through Heaton's legs after a Luis Suarez header had hit the post.

Following the goal, Cardiff regrouped admirably - and even had the best chance to win the game at the end of normal time.

But, having done the hard work with a neat first touch and turn, Scottish striker Kenny Miller blazed wastefully over the bar.

In extra time, Cardiff's players visibly began to tire and it was no surprise that an injection of fresh legs from Kenny Dalglish put Liverpool on the edge of victory.

Substitute Dirk Kuyt, who had failed to win a trophy in his six years at Anfield, got two bites at the cherry after sending a weak shot straight at Cardiff's Gerrard.

The Dutchman then made a much better attempt with his follow-up, driving the ball low past Heaton and into the net.

That looked as if it was going to be the winner but, incredibly, Cardiff had enough energy for one last burst.

The Bluebirds almost scored when Kuyt cleared a point-blank effort from a corner off the line for another corner.

And, from that resultant kick, Ben Turner - playing as an auxiliary centre-forward - bundled the ball in from just a couple of yards out.

It really looked as if it was going to be Cardiff's day when Steven Gerrard and Charlie Adam failed to convert Liverpool's first two penalties.

But Miller had also missed from the spot meaning Don Cowie was the first successful man from 12 yards with four kicks taken.

Kuyt then scored again to make it 1-1 and it stayed like that when Frenchman Rudy Gestede hit the base of the post.

Stewart Downing and Peter Whittingham traded penalties before Johnson fired his kick into the roof of the net.

All of the pressure was on Anthony Gerrard and, sadly, he was unable to handle it, sending a weak effort wide before collapsing to the Wembley turf.

That was the cue for Liverpool's players to converge on Reina even though the Spaniard did not actually make a single penalty save.

However, the Reds' celebrations showed just how much this triumph meant to them and Dalglish with the King of the Kop securing a trophy inside 14 months of his return to Anfield.

Indeed, this was Liverpool's first major prize since their dramatic FA Cup win in 2006, and their first at Wembley since beating Bolton Wanderers in the 1995 League Cup Final.

Furthermore, this success extends the Reds' dominant League Cup-winning record to eight. Aston Villa are next on the list with five victories.

Of course, Dalglish will hope that this win lifts Liverpool for the rest of the campaign.

For, despite an indifferent few months, victory at home over Arsenal next Saturday will put the Reds back in the running for final Champions League spot.

Also, having thrashed Brighton & Hove Albion 6-1 last week, a Cup double remains a distinct possibility.

In short, it could yet still be a memorable season at Anfield.


ROAD TO WEMBLEY

Cardiff City

R1 beat Oxford United (A) 3-1 aet
R2 beat Huddersfield Town (H) 5-3 aet
R3 beat Leicester City (H) 7-6 on penalties after 2-2 draw aet
R4 beat Burnley (H) 1-0
R5 beat Blackburn Rovers (H) 2-0
SF beat Crystal Palace 3-1 on penalties after 1-0 defeat (A) and 1-0 win (H)

Liverpool
R2 beat Exeter City (A) 3-1
R3 beat Brighton & Hove Albion (A) 2-1
R4 beat Stoke City (A) 2-1
R5 beat Chelsea (A) 2-0
SF beat Manchester City 3-2 on aggregate after 1-0 win (A) and 2-2 draw (H) 

PREVIOUS LEAGUE CUP FINAL APPEARANCES

Cardiff City

None

Liverpool

1978 lost 0-1 to Nottingham Forest in replay after 0-0 draw
1981 beat West Ham United 2-1 after 1-1 draw
1982 beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 aet
1983 beat Manchester United 2-1 aet
1984 beat Everton 1-0 in replay after 0-0 draw
1987 lost 1-2 to Arsenal
1995 beat Bolton Wanderers 2-1
2001 beat Birmingham City 5-4 on penalties after 1-1 draw
2003 beat Manchester United 2-0
2005 lost 2-3 aet to Chelsea

Cassetteboy strikes again...

Following his success with the Bloody Apprentice, and then his uncanny ability to derive humour from Nick Griffin's Question Time appearance, Cassetteboy has struck again with his latest creation.

This time, George Alagiah from the BBC News receives the mash-up treatment with the resultant script:

"OK, hello. The BBC has won a High Court for the right to broadcast child pornography. And there could be more bad news on the way..."

<titles>

"Good evening and welcome to the BBC News taken out of context. Our top story tonight: the battle over bonuses is far from over. Hundreds of city traders and bankers wearing balaclavas ambushed the Royal Bank of Scotland today.

"Business tycoons carrying sledgehammers smashed Britain's biggest bank, shoplifting their multi-million bonuses. Police have described the high-flying bosses as 'dangerous'.

"But, first tonight, the celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson has delivered a defiant speech at his local branch of Tesco. He promised he'd use an iron fist to deal with protests against his TV programmes.

"When it comes to alcohol, how much is too much? A court in Paris has said it's up to Scotland to decide. They say you should have 300 units every 45 minutes and stop off for a beer on the way home. That's already a guideline in Scotland. 

"Our correspondent Jeremy Cook has been focusing on the market town of Hereford..."

Cook: "Hereford. Hereford. Hereford. Jeremy Cook, BBC News, Hereford."

Alagiah: "A reminder of tonight's main salacious gossip: there's been a shock response around the world to video footage appearing to show US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urinating on Boris Johnson for an ITV programme. It was deplorable behaviour. 

"The Labour leader Ed Miliband has told the BBC that his cock's remained untouched for thousands of years and maybe, just maybe, the longest on record for a British citizen. Thousands of women remain confused and worried.

"The government says it has no plans to get the economy moving again. But David Cameron said the Olympic games and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee would provide opportunities to showcase the country struggling to pay the bills.

"In the meantime, there are still plenty of people who want to kill off David Cameron but today there was a rare display of unity in the Commons as David Cameron and the Labour leader Ed Miliband both decided that they should be allowed to end their own lives. And Nick [Robinson] is in Westminster for us...

"What's David Cameron actually up to?"

Robinson: "The British Prime Minister is a posh, English queen. He has his own dick up his arse."

Alagiah: "Nick, thanks very much.

"Goodbye."

Theatre Royal bash gets stamp of approval

THE THEATRE ROYAL in Newcastle celebrated another landmark birthday with a huge party on Grey Street at the weekend.

Hundreds of Geordies braved freezing temperatures to see a spectacular fireworks and lights show illuminate the Grade I-listed building at the heart of the much-acclaimed Grainger Town area.

The free event was reminiscent of the hourly display upon the tower of the Astronomical Clock in Prague - and served as a wonderful reminder of my trip to the capital of the Czech Republic last October.

Back on Tyneside, this celebration was in very good order. After all, the theatre turned 175 years old yesterday having first been opened on 20 February 1837.

Actually, the original building was gutted by a huge fire in 1899 following a performance of William Shakespeare's 'Scottish play', but the current incarnation - which has stood since 1901 - truly remains a jewel in the crown of Newcastle city centre.

Indeed, it is one of only three places in the country in which the Royal Shakespeare Company plays regularly, the others being London and, of course, Stratford-upon-Avon.

This year's first RSC performance at the Royal - the Taming of the Shrew - starts its run this week on 23 February, continuing until 3 March.

And then, this summer, a production of Julius Caesar will feature for 10 days from 19-28 July as part of the 2012 World Shakespeare Festival.

But, despite the best efforts of the Bard, the Royal is still most famous around Tyneside for putting on a fantastic family pantomime over the Christmas period.

A similarly excitable atmosphere could be found outside the theatre on Sunday as, at the start of each hour between 6-9pm, a harlequin called the Master of Mischief began the festivities.

After the fireworks and lights show, he then beckoned the crowd to see each of the five street performances which were stationed along the length of Grey Street.

These included allusions to Fagin in Oliver Twist, the Ugly Sisters in Cinderella and, my personal favourite, the three witches in Macbeth.

Thankfully, though, there was no sign of "double, double, toil and trouble" at this spectacular event.

And, considering this celebrated 175 years of the Theatre Royal, it can already be assumed that the bicentennial in 2037 will be yet another night to remember!

Murdoch rides to the Sun's rescue

RUPERT MURDOCH arrived in London yesterday to launch a new Sunday tabloid and reassure staff on the Sun of their jobs.

The Australian-born proprietor of News International was in Wapping to make his big announcement and meet disconcerted staff on the Sun.

Earlier this week, five senior journalists from the paper were arrested on suspicion of bribing police and public officials as part of Operation Elveden, the investigation by Scotland Yard into newspaper corruption.

Sun reporters have also become increasingly worried that an internal News Corp investigations unit, the management and standards committee (MSC), has handed over the names of confidential sources to the police.

And so, it was against an atmosphere described as "anxious and angry" that Mr Murdoch sent an email in an attempt to heal some wounds.

He wrote: "We will build on the Sun's proud heritage by launching the Sun on Sunday very soon... We're doing everything we can to assist those who are arrested.

"All suspensions are hereby lifted until or whether charged, and they are welcome to return to work."

The reaction of the staff in Wapping to the news was positive, though this was perhaps out of relief more than anything.

A News International journalist is even reported to have said: "This is a proper fightback. Even if there are other arrests, this is a 'fuck you, here we are, we are carrying on despite everything.'"

However, others were less convinced by Mr Murdoch's statement.

Another reporter said: "This changes nothing. [There is still] a huge amount of concern across all three titles about protection of sources.

"Everyone is pleased that the suspensions have been lifted, but this is the language of the MSC. It makes no difference."

Overall, though, there is no doubt that most of the staff on the Sun will have gained a much-needed morale boost from the arrival of Mr Murdoch.

If nothing else, the upcoming launch of the Sun on Sunday shows that he is still committed to the UK newspaper industry... for now.

Nevertheless, there remain doubts over whether the whole of the Murdoch empire, namely News Corporation, will sail the same course - especially once Rupert's son, James, gains more control.

James Murdoch has made little secret of the fact that he is no fan of the printed press and it was not a surprise that he did not accompany his father on this trip.

He considers the UK newspapers to have caused him more problems than they are worth and, as a pragmatist and money man, he also thinks of them as a dying business.

The Times and the Sunday Times are loss-making while the Sun threatens to be caught in a similar mire to the one which accounted for the News of the World last July.

Of course, it has since emerged that claims of News of the World journalists deleting the voice messages on Milly Dowler's mobile phone was, on the balance of the available evidence, probably untrue.

But the very act of illegally hacking the phone of a murdered young girl, and others, was understandably enough to turn the collective stomach of the general public.

If the Sun journalists are also found guilty in this new crisis, it appears that Mr Murdoch will have short shrift for anyone involved.

For, he also wrote: "We will obey the law. Illegal activity simply cannot and will not be tolerated at any of our publications."

That appears to give Mr Murdoch, or at least his son James, a get-out clause from his apparent advances to the UK newspaper industry.

Indeed, the current BBC political presenter and former Sunday Times editor, Andrew Neil, warned: "Essentially, [Mr Murdoch] is between a rock and a hard place and he is playing for time.

"This will last until the next 12 arrests of Sun journalists or until he is forced to come down on one side.

"I am confident that the side he will come down on will be News Corporation in America. That is a multi-billion dollar business and News International is just a multi-million dollar business."

So, while on the surface, it appears Mr Murdoch may have flown in to save the Sun, this could yet be a relatively short-term fling.

That is not to say that the Sun, the Times and the Sunday Times will go the same way as the News of the World.

But, if it does all go wrong - and if James Murdoch gains any sort of control - none of the newspapers would get anywhere near as much attention from News International as they are right now.

African Cup of Nations Final: Zambia on the spot for emotional victory

 
Ivory Coast 0

Zambia 0

After extra time. Zambia won 8-7 on penalties
 

Ivory Coast Barry - Tiene, K Toure, Bamba, Gosso - Zokora (Ya Konan 75), Tiote, Y Toure (Bony 87), Gervinho - Kalou (Gradel 63), Drogba (c). Booked: Tiote, Bamba.
Zambia Mweene - Musonda (Mulenga 12 (F Katongo 74)), Sunzu, Himoonde, Nkausu - Sinkala, Lungu, Chansa, Kalaba - C Katongo (c), Mayuka. Booked: Mulenga.
Referee: Badara Diatta (Senegal) Venue: Stade d'Angondje, Libreville
TV: Eurosport and ITV4. Kick-off: 7.30pm GMT.

Penalties: 1-0 Tiote scored, 1-1 C Katongo scored, 2-1 Bony scored, 2-2 Mayuka scored, 3-2 Bamba scored, 3-3 Chansa scored, 4-3 Gradel scored, 4-4 F Katongo scored, 5-4 Drogba scored, 5-5 Mweene scored, 6-5 Tiene scored, 6-6 Sinkala scored, 7-6 Ya Konan scored, 7-7 Lungu scored, 7-7 K Toure saved, 7-7 Kalaba missed, 7-7 Gervinho missed, 8-7 Sunzu scored
 

ZAMBIA won the African Cup of Nations for the first time in history on an emotional night of destiny in Libreville in Gabon.

In April 1993, 18 Zambian footballers, four coaches, the FA chairman and two others died when a plane - on its way to a World Cup qualifier in Senegal - crashed into the Atlantic Ocean just off Libreville.

Now, almost 19 years later, another fine squad of Zambians rule the roost in Africa after beating odds-on favourites Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties.

Stoppila Sunzu struck the 18th - and decisive - spot-kick of the shoot-out to become the toast of Lusaka as a southern African nation won the tournament for the first time since 1996.

The Final itself had finished 0-0, having flickered into life at times without ever fully catching alight.

Zambia started well with Nathan Sinkala drawing a save from Boubacar Barry within the first couple of minutes after a nicely-worked corner routine.

But, by the end of the half, Ivory Coast had imposed themselves on the game and, on the half hour mark, Yaya Toure should have done much better after being set up by Didier Drogba.

The second period was notable for its lack of quality around the box from both sides - until undoubtedly the best chance of the whole match fell to the Ivorians' lynchpin Drogba following a foul on Gervinho.

The Chelsea forward fluffed it, though - blazing his penalty way over the bar with 20 minutes left. 

Having seen their skipper and star striker miss so horribly from 12 yards, the anxiety among the Ivorian players only seemed to increase further, and they struggled to make the breakthrough in the rest of the match.

They knew that, in the absence of Egypt, Cameroon and Nigeria, this edition of the Cup of Nations was Ivory Coast's best chance of becoming African champions for the first time since 1992.

Zambia, though, had been playing exceptionally right from the start of the tournament, beating another of the fancied sides, Senegal, on the opening day.

The Chipolopolo went on to top Group A as Senegal crashed out without a point despite fielding a four-pronged attack of Demba Ba, Papiss Cisse, Moussa Sow and captain Mamadou Niang.

However, the early part of the tournament was most notable for the fine performances of the two hosts.

Equatorial Guinea belied their lowly ranking of 151 to beat Libya and the Senegalese in their first two Nations Cup finals matches on their way to qualifying behind Zambia in Group A.

Gabon did even better, winning all three of their matches against Niger, Morocco, and Group C favourites Tunisia.

Indeed, the 3-2 comeback win over the Moroccans was particularly memorable as it was only secured in the 97th minute after the North Africans had looked to snatch a point by scoring a harshly-awarded penalty in the 93rd.  

But the hosts' brave runs were ended on successive days in the quarter finals as Equatorial Guinea were beaten 3-0 by Ivory Coast, and the Gabonese were edged out on penalties by Mali.

In the semi finals, Ivory Coast won their fifth successive match without conceding a goal as they beat the Malians with a solitary goal from Gervinho's on the stroke of half time.

Meanwhile, Zambia - who had matched the Ivorians' result in the quarters with a 3-0 win of their own against another surprise package, Sudan - also won 1-0 in the semis, against Ghana.

It had been a much tighter occasion, though, with Emmanuel Mayuka scoring with just 12 minutes left - and only after Asamoah Gyan had missed a penalty for the 2010 World Cup quarter finalists.

And so, with Gyan having missed from the spot in the semis and with Drogba doing the same in the Final, it really did seem that fate had decreed that it would be the Zambians who would succeed.

Herve Renard's men still needed to hold their nerve in the shoot-out, though, especially when Drogba had made some amends for his earlier miss by scoring the fifth penalty.

That left Zambian keeper Kennedy Mweene needing to score - but he did not seem to feel the pressure at all, wrong-footing his opposite number, Barry, and slotting the ball in the corner.

With the shoot-out now in sudden death, it seemed that the first failure would be a decisive miss - and the writing was on the wall for Ivory Coast when Kolo Toure had his kick saved.

But Rainford Kalaba could not handle the pressure either, and he blazed over to leave the score still at 7-7.

Incredibly, after 14 successful penalties, there was a third successive miss as Gervinho added another chapter to his woeful season by sending the ball high and wide.

This time, the Zambians were not in the mood for charity as Sunzu fired past Barry to send the Zambians into an emotional frenzy.

Frenchman Renard dedicated his team's victory to the 1993 squad and his FA chairman Kalusha Bwalya who only survived the crash because he played in Europe with PSV Eindhoven.

Renard said: "I told them if we got to the final we would play in Gabon where the plane crashed. There was a special significance in that. They found the strength. I don't know where."

Fighting back the tears, he added: "Kalusha was one of the best Zambian players of the last century. Then he was coach of the national team, now our president.

"He knows how terrible this crash was for the nation. I want to dedicate this title to him, he gave me my chance when nobody knew me."

Nobody really gave Zambia much of a chance either - but this wonderful underdog story was always destined to have a happy ending.


FULL AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS FIXTURES/RESULTS
GROUP A

TV	Date		Venue
Eurosport	Sat 21 Jan, 18:30	EQUATORIAL GUINEA 1-0 LIBYA	Bata
Eurosport	Sat 21 Jan, 21:00	SENEGAL 1-2 ZAMBIA	Bata
Eurosport	Wed 25 Jan, 17:15	LIBYA 2-2 ZAMBIA	Bata
Eurosport	Wed 25 Jan, 20:15	EQUATORIAL GUINEA 2-1 SENEGAL	Bata
Eurosport	Sun 29 Jan, 18:00	EQUATORIAL GUINEA 0-1 ZAMBIA	Malabo
Eurosport2	Sun 29 Jan, 18:00	LIBYA 2-1 SENEGAL	Bata

Group A Table	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
ZAMBIA (Q)	2	1	0	5	3	7
EQUATORIAL GUINEA (Q)	2	0	1	3	2	6
Libya	1	1	1	4	4	4
Senegal	0	0	3	3	6	0

GROUP B

TV	Date		Venue
Eurosport	Sun 22 Jan, 16:00	IVORY COAST 1-0 SUDAN	Malabo
Eurosport2	Sun 22 Jan, 19:00	BURKINA FASO 1-2 ANGOLA	Malabo
Eurosport	Thu 26 Jan, 16:00	SUDAN 2-2 ANGOLA	Malabo
ITV4*	Thu 26 Jan, 19:00	IVORY COAST 2-0 BURKINA FASO	Malabo
Eurosport	Mon 30 Jan, 18:00	SUDAN 2-1 BURKINA FASO	Bata
Eurosport2	Mon 30 Jan, 18:00	IVORY COAST 2-0 ANGOLA	Malabo

(*this match will also be televised on Eurosport)

Group B Table	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
IVORY COAST (Q)	3	0	0	5	0	9
SUDAN (Q)	1	1	1	4	4	4
Angola	1	1	1	4	5	4
Burkina Faso	0	0	3	2	6	0

GROUP C

TV	Date		Venue
Eurosport	Mon 23 Jan, 16:00	GABON 2-0 NIGER	Libreville
Eurosport	Mon 23 Jan, 19:00	MOROCCO 1-2 TUNISIA	Libreville
Eurosport	Fri 27 Jan, 16:00	NIGER 1-2 TUNISIA	Libreville
Eurosport	Fri 27 Jan, 19:00	GABON 3-2 MOROCCO	Libreville
Eurosport	Tue 31 Jan, 18:00	GABON 1-0 TUNISIA	Franceville
Eurosport2	Tue 31 Jan, 18:00	NIGER 0-1 MOROCCO	Libreville

Group C Table	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
GABON (Q)	3	0	0	6	2	9
TUNISIA (Q)	2	0	1	4	3	6
Morocco	1	0	2	4	5	3
Niger	0	0	3	1	5	0

GROUP D

TV	Date		Venue
Eurosport	Tue 24 Jan, 16:00	GHANA 1-0 BOTSWANA	Franceville
Eurosport	Tue 24 Jan, 19:00	MALI 1-0 GUINEA	Franceville
Eurosport	Sat 28 Jan, 16:00	BOTSWANA 1-6 GUINEA	Franceville
Eurosport	Sat 28 Jan, 19:00	GHANA 2-0 MALI	Franceville
Eurosport	Wed 1 Feb, 18:00	BOTSWANA 1-2 MALI	Libreville
Eurosport2	Wed 1 Feb, 18:00	GHANA 1-1 GUINEA	Franceville

Group D Table	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
GHANA (Q)	2	1	0	4	1	7
MALI (Q)	2	0	1	3	3	6
Guinea	1	1	1	7	3	4
Botswana	0	0	3	2	9	0

QUARTER FINALS

TV	Date		Venue
Eurosport	Sat 4 Feb, 16:00	ZAMBIA 3-0 SUDAN	Bata
ITV4*	Sat 4 Feb, 19:00	IVORY COAST 3-0 EQUATORIAL GUINEA	Malabo
Eurosport	Sun 5 Feb, 16:00	GABON 1-1 MALI aet (5-4 to MALI on pens)	Libreville
Eurosport	Sun 5 Feb, 19:00	GHANA 2-1 TUNISIA aet	Franceville

(*this match will also be televised on Eurosport)

SEMI FINALS

TV	Date		Venue
ITV4*	Wed 8 Feb, 16:00	ZAMBIA 1-0 GHANA	Bata
Eurosport	Wed 8 Feb, 19:00	IVORY COAST 1-0 MALI	Libreville

(*this match will also be televised on Eurosport)

THIRD-PLACED PLAYOFF

TV	Date		Venue
Eurosport	Sat 11 Feb, 19:00	GHANA 0-2 MALI	Malabo

FINAL

TV	Date		Venue
ITV4*	Sun 12 Feb, 19:30	ZAMBIA 0-0 IVORY COAST AET. Zambia won 8-7 on pens	Libreville

(*this match will also be televised on Eurosport)

SCORERS
Seven joint-top scorers on three goals
3 Manucho (Angola), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Cheick Diabate (Mali), Houssine Kharja (Morocco), Christopher Katongo (Zambia), Emmanuel Mayuka (Zambia)
 2 John Mensah (Ghana), Andre Ayew (Ghana), Abdoul Camara (Guinea), Sadio Diallo (Guinea), Ahmed Saad Osman (Libya), Ihaab Boussefi (Libya), Mohamed Ahmed Bashir (Sudan), Mudather El Tahir (Sudan), Youssef Msakni (Tunisia)
 1 Mateus (Angola), Dipsy Selolwane (Botswana), Mogakolodi Ngele (Botswana), Alain Traore (Burkina Faso), Issiaka Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso), Javier Balboa (Equatorial Guinea), Randy (Equatorial Guinea), Kily (Equatorial Guinea), Stephane N'Guema (Gabon), Daniel Cousin (Gabon), Bruno Mbanangoyé (Gabon), Eric Mouloungui (Gabon), Asamoah Gyan (Ghana), Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu (Ghana), Mamadou Bah (Guinea), Naby Soumah (Guinea), Ibrahama Traore (Guinea), Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast), Wilfried Bony (Ivory Coast), Emmanuel Eboue (Ivory Coast), Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast), Yao Gervinho (Ivory Coast), Bakaye Traore (Mali), Garra Dembele (Mali), Seydou Keita (Mali), Younes Belhanda (Morocco), William Ngounou (Niger), Dame N'Doye (Senegal), Moussa Sow (Senegal), Deme N'Diaye (Senegal), Khaled Korbi (Tunisia), Issam Jemaa (Tunisia), Saber Khelifa (Tunisia), Rainford Kalaba (Zambia), James Chamanga (Zambia), Stophira Sunzu (Zambia), Rainford Kalaba (Zambia)
1 own goal Bakary Kone (Burkina Faso) for Ivory Coast

CLASSIFICATION
1 ZAMBIA (beat Ivory Coast 8-7 on pens in Final after 0-0 draw)
2 IVORY COAST (lost v Zambia 7-8 on pens in Final after 0-0 draw)
3 GHANA (lost 0-1 v Zambia in the semi finals)
4 MALI (lost 0-1 v Ivory Coast in the semi finals)
5 GABON (lost 4-5 on penalties v Mali in the quarter finals after 1-1 draw)
6 TUNISIA (lost 1-2 aet v Ghana in the quarter finals)
7 EQUATORIAL GUINEA (lost 0-3 v Ivory Coast in quarter finals)
8 SUDAN (lost 0-3 v Zambia in quarter finals)
9 GUINEA (eliminated at group stage: four points, +4 GD)
10 LIBYA (eliminated at group stage: four points, 0 GD)
11 ANGOLA (eliminated at group stage: four points, -1 GD)
12 MOROCCO (eliminated at group stage: three points)
13 SENEGAL (eliminated at group stage: no points, -3 GD)
14 BURKINA FASO (eliminated at group stage: no points, -4 GD, two goals)
15 NIGER (eliminated at group stage: no points, -4 GD, one goal)
16 BOTSWANA (eliminated at group stage: no points, -7 GD)

Stroppy Capello leaves England in the lurch

ENGLAND preparations for Euro 2012 were thrown into disarray last night as Fabio Capello took it upon himself to bring down the curtain on his career as national team boss.

Capello's resignation came hours after he had faced showdown talks with Football Association chairman David Bernstein following their disagreement over the FA's decision to strip John Terry of the captaincy.

The 65-year-old had publicly declared his support for Terry on Italian television on Sunday even though the Chelsea defender faces trial in July over his alleged racist abuse of Queens Park Rangers' Anton Ferdinand.

Once it was clear that the FA was not going to change its mind on the matter, Capello decided that it was time for him to go - but not without first aiming a parting shot at his former employers over the Terry saga.

In quotes attributed to the Italian news agency Italpress, Capello fumed: "They really insulted me and damaged my authority.

"In Terry's case, they gravely offended me and damaged my authority at the head of the England side, effectively creating a problem for the squad.

"I have never tolerated certain crossing of lines, so it was easy for me to spot it and take my decision to leave."

For their part, the FA response was more amicable, though it has been made clear that this was Capello's decision, and not a case of mutual consent.

Following the prepared statement which broke the news, chairman Bernstein added: "I would like to stress that during today's meeting and throughout his time as England manager, Fabio has conducted himself in an extremely professional manner.

"We have accepted Fabio's resignation, agreeing this is the right decision. We would like to thank Fabio for his work with the England team and wish him every success in the future."

The FA board members subsequently held a press conference at midday today in which they stated their preference for "an English or British" manager.

That desire is reflected by the betting on the next permanent manager with Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp as short as 1/6 with one bookmaker.

It completed a whirlwind of a day for Redknapp who, just hours before Capello quit, had been found not guilty on two counts of cheating the public revenue in a trial at Southwark Crown Court.

So far, Redknapp has acted coyly on the suggestion that he becomes national team boss.

But it seems unfathomable that he would not at least be tempted to take charge of England in the summer, especially as he has already received the backing from the likes of Wayne Rooney and Jermain Defoe. 

Meanwhile, second favourite - and current under-21 coach - Stuart Pearce has been installed in the caretaker role for the senior team's friendly international at the end of the month against Netherlands at Wembley. 

The debate over whether the England coach should be English or foreign is generally pretty tiresome but it is no surprise to see it back on the agenda now that Capello's tenure has finished.

For Capello was not just a foreigner but - unlike an Anglophile like Arsene Wenger or a linguist like Jose Mourinho - he was a foreigner who was distant and aloof, one who made minimal efforts to learn the language.

The BBC's Tom Fordyce has suggested in his latest blog that Capello "seldom seemed to enjoy England or its culture".

Meanwhile the Guardian's chief sports writer Richard Williams wrote: "His £6m a year was not enough to interest him greatly in the culture of the country whose national game he was hired to revive by winning a major international tournament."

Certainly, Capello rarely stepped outside of his comfort zone while he was in charge.

Indeed, it remains somewhat of a bugbear among followers of north east football that, incredibly, the lucratively-rewarded Italian did not once watch a game at St James Park in Newcastle or in Sunderland's Stadium of Light.

Nevertheless, Capello can actually boast of a very favourable statistical record from his time in charge.

Out of the 12 permanent England managers in history, not even World Cup winner Sir Alf Ramsey can match Capello's win percentage of 66.67%.

But, this is very much a case of "lies, damned lies and statistics" - in the same way that Euro 2008 flop Steve McClaren can claim to be a statistically better England manager than Sir Bobby Robson.

Unlike with McClaren, England actually qualified for successive major finals with Capello. However, just like with McClaren, the players struggled to perform in the really big games. 

That 4-1 drubbing by Germany in Bloemfontein may have statistically only been one of six defeats in 42 matches under Capello.

But the performance - and the nature of the collapse in particular - will now forever tarnish what is left of the Italian's career.

Capello's record as a club manager - seven Serie A titles, two La Ligas and a European Cup - remains outstanding but, as an international coach, his judgement was sometimes sorely lacking.

Following an impressive World Cup qualifying campaign, in which England won nine and lost just one of their ten matches, it looked as if the team was well-placed to go far in the finals.

In the immediate run-up to the tournament, though, things began to take a turn for the worse.

First, there was the issue of the Capello Index, a formula for assessing the performances of his players which published its results in the public domain.

Then came some peculiar selections in the World Cup squad. Emile Heskey was included ahead of Theo Walcott, the injury-prone Ledley King made the cut ahead of his in-form Spurs team-mate Michael Dawson, and none of the goalkeepers knew if they had the number one shirt.

Jamie Carragher was even dragged out of retirement and Paul Scholes refused a similar offer. Meanwhile, Terry had been stripped of the captaincy for the first time following his affair with the ex-wife of Wayne Bridge.

It  meant that English optimism had begun to drain away even before the start of the tournament - but still no one expected that the team would fall to a worst-ever World Cup finals defeat.

Results improved again once England returned to the relative comfort of the qualifiers but a second situation involving Terry always seemed likely to cause a divide between Capello and his employer.

In the end, the rift was irreparable and England's Euro 2012 campaign looks in turmoil before it has even properly started.

With only 120 days to go until the opening match against France on 8 June, the national team is without a permanent manager or a permanent captain.

However, an alternative view is that all is not yet lost. A successor, once appointed, could be in a no-lose situation: if he reprises England's regular appearance in the quarter finals, then he will be commended on this occasion.

If he does even better than that, then he can expect to receive unreserved adulation; if he does worse, he can blame a lack of preparation time.

Regardless of what happens in the summer, though, it is perhaps a relief that Capello will now play no further part in the successes or failures of the England team.

Arrivederci Signor Capello. There will be few tears shed at your departure.

FABIO CAPELLO: OVERALL RECORD: P42 W28 D8 L6 F89 A35 (66.67% win)
World Cup matches: P14 W10 D2 L2 F37 A11

European Championships: P8 W5 D3 L0 F17 A5
Friendlies: P20 W13 D3 L4 F35 A19

Home: P21 W16 D4 L1 F52 A15
Away: P15 W10 D2 L3 F32 A13
Neutral: P6 W2 D2 L2 F5 L7

Record: ||WLWWDWWWWW ||LWWWWDWWLWL ||WWWDDWLWWWDL ||WWDDWWDWW
Competitive record: WWWWWWWWLWDDWLWWDWDWWD

2008

FR	06.02	ENGLAND 2-1 SWITZERLAND	Wembley, London (86,857)
FR	26.03	FRANCE 1-0 ENGLAND	Paris, France (78,000)
FR	28.05	ENGLAND 2-0 UNITED STATES	Wembley, London (71,233)
FR	01.06	TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 0-3 ENGLAND	Port of Spain, T&T (25,001)
FR	20.08	ENGLAND 2-2 CZECH REPUBLIC	Wembley, London (69,738)
WCQ	06.09	ANDORRA 0-2 ENGLAND	Barcelona, Spain (10,300)
WCQ	10.09	CROATIA 1-4 ENGLAND	Zagreb, Croatia (35,218)
WCQ	11.10	ENGLAND 5-1 KAZAKHSTAN	Wembley, London (89,107)
WCQ	15.10	BELARUS 1-3 ENGLAND	Minsk, Belarus (29,600)
FR	19.11	GERMANY 1-2 ENGLAND	Berlin, Germany (74,244)

2009

FR	11.02	SPAIN 2-0 ENGLAND	Seville, Spain (42,102)
FR	28.03	ENGLAND 4-0 SLOVAKIA	Wembley, London (85,512)
WCQ	01.04	ENGLAND 2-1 UKRAINE	Wembley, London (87,548)
WCQ	06.06	KAZAKHSTAN 0-4 ENGLAND	Almaty, Kazakhstan (24,000)
WCQ	10.06	ENGLAND 6-0 ANDORRA	Wembley, London (57,897)
FR	12.08	NETHERLANDS 2-2 ENGLAND	Amsterdam, Netherlands (50,000)
FR	05.09	ENGLAND 2-1 SLOVENIA	Wembley, London (67,232)
WCQ	09.09	ENGLAND 5-1 CROATIA	Wembley, London (87,319)
WCQ	10.10	UKRAINE 1-0 ENGLAND	Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine (31,000)
WCQ	14.10	ENGLAND 3-0 BELARUS	Wembley, London (76,897)
FR	14.11	BRAZIL 1-0 ENGLAND	Doha, Qatar (50,000)

2010

FR	03.03	ENGLAND 3-1 EGYPT	Wembley, London (80,602)
FR	24.05	ENGLAND 3-1 MEXICO	Wembley, London (88,638)
FR	30.05	JAPAN 1-2 ENGLAND	Graz, Austria (15,326)
WCF	12.06	ENGLAND 1-1 UNITED STATES	Rustenburg, South Africa (38,646)
WCF	18.06	ENGLAND 0-0 ALGERIA	Cape Town, South Africa (64,100)
WCF	23.06	SLOVENIA 0-1 ENGLAND	Port Elizabeth, South Africa (36,893)
WCF	27.06	GERMANY 4-1 ENGLAND	Bloemfontein, South Africa (40,510)
FR	11.08	ENGLAND 2-1 HUNGARY	Wembley, London (72,024)
ECQ	03.09	ENGLAND 4-0 BULGARIA	Wembley, London (73,426)
ECQ	07.09	SWITZERLAND 1-3 ENGLAND	Basel, Switzerland (37,500)
ECQ	12.10	ENGLAND 0-0 MONTENEGRO	Wembley, London (73,451)
FR	17.11	ENGLAND 1-2 FRANCE	Wembley, London (85,495)

2011

FR	09.02	DENMARK 1-2 ENGLAND	Copenhagen, Denmark (21,523)
ECQ	26.03	WALES 0-2 ENGLAND	Millennium Stadium, Cardiff (68,959)
FR	29.03	ENGLAND 1-1 GHANA	Wembley, London (80,102)
ECQ	04.06	ENGLAND 2-2 SWITZERLAND	Wembley, London (84,459)
ECQ	02.09	BULGARIA 0-3 ENGLAND	Sofia, Bulgaria (36,521)
ECQ	06.09	ENGLAND 1-0 WALES	Wembley, London (77,128)
ECQ	07.10	MONTENEGRO 2-2 ENGLAND	Podgorica, Montenegro (12,700)
FR	12.11	ENGLAND 1-0 SPAIN	Wembley, London (87,189)
FR	15.11	ENGLAND 1-0 SWEDEN	Wembley, London (48,876)

2012

08.02

FABIO CAPELLO QUITS

PERMANENT ENGLAND MANAGERS: OVERALL RECORDS

	P	W	D	L	Win%
FABIO CAPELLO (2008-2012)	42	28	8	6	66.7%
SIR ALF RAMSEY (1963-1974)	113	69	27	17	61.1%
GLENN HODDLE (1996-1999)	28	17	6	5	60.7%
RON GREENWOOD (1977-1982)	55	33	12	10	60.0%
SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON (2001-2005)	67	40	17	10	59.7%
WALTER WINTERBOTTOM (1946-1962)	139	78	33	28	56.1%
STEVE MCCLAREN (2006-2007)	18	9	4	5	50.0%
SIR BOBBY ROBSON (1982-1990)	95	47	30	18	49.5%
DON REVIE (1974-1977)	29	14	8	7	48.3%
TERRY VENABLES (1994-1996)	23	11	11	1	47.8%
GRAHAM TAYLOR (1990-1993)	38	18	13	7	47.4%
KEVIN KEEGAN (1999-2000)	18	7	7	4	38.9%

Caretakers: Joe Mercer (1974) P7 W3-D3-L1 42.9%, Howard Wilkinson (1999-2000) P2 W0-D1-L1 0.0%, Peter Taylor (2000) P1 W0-D0-L1 0.0%

Hammer blow for Gingrich as Romney takes Florida, Nevada... and Trump

Associated Press delegate count (after seven states)
1 Mitt Romney 107
2 Rick Santorum 45
3 Newt Gingrich 32
4 Ron Paul 9 

Nevada caucuses (Sat 4 Feb)
1 Mitt Romney 16,486 (50.1%)
2 Newt Gingrich 6,956 (21.1%)
3 Ron Paul 6,175 (18.8%)
4 Rick Santorum 3,277 (10%)

Florida primary (Wed 31 Jan)
1 Mitt Romney 775,014 (46.4%)
2 Newt Gingrich 533,117 (31.9%)
3 Rick Santorum 222,799 (13.3%)
4 Ron Paul 117,104 (7%)

PRESIDENTIAL hopeful Mitt Romney wrestled back the advantage in the Republican nomination process after it took yet another twist in Florida and Nevada.

The former Massachusetts governor headed into the Florida contest under pressure after his main rival Newt Gingrich had enjoyed a convincing win in the South Carolina primary.

But Mr Romney has turned the tables once more with two big wins of his own.

First, in the Sunshine State, he beat Mr Gingrich by 46.4% to 31.9%, with the other remaining candidates - Rick Santorum and Ron Paul - trailing back in third and fourth place.

And, at the weekend in Nevada, the final result puts Mr Romney on 50.1%, a massive 29% ahead of Mr Gingrich (21.1%). This time, Mr Paul (18.8%) beat Mr Santorum (10%) in the battle of the backmarkers.

It was not just at the ballot box, though, that Mr Romney has embarrassed the Gingrich team over the past week.

Much political capital was being made by the former House Speaker's campaigners of an expected endorsement from property mogul and Apprentice presenter Donald Trump.

So, imagine their surprise when Mr Trump instead turned up alongside Mr Romney in the run-up to the Nevada vote.

It really was a bitter blow for Mr Gingrich whose media relations are already at a low ebb after coverage of his extra-marital affairs left him exposed to criticism over his astounding hypocrisy.

Meanwhile, this latest episode meant he had a whole lot of explaining to do to the likes of Associated Press, CNN and the New York Times who had all reported with misplaced confidence that Mr Trump would back Mr Gingrich.

Nevertheless, it is hard to tell just how big a factor the Trump endorsement will be for Mr Romney in the long run.

After all, Mr Trump is the American equivalent of Marmite. In fact, he is probably more hated than loved - and, indeed, he is a rather strange bed-fellow for a presidential candidate considering his catchphrase is 'You're fired!'

In the short term, though, the Trump endorsement was mightily symbolic for the way that it showed this contest swinging back in the favour of Mr Romney. It also neatly distracted attention from yet another gaffe from the well-backed front-runner.

Mr Romney, who has previously come under fire for the amount of tax which he pays, is seen by many voters as aloof and out-of-touch with the average American, and this is the case even among Republicans.

In light of this, it was probably not the best idea then for the multi-millionaire Mr Romney to state he was "not concerned about the very poor".

Worse still, he made the comments on the day that incumbent president Barack Obama could bask in the glow of the improving unemployment figures which have followed hard on the back of better-than-expected growth.

It is perhaps not a surprise, then, that support is slowly ebbing back towards the Democrat with a poll putting him on an approval rating of more than 50% for the first time since Osama bin Laden was killed last May.

By contrast, even Republicans are struggling to warm to Mr Romney - although the next three caucuses from 7-11 February look set to provide him with yet more momentum.

For, moving on from Nevada, this contest heads to Minnesota, Colorado and Maine, before two primaries in Arizona and Michigan at the end of the month.

Mr Santorum is expected to challenge Mr Romney in Minnesota but the best that Mr Gingrich can hope for is to emerge from February relatively unscathed.

Achieving that would take Mr Gingrich into Super Tuesday on 6 March when no fewer than 10 states will make their nomination.

But it might be that 6 March will not just have to be super for Mr Gingrich. By then, it may need to be extraordinary.

2012 PRIMARY/CAUCUS SCHEDULE
KEY DATES
3 January Iowa (caucus) - Rick Santorum 

10 January New Hampshire (primary) - Mitt Romney

21 January South Carolina (primary) - Newt Gingrich
31 January Florida (primary) - MR

4 February Nevada (caucus) - MR
7 February Colorado (caucus) - RS, Minnesota (caucus) - RS
11 February Maine (caucus) - MR

28 February Arizona (primary) - MR, Michigan (primary) - MR

3 March Washington (caucus)
6 March: Super Tuesday Alaska (caucus), Georgia (primary), Idaho (caucus), Massachusetts (primary), North Dakota (caucus), Ohio (primary), Oklahoma (primary), Tennessee (primary), Vermont (primary), Virginia (primary)
6-10 March Wyoming (caucus)
10 March Kansas (caucus), US Virgin Islands (caucus)
13 March Alabama (primary), Hawaii (caucus), Mississippi (primary)
17 March Missouri (caucus)
20 March Illinois (primary)
24 March Louisiana (primary)

3 April District of Columbia (primary), Maryland (primary), Wisconsin (primary), Texas (primary)
24 April Connecticut (primary), Delaware (primary), New York (primary), Pennsylvania (primary), Rhode Island (primary)

8 May Indiana (primary), North Carolina (primary), West Virginia (primary)
15 May Nebraska (primary), Oregon (primary)
22 May Arkansas (primary), Kentucky (primary)

5 June Californa (primary), Montana (primary), New Jersey (primary), New Mexico (primary), South Dakota (primary)
26 June Utah (primary)

27-30 August REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION Tampa, Florida
3-6 September DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION Charlotte, North Carolina