Seventeen years without a home game Iraq miraculously managed to beat Asian soccer tigers to win the championship title. At war since almost two decades Iraq never considered a threat to the likes of defending champions Saudi Arabia that lost 1-0 at the cup final held in Bangladesh . Under dogs Iraq appeared to prove the power of soccer to the nation’s unity than any other method in practice. The players led by leading by example team skipper Younis Mahmood also the scorer of the cup winner, Iraqi boys played more sense of unity than mere soccer. Alas at the title victory Iraqis came out to the street to celebrate forgetting who is who. All hugged and danced knowing nothing with whom. Soccer was the real winner of the day. Sadly skipper Mohamood and two of his mates said no to the return and be part of the stunning victory in fear of their life.      

Wembley host Charity Shield cup today
Manchester United Vs Chelsea  

English soccer season officially kicks-off to day featuring the Charity Shield Cup
clash between the premier league champion Manchester United and FA Cup holder Chelsea at the newly rebuilt state of the art Wembley stadium.
After five years at Welsh Cardiff Millennium stadium, Charity Shield cup returned home with currently the two best of England soccer, Red Devils versus the Blues in the splendid 80000 seater Wembley. What better sides to grace Wembley?
In furious mood for loosing 3-2 at home in front of all time friendly match record crowed   with 73000,  to Italian champion Inter on Wednesday, Sir Alex Ferguson seem to field his best eleven to boost recover lost confidence just ten days before the league opens.
Minus play maker Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Solskajer and Luis Saha United is in full squad considering the new comers to take part. Coming to debutants, Haregreves, Nani of Portugal and Anderson of Brazil may get tested with fire today. On the other hand a win means a trophy on their debut.
Jose Maurinho even claimed by the very Alex Ferguson for learning from his mistakes now to start behaving nicely had also his list of injury Michael Ballack on top. Bridge is also out for injury while Essain is expected to be fit in time for today’s clash. Maluda,Steve Sidewell, Tal Ben Haim and Claudio Pizaro are the Blues debutants eager to play their part in winning trophy. A week from the premier league season starts Maurinho need to show how he beefed his side with the additional fire power.
Ferguson the summer highest spender splashed some 50 million pound sterling while reprimanded by club owner Roman Abramovich, Maurinho with only 13.5 million.
The history lesson shows that in the past ten seasons only ones did a premier league champion lost that is last season when Liverpool defeated Chelsea . If both took it serious it is more to pride and moral boosting than the value of the trophy.

Ethiopian women’s side lose to Black Queens at home

Highly regarded Ethiopian national women soccer side lost for the first time at home to visitors Ghana in its Olympic qualification opening home match.
The home side, assumed to have done its home work back from All African Games in Algiers , was expected to win the campaign’s opening match against one of African great side Black Queens. Yet, the visitors manage to silence the home crowd finding the back of the net just seven minutes in to the match to steal the show with three-one victory.
Well built Black Queens squad had had an assignment of early attack strategy that paid the dividend in the first ten minutes. Some silly mistake from the defense one of the visitor’s star player …sent a right foot volley to open the score line. Stunned for conceding an early goal the home side retreated in fear of another with many the players oblivious what to be done. Even from the dug out little help arrived from any one of the coaches. It took them a while to console and regroup then taking the mid field upper hand. The problem, the visitors were tactically better and chose to run around the ball that frustrated the hosts. Taking control of the mid field a through pass from the defense broke the off side trap to find Helen Seife who smartly executed her job of an equalizer just a minute before the half hour mark. Home pride restored, the home crowed went wild for a celebration assuming the home side recovered in time for the opening match victory.
Back from the dressing room the home side appeared to take the upper hand in the mid field except failing to find target. Women of the match Ghanaian goalie Sulemaneh Memumatu saved the day for the visitors punching and thumbing would be goal trials. Ethiopian best striker Birtukan G/ Kristos herself missed hard to miss chances, one from the goal mouth. Ten minutes in to second half number 13 Darku Mumena broke the off side trap to once again help Ghana take the lead.  Then after so many misses and half chances from the home side the visitors more to luck than performance managed to keep away the ball from their own half. Three minutes in to extra time USA based Kanda Belinda sealed the score line thanks from silly defensive error.
Despite assistant coach Paulos Getachew’s claim the side worked hard to correct what went wrong in Algiers, that is defensive error, it appeared nothing to do about it. Except the mid field both the defense line and the strike force seen the weak link for the big home defeat.  At times the mid field even performed by far better than Black Queens even creating some good goal scoring chances that missed target from near distance. The defense line was fully a disaster in need of an over all change in time for the second away match in Johannesburg.
Loosing Olympic qualification campaign opening match at home is some thing. But losing three one is a disaster for Ethiopian national women side with a dream of booking a place in Beijing Olympic next year.
Never to loose at home and back from Algiers with some good lesson the home side expected to perform better than a home defeat let alone in such big margin.
How so ever the visitors Ghana are one of the continents women heavy weights, Ethiopian side should have performed better to stay on course in the qualification campaign. Of course it is as dangerous as being thrown in to the lions den when Ethiopian side drawn in the group of death with Africa’s best sides Nigeria , South Africa and Ghana . Yet, on ones own turf, backed by home crowed and the weather against the visitors the least Ethiopian side should have shared points.  

English premier league new season kicks-off Saturday

Once again only four or may be three sides contending for the title the eagerly anticipated English premier league new season kicks of Saturday featuring twenty premier league sides.
One of the three world most popular annual league soccer championships that are Spain, Italy and England, English premier league on a steady rise to become world number one knocking out Italy and Spain is arguably the best when it becomes to competitiveness. In England there is no easy victory for who ever on top of the league table over the one at the bottom. Hardly true in both Italy and Spain.
The coming of soccer mad billionaire following the pioneer Russian oil tycoon Roman Abramovich also helped the league to acquire world best talents. Of course the likes of Ronaldinho in Spain and Caca in Italy say no to English premier league add to that Thierry Henry’s defect, the argument which one is the best in Europe alas in the world might be dangerous territory.
Following Abramovich’s claim of Chelsea, American billionaire Malcolm Glazer and family muscling out the majority share holders as well as supporters to own Manchester United. Then Liverpool take over followed the owners vowing to steer back the side to glory days. Aston Villa became the next billion dollar purse victim followed by the latest victim Manchester City. Undermining dollar, that is the power of soccer God Arsenal is panting behind the giants looking for a left over player. The board seems set to convince Arsene Wenger for a four year contract deal although he is not yet decided.
How ever all that money flow could not bring current world best footballers to England. Ronaldinho, Messi and Eto now Thierry Henry said no to preferring to stay in Spain while Caca, Nesta, and…..felt comfortable in Italy.
In the mean time the transfer of Torres to Liverpool, Maluda and Pizaro to Arsenal, Nani, Anderson and Hargreaves to Manchester United meant adding spice to the  at the same time a new dimension for the confrontation among the heavy weights. Despite being champion to Ajax Tournament, this time Arsenal  David with his sling but no fire power only to get …by Goliath  this time, appear in the league with Totenham, Everton, Blackburn and New Castle. The title fight seems to be among the three that is Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. Add Tevez, the Devils are the hottest favorite.
Fifth on the table for two successive seasons Totenham must get mature this season. Other wise it means Martin Yol is not yet understood English soccer like Europe champion Benitez.
Sunderland other wise known Black Cats returned to the upper echelon after two seasons in the woods led by former Manchester United and Ireland skipper Roy Keane. Birmingham also back after two seasons while Derby back after long absence.
Sir Alex Ferguson faces four of his former players Mark Hughes Of Blackburn, Steve Bruce of Birmngham and Roy Keane of Sunderland. Those three knew so much of the patriarch’s wizardry being long time together with him. All had been skippers and exemplary players their mentor always proud of. This time it is confrontation at equal level.

Shark Feeding time!

Here comes the best time of the soccer season for club executives, coaches and unofficial players’ agents. The nations soccer governing body busy waging war on any one coming close rather than take time to produce a crystal clear transfer law those mentioned above groups are exploiting the situation to pocket thousands of birr every coming new season. You know you do’nt necessarily have to be a club coach to scout players. By virtue of being a committee member one has a right to bring any one football player then order the coach to sign him for a season with thousands birr signing bonus.  Other times, the coach could simply jot down players and submit names to executive committee. The least not only has names of players but also the amount of money as a signing bonus for a season contract. Be assured there are one or two influential executive committee members behind that list and lobbying the committee is their responsibility. The two asks whether the team need to win titles or not and if the answer is yes go ahead approve the coaches proposal. The innocent ones say let the coach has his way and let us have the title. The deal ratified the money count starts for the above mentioned exclusive party. I recall that some years back a club coach out witted tens of thousands of Birr to buy a new sedan and walk out in mid season accusing of those very players ganging up against him. In one occasion I went with my friend’s son, a player, to collect his first pay. When the cashier showed him the amount to be signed, for he has a three month delayed salary, not yet accustomed for the play, my friend’s son returned ashen faced and said it is not his contract. Then he went back to the coach. The coach told him yes, it is his contract but out of the three months salary the two months and the additional two hundred birr of his salary go to a committee member who helped a lot to signing him. Overjoyed we went back together, collected the money then back to the coach surrendered the two months salary plus tons of praise for the coach and the unknown man. That very coach signed about 13 players that season, only to be sacked before the end of the season. Right this time you can go to Ethiopia Banks club and ask who is scouting players and negotiating contract terms for the coming new season. Does the club have a coach with a contract for the new season? If so who?
If you are assuming players are the one’ insisting for a one season contract, you are mistaken. The committee members and the coaches are the one’ behind it. If all premier league clubs come to an agreement for a three year contract where can a player go except put his signature? Anyway it means a two month loss of kick backs, meaning a dozen or two thousands.  Then partying, buying a sedan car, renovating homes and splashing money every where, all in the name of club football.
The coach and influential committee members meet a player in Lions Bar or Cosmos Café then make a deal two a to season contract together with twenty thousand in signing bonus. Then they report that the player said twenty thousand birr for a single season but they convinced him thirty thousand for two seasons. Deal accepted after some bla…bla Praise for their patriotism and commitment for their beloved club. What a sweet and easy way to pocket a few thousand birr per player to go together with a certificate of merit.
Ethiopia Banks, Insurance and Nyala football clubs are the one highly rumored to be star players in such swift play. The players and coaches turnover these past decade shows this might have at least a tail if not a head. In this club, the coming and going of new players is as fast as coaches is a strong example the committee members might be king makers. Electric club is the cleanest so far with Ethiopian Coffee and Saint George closely behind. The rest may share the roamer but since they are not as rich as the clubs mentioned the movement as well as the money behind is inconsiderable. You can easily check what I wrote about just looking around what is really happening around transfers this time.