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FOOTBALL P26 Manchester City sink United >>ICE-HOCKEY P28 Ducks edge Oilers to increase lead P26 P27 P28 Inside Wednesday APRIL 10, 2013 | JUMADA AL ULA 29, 1434 AH ‘Goal-line technology set for 2013-14’ Kohli carries RCB to easy victory Guan ready for Masters www.omanobserver.om facebook.com/omanobserver twitter.com/omanobserver editor@omanobserver.om AppStore FOOTBALL Phil Neville to leave Everton Oman ready for Davis Cup ties in Myanmar LONDON — Everton captain Phil Neville will leave the Premier League club at the end of the season after eight years with the Merseysiders, the former England international said yesterday. The 36-year-old Neville joined Everton from Manchester United having won six Premier League titles, three Football Association (FA) Cups and the 1999 Champions League. By Sanjay Chakhaiyar MUSCAT — With the entire tennis fraternity the globe over watching the Davis Cup World Group quarterinals action this week, the temperature seems to be soaring in Oman too as far as this sport is concerned. Mohammed al Nabhani, Saleh al Zadjali and Fahd al Hashmi are toiling hard under the sun — practising at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex for their upcoming Asia/Oceania Zone Group III Davis Cup ties in Yangon, Myanmar, from April 28 to May 5. According to tennis experts, much will once again depend on the strong shoulders of Mohammed, who seems to be in top gear and in all probability will pair up with his elder sibling Khalid al Nabhani in the doubles. Khalid, the most experienced of the lot, is presently pursuing a PhD in Glasgow (Scotland) and is expected to join the squad in Myanmar, four days prior to the start of the tournament. Oman's non-playing captain Siddiq al Hasmi, who has been with the Oman Tennis Association Executive Manager Salman al Balushi (second right), Head of Marketing Abdullah al Mukadam (left), Siddiq al Hashmi (non-playing captain, second left) and Karim Saadallah, the technical adviser at a press meet yesterday. squad since 2006, sounded optimistic and realistic on his team's preparation for this prestigious event. ''I would say our target is to play good tennis so that we remain in Group III the following year also. I’m not expecting anything extraordinary to happen in Myanmar.'' ‘‘It’s a very tough group with Iran, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Khalid al Nabhani UAE, Cambodia and the Paciic Oceania all in good form.’’ ‘‘Our toughest matches will be against Hong Kong and Paciic Oceania, who have been relegated to Group III, while our ties against the UAE and Cambodia should be comparatively easy,'' said Siddiq. ‘‘To remain in the present group we have to win at least two of the seven matches in this tourney.’’ Oman's non-playing captain also revealed that he wants full security for his team. ‘‘We have written to the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to provide proper security when playing in Myanmar and am expecting a positive reply soon.’’ Siddiq agreed that the younger generation has to take over the mantle from the veterans like Khalid and Mohammed who have been carrying on for years. ‘‘I feel there is a big gap between the members of this squad and the youngsters. But it will take at least 4-5 years as we have set plans to groom the young talented players who will replace this generation.'' For the record, Oman made its Davis Cup debut in 1994 and its best performance was in 2007 in Colombo (Sri Lanka) where it was upgraded to Group II. The Sultanate remained in this group for another two years but was relegated again to Group III in 2009 end. The Sultanate squad will have a two-week training camp in Bangkok (Thailand) from April 11-26. ''The team will travel to Thailand on Thursday to undergo a camp there,'' added Siddiq.
26 SPORT WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013 Special Aguero goal helps City sink United Manchester City’s James Milner (left) shoots to score against Manchester United during their English Premier League match in Manchester on Monday. — Reuters MANCHESTER — Sergio Aguero tore through the Manchester United defence to score a dazzling winner as Manchester City beat the Premier League leaders 2-1 on Monday to remind them they are still champions for a few more weeks. Second-placed City's second successive league win at Old Trafford, following last term's 6-1 demolition job, allowed them to narrow the gap on United to 12 points with seven games left although manager Roberto Mancini said the title race was over. "The championship is inished," the Italian told a news conference. "Our supporters deserve this victory, after we were 15 points behind it was important for them. "It is important for us because we can clinch second position." A blistering opening 10 minutes gave way to a scrappy irst half before the visitors broke the deadlock in the 51st minute with James Milner's de- lected goal. The lead lasted eight minutes before an unfortunate own goal from City captain Vincent Kompany following a superb free kick by Robin van Persie but substitute Aguero came on to snatch the points with a special goal in the 78th minute. United lead the way with 77 points from 31 games with City on 65. Thirdplaced Chelsea are on 58 points, level with Tottenham Hotspur who have played a game more than their London rivals. While City have effectively already handed over their crown, United manager Alex Ferguson is avoiding taking possession until the mathematics are complete. "We won't be complacent. If you look at the history of this club over the years we always make it dificult for ourselves," he told the BBC. "The supporters are hanging on the edge of their seats every year. It is a 12-point lead, we go to Stoke at the weekend and we will have a go." On a chilly evening at Old Trafford, visiting fans taunted their hosts by singing 'We are the champions — champions of England' and reminded them of last season's hammering that proved key when they won the title on goal difference. The frenetic start to the game highlighted there was more than just three points at stake as United sought to eradicate memories of that drubbing Negredo double helps Sevilla beat Bilbao MADRID — Alvaro Negredo scored twice to lead Sevilla to a 2-1 home win over Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on Monday and keep alive their hopes of qualifying for Europe next season. The Spain striker netted in the fourth and 87th minutes to take his tally for the season to 17 in an entertaining clash where both sides inished with 10 men. Sevilla are 10th with 41 points and eight games left to play, six short of Malaga in sixth place and the last Europa League qualiication berth. The hosts were quickly in front when Negredo licked a header past Gorka Iraizoz from Ivan Rakitic's teasing free kick, and he was denied a second before the break thanks only to Carlos Gurpegi's outstretched boot. Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente, the leading igure in last season's headline-grabbing Europa League and King's Cup campaigns, continued to show a worrying lack of con- idence in front of goal. He made way for Aritz Aduriz at halftime and Bilbao were level in the 55th when Gurpegi licked a header from a free kick inside the far post. Sevilla lost defender Fernando Navarro to a second yellow card in the 73rd, and Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte followed him down the tunnel in the 80th. With four minutes remaining, Sevilla's Jose Antonio Reyes broke down the left and his raking low cross left Negredo with a simple inish at the far post. Marcelo Bielsa's Bilbao are 13th with 35 points, nine above the relegation places. — Reuters Bayern to receive league crown in May: DFL BERLIN — New Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich will oficially receive the championship shield after their inal home game against Augsburg on May 11, the German Football League (DFL) said yesterday. The Bavarians were conirmed German league champions on Saturday after Bastian Schweinsteiger's second-half winner sealed a 1-0 victory at Eintracht Frankfurt, securing the title with six games left. Traditionally, the winning team receive the trophy on the last day of the season, when Bayern are at Moenchengladbach, but with the title having been won so early, the Bavarian giants will celebrate at Munich's Allianz Arena. With the league celebrating its 50th year, DFL president Reinhard Rauball will present Bayern with the shield, which is 53 centimetres (21 inches) in diameter, weighs 11 kg (24lbs) and was made in 1949. It carries the names of all of the German champions dating back to 1903, when VfB Leipzig were the winners, and is insured to the value of 50,000 euros ($65,200, £42,000). City’s Sergio Aguero celebrates after scoring against United. — Reuters Hernanes scores, misses penalty in derby draw ROME — Lazio midielder Hernanes scored a superb irst-half goal then turned villain by missing one penalty and giving away another in a pulsating 1-1 Serie A derby draw with AS Roma on Monday. Thirty-six-year-old forward Francesco Totti converted Roma's penalty but his side missed out on a win when Erik Lamela contrived to head over from two metres with the goal at his mercy late in the game. Lazio, who won the previous three Rome derbies, played the last 20 minutes with 10 men after Giuseppe Biava was sent off for a second bookable offence. The match was preceded by fan violence and police said two people were stabbed when rival groups of fans clashed in the city. Television pictures showed police in riot gear scufling with a group of supporters who threw rocks and bottles near the Stadio Olimpico. Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno said that businesses in the area around the stadium had been forced to close during the clashes. Fifth-placed Lazio, seven points adrift of a Champions League playoff place, dominated the irst half and Hernanes put them ahead with a superb effort in the 16th minute, cutting inside a defender and scoring in the top corner from 25 metres. Roma, lucky to be just one goal down at halftime, had an ever bigger let off four minutes after halftime when Marquinho handled in the area, only for Hernanes to nonchalantly side-foot wide from the penalty spot. That proved the turning point and Hernanes compounded his mistake eight minutes later by tripping Miralem Pjanic in the Lazio area. Totti, who made his Roma debut just over 20 years ago, made no mistake, placing a low shot just inside the left hand post for the ninth Rome derby goal of his career and his 12th goal of the season. Lazio goalkeeper Federico Marchetti did well to save a Totti freekick at the foot of the post before Argentine midielder Lamela somehow headed over from almost under the crossbar following a Totti corner. Lazio's point put them ifth in Serie A with 51 points from 31 games, eight behind third-place AC Milan and a place in the Champions League qualifying rounds. Roma are seventh with 48 points. — Reuters Lazio’s Hernanes (right) celebrates after scoring against AS Roma during their Italian Serie A match in Rome on Monday. — Reuters and City reproduced leeting glimpses of last term's attacking spark. BARREN SPELL The visitors had the better chances as Samir Nasri, Milner and David Silva wasted decent opportunities while United forward Van Persie, enduring a barren spell of 10 games without a goal, experienced yet more frustration. The Dutchman's early shot across goal went just wide of the far post and he later ired wildly into the crowd from distance. United's stand-in centre back Phil Jones was quick off the mark to intercept after good work from Silva who tried to set up former Old Trafford favourite Carlos Tevez. City were inally rewarded for their domination of possession when Ryan Giggs messed up an attempted backheel to allow Gareth Barry to run free down the left and lay the ball to Nasri who set up Milner for a shot that went in off Jones. The goal brought to an end a sixmatch run of clean sheets in the league for United but City celebrations were short-lived as the leaders quickly pulled level. Jones' header from an inswinging Van Persie free kick, which had already beaten keeper Joe Hart, hit Kompany on the back before lying into the net for an own goal. Both teams chased the winner with Danny Welbeck heading straight at Hart and Ashley Young also on target but it was the introduction of Aguero in place of Nasri with less than 20 minutes to go that proved decisive. The Argentine, who started on the bench but could be fully it in time for this weekend's FA Cup semiinal against Chelsea, picked the ball up on the edge of the box and drifted past several defenders before iring high into the net. Players from both sides squared up as tempers frayed towards the end when United failed to put the ball out of play when Silva was down with a hamstring injury that Mancini said was likely to keep him out of the Chelsea game. Ferguson wrote in his programme notes: "How do we analyse this season — is it one of regret or celebration? For me it's something of the proverbial curate's egg, part bad but with some great redeeming features." He would agree Monday's result was not one of them. — Reuters ‘Goal-line technology set for 2013-14’ LONDON — The Football Association expects goal-line technology to be formally approved in time for the 2013-14 Premier League campaign at a meeting of clubs this week, an FA oficial said yesterday. Last week, world governing body Fifa appointed a German irm, Goal- Control, to provide the technology (GLT) at the Confederations Cup in Brazil in June. If successful, it will then be used at next year's World Cup. FA general secretary Alex Horne said he expected Premier League clubs to ratify use of the technology when they convene tomorrow. "I always thought it was an ideal piece of technology to allow into the game," said Horne. "The (Premier League) club meeting is on Thursday, so I'm expecting it to go through at that meeting." The Premier League is reportedly keen to introduce GLT and last year met licenced companies Hawk- Eye and GoalRef to discuss installing their systems at top-light grounds. London's Wembley Stadium was also used for an experiment with British system Hawk-Eye during a friendly between England and Belgium last year, although the results were not made public. "There are occasions (when GLT is needed) and we've seen them here at Wembley, we've seen them in World Cups, we've seen them 11 or 12 times in the Premier League this season alone," Horne told the BBC. "So technology that says 'Yes, the ball has crossed the line' and lets the referee know makes an awful lot of sense to me." — AFP
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Public warned of rising fraud - Oman Daily Observer

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