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International Roundup Veteran Milutinovic to coach HondurasPosted: Wednesday August 13, 2003 11:58 AMTEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) -- Much-travelled Serbian Bora Milutinovic has been confirmed as the new coach of the Honduras national team for its 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign. "He has accepted our offer. Bora is officially the coach of the Honduras team," said Honduras football federation (FENAFUTH) president Rafael Callejas at a news conference in Miami. Callejas said Milutinovic, who has previously coached Mexico, Costa Rica, the United States, Nigeria and China at the World Cup, would arrive in Honduras next week to take up his post. Local media reports said 58-year-old Milutinovic had agreed a salary of US$75,000 a month. Milutinovic is the team's third coach this year after Jose de la Paz Herrera and Edwin Pavon were both fired for poor results. Pavon was dismissed after his side failed to progress beyond the first round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in Mexico last month. Honduras was poised to qualify for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea but contrived to miss out after losing its last two qualifiers at home to Trinidad and away to Mexico in late 2001. The same year also produced the biggest moment in its soccer history when it beat Brazil 2-0 at the Copa America in Colombia, eventually finishing third after being invited to take part as a guests in the South American tournament. Honduras's only World Cup appearance was in Spain in 1982 but it made headlines 13 years earlier when a qualifier against El Salvador sparked a brief war between the two nations. Maccabi Tel Aviv sacks two Israeli internationalsTEL AVIV (Reuters) -- Israeli league champion Maccabi Tel Aviv have sacked internationals Tal Banin and Avi Nimni because their personal dispute was affecting the rest of the team, the club said Wednesday. "I could not allow the situation to continue and I have decided to put an end to it," Tel Aviv coach Nir Klinger said at a news conference Wednesday. Klinger said that club captain Nimni, 31, and Banin, 32, the Israel captain, had an ongoing personality conflict that had split the squad into opposing camps and affected their performances. "I have only just received the news. I can't say I was surprised. I have seen many things during my career, and we'll see how this develops over the next few days," said Banin. Nimni refused to speak to the large media contingent. Maccabi won the domestic title in dramatic fashion on goal difference on the final day of last season, but has already suffered a setback this term when it was knocked out of the Champions League qualifying by Slovakia's Zilina. "I took our European ousting badly and I realized that if I did not do something quickly things would only get worse, I had to bite the bullet," Klinger said. "I used to have great respect for both players but at the moment I am very disappointed with them," he continued. About 50 supporters protested at the decision, but were kept away by a large police presence. Klinger, who said he had received death threats over the club's performances, and chairman Lonnie Hercikowicz were each driven away with an armed guard afterwards. Fish, Fortune omitted from South African Nations Cup squadJOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -- England-based players Mark Fish and Quinton Fortune have been left out of a preliminary squad of 39 announced by South African coach Ephraim Mashaba on Wednesday for next year's African Nations Cup finals. Charlton Athletic defender Fish, 29, has been left out of the South African side for the last three years, while Manchester United midfielder Fortune seems to have paid the price for his refusal to play in recent matches. Mashaba told reporters in Johannesburg that Fish, who has won 60 caps for South Africa, was not part of his plans and had gone to the United States on holiday instead. He had earlier had a fall out with the coach after being branded "disloyal" for pulling out of a match against Jamaica in April with injury and then playing for Manchester United a day later. Mashaba said the list was "not cast in stone, but would form the nucleus of my squad." A final 22 will be picked on the eve of the Nations Cup finals in Tunisia in January. Mashaba said South Africa would play an international in London on September 21 against a yet to be named opponent and host Costa Rica in a friendly on October 12. Squad: Goalkeepers: Andre Arendse (Mamelodi Sundowns), Brian Baloyi (Kaizer Chiefs), Emile Baron (Lillestrom, Norway), Moeneeb Josephs (Ajax Cape Town) Defenders: Matthew Booth (FC Rostov, Russia), Bradley Carnell (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany), Tony Coyle (FC Rostov, Russia), Jacob Lekgetho (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia), Mbulelo Mabizela (Tottenham Hotspur, England), Sphiwe Mkhonza (Lamontville Golden Arrows), Aaron Mokoena (Racing Genk, Belgium), Thabang Molefe (Le Mans, France), Nasief Morris (Panathinaikos, Greece), Cyril Nzama (Kaizer Chiefs) Midfielders: Delron Buckley (VfL Bochum, Germany), Josta Dladla (Aarhus, Denmark), Stanton Fredericks (Kaizer Chiefs), Clement Mazibuko (Mamelodi Sundowns), Jabulani Mendu (Kaizer Chiefs), Benson Mhlongo (Wits University), Bennett Mnguni (FC Rostov, Russia), Tebeho Mokoena (Jomo Cosmos), Steven Pienaar (Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands), Jabu Pule (Kaizer Chiefs), Godfrey Sapula, Isaac Shai (both Mamelodi Sundowns), MacBeth Sibaya (Rubin Kazan, Russia), Benedict Vilakazi (Orlando Pirates), Sibusiso Zuma (FC Copenhagen, Denmark), Japhet Zwane (FC Rostov, Russia) Strikers: Shaun Bartlett (Charlton Athletic, England), Mabhudi Khanyeza (Lamontville Golden Arrows), George Koumantarakis (Preston North End, England), Patrick Mayo (Kaizer Chiefs), Benedict McCarthy (FC Porto, Portugal), Nkosinathi Nhleko (Dallas Burn, USA), Siyabonga Nomvete (Udinese, Italy), David Radebe (Kaizer Chiefs), Abram Raselemane (SuperSport United). Angry Hajduk fans dig graves for players in club pitchZAGREB (Reuters) -- Hajduk Split fans expressed their anger at the team's recent form by digging graves for the players in the club's pitch, state radio reported Wednesday. The supporters climbed over the fence surrounding Hajduk's stadium in the southern Adriatic city of Split on Tuesday, avoiding security cameras. After a surprise 4-1 home loss in a league game against promoted Inker last week, Hajduk lost 2-1 in the first leg of the UEFA Cup third qualifying round against Finland's Haka in Valkeakoski on Tuesday. Hajduk was runner-up in the championship last season and won the cup. It has won three titles and four cups since Croatia gained independence from former Yugoslavia in 1991. Both the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. |
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