ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, September 10- The Cote d’Ivoire Football federation has charged Didier Zokora 10 million CFA Francs (Sh1.76m) following a row over captaincy in the national team.
Zokora had been filling in as captain of The Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in the absence of Galatasary forward Didier Drogba but the team’s coach Sabri Lamouchi handed the armband back to the former Chelsea striker as the Elephants were in camp ahead of their 2014 World cup qualifier against Morocco.
Zokora stood against the decision and stormed out of the camp before the player later rejoined the team and he might never wear the captain band again.
For their qualifier, Cote d’Ivoire who already had their ticket for the play-offs were held to a 1-1 by Morocco.
Blatter hints at Winter World Cup
PARIS, France, September 10- FIFA president Sepp Blatter defended his support of switching the 2022 World Cup to winter in Qatar, saying in an interview published on Monday that rescheduling reflected the sport’s worldwide appeal.
Blatter told Inside World Football that members of the federation who have complained about the proposed change in dates should have been well aware of the possibility, as it was contained in the bidding process documents.
“The loudest critics, the ones who should know better because they signed the exact same bidding documents as Qatar did… must know that point 1.2.1 stipulates that the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup is ‘scheduled to take place’ in June and/or July ‘in principle’,” he was quoted as saying on insideworldfootball.com.
“It does not say that it ‘must’ take place in these months, nor is it a ‘condition sine qua non’ to host the World Cup in June and July. What the document does is express FIFA’s wish to host the World Cup in June or July.”
Ex-Slovak ace Spilar commits suicide
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia, September 10 – Former Slovak international Marek Spilar has committed suicide at the age of 38, the Slovakian football federation reported Tuesday.
The ex-defender, capped 30 times between 1997-2002, notably played for Club Brugge in the Belgian first division as well as several Slovak and Czech clubs, and Japanese outfit Nagoya Grampus at the end of his career.
“The Slovak federation and all the Slovak football family have learnt with pain and sadness the news of the premature death of the Slovak international,” the federation said on its website, www.futbalsfz.sk.
According to local media, Spilar threw himself out of a window of a fifth floor flat in the eastern city of Presov, for reasons which remain unclear.
Isco, Silva out of Spain friendly with Chile
MADRID, Spain, September 10 – Spanish midfield duo Isco and David Silva will miss the world champions’ friendly with Chile in Geneva on Tuesday due to niggling injuries.
Real Madrid’s Isco picked up an ankle problem in training ahead of Spain’s 2-0 win over Finland in a World Cup qualifier on Friday night and hasn’t travelled with the squad that will arrive in Switzerland on Monday afternoon.
Likewise, Manchester City’s Silva suffered a slight muscular injury during training on Sunday and has also been sent back to his club as a precaution.
Neither man had been involved however as Vicente del Bosque’s men took a huge step towards sealing their place at the World Cup next year with a comfortable win in Helsinki.
Spain are now three points ahead of France with just two games to play in Group I after Didier Deschamps’ men could only manage a 0-0 draw in Georgia.
