Atletico-PR remains 30-year unbeaten by Flamengo at home

RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- In a game marred by rain and a soggy field, Flamengo and Atletico-PR battled on Sunday to as loppy 0-0 draw. The game keeps Atletico-PR's home field advantage against Flamengo alive.

Atletico-PR has remained its more than 30-year invincibility against Flamengo at home so far.

The 23,000-U.S. dollar incentive offered by Flamengo's administration in order to beat Atletico-PR did not work. With poor field condition, players from both sides continually slipped, committed multiple errors and could not produce a goal.

With the result, Flamengo now has 31 points and stands in 11th place. Atletico-PR is close behind with 29 points and 14th place.

In the next and 24th round of play in the Brazilian Championship, both teams will play on Sept. 12. Flamengo will host Sport while Atletico-PR will travel to play at Atletico-MG.

Mexico's 3-0 win over Costa Rica hailed

MEXICO CITY, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Mexico's Sunday media cheered the national soccer team for their 3-0 victory over Costa Rica in the World Cup qualifier.

Excelsior called the game "the three G" for goal scorers Guillermo Franco, Giovani dos Santos and Andres Guardado, headlining the match "Una cosa rica" (a delicious thing).

"Mexico is close" headlined newspaper El Sol de Mexico, reporting that Mexico is now in third place in the qualifying tour. The top three will go through automatically.

Mexico City daily Milenio led with a photograph of dos Santos, praising him for a goal to two assists, in the Saprissa Stadium, in Costa Rica capital San Jose.

Reforma headlined the news "Se crece el tri" (the Tri keeps growing), a reference to the national teams nickname "El Tricolor"(the team with three colors). The newspaper's sports section Cancha, described the match as the Tri's best in the whole qualification competition.

S Africa hails Brazil's qualification for World Cup finals

JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The 2010 FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee South Africa (OC) congratulated Brazil for being the first South American country to qualify for the World Cup finals next year.

"You cannot host a World Cup without Brazil. The kings of football already wowed South Africa earlier this year when they won their third Confederations Cup title, and we look forward to seeing if they can repeat that performance and add a record sixth World Cup trophy to their name next year," said OC CEO Danny Jordaan.

Brazil, who are topping FIFA world ranking, crushed Argentina 3-1 on Saturday night to guarantee a top four finish in the Conmebol standings.

The top four teams qualify for the World Cup finals directly and the fifth placed team enters a home-and-away playoff with the fourth placed team from North, Central America & Caribbean.

Brazil is the most successful football team of all time, having won five World Cups to date, and is the only country to have qualified for every FIFA World Cup.

"Brazil are the hosts of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and it will be great to have them here so that we can formally hand over the baton to them on 12 July 2010," said Jordaan.

Chile seeks win over Brazil for World Cup berth

SANTIAGO, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Chile would try to beat soccer giant Brazil on Wednesday to fix a berth for next year's World Cupfinals, winger and Captain Jorge Valdivia told media on Sunday.

"We respect Brazil, but without fear of seeking a chance to score," said Valdivia, who plays for Al Ain, a team in the United Arab Emirates. "We are going to Brazil to play our opportunities."

Chile is in the second place in South America's qualifying competition for the World Cup due in South Africa in 2010. Brazil is leading the standings after the 15th round, guaranteeing a top four finish by upsetting Argentina 3-1 on Saturday night.

Brazil will play at home with Chile on Wednesday. Brazil will miss some of its top players Luis Fabiano, Kaka and Lucia, who have accumulated three yellow cards.

"I don't know if Brazil feels their absence because it has many more top players," Valdivia told media. "No doubt they will have to change their system a bit."

Valdivia said it was difficult to sleep after the Venezuela match, which was in Chile's Monumental Stadium.

Chile tied Venezuela 2-2 at home.

Kenya tumbles out of 2010 World Cup/African Cup race

By Richard Juma

NAIROBI, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The 1-0 defeat by Mozambique in a 2010 World Cup/African Cup of Nations Group 2 qualifier on Sunday has virtually locked Kenya out of international football next year.

For Kenya, thirsting for a sixth African Cup of Nations appearance and first appearance at the World Cup, the door was firmly shut by the Mozambicans in Maputo.

Determined to emulate the world conquering athletes, who did the country proud at last month's 12 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Berlin, Germany, the Kenyan football squad proved no match to the Mozambicans who dictated the pace.

After appearing in the Cup of Nations finals five times in the past, Kenya has virtually kissed both the World Cup and Nations Cup goodbye.

The remaining return matches against Tunisia and Nigeria, slated for Oct. 10 and Nov. 14 respectively will be mere formalities.

At the end of Sunday's return match in Maputo, Kenya hitherto occupying the third spot in the Group 2 standings with three points, slipped to the bottom, trading places with Mozambique who climbed to third with four points.

Kenya's dream of beating Mozambique and booking tickets to the 2010 Nations Cup finals in Angola went up in smoke.

On Oct. 10, the East Africans will be in Tunisia for their return match against the North Africans, a team they have never beaten before.

And it鈥檚 worth noting that Tunisia piped Kenya 2-1 in the first leg match here in March. A month later, the Kenyans, also known as Harambee Stars, face Nigeria's Super Eagles in a return match here.

Like Tunisia, Kenya has never beaten Nigeria; at best Kenya drew with Nigeria in an international tie here a few years back.

In the first leg match in Abuja in June, Super eagles walloped Kenya 3-1. Ahead of last night's Group 2 qualifier return match between Nigeria and Tunisia in Nigeria, the latter were leading the group standings with seven points, followed by Nigeria with five.

It goes without saying Nigeria and Tunisia are the top contenders in the group for the World Cup slot, while Mozambique's pipping of Kenya saw them put a foot in the Nations Cup finals.

Soccer analysts Sunday here blamed the poor show on lack of a comprehensive soccer development program, feeder program, inconsistency and frequent change of coaches.

"When coach Antoine Hey took charge of the team at the end of March he found a winning team moulded by his predecessor, Francis Kimanzi, instead of retaining the winning squad and formation, he made changes and the results are there for all of us to see," said soccer analyst James Onyango.

Dumped out of the race for the 2010 topflight international soccer, Kenya can only hope to feature in the next Cup of Nations finals qualifiers in 2011.

And that will be and extremely long wait for soccer loving Kenyans, thanks to bagging three points in four matches.

Ghana qualify for 2010 World Cup finals

Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien, pictured here in May 2009, scored as Ghana defeated Sudan 2-0 in Accra Sunday to become the first African qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.(Photo/AFP)

JOHANNESBURG 鈥?Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien scored as Ghana defeated Sudan 2-0 in Accra Sunday to become the first African qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari gave the 'Black Stars' an early lead and Essien added a second soon after half-time, unleashing a drive that flew into the net at the near post.

The result coupled with closest challengers Benin and Mali drawing 1-1 in Cotonou a few hours earlier left a Ghana side boasting a 100 percent record with an unassailable seven-point Group D advantage.

"It was so important to win, regardless of how we achieved the result. It is still special for us professionals to return home and bring joy to the people of Ghana," Essien told reporters.

"Teamwork brought us success as in previous qualifiers. The side did not feel under pressure because we are used to playing in front of packed crowds like the one in Accra tonight.

"The people of Ghana wanted us to win and we did not let them down. What a fantastic feeling to be the first African country to qualify for the first World Cup to be staged in Africa."

Serbia-born coach Milovan Rajevac said: "It is a priceless honour for my players to represent their country and qualify for the World Cup.

"This team is very hungry to go to the finals again. My players are aware of what they can achieve and have the quality to go far. I always believed we would qualify and am very confident about the future."

It will be the second successive World Cup appearance for Ghana, who did best of the five African teams in Germany three years ago by reaching the knockout second round before losing 3-0 to defending champions Brazil.

A quarter of the 32 qualifiers for the first World Cup are known with Ghana joining Australia, Brazil, Japan, Netherlands, North Korea, South Korea and hosts South Africa.

Mali had threatened to put the Accra celebrations on hold by taking the lead through former France youth international Mamadou Samassa on 71 minutes only for Mohamed Aoudou to equalise three minutes from full-time.

Tunisia snatched a 2-2 draw in Nigeria thanks to an 90th-minute Oussama Darragi goal in a top-of-the-table Group B clash and maintained a two-point advantage with two rounds left in October and November.

A capacity 60,000 crowd saw Osaze Odemwingie fire the 'Super Eagles' into the lead via a close-range shot midway through the first half only for Nabil Taider to level soon after.

Tunisia-based Michael Eneramo poked a a cross into the net 10 minutes from full-time to put the home team ahead again only for club mate Darragi to fire a Haitham Mrabet pass into the net from an acute angle.

Mozambique edged Kenya 1-0 in the same mini-league courtesy of a goal midway through the second half from veteran South Africa-based striker Manuel 'Tico Tico' Bucuane.

Tunisia have eight points, Nigeria six, Mozambique four and Kenya three with the leaders chasing a fourth consecutive appearance at the quadrennial showcase of international football.

Adel Taarabt scored two minutes into stoppage time as Morocco were rewarded for some enterprising second-half play with a 1-1 draw away to Togo in a Group A clash.

Togo led from the fourth minute through Moustapaha Salifou as they returned to Lome after a three-match ban following post-match violence at a 2008 African Nations Cup qualifier.

Gabon have six points, Togo five, Cameroon four and Morocco three although the 'Indomitable Lions' have a chance to go top Wednesday when they host the surprise pacesetters in Yaounde.

The five group winners qualify for the World Cup in South Africa between June 11 and July 11 and the top three finishers in each mini-league secure places at the Nations Cup five months earlier with hosts Angola.

(Agencies)

Injured Robinho to miss Brazil's qualifier against Chile

RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian striker Robinho will miss his national team's World cup qualifier against Chile on Wednesday due to a thigh muscle injury.

According to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) on Sunday, the Manchester City forward had a scan that confirmed the injury to his right thigh during the second half of Saturday's 3-1away win over Argentina.

With the weekend's victory, Dunga's team qualified for next year's World Cup finals with three games to spare.

The squad is already missing suspended Kaka, Luis Fabiano, captain Lucio and midfielder Ramires.

Chile are second in the South American group with three points behind leaders Brazil, and a victory against Brazil could sent them into the finals for the first time since 1998.

The top four qualify automatically for next year's finals in South Africa, and the fifth goes into a two-leg playoff against the fourth team in the final CONCACAF group.