SOCCER SHORTS:STEVEN Davis is Northern Ireland's new captain after being appointed as Aaron Hughes's successor by manager Michael O'Neill.
O’Neill, who takes charge of the side for the first time against Norway tonight, had initially said he would not appoint a permanent skipper until the World Cup qualifying campaign started in September, but has chosen to give the armband to midfielder Davis.
Fulham defender Hughes captained the side for eight years before announcing his retirement last year, but despite having reversed that decision at O’Neill’s prompting, he will now be back in the ranks and playing under the Rangers captain.
“Steven Davis is the captain and he will be the captain going forward,” said the former Shamrock Rovers boss.
“The manager has decided to go with me and I’m delighted. I’m very proud. To lead the team out and wear the armband is massive. I’m honoured to get the chance to do it.”
Lescott earns late England call-up
MANCHESTER City defender Joleon Lescott has been drafted into England’s injury-hit squad after Liverpool’s Glen Johnson withdrew ahead of tonight’s friendly against the Netherlands.
Caretaker manager Stuart Pearce has seen his plans disrupted after five players named in his initial squad pulled out.
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has a throat infection, while Aston Villa striker Darren Bent is out for up to three months with a ruptured ankle ligaments injury. Tottenham defender Kyle Walker (ankle) and Rooney’s Old Trafford team-mate Tom Cleverley (foot) have also been forced to withdraw from Pearce’s new-look squad.
Rooney and Bent’s absence has left Pearce particularly short of attacking options, with Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge and Manchester United forward Danny Welbeck set to make their first senior England starts. Sunderland striker Frazier Campbell could also make his debut.
Hassan to establish new caps record
MIDFIELDER Ahmed Hassan is poised to become the most capped international in world football today when he makes his 179th appearance for Egypt against Niger in a friendly in Doha, Qatar.
The 36-year-old, who made his national team debut aged 20 at the end of 1995, drew level with Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Mohamed Al Deayea in November when he came on as a second half substitute against Brazil, also in Doha.
Hassan might have claimed the record on Monday when Egypt were scheduled to meet Kenya in a friendly in Doha. But the Kenyans sent an under-23 side for the game while their senior side remained in Nairobi thus rendering the 5-0 win for Egypt no more than a training match.
International games reduced
THE number of international matches played every year is likely to be slashed after European clubs and Uefa reached an agreement on proposals to change the international calendar.
The deal, which has still to be agreed with Fifa, would see an average of nine international matches played a year rather than 12.
The agreement would see nine double-headers over a two-year period with no one-off friendlies such as the Republic of Ireland’s match against the Czech Republic tonight. The compromise deal was announced at the European Clubs’ Association (ECA) general assembly in Warsaw yesterday – the clubs last year demanded the number of internationals be halved to six a year.
Uefa also agreed to take out insurance to cover the wages of all players injured on international duty, starting at Euro 2012, and to increase the amount of money paid to clubs for their players taking part in the tournament.
Germans probe anti-Semitic abuse
GERMANY’S football federation (DFB) will not tolerate anti-Semitic or racist attacks after a small group of people verbally abused Israeli player Itay Shechter during a Kaiserslautern training session, the DFB said yesterday.
The incident took place on Sunday, a day after relegation-threatened Kaiserslautern’s 4-0 defeat at Mainz 05 left them in 17th place, level on points with bottom-placed Freiburg.
A small group of people attended training, shouted anti-Semitic insults at Schechter and did the Nazi salute. A few hundred fans had met with players and officials to discuss the club’s sporting situation.
“Together with the president we want to underline that the DFB will not tolerate such actions and we must act decisively,” said DFB’s Wolfgang Niersbach. “Racism and anti-Semitism have no place in football.” Police have launched an investigation to identify those responsible for the incident.
Tevez returns to action for City
CARLOS Tevez has made his first appearance in a Manchester City shirt since September 21st in a 3-1 defeat for the club’s elite development squad against Preston North End. City were pleased with his performance and the striker, who was taken off at the break as planned, is said to have been content with his comeback.
The Argentinian is targeting a return for Roberto Mancini’s side at Swansea City on Saturday week.
Tevez is anxious to make a competitive return for City as soon as possible and he has reintegrated with Mancini’s first-team squad smoothly following his unreserved apology last week.
On his return last week Mancini said that Tevez was about two or three weeks away from fitness, a stance reiterated by his assistant David Platt following the 3-0 win over Blackburn Rovers on Saturday evening.
