LONDON: Russian 21st seed Vera Zvonareva reached the women`s singles final at Wimbledon with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over unseeded Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova on Thursday.Zvonareva fought back from a set down to subdue Pironkova in a hard-fought semi-final on Centre Court and will face

PRETORIA: German World Cup winning captain Lothar Matthaus revealed on Thursday that he is interested in becoming coach of Cameroon.The 49-year-old - who led West Germany to the 1990 World Cup title - told SID, a subsidiary of AFP, that he had been in touch with the Cameroon Football

LAGOS: There was a mixed reaction on Thursday to the government decision to suspend the Nigerian national football team from international matches following its disappointing first round exit at the World Cup.President Goodluck Jonathan slapped a two-year ban on the team from competing

JOHANNESBURG: The first of three World Cup last-eight collisions between South America and Europe pits Brazil against The Netherlands in a Port Elizabeth blockbuster on Friday. And Ghana, sole survivors in the tournament from outside the two most powerful football regions, face Uruguay

JOHANNESBURG: One-time football power Uruguay are on the verge of their first World Cup semi-final appearance in 40 years with African hope Ghana blocking their way at Soccer City here on Friday.Before Brazil and Argentina, Uruguay were the dominant South American team winning two World

ERASMIA: Diego Maradona thought Thomas Mueller was a ballboy when they first met, a demeaning snub which has fired-up the German star to plot Argentina`s downfall in Saturday`s World Cup quarter-final. The 20-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder scored twice in Germany`s 4-1 hammering of

PORT ELIZABETH: Brazil`s dreams of a sixth World Cup title were shattered as the Netherlands came from behind to claim a famous 2-1 win in an enthralling quarter-final here on Friday.An own goal by Felipe Melo - who was to be sent off later - and a Wesley Sneijder header enabled the Dutch

PORT ELIZABETH: For a team that was supposed to founder in the first round and that has come under attack for its reliance on style over substance, Dunga`s boys from Brazil aren`t doing too badly. Dunga`s class of 2010 head into Friday`s World Cup quarter-final clash against the

DHAKA: Bangladesh Cricket Control Board President AHM Mustafa Kamal MP has been made President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), an official announcement said to the cheers of the youngest test-playing nation.                 Bangladesh’s coronation as chief of the

Abuja: Nigerian football was in disarray Wednesday after President Goodluck Jonathan suspended the national team from all international tournaments for two years following the Super Eagles` poor performance at the World Cup in South Africa. Nigeria was knocked out in the group stages

LONDON: Roger Federer crashed out of Wimbledon on Wednesday as Czech 12th seed Tomas Berdych clinched a stunning 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over the defending champion in the quarter-finals. Federer has been almost untouchable at Wimbledon for the last seven years, winning the title six

LONDON: Defending champions Venus and Serena Williams were knocked out of the women`s doubles quarter-finals at Wimbledon on Wednesday, piling on the misery for Venus. While Serena progressed to the singles semi-finals on Tuesday, five-time Wimbledon champion Venus was knocked out by the

LONDON: England internationals Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney avoided a potential public relations disaster after an organiser said the duo had withdrawn from a soccer skills event. The pair were set to compete in a series of challenges against the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Cristiano

LONDON: Serbia`s Novak Djokovic stormed through to the Wimbledon semi-finals with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over Taiwan`s Lu Hsun-Yen on Wednesday. World number three Djokovic played almost faultless tennis to wrap up victory in an hour and 51 minutes on Court One as Lu, the conqueror of

ABUJA: Nigeria president Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday banned the country`s football team from international competition for two years following their dismal showing at the World Cup, his office said. "President Goodluck Jonathan has directed that Nigeria withdraws from international

PORT ELIZABETH: Kaka is one of a cluster of players treading a yellow card tightrope in Friday`s World Cup quarter-final between The Netherlands and Brazil. The Real Madrid playmaker is joined by Luis Fabiano, Juan and Felipe Melo in the group of Brazilians who will miss a potential

JOHANNESBURG: Diego Lugano may lead a rugged Uruguayan defence, but his male model-like good looks has his female fans swooning in front of the giant video screens set up back home in Montevideo. The 29-year-old may not be the quickest of defenders but he uses his 6ft 1inch (1.86 metres)

CAPE TOWN: Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo confessed to being a broken man on Wednesday after his side`s crushing 1-0 World Cup defeat to Iberian rivals Spain. The 25-year-old Real Madrid star said he felt a deep sadness at their exit at the hands of the European champions, who

TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has said the United States, England and France deserved to be eliminated in the World Cup for imposing nuclear sanctions on Tehran, newspapers reported on Wednesday. "In this World Cup you see a meaningful correlation between politics

JOHANNESBURG: Superstars have failed to deliver goals at the World Cup with Kaka, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney managing just one between them. And that came softly to Ronaldo three minutes from full-time in Cape Town as Portugal tore hapless North Korea to shreds in