BERLIN, July 15- More than 250,000 jubilant fans massed at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate Tuesday to cheer the World Cup winners and new national heroes bringing home football’s top prize for the first time to a reunified Germany.

The flag-waving crowd erupted in applause after screens showed the flight bringing the triumphant players to the German capital from Rio de Janeiro touch down shortly after 0800 GMT.

Crowds began forming in central Berlin before dawn and thousands more supporters gathered on a viewing platform under warm summer sunshine at Tegel airport to meet the plane, a Lufthansa jet rebranded “Fanhansa” for the occasion on one side and “Victors’ Plane” on the other.

Captain Philipp Lahm was the first player to emerge, clutching the golden FIFA trophy and lifting it in the direction of applauding supporters.

Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, his shoulders draped with the black, red and gold German flag, followed him down the steps to the tarmac, where airport employees snapped photos with their mobile phones as fans cheered.

“This is a historic event,” said 34-year-old bus driver Bernd Hesse, who managed to follow all the matches in Brazil on the radio when he was behind the wheel.

He noted that Germany fans had waited 24 years to bask in the glory of a World Cup victory, the first since the reunification of the country following three wins by the former West Germany.

“It’s not every day that you get to see something like this,” he said.

Lydia Lampa, a 28-year-old advertising executive, stopped by the airport with a friend on her way to work.

Wearing a Germany jersey adorned with the coveted fourth star for the latest World Cup win and a Hawaiian-style garland of plastic flowers in the national colours, she said she had watched every World Cup match featuring the Mannschaft.

“This is my way of saying thank you,” she said.

“All the games were exciting and I wanted to see the players at least once live. I had a good feeling from the start of the tournament and I thought, ‘OK, this time we’re going to win’.”

- Germany’s unity team -

Ecstatic fans lined the route as black buses ferried the players to central Berlin, construction workers waved from building scaffoldings and dozens of cyclists followed the motorcade, their bicycles draped with Germany banners.

Once they arrived in the city centre, the players boarded an open-top truck and some sipped from beer bottles as they waved to the adoring masses.

Players tweeted photos of the fans, with Mesut Ozil writing “What a crowd! Unbelievable!”.

After meeting Mayor Klaus Wowereit, they will take their places on a giant stage at the Brandenburg Gate, the symbol of German unity since the country ended its Cold War division in 1990.

That was the last year a West German team won the tournament and Sunday’s nail-biter 1-0 victory over Argentina marked the first time that a side representing both the west and the former communist east brought home the trophy.

More than 250,000 fans had rallied behind the German side on the so-called Fan Mile behind the Gate during the match late Sunday.

By around 0830 GMT Tuesday, police said the venue to watch the players and trainer Joachim Loew hoist the trophy was full with over a quarter-million supporters and advised those turned away to watch on live television.

Supporters on the Fan Mile sang “This is what victors look like!” and waved German flags, which rarely make an appearance outside major sporting events in the country in deference to its militaristic past.

Ulrich Felgentreff said he was born in 1954, the first year West Germany won the World Cup — just nine years after the horrors of World War II, as the country was gradually rejoining the community of nations.

“Everyone has an immense feeling of pride,” he said, decked out with his family in black, red and gold. “And that pride grows title by title.”

By contrast, 18-year-old fan Sven Engel was not even born the last time West Germany won.

“Germany deserves this title, they were much stronger than the other teams,” Engel said.

“But the Brazil match was still the best,” he said, referring to the jaw-dropping 7-1 thrashing of the hosts during the semi-final.

The championship has bolstered an already upbeat national mood, with the German economy humming and popular Chancellor Angela Merkel at the helm of a stable government.

The German media ran banner headlines and even normally staid business daily Handelsblatt joined in the celebration.

It quoted the head of Germany’s top bank Deutsche Bank, Juergen Fitschen, singing the national side’s praises.

“The German team embodies many of the qualities that typify Germany today: commitment, discipline, technical skill and tactical know-how,” he said.

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 15 – Commonwealth Games silver medallist Benson Gicharu, believes new boxers in the team for this month’s outing in Glasgow are capable of improving medal tally they collected in Delhi, India four years ago.

The boxing team nicknamed the ‘Hit squad’ will be leaving nothing to chance with flyweight Gicharu and middleweight female boxer; Elizabeth Andiego, who were at 2012 Olympics, expected to inspire the squad of 11 to better the silver and two bronze medals they harvested in 2010.

“Everybody is ready and eager to compete, it’s only that I was affected with minor shoulder and thigh injuries but I’m okay now.

“We expect to come home with more medals since we have new blood who are all good including the ladies and I’m sure what I have achieved they will too, every athlete’s aim is to win gold and that’s what I will be going for, I came close in India and I believe I can do it even better this time round,” the Kenya Police pugilist told Capital Sport.

The team only had two outings as part of their preparation in Sri Lanka and Mauritius, and Gicharu called upon the Government to invest in the sport for them to compete effectively against other global powers.

“We have not had enough exposure ahead of the Games, we only had two that really helped us gain fitness, that’s why all boxers who attended training in Mauritius qualified during the trials.

“The Government should put more attention in boxing because accessing facilities such as the gym has been a problem, but all the same we will give it our best. I expect stiff opposition from India and Ireland,” the 29-year-old boxer stated.

Head coach Albert Matito, was happy with the new scoring system introduced by International Boxing Association (AIBA) known as ‘10 a must’ where each boxer is entitled to 10 points in the three rounds.

Matito who is aiming at winning five medals among them three gold and his charges are equal to the task after retaining 2010 bronze medallist Nick Okoth, Kenya Police Elly Ajowi and Sri Lanka King Lion International Boxing welterweight champion Rayton Okwiri who were all in India.

“Before the scoring system was changed where we had point by point and ‘20 a must’ there was a lot of cheating but now we have the best which is the ’10 a must’ where if a boxer scores all in the three rounds, he gets 30 points after the total is added.

“Another good thing is that we have five judges who all score but the scoring system will select only three who have scored the best from gold, silver and bronze.

“We have trained the players with real spurring using our local referees to evaluate them so the team is in good shape and I’m sure we will not miss gold,” Matito declared.

Okwiri who will compete in the welterweight category, concurred with his head coach on the scoring system and will be looking to knock out his tough opponents from Canada and Wales to finish in the medal bracket.

“Preparation has been good since my body is responding well physically and technically, the new scoring system is good because it favours us more since we have endurance and stamina unlike before where the scores was showing and the opponent could monitor on the points,” the Kenya Prison athlete said.

The Glasgow Games will for the first time include the female boxers where Kenya will be represented by Andiego and Flyweight Christine Wangare.

Female athletes will compete in the Flyweight, Lightweight and Middleweight categories over four rounds of two minutes, while the male will battle it out in ten categories over three rounds in a knockout bout format, across eight days of fierce competition.

The team alongside, Cycling, Squash, Table Tennis and Weight Lifting were the second batch to depart on Tuesday.

NAIROBI, July 15- The Government stepped in on Tuesday to head off a potential boycott of the Commonwealth Games by athletes by agreeing to pay the team’s allowances.

Kenya will now be represented by 195 athletes in the July 23 to August 3 championships in Glasgow, Scotland.

The athletes had demanded to be paid their full allowances upfront before departure, “as the government had failed to reward the athletes to the 2013 World cross country championships in Poland and the world track and field championships in Moscow.”

Kenya’s team captain, Ezekiel Kemboi raised the issue with sports minister Hassan Wario when the minister visited the team’s training camp at the Kasarani stadium last week.

But Kenya’s Commissioner of Sport, Gordon Oluoch, said the government had now settled the allowances for the Rugby Sevens, Judo and Shooting teams who hade left on Sunday without receiving their money.

“We had a small hitch securing the money from the bank which was in foreign currency,” Oluoch told AFP.

“We want to assure the rest of the team still in the Nairobi residential camp that they will receive their allowances in full before they travel to Glasgow at the end of the week. There should be no cause of alarm,” he said.

LONDON, July 16- The Arsenal winger Theo Walcott believes that he and Alexis Sánchez can form a potent partnership that will strike fear into opposition defences next season.

Sánchez joined the Gunners for a fee in the region of £35m from Barcelona, where he scored 47 goals in 141 appearances. The 25-year-old forward also scored two goals for Chile at this summer’s World Cup in Brazil.

“Sánchez is a world-class player and I enjoyed watching him play for Barcelona and for Chile at the World Cup,” Walcott told Arsenal Player.

“He’s still very young as well and he is going to show so much pace and power, which we lacked a bit last year.

“With me and him on the flanks, a lot of teams won’t be looking forward to playing Arsenal this year.”

The signing of Sánchez represents something of a coup for Arsenal, who splashed out £42.4m on the Germany midfielder Mesut Özil last year.

Walcott believes both transfers demonstrate the ambition of the club and admits he is excited to see who else will be brought in.

“There’s a great buzz around the club at the moment,” Walcott said. “He is a marquee signing and something that the club has pushed on to – first you had Mesut Özil and now it is Alexis Sánchez. Who knows where it is going to stop?

“It is great to learn from these players, and I cannot wait to play alongside him. I am really looking forward to it.”

Walcott is returning to fitness after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Arsenal’s FA Cup third-round victory against Tottenham in January.

The England winger refused to set a date for his comeback but insists he is pleased with the progress he has made.

“The knee is going really well, I am doing some good stuff with the physios and fitness coaches and we have worked really hard throughout the summer,” Walcott said.

“Things are looking really good and I have worked very hard for the last five months now. The most important thing is getting the strength back and it has pretty much nearly healed – it is just about building up that stability and strength again.

“It is coming along nicely and I am really pleased.”

-By Guardian

BERLIN, July 16- Commentators chided the German football team Wednesday for gently mocking Argentina during a giant World Cup winners party in Berlin, an event that marked a rare exuberant celebration of national pride.

In a country where strident patriotism is still largely taboo, newspapers said the young players’ “tasteless” victory dance Tuesday reflected badly on the country.

Six of the players including Mario Goetze, the sole scorer during Sunday’s 1-0 win over Argentina, performed a taunt often seen in stadium stands, on a stage set up behind the capital’s Brandenburg Gate before hundreds of thousands of flag-waving fans.

“This is how the gauchos (Argentines) walk, the gauchos walk like this,” they sang, hunched over, to cheers from the crowd.

Then they jumped up and chanted, “This is how the Germans walk, the Germans walk like this!” and strutted around the stage.

The word “gaucho” is the South American equivalent of “cowboy”.

Several German newspapers called the display of swagger before the world’s media a sour note after an otherwise pitch-perfect World Cup.

“The victory celebration at the Brandenburg Gate turned into a gigantic own-goal,” the conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung fumed.

“With a mean satire of the opponents in the final, the German world champions are squandering the image of an open-minded, tolerant nation.”

Berlin’s centre-left Tagesspiegel called the display “tasteless” and said it overshadowed the team’s gracious behaviour on the pitch in Brazil.

“The German modesty is over. Their joy wasn’t enough, they only find full satisfaction when they torture their mourning vanquished opponents a little,” it said.

“Maybe that is what will remain in the heads of many people outside Germany from this World Cup. And then the frenetic applause of the audience. They didn’t mean anything by it, that is probably true. But they showed that in football there are not only fools but damned fools.”

The criticism sparked a lively debate in English and German on Twitter under the hashtag #gauchogate, with many attacking what they saw as political correctness run amok.

A user with the handle @suburp said “Germany has a word for #schadenfreude but struggles w fun and healthy national pride. It’s only FUSSBALL (football). regt euch ab. (Calm down).”

Die Welt newspaper said the dance did not mark a “shining moment” but added: “We don’t need to overplay it.”

LONDON, July 16- Chelsea have reached a deal to sign Filipe Luis from Atletico Madrid subject to the defender agreeing personal terms with the Premier League club.

Luis impressed as Atletico won the Spanish title and reached the Champions League final last season and the Brazilian left-back is likely to fill the void left by Ashley Cole’s move to Roma.

A statement published on Chelsea’s official website read: “Chelsea Football Club can confirm an agreement has been reached with Atletico Madrid for the transfer of Filipe Luis.”

The 28-year-old is poised to become Chelsea’s second signing from Atletico in the last 24 hours after Spain striker Diego Costa completed his move to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

Luis is reported to have cost £20 million ($34 million) after Chelsea agreed to pay the buy-out clause in his contract.

A statement on Atletico’s website added: “Atletico Madrid and Chelsea have reached an agreement to transfer the rights of Filipe Luis, pending a medical with the English club.

“The Brazilian player had told our club at the end of the campaign his willingness to join the London side.”

Blues boss Jose Mourinho got a close look at Luis when Atletico knocked Chelsea out of the Champions League semi-finals last season.

His dynamic displays convinced Mourinho he was the ideal candidate to solve the left-back dilemma which has troubled him since Cole fell out of favour last season.

With Mourinho believing Cole was no longer playing well enough to start on a regular basis, he was forced to use Cesar Azpilicueta, a right-back by trade, out of position at left-back.

But with Chelsea finishing last season without a trophy, Mourinho is determined to avoid a repeat of that make-shift situation and he moved quickly to tie up a deal for the Brazilian.

Luis joined Atletico from Deportiva La Coruna in 2010 and has made 98 appearances in all competitions for the Madrid side, winning the Europa League in 2012 and the Copa del Rey in 2013 before last season’s title triumph.

He has four Brazil caps and was placed on Luiz Felipe Scolari’s standby list for the 2014 World Cup.

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 16 – National 7s head coach Paul Treu, has recalled fly-half Biko Adema, to replace Nakuru RFC eighth man Martin Owila in the 12-man squad that is in Glasgow preparing for the Commonwealth Games that kicks-off next weekend.

According to communication from Kenya Rugby Union, Owila who was set to make his debut in the shorter version of the game was unable to get his United Kingdom visa processed in time.

This forced the technical bench call-up Adema who left Nairobi Wednesday to link up with the rest of squad in Scotland after Treu omitted him in his initial squad.

Owila was part of the national 15s squad that failed to qualify for next year’s Rugby World Cup after falling at the final hurdle 10-28 to Zimbabwe in their last match of the Confederation of African Rugby Division 1A championship in Madagascar.

Kenya who will be using the Club Games as part of preparation for 2014-15 HSBC Sevens World Series that will see the top four qualify directly to the 2016 Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro, will be looking to improve their 2010 performance where they were eliminated by Australia in the Main Cup quarter-finals.

Shujaa who are drawn in Pool B will open their campaign against Cooks Ireland next Saturday before taking on Trinidad and Tobago then wrap up with a tricky South Africa in their final preliminary round match.

LONDON, July 17- Cameroon’s Commonwealth Games preparations have been hit after two members of their wrestling team have gone missing.

The unnamed men, aged 26 and 31, were reported missing from Cameroon’s pre-Games training camp in the Scottish city of Aberdeen on Tuesday and police are currently trying to trace them.

They were last seen at the Hillhead Halls of Residence in Don Street at around 8.30pm local time on Sunday.

One of the missing men is 5ft 8in and was wearing a black jumper and trousers, a white body warmer and a black woolly hat.

The other man is around 5ft 4in and of thin build with a prominent scar on his left cheek, police said. He was wearing sports clothing when last seen.

The Cameroon team of 47 athletes arrived in Aberdeen last week ahead of the Glasgow Games, which get underway next week.

A police spokeswoman said: “Police Scotland can confirm that two men have been reported as missing from the Aberdeen area. Both, one aged 31 and one aged 26, were reported missing from the Old Aberdeen area of Aberdeen just after midday on Tuesday.

“They were last seen at the Hillhead Halls of Residence on Don Street, Aberdeen, at around 8.30pm on Sunday July 13.

“Anyone with any information regarding their whereabouts is asked to contact Aberdeen police.”

LONDON, July 16- Liverpool started life without Luis Suarez on Wednesday with a 2-1 defeat against Danish side Brondby in the club’s opening pre-season friendly.

Christian Norgaard gave the home side the lead from a free-kick midway through the first half before Liverpool’s Swedish international winger Kristoffer Peterson levelled early in the second half.

But Ferhan Hasani hit the Brondby winner in stoppage time.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers shrugged off the loss in the team’s first game since Suarez’s EUR95 million ($128 million) move to Barcelona, preferring to concentrate on the challenges of the new Premier League season which starts on August 16.

“This year, we know it’s going to be extremely competitive. Every team will strengthen and we’ll be exactly the same. But the beauty for us is that we’re a young group and we’re bringing in young players that are hungry,” said Rodgers.

“We will progress again from last season. It’s going to be a really exciting season. I’ve seen development in the players already in the short period of time that we’ve been back. This season we have the belief to go along with the quality.

“We want to improve and continually improve. We’re working very hard behind the scenes, as we always do, in terms of getting the best quality players into the club.”

Chelsea defeated fourth-tier Wycombe Wanderers 5-0 with Patrick Bamford, Izzy Brown (2), John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic on the scoresheet.

In Austria, Crystal Palace enjoyed a 13-1 romp at GAK Graz with Stephen Dobbie grabbing four goals and Glenn Murray, Joe Ledley and Jonathan Williams all netting twice twice.

Yannick Bolasie, Jerome Thomas and Marouane Chamakh finished off the rout.

JOHANNESBURG, July 17- Watching World Cup matches in Brazil has convinced the football stars of Kenya they can qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) in Morocco.

A country famous for their athletes has not featured at the continental football showpiece since making a first-round exit 10 years ago.

But ‘Harambee Stars’ goalkeeper Jeremy Onyango believes that is about to change as they prepare for a third-round eliminator in Lesotho this weekend.

Onyango was among 16 players and four coaches who travelled to Brazil thanks to the generosity of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The head of state told the national team he would bankroll a visit to the World Cup after they won the regional CECAFA Challenge Cup last December.

Onyango told Kenyan reporters the trip was an eye-opener for him and his team-mates.

“Seeing is believing. We watched the stars from the stands and realised they do not possess extraordinary skills that we lack.

“We only need to believe in ourselves and we will do well in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers,” stressed the shot-stopper.

Should Kenya eliminate Lesotho in a two-leg tie, they would join 2013 Africa Cup runners-up Burkina Faso, Angola and Gabon in a mini-league.

The six-match group phase kicks off in September, lasts three months, and the top two finishers are guaranteed places at the tournament.

Kenya hardly justified the optimism of Onyango this week when held 0-0 by Burundi in a Nairobi warm-up that turned nasty during the second half.

Harambee Stars midfielder Victor Wanyama from English Premier League club Southampton was sent off for hacking down an opponent.

Lesotho had to substitute midfielders Ralekoti Mokhahlane and Motlalepula Mofolo and striker Thapelo Tale during a bruising 2-0 warm-up loss away to Botswana.

But coach Seephephe Matete is hopeful the injured trio will recover as his ‘Crocodiles’ try to build on a surprise 2-0 home win over Liberia in the previous round.

He was unconcerned about the Botswana result: “It is a timely wake-up call to my players, who tend to relax when results are going well for them.”

It is 36 years since Uganda last played in the Cup of Nations finals and 34 years since Tanzania made their solitary appearance.

Both enjoy home advantage as they try to edge closer to ending embarrassingly-long absences from the biennial tournament.

Uganda were scheduled to play Equatorial Guinea, but the central Africans were disqualified for fielding ineligible Cameroon-born Thierry Fidjeu.

Mauritania, beaten 3-1 on aggregate by the Equatoguineans, were restored to the competition and visit a Ugandan side battling to score.

The ‘Cranes’ managed just one against the Seychelles and played a goalless draw with Malawi this week in a warm-up that concerned coach Milutin Sredojevic.

“An inability to score is a chronic problem in Uganda,” admitted the Serb. “We must attack from the right, the centre and the left to try and score goals.”

Tanzania received a boost before hosting neighbours Mozambique when star frontmen Mbwana Samata and Thomas Ulimwengu were freed by Democratic Republic of Congo outfit TP Mazembe.

The Lubumbashi club are in Tunisia preparing for the resumption of the CAF Champions League next weekend.

Midfielder Arnaud Mendy from English fifth-tier club Lincoln City is in the Guinea-Bissau squad for an away game against Botswana.

Malawi have axed full-back and captain Moses Chavula and must do without injured midfielder Robert Ng’ambi when they meet Benin in Cotonou.

Benin rely heavily on West Bromwich Albion midfielder Stephane Sessegnon, scorer of three goals in the second-round triumph over Sao Tome e Principe.

Rwanda, who shocked Libya, visit Congo Brazzaville, and Sierra Leone host traditional whipping boys Seychelles in other first-leg fixtures.

LONDON, July 17- Brendan Rodgers has revealed Liverpool did everything in their power to try keep hold of Luis Suarez prior to his move to Barcelona.

The Catalan outfit on Wednesday confirmed they had completed a deal with the Reds for Suarez, with the Spanish giants reportedly having forked out around £75million for the Uruguay international’s services.

Barca were, however, unable to present the forward to their fans or local media due to his four-month FIFA ban, which excludes him from all football-related activities, for biting Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup.

That incident marked the third time Suarez has bitten an opponent during his professional career, sparking calls for the Anfield outfit to cut their losses and sell the troubled striker, although Rodgers insists that did not factor into their decision.

“We did everything we could as a club to keep Luis,” Rodgers told the Liverpool Echo.

“He wanted to go and play in Spain, and unfortunately when a player no longer wants to play for you, we need as a club to look at it.

“It was his decision for him to go, he’s gone to Barcelona, a club he wanted to play for and now we’ll move on.

“I’m not sure if he would have gone regardless of the World Cup. But I never felt that towards the end of the season, and likewise he never said he would give us another year either. He had obviously signed a new deal so we had that.

“But I think we have had great service out of Luis and it’s one that we can’t worry too much about now, it’s done, it’s gone and our focus is here.

“There is a lot of work going on with the recruitment team in terms of getting in the right player and I am sure we can identify that.

“This club and many other clubs have shown over a period of time you move on, and believe me, it will be a really exciting season for us.”

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 17- Kenyan runners Peter Kirui and Josphat Bett hope that doubts over Olympic double champion Mo Farah from the Commonwealth Games will boost their chances of landing gold in Glasgow when the games start on July 23 to August 3.

Track and field competition starts on July 27, but Bett and Kirui are itching to get their medals for the first time after a long period.

“It is not that I wish Farah to miss the Games. It becomes better when you win against a strong competition. But I have been out for sometime now and I believe it will be good to make my return with a win,” he said.

“I have done well in training and Farah is just like any other athlete and he is beatable. I will not discuss his case, but let see how we fair on the track,” said Kirui.

Both Kirui and Bett will be making their second shot at the international championships representing Kenya at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games next week.

Kirui, last featured in the Kenya team at the Daegu (South Korea) World Championships over the 10,000m while Bett last show was a junior in Poland back in 2008, when he won gold in the longest distance on track.

Both faded off the stage and have emerged with resolve to redeem their career and the Commonwealth Games offers both a platform to achieve just that.

“I think we have been away. Personally, I have tried on several occasions since I was a junior. But I was never lucky. Now I have my chance,” said Bett.

The duo will team up with Charles Cheruiyot over the 10,000m distance and the likely absence of the England international has boosted morale in the team.

Farah said he is just getting back into training after staying out with abdomen pain. He declined to confirm if he will be fit for the Commonwealth Games.

Gideon Chirchir, Kenya’s head coach, however pointed out that he is preparing his squad for the big test without focusing on any individual athlete.

“They have to realize that competing at the Commonwealth Games is not by chance. They merit to be in this team and everyone is looking upon them to deliver the results,” Chirchir said.

“But we will not be focusing on Mo Farah alone. He is a good athlete, but the net must be cast wider. Surprises are not inevitable and it is important that Kenya prepare for the 10,000m distance, knowing that Farah will be running too. It is in their country and he has to be there,” he added.

Kenya athletes returned to training after the government agreed to pay them their bonus and the coaches have signed with relief, saying they can now concentrate on the job at hand.

The team had sat out on Tuesday from training to force the government to pay them 1.2 million U.S. dollars for the games.

NAIROBI, July 17– Harambee Stars have moved into the top-100 of the FIFA World Rankings for the first time in eight years as world champions Germany took over from fallen titleholders Spain at the top.

In the latest list published Thursday, Kenya jumped 13 places to 95, a massive boost for the team that will travel Thursday to Maseru to face Lesotho in their second round 2015 Afcon qualifier first leg tie.

Adel Amrouche’s side eliminated Comoros Island in the preliminary stage and have not lost since being pipped 1-0 at home by Nigeria during the 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifiers, a run of 14 international games unbeaten since June 5 last year.

Germany’s charge to claim Sunday’s World Cup title saw them return to the top of FIFA’s world rankings for the first time in around 20 years.

The latest list, published on Thursday, has Germany moving up one place on the strength of their 1-0 defeat of Argentina ar Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana.

Lionel Messi’s Argentina are placed second, an improvement of three places, with the Netherlands leaping 12 rungs into third after their impressive World Cup third place finish.

The James Rodriguez-inspired Colombia move up to fourth (+4), ahead of Belgium (+6) and Uruguay while disappointing Brazil dropped four spots to seventh.

Deposed world champions Spain slumped seven spots to their new modest placing of eighth, with Switzerland and France (+7) completing the top ten.

Costa Rica’s remarkable charge to the quarter-finals was rewarded with a jump of 12 places to 16th.

England’s woeful first round exit resulted in Roy Hodgson’s side dropping ten places to 20th.

Algeria and Ivory Coast who top the Africa standings dropped two places apiece to land in positions 24 and 25 with Africa champions Nigeria up 10 places to 34.

Latest FIFA rankings

1. Germany (+1)

2. Argentina (+3)

3. Netherlands (+12)

4. Colombia (+4)

5. Belgium (+6)

6. Uruguay (+1)

7. Brazil (-4)

8. Spain (-7)

9. Switzerland (-3)

10. France (+7)

11. Portugal (-7)

12. Chile (+2)

13. Greece (-1)

14. Italy (-5)

15. USA (-2)

16. Costa Rica (+12)

17. Croatia (+1)

18. Mexico (+2)

19. Bosnia and Hercegovina (+2)

20. England (-10)

MANCHESTER, July 17- Louis van Gaal insists he will rule Manchester United democratically as the new Old Trafford boss bids to restore “the biggest club in the world” to their former glory.

Van Gaal arrives at fallen giants United with a well-earned reputation as tough taskmaster during a glittering coaching career which has included spells at Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

But when he met the world’s media for the first time as United manager on Thursday, the 62-year-old Dutchman was adamant different aspects of his personality have made him successful rather than the hard-line approach that is frequently focused on.

“I am a democratic, empathetic human being,” Van Gaal said. “Of course I have a strong personality but the other characteristics are more important. And that’s the key of my personality.

“My reputation for being autocratic? It’s unfair. Because of the media. They want to show that part of the personality.

“Part of the personality is like this. But when you repeat that always everyone thinks like that.

“There is a lot of expectation, but also a great challenge because of that and therefore I have chosen for this club. I worked for Barcelona, the number one team in Spain in my opinion.

“I have coached Ajax, number one in the Netherlands. And I have coached Bayern Munich, the number one in Germany.

“And now I am with Manchester United who are the number one in England. I hope I shall fulfil the expectation, which shall be difficult.”

Van Gaal, who guided the Netherlands to third place at the World Cup, would not give an exact prediction on where he expected United to finish in the Premier League in the coming season following their woeful seventh place last term.

However, he did acknowledge there is significant weight of expectation at Old Trafford and claimed his personal goal throughout management was always to finish at the top.

- ‘First, not fourth’ -

“For me, the challenge is always first and not fourth,” van Gaal said. “But when you have to analyse after one season, it depends on click between the players and the manager.

“I will do my utmost best. That’s what I can give. I cannot give predictions because you never know.

“It’s the biggest club in the world. Within two days I know how important Manchester United is.

“Can I fulfil their expectation? I think I can do. But because of the greatness of this club it’s also much more difficult than another club.

“Also this club is also guided in the commercial way and we have to fulfil that also.

“That is now always possible, to fulfil the commercial expectations or the football expectations. That is my biggest challenge.”

Van Gaal insisted he would make a full assessment of United’s squad before he pursued any further transfer targets.

“I want to look at the players now, at the present players,” Van Gaal said.

“Of course, I know the players and how they play. But I don’t know how the players have trained and coached.

“Firstly I want to see, over the first two, three, four weeks, what they can do.

“Then maybe then I shall I buy other players. The players that we have bought now — Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera — were already on the list so I gave my approval because I like them. But first I want to see the players performing my philosophy.”

Van Gaal, who will be assisted by United legend Ryan Giggs, also indicated that he would find room in his backroom staff for more of United’s former players, including Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville.

The Dutchman will, however, delay a decision on who will replace Nemanja Vidic, who has joined Inter Milan, as the club’s captain.

Van Gaal’s compatriot Robin van Persie has been widely tipped to get the armband at Old Trafford ahead of fellow striker Wayne Rooney.

“All the players are a possible candidate. I have to get to know them,” he added.

“Quick decisions are not always good. I use my time properly, because I think the captain of the team for me, is very important.”

LONDON, July 17- Arsenal completed their swoop for France defender Mathieu Debuchy from Newcastle United on Thursday in a deal reported to be worth around 15 million euros.

Debuchy has been a long-term target for Arsene Wenger and the Gunners’ manager finally got his man as the right-back put pen to paper on a long-term contract.

The 28-year-old, who was part of the French squad which reached the World Cup quarter-finals, is the ideal replacement for compatriot Bacary Sagna, who left Arsenal to join Premier League Manchester City on a free transfer last month.

Debuchy, who is reported to have cost the Gunners around £12 million ($20.5 million, 15.1 million euros), becomes Arsenal’s second signing since the end of last season following the £30 million arrival of Chile winger Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona.

“We are delighted to welcome Mathieu Debuchy to Arsenal,” Wenger told the club’s website.

“He has shown he can perform at the highest level with his club sides and also for France.

“He is a quality defender who has good Premier League experience and I’m confident he will fit in very well with us.”

Debuchy featured 46 times during an 18-month spell at Newcastle after spending the first nine years of his career with French side Lille.

He helped Lille to a league and cup double in 2010-11.

His performances also earned him his international debut against Albania in October 2011 and he now has 25 caps for France.

Debuchy will join up with his new team-mates soon for pre-season preparations and is expected to make his debut at the Emirates Cup in the first weekend of August.

He admitted playing in the Champions League was a major incentive to join Arsenal.

“I’m very proud to be joining a great club like Arsenal and to wear its colours, it’s one of the biggest clubs in the whole world,” Debuchy said.

“I’m looking forward to working with Arsene Wenger and to helping the team build on last season’s FA Cup success.

“Playing again in the Champions League is a big excitement for me and I will do my best to help Arsenal compete for trophies.”

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 17- The moment of truth for 2008 Olympics champion and two-time world men 1500m champion, Asbel Kiprop, is finally here.

Since the lanky 24 year-old launched his season in March with a promise to attack his idol, retired Moroccan great, Hicham El Guerrouj’s 3:26.00 world record, the build up for Friday’s Herculis Monaco meeting, an IAAF Diamond League spectacular, has been dominated by his planned assault.

Some could say his boldness is taking his reputed cockiness too far but to those familiar with his ability, his quest is not far fetched as he prepares to uncork the biggest race of his life.

Monaco magic

In choosing Monaco to be the meet to bless with a new world record, Kiprop is banking on a track where he has ran two of his all time bests in successive years over the metric mile to deliver the Coup de Grace in his sport.

In 2012, he powered to 3:28.88 before returning a year later and a day to his milestone (19 July) to pound the track to submission with his extended legs that left the clock returning a huge PB of 3:27.72.

This is the performance that made him believe the final step in emulating the achievements of his hero El Guerrouj, a former Olympics and world titleholder, in 1500m was a hairbreadth away.

“Unlike in 2012 when I ran so fast and injured my hamstring just before the Olympics, I did not feel the effects last year and after starting the season injury free, I knew this could be the year to run faster than my personal best, even the world record,” he said in March before leading the Kenyan 4x1500m quartet to win gold in world record time of 14:22.22 in Bahamas.

At the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Paris on 5 July, Kiprop undertook a “warm-up” for his Monaco 1500m over 800m, beating Olympics silver medallist at the distance, Botswana’s Nijel Amos into second place as he set a joint world-leading time of 1:43.34 that was equalled by record holder, David Rudisha, last weekend in Scotland.

Kiprop could yet find his plans frustrated by Djibouti’s world indoor 1500m champion Ayanleh Souleiman, or the current Diamond Race leader and biggest domestic rival Silas Kiplagat, whose season’s best of 3:29.70 is only slightly slower than that of Kiprop’s 3:29.18.

What is not in doubt is that the meeting that offered seven world leading times and four Diamond League records last year has a potentially show-stopping act amid the stellar cast assembled and should he achieve his WR dream, Kiprop has stated to this reporter his next bar will be matching El Guerrouj 1500m and 5000m Olympics double from Athens 2004.

Rudisha force

It’s rare for Rudisha, the 1:40.91 standard bearer over 800m to slot into the under card but his progression after a year out injured will be also fascinating.

For the first time in his comeback Rudisha, will square up to the man who moved to fill his void in Ethiopia’s world champion, Mohammed Aman, the only runner to have beaten him twice at full fitness between the fall of 2009 and just before last summer.

Rudisha, feeling his way back this season, gave his strongest indication yet that he is heading back to his best form as he won last weekend’s IAAF Diamond League event in Glasgow, equalling Kiprop’s 2014 best in so doing.

But despite his defeat by Kiprop, Amos still looks a severe danger in the 800m. He clocked 1:43.70 in Paris, and 1:43.63 in Eugene. Aman’s best this year is 1:43.99.

Cherono vs Genzebe

World silver medallist, Mercy Cherono, will be out to once again hand Genzebe Dibaba, who set three world indoor records this winter, another beating on the Ethiopians first Monaco showing in the women’s 5000m.

Cherono has powered to victory of the two miles in Eugene and the 3000m in Lausanne to underline her credentials.

World champion Eunice Sum faces US champion Ajee Wilson in the women’s 800m.

The men’s 3000m steeplechase has lost Kenya’s world and Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi with a slight hamstring strain, but the field remains hugely strong on a track where Kemboi’s compatriot Brimin Kipruto set an African record in 2011 of 7:53.64, only one hundredth of a second away from the world record held by Qatar’s Saif Saaeed Shaheen.

Jairus Birech, winner in Rome and Oslo and leader of the 2014 listings with 8:02.37, looks the favourite.

-Material from iaaf.org used in this report

LONDON, July 18- Brendan Rodgers admitted he was disappointed to see Alexis Sanchez choose Arsenal over Liverpool, but believes the Merseysiders are still capable of attracting the world’s best players.

The Reds were keen on securing the Chile international’s services as part of a swap deal for Luis Suarez, who left for Barcelona this week in a reported £75million move.

However, Sanchez, who helped lead his country to the last 16 at the 2014 World Cup, decided instead to join to the Gunners, although Rodgers insists it had nothing to do with ambition, and everything to do with the striker’s preferred living situation.

And, when asked if there is an issue of Liverpool attracting top talent, Rodgers said: “I don’t think so. That was one where geography dictated where he wanted to go – simple as that. It’s been the other way.

“Lots of players are really impressed by what we are doing as a club and really excited about coming to Liverpool.

“It wasn’t due to a lack of ambition by the club. It was about where the player and his family wanted to choose to live.

“He’s a fantastic player and would have suited us. His profile would have been great but it was not to be and we move on.”

ZURICH, July 18- Football governing body FIFA on Friday lifted the suspension of Nigeria from international competition over “government interference” in the game.

The suspension of the Nigerian Football Federation was imposed on July 9 just after the national team were beaten in the last 16 at the World Cup.

“FIFA has noted that the court proceedings and order preventing the president of the NFF, the NFF executive committee members and the NFF Congress from running the affairs of Nigerian football that prompted the suspension have been withdrawn,” said a statement by the world body.

“As statutory order has been reinstated at the NFF and the legitimate bodies reinstalled, FIFA has decided to lift the suspension as of today, Friday 18 July 2014.”

The new order means that Nigeria can again take part in international competitions.

FIFA’s suspension came after a Nigerian court sacked the NFF leadership and appointed a sole administrator for the federation.

NAIROBI, July 19- Silas Kiplagat produced the shock of the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Monaco as he out sprinted domestic arch-rival, the Beijing Olympics and two-time world champion compatriot Asbel Kiprop, who was chasing the world record, with a blistering 3:27.64 world leading personal best on Friday night.

The other major upsets were the humbling of Olympics champion and record holder, David Rudisha and world champion, Eunice Sum in the men and women 800m races as the latter suffered a first defeat since her Moscow conquest.

Kiplagat buries Kiprop record dream

On the night, Kiplagat’s thrilling performance made him the fourth fastest man in history that was also a Diamond League record, trimming 0.08 off the time Kiprop set in winning here last year.

For the two-time world champion, who finished in a season’s best of 3:28.45, it was a huge anti-climax after he had prepared for an attempt on Hicham El Guerrouj’s 16-year-old world record of 3:26.00 by setting the fastest 800m time of the year, 1:43.34, at the Diamond League meeting in Paris earlier this month.

“At 1200m I knew the race was too slow,” Kiprop told the IAAF website. “We went through in 2.47 and I had asked for 2.45. In the home straight, I could see the others behind me on the big screen and I knew they would get back on me. I could see Silas coming closer and closer. It was a tough race.”

As for Kiplagat, he is now thinking in terms of mounting a world record attempt himself.

“I have the fast time now, but why not be faster and attack the world record?” the Commonwealth champion who will not defend in Glasgow stated with a hint of his customary cockiness.

“I’m still young and ready to train for it. I always run well here, so I’m thinking my win and result is no surprise. I was aware I can do it.”

Japan based teenage national champion, Ronald Kwemoi, lost his first ever race in 1500m after finishing third but he stood out with pride as the new world junior record holder with his 3:28.81 career best performance.

Rudisha fails to respond

It was the second outstanding middle distance race of the evening following the non-Diamond League race over 800m which saw another stunner as Rudisha faded to fifth in a race won by Botswana’s Nijel Amos in a 2014 world-leading time of 1:42.45, with Pierre-Ambroise Bosse setting a French record of 1:42.53 in second place.

As he had hoped, Rudisha, returning from a year off injured, managed a 1.42 clocking here, but the London 2012 had to concede the honours in a stupendously competitive race to the man who followed him home at the Olympics where he ran the 1:40.91 world record for gold.

As he rounded the final bend in the lead it looked as if Rudisha, who had equalled the 2014 world lead with victory in 1:43.34 at the previous Diamond League meeting at Glasgow a week ago, was all set to secure another morale-boosting win.

But, as he entered the final straight, the smaller figure of Amos moved out to pass him in lane two, teeth bared with the effort.

In the final 20m the roars redoubled as Bosse moved through, closing on the Botswana athlete, but running out of room.

As Rudisha faded, two others moved past him in the final 10 metres: Ethiopia’s 2013 world champion Mohammed Aman, who clocked a season’s best of 1:42.83 and Ferguson Rotich Cheruiyot, who finished fourth in a personal best of 1:42.84.

Sum vanquished at last

Despite also enjoying a season best return of 1:57.92, world champion Eunice Sum saw the back of another runner for the first time over 800m in 14 races, stretching back to August 18 last year when she won the world crown in Moscow in a career best 1:57.38.

American Ajee Wilson, who has created a buzz this season, ran a world leading 1:57.67 world lead and career best to finally vanquish the new queen of two-lap running.

The US champion came in with only two defeats at the distance this season in Rome (third) and Oslo (second) where she fell to Sum but it was third time lucky for her.

Jairus Birech, the new kid on the steeplechase block, made it five victories in five outings with the clock stopping at 8:03.33 after motoring alone at the front for long spells as Worlds silver winner, Conseslus Kipruto (8:09.91) came home for second long after the winner had caught his breath.

Former World Youth champion, Hillary Yego, completed the podium in 8:10.23 as former Olympics champion, Brimin Kipruto (tenth), Olympics bronze winner, Abel Mutai (11th) and circuit specialist, Paul Kipsiele Koech (seventh) finished further down the order.

Former World junior champion, Viola Kibiwott (14:33.63/SB) kept up with the Ethiopian pair, favourite Genzebe Dibaba and Almaz Ayana in the women 5000m before being forced to accept third as she failed to fashion a response when the pair took off for the honours with 300m to go.

Genzebe, who has not replicated the form in the winter that saw her set three world indoor records plus bagging gold at the global closed circuit showpiece in Sopot, dug deep to overtake her compatriot for victory in a world leading personal best 14:28.88 against 14:29.19 in the last few metres.

The returning Olympics silver medallist in 10000m, Sally Kipyego, placed just outside the podium in 14:37.18 after missing a huge chunk of the season injured.

Worlds silver winner, Mercy Cherono (14:44.56) failed to reproduce the form that brought convincing wins in New York and Lausanne as she returned home seventh.

-Material and photo from iaaf.org used in this report

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 18 – Harambee Stars are out to make capital from the pressure on hosts Lesotho during the first leg of their second round 2015 Afcon qualifier in Maseru on Sunday.

Buoyed by breaking into the top 100 of the FIFA World Rankings released this week for the first time in eight years on the back of run of 14 internationals without loss, Kenya are hoping to secure an advantage against the side that quashed the dream of established Liberia in the previous round.

According to the FIFA order, Stars start as favourites against the side 36 places below them in their quest to get a win, squeeze a stalemate, scoring or otherwise or should they go down, the advantage of an away goal (s).

The Kenyans will be under assistant head coach James Nandwa, after his fiery Belgian boss Adel Amrouche was slapped with a two-match ban by CAF for confronting match officials in Comoros during their preliminary round return leg where a 1-1 stalemate was enough to see them progress 2-1 on aggregate.

Stars will miss the influence of Belgian based duo of Lommel United midfielder Johanna Omolo and Racing Genk winger Ayub Timbe who scored in both legs of the preliminary round besides the loss of their first choice glove-man, Arnold Origi, who was denied clearance by his Norwegian club because the fixture falls outside the FIFA calendar.

Kenya played to a goalless draw in a friendly against Burundi on Tuesday as captain Victor Wanyama was sent off moments after coming on as a substitute for his first international red card although it will not count against Lesotho.

The game gave little insight into the potency of the Kenyan side that has never lost away under Amrouche’s watch upfront but it appears Stars are going to deploy rearguard action in Lesotho.

Inter Milan midfielder, MacDonald Mariga, who is line to play in his second competitive match for Stars since 2012, called on his team-mates to treat their Maseru assignment as a landmine field.

“I believe we are well prepared and the friendly was a good test to new call-ups. The coach saw our mistakes which we will be working out before Lesotho game.

“I’m in a good shape, I will continue working hard and hope to make it to the first XI but above all we need to either draw or win because I believe we have high chances of making it to the group. We should approach the match cautiously since Lesotho is a good team,” Mariga, the elder brother of Wanyama, told Capital Sport before the team departed for Maseru.

Tusker midfielder, Brian Osumba, who has blossomed for the 2011/12 Kenyan Premier League champions, is the only player making his debut for Stars.

Amrouche dropped four players for the Maseru trip; defenders Dennis Odhiambo (Thika United) and Abdullatiff Mohamed (Bandari) as well as forwards Paul Kiongera from KCB and KRA’s Geoffrey Kataka.

With the absence of Origi, Wilson Obungu is the probable candidate to start in between the sticks as James Situma and Aboud Omar man the full back positions.

Al Taawon defender David Ochieng and David ‘Calabar’ Owino are the favoured centre-half pairing with Wanyama, Finland based Peter Opiyo, Oman based Jamal Mohammed, Mariga and Francis Kahata manning the midfield.

Allan Wanga, Jacob Keli and David Gateri who plies his trade in South Africa are the options upfront.

Fired Lesotho

Lesotho are on a high of stunning Liberia on a 2-1 aggregate in their preliminary clash having overturned a first-leg deficit in Monrovia.

They received an equivalent of Sh25, 000 for each player from the federation ahead of Sunday’s match for motivation besides the benefit of having the core of their squad playing in their domestic league.

The two sides have met five times with Kenya having a better head-to-head record with three wins, a draw and loss.