Peles-ed
The lamest pun in the history of Newspaper headlines...and...
Eto'o is at Arsenal now is he John ?
Kingzfan2007-07-16 17:13:44
Arsenal's Eto'o of Cameroon
Eto'o is at Arsenal now is he John ?
Kingzfan2007-07-16 17:13:44
The lamest pun in the history of Newspaper headlines...and...
Arsenal's Eto'o of Cameroon
I think I need that one explained to me!
I think it's this:
Rufer's Pele-sed
Wynton Rufer will team up with his idol Pele on Wednesday as they take the field together for Nelson Mandela's 89th birthday bash in Cape Town. The New Zealand star -Oceania's player of the century -leaves for South Africa today and can't wait to play alongside the 66-year-old Brazilian legend who has guaranteed fans he will take the field for at least 10 minutes.
"I grew up idolising Brazilian football and of course Pele was a massive part of that," said Rufer who first met Pele when he was playing for the All Whites at the 1982 World Cup.
"Now, all these years later, to get the chance to play alongside him and to have a team picture with him - wow."
Pele - three times a World Cup winner - will captain the Rest of the World Team against an Africa All Stars side.
Rufer's team-mates will also include 1987 European player of the year Ruud Gullit of the Netherlands and France's 1998 World Cup winner Christian Karembeu while the Africa team will feature two members who have won the African player of the year three times, Arsenal's Eto'o of Cameroon and Ghana's Abedi Pele as well as 1995 World player of the year George Weah of Liberia.
The match at Newlands will be the third for Rufer in the last month.
Four weeks ago he was in Moscow playing for the Fifa World Stars against the Russian All Stars to celebrate Rinat Dasaev's 50th birthday. The Russian goalkeeping legend played in three World Cups and kept a clean sheet against the 1982 All Whites.
Rufer, who scored twice in Moscow, followed that with a trip to Hong Kong where he played for the Fifa team against China - a game organised to mark China's 10th anniversary of their takeover of Hong Kong.
"Getting the chance to play in these matches is just fantastic," Rufer said. "My contact base continues to grow and that can only be good for the young soccer players of New Zealand."
Sunday News understands Rufer is close to announcing pro deals for New Zealand players in Japan and Holland who have come through his Wynrs Soccer Academy.
It begs the question: Why hasn't he been offered a more hands-on role with New Zealand Football?
He is one of Fifa's Ambassadors for Ending Racism committee whose president is Barcelona's new signing Thierry Henry - and sits on the 18-member Fifa Players' Committee alongside the likes of Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Bobby Charlton, Michael Platini and Weah.
"Every time I go to these matches people ask me why I am not more involved with the All Whites or NZF," said Rufer.
"Perhaps the people running New Zealand soccer think they have all the answers.
"I can't worry about their reasons for ignoring me though.
"I'm doing my bit through my coaching academy."
Wynton Rufer will team up with his idol Pele on Wednesday as they take the field together for Nelson Mandela's 89th birthday bash in Cape Town. The New Zealand star -Oceania's player of the century -leaves for South Africa today and can't wait to play alongside the 66-year-old Brazilian legend who has guaranteed fans he will take the field for at least 10 minutes.
"I grew up idolising Brazilian football and of course Pele was a massive part of that," said Rufer who first met Pele when he was playing for the All Whites at the 1982 World Cup.
"Now, all these years later, to get the chance to play alongside him and to have a team picture with him - wow."
Pele - three times a World Cup winner - will captain the Rest of the World Team against an Africa All Stars side.
Rufer's team-mates will also include 1987 European player of the year Ruud Gullit of the Netherlands and France's 1998 World Cup winner Christian Karembeu while the Africa team will feature two members who have won the African player of the year three times, Arsenal's Eto'o of Cameroon and Ghana's Abedi Pele as well as 1995 World player of the year George Weah of Liberia.
The match at Newlands will be the third for Rufer in the last month.
Four weeks ago he was in Moscow playing for the Fifa World Stars against the Russian All Stars to celebrate Rinat Dasaev's 50th birthday. The Russian goalkeeping legend played in three World Cups and kept a clean sheet against the 1982 All Whites.
Rufer, who scored twice in Moscow, followed that with a trip to Hong Kong where he played for the Fifa team against China - a game organised to mark China's 10th anniversary of their takeover of Hong Kong.
"Getting the chance to play in these matches is just fantastic," Rufer said. "My contact base continues to grow and that can only be good for the young soccer players of New Zealand."
Sunday News understands Rufer is close to announcing pro deals for New Zealand players in Japan and Holland who have come through his Wynrs Soccer Academy.
It begs the question: Why hasn't he been offered a more hands-on role with New Zealand Football?
He is one of Fifa's Ambassadors for Ending Racism committee whose president is Barcelona's new signing Thierry Henry - and sits on the 18-member Fifa Players' Committee alongside the likes of Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Bobby Charlton, Michael Platini and Weah.
"Every time I go to these matches people ask me why I am not more involved with the All Whites or NZF," said Rufer.
"Perhaps the people running New Zealand soccer think they have all the answers.
"I can't worry about their reasons for ignoring me though.
"I'm doing my bit through my coaching academy."