By AFP
Posted Wednesday, August 18 2010 at 18:21
Kenyan striker Dennis Oliech had a great game despite his club Auxerre failing to find the back of the net in the first leg of their Champions League play-off match against Russia’s Zenit in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Tuesday.
Image Gallery
Related Stories
Mariga, Oliech expected as Stars prep Dar match
Test for Harambee Stars in Addis Ababa
Mariga strikes in draw with Tanzania
Mariga, Oliech for Stars’ game with Tanzania
Zenit won the match 1-0 with Oliech ramming a shot against the post, and the French club is still in it with the return match due for their backyard in two weeks’ time.
Elsewhere, Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp cut a relieved figure despite his side’s 3-2 defeat by Young Boys in the first leg of their Champions League play-off.
Spurs made an unconvincing start on the plastic pitch and were 3-0 down inside 28 minutes before Sebastien Bassong and Roman Pavlyuchenko reduced the deficit.
“It was a great defeat - if there is such a thing,” said Redknapp. “At 3-0 down, we were staring down the barrel. We were in desperate trouble. We were all over the show.”
Senad Lulic hit the post in the opening minutes before he gave Young Boys a lead which was added to by Henri Bienvenu and Xavier Hochstrasser before the half hour mark.
“From the first minute, we started sloppily, they hit the post and it went on,” added Redknapp. “They didn’t give us time to settle on the ball. They ran all over us in the first half hour.”
Redknapp believes the artificial surface at the Stade de Suisse played a huge part in his side’s poor performance. “It’s not an excuse but I played on Astroturf myself and hated every minute of it,” he commented.
“We used to have it at QPR but we don’t have it anymore in England. I don’t agree with artificial turf and I don’t think it should be used in a competition like this.
“I left four players out because they weren’t comfortable on the pitch in training on Monday.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment