Great win for Pompey.

A goalmouth melee and Joe Hart who did not help his cause by a helpful flick forward gave Nelson Piquionne an easy first goal. Three minutes later, it was all Piquoinne who turned and twisted his way into the box collecting his second goal with a cool finish.

This guy will be a hot item in the Pompey firesale.

And what is a match without a huge controversy? Check out Liam Ridgwell's goal that the linesman and the referee missed altogether. Clearly behind the line. To think FIFA just withdrew goal line technology. Just moronic.

Looks like Zinedine Zidane maybe a step closer to taking over the Algeria job after the World Cup. Rabah Saadane after that hugely emotional win at Khartoum has seen his team's fortunes flatline with his tactics being questioned openly after the miserable defeat in the Serbia friendly.

Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika offered the position in a meeting with Zidane and his father at the presidential palace. Zizou was visiting Algeria as part of the futsal gala that pitted the 1998 French World Cup winning team against the Algerian all stars led by Lakhdar Belloumi. His presence electrified the 10,000 fans in attendance for the match at the Olympic dome.

One of the factors being mentioned which could predispose to this move is his personal relationship with Henri Emile who is soon to take over as the head of Algeria's Football Federation. In 2006 Zizou returned to the country of his origin in 2006 for the first time in twenty years accompanied by his Algerian born parents.

It was an emotional return with a serious purpose. He visited a pediatric centre that he and Emile helped set up through funds raised from a charity match after a 2003 earthquake devastated the northern Algerian region of Boumerdes and destroyed the local hospital.

Emile's association with Zidane goes back to the time when he was Les Bleus team manager in Aime Jacquet's 1996 European Cup squad. Jacquet had just spurned Eric Cantona to bring on Zidane to the national side and his faith was vindicated immediately in a friendly against the Czech Republic at Bordeaux as Zidane went onto score a brilliant brace. Jacquet's gamble paid of two years later as France won the World Cup.

His long managerial tenure came to an end in 2004 when Raymond Domenech took over. Emile was swept away in a back room clean up, a factor that is said to have influenced Zidane's retirement in 2004 (from which he came back for the 2006 World Cup). Both are heavily involved in charity work with Emile also working or the French Football Federation to raise futsal's profile within the country.

In an interview with Echourok, Zidane revealed that he followed Algerian football. He was Lakhdar Belloumi admirer and had always dreamed of playing against the legend one day. He also went onto say that it would be an honour and dream to coach Les Fennecs in the future when he had gathered more experience. Maybe in five to ten years.

That might be in an official capacity but it appears that Zizou is already working behind the scenes as Algeria's cheerleader and offering coaching tips. In an interview with France Football (Via Goal.com).

"Maybe it's already happened... There are some things I'd like to do but I can't speak about them publicly. That stays between me and those involved, the players. I know some of them. That doesn't necessarily mean I'll do something with them either. All of that only concerns myself," he added.

Yeah, that Zizou was always known for his clever no look passes. This might be one of them.

Portsmouth maybe in administration but it showed that it has lots of football left. They beat Birmingham through a Frederic Piquionne brace.

Jamie O'Hara was the motor running the attack. The victory was sweetly deserved but Birmingham might feel hard done. A Liam Ridgwell header clearly crossed the line before David James was able to keep it out but was not given as a goal.

Guus Hiddink not part of the 2010 World Cup? Not possible.

Right on cue, Didier Drogba reportedly reaches out to his old boss through a personal call to find out his availability for the Elephants coaching job. Time for the Cleaner to move in and administer his shock therapy.

The Ivory Coast football federation made recent contact with the Dutchman at Loftus Road where the Ivory Coast lost to South Korea, 2-0 in a friendly.

Hiddink on his part will have to sandwich a World Cup venture between now and his Russia job terminating on 30th June. He takes over Turkey's national team almost immediately.

He coached his last game on March 3rd when Russia held Hungary to a lethargic draw. The match appeared to be more of a sendoff for the coach.

The new head of the Russian Football Federation Sergei Furskenko later revealed that Hiddink would be leaving well before his contract end date. Accordingly, the Federation has canceled all spring and summer friendlies.

These are encouraging developments for the Ivory Coast in their Hiddink quest.

Russia has already made some Fabio Capello feelers for the 2012 European Cup but the Italian has indicated that he is not interested.

In his stead, Dick Advocaat, the AZ Alkmaar coach is now the favourite to lead Russia. Advocaat met with Fursenko during the recent European Cup draw at Warsaw. He has some solid Russia cred with his former association as coach of Zenit St Petersburg leading them to a UEFA Cup and Super Cup title.

Some of George Best's greatest moves are going to be rendered in music and contemporary dance by Belfast-based Maiden Voyage - a multinational dance troupe.
The performance is slated to depict Best in his early days on Belfast's Cregagh estate to his move to Manchester, and then go on the European Cup final against Benfica and finally his to his time in Los Angeles.
'Best' opens at the Tower Street Theatre in Belfast Metropolitan College on February 18 and will then visit Armagh, Derry, Lisburn, Omagh and Downpatrick.So get your tickets now.

Ricky Broadley has the dubious honour of having picked up 4 red cards in a single game.He got his first red for stamping on an opponent,the second for arguing with referee John Owen, the third for throwing water on the official with water and the fourth for abusing the referee in the clubhouse later.This incredible record has been soundly eclipsed by one Paul Cooper, 39,who plays for Hawick United in the Border Amateur League.He picked up 6 red cards in one game.

As the Marca editorial (In Spanish) makes it clear, Real's goal is nothing less than the CL final.

Their assessment of Manuel Pellegrini is scathing. He is pulled up for not letting Real impose their own terms but playing according to the pace dictated by the opposition. The introduction of Lassana Diarra was also controversial, as it threw the attack off rhythm.

"Both assumptions lead to the conclusion that, six months later, the manager has no plans for Madrid."

It is one thing for the media to jump at Pellegrini faulting him for not delivering, it is another when Fiorentino Perez right hand man, Jorge Valdano minces no words, ""We leave with a bad result and a bad feeling."

Pelligrini needs to devise his own exit strategy. He was skating on thin ice when the club lost to Alcorcon. To be fair, the club was never kind to even winning mangers and in Perez's second era, the weight of the financial millstone would sink even the most accomplished of them.

Nifty backheel but it should have been ruled offside.

The oldest surviving player of the 1930 World Cup final celebrates his 100th birthday. Happy birthday, Francisco Varallo! The Argentinian goalkeeper striker still remembers vividly the day Argentina lost to Uruguay in the inaugural World Cup.

"I achieved a lot of nice things in my career: I represented the national team and was Boca's record goalscorer," said the man of the moment. "However, in my whole life I've never felt such a bitter pain as losing that World Cup Final against Uruguay in 1930."

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