The 100 Cap Club
There are now an astounding 141 players that have broken the century barrier.

The top ten are below:

1.Mohamed Al-Deayea [Saudi Arabia] 181 (1990-2006)     
2.Claudio Suárez [Mexico] 178 (1992-2006)
3.Hossam Hassan [Egypt] 169 (1985-2006)
4.Cobi Jones [USA] 164 (1992-2004)
4. Adnan Kh. Al-Talyani [UAE] 164  (1984-1997)
6.Sami Al-Jaber [Saudi Arabia] 163 (1992-2006)
7.Martin Reim [Estonia] 156 (1992-2007)
8.Lothar Matthäus [(West) Germany] 150  (1980-2000)
9.Ali Daei [Iran] 149 (1993-2006)
10.Iván Hurtado [Ecuador] 146 (1992-2007)   

As the number of international matches increases more and more players break into the 100 cap club. If Fabio Capello selects David Beckham in his first England team then Beckham will win his 100th cap. His performances for England in the last few games should be enough to see him included in that side. It's a damning indictment on the current England side that a player who is in the twilight of his career playing in MLS still looks a class above the likes of Lampard, Gerrard and Cole when pulling on an England shirt.

Kunishige Kamamoto


Yanmar Diesel (pictured at the end of this post) won the Japanese Premier Division in 1971. Yanmar are the precursor to Cerezo Osaka who currently play in the J League 2 and in the late 60s and 70s had one of the most famous Japanese players of all time playing for them.

Kunishige Kamamoto was a centre forward and probably one of the most successful Asian players in the world in the 60s and 70s. His high point came in the 1968 Olympics when the Japanese were drawn against Spain, Brazil and Nigeria. They began the tournament with a very impressive 3-1 victory over the Nigerians, all three goals were scored by Kamamoto. They followed this up with a 1-1 draw with Brazil and finished the group with a goalless draw against the Spaniards that sent Japan into a quarter final with France.

The French had won a tough group including hosts Mexico yet this didn't frighten the Japan side who ran out 3-1 winners! It was in the semi finals that the Japanese dream was to end. A 5-0 loss to eventual winners Hungary sent Japan into the bronze medal playoff against the Mexicans. In front of 40,000 people Japan emerged victorious with a 2-0 win. Kamamoto ended the competition as top scorer with 7 goals.

An extended trial at FC Saarbrucken in West Germany followed but Kamamoto decided that he preferred to stay in his job at Yanmar Diesel as an administrator rather than play professionally in Germany. Speaking in 1971 he said: "I am sure we will have professional football here within 10 years and maybe then I can earn a living as a coach or manager." It was 20 years later (1992) that the professional J-League was set up and we've now seen players such as Inamoto and Nakata grace some of the best clubs and leagues in Europe. If Kamamoto was born in a different era maybe we'd have seen a lot more of him.

Kamamoto played 61 matches for Japan and scored 55 goals. A quite remarkable record (17th in the all time international goal scoring charts - level with Romario!).

Hellas Verona

In England we have Leeds United, a side that in recent memory have walked off with the league title yet now are "plying their trade" in the third flight. In Italy we see a similar tale, this time with Hellas Verona, champions of Italy in 1984/1985, which was interestingly the only ever season where the league randomly assigned referees to matches. But they have recently fallen on hard times. If a few seasons in Serie B wasn't bad enough, last season they lost in a "play-out" to Spezia and find themselves in Serie C1/A.

A side that in recent years has had the likes of Camoranesi, Raduciiu, Martin Laursen, Sebastien Frey, Craig Davies (*cough*) and Liechtenstein's most successful ever export Mario Frick wear their colours are now rooted to the bottom of the division with over half a season gone. They have only managed two wins all season and face a real battle not to be relegated into what can only really be described as footballing oblivion. (Even the marvellous soccerway.com website doesn't cover Serie D!)

Like Leeds United they aren't a particularly well liked club, with many fans of a right-wing persuasion shall we say? They have also experienced some awful money troubles and are currently undergoing failed takeover after failed takeover.

Overall it hasn't been a great year for Veronese football with Chievo Verona also relegated, though they are currently in the top half of Serie B. Hellas Verona fans famously said that "Donkeys would fly before Chievo make it to Serie A". Well, it looks as if Hellas need a miracle of those sorts of proportions to maintain their Serie C status.

CECAFA Cup 2007

An international football tournament has just begun featuring 11 nations. All of which come from the eastern and central regions of Africa. It is unlikely to get much media coverage outside of Africa but it is a tournament that has been full of interest and intrigue over its 80 year history. Yes, that's right, it's 80 years old. Older than the European Championships, older than the African Cup of Nations and older than the World Cup itself. When you read through the history of the CECAFA Cup online you soon start to realise that it is a very curious competition with a rich history.

It all began in 1926 and was named after a soap company: Gossage. The first final was won by Kenya (after a replay) in Nairobi against the Ugandans. The very next year the tournament did not take place due to a hosting dispute. These sorts of political moves have blighted the competition ever since its inception. Uganda dominated the Gossage Cup (Kenya recieving the trophy picture - right) throughout the 30s and 40s even winning one final 13-1. The pattern of Ugandan or Kenyan victories continued throughout the 1960s. The 1960 final between Uganda and Kenya ended in a draw and it was decided that the two teams would own the trophy for 6 months. However, the cup went to Kenya and disappeared, only re-appearing before the 1961 tournament when Kenya regained the trophy. The only side to break the stranglehold of the Kenya/Uganda axis wasTanzania (known as Tanganyika in during the first half of the century).

It was as late as 1978 when Malawi became the first side outside of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania to win the trophy with a last minute goal against Zambia. In the past 30 years the competition has bucked the trend of modern day football by becoming more and more open with Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia and Zanzibar all winning the trophy. (Rwanda B won the Cup in 1999 defeating Kenya who had knocked out Rwanda's A side in the semi final!)

So, a competition with a colourful history. With the 2007 edition of this competition underway I thought I'd take a look through the runners and riders in this year's competition.

Group A includes the hosts Tanzania who have appeared in 28 CECAFA Cups in their history and hosted many of the tournaments themselves. They won the opening match of the CECAFA Cup this year with a 2-1 victory over Kenya. Kenya (pictured) are a country with an interesting history in the CECAFA Cup, they are 5 times Champions of the tournament with one win coming as recently as 2002. There's a great story concerning the CECAFA Cup final of 1951 where Kenyan striker Omari Okumu lays the blame of their 2-1 loss down to witchcraft as every time he tried to kick the ball it "turned into snakes". They are joined by Burundi who can boast that Shibani Nonda (previously of Blackburn Rovers) was born in the capital Bujumbura. Unfortunately for The Sparrows (I love African nation nicknames) he opted to play for the DR Congo. Somalia complete the line-up for Group A. Like Burundi they have never won a CECAFA Cup and have had very few highlights in this competition.

Group B is headed by Uganda, a country that has dominated the tournament throughout its history. They impressively defeated Kenya by 9-5 in the 1937 final and the final of 2000 was actually competed by it's A and B side (the A side one but only after penalty kicks!). Rwanda are likely to give the Ugandans a battle for the title of Group B winners. They are one of the only countries with a pedigree outside of CECAFA having qualified for the 2004 African Cup of Nations. Despite being knocked out in the first round they did record a creditable draw against Guinea and a very good victory over DR Congo. Eritrea are a very young nation having only gained independence from Ethiopia in 2000. Their greatest footballing moment so far was holding African giants Nigeria to a goalless draw in Asmara during World Cup Qualification. Dijibuti (pictured) are undoubtedly the minnows in this group and arguably of the whole competition. In November of this year they won their first ever competitive match against Somalia and have made it through to the second stages of the qualifcation tournament where they will come up against Egypt, DR Congo and Malawi. A very difficult assignment for the islanders.

Group C and the final group contains a footballing oddity. The small state of Zanzibar is officially a part of Tanzania and is thus not allowed to compete in World Cup qualification. They instead compete in the CECAFA Cup and have put in some creditable performances throughout the years, taking home the Cup on two separate ocassions. They have also played in the FIFI World Cup (a World Cup for countries that aren't countries - if that makes sense) and finished in 2nd place, losing in the final to North Cyprus. Group C is completed by Ethiopia and Sudan. Two of the three competitors (alongside Egypt) in the first ever African Cup of Nations in 1957. Ethiopia were winners of this cup in 2004 and 2005 so will be keen to regain it. Sudan are the current holders of the CECAFA Cup despite confusingly losing the final to Zambia last year (Zambia were a guest side so weren't allowed to take home the trophy).

The tournament has just kicked off and the first round of games has taken place. Hosts Tanzania beat the Kenyans 2-1 in their opening match and Uganda beat Djibouti by 7 goals to 0 which is quite alarmingly the same scorline that the Ugandans beat Djibouti in the 2000 competition! Zanzibar drew with holders Sudan 2-2 and the Rwandans beat Somalia by 2 goals to 1. I'll hopefully keep you up to date with what is happening in what I consider to be a totally fascinating tournament from East/Central Africa.

Sources:
RSSF: http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/eastcentrafr.html
KenyaPage: http://kenyapage.net/

Mascots

Mascots are seen by many as a new phenonomon, part of the American sporting entertainment business to be placed in the same bracket as cheerleading or fireworks before the big match. But as this picture from 1957 shows, mascots were part of the British footballing culture even back then.

To take the example of Midlands club West Brom in the late forties they had a lucky black cat as a mascot. In the early 50s a "boy mascot" by the name of Johnny Tromans took over.

The man you can see alongside Johnny Tromans in the picture is "Pancho". I have no idea where the Mexican link comes into West Bromwich Albion football culture, I suspect its been lost in the midst of time.

In the 60s Blackpool also experimented with small boys and animals on the pitchside. This picture depicts a young lad from Blackpool in full team colours, one sock rolled down - years before Steve Claridge was knocking around the lower leagues - and a duck in his arms.

In the early days of Blackpool FC an act called "The Atomic Boys" used to perform and a duck was part of their act. The duck became an unofficial mascot of the side and the animal became part of Blackpool folklore - even after the Atomic Boys had performed their last 'gig'. A duck even travelled to Wembley with Blackpool in 1953, a famous year for Blackpool as they took home the cup. (Incidentally in 1954 Johnny Tromans took West Brom to Wembley and brought home the cup).

Mascots aren't a new thing. They're just far more goady and commercial nowadays. I also doubt whether Pancho (or the duck) ever onced faced a penalty at half time taken by a local radio DJ.

Russia - Tom Tomsk

The second part of my review of Wales' qualifying group (or perhaps its just a weak excuse to write about some of the more interesting aspects of the country) examines Russia, the largest nation on the planet and one with surely the most expansive footballing top division in the whole world.
Great picture of the 2007 season here

The Russian Premier League season finished on the 11th November with Zenit St. Petersburg taking the title away from the Moscow club's iron grip. Russia's capital city provides the Russian Premier Division with a third of its clubs (6/18) and at a stretch could also claim FK Khimki (Khimki lies right by the Moscow canal and is only a few miles from Moscow). The more interesting clubs in Russia (to me) are the clubs that lie outside of Russia's capital and into the wilds of this huge country. In particular, Tom Tomsk - everyone's favourite Russian club. "What do you mean?", I hear you cry! Well, let me explain....

If you were forced to choose a Russian side to follow then you'd almost certainly choose the Siberian side Tom Tomsk. Not only do they play in an incredibly exotic location, there are also very few football clubs on the planet that can boast that their club name contains the name of a womble!

Wellington in New Zealand and the Bulgarian national team are the only two I can come up with. Interestingly (again, to me) Tom Tomsk do have a Bulgarian midfielder by the name of Aleksandr Mladenov on their roster. So there is a distinct possibility - nay a certainty - that Mladenov can be described as Mladenov (Tom Tomsk and Bulgaria) in a World Cup sticker album. Marvellous.

Like most Russian sides Tom Tomsk have had numerous names during their history. Tomles, Sibelekmotor and Manometr amongst others. But the most intriguing name was probably "Buvrevestnik". While other football clubs in the Soviet Union were named after factories (steel, cars, engines) the Siberian club were named after a seabird, a storm-petrel to be precise.

The storm petrel is the smallest of sea-birds and breeds in dense colonies on cliffs (so wikipedia tells me). It's not clear from anything I've read whether there was a deliberate attempt to name themselves after a seabird unfortunately. Obviously it's not too uncommon in football clubs, especially in England, to be "nicknamed" after a seabird. I have my doubts whether Buvrevestnik were named on a purely ornithological basis, after all a lot of Russian outposts and military bases were also named after the bird. Still, it is great to hear of a softening, however slight, of the often stiff Russian exterior. The genteelness continues when you hear their nicknames of Olenevody (Reindeer Herdsmen) or Valenki (a type of winter footwear), these facts do nothing but endear me more to the Siberians. It's also worthwhile to note that their badge contains a very nice Latin phrase "Sui Generis" which means "unique in its own characteristics".. Or at least, that's what the internet says it means...

The final selling point is obviously the woman on a horse that you've been puzzling over whilst reading this post. The only person sat astride a beast like this on matchdays in England is likely to be a police officer. At Tom Tomsk it's a rather fetching young lady who parades herself (and the horse) around the pitch before matches.

Do easyjet fly to Tomsk?.... I'm sold.

Australian A-League

I was lucky enough to acquire some highlights of the Australian A-League this week. So rather than watching Match of the Day I took in some Aussie footballing action.

The first thing that strikes you is the sheer garishness and over the top nature of the intro sequence. Balls on fire, crazy music, silly celebrations, you get the picture.


The first match on offer was Adelaide United vs Perth Glory. Glory were coached by ex-Millwall striker Dave Mitchell (above) who is always my favourite answer to the ubiquitous "Footballers with beards" question that gets asked on internet forums all around the land every week - or at least it does in the places I frequent. He was serving a touchline ban for kicking a bottle onto the pitch.

Another familiar face with suspension issues was another ex-Wall player Kevin Muscat who was lining up for Adelaide after a short suspension. He didn't last long, two bookings in a minute and he was walking. A wonderful kick of the Samsung sponsorship later and he was down the tunnel. As someone with a Samsung phone I can only praise Muscat for his exemplary taste.

Other interesting features for a British football follower were that ex-West Ham and Blackburn midfielder Robbie Slater is working as a co-commentator for Fox Sports in Australia (he even has a website: look - http://www.robbieslater.com/). Other notable aspects about the game were that both goalkeepers sported a number 50 on their backs - surely one of the first times ever this has happened - especially when one of the keepers has as excellent a name as Tommy Tomic!

A creditable mention must go to Melbourne Victory who sport a wonderful chevron kit (think Brescia) and to Aurelio Vidmar for having a large a nose as his brother.

The A-League is an odd beast, 7 teams from Australia and one from New Zealand. 8 teams never seems enough for a league. Especially when you consider that means only four games every matchday - the goal of the week at the end of the show was barely good enough to be called goal of the game. But its a slow learning curve that the MLS have already ridden out to become a decent standard league. Only time will tell if "soccer" can stick in Australia, the 80,000 crowds at Sydney this week will help - albeit caused by the David Beckham circus.

For those interested the final score was Adeilade United 1 Perth Glory 1...

'Black' XI

I came across this picture in the A-Z of West Brom that I bought on ebay a few weeks ago. It apparently depicts the opposition to Len Cantello's Albion XI in his own testimonial. The matchday programme calls it a "Cyril Regis and Lawrie Cunningham XI" but the Albion A-Z just calls it a "Black" team assembled by Cyril Regis. I'm not sure any team would get away with this sort of team selection nowadays.

I still haven't discovered which side (if any) Ron Atkinson was managing..

Azerbaijan - Gurban Gurbanov

Now that the balls are out of the bowls in Durban we know that Wales have been drawn into a group with Germany, Russia, Finland, Liechtenstein and Azerbaijan. As a review of draw I intend to cover one of these teams every couple of days.

So it begins with Azerbaijan, a very familiar side to the Welsh having been part of our qualifying group for both the World Cup in 2006 and most notably were part of Wales' group for qualification for Euro 2004.

A lot of people will tell you how Mark Hughes led his Welsh team of Premier League stars to the brink of Euro 2004 by finally developing a system that the side could work under and achieve results. An excellent 2-0 win in Helsinki and a wonderful 2-1 win against Italy in Cardiff were gained early in qualification. But it was far more complex than that.

You may never have heard of him but without Gurban Gurbanov Wales may never have even made the playoffs. Gurbanov is Azerbaijan's leading goalscorer of all time. His 12 goals in 65 appearances eclipse all other achievements by Azeri players (including both of his brothers who have also turned out for the national team) but from those 12 goals there are 3 that had great importance for the Welsh side.

His two goals in Serbia helped secure the Azerbaijanis an unlikely point and another goal in Azerbaijan's incredible 2-1 victory in Baku over the Serbs helped push the Serbians into third place and Wales into the coveted runners-up spot. To put the result into context Azerbaijan lost 6-1 to Serbia at home this year.

Azerbaijan 2 - 1 Serbia - Euro 2004 qualifying


Gurbanov has recently retired so there'll be no helping hand from him this time around but they certainly aren't a pushover, especially for a side like Wales who love to make things difficult for themselves.