Soccer Capsules: Wambach, Sinclair both at 129 as U.S. plays Canada
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Abby Wambach and Christine Sinclair have spent the last two weeks chasing each other, chasing history and chasing a place in the London Olympics.
Part three has been accomplished. Wambach and the U.S. women's soccer team qualified for the Summer Games on Friday night by beating Costa Rica. Sinclair and the Canadians punched their ticket a couple of hours later with a win over Mexico.
Now for a little competitive fun. The United States and Canada play each other Sunday in the championship game of the qualifying tournament. With the Olympic berths settled, the game is essentially for bragging rights between neighboring rivals.
"You try telling the players it's a glorified friendly when they play against the U.S.," Canada coach John Herdman said. "Nah. The sleeves are off straightaway."
The teams feature the two most prolific active goal-scorers in the world, and they have been putting on a show at BC Place.
Wambach and Sinclair played on alternate nights during the group phase of the tournament, and it almost seemed as if one was trying to top the other. Sinclair opened with four goals against Haiti; Wambach followed with a pair against the Dominican Republic. Sinclair got one against Cuba; Wambach notched two against Guatemala.
Wambach then went silent — scoreless against Mexico and Costa Rica — while Sinclair added two more against both teams.
Where do they stand now? It's a tie. They have 129 career goals apiece. They've both passed Germany's Birgit Prinz to move into third place all-time, one behind Kristine Lilly and still quite a few behind Mia Hamm's world-record 158.
"I think it's just going to be a matter of time whenever Sincy or I end up breaking Mia's record," Wambach said. "Obviously we want to stay healthy and contribute to goals scored for our team. But, quite honestly, I've said this from the beginning — I'd give away every record, individual, that I've ever won for a world championship, and I think that Sincy would probably say the same thing.
"But it's cool, it's amazing to be alongside such a fantastic soccer player like her. She's the essence of the blue-collar worker, coming from a country who generally speaking hasn't competed well in the world championships."
Wambach didn't stop there. She also called Sinclair "the most underrated player in the whole world" and "probably the best all-around player."
This is a goal-scoring race flush with mutual respect.
"I actually think that mostly likely neither of us think about it too much," Sinclair said. "We both play on successful national teams, and we both play forward for that team, and we're expected to score goals. Usually when the U.S. or Canada is winning, it involves us scoring."
They have different playing styles. Wambach is always hanging around the goal, and has the best header in the women's game. Sinclair has been playing a more withdrawn position to give her more versatility on the attack.
Their personalities are different as well. Wambach has the gift of gab, while Sinclair is more of a reluctant star. For many years, she was just about the only reason to watch the Canadian women's team, although the talent around her has improved considerably in recent years.
"Canada is a very good side — with the exception of Sinclair," Mexico coach Leonardo Cuellar said. "She's in another world."
It seemed out of character when Sinclair appeared on a scoreboard video throughout the tournament proclaiming: "Some say I'm one of the best. But to be the best, you have to win something big."
She didn't write that script — it was a video promoting Canadian soccer — but she doesn't argue with the second sentence. Canada has been to World Cups and Olympic Games, but its best finish is a fourth at the 2003 World Cup.
"This is a team sport, where, yeah, individuals can do some great things and score some goals, but until your team actually wins or gets on the podium on whatever the case may be, it's hard to say that you're the best," Sinclair said. "It's at the point where we're all done with the participation, and we want to get something out of it."
First comes Sunday's little tussle with the Americans. This will be the 51st meeting between the countries. Canada has won only three. Five have been draws.
The rest? Well, suffice it to say the Americans have a world power for more than two decades, while Canada has been trying to catch up.
"They don't frighten us," Herdman said. "But they're a team that we'd love to tip over on home side. They don't come up here very often, and I hope the whole of Vancouver rock on and give us a hand beating the Americans."
No crowing from Donovan after win against Dempsey
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — There was no crowing from Landon Donovan after he led his Everton side to victory over Clint Dempsey's Fulham in England's FA Cup. After all, the U.S. teammates will be on the same side again soon enough.
Donovan set up both Everton's goals in Friday night's 2-1 win and United States international Tim Howard was in goal for Everton.
The former New England Revolution forward has scored 15 goals for Fulham since August, including a hat trick earlier this month in a 5-2 win over Newcastle.
"It was a little bit of an American invasion. It was nice to see Clint. In my opinion, he's been one of the players of the season in the Premier League and obviously Timmy here is nice to have."
Fulham took an early 1-0 lead against Everton when Danny Murphy converted a 14th-minute penalty. But Donovan, in the sixth game of his second loan spell from Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy, set up a 27th-minute equalizer for Denis Stracqualursi and then provided the assist for Marouane Fellaini's 73rd-minute winner.
It was a rare bright spot for Everton this season, which is in the bottom half of the Premier League, closer to the relegation zone than to England's last qualifying spot for European tournaments.
"Realistically, unless we go on some kind of amazing run, it's going to be difficult for us to finish in the top six and qualify for Europe so this is our last chance to win something," Donovan said. "It means a lot to the guys."
Beasley scores to give Puebla 1-0 win at Chiapas
MEXICO CITY (AP) — American midfielder DaMarcus Beasley scored in the third minute in Puebla' 1-0 victory at Jaguares on Saturday night in Mexico's Clausura season.
A 29-year-old from Fort Wayne, Ind., Beasley received a pass just inside the penalty area, cut to his right and scored on a right-footed shot from about 14 yards.
A veteran of three World Cups, Beasley has three goals since joining Puebla last summer. He scored against Pumas on Aug. 21 and against San Luis on Oct. 1.
League Capsules
Liverpool scores late to edge Man United in FA Cup
LONDON (AP) — Liverpool reached the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday at the expense of its fiercest rival, a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Manchester United leaving the famous competition without the Premier League's top two teams.
While Chelsea progressed with a 1-0 win at Queens Park Rangers thanks to Juan Mata's second-half penalty, Netherlands forward Dirk Kuyt was the matchwinner for Liverpool in the 88th minute at Anfield.
With United having dumped out neighbor Manchester City — the Premier League leaders and defending FA Cup champions — in the fourth round, the world's oldest club knockout competition looks wide open this year.
Second-tier Brighton beat Premier League Newcastle 1-0 at the Amex Stadium in another Cup match that Magpies defender Mike Williamson will want to forget.
Williamson deflected in Will Buckley's close-range effort for the only goal 14 minutes from time. The defender also scored an own goal last season when Newcastle lost to then League Two side Stevenage in the third round of the competition.
Bolton beat Swansea 2-1 and Norwich won by the same scoreline at West Bromwich Albion in the other all-Premier League matchups, while Stoke — which lost the 2011 final to Man City — also progressed with a 2-0 win at Derby.
Tottenham and Everton went through on Friday, while Arsenal hosts Aston Villa on Sunday.
On a day without any major shocks, fourth-tier team Crawley provided the biggest upset by beating Hull, which is fifth in the second tier, 1-0. There are 45 places between the teams in English football's pyramid.
Liverpool-United was undoubtedly the biggest game of the day and the rivals' first meeting since the unsavory race row between Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra erupted in a Premier League match between the teams in October.
Evra, United's captain on Saturday, was booed throughout while Suarez was unavailable as he served the seventh of his eight-game ban for repeatedly racially abusing the France defender.
The match passed without trouble, however, with United manager Alex Ferguson saying: "The players showed great respect to each other — there wasn't a bad tackle in the game."
Denmark center back Daniel Agger's opener for Liverpool in the 21st minute was canceled out by United's Park Ji-sung six minutes before the break in a first half edged by the visitors, despite being without a raft of key players including the injured Wayne Rooney.
Kuyt settled the match when he ran to a flick-on by Andy Carroll and beat United goalkeeper David de Gea at his near post.
It was a perfect end to a week that saw Liverpool also reach the final of the League Cup, against Cardiff on Feb. 27, by completing a two-leg victory over City on Wednesday.
"It's a fantastic credit to the players and how much pride they take in the club that they've got themselves back on track," said Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish, who criticized his team for a sloppy 3-1 league defeat to Bolton last weekend. "They've come out on the right side of two huge cup games."
Victory means Liverpool is unbeaten in its last three matches against United.
Chelsea's trip to QPR was also haunted by the backdrop of racism, with the home fans taunting Blues captain John Terry over allegations he racially abused QPR defender Anton Ferdinand when the teams last met in October.
Ferdinand, the younger brother of Terry's England center-back partner Rio, was spared having to decide whether to give Terry a pre-match handshake after the Football Association allowed the sides to forego the traditional ritual before the match.
Terry, who faces a criminal charge over the racism claim and will appear in court Wednesday, seemed unaffected in a game that Mata clinched from the spot after Clint Hill was adjudged to have brought down Daniel Sturridge.
Chris Eagles scored a second-half winner as Bolton came from behind to see off Swansea, while Simeon Jackson's 85th-minute goal secured Norwich's victory over West Brom in a repeat of the result between the teams a fortnight ago.
Goals from Cameron Jerome and Robert Huth bookended Stoke's win at Derby.
-- Stuart Condie
Bayern feels the heat as Bundesliga rivals win, too
BERLIN (AP) — Bayern Munich beat Wolfsburg 2-0 to remain top of the Bundesliga on goal difference on Saturday, just ahead of Borussia Dortmund and Schalke.
All three are level on 40 points, but Bayern will be looking nervously over its shoulder after Dortmund brushed Hoffenheim aside 3-1 and then Schalke came from behind to win 4-1 in Cologne.
Dortmund was already 3-0 up at home through two goals from Shinji Kagawa and another from Kevin Grosskreutz, before league topscorer Mario Gomez's 60th-minute strike allowed Bayern a sigh of relief. Dutch winger Arjen Robben sealed the points in an edgy win for Bayern with a goal in injury time.
"We had a lot of chances and for me this win is fully deserved," Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes said. "The win gives us security so we can continue like this in the coming weeks."
Lukas Podolski gave Cologne a fourth-minute lead in the late game, striking from 25 meters (yards) for his 15th goal of the season.
However, Ciprian Marica equalized in the 60th when Christian Fuchs sent in a fantastic cross, and the Romanian striker scored again 12 minutes later off the rebound after Klaas Jan Huntelaar hit the post.
Huntelaar made the game safe from the penalty spot in the 78th, after last defender Miso Brecko was shown a red card for bringing down Julian Draxler.
The Dutch striker then crossed for Marco Hoeger to give the score a flattering look in the 82nd.
"Typical FC Cologne syndrome," Cologne goalkeeper Michael Rensing said.
Werder Bremen drew 1-1 with Bayer Leverkusen, Hamburger SV won 2-1 at Hertha Berlin, and Augsburg and Kaiserslautern played out a 2-2 draw in a relegation battle.
Kagawa deservedly put defending champion Dortmund ahead in the 16th, Sebastian Kehl robbing Sebastian Rudy of possession to allow the Japan midfielder to advance and slot the ball to the left of Hoffenheim keeper Tom Starke.
Jakub Blaszczykowski crossed for Kevin Grosskreutz to effectively kill the game in the 31st, when Hoffenheim looked bewildered in the face of Dortmund's quick passing game.
Grosskreutz combined with Kagawa to set up his second goal with a delightful back heel in the 55th, Kagawa firing to the right for his sixth goal of the season.
Fabian Johnson pulled one back for Hoffenheim in the 63rd.
"We started very strongly but didn't make the most of our many chances," Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp said. "In the second half you saw what could happen if we hadn't gone full throttle in the first half. It was an outstanding home game."
As the goals rained in in Dortmund, fans were getting nervous in Munich.
Gomez should have scored in the 19th, when he beat the offside trap but then missed the ball with only the goalkeeper to beat from five meters (yards).
As their side labored to create clear chances, supporters began whistling after half an hour.
The home side finally found the breakthrough when Gomez scored his 17th goal of the season at the second attempt after a Toni Kroos free kick, blasting the ball home from five meters (yards) after misplacing his initial header.
Wolfsburg's late penalty appeals were waved away after Jerome Boateng's arm got in the way of a free kick, before Robben inadvertently secured the win.
Substitute Ivica Olic lobbed the ball over Wolfsburg 'keeper Diego Benaglio, with Felipe Lopes attempting a goalline clearance only to see the ball rebound off Robben and in.
"That was very important," Olic said. "The first half was unbelievably difficult, but in the second half we deserved to win."
In Bremen, Claudio Pizarro put Werder ahead with his 13th goal of the season in the 29th, but Stefan Reinartz salvaged a point for Leverkusen in the 57th.
Marcel Jansen and Mladen Petric put Hamburg 2-0 up at Hertha before the break, before Pierre-Michel Lasogga grabbed a late consolation for Berlin.
It was Hertha coach Michael Skibbe's second loss in a row since taking over from Markus Babbel, who was sacked after falling out with club management.
"Only in the second half did we understand how you have to run and fight in the Bundesliga," Skibbe said. "We already gave away the points in the first."
In Augsburg, Canada defender Marcel de Jong scored his first Bundesliga goal to give the home side the lead in the fifth.
Defender Florian Dick equalized in the 25th before putting Kaiserslautern ahead in the 48th.
However, Augsburg striker Stephan Hain equalized 22 seconds after going on as a substitute in the 66th to lift his side off the bottom of the table.
-- Ciaran Fahey
PSG edges Brest 1-0 to stay top of French league
PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain needed a scrappy 1-0 win over Brest to keep a three-point lead over Montpellier at the top of the French league on Saturday.
PSG defender Milan Bisevac flicked home a corner from Christophe Jallet in the sixth minute.
"It's good to have won here because no one did it before us this season," PSG midfielder Nene said. "The team worked very hard tonight. We had some hard times in that match but we won and extended our good run of form."
Brest lost its first home match this season while PSG has won all four games under coach Carlo Ancelotti, who replaced Antoine Kombouare last month.
Also, it was: Nice 0, Montpellier 1; Lille 3, Saint-Etienne 0; Lyon 3, Dijon 1; Toulouse 1, Caen 0; Lorient 1, Sochaux 1; and Auxerre 1, Nancy 3.
Nice goalkeeper David Ospina saved a penalty from Montpellier striker Olivier Giroud after Kevin Anin fouled Geoffrey Dernis in the 29th.
But Giroud made amends by netting the winning goal in the last minute with a drive into the top corner. The France international notched his 15th goal this season to consolidate his spot as the top scorer in the league.
"We dominated the match but missed a penalty," Montpellier coach Rene Girard said. "At one point, I thought we wouldn't score because their goalkeeper was hot. But the players kept believing and managed to grind out this victory."
In Lille, Eden Hazard sent goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier the wrong way to convert a penalty in the 50th after Sylvain Marchal had fouled the Belgium midfielder.
Lille signed Nolan Roux from Brest last week and the striker justified his new club's investment by scoring the last two goals.
Roux followed up to score in the 86th after Ruffier denied Dimitri Payet.
Hazard then fed Roux who slipped the ball past Ruffier in the 87th.
Defending champion Lille remained in third place, one point clear of Lyon.
In Lyon, Jimmy Briand put the hosts ahead by heading in a cross from Brazilian winger Michel Bastos in the eighth.
Dijon failed to convert a penalty two minutes later when Brice Jovial hit the post but it managed to equalize with a powerful strike from Younousse Sankhare in the 61st.
Bafetimbi Gomis gave Lyon the lead in the 82nd with a spinning shot from close range before setting up Alexandre Lacazette to seal the win in the 90th.
"The match was not easy," Lyon makeshift center back Maxime Gonalons said. "Dijon came with some ambition. We remained focused and created very good plays tonight. It bodes well for the remainder of the season."
In Toulouse, Emmanuel Riviere scored the winner for the hosts with a low diagonal shot in the 35th.
In Lorient, Alaixys Romao took a pass from Yann Jouffre to beat Sochaux goalkeeper Pierrick Cros in the 63rd. But forward Cedric Bakambu salvaged a draw for Sochaux with a long-range strike in the 80th.
In Auxerre, Yohan Mollo opened the scoring in the 68th for Nancy with a lob.
Nancy forward Daniel Niculae doubled the lead the following minute before capitalizing on a counterattack to make it 3-0 in the 78th.
Auxerre midfielder Edouard Cisse scored a consolation goal in the 82nd.
On Sunday, Bordeaux visits Evian, Rennes hosts Marseille and Valenciennes faces Ajaccio.
-- Trung Latieule
Rangers closes gap to Celtic with rout of Hibs
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Rangers kept the pressure on Scottish Premier League leader Celtic with a 4-0 thrashing of 10-man Hibernian on Saturday, with captain Steven Davis grabbing two goals.
Davis opened the scoring in the 27th minute and completed the rout in second-half injury time, with David Healy and Sone Aluko netting in between.
Aluko's goal came from a free kick conceded by James McPake, who received a second yellow card for the offense on his Hibs debut.
Celtic, whose lead was trimmed to one point, is not in league action this weekend. Instead, Neil Lennon's team will face Falkirk in the semifinal of the Scottish League Cup on Sunday.
Motherwell tightened its grip on third place, six points ahead of Hearts, by beating St. Johnstone 3-2.
Olympiakos beats Ergotelis 3-0 in Greek league
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Olympiakos closed within two points of Greek league leader Panathinaikos by defeating stubborn visitor Ergotelis 3-0 on Saturday.
All three goals came in the last 32 minutes. Marko Pantelic opened in the 58th with a shot from close in, Olof Mellberg headed in a Djamel Abdoun cross in the 65th and Yiannis Fetfatzidis closed with a blistering long-range shot in injury time.
Ergotelis ended the game with nine players, as Mario Hieblinger and Andreas Bouhalakis were shown second yellow cards for rough challenges in the 56th and 60th minutes, respectively.
Also, OFI beat Xanthi 1-0 and Panionios defeated Kerkyra 2-0. Panathinaikos travels to last-place Drama on Sunday.
Benfica wins 2-1 at Feirense in Portugal
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Benfica extended its overnight lead of the Portuguese league to five points through its 2-1 win at Feirense on Saturday.
Fernando Varela headed in Feirense's 50th opener, but four minutes later the defender leveled the score with an own goal when he headed an attempted clearance into his team's net.
Oscar Cardozo stroked home the winner for Benfica from the penalty spot in the 73rd after Varela fouled Rodrigo Moreno. It was Cardozo's league-leading 13th goal of the season.
Also, Academica drew 0-0 at Rio Ave. Second-placed Porto will look to keep pace with Benfica when it visits Gil Vicente on Sunday.
African Cup Roundup
Ghana finds form, Botswana eliminated
FRANCEVILLE, Gabon (AP) — Ghana found traces of its best form at the African Cup of Nations as impressive goals by Asamoah Gyan and Andre Ayew led it to a 2-0 win over Mali on Saturday and to the brink of the quarterfinals.
Ghana was held for an hour by a defensive Mali before breaking throught in a battle of Group D's favorites at Stade de Franceville.
Ghana's victory sealed Botswana's elimination, while the Black Stars, Mali and Guinea will all battle for two quarterfinal places in the final round of matches.
The top teams at the African Cup have struggled against inspired underdogs, but Ghana stamped its authority on Group D with a strong finish against Mali, while Botswana was put in its place with a 6-1 hammering by Guinea in Saturday's first game.
Ghana needs just a draw against Guinea to win the group and set up a quarterfinal against either Tunisia or co-host Gabon.
Coach Goran Stevanovic made three changes following an underwhelming 1-0 win over Botswana, but it was Gyan and Ayew — who hold Ghana's attacking hopes at the tournament — who were the difference against Mali.
Mali focussed much of its attention on closing down lone striker Gyan, but his 63rd-minute free kick swung the momentum Ghana's way — and he punched his chest in aggressive celebration near the corner flag in case anyone missed who the goalscorer was.
"This shows how great I am," Gyan said, shrugging off concerns that teams would target him in the latter stages of the tournament in an attempt to shut down Ghana's attacking threat.
Ayew's goal was maybe even better as he teased two defenders with deft ball control before firing a precise shot in at the near post.
As Ghana rose to the top of the group standings, Botswana's semiprofessional players were badly exposed by Guinea's powerful and pacey forward line.
The Guineans were already 3-1 up and in complete control when Botswana's Patrick Motsepe was sent off for an ugly studs-up lunge at Pascal Feindouno in the 47th minute.
Ibrahima Traore scored direct from the resulting free kick and Guinea could easily have gone on to win 8-1 against the 10 men if Ismael Bangoura had found the target instead of twice hitting the goal frame in the second half.
"By scoring six goals today we've made a very important point," said Guinea coach Michel Dussuyer.
The last acts of the group stage begin on Sunday when Equatorial Guinea and Zambia meet to see who will top Group A.
With its place in the last eight already confirmed, the other co-host, Equatorial Guinea, will be striving to top the group and thereby avoid tournament favorite Ivory Coast — which is expected to win Group B — in the quarters.
"All the supporters are saying they don't care who we play and that they're not worried about Ivory Coast," Equatorial Guinea captain Juvenal Edjogo-Owono said, "but we know Ivory Coast are a level above the rest."
Zambia needs a point to progress.
Senegal — the tournament's first high-profile failure — will aim to salvage some pride against Libya in Group A's other game in Bata, but a win for the Libyans and a loss for Zambia could take the North Africans into the quarterfinals in another major surprise.
In that case, goals would decided the group's second qualifier after the teams drew 2-2 in their meeting.
-- Gerald Imray
Equatorial Guinea aims to avoid Ivory Coast clash
MALABO, Equatorial Guinea (AP) — Equatorial Guinea captain Juvenal Edjogo-Owono wants to finish the group stage in top spot to avoid a clash with African Cup favorite Ivory Coast in the quarterfinals.
Co-host Equatorial Guinea, the lowest ranked team in the tournament, has made full use of home advantage to beat Libya 1-0 and Senegal 2-1 with dramatic late goals in both matches to guarantee a last-eight berth.
A draw against Zambia in the final Group A game on Sunday will secure top spot. Ivory Coast will also finish first with at least a draw against Angola in the final Group B match on Monday. If both teams finish top, they can only meet in the final.
"We are not afraid of anyone, but none of the players really want to play Ivory Coast at this stage," Edjogo-Owono told The Associated Press in an interview.
Despite failing to hit top form in edgy wins against Sudan and Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast is Africa's top-ranked side and has a team packed with Premier League-based players like Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, Kolo Toure and Salomon Kalou.
In contrast, Equatorial Guinea's players are largely unknown, with modest careers in places like Spain's second and third tier, the Brazilian lower leagues and Oman.
"All the supporters are saying they don't care who we play and that they're not worried about Ivory Coast," Edjogo-Owono said. "But we know Ivory Coast are a level above the rest."
Equatorial Guinea's performances in the tournament have been a revelation so far, with late victories stoking excitement in the tiny west African nation.
"Everybody is supporting us and we have got good players, but when there's a competition like this, you don't know how the people are going to respond," said Edjogo-Owono. "Sometimes there is too much expectation, but I think the fans have started to believe. Against Senegal they came to see a victory."
Equatorial Guinea duly responded, blunting the Senegal attack on the waterlogged pitch at Estadio de Bata before David Alvarez' long-range screamer in stoppage time clinched a 2-1 win.
"Senegal played the wrong tactics. They were desperate for an early goal and then got nervous and started playing long balls," said Edjogo-Owono. "Long balls even everything up. If they had given better service to Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse they could have really hurt us."
With co-host Gabon also reaching the quarterfinals after hitting a stoppage-time goal to beat Morocco 2-1 on Friday, the buzz around the tournament is building.
That excitement is boosted by the big teams struggling to impose themselves. Ivory Coast has failed to convince despite two wins, Ghana scraped past Botswana by a single goal and Senegal and Morocco have both been eliminated.
That has encouraged less fancied teams to believe in themselves.
If results go as expected, Equatorial Guinea looks likely to face Angola in the quarterfinals.
First, however, the co-host has to play Zambia in the Group A decider.
Edjogo-Owono said changes to the starting line-up against Zambia are likely as several players — including Senegal hero Alvarez — have yellow cards.
"Zambia is a small team, very technical — a bit like us," said Edjogo-Owono. "But we want to keep going now. If we play against Angola in the quarterfinals, we are convinced we can win.
"We always dreamt we could do well, now the victories against Libya and Senegal have got everybody dreaming."
-- Mark Walsh
Gerets wants to stay, Morocco may want him to go
LIBREVILLE, Gabon (AP) — Eric Gerets' first experience of the African Cup of Nations didn't go how he thought it would.
Gerets' talented Morocco team arrived as favorite to qualify from Group C only to lose to North African rival Tunisia and then concede a goal deep in stoppage time in a 3-2 defeat by underdog Gabon and exit the tournament in humiliating fashion.
Reserve goalkeeper Issam Badda contracted a mild form of malaria and leading striker Marouane Chamakh didn't play in the critical Gabon game after also struggling with illness.
Gerets now hopes he can keep his job and get another chance at the African Cup.
The Belgian says "I've started something I would very much like to finish."
Elsewhere
Reports: Doni regrets role in match-fixing
MILAN (AP) — Former Atalanta captain Cristiano Doni regrets his role in Serie B match-fixing last season but insists he was trying only to help his club.
Doni was among 16 people arrested across Italy in December in an ongoing investigation into match-fixing and illegal betting on games. He spent five days in solitary confinement, then released on house arrest.
He has admitted to helping change the outcome of Atalanta's 3-0 win over Piacenza as well as a 1-1 draw at Ascoli, but says those are the only two games he had a hand in and any allegations he caused Atalanta's relegation from Serie A are completely unfounded.
"That's blasphemous," Doni said in interviews published on Saturday in Italian newspapers, including Gazzetta dello Sport and La Repubblica. "I bled for the Atalanta shirt. Even the mistakes I made were made because I wanted to take Atalanta back up to Serie A. It was an obsession for me. I would have done anything. Indeed, I did do anything. I betrayed the sport.
"I still don't understand really why I did it. I was an imbecile and there is no justification. I asked myself so many times in my cell. Relegation scarred me, I felt like the first person responsible. Look, I have never sold a game. Isn't there at least a difference in this? Between someone who does it for money and who does it for the love of his own team?"
Most of the suspect games involve Serie B or lower league teams, but several Serie A matches are also under investigation.
Atalanta defender Andrea Masiello is currently giving evidence to the Cremona prosecutors over match-fixing involving his former team Bari. He has said that he was approached on four occasions last season, before games against Palermo, Chievo, Roma and Sampdoria.
"I only hope that my story serves as a lesson to others," Doni said. "I hope other footballers see what happened to me and understand. That they're not as stupid and instead do what Masiello is doing at the moment. He has been very brave and, unlike me, had the intelligence to denounce everything. Breaking this conspiracy that is devastating football.
"I regret what I did. Also because I ended up in prison. And prison helps you understand your own mistakes a lot."
Doni feels the problem is far more widespread than previously thought and stems from a "cultural problem" in Italy.
"There are many who betray the sport. Too many," Doni said. "It's a cultural problem. Here, it's normal not to put the boot in on your opponents, not to relegate another team if there isn't a reason for you in the standings, to have an agreement. It happens that you can be asked for a result on the pitch. I've been asked and I've asked.
"The problem assumes greater proportions when betting comes into it. But the starting point is a cultural defect which doesn't just involve footballers but also others such as referees who see everything but don't do anything, the fourth man, the federation's observers, journalists ... why has nothing ever happened all the times a player has gone into the changing room of their opponents after an 'unexpected' result?"
In June, 16 people were arrested as part of the first wave of the inquiry, and Doni was then placed under investigation.
Doni said at the time that he was innocent but in August he was banned from football for 3½ years by the Italian football federation, and Atalanta — which was promoted to Serie A for this season — was given a six-point penalty.
"Those six months were hell," Doni said. "I kept telling everyone I was innocent, but inside I was breaking. My wife understood something was wrong. Confessing was a release."
Doni admits he is not sure what he will do with the rest of his life, with a return to football all but impossible.
"I wanted to be a director at Atalanta but I know that's impossible now," he said. "I know that I'm finished with football. I don't know what I'll do, it's still too recent. Of course I still dream of somehow still clinging onto my world.
"Disappointing the Atalanta fans is what has most hurt me after the upset it caused my family. Atalanta for me is everything, it was everything ... I know I disappointed them, betrayed them. I don't ask for forgiveness, but just that they don't cancel out all the good things I did on the pitch."
Police investigate racist gesture by Liverpool fan
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Police are investigating footage of a Liverpool fan making a racist gesture during the FA Cup match against Manchester United on Saturday.
Jon Ward, chief superintendent of the Merseyside Police, says a number of complaints were made after an image of the fan's gesture was posted on Twitter.
"This matter is now under investigation by specialist hate crime detectives and we are working with Liverpool Football Club to identify the man in question," Ward said.
A total of 17 people were ejected from Anfield either before or during Liverpool's 2-1 win over United, the rivals' first meeting since the unsavory race row between Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra erupted in a Premier League match in October.
Suarez was handed an eight-match ban after the Football Association found the Liverpool striker guilty of racially abusing Evra, United's captain.
"Most fans can be proud that they acted as ambassadors for their cities and their clubs," Ward said. "I would like to thank the majority of fans for their behaviour and co-operation."
In another high-profile Cup fixture, Anton Ferdinand was spared having to decide whether to give John Terry a pre-match handshake on Saturday after the FA allowed Queen's Park Rangers and Chelsea to forego the traditional ritual before their match.
The match, which Chelsea won 1-0, was the west London rivals' first meeting since Chelsea captain Terry was alleged to have racially abused Ferdinand during a Premier League match in October.
Terry was investigated by police and faces a criminal charge over the incident. Terry will appear in court Wednesday.
"The FA agreed to the request by both clubs in an attempt to further defuse tensions before the match," the FA said in a statement, adding that it made the decision "following discussions on Friday evening and Saturday morning involving senior officials from QPR, Chelsea and the FA."
The two teams issued a joint statement this week appealing for calm at Loftus Road but the Metropolitan Police opened an investigation Friday after Ferdinand was reportedly sent a package containing a bullet.
Fans were searched by police on their way into the match and Terry was taunted throughout by the Loftus Road crowd but seemed unaffected.
Juan Mata scored a 62nd-minute winner with a penalty kick, prompting Chelsea fans to chant "Anton, what's the score?"
Hannover signs Diouf from Man United
BERLIN (AP) — Hannover has signed Senegalese striker Mame Biram Diouf from Manchester United. The Bundesliga club said the 24-year-old Diouf, who played for Manchester's reserve team, signed a 2½ year deal and will train with the side on Monday.
"I'm glad we have an additional alternative for the attack in Mame Diouf," Hannover coach Mirko Slomka said. "We have to focus on integrating him quickly."
United signed Diouf for €4.5 million ($5.9 million) from Norwegian side Molde in 2009. German daily Bild says that Hannover will pay around €1.8 million ($2.4 million) for the forward.
Diouf made three first-team appearances for United this season, all in the League Cup. He had five Premier League appearances for United in 2009-10.
Barcelona loses Pedro for game at Villarreal
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona says forward Pedro Rodriguez has injured his left thigh and won't be available for Saturday's Spanish league game at Villarreal. The Spanish international has missed several matches because of injury this season.
Chile forward Alexis Sanchez, however, is a late addition to the squad after "responding favorably" to a shoulder injury he suffered during the Copa del Rey game on Wednesday, when his team knocked out Real Madrid.
Barcelona, which trails Madrid by five points in the league standings, is already without injured striker David Villa (broken leg) and midfielder Andres Iniesta (muscle injury).
Barcelona visits Valencia in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal on Wednesday.
