IN BRIEF (Page 23)

Nigeria pip Algeria for bronze

BENGUELA, Angola: Nigeria pipped Algeria 1-0 to claim the third place honors at the Africa Cup of Nations here on Saturday.

Obinna Nsofor scored the match winner in the 55th minute when he sprinted through a crowded Algerian defense before slotting past diving goalkeeper Lamine Zemmamouche.

This was the Super Eagles' seventh third-place finish at the Nations Cup as they also took bronze in 1976, 78, '92, 2002, 2004 and 2006.

Nigeria coach Shuaibu Amodu said he was at least satisfied his team finished in third even though his target was to win the championship.

"The match was above average, especially in the first half, and we started with a little bit of fear. Any team that scored first would have won the game.

"However, we had to psyche ourselves because we needed to win third place," he said.

McDonald staying put at Celtic

GLASGOW: Celtic coach Tony Mowbray insisted on Saturday Australian international striker Scott McDonald has a future at the club, despite the arrival of Danish hotshot Morten Rasmussen.

Rasmussen, who signed from Brondby earlier in the week, marked his debut with the winning goal in Celtic's 1-0 victory at Hamilton shortly after coming on as a substitute in the 64th minute.

McDonald is on the comeback trail following a hernia injury but despite rumored interest from Middlesbrough and West Ham, Mowbray says he intends to keep hold of the 26-year-old.

"Yes, of course. Most top teams have four strikers," said the former West Brom manager when asked if McDonald was staying put.

With the winter transfer window set to close on Monday night, Mowbray revealed his club was involved in negotiations to bring new players to Celtic Park.

Smith hails Davis as best

GLASGOW: Walter Smith hailed Steven Davis as the best player in Scotland after the midfielder led Rangers to a 3-0 win over Falkirk to maintain their 10-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League.

Celtic had briefly reduced their rivals' advantage with a scrappy 1-0 win at Hamilton but a superb solo performance from Northern Irish international Davis restored the Ibrox side's supremacy.

The midfielder settled the home support's nerves when he curled an 18th minute freekick from the edge of the box into the top right-hand corner of the net.

In a super second-half showing, he set up John Fleck to knock in his first of the season before feeding Steven Whittaker to score the third of the game.

It capped a good week for Davis who opened his account for the season with a goal that sent Rangers on the road to a 2-0 victory in the midweek match against St Mirren.

Monaco keep unbeaten run

PARIS: A double by Korean international Park Chu-young inspired Monaco to a 3-2 victory over Nice on Saturday to extend their unbeaten run to seven league matches.

Park's brace, and one by Brazilian star Nene, ended a 14-year winless run against their opponents who are deep in relegation trouble having not won in their past nine games, a run which included a Cup exit at the hands of lower league Plabennec.

Leaders Bordeaux, meanwhile, were held to a 0-0 draw by second from bottom Boulogne - a late goal by Bordeaux's Moroccan international striker Marouane Chamakh was ruled out for an infringement.

Bordeaux saw their eight-point lead reduced to six when surprise packages Montpellier beat Marseille 2-0 later on Saturday, second-half goals by Karim Ait-Fana and an own-goal by Benoit Cheyrou enough to take the points.

Kaboul makes Spurs return

LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur announced on Saturday they had agreed to a deal with cash-strapped Premier League rivals Portsmouth to bring French defender Younes Kaboul back to White Hart Lane.

A statement issued on Spurs' official website after their 1-1 draw with Birmingham on Saturday said: "We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with Portsmouth for the transfer of Younes Kaboul to the club."

Bottom of the table Portsmouth are set to receive a reported five million pounds ($8 million) for Kaboul and it is understood the south coast club is waiting for his transfer to Tottenham to be completed so it could pay his monthly wages bill.

Kaboul's transfer means he returns to the club he left for Fratton Park in August 2008.

(China Daily 02/01/2010 page23)