Brazilian flair helps Alves to second Golden Boot

On target: Huynh Kesley Alves won the Golden Boot award after a successful season during which he scored 23 goals in all tournaments. — VNA/VNS Photo

HA NOI — Brazilian-born striker Huynh Kesley Alves formerly of V-League club Binh Duong won the nation's Golden Boot award for the highest Vietnamese goal scorer of the year, the prize organising committee told Viet Nam News yesterday.

Kesley, who now plays for First Division Xuan Thanh-Sai Gon, scored 23 total goals in the national football championship, V-League, the Asian Football Confederation Cup and the National Cup to rank first with 74 points. He won the award with 17 goals in 2009.

This year Kelsey beats off runner-up Nguyen Quang Hai of Khanh Hoa, who scored 14 goals with 41 points, while Binh Duong's Nguyen Anh Duc stands in third place.

"This is the second time we have organised a ceremony to honour the top scorer in the national championship. We will make it an annual event for footballers from now on," said Nguyen Minh Hung, vice chairman of the HCM City Journalists Association's Sport Reporters Club.

In 1997, former striker Le Huynh Duc, who now coaches Da Nang, was presented with a top scorer award, but the event was subsequently suspended for 13 years.

Alves, who was granted Vietnamese citizenship in 2008, scored 14 of Binh Duong's 48 goals in the national V-League premier football championship last season. He also netted the ball seven times in the Asian Football Confederation's Champions League and two more times in the National Cup.

Goals scored in the V-League, National Cup, Super Cup and First-Division are taken into account, as are goals scored at official matches organised by FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation and the ASEAN Football Federation, as well as during international friendly matches from January to December.

In 2005, the 31-year-old striker won top scorer and best foreign player in the V-League with 21 goals for Binh Duong. In 2009, he was the second Brazilian-born footballer called up by the national team to a training session for the Asian Cup qualifiers.

The organising committee for the Golden Boot award said an award ceremony will be held at HCM City's Palace Hotel. Aside from the trophy, Alves will walk away with a cash-prize of VND20 million (US$1,000). — VNS

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Kesley Alves wins Golden Boot award

HA NOI – Brazilian-born striker Huynh Kesley Alves formerly of V-League club Binh Duong won the nation's Golden Boot award for the highest Vietnamese goal scorer of the year, the prize organising committee told Viet Nam News yesterday.

Kesley, who now plays for First Division Xuan Thanh-Sai Gon, scored 23 total goals in the national football championship, V-League, the Asian Football Confederation Cup and the National Cup to rank first with 74 points. He won the award with 17 goals in 2009.

This year Kelsey beat off runner-up Nguyen Quang Hai of Khanh Hoa, who scored 14 goals with 41 points, while Binh Duong's Nguyen Anh Duc stands in third place.

"This is the second time we have organised a ceremony to honour the top scorer in the national championship. We will make it an annual event for footballers from now on," said Nguyen Minh Hung, vice chairman of the HCM City Journalists Association's Sport Reporters Club.

In 1997, former striker Le Huynh Duc, who now coaches Da Nang, was presented with a top scorer award, but the event was subsequently suspended for 13 years.

Kesley, who was granted Vietnamese citizenship in 2008, scored 14 of Binh Duong's 48 goals in the national V-League premier football championship last season. He also netted the ball seven times in the Asian Football Confederation's Champions League and two more times in the National Cup.

Goals scored in the V-League, National Cup, Super Cup and First-Division are taken into account, as are goals scored at official matches organised by FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation and the ASEAN Football Federation, as well as during international friendly matches from January to December.

In 2005, the 31-year-old striker won top scorer and best foreign player in the V-League with 21 goals for Binh Duong. In 2009, he was the second Brazilian-born footballer called up by the national team to a training session for the Asian Cup qualifiers.

The organising committee for the Golden Boot award said an award ceremony will be held at HCM City's Palace Hotel. Aside from the trophy, Kelsey will walk away with a cash-prize of VND20 million (US$1,000). – VNS

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Thailand the worst in the last two decades

Former captain of Thailand, Kiatisak Senamuang

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Managing to make two ties at the Southeast Asian Football Championship, Suzuki Cup and facing risks of being eliminated for the first time at the tournament, the national team of Thailand are judged the worst squad in the last two decades of the nation.

Kiatisak Senamuang, Thai former captain international and coach of Vietnam’s top-flight club Hoang Anh Gia Lai, confirmed it to Tuoi Tre. He attributed the failure to fitness and preparations.

Thailand, the nine-time champions of Olympic-level Southeast Asian Games and three-time champions of Southeast Asian Football Championship, were held to 2-2 and 0-0 draws with Laos and Malaysia on December 7 and will play the last game in group A against hosts Indonesia with six points after two wins.

Malaysia and Laos, each holding a point, will face each other in the last group stage

Thai players are not in their best form and fitness, Kiatisak admitted.

“They played fouls 15 times with Malaysians due to their failure in fighting for the ball,” he admitted.

“In the last 20 years, Thai football has never fallen in such a trouble at such a regional tournament,” Kiatisak added.

Poor performance of Thailand was also attributed to preparations when players started their training camp around two weeks before the tourney.

“I will discuss why Thai football is on the decline later,” Kiatisak told Tuoi Tre.

Group A Standings:

Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Points
Indonesia	2	2	0	0	11	1	6
Thailand	2	0	2	0	2	2	2
Malaysia	2	0	1	1	1	5	1
Laos	2	0	1	1	2	8	1

 Group B Standings:

Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Points
Vietnam	1	1	0	0	7	1	3
Philippines	1	0	1	0	1	1	1
Singapore	1	0	1	0	1	1	1
Myanmar	1	0	0	1	1	7	0

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AFC chief Bin Hammam rules out bid for FIFA presidency

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Mohamed Bin Hammam speaks during an AFC congress in Kuala Lumpur May 8, 2009

Photo: Reuters

Asian Football Confederation chief Mohamed Bin Hammam on Friday ruled out a bid for the FIFA presidency next year, opening the door for Sepp Blatter to run the world game for another four years.

The 61-year-old Qatari is seen as a successor to the 74-year-old Swiss and one of the few people with the potential to unseat him, but he appears ready to bide his time.

"Let me be very clear, I will not run for the next FIFA election,” Bin Hammam told AFP. “I will be backing Sepp Blatter to remain in office for a new mandate.”

His decision not to run follows a similar move by Michel Platini earlier this year. The Frenchman was also considered a key candidate but he will seek a second term as UEFA president instead.

Bin Hammam, a FIFA executive committee member, said he would similarly seek re-election as AFC president next year.

"My aim is to run for the next election of AFC president due at the start of 2011," he said.

"Hopefully I will get the full confidence of all the national associations."

The Qatari, seen as a modernizer, has been AFC chief since 2002 and has overseen the launch of the AFC Champions League and the admission of Australia into the confederation.

After 12 years in office, Blatter has made clear he has no plans on leaving when his term runs out on June 11, 2011, saying he has not finished his mission.

The Swiss was elected FIFA president in 1998 and won a fierce re-election fight in 2002 before being returned unopposed in 2007.

The Asian bloc, the biggest football confederation in the world, wields 46 votes in the presidential election and will play a vital role in deciding whether Blatter continues his reign.

Bin Hammam rocked the boat earlier this year by saying he would like to see an Asian as president of world football's governing body.

He also said he believed that all FIFA presidents should be limited to two terms. Before Blatter, Brazil's Joao Havelange led FIFA for 24 years.

His remarks led to tensions between Bin Hammam and Blatter, but by last month they had ironed out their differences and the two powerbrokers appeared together at the Soccerex Asia Forum in Singapore.

"Even with my own brother, the son of my father and mother, sometimes I have arguments and differences. Blatter is not going to be an exception," Bin Hammam said when asked about their disagreements.

"Even though there are differences sometimes, he is my good friend."

Bin Hammam also congratulated Blatter for his decision to take the World Cup to South Africa, a move many critics thought would backfire.

"I have to put on the record that Blatter’s bet on South Africa has paid off,” he said. “Much of the credit has to go to his personal efforts and determination.”

When the pair next appeared together, again in Singapore, for the launch of the Youth Olympic football tournament this month, it was Blatter's turn to lavish praise, saying Bin Hammam had changed the face of Asian football.

"In terms of administration and organization, AFC is really professional,” said Blatter. “From Vision Asia, the AFC Champions League to the development of referees, AFC are doing very well."

"This is all due to the hard work of my friend, AFC president Mohamed Bin Hammam,” he added.

“He has made so much effort to take Asian football to new heights, and he has contributed so much to the rapid progress of Asian football."

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