Aide keeps budding journalists enthralled

SOME 220 secondary students from 27 schools were frantically scribbling down Aide Iskandar's secrets yesterday.

They were attending a Straits Times Media Club workshop for subscribers of IN - a tabloid-sized paper targeted at youths.

Singapore's football skipper took questions from these aspiring journalists as part of the celebrity interview section, as they put to use the interviewing tips given earlier by the club.

For many, it was a chance in a lifetime to meet the only captain to have lifted two consecutive Asean Football Championship titles.

Said 13-year-old Nur'Amiah from CHIJ Katong Convent: 'He's my idol, so I was a little intimidated at first, but I plucked up enough courage to ask him a question.'

The students whipped out their mobile phones and jostled for a good shot of Aide, as he entered the SPH auditorium.

The affable footballer entertained more photo requests during the tea session after the interview.

Noticeably, more girls than boys were waiting patiently in line.

Others, like the 12 Pei Hwa Secondary students who were with their teacher-in-charge Tan Aik Fong, saw it as a good opportunity to sharpen their journalistic instincts.

Said Tan: 'We recently set up the Pei Hwa Times, our school's first student publication. This was a very good session to get the students started.'

Added Pei Hwa student Veronica: 'Journalism is my first choice for a career. I came to learn more in this area, and it was great.'

The students queued up behind microphones, while Aide stood alone in the firing line, answering each question with little hesitation.

That is, until 16-year-old Bhareth Rex asked how Singapore could give more recognition to sportsmen, leaving Aide momentarily stumped.

The 31-year-old also revealed a secret - he has yet to go on a honeymoon with his wife of seven years.

He also told the crowd that he is thinking of entering the entertainment scene after retiring from football.

However, his priority is to take the Lions to a third successive Asean win.

When asked what he thought of the budding journalists, Aide had plenty of compliments.

He said: 'They asked some rather difficult questions.

'This is my second time participating in this event, and I really enjoyed talking to the kids here.'

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Hosts Inter's poor defence allows Valencia to draw 2-2

MILAN - INTER Milan may be 14 points clear at the top of the Italian Serie A after 16 consecutive wins, but their Champions League hopes hang in the balance after a 2-2 home draw against Valencia.

Inter's domestic domination counted for nothing as their poor defending at set-pieces was cruelly exploited by quality opposition in a gripping last-16 first leg at the San Siro on Wednesday.

Valencia, beaten Champions League finalists in 2000 and 2001, survived a first-half onslaught before fighting back twice to earn a precious draw. The result made the Spaniards favourites to reach the quarter-finals.

Esteban Cambiasso put Inter ahead with a close-range header, only for David Villa to equalise with a superb 25-metre free kick.

Brazilian defender Maicon restored Inter's lead, but David Silva levelled the score with a low drive after the home defence had failed to clear a corner.

Inter must now win or get a higher-scoring draw at the intimidating Mestella Stadium in a fortnight to progress.

But the Italian champions remain confident.

'We go to Spain to win and we feel we can do it,' said Inter captain Javier Zanetti.

'Tonight, we had the majority of chances. They had us in trouble from only two dead-ball situations. If we play in Spain like we did tonight, we'll go through.'

Inter's Portuguese winger Luis Figo was equally optimistic.

'We know it will be very difficult, but we're confident,' he said.

Valencia coach Quique Sanchez Flores refused to get carried away, given the quality in Inter's expensively assembled squad.

'For me, our chances are 50-50,' he said. 'I was satisfied with our performance and the result. The thing that pleased me most was the way we reacted after twice going behind.'

Inter's dynamic French midfielder Patrick Vieira missed the match owing to a thigh strain, but should be fit for the return match.

Cambiasso went off with a right leg injury shortly after scoring and is doubtful for the trip to Spain.

Valencia's joy at scoring two away goals was soured slightly by a yellow card for captain David Albelda.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Mourinho taunts Wenger

OPORTO - JOSE Mourinho did not waste time. He taunted Arsene Wenger's lack of Champions League success, just 24 hours after the Arsenal manager criticised Chelsea.

The teams meet in the League Cup final on Sunday.

The verbal war between them has not reached the level of two years ago, when it provoked warnings from the Premier League, a government minister and the police. But the rivalry ahead of the Cardiff meeting is rising to a higher intensity, reported The Telegraph.

Wenger had pointed out, on Monday, the injustice of the financial situation at Stamford Bridge, that permits them to absorb an £80 million (S$240 million) annual loss.

Yesterday, the disparity was clear. The Gunners reported a first-half season loss of just £6.2 million, despite having to finance a new stadium, reported Bloomberg News.

When asked if he would be judged on whether Chelsea win the Champions League this season, Mourinho compared his record with Wenger's.

Mourinho said: 'Many great managers in the world have never won it. The big example is not far from us. Wenger is a top manager in the world.

'He's a big manager in the world of football and he never did it. I did it once. I have that.

'If you judge my Chelsea career on whether I win the Champions League, you have to judge all the other coaches in the Champions League who have never won it. I have nothing to prove to anyone.'

In 1992, Wenger was the coach of the Monaco side that lost to Werder Bremen in the Cup-Winners' Cup final.

Arsenal lost on penalties to Galatasaray in the 1999 Uefa Cup final, before suffering a 1-2 defeat by Barcelona in the final of the Champions League last season.

Unity is the key for Liverpool

DEFINITIONS of opposition have tended to focus on teams in different colours.

But, when Barcelona and Liverpool meet tonight, some participants will harbour stronger, and hardly friendly, feelings towards their colleagues.

Teamwork and friendship can be very different things. After recent events at both clubs, they have to be.

The disturbances at Liverpool were more unexpected, even if there was a predictability about Craig Bellamy's name coming to the fore.

The combustible striker reportedly attacked left-back John Arne Riise with a golf club for refusing to join in a karaoke session, a claim surely too implausible to have been invented. It happened on a supposed team-bonding trip to Portugal.

However, it has been suggested that Bellamy has been made a scapegoat, with others behaving worse. The police apparently had to calm down Robbie Fowler, Jermaine Pennant and Jerzy Dudek.

Manager Rafael Benitez, a noted disciplinarian, has promised: 'We will take disciplinary action and fine any of them who are found to have breached the club's rules.'

And yet, at Barcelona, the rivalries are more long-standing and, potentially, more destructive.

For the 2006 Champions League winners, it pits the double World Player of the Year, Ronaldinho, against the triple African Footballer of the Year, Samuel Eto'o.

With their creative inspiration on one side and their clinical goal-scorer on the other, talk surrounds the club that both will depart.

Eto'o, his season disrupted by a knee injury, is unlikely to start at the Nou Camp tonight. Controversy has followed him to the bench, with manager Frank Rijkaard revealing that he refused to come on as a replacement against Racing Santander.

A rebuke from Ronaldinho was in turn interpreted as hypocrisy, for the Brazilian is granted more leeway than his teammates in his behaviour.

Indeed, Eto'o has said: 'If I was called Eto'odinho, I might be a bit more appreciated.'

Without the sulking Cameroonian, Ronaldinho - whose 16 Primera Liga goals make him Spain's second-highest scorer - is likely to be joined by Eidur Gudjohnsen and Lionel Messi in the Barcelona attack.

It could be an opportune time for Liverpool to face them.

Barcelona, after appearing unstoppable for the best part of two years, have won only one of their last four games. They were insipid in the defeat by Benitez's former side, Valencia, on Sunday, when Deco was dismissed.

But they remain Europe's most talented team, overflowing with playmakers.

It means the return to fitness of Liverpool's Mohamed Sissoko, who made his comeback 11 days ago at Newcastle, is well-timed.

The Reds require their premier defensive midfielder to be at his best if they are to emulate the team of 2001, who drew 0-0 at the Nou Camp.

Steven Gerrard, one of the three survivors, feels he has a point to prove at the Nou Camp.

'The last time we went there, I was just excited to be playing a great side like Barcelona,' he said. 'I was a bit overawed, and I never got involved in the game.'

His preference is for a central role as it enables him to be more involved. But, with Sissoko's availability alongside Xabi Alonso, it could mean a return to the right flank for the Liverpool captain.

Riise is the only one of the alleged miscreants in the probable team. Yet, there are other reasons why Benitez is likely to bench Bellamy.

The combination of Dirk Kuyt and Peter Crouch is usually preferred against shorter teams. And much of the Barcelona side appear more suited to facing Lilliput than Liverpool.

The strike duo also received a resounding endorsement from Johan Cruyff, arguably Barcelona's greatest player and most successful manager.

'They form an enormously good partnership,' he said. 'Crouch is technically better than people think, and Kuyt is good in positional play. And, in the air, nobody wins anything against them.'

Such is Barcelona's mastery of passing football that it suggests a direct route would be most profitable for Liverpool.

But, even if it becomes a damage-limitation exercise, their record at Anfield means defeat in Catalonia need not be a fatal blow to their hopes of a second Champions League title in three years.

The one certainty is that Liverpool will need to be, as they were not in Portugal and Barcelona have not been for several months, united. It will be tough enough for Benitez's team if their only opponents are in red and blue.

stsports@sph.com.sg

Barcelona v Liverpool
Live, Ch23, tomorrow, 3.30am

Local index falls as trading slows ahead of long weekend

WHEN traders have the prospect of a long weekend in front of them, not even a pro-business Budget can keep them on the job.

Skipping out early was the game plan yesterday and the market showed the indifference with volume dipping to 1.65 billion shares, a far cry from the two billion-plus that has become the norm of late.

The value traded was down to $1.78 billion with the 357 losers pipping 328 gainers.

It did give the Straits Times Index (STI) a breather after investors welcomed the corporate tax cuts on Budget Day to send the market rocketing 70.28 points to a record 3,252.49.

The STI was more sedate yesterday with a 15.56-point decline to 3,236.93 although it still ended the week higher, as it had done for the past four weeks.

Pine Agritech was the most active, rising three cents to 71 cents on a volume of 51.5 million shares.

FirstLink Investments, which rose 23.5 per cent or two cents to 10.5 cents on a volume of 41.1 million shares, was the runner-up.

Some recent initial public offerings struggled in the quieter market.

Singapore electronics manufacturer Kinergy, which listed on Thursday, fell back from its first day close of 63 cents to 52.5 cents.

China Farm Equipment and construction player KSH Holdings have also fallen from first-day highs.

Some of the blue chips gained, thanks to optimism that the tax cut will boost their bottom lines.

DBS Group Holdings closed 10 cents up at $23 on a volume of 7.6 million shares.

It announced profits of $2.18 billion for the full year on Thursday, up from $1.65 billion previously.

OCBC Investment Research calculated that local banks will benefit from the 2 percentage point tax cut as a lot of their profits still come from their Singapore operations.

DBS, for example, derived about 65 per cent of pre-tax earnings from Singapore last year.

United Overseas Bank earned 78 per cent of its earnings locally. It rose 20 cents to $20.90 yesterday.

CapitaLand rose 10 cents to $7.50, still buoyant from its $1 billion-plus profit report earlier this week.

But OCBC Investment Research indicated that many China stocks are unlikely to benefit from the tax cuts because the bulk of their revenue is derived from China. But some will enjoy preferential rates.

DBS Vickers Securities totted up the gains from the tax cut and found that net profits for corporate Singapore will rise 2.49 per cent this year.

Companies with huge tax bills and earnings from Singapore operations, including the telcos, property and industrial companies, appear best placed to benefit.

'Overall, we believe that the 2007 Budget brings cheer for the stock market, with positive changes for the economy,' said DBS Vickers Securities.

It expects CapitaLand, Allgreen, Keppel Land, Singapore Land, ComfortDelgro and Singapore Airlines to be among the big winners.

sushyan@sph.com.sg

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