bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Nazvi Careem

Everton winger Andrei Kanchelskis has been confirmed in a powerful Russian squad for the Carlsberg Lunar New Year Cup.

  Kanchelskis, a Ukrainian, was included a 20-strong outfit named by the Football Union of Russia yesterday.

  He is joined by Spanish-based Valeri Karpin, of Real Sociedad, and Real Oviedo's Viktor Onopko, as well as Omari Tetradze of Italian Serie A side Roma.

  The Russians take on a star-studded Yugoslavian side in the first round on February 7, with the winners meeting the Hong Kong League XI or Switzerland in the final on February 10.

  'I think everyone who appreciates football will know that we have a team that is determined to win in Hong Kong,' said FUR general secretary Vladimir Rodionov.

  Yugoslavia have re-confirmed the presence of their star quartet - Nagoya's Dragan Stojkovic, Aston Villa's Savo Milosevic and Sasa Curcic, and AC Milan's Dejan Savicevic.

  Switzerland will have to rely on their locally-based players, led by midfield ace Adrian Knup and Grasshopper star Kubilay Turkyilmaz.

  Carlsberg public relations manager Derek Currie said the 1997 tournament could be one of the best.

  'You don't need me to tell you,' said Currie. 'Just look at the team lists. There are some of Europe's biggest names involved. It is a tremendous boost for this tournament.'   Kanchelskis will be one of the main draw-cards at Hong Kong Stadium.

  He became a cult figure on Merseyside after his GBP6.5 million move to Everton from Manchester United at the end of the 1994-95 season.

  United had bought him for a bargain GBP500,000 from Ukraine's Shakhytyor Donetsk in 1989.

  Other overseas-based players named include forward Igor Simutenkov of Italy's Reggiana, and Gamba Osaka's Arhrik Tsveiba.

  The Russians have also picked five players from Spartak Moscow, who have played here previously.

  One Spartak player, Iliya Tsimbalar, was Russia's Footballer of the Year in 1995, and was one of their best players in Euro 96 in England.

  Sampdoria's Sinisa Mihajlovic is another Yugoslavian player expected to shine. A blank weekend in the English Premier League and Italy's Serie A will allow the competing teams to field their top overseas stars.

  Making a quick return to the territory will be defender Zeljko Petrovic, part of Holland's PSV Eindoven side who beat the Hong Kong national team 4-0 in an exhibition match last week.

   Tickets worth more than $100,000 were snapped up for the tournament at the PSV match.

  Hong Kong Football Association general secretary Vincent Yuen said: 'We are using the marked seats system for the Carlsberg Cup, which means those who come early and buy early will have the best seats.'    Fans who buy tickets in advance for the World Cup qualifier between Hong Kong and South Korea on February 22 at the Hong Kong Stadium can enjoy the local side's warm-up game - against Cerezo Osaka on February 16, at the new Siu Sai Wan Stadium - free.

  Yuen said 7,000 tickets to the warm-up game would be available free, and that the advance tickets to the World Cup qualifier would be on sale after the Lunar New Year holiday.

 Hong Kong forward Tim Bredbury scored his 11th goal of the season as Instant-Dict beat Happy Valley 1-0 at Mongkok Stadium last night.

  But the Dickies paid a price for their victory after losing defensive midfielder Tim O'Shea, who was taken off on a stretcher in the sixth minute. He suffered a heavy fall while going for the ball with Valley defender Toplica Popvic.

  Bredbury scored in the 63rd minute with a terrific strike after being put through by Au-young Ying-tsz.

  Meanwhile, Golden registered their first win in the second phase with a controversial, 1-0 victory over Uhlsport-Rangers in the night's earlier game.

  Referee Ng Wah awarded a penalty in the 72nd minute when Rangers defender Richard Crossley was adjudged to have handled the ball.

  Lee Bullen scored his 13th goal of the season from the spot.

  It was a cruel night for Crossley, who came within inches of equalising five minutes before time when his header struck the post.

  Rangers still lead the standings on six points - two ahead of South China and the Dickies.



Kanchelskis to light up New Year