Capello should be licking his lips

Most people would agree this season's Carling Cup has been an enjoyable, exciting and worthwhile event, much more so than the FA Cup is turning out to be, and when Fabio Capello takes his seat at Wembley for the final on Sunday the number of English players involved should be a welcome bonus.

In theory, at least, it ought to be possible to pick a fairly convincing England team from the international players on Aston Villa's and Manchester United's books. Something like this one: Foster; Neville, Brown, Warnock; A Young, Milner, Carrick, Downing; Rooney, Agbonlahor. Subs: Amos, Davies, Sidwell, Delph, Reo-Coker, Heskey, Owen.

Before anyone objects, I am not suggesting all those players will be on show on Sunday. Ben Foster had not been seen this year until he played against West Ham on Tuesday night and Sir Alex Ferguson used Edwin van der Sar for the two semi-final games against Manchester City, ahead of his nominal Carling Cup keeper, Tomasz Kuszczak. Gary Neville may play at Wembley, but if he plays anything like he did at Goodison Park on Saturday he will not be forming part of Capello's plans.

Editor's Comment
Masisi should avoid diplomatic tensions

Mokgweetsi Masisi’s recent spats regarding the supposed involvement of Eswatini and South Africa in accommodating former president Ian Khama have sparked concerns about the potential ramifications on diplomatic relations. While transparency is valued, it must be accompanied by strategic communication to mitigate unintended consequences.President Masisi’s comments during a diplomatic heads meeting have drawn attention to the delicate balance...

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