Tag Archives: Hadji

El-Hadji Diouf MIA

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ABSENT star El-Hadji Diouf looks set to face disciplinary measures when he return to training with Blackburn Rovers.

Confusion still surrounds Diouf’s whereabouts, with the 30-year-old yet to report back for pre-season amid an uncertain future at Rovers, and the Senegal international looks likely to face a club fine when he finally returns to the fold.

Sources close to Diouf have suggested that Rovers gave the player permission to return to training late in order to fulfil charity commitments, but club insiders are said to be puzzled by his absence.

Diouf spent the second half of last season on loan at Rangers and has been told by Rovers boss Steve Kean that he is likely to be down the club’s pecking order this season.

El-Hadji Diouf

El-Hadji Diouf

This follows on from yesterdays news :

CONFUSION surrounds El-Hadji Diouf’s absence at Blackburn Rovers’ pre-season training with the player yet to report back this summer.

People close to Diouf have said the club gave him permission to come back late to fulfill charity commitments but some Rovers sources were yesterday understood to be baffled by his whereabouts.

The 30-year-old was not present on the club’s pre-season training camp in Austria last week and has yet to make an appearance with the full squad who were back at Brockhall from Monday Diouf’s agent declined to comment, while Rovers were unavailable for comment when approached by the Lancashire Telegraph last night.


Diouf’s Rovers future has been shrouded in uncertainty ever since he was shipped out on loan to Rangers last January, where he went on to help them lift the Scottish Premier League title.

The controversial midfielder has been critical of Rovers’ sacking of boss Sam Allardyce and stated his desire to remain at Ibrox at the end of last season.

A lack of suitable suitors means Diouf currently remains a Rovers player and his representatives told the Telegraph just last month that he was ready to sit his remaining year on his contract out at Ewood Park.

Diouf missed yesterday’s behind closed doors friendly against Oldham, the club’s pre-season opener.

Tottenham 4 Blackburn Rovers 2

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Tottenham cruised to a comfortable 4-2 victory over Blackburn thanks to a brace from Gareth Bale and strikes from Roman Pavlyuchenko and Peter Crouch.

Bale put Spurs in front in the 16th minute with a firm header before Pavlyuchenko missed a 31st-minute penalty.

Pavlyuchenko made amends with a header four minutes before the break and Crouch added a third in the 68th minute.

Bale scored his second with a fine finish in the 76th minute before Blackburn substitute David Dunn and Gael Givet gave the scoreline a more respectable look for the visitors.

Ryan Nelsen

Ryan Nelsen

The home side had dominated the early stages of the game and took the lead with their first real chance, when Rafael Van der Vaart’s corner in the 16th minute was firmly headed home at the near post by man of the moment Bale.


Spurs were denied a penalty in the 24th minute when Luka Modric was upended in the box but referee Andre Marriner booked the Spurs midfielder for diving.

The hosts were awarded a penalty in the 31st minute when Paul Robinson was adjudged to have brought down Peter Crouch – but Roman Pavlyuchenko sent his spot-kick wide of the former Tottenham goalkeeper’s right-hand post.

Pavlyuchenko forced Robinson into another good save before making it 2-0 in the 41st minute. A typical Bale run down the left was followed by a cross to the far post, where Pavlyuchenko headed home unmarked.

Gael Givet

Gael Givet

Spurs had William Gallas to thank in the 61st minute when he cleared a shot from Morten Gamst Pedersen off the line. It was the Blackburn striker’s last act of the game as he was replaced seconds later by David Dunn

Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes saved Spurs again in the 66th minute when he denied substitute El-Hadji Diouf, with Spurs going 3-0 up two minutes later when Gael Givet dithered and Peter Crouch took advantage. Bale then grabbed his second goal in the 76th minute when he slipped the ball home from a cross by Alan Hutton, before Rovers rallied.

Defender Ryan Nelsen touched in Dunn’s 79th-minute shot and, after Younes Kaboul had cleared a Diouf effort off the line, Givet scored the visitors’ second with a thunderous 18-yard shot in the 89th minute.