Chansa makes China debut, Katongo scores

Isaac Chansa

ZAMBIA international midfielder Isaac Chansa debuted in the Chinese Super League on Saturday for his new club Henan Jianye in the match in which compatriot Christopher Katongo found the back of the net in the home 1-1 draw with Liaoning Wongyun.
Chansa, who last month moved from South Africa champions Orlando Pirates, was playing his first match for the side perched at the bottom of the Chinese Super League since his switch to the Far East.
He rejoined Pirates in 2010, after having spent time at Swedish Helsingborg IF from 2007. Pirates bought Chansa from Zambia’s Power Dynamos in 2004.
The 28-year-old 2012 Africa Cup winner played a full 90 minutes for bottom-of-the-table Henan and played alongside his Chipolopolo skipper Katongo.
Katongo scored his sixth goal of the season on 70 minutes, beating a player midway the field before blasting a shot that deflected off a defender and rolled past Liaoning goalkeeper Cheng Zeng.
But five minutes before the end, seventh-placed Liaoning equalised when defender Yoo-Jin Kim poked in a scrambled goal.
James Chamanga’s Dalian Shide have an away tie to Changchun Yatai today.
Henan are at the base of the log with just 15 points from 16 matches while Shide are two points better and 12th and have played a game less in the 16-team league.
Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Mali midfielder Seydou Keita is leaving Barcelona following a four-year spell at the Nou Camp, during which the Catalans won 14 trophies.
Keita has been linked with a move to Chinese Super League club Dalian Aerbin.
“Seydou Keita has announced he will not continue with the club next season,” Barca said on their website
“Barcelona thanks Seydou Keita for his contribution over the past few years and wishes him more professional and personal success in the future.”
Keita, 32, joined from Sevilla at the same time as Pep Guardiola took over as coach.
He had a close relationship with Guardiola and his exit is likely to be linked to the former Spain and Barca midfielder’s decision to quit at the end of last season.
Guardiola used Keita almost exclusively as a substitute and the player helped Barca win three Spanish leagues, two Champions Leagues and two King’s Cups.
Spanish media reported the midfielder had a clause in his contract, which runs until 2014, that allowed him to leave on a free transfer if he did not start at least half of last season’s games.
Keita has been linked with a move to Chinese Super League club Dalian Aerbin.
Meanwhile, Queens Park Rangers have agreed a deal to sign midfielder Park Ji-sung from Manchester United.
The agreement, which could potentially be worth £5 million, will see QPR pay an initial transfer fee of £2 million for the 31-year-old.

Daily Mail