Atletico Madrid's revival under new coach Diego Simeone continued Monday as Diego Godin fired the winner in a battling 1-0 victory at Osasuna that lifted them to seventh in La Liga. The Uruguay defender bundled in from close range at a corner just before the break and forwards Adrian and Radamel Falcao missed gilt-edged chances to extend the lead. Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois, on loan from Chelsea, kept the visitors in the game in the closing minutes with string of excellent saves as the Navarrans piled forward in search of an equalizer. Under former Argentina captain Simeone, a huge fan favorite at the Calderon where he won a league and cup double as a player in 1996, Atletico has drawn once and won three on the trot without conceding a goal. It climbed above Osasuna with 29 points from 20 games and is two points off a Champions League place. Osasuna is 10th with 27. Atletico is 23 points behind city rival and leader Real Madrid, which beat bottom club Real Zaragoza 3-1 at the weekend. Jose Mourinho's side opened up a seven-point lead over second-placed Barcelona, who laboured to a 0-0 draw at Villarreal. Zimbabwe players suspended Zimbabwe football authorities have suspended from the national team some players implicated in a 2009 match-fixing scam in Asia, an official said Tuesday. Former Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya sent the national team to play unsanctioned friendlies in Thailand, Syria and Malaysia two years ago and a betting syndicate allegedly fixed the results. Rushwaya was later fired in 2010. “There were 80 players in all who took part in the games and we are saying all those players who were involved in five games or more should have nothing to do with the national team until they are cleared,” ZIFA chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze said. “We can't have players in the national team with issues to do with match-fixing.” FIFA chief Sepp Blatter warned during a visit to Harare last year that players and officials found guilty in the ongoing probe would face life bans.
