Hearts broken, Rangers close in on silverware

RANGERS took a major step towards ending their trophy drought by sweeping aside Hearts to book a place in the CIS Insurance Cup final at Hampden last night.

Skipper Barry Ferguson and Jean-Claude Darcheville were both on the scoresheet to set up a clash with Aberdeen or Dundee United at the same venue on March 16.

The occasion provides Walter Smith with his first final since returning to the Ibrox helm a year ago, and Rangers with the chance to claim their first silverware since a dramatic final day championship triumph in May 2005.

It was a day of frantic activity for Rangers before they could even think about the clash with Hearts.

As well as Alan Hutton finalising his £9 million (€12m) move to Tottenham, Scotland internationals Christian Dailly and Neil Alexander both completed transfers to Ibrox and Daniel Cousin’s switch to Fulham remained in the balance.

* Motherwell’s match against Celtic in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League last night was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at Fir Park.

Rain during the afternoon left parts of the pitch unplayable and the game was called off around 50 minutes before the scheduled kick-off.

* Samuel Eto’o became the all-time leading goalscorer in African Nations Cup history as his two goals helped fire Cameroon into the quarter-finals with an easy 3-0 victory over Sudan.

The Barcelona striker scored either side of a Mohamed Khider own goal to move his overall tally to 16, two more than previous record holder and Ivory Coast legend Laurent Pokou.

With Egypt drawing 1-1 against Zambia, the three points mean the Indomitable Lions finish second to the Pharaohs in Group C.