Hamburg SV have signed Chilean defensive midfielder Marcelo Diaz from Swiss side Basel to bolster their backline as they battle to avoid relegation from the Bundesliga, reuters report. Chile international Diaz signed a contract to 2017 after passing a medical in Hamburg on Monday, the club said. “We saw Marcelo’s qualities at the World Cup last summer,” Hamburg sporting director Peter Knaebel said. “He is someone who wants the ball, wants the game focussed on him even in difficult situations. “He can be a bridge (from defence to attack) for our game when we go forward. That is what I expect from him and that is what he has already done at top level.” Hamburg, who have seen billionaire Klaus-Michael Kuehne pump more than 18 million euros (14 million pounds) into the debt-laden club, have also boosted their frontline by bringing in experienced Croatian striker Ivica Olic from VfL Wolfsburg. Hamburg are in the relegation playoff spot in 16th place on 17 points.

After falling out of the plans of Mark Hughes at Stoke City, it seemed inevitable that Robert Huth would leave Stoke City this month, and now he has, signing with bottom-of-the-table Leicester City on loan for the remainder of the season. Huth has been with Stoke in 2009, when he signed from Middlesbrough for £5 million. He’s been a steady presence in Stoke’s side since then, with 188 appearances in all competitions in the five and a half years since. He’s only played 19 times under Mark Hughes in the last 18 months, though, so a divorce definitely seemed to be on the cards. The 30 year old center back joins a Leicester side desperate to find any way possible to avoid relegation; they’re dead last in the Premier League so far this season, having given up a dreadful total of 37 goals in the league so far. They’ll be hoping that Huth’s physical presence will help them fix a defense that’s been struggling with Wes Brown and Liam Moore in the middle.

AC Milan have confirmed the signing of Genoa left-back Luca Antonelli. The 27-year-old came through the club’s youth ranks, only to join Genoa via a three-year stint at Parma in 2011. Now, the seven-time Italian international has returned to the San Siro, where he’ll play a big role in the first team.  AC Milan have had major defensive problems this season, with their centre-backs their main culprits. However, left-back has been a problem position for them for an awfully long time, so Antonelli will offer them some much needed quality and depth on that side of the field. He’s certainly no world beater, but his spell at Genoa has shown him to be a very solid player, who will offer as much in attack as he will in defence.

Before a new African champion is crowned this weekend in Equatorial Guinea, let’s take some time and remember the Super Eagles team that made us proud by winning the 2013 AFCON hosted by South Africa. This would be Nigeria’s third continental title. Drawn in Group C, Nigeria drew 1 – 1 with Burkina Faso and Zambia in their first two group games before defeating Ethiopia 2-0 in their final group game. The Super Eagles defeated a star studded Ivory Coast team 2-1 in the quarterfinal and went on to beat Mali 4-1 in the semifinal. The final match saw the Super Eagles square up again with group rivals Burkina Faso with the Nigerians running away with a lone goal victory courtesy of Sunday Mba to lift the trophy. The heroes are:

Jerome Champagne has withdrawn from the race to become Fifa president after failing to win enough support, BBC reports. The Frenchman, who needed the backing of five national associations, said he had the support of only three in his bid to unseat president Sepp Blatter. “I regret to have to announce that I have not presented the five sponsorship letters needed to be registered as a candidate,” he said in a statement. The election for the presidency will be held on Friday, 29 May. Jerome, 56, a former Fifa executive and ex-diplomat, blamed the “institutions mobilising” to eliminate him. “The institutions have mobilised to eliminate the only independent candidate,” claimed Champagne. Former Portugal and Real Madrid winger Luis Figo, retired France international David Ginola and Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) president Michael van Praag are among the candidates wanting to usurp Blatter. Prince Ali of Jordan, who is backed by the Football Association, has also said he will stand against the 78-year-old. Blatter has been Fifa boss since 1998 and said in June last year that he intended to run for a fifth term.

Wed 4 Feb 2015:

Congo DR Vs Ivory Coast 8 pm

Thu 5 Feb 2015:

Ghana v Equatorial Guinea 8 pm

*Time = Nigerian.

Sat 31 Jan 2015:

Congo 2 – 4 Congo DR

Tunisia 1 – 2 Equatorial Guinea 

Sun 1 Feb 2015:

Ghana 3 – 0 Guinea 

Ivory Coast 3 – 1 Algeria 

Crystal Palace say they have have completed the signing of full-back Pape Souare from Lille on a three-and-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee, subject to a work permit, BBC reports. The 24-year-old Lille academy product has five caps for Senegal and played at the Africa Cup of Nations last month. Souare is manager Alan Pardew’s third signing in a week after the arrivals of Jordon Mutch and Shola Amoebi. Eagles chairman Steve Parish originally announced the deal on Friday. He tweeted: “Delighted that Pape Souare has just this minute signed for Crystal Palace. A warm welcome from all of us.”

World number one Novak Djokovic beat Andy Murray 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (7-4) 6-3 6-0 to clinch the Men’s Singles of the 2015 Australian Open in a game played this morning at Melbourne, Australia. This will be Djokovic’s fifth Australian Open title and also his eighth grand slam. Djokovic has won all three Australian Open finals against Murray

Serie A title challengers Roma have signed CSKA Moscow striker Seydou Doumbia for £10.8m, BBC reports. The Italian club could pay an extra £1.1m for the 27-year-old, who has agreed a four-and-a-half-year deal. Doumbia, who played in his homeland, Japan and Switzerland before his 2010 move to CSKA, scored 84 goals in 130 games for the Russian club. He is playing in the Africa Cup of Nations for the Ivory Coast, who are in the quarter-finals. Doumbia joins Roma after they loaned Italy striker Mattia Destro to Serie A rivals AC Milan. He faced his new club in the group stage of the Champions League this season, and also scored three times against Manchester City.

Sat 31 Jan 2015:

Congo 2 – 4 Congo DR

Tunisia 1 – 2 Equatorial Guinea 

Sun 1 Feb 2015:

Ghana v Guinea 5 pm

Ivory Coast v Algeria 8:30 pm

*Time = Nigerian.