Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor is unsure about his international future after he was stripped of the captaincy for their match against Liberia. He was only told on the day of the 2017 African Cup of Nations tie that he would not wear the armband for Sunday’s 2-1 win. The 31-year-old scored the winner but says he is unsure if he will play against Djibouti in September. “For now, I don’t know – I’ll be here and I’ll talk with the coach,” he said. “I need to know whether he really needs me in the team or not. “I have been the captain for seven or eight years and then one morning I’m told I won’t be the captain – that means that we can go to Djibouti and he will put me in the stands.

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Wednesday 17 June 2015:

Brazil vs Senegal 5am

Serbia vs Mali 8:30am

Good luck to Senegal and Mali as they fly the African flag.

Monday 15 June 2015:

Thailand 0 – 4 Germany

Cote d’Ivoire 1 – 3 Norway

China 2 – 2 New Zealand

Netherlands 1 – 1 Canada

Russia’s football bosses are considering whether to fire coach Fabio Capello after defeat to Austria seriously dented the team’s hopes of qualifying for Euro 2016. After Sunday’s 1-0 home defeat to Austria left Russia third in its Euro 2016 qualifying group, Russian Football Union acting president Nikita Simonyan announced there will be “discussions” about whether to remove Capello who has coached Russia since 2012 and was handed a four-year contract extension last year.

Malawi have placed coach Young Chimodzi on leave with immediate effect until his contract expires on 31 July. The Football Association of Malawi said in a statement on Sunday that Chimodzi’s deal would not be renewed. The decision to remove Chimodzi from his position comes after the 2-1 loss to Zimbabwe in Saturday’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. Ernest Mtawali has been installed as a caretaker coach until a permanent appointment is made. “FAM has advised the head coach and his assistant (Jack Chamangwana) to immediately proceed on leave pending the expiry of their contracts on 31 July. “FAM would like to express its disappointment with the result against Zimbabwe in a match which it feels the Flames were in a better position to win and accordingly apologise to the nation for the painful loss,” read the football governing body’s statement. “Upon consultation with the Malawi Government, FAM will advertise for the position of the Malawi national football team head coach as soon as possible. “It is expected that the new coach will be appointed by 1 August. FAM will cast its net wider both locally and internationally in search for a new coach.” Chimodzi and Chamangwana were appointed in January 2014 – despite having only recently been sacked from the Flames’ technical panel. Fifteen months later, FAM said: “We have lost confidence in the coaches due to poor performance of the Malawi national football team generally during their term of engagement culminating into the recent loss to the Zimbabwe national football team. “The coaches have been in charge of 23 matches of which they won six, drew five and lost 12 representing a 23% wining rate.”

Nigeria’s Ugo Njoku has been given a three-match ban by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee at the Women’s World Cup in Canada. She has been punished for an elbow on Australia’s Sam Kerr during the Super Falcons 2-0 loss on Friday. The offence by Njoku, who came on as a 52nd-minute substitute, went unpunished during the game. However the disciplinary committee  later examined the video footage and handed the 20-year-old the ban. Njoku will miss the final group game against the United States plus the country’s next two official matches.

Usain Bolt laboured to victory in the 200m at the New York Diamond League meeting. The Jamaican world record holder clocked 20.29 seconds, edging out 19-year-old Zharnel Hughes of Anguilla. “I wasn’t too happy with the time today,” said Bolt. “But training has been going well and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.” Six-time Olympic gold medallist Bolt has yet to break 20 seconds for 200m this year, while American rival Justin Gatlin clocked a world-leading 19.68 at the Eugene Diamond League meet last month. Gatlin’s 9.74 in Doha is also the fastest 100m time of the year. The pair are yet to meet on the track this season, although with the World Championships in Beijing just over two months away, Bolt has played down concerns over his fitness and laughed off suggestions he is running scared of the American. The 28-year-old, who set the current 200m world record of 19.19 at the World Championships in Berlin in 2009, has said he will retire after the 2017 World Championships in London.

Nigerian defender David Faramola Oniya died on Saturday after collapsing on the pitch during a friendly between his Malaysian club T-Team and Kelantan. Local media said the T-Team captain, who was 30, collapsed three minutes into the match in Kota Bharu and was taken to hospital. The match was abandoned after 60 minutes when a message was received from the hospital that Oniya had died. Oniya had only just joined the Malaysian club this season.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria on Saturday defeated Chad 2 – 0 in an African Cup of Nations qualifier played in Kaduna. The two goals were scored in the second half with Gbolahan Salami scoring the first goal while Odion Ighalo netted the second from the penalty spot after being brought down by a Chadian defender. Ogenyi Onazi saw red when he confronted the Chadian defender.

Nigeria’s Line up: Vincent Enyeama, Kenneth Omeruo, Kingsley Madu, Willian Troost-Ekong, Leon Balogun, Michael Babatunde, Ogenyi Onazi, Anderson Esiti, Ahmed Musa, Gbolahan Salami and Aaron Samuel. Subs: Rabiu Ibrahim, Odion Ighalo and John Ogu.

Saturday 13 June 2015:

France 0 – 2 Columbia

Brazil 1 – 0 Spain

England 2 – 1 Mexico

Korea Republic 2 – 2 Costa Rica

Sunday 14 June 2015:

Brazil 3 – 1 Portugal  – Penalty shoot-out after 0-0 draw.

Mali 4 – 3 Germany – Penalty shoot-out after 1-1 draw

USA 5 – 6 Serbia – Penalty shoot-out after 0-0 draw

Uzbekistan 0 – 1 Senegal

Brazil, Mali, Serbia and Senegal have all qualified for the semi finals. Two African teams progress. So nice!

Friday 12 June 2015:

Australia 2 – 0 Nigeria

Switzerland 10 – 1 Ecuador

USA 0 – 0 Sweden

Japan 2 – 1 Cameroon

The former Empoli head coach Maurizio Sarri has been appointed as Rafael Benítez’s successor at Napoli. The 56-year-old, who was born in Naples, had never worked in the top flight until last season. After a long career in the lower divisions, Sarri took Empoli up from Serie B and guided them to a 15th-place finish last season. Benítez chose not to renew his contract with Napoli after missing out on a Champions League place last season. He has since been appointed as Real Madrid’s new head coach. Sarri’s first order of business will be to convince the striker Gonzalo Higuaín to stay.

Adel Taraabt signs for Benfica on a free transfer after being released by Queens Park Rangers. The 26-year-old attacking midfielder joins the Portuguese champions on a five-year deal. Taraabt last played for QPR in March, and back in October then-manager Harry Redknapp claimed the Moroccan was “three stone overweight” and “not fit to play football”.

Usain Bolt says he is not yet ready for a duel with Justin Gatlin but is looking forward to silencing the confident American in a Beijing sprint “explosion” at the World Championships in August. While the Jamaican has eased into the season after an injury-disrupted 2014, Gatlin has set the fastest times of the year in both sprints and declared himself the “man to beat”. “Gatlin has been doing a lot of talking, saying a lot of things,” Bolt said ahead of Saturday’s Diamond League meeting in New York. “He’s proved he’s running fast times and he’s ready. So it should be exciting going into the World Championship. “I look forward to competing when people talk because if you don’t back it up you look really stupid.”

Sunday 14 June 2015:

Brazil vs Portugal 2am

Mali vs Germany 2am

USA vs Serbia 5:30am

Uzbekistan vs Senegal 5:30am

Thursday 11 June 2015:

Germany 1 – 1 Norway

China 1 – 0 Netherlands

Cote d’Ivoire 2 – 3 Thailand

Canada 0 – 0 New Zealand

We reported earlier today that Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira was sacked by Greek champions Olympiakos after leading them to the league and cup double. Now we can tell you the 46-year-old has been snapped up by Turkish side Fenerbahce on a two-year contract. No time wasting!

According to recent Forbes report, the top ten highest paid men in sports are:

1. Floyd Mayweather, US, Boxing = US$300m

2. Manny Pacquiao, Philippines, Boxing = $160m

3. Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, Football = $79.6m

4. Lionel Messi, Argentina, Football = $73.8m

5. Roger Federer, Switzerland, Tennis = $67m

6. LeBron James, US, Basketball = $64.8m

7. Kevin Durant, US, Basketball = $54.1m

8. Phil Mickelson, US, Golf = $50.8m

9. Tiger Woods, US, Golf = $50.6m

10. Kobe Bryant, US, Basketball = $49.5m

At number 83, Yaya Toure is the first from Africa with $20m.

UEFA have announced their Champions League squad of the season. There are 10 players from Barcelona’s treble winners and five Juventus stars in the 18-man squad. Real Madrid have two players while Chelsea have a player.

Full Squad:

Goalkeepers: Ter Stegen (Barcelona), Buffon (Juventus)

Defenders: Ivanovic (Chelsea), Pique (Barcelona), Mascherano (Barcelona), Chiellini (Juventus), Alba (Barcelona)

Midfielders: Rakitic (Barcelona), Marchisio (Juventus), Busquets (Barcelona), Iniesta (Barcelona), Pirlo (Juventus), Kroos (Real Madrid)

Forwards: Suarez (Barcelona), Messi (Barcelona), Morata (Juventus), Neymar (Barcelona), Ronaldo (Real Madrid)