FIFA has banned Ugandan player George Mandela for life for involvement in match manipulation while he was playing for Kenyan club Kakamega Home Boyz. Three of his Kenyan team-mates Moses Chikati, Festus Okiring and Festo Omukoto were handed four-year bans for their part in the manipulation.
A South Korean court has told a local match organiser to compensate two fans after Cristiano Ronaldo did not play in a Juventus friendly as advertised. Fans were told the Portugal forward would play at least 45 minutes against a K-League all-star team last July, but he did not come off the bench. Organisers The Fasta have been ordered to pay 371,000 won to two fans.
Wayne Rooney will face former side Manchester United in the FA Cup fifth round after helping Championship side Derby County beat Northampton of League Two 4-2 in a fourth-round replay. Rooney hit his side’s fourth from the penalty spot in the second half. Andre Wisdom and Duane Holmes scored in the first half for Derby before Nick Adams got one back after the restart. Jack Marriott headed in a third and Rooney made it 4-1 before Sam Hoskins scored a late penalty for Northampton.
Parma forward Gervinho has been ordered to train alone after he missed a number of training sessions in a bid to push through a move to Qatari club Al-Sadd. The 32-year-old Ivorian, who played for Arsenal between 2011 and 2013, wanted to join Al-Sadd in the January transfer window but the deal was not completed. A statement by the Italian club said: “After unjustifiably missing training repeatedly last week, Parma can confirm that Gervinho will follow an individual training plan under the orders of the club’s technical staff.”
Egyptian club, Zamalek has made a U-turn over its refusal to travel to Qatar to play Champions League holders Esperance of Tunisia in the upcoming African Super Cup. The annual match brings together the winners of the African Champions League and the Confederation Cup. In November Zamalek president Mortada Mansour re-iterated his club’s refusal over playing the match in Qatar.
Goalkeeper Austin Ejide said he is in the best form of his career as he began his bid for a Nigeria recall six years after his last appearance. Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr is facing something of a goalkeeping puzzle ahead of March’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leon. First-choice Francis Uzoho is out of action for a lengthy period with a knee injury, while South Africa-based Daniel Akpeyi despite being the most experienced keeper playing at the moment has struggled to convince fans he is the natural replacement. Others in line include Ikechukwu Ezenwa, who many feel lacks composure at the highest level, while youngster Maduka Okoye is relatively inexperienced.
Turkish side Trabzonspor have condemned racial abuse aimed at former Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi following their win over Fenerbahce on Saturday. The former Nigeria captain, 32, was targeted on social media after a 2-1 victory that moved Trabzonspor above their opponents into third place.
Former Uganda boss Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic has been appointed as coach of Zambia on a two-year-deal. Zambia have been looking for a full-time coach since Sven Vandenbroeck’s contract was not renewed in March after Chipolopolo failed to qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Serbian Micho has been without a job since he left Egyptian side Zamalek by mutual consent in early December. His first competitive games in charge will be 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers home and away against Botswana.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been named the NFL’s most valuable player for the 2019 season at the league’s pre-Super Bowl awards in Miami. Jackson, 23, was in sensational form throughout the regular season, setting an NFL record for rushing yards for a quarterback as the Ravens won their division. The Ravens entered the play-offs with the best record in the NFL (14-2) but they were shocked by Tennessee in the divisional round last month.
The all-electric Formula E Championship has called off next month’s race in China amid the coronavirus outbreak. The sixth race of the 2019-20 season was due to be held in Sanya – around 1,000 miles from the centre of the outbreak in Wuhan – on 21 March. Series organisers acted after the World Health Organisation declared coronavirus a global emergency. Formula E said it was looking at the viability of postponing the event until a later date. More than 300 people have died in the outbreak so far and more than 14,000 have been infected.
Just when you think you have seen all, VAR manages to find a new way to cause controversy. This latest incident happened in a second division game in Spain between Fuenlabrada and Girona. After a high challenge on an opponent, Fuenlabrada’s Cristobal Marquez was shown a straight red card. The midfielder left the pitch and headed down to the tunnel to the dressing room. So far, so normal, right?
Daniel Maldini, son of AC Milan legend Paolo and grandson of the similarly feted Cesare, made his Serie A debut in a 1-1 draw with Hellas Verona. Unlike his family predecessors, who were both defenders, 18-year-old Daniel is an attacking midfielder. Cesare won four Italian titles during his time as a player, then had two spells as Milan manager.
Former Nigeria international Emmanuel Amuneke says he faces a “big task” after taking over at struggling Egyptian Premier League side El-Makkasa on a deal until the end of the season. The 49-year-old was confirmed as Ahmed Hossam Mido’s successor on Saturday to become El-Makkasa’s fourth manager in three years. The Faiyum-based outfit have struggled for form, sitting 15th in the table, just outside the relegation zone on goal difference.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored two penalties to take his tally to 10 goals in his last six games as Juventus beat Fiorentina 3-0. The hosts were first awarded a spot kick for handball in the first half and Ronaldo swept home the penalty. Rodrigo Bentancur was fouled inside the box towards the end of the second half and Ronaldo again converted.
Novak Djokovic defended his Australian Open crown and won a 17th Grand Slam after digging deep into his physical and mental reserves to beat Dominic Thiem in a gripping five-set final. The Serbian second seed won 6-4 4-6 2-6 6-3 6-4 for a record-extending eighth title at Melbourne Park. Djokovic, 32, twice called the doctor while trailing before fighting back. Austrian fifth seed Thiem, 26, still awaits his first major title after losing a third Grand Slam final.
FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, has proposed to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) that the Africa Cup of Nations be held every four years instead of two, as he outlined his vision to “project African football to the top of the world”. Infantino was speaking at a CAF seminar in Morocco, focusing on the development of football competitions and infrastructure in Africa. “I propose to organise the Africa Cup of Nations every four years rather than two years,” the FIFA President said. “The CAN [Africa Cup of Nations] generates twenty times less than the Euros. Having a CAN every two years, is that good at the commercial level? Has this developed the infrastructure? Think about spending it every four years,” Infantino told delegates in Rabat.
American Sofia Kenin fulfilled her potential by winning a first Grand Slam title with victory over Spain’s Garbine Muguruza at the Australian Open. Kenin won 4-6 6-2 6-2 against two-time major winner Muguruza in Melbourne. The 21-year-old was a child prodigy, who started making television appearances from the age of five and hitting with the stars soon after. “My dream has officially come true,” said Kenin, the eighth first-time women’s champion in the past 12 Slams. “Dreams come true. If you have a dream then go for it – it will come true. “These two weeks have been the best two weeks of my life.”
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