Sunderland AFC’s Duncan Watmore graduated yesterday with first-class honours in Economics and Business. Amazing how he combined his footballing career with his studies to the extent he had a distinction. Congrats to him.

Barcelona’s Neymar Jr has a minor groin strain, as had already been diagnosed on Tuesday. The Brazilian’s presence in the next few matches will depend on how the injury progresses. The player suffered the injury during the training session at the BayArena prior to the Champions League match with Bayer Leverkusen. Neymar is top scorer in La Liga with 14 goals.

Liberia FA president Musa Bility is to appeal against FIFA’s decision to prevent him from standing in its presidential election in February. Bility failed an integrity check carried out by the ethics commission of world football’s governing body. He is appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to allow him to stand in the election and a hearing could take place before Christmas. Bility was given a six-month ban from all football activities in 2013. The ban was imposed by the Confederation of African Football for using confidential documents from the governing body in a legal challenge against its president, Issa Hayatou. Bility said in November he had been informed by FIFA that his candidacy was “principally rejected” because of the ban. He would have been the sole contestant from Africa.

Former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu looks to be pulling no punches in his assessment of the predicament the Blues and manager Jose Mourinho currenrly find themselves. “He [Mourinho] has been a great coach in the past, but as a person, he is fake.” says Mutu. “He only looks after himself, and has no consideration for how his players are feeling and thinking. You could not go and talk to him. “As a coach, he is finished. There is no way back for him. How do you come back from something like this [current form]?” Mutu was sacked by the Blues in 2004 after testing positive for cocaine.

Jersey is to make a bid to join UEFA and play international football. The Channel Island, which has a population of around 100,000, is hoping to follow Gibraltar and take part in European Championship qualifiers. Jersey is currently classed as a county by the English Football Association. Under UEFA rules, non-sovereign nations cannot be members, but the Jersey FA said earlier this summer it was hopeful of changing the European football governing body’s mind.

Continue reading →

Nigeria’s U-23 team, Dream VI on Wednesday qualified for next year’s Olympic Games soccer event after defeating hosts Senegal 1-0 in the semi final of the CAF U-23 championship in Dakar. Etebo Oghenekharo’s 77^th minute penalty separated the two West African nations in the match played at Leophold Senghor Stadium in Dakar, Senegal. Goalkeeper Emmanuel Daniel was the hero for Nigeria after he  saved a Senegalese penalty in the first half stoppage time. Daniel has been outstanding in goal and has contributed hugely to his team’s success in the tournament. U-17 world cup goal king Victor Osimhen made his first appearance in today’s game as a second half substitute. The Coach Samson Siasia tutored team will play the winner of the second semi final between Algeria and South Africa in Saturday’s final in Dakar.

Swansea City have parted company with manager Garry Monk after one win in 11 Premier League games. The 36-year-old had been with the club for over 11 years, first as a defender and then manager since February 2014, when he replaced Michael Laudrup. Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat by Leicester City was his last game in charge, and left them 15th in the table. “The decision has been made very reluctantly and with a heavy heart,” chairman Huw Jenkins said. He added in a club statement:  “To find ourselves in our current situation from where we were in the first week of September, and considering the drop of performance levels and run of results over the last three months, it has brought us to this unfortunate decision. “We hope to appoint a replacement as soon as possible.”

Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo has posted a picture on Instagram from his hospital bed after undergoing shoulder surgery. The 25-year-old Argentina international said: “My operation was a success. Thank you to my beautiful wife, always with me. Thank you everyone for your messages of love and support.”

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge will be out for several weeks after suffering a hamstring injury during Sunday’s defeat by Newcastle. He felt a problem after coming on as a second-half substitute at St James’ Park and a scan showed a strain. It is the latest in a long line of injury absences for the 26-year-old, who had just returned to action after knee and foot problems. Sturridge has made six appearances so far this season, scoring four goals. Having scored 28 times for Liverpool and England in 2013-14, he was restricted to just 18 appearances last season because of thigh, calf and hip injuries. After recovering from a hip operation in May, Sturridge played three games at the start of this term but then did not feature from 4 October until 29 November. He scored twice in the 6-1 League Cup quarter-final win at Southampton last Wednesday but was hurt at Newcastle after coming on in the 62nd minute. When a foot problem picked up in training forced him to miss the Reds’ Europa League win over Bordeaux on 26 November, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said Sturridge had to learn “what is serious pain and what is only pain”.

Continue reading →

Manchester City had always crashed out of group stages of Champions League but this year they qualified in style be topping their group. They came back dramatically to beat Borussia Monchengladbach and pip Juventus to the top of Group D. David Silva finished a fine team move but goals from Julian Korb and Raffael put the Germans ahead at the break. Crucially, Juventus fell behind at Sevilla and Raheem Sterling poked in to give City hope of the win they needed. Sterling then raced clear to curl Manuel Pellegrini’s side ahead and substitute Wilfried Bony converted from six yards to cap an exhilarating night.

Raoul Savoy has insisted that he quit as coach of The Gambia for personal reasons and was not sacked. The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) said on Saturday: “We have a mutual agreement amongst the stakeholders to terminate the services of Raoul.” But Savoy told BBC Sport: “I met with the [sports] minister last Tuesday and after a long meeting I decided to stop. “I decided to stop because I can’t continue due to personal reasons – the GFF never decided to sack me.”

Continue reading →

Cristiano Ronaldo scored four times as Real Madrid demolished Malmo to equal the biggest victory in the history of the Champions League group stage. The Portuguese hit three in 11 minutes either side of half-time before adding his 88th Champions League goal. Karim Benzema scored the last goal and the opening two for a hat-trick, with Mateo Kovacic also netting. The result equals Liverpool’s 8-0 win against Besiktas in 2007 – when Madrid manager Rafael Benitez was in charge. Ronaldo – the all-time highest Champions League scorer – becomes the first player to score more than 10 goals in the group stages with his 11 in six games. Spanish club Madrid had already qualified for the knockout stages as Group A winners, while Malmo of Sweden finish bottom.

World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has been stripped of his IBF title less than two weeks after winning it. The Briton, 27, had to agree to fight the IBF’s mandatory challenger Vyacheslav Glazkov but will instead face Wladimir Klitschko in a rematch. Fury beat Ukrainian Klitschko on points on 28 November to claim three versions of the heavyweight crown. Lindsey Tucker, championships chairman at the IBF, told BBC Sport: “It’s true he’s been stripped of his IBF belt.” He added: “Our challenger was Vyacheslav Glazkov, but instead Fury’s gone and signed a rematch clause with Wladimir Klitschko.” Fury, who is unbeaten in 25 professional contests, retains the WBA and WBO versions of the heavyweight title, while the WBC belt is held by American Deontay Wilder. The 31-year-old Glazkov, also a Ukrainian, has won 21 of his 22 professional fights. The contract for last month’s title fight in Dusseldorf included a clause for a rematch, for which the date and the venue have to be decided, and Klitschko – who had been world champion for 11 years – announced last week he would take up the option.

Neymar has been named the La Liga player of the month for November in Spain. This is not surprising as the Brazilian is on fire for Barcelona at the moment with 14 goals. What is surprising is it is the first time that a Barcelona player has won the award. In summary Cristiano Ronaldo has won it twice in the three seasons it has been handed out but Lionel Messi, has never won this award.

Super Eagles Coach, Sunday Oliseh, has released the names of 26 players, who will report for training camp ahead of next year’s CHAN in Rwanda. Nigeria have been drawn into Group C, along with Niger Republic, Tunisia and Guinea. Invited players are to report at the Bolton White Apartments in Abuja by December 14. The tournament runs between January 16 and February 7 and is the version of African Cup of Nations played only by home based players. Nigeria came third in the 2014 CHAN hosted by South Africa where Nigeria’s Ejike Uzoenyi emerged the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Continue reading →

Oscar Pistorius has been granted bail while he waits to be sentenced for murdering his girlfriend in 2013. That hearing should take place next year on 18 April. He is being asked to pay 10,000 rand for his bail. Pistorius will be under house arrest and will be electronically tagged, but can leave the house between 7am and midday, though only to go within a 20km radius. He also has to hand over his passport. He is facing a minimum 15 year sentence – though the judge can exercise some discretion.

Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has been charged with violent conduct by the Football Association after clashing with West Ham United’s Winston Reid. Schweinsteiger, 31, caught the Hammers defender with his left arm as they contested a free-kick in the 40th minute of Saturday’s 0-0 draw. The Germany international will face a three-match ban if found guilty. He has until 1pm on Thursday to reply to the charge.

Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez has been named Player of the Year by the Football Supporters’ Federation. The 26-year-old forward scored 20 goals in 2015 and topped the fans’ vote ahead of runner-up Jamie Vardy, with Sergio Aguero, David De Gea, Harry Kane and John Stones also on the shortlist.

Sierra Leone is able to host football matches again after the African football confederation (CAF) lifted a ban put in place in August 2014 because of the Ebola epidemic. “International football matches and CAF competitions can again be organised in the West African country,” CAF said in a statement. The 45,000 capacity Brookfields National Stadium in Freetown will soon be buzzing again.

Sir Alex Ferguson is in no doubt Jose Mourinho will revive Chelsea’s flagging fortunes. The reigning champions have lost eight of their first 15 games and languish in 14th place but Ferguson said: “There are signs he is getting back to a balanced level although they lost on Saturday. “I think all good leaders will eventually find a solution. I know the guy and I know the work he has done in football and I can’t see it lasting long, I can’t see it.”