Former Nigerian winger, Clement Temile has tipped the Elephants of Ivory Coast as favourites to win Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final in Equatorial Guinea. . The Elephants are billed to confront four-time Afcon winners, the Black Stars of Ghana in an epic final at Bata Stadium, Bata, Equatorial Guinea. . Temile said Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana among others were favourites for the Afcon crown prior to the commencement of the biennial football showpiece but the Ivorians by dent of hard work now stand out as indisputable favourites to win their second Afcon title in Equatorial Guinea on Sunday. . “Ivory…
Author: David F.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is expected to hand coach Stephen Keshi a new deal in a matter of days. . The football federation says it is still in talks with Keshi to tie the loose ends of the contract. . The NFF Technical and Development Committee has proposed to the federation’s executive committee that Keshi’s contract should be renewed. . Chairman of the technical and development committee, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, disclosed that the committee he chairs has “made recommendations to the (executive) board.” . Anyansi-Agwu also believes that Keshi’s return to the head coach role of the Super Eagles is…
Former champions Werder Bremen battled relegation for the first half of the Bundesliga season but a four-game winning streak, including Sunday’s 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen, has turned their campaign around. . Werder’s fine run of form has moved them up to eighth in the standings, with new coach Viktor Skripnik re-instilling a winning mentality at the 2004 German champions. . Under Skripnik, who took charge in late November and is assisted by former Bremen midfielder Torsten Frings, Werder have won five of eight league games, losing two and drawing one. . “We are now in an attractive position,” Skripnik…
Fourth-placed Augsburg will be without captain Paul Verhaegh for “some weeks” after the defender picked up a calf muscle injury in the 2-2 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt, the Bundesliga club said on Monday. . The 31-year-old Dutch defender had to be taken off after 18 minutes on Sunday as surprise packages Augsburg squandered a two-goal lead against Frankfurt and missed the chance to go third. . “More tests will be needed on Tuesday after Monday’s examinations revealed a serious muscle injury,” Augsburg said in a statement. . “Augsburg will have to do without him for some weeks. The exact duration…
Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng Monday had a three-match ban reduced to two games, and there was more good news for the champions with Franck Ribery and Rafinha returning to training. . The German Football Federation (DFB) disciplinary panel said it took account of a new regulation allowing a lower punishment for fouls early in a game which are were not regarded as severe. . The Germany international was shown a red card for a professional foul against Sidney Sam in the 17th minute of last Tuesday’s 1-1 draw against Schalke in the Bundesliga. . Bayern appealed the three-match ban,…
Borussia Dortmund winger Marco Reus signed a surprise two-year contract extension with the Bundesliga club until 2019 on Tuesday, ending persistent speculation about a move to Spain or England at the end of the season. . Reus, who had an injury-plagued 2014 when he also missed the World Cup which Germany won, looked to be on his way out after Bayern Munich revealed he had a buyout clause in his contract, angering Dortmund. . With his club hovering in the relegation zone after a dismal first half to the season, speculation had been rife he would leave. . “I am…
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone is counting the cost of his team’s dominant victory against archrival Real Madrid. . Simeone’s squad emerged with a memorable 4-0 win, but it will now travel to Celta Vigo on Sunday minus some key players due to injury and suspension. . Atletico says playmaker Jorge “Koke” Resurreccion “is suffering a hamstring injury to his left leg” and looks set to miss the club’s following matches against Almeria and Sevilla in the league and Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League. . A scan confirmed midfielder Saul Niguez is out with an injured left knee and…
Goals by Damian Suarez and Garry Mendes lifted Elche from the relegation zone with a 2-0 win against a 10-man Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish league on Monday. . Defender Suarez scored his first goal of the season when a long clearance landed at his feet and he blasted a powerful shot into the far corner, out of goalkeeper Antonio Rodriguez’s reach, in the 21st minute. . “It was a really beautiful goal,” Suarez said. “I don’t normally score, but it was nice and I’m happy we’ve won.” . Defender Jose Albacar missed a chance to double Elche’s lead when…
Real Madrid’s plans for a multi-million euro redevelopment of their Santiago Bernabeu Stadium have suffered a setback after an agreement with the city council was quashed by a Madrid court. . The European champions have ambitious plans for the iconic venue but Madrid’s High Court has put the renovation on hold with the club under investigation over a related land deal. . “The High Court of Madrid has overturned the agreement from 15 November 2012, issued by the community of Madrid’s Governing Council, which approved the specific modification of the Madrid general development plan, a decision that affects the Santiago…
Luis Suarez had the Barcelona fans chanting his name after he set up Lionel Messi to score the opening goal in a 3-1 victory for the record winners in their King’s Cup semifinal, first leg at home to Villarreal on Wednesday. . Uruguay forward Suarez won possession in the Villarreal half in the 41st minute at the Nou Camp before laying a perfect pass into Messi’s path for the Argentina captain to sweep a first-time shot past keeper Sergio Asenjo. . Barca squandered a series of chances before Villarreal levelled three minutes into the second period after home keeper Marc…
Luis Suarez had the Barcelona fans chanting his name after he set up Lionel Messi to score the opening goal in a 3-1 victory for the record winners in their King’s Cup semifinal, first leg at home to Villarreal on Wednesday. . Uruguay forward Suarez won possession in the Villarreal half in the 41st minute at the Nou Camp before laying a perfect pass into Messi’s path for the Argentina captain to sweep a first-time shot past keeper Sergio Asenjo. . Barca squandered a series of chances before Villarreal levelled three minutes into the second period after home keeper Marc…
Yaya Toure says he will choose glory for his country over his club any day. . The four-time Africa Player of the Year has now won an elusive piece of silverware which had been an albatross around his neck for years – the Africa Cup of Nations trophy. . Ivory Coast’s Afcon win on Sunday is more overwhelming than what he has experienced with his clubs, the big midfielder revealed. . “When you win with your club it’s quite amazing but with your country it’s unbelievable,” Toure told reporters. . This conversation comes after the Elephants stormed to a dramatic…
Aston Villa have sacked manager Paul Lambert after the free-falling midlands club dropped into the relegation zone, the Premier League club said on Wednesday. . The final straw for the beleaguered boss was a 2-0 defeat at Hull City on Tuesday which left them third-bottom of the table, putting their unbroken stay in the Premier League in peril. . Villa’s seventh loss in 10 games, a run in which they have collected three points and scored only two goals, prompted fans to unfurl a banner calling for Lambert to be sacked. . “Aston Villa Football Club has parted company this…
Newly-crowned Afcon winner, Kolo Toure, believes the current Ghana team will soon win Africa’s biggest football prize, too. . This crop of Black Stars players came within a penalty shootout of breaking Ghana’s 33-year wait for silverware but Toure’s side emerged victorious on Sunday. . “Our generation has been looking for this trophy and we have missed out on it twice in the final,” noted the veteran defender. . None of that vaunted ‘golden generation’ symbolises the victory better than goalkeeper Boubacar Barry, who was the hero on the night of the 2015 Afcon final. . Toure, who plays for…
Avram Grant has hinted that he will deliver the Africa Cup of Nations for his employers in 2017 after missing out on Sunday. . His team dramatically lost in a 9-8 shootout to Cote d’Ivoire’s Elephants in Equatorial Guinea after largely not being expected to get that far. Speaking after the squad landed in Ghana, the Israeli was sure his team could go one better. . “For me it was a very good tournament because seeing the players come together and the performance they put up in such a short time, I think they really did well,” the 60-year-old said.…
Baba Abdul Rahman says playing in the 2015 Afcon tournament was a huge schooling session. . The Ghana defender made the left-back position his own and drew positive reviews from across the punditry divide. Germany-based, the youngster has now played in a World Cup as well as this past Afcon, just two years after breaking into the national spotlight. . “Personally, I did some things right and others wrong but I will try my best to correct myself in the future,” the player said in an interview with Citi FM after his return from Equatorial Guinea. . There have been…
Nemanja Matic knows a repeat of Chelsea’s rout of Everton in August is unlikely when the two sides meet at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. . The Serb was among the goalscorers as the Barclays Premier League leaders beat Roberto Martinez’s side 6-3 in an exhilarating encounter at Goodison Park. . Chelsea have gone from strength to strength since that victory and head into the midweek encounter with a seven-point lead at the top of the table after they won 2-1 at Aston Villa on Saturday and Manchester City drew 1-1 with Hull City. . Everton are down in 12th after…
Mario Balotelli stole the headlines with his winner in Liverpool’s pulsating 3-2 win over Tottenham at Anfield but then left team-mates and fans bemused by refusing to smile or celebrate. . Balotelli walked briskly and majestically, hardly acknowledging cheers from the fans right into the tunnel way before his team-mates who were still applauding the fans, but he had his way of showing it. . Mario posted a picture on his famous Instagram account : . ‘Great game guys!!!’, Balotelli posted on Instagram. ‘This smile is ONLY for those that always believe and support me. Thank you and forza Liverpool.…
Jesus Navas believes Manchester City must rediscover their best form at Stoke City on Wednesday in order to halt their recent dismal run. . An added-time free-kick by James Milner salvaged a 1-1 draw for the defending champions against struggling Hull City on Saturday as their winless run in the Barclays Premier League extended to four matches. . Manuel Pellegrini’s team now have 14 matches to overhaul leaders Chelsea, who extended their advantage to seven points by beating Aston Villa at the weekend. . Even allowing for their pedigree in coming from behind to win the title in 2012 and…
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore was criticised on Wednesday for saying he saw no problem with clubs paying staff the minimum wage after the league sold its British TV rights for £5.1 billion. . He also said the Premier League was a “success story” and not a charity following demands from politicians calling for more money from the sale of the rights to reduce ticket prices, invest in grassroots football and pay staff a living wage. . A day after the TV deal was announced, Scudamore said: “We’re not set up for charitable purposes. We are set up to…