SUN 31 Italian Serie A Fixtures and Results

Atalanta 0 - 0 Verona FT

Milan 3 - 1 Lazio FT

Cesena 1 - 0 Parma FT

Genoa 1 - 2 Napoli FT

Palermo 1 - 1 Sampdoria FT

Sassuolo 1 - 1 Cagliari FT

Torino 0 - 0 Internazionale FT

Udinese 2 - 0 Empoli FT

SUN 31 AUG 2014 - GERMAN BUNDESLIGA Fixtures and Results

1. FSV Mainz 05 0 - 0 Hannover 96 FT

Sport-Club Freiburg 0 - 0 Borussia Mönchengladbach FT

SAT 30 AUG 2014 - GERMAN BUNDESLIGA Fixtures and Results

FC Schalke 04 1 - 1 Bayern Munich FT

Bayer 04 Leverkusen 4 - 2 Hertha BSC FT

Hamburger SV 0 - 3 SC Paderborn 07 FT

SV Werder Bremen 1 - 1 TSG 1899 Hoffenheim FT

VfB Stuttgart 0 - 2 1. FC Köln FT

VfL Wolfsburg 2 - 2 Eintracht Frankfurt FT

FRI 29 AUG 2014 - GERMAN BUNDESLIGA Fixtures and Results

FC Augsburg 2 - 3 Borussia Dortmund FT

SUN 31 AUG 2014 - FRENCH LIGUE 1 Fixtures and Results

Bordeaux 1 - 1 Bastia FT

Metz 2 - 1 Lyon FT

Paris St-Germain 5 - 0 St Etienne FT

SAT 30 AUG 2014 - FRENCH LIGUE 1 Fixtures and Results

Monaco 1 - 1 Lille FT

Caen 0 - 1 Rennes FT

Lens 4 - 2 Reims FT

Lorient 4 - 0 Guingamp FT

Nantes 1 - 0 Montpellier FT

Toulouse 1 - 0 Evian Thonon Gaillard FT

FRI 29 AUG 2014 - FRENCH LIGUE 1 Fixtures and Results

Marseille 4 - 0 Nice FT

Alex Song joins West Ham United on loan from Barcelona

West Ham have signed former Arsenal midfielder Alex Song on a season-long loan deal from Barcelona.

The 26-year-old Cameroon international, wearing a Hammers shirt, was introduced to home fans before Saturday's Premier League game against Southampton.

"I think the club has very good ambition and I hope we can maybe catch the European positions," he said.

Song joined Barcelona in 2012 from Arsenal for about £15m with an 80m euros (£63m) release clause.

He played 206 times for the Gunners between 2005 and 2012 and has made 39 appearances since moving to the Nou Camp.

The Hammers indicated they fought off interest from "some of Europe's biggest clubs" to seal the deal.

And Song said he was impressed by the ambitions of the London club, which will move from the Boleyn Ground to the Olympic Stadium in time for the 2016-17 season.

"I need some games to be ready and get my fitness back," he said.
"When I am 100%, I will bring the experience and I will make the fans happy, I am sure. I am lucky to be back in London, back in England and with West Ham. I am looking forward to showing everyone what I can do.

"West Ham is looking to be a very, very big club in the future. The club has a great project and it is a very big project with very big ambition."

Song is West Ham's eighth summer signing, following the arrivals of Mauro Zarate, Cheikhou Kouyate, Enner Valencia, Diafra Sakho, Carl Jenkinson, Aaron Cresswell and Diego Poyet.

Salomon Kalou: Ex-Chelsea striker joins Hertha Berlin

Former Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou has joined Hertha Berlin from Lille for an undisclosed fee.

The 29-year-old Ivorian, who scored 60 goals during a six-year stint at Stamford Bridge, has signed a three-year deal with the German club.

"Kalou is a top striker," said Hertha general manager Michael Preetz.
"He has proved his class in the Premier League, Champions League and with his national team. We're very happy to have him with us."

Kalou, who has 23 goals in 67 appearances for Ivory Coast, will be expected to replace Colombian striker Adrian Ramos, who recently moved to Hertha's Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund.

Kalou began his career with Rotterdam clubs Feyenoord and Excelsior before switching to Chelsea in 2006.

He scored 60 goals in 251 games and won the Champions League with the Premier League side before joining French club Lille, where he scored 30 goals in 67 league appearances.

Also on Sunday, Tunisia striker Sami Allagui left Hertha to join Bundesliga rivals Mainz on a year-long loan with an option to buy.

Togo name Emmanuel Adebayor for Nations Cup qualifiers

Togo have recalled Emmanuel Adebayor in the hope that the striker will return to the international fold after an 18-month absence.

The Tottenham Hotspur striker, 30, refused call-ups for World Cup qualifiers last year following a spat with then coach Didier Six after the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

In June, the Frenchman was replaced by his former assistant Tchakala Tchanile.

Togo play Guinea in Group E on Friday, before facing Ghana on 10 September.

It is unclear whether Adebayor will honour his selection, with the former Real Madrid and Arsenal player having ignored call-ups in recent times.

He was critical of Six even though the coach made history when leading Togo to their first Nations Cup quarter-finals in South Africa last year.

Next week's match is technically a home fixture for Guinea but the game will be played in the neutral venue of Morocco because of the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in Guinea.

Adebayor quit international football after the terror attack on the Togo team during the 2010 Nations Cup but came back after an appeal from the country's head of state.

SUN 31 AUG 2014 - SPANISH LA LIGA Fixtures and Results

Villarreal 0 - 1 Barcelona FT

Real Sociedad 4 - 2 Real Madrid FT

Deportivo de La Coruña 2 - 2 Rayo Vallecano FT

SAT 30 AUG 2014 - SPANISH LA LIGA Fixtures and Results

Atlético Madrid 2 - 1 Eibar FT

Athletic Bilbao 3 - 0 Levante FT

Córdoba 1 - 1 Celta de Vigo FT

Espanyol 1 - 2 Sevilla FT

FRI 29 AUG 2014 - SPANISH LA LIGA Fixtures and Results

Getafe 1 - 0 Almería FT

Valencia CF 3 - 0 Málaga FT

AC Milan seal loan deal for Chelsea striker Fernando Torres

Chelsea and Spain striker Fernando Torres has joined Italian side AC Milan on a two-year loan deal.

The Blues confirmed the move on Sunday, moments after signing £10.5m striker Loic Remy from QPR as a replacement.

Torres, 30, moved to Chelsea for a then British record £50m in January 2011 but struggled to live up his price tag.

"I'm really happy to have arrived in Milan, I cannot wait to start this new adventure," said Torres, who is set to wear the number nine jersey.

His Chelsea contract is due to expire in the summer of 2016 when the AC Milan loan expires.

The ex-Liverpool and Atletico Madrid striker scored just 20 goals in 110 league appearances during his spell at Stamford Bridge, but was part of the club's 2012 Champions League success.

Torres's prospects at Chelsea were hampered further this season by the arrival of fellow Spain international Diego Costa from Atletico Madrid this summer.

Remy, 27, comes in to replace Torres and joins Costa and Didier Drogba as manager Jose Mourinho's attacking options at Chelsea.

Milan have been on the lookout for another forward to replace Mario Ballotelli, who left the club for Liverpool last week.

Rossoneri coach Filippo Inzaghi said: "I spoke to Mourinho to find out about what kind of man Torres is.

"He is a player that has scored lots of goals and you don't forget this all of a sudden.

"He has the right attributes from a human point of view and that is good."

Chelsea compete £10.5m signing of QPR striker Loic Remy

Chelsea have announced the signing of Queens Park Rangers striker Loic Remy on a four-year deal.

Chelsea triggered a £10.5m release clause in Remy's contract on Saturday lunchtime and he was then left out of QPR's squad to face Sunderland.

"I feel very happy and very proud," said Remy, 27. "When I heard Chelsea wanted to sign me I said 'let's go'."

Arsenal also made an enquiry for the Frenchman on Saturday night but quickly ended their interest.

Chelsea had been seeking to reinforce their attack after Fernando Torres moved to AC Milan on loan.

"They are one of the best clubs in the world," Remy added.

"I remember the amazing atmosphere at Stamford Bridge when I played there for Marseille and I can't wait to play for the first time in front of my new fans."

Remy was close to a move to Liverpool earlier on this summer when the Reds also met his release clause but the transfer fell through after reports of a failed medical.

It is understood he offered to play against Sunderland but QPR boss Harry Redknapp decided to leave him out.

"The deal looks like it has been done, so I had to make a change," said Redknapp after the 1-0 victory.

"He was in the team. I just got a phone call about 12 o'clock to say it looks like he is going to be moving.

"He didn't refuse to play, but it's difficult to go out there to play and get your head around it."

Arsenal will be without striker Olivier Giroud until the end of December with a broken leg but it appears they are unlikely to bring in a forward to fill the void.

The Gunners enquired about Remy when they thought one of their strikers may leave but, with that now not likely to happen, they ended their interest.

Sunday 31st August Barclay's Premier League Fixtures and Results

Aston Villa 2 - 1 Hull FT

Tottenham 0 - 3 Liverpool FT

Leicester 1 - 1 Arsenal FT

Fifa rejects the Nigeria Football Federation elections

Fifa have rejected the election of Chris Giwa as the new president of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and warned that Nigeria could be banned by Tuesday if he does not vacate the post by midnight on Monday.

It follows a controversial Nigerian Football Federation 'election' last week, which split the governing body .

Fifa said they do not recognise the executives' election from Tuesday, although football's world governing body said that "it appears the ministry of sports has recognised them."

"We will not recognise the outcome of the above mentioned elections and should there still be persons claiming to have been elected and occupying the NFF offices at midnight on Monday 1 September 2014, we will bring the case to the appropriate Fifa body for sanctions, which may include the suspension of the NFF," said the Fifa statement on Friday.

In Friday's letter, Fifa accepted the decision of the majority congress where 39 of its 44 members resolved at an ad hoc general assembly, for executive committee elections in Nigeria to now take place on 4 September.

The disputes within the NFF have already led to a Fifa intervention, international suspension and the enforced return - twice - of outgoing NFF president Aminu Maigari.

Another ban could affect Nigeria's 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Congo and South Africa early next month.
However the man who has found himself in the eye of the storm, Chris Giwa, has played down the Fifa threat.

"We will present our position to Fifa by Monday morning and they will be convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that we adopted the correct statutes before organising the election," said Giwa.

"We call on Nigerians not to panic. The NFF is not intimidated and we do not expect any sanction because we have done the appropriate thing.

"There is absolutely nothing to fear. Our response is ready. FIFA will receive the position of the Federation and will be convinced that elections have, indeed, taken place," Giwa added.

The crisis caused by the purported election has meant league matches will not be played across the country as scheduled this weekend after referees, club managers and players announced a boycott until the situation is resolved.

Football journalists in the country have called on Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene.

On Friday, the country's National Assembly - comprised of the Senate and the House of Representatives - summoned all parties in the NFF to a meeting to resolve the crisis plaguing Nigeria football.
In addition to the deep divisions in the NFF, the Super Eagles are still without a permanent coach after Stephen Keshi's contract was not renewed after the World Cup.

He has agreed only to take temporary charge of the team for their two upcoming Nations Cup qualifiers, having grown impatient with negotiations over a new deal.

By Oluwashina Okeleji BBC Sport

Saturday 30th August Barclays Premier League Fixtures and Results

Burnley 0 - 0 Man Utd FT

Man City 0 - 1 Stoke FT

Newcastle 3 - 3 Crystal Palace FT

QPR 1 - 0 Sunderland FT

Swansea 3 - 0 West Brom FT

West Ham 1 - 3 Southampton FT

Everton 3 - 6 Chelsea FT

Marcos Rojo: Man United signing's debut held up by visa delay

Marcos Rojo's Manchester United debut is being held up by claims of a row with a neighbor in Argentina in 2010.

The 24-year-old completed a £16m switch from Sporting Lisbon 11 days ago but a criminal investigation means he is yet to obtain the required working visa.

However, United manager Louis van Gaal is confident Rojo will be in his squad for the Premier League match against QPR on 14 September.

It had been reported issues over third-party ownership were behind the delay.

But the Football Association has already issued his international transfer certificate and has no concerns over ownership issues.

Rojo entered the UK to complete his move to United on a tourist visa.
Immigrations laws require that those entering the country to work do so with a working visa.

Rojo is currently in Madrid awaiting an interview with embassy staff to secure the document. Officials will examine details of the alleged altercation with a neighbour in 2010 before issuing the working visa.

His lawyer, Fernando Burlando, told the BBC in Argentina his client had been indicted and was awaiting trial.

He said they expected to "resolve" the issue before the Argentina international, who played in the World Cup final, entered a plea.

However, he added that if Rojo were to be found guilty after a trial, the likelihood would be that he would be placed on probation and ordered to undertake community work, which would not have to be carried out in his homeland.

Burlando, famous for representing celebrity clients in Argentina, added that the pending case "will in no way affect Rojo's contract with Man United".

Since signing, Rojo has missed United's 1-1 Premier League draw at Sunderland, 4-0 Capital One Cup defeat at MK Dons and 0-0 Premier League draw at Burnley.

The transfer window deadline is on Monday evening but, as the deal is done and a work permit secured, the player can be registered with the Premier League after it closes.

Before the Burnley match, Van Gaal said: "It's only a matter of time. I'm manager of the biggest club in the world, but I can't change the law."

Following the Turf Moor clash, he added: "I believe that when we play QPR he will have a [visa]."

By Mike Keegan BBC Sport

Referees' strike brings stop to Nigeria League

Nigeria's football championship has been suspended indefinitely because of a referees' strike in protest at a leadership crisis in the game.

Officials have taken action following a controversial Nigerian Football Federation 'election' on Tuesday, which has split the governing body.

The Nigerian Referees Association (NRA) has withdrawn its members from matches "until sanity is restored".

League officials say it is now "impossible for us to organise games".

League Management Committee official Salihu Abubakar said clubs and their sponsorship partners have been informed and teams have been directed not to proceed to venues of their scheduled games until further notice.

"We are already running a tight fixture schedule and are hoping that this crisis is resolved soon so the season can be concluded in time for our clubs to prepare for continental registration and participation", the LMC said in a statement.


How to solve the crisis in the NFF?

Football journalists in the country have called on Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene


The NRA's directive, contained in a circular signed by the body's secretary general Moroof Oyekunle Oluwa, also applies to the second-tier National League, Nigerian FA Cup and the women's leagues.

The Nigeria players' union and top club managers have joined the boycott of the Nigeria league.

However, the NFF insists matches will be played this weekend.

"The [strike] is totally untrue," said newly-elected NFF president Chris Giwa, whose appointment has been rejected by some members.

"If the LMC received a notice from the Nigeria Referees Association about purported withdrawal of referees, the LMC should have brought this to the notice of the NFF and not to take a decision to suspend the League on its own.

"As the owners of the League, the Nigeria Football Federation is hereby making it clear that Premier League matches are not being suspended. Matches scheduled for this weekend will definitely take place," Giwa added.

On Friday, the country's National Assembly - comprised of the Senate and the House of Representatives - summoned all parties in the NFF to a meeting to resolve the crisis plaguing Nigeria football.

Sierra Leone striker Kei Kamara leaves Middlesbrough

Sierra Leone international Kei Kamara has left English Championship side Middlesbrough after his contract was ended by mutual consent.

The 29-year-old striker is now a free agent as he looks for a new club.

"The Club would like to thank Kei for his efforts over the last 12 months and wish him every success in his future career," a statement on the Middlesbrough website said.

He had not featured for the club so far this season.

Kamara joined Middlesbrough last September year from Major League Soccer side Sporting Kansas City and made 25 appearances for them scoring four goals.

Despite the lack of competitive football so far this season Kamara has been called up for Sierra Leone's upcoming 2015 African Cup of Nations qualifiers.

He is one of a squad of 20 overseas-based players for matches against Ivory Coast on 6 September and DR Congo four days later.

Nations Cup 2015: Ivory Coast risk disqualification

Ivory Coast will be disqualified from the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations if they forfeit their qualifier against Sierra Leone because of fears over Ebola.

The Ivorian government will not allow the match, which is scheduled for 6 September in Abidjan, to go ahead.

Ivory Coast said their options are "to relocate the game or forfeit".

But a Confederation of African Football spokesman told BBC Sport: "If a country forfeits one qualifier, they will be disqualified from the championship."

Sierra Leone is one of six nations with cases of Ebola and the Ivorian government is concerned the deadly virus could be brought into the country.

In an attempt to minimise any risk, Sierra Leone have named a squad of players based outside the country.

Caf had said on Thursday that as far it is was concerned the game would be played in Abidjan as scheduled.

Europa League draw

 Europa League groups

Group A

Villarreal

Borussia Monchengladbach


FC Zurich

Apollon Limassol


Group B

FC Copenhagen

Club Bruges


Torino

HJK Helsinki


Group C

TOTTENHAM

Besiktas


Partizan Belgrade

Asteras Tripolis


Group D

Salzburg

CELTIC


Dinamo Zagreb

FC Astra


Group E

PSV Eindhoven

Panathinaikos


Estoril Praia

Dynamo Moscow


Group F

Inter Milan

FC Dnipro


St Etienne

Qarabag FK


Group G

Sevilla

Standard Liege


Feyenoord

Rijeka


Group H

Lille

Wolfsburg


EVERTON

FC Krasnodar


Group I

Napoli

Sparta Prague


Young Boys

Slovan Bratislava


Group J

Dynamo Kiev

Steaua Bucharest


Rio Ave

Aalborg


Group K

Fiorentina

PAOK Salonika


Guingamp

Dinamo Minsk


Group L

Metalist Kharkiv

Trabzonspor


Legia Warsaw

KSC Lokeren

Champions League draw

Group A
Atletico Madrid
Juventus
Olympiakos
Malmo

Group B
Real Madrid
FC Basel
Liverpool
Ludogorets Razgrad

Group C
Benfica
Zenit St Petersburg
Bayer Leverkusen
Monaco

Group D
Arsenal
Borussia Dortmund
Galatasaray
Anderlecht

Group E
Bayern Munich
Manchester City
CSKA Moscow
Roma

Group F
Barcelona
Paris St-Germain
Ajax
Apoel Nicosia

Group G
Chelsea
Schalke
Sporting Lisbon
Maribor

Group H
Porto
Shakhtar Donetsk
Athletic Bilbao
BATE Borisov

Samuel Eto'o Everton striker retires from international football

Cameroon's 56-goal all-time leading scorer Samuel Eto'o has announced his retirement from international football. 

The new Everton signing will not be going to the Africa Cup of Nations in January and will be available for the rest of the Premier League season.

Former Chelsea striker Eto'o joined Everton on a free transfer on Tuesday.

"I wish to inform you that I hereby put a definitive end to my international career," he said on his Instagram page. 
 
"On this occasion, I wish to thank all Africans in particular and all my fans around the world for their love and unconditional support."

The former Barcelona, Inter and Real Madrid player made his international debut in 1997 during a 5-0 defeat to Costa Rica.

He made his final appearance for the Indomitable Lions against Mexico during the 2014 Fifa World Cup.

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud ruled out until January

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud will not play again this year after having surgery on a broken leg. 

The club received the results of a second scan on Wednesday, which confirmed the France international had broken his left tibia.

The 27-year-old sustained the injury in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Everton and has been ruled out for up to four months.

"You'll ask who we'll buy to replace Giroud. At the moment, nobody," Gunners manager Arsene Wenger said.

"Giroud had surgery today for a broken tibia and he will be out for three to four months on the competitive side.

"He'll be out for two months, but the time he needs to comes back is three to four months.
 
"He'll be capable to play again in the Premier League at the end of December."

Arsenal beat Besiktas 1-0 on Wednesday to reach the Champions League group phase for the 17th successive season.

Alexis Sanchez, a summer signing from Barcelona, has primarily been used in wider areas since his arrival, and scored his first goal for the club against the Turkish side.

Joel Campbell, Yaya Sanogo and Lukas Podolski can also play in attack for the Gunners.

Frenchman Giroud joined from Montpellier in 2012 and started 36 of Arsenal's 38 Premier League matches last season, scoring 16 goals.

He came off the bench to score a 90th-minute equaliser at Goodison Park but picked up the injury in the closing seconds of Saturday's game.

Arsenal are already without forward Theo Walcott, who is also recovering from a long-term injury and Mikel Arteta, who has an ankle problem.

The transfer window closes on 1 September.

Mali wants Africa Cup of Nations tie against Algeria moved

 

Mali wants its African Cup of Nations qualifier against Algeria on 10 September moved to a neutral venue over fears of violence. 

It comes after Cameroonian Albert Ebosse died after being hit by an object thrown by fans at an Algerian league game on Saturday.

As a result the Mali Football Federation (FMF) has written to the Confederation of African Football requesting the move to a ground outside Algeria.

"Algeria had a remarkable performance at the last World Cup and we are afraid that if its players don't do as well against us, the Algerian fans will attack our players,'' a FMF spokesman said.

Games have been suspended in Algeria this weekend and the stadium where the incident took place has been closed until new measures to protect players can be put in place.

In 2012, it was Algeria that asked for, and received, a change of venue for a World Cup qualifying match to be held in Mali, citing the violence in the far north of the country.

Meanwhile the FMF has also announced it will be bidding to host the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations after Libya pulled out of organising the event on Saturday.
 
Ghana, Ethiopia and Kenya have already expressed their interest in hosting the tournament too.

Arsenal through to group stage

Alexis Sanchez's first goal for Arsenal since his £35m move from Barcelona claimed the prize of a place in the Champions League group stage for the 17th successive season on a tense night at the Emirates. 

The Chilean struck the goal that edged out Besiktas but Arsenal had to survive nervous moments - including playing the last 14 minutes with 10 men after Mathieu Debuchy was sent off - before winning this qualifier.

And for manager Arsene Wenger, Sanchez's strike ensured a rich reward on his expensive summer investment as Arsenal once again go into Thursday's draw for the group phase.

Besiktas were furious when Jack Wilshere's first-half tackle on Ramon Motta in the area went unpunished while Arsenal missed chances of their own to ease the anxiety sweeping around the stadium in the closing stages.

Wednesday 27th August Capital One Cup. Fixtures and Results

Aston Villa 0 - 1 Leyton Orient FT

Birmingham 0 - 3 Sunderland FT

Bradford 2 - 1 Leeds FT

Burton 1 - 0 QPR FT

Stoke 3 - 0 Portsmouth FT

Modibo Maiga: Malian signs for Metz on loan from West Ham

Malian striker Modibo Maiga has joined French side Metz on loan from English Premier League club West Ham. 

The 26-year-old will spend the rest of the season at Metz, who also have an option to buy the player.

The deal is the second between the clubs this month after Diafra Sakho joined West Ham in a permanent move.

Maiga spent the second half of last season loaned out to QPR and has played only 31 times for West Ham since he joined the Londoners in July 2012.

He has already had experience of France's top flight, having played for Le Mans and Sochaux.
Maiga has played 31 times for his country and scored five goal for the the Eagles.

Nigeria Football Federation split after 'election'

The Nigeria Football Federation is in disarray after meetings on Tuesday resulted in a controversial 'election' and a split in the governing body. 

Outgoing NFF president Aminu Maigari was to preside over a scheduled meeting to design a road map for elections to the NFF executive committee, to be held by 9 September.

But Maigari, along with the secretary of the organisation Musa Amadu, was unable to attend because he was detained for "general questioning" by the Department of State Security.

And in his absence Chris Giwa was elected NFF president by a group of members backed by the country's Ministry of Sport.

Why Nigeria are in danger of a world ban by Fifa
Nigeria's government and Fifa now recognise different parts of the NFF and football's world governing body forbids government interference in the sport

However, a rival faction of members held a meeting later in the day where they decided not to recognise the election and called for another to be held on 4 September.

Some of the delegates who had been to the first meeting also came to the second meeting and conceded the election of Giwa and the new board had not been carried out in accordance with NFF regulations.

The situation contravenes a directive by football's world governing body Fifa, who said a in a letter to the NFF last week that it must decide a new date for "an electoral process that is free and open to everybody".
The developments on Tuesday have resulted in a situation where Nigeria are in danger of being suspended from world football for government interference.

The disputes within the NFF have already led to a Fifa intervention, international suspension and the enforced return - twice - of Maigari.

Another ban could affect Nigeria's 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Congo and South Africa early next month.

In addition to the deep divisions in the NFF, the Super Eagles are still without a permanent coach after Stephen Keshi's contract was not renewed after the World Cup.

He has agreed only to take temporary charge of the team for their two upcoming Nations Cup qualifiers, having grown impatient with negotiations over a new deal.

Roy Hodgson set to name England next captain

Roy Hodgson is expected to announce the new England captain on Thursday.

Manchester United skipper Wayne Rooney, 28, is the favourite to take the armband from Steven Gerrard, 34.

Gerrard, the Liverpool captain, retired from international football in July after England were eliminated from the World Cup at the group stage.

Rooney was named his club's captain by new manager Louis van Gaal earlier this month, succeeding Nemanja Vidic, who has moved to Inter Milan.

                                                           Roy Hodgson  and  Wayne Rooney

England take on Norway at Wembley Stadium on 3 September in a friendly before beginning their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign in Switzerland on 8 September.

They will also be without Frank Lampard - on loan at Manchester City from Major League Soccer side New York City FC - as the 36-year-old midfielder announced his international retirement on Tuesday after winning 106 caps.

Hodgson is expected to announce his new captain at a 12:00 BST press conference.

Neil Warnock named as new Crystal Palace manager

Crystal Palace have appointed former boss Neil Warnock as their new manager. 

The 65-year-old, who was at Palace between 2007 and 2010, has signed a two-year deal after being chosen ahead of ex-West Brom boss Steve Clarke.

Palace chairman and co-owner Steve Parish has turned to Warnock as a successor to Tony Pulis after Malky Mackay was ruled out last week.

The London club are keen for caretaker manager Keith Millen to be integrated into the new set-up.

Warnock has been told he will have funds to spend before the transfer window closes on Monday.

Both he and Clarke were interviewed this week after Palace turned their back on Mackay, and Tim Sherwood pulled out of the running.

Pulis left on 14 August, just 48 hours before the new Premier League season.

Neil Warnock timeline
1948: Born 1 December, Sheffield	May 2007: Leaves Bramall Lane after controversial Premier League relegation at the expense of West Ham and the Carlos Tevez row
1967: Begins playing career at Chesterfield aged 19 and plays more than 300 times as a winger for clubs including Barnsley and Rotherham United	October 2007: Joins cash-strapped Crystal Palace and declares it will be his final managerial position
1981: First full-time managerial job with Northern Premier League side Gainsborough Trinity	March 2010: With Palace in administration, Warnock crosses London to take over QPR
1987: Leads non-league Scarborough into Football League	May 2011: Takes the Hoops into the Premier League as champions
1993: Guides Huddersfield to Autoglass Trophy final at Wembley in his first season	January 2012: Leaves Loftus Road with QPR sitting 17th in the Premier League.
1999: Appointed Sheffield United boss after spells with Notts County, Plymouth, Oldham and Bury	February 2012: Joins Championship club Leeds United and finishes 14th
2003: Reaches FA Cup and League Cup semi-finals with the Blades	April 2013: Leaves Leeds with the club 17th and five points off Championship relegation zone
2006: Leads home town team into the Premier League as Blades win promotion	August 2014: Ends 16-month period out of game with Palace return

By David Ornstein BBC Sport 

Wed 27 Aug Capital One Cup Fixtures

Aston Villa v Leyton Orient      Birmingham v Sunderland    Bradford v Leeds    Burton v QPR    Stoke v Portsmouth

Samuel Eto'o: Everton sign former Chelsea striker on free transfer

Everton have signed striker Samuel Eto'o on a two-year-deal after he was released by Chelsea last season.

The Cameroon international, 33, joins on a free transfer and links up with former Chelsea team-mate Romelu Lukaku, who signed for £28m this summer.

Everton boss Roberto Martinez said of Eto'o: "I met him and we had a very good chat. I was impressed about the hunger he still has.

"We are very excited and I think Everton is the perfect home for him."

Eto'o's contract with Chelsea expired at the start of July and he was not offered fresh terms by Blues boss Jose Mourinho.

Liverpool were in the running to sign him but instead opted for Mario Balotelli, leaving Martinez free to bring Eto'o to Goodison Park.

Eto'o's club honours
Real Mallorca (1999-2004)	Barcelona (2004-2009)	Inter Milan (2009-2011)
Copa del Rey (2003)	Champions League (2006, 2009); La Liga (2005, 2006, 2009); Copa del Rey (2009); Spanish Super Cup (2006, 2007)	Champions League (2010); Serie A (2009); Coppa Italia (2010, 2011), Italian Super Cup (2010); Fifa World Club Cup (2010)
Scored 69 goals in 165 appearances	Scored 129 goals in 201 appearances	Scored 53 goals in 101 appearances

"I have been very impressed by the style of play Everton adopt," said Eto'o. "I could see straight away that at this club I will have the opportunity to play football.

"I had the chance to speak with the manager over the last few days and we agreed that this was what we would do.

"I was impressed with his enthusiasm but also by the knowledge of football that Roberto Martinez carries, his vision of football and how he reads football. I still think I can learn a great deal from him here."

Four-time African Footballer of the Year Eto'o scored 12 goals in 35 appearances for Chelsea after signing a one-year deal from Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala last August.

He could make his debut against his old club at Goodison on Saturday.

Eto'o began his career at Real Madrid but made his name at their arch-rivals Barcelona.

During his time at the Nou Camp, he won the Champions League twice - in 2006 and 2009 - scoring in both finals, as well as winning the Spanish league three times.

Eto'o moved to Inter Milan in 2009 as part of Zlatan Ibrahimovic's switch to Barcelona and went on to win the Champions League again in his first season under Mourinho at the San Siro.

Tue 26 Aug 2014 - League Cup Fixtures and Results

Bournemouth  3 - 0  Northampton  FT

Brentford  0 - 1  Fulham  FT

Burnley 0 - 1 Sheff Wed FT

Crewe 2 - 3 Bolton FT

Derby 1 - 0 Charlton FT

Gillingham 0 - 1 Newcastle FT

Huddersfield 0 - 2 Nottm Forest FT

Leicester 0 - 1 Shrewsbury FT

Middlesbrough 3 - 1 Preston FT

Millwall 0 - 2 Southampton FT

Norwich 3 - 1 Crawley FT

Port Vale 2 - 3 Cardiff FT

The Pharaohs getting ready to face Senegal

Coach Shawky Gharib has reveal that Egypt failure to qualify for the World Cup 2014 in Rio Brazil, was Egypt’s biggest motivation to succeed in qualifying for the African Nation Cup

Coach Shawky Gharib have called up 30  players to camp  in Aswan , Egypt to be ready to face Senegal in qualification  for Morocco 2015 Nation Cup.

The following foreign based players are called  to camp, while the Local based players will join them in camp


Mohamed Salah Chelsea, English

Ahmed Al-Muhammadi, Hall City English

Ramy Rabia Sporting Clube de Portugal

Shikabala Sporting Clube de Portugal

Mohamed El Nenny FC Basel , Swiss

Ahmed Hamoudy FC Basel swiss

Aly Ghazal club Nacional, Portugal

Saleh Gomaa club Nacional Portugal

Ahmed Hegazy Fiorentina Italy

Ahmed Hassan Mahgoub Rio Ave F.C., Portugal

Mahmoud Abdel-Moneim Grasshopper Club Zürich

By Maher Genena Sportsstars Magazine Reporter in Egypt

Angel Di Maria: Man Utd agree British record fee of £59.7m

Manchester United have agreed a British record transfer fee of £59.7m to sign Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria.

The Argentina international, 26, is in Manchester and will have a medical on Tuesday morning, after which the move - which will take United's summer spending to £132m - will be confirmed.

He could make his debut away to Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday.

The fee will eclipse the £50m Chelsea paid Liverpool for striker Fernando Torres in 2011.

Di Maria injured a thigh in Argentina's World Cup quarter-final win over Belgium but was still named on the 10-man shortlist for the Fifa player of the tournament award.

He joined Real from Benfica for £36m in 2010, and won La Liga in 2012 and the Champions League last season.

Former Real president Ramon Calderon said he "does not like" the idea of Di Maria leaving, adding: "Normally a club who owns the very good players don't like to sell them."

Stephen Keshi: Former Nigeria coach back for two games

Stephen Keshi will return as Nigeria coach for next month's Nations Cup qualifiers, only days after appearing to rule himself out of the job. 

Keshi's contract expired on 30 June and he said last week he had given up on negotiations over a new deal.
But he has now "temporarily abandoned" his decision to walk away.

"I want to respect the wishes of Nigerians and the appeal by the Sports Minister to handle the team at least for the two games," he said.

"The need to answer the patriotic call and respect the wishes of Nigerians informed my coming for the key games.

"We work so hard to win the Nations Cup in South Africa, I think we should do all that we can to defend it in Morocco next year," he added on AIT's Sports Extra on Monday. 

Talks over a new contract have been ongoing since July but have been held up by problems within the federation, including the sacking and the Fifa-ordered reinstatement of the governing body's president Aminu Maigari.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is understood to have offered Keshi a new four-year deal and the same $30,000-a-month salary he was paid in his first stint as manager, while the coach has asked for an increase.

With the NFF board divided [two rival factions locked in a bitter leadership row], Keshi says negotiations over a new deal with have to wait until after the game against Congo on 6 September and South Africa four days later.
"They want me to carry on but nothing has been finalised, but officials, fans and the players want me to stay."

He added: "I'm going to see out these two games and we'll hopefully then sit down and talk about a new contract, if everything can be agreed.

Despite a bitter leadership crisis currently rocking the country's football authority, Nigeria have already named a 23-man squad for their upcoming qualifiers.

The defending champions will also face Sudan in Group A with the top two advancing to January's finals in Morocco.

Meanwhile, the NFF general assembly on 26 August has now been moved to Abuja from Warri, but it will not be an elective congress.

The assembly will be asked to postpone the elections that were also due to be held on Tuesday, following unresolved complaints raised by some candidates.

  By Oluwashina Okeleji BBC Sport

Nigeria edged out in U20 Women's World Cup final

Nigeria suffered a 1-0 loss to Germany in the Under-20 Women's World Cup final in Montreal, Canada.

Despite dominating the match for long periods, Nigeria were unable to find a way through their opponents.

They fell to a goal by Lena Petermann, who slotted in from six yards in the eighth minute of extra-time.

Nigeria striker and tournament top scorer Asisat Oshoala missed a number of chances, while German keeper Meike Kamper was named player of the match.

Nigeria coach Peter Dedevbo said: "We had enough opportunities to win this match in the first half alone. But while we had chances and didn't take them, Germany had one chance and took it. That's the nature of football.

"I've not spoken to the girls yet but I will tell them to take this defeat hard and learn from it because we lost this game due to tactical indiscipline.

"We had a great opportunity to win a World Cup with the chances we had in the first half, but we threw that chance away. Be that as our may, we did our best to redeem Nigeria's image."

Mario Balotelli: Liverpool complete £16m transfer

Italy striker Mario Balotelli has completed his £16m move to Liverpool from Serie A side AC Milan. 

The former Manchester City player, 24, agreed a long-term deal with the Merseyside outfit but will not feature against his old club on Monday night.

Balotelli left City 17 months ago after scoring 30 goals in three seasons.

"This transfer represents outstanding value for the club and I think we have done a really smart piece of business here," said Reds boss Brendan Rodgers.

Balotelli, who will wear the number 45 shirt, said he had made an error leaving England on in January 2013.

"I'm happy to be back because I left England and it was a mistake," he said. "I wanted to go to Italy, but I realised it was a mistake."

The former Inter Milan player added: "English football is generally better. English football is beautiful." 

Cameroonian player dies in Algeria after being hit by object from crowd

Cameroonian footballer Albert Ebosse has died after being hit by an object thrown by fans at a game in Algeria. 

Ebosse, who was 24, was declared dead after being taken to hospital in Tizi Ouzou, east of the capital Algiers.

The JS Kabylie striker, who had scored in a 2-1 home defeat by USM Alger, was hit when spectators started throwing objects from the stands as the teams left the pitch at full-time.

The Algerian interior ministry has ordered an investigation.

Ebosse was the leading scorer in the Algerian league in the 2013-14 season, with 17 goals.

It has not been confirmed what hit him, but one Algerian newspaper reported that home fans, angry at their team's defeat, were throwing rocks.

A statement from Ebosse's club said he had "succumbed to a head injury" after being struck at the end of the match.

Opponents USM Alger described the news of Ebosse's death as a "bombshell" and said it was "terrible" and "saddening".

A special meeting of the Algerian league (LFP) has been convened for Monday morning and the stadium has been closed until further notice.

The league's president, Mahfoud Kerbadj, was at the game.

He described Ebosse's death as a catastrophe for the national game and sent his heartfelt condolences to the player's family.

Kerbadj added that Ebosse had won the hearts of thousands of Algerians and was highly regarded by both team-mates and opponents.

The president of the Confederation of African Football, Issa Hayatou, issued a statement  condemning the violence.

"My thoughts go out to the family and friends of this young man who enjoyed his job peacefully and went further to pursue his passion for football abroad," wrote Hayatou.

He added: "African football cannot be the breeding ground for hooliganism whatsoever. We expect exemplary sanctions to be taken against this grave act of violence."

Atletico Madrid beat Real Madrid to win Spanish Super Cup

Mario Mandzukic scored his first goal for Atletico Madrid who overcame star-studded city rivals Real to win the Spanish Super Cup 2-1 on aggregate.

Atletico won 1-0 on the night, with the Croat firing in low from inside the area after just two minutes.

Raul Garcia also went close for the league champions, who had coach Diego Simeone sent off for patting the head of the fourth official.

James Rodriguez had Real's best chances with two shots that flew past the post.

The Colombia World Cup star, who scored in the first leg, also had an effort pushed away by keeper Miguel Angel Moya and headed wide.

The £71m signing from Monaco was one of Real's better performers inside the Vicente Calderon stadium, with Gareth Bale, Toni Kroos and Karim Benzema all disappointing. And Cristiano Ronaldo barely threatened when he came on in the second half.

As for Atletico, they resembled the battle-hardened side who won the title much more than the team that drew 1-1 against Real in Tuesday's first leg.

Their coach also picked up where he left off in the Champions League final by being sent to the stands by referee David Fernandez Borlaban.

Simeone was seen protesting that right-back Juanfran had not been allowed back onto the field quickly enough after receiving treatment for a facial injury before he patted the fourth official on the head, which led to his dismissal.

The match on the whole was a more entertaining affair and was given an early jolt when Croatia striker Mandzukic scored moments after the kick off.

Moya, who replaced Thibaut Courtois in the summer, launched the ball downfield which found its way to Antoine Griezmann. The France international, acquired from Real Sociedad during pre-season, found Mandzukic who ran in on goal and drove his shot past Iker Casillas.

Real looked for an quick response with Rodriguez leading the fight. The midfielder was first denied by Moya, before twice shooting wide and directing his header off target.

That was the sum of Real's best efforts on the night, with Ronaldo, who started on the bench because of a back injury, barely troubling Moya with a 25-yard strike.

Real also ended the night with 10 men when midfielder Luka Modric was shown a second yellow for clattering into Cristian Rodriguez in stoppage time.

Atletico came close to adding more, with Raul Garcia - arguably the man of the match - going close on three occasions, the best of which was a header that came off the bar.

Simeone, who spent much of the match marching back and forth in the stands, has now guided the Rojiblancos to Spanish league title, the Europa League, Copa del Rey and Uefa Super Cup during his three years in charge.

By Saj Chowdhury BBC Sport