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Liverpool forward Sadio Mane is to serve a three-match ban after an appeal against length of his suspension for the red card awarded to him against Manchester City was rejected.

The Senegal international was sent off in the first half of Saturday’s Premier League meeting with City, which the Reds went on to lose 5-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

Mane caught opposition keeper Ederson in the face with a high foot, causing a debate as to whether a yellow card or a red card was the right level of punishment.

Liverpool had hoped to see the duration of the ban reduced by one or two games, but the Football Association has upheld their decision and the 25-year-old will now miss his side’s next three games.

As well as sitting out league matches against Burnley and Leicester City, Mane will also be absent for the EFL trip to the King Power Stadium.
Read More Interesting Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

Lobi Stars striker Anthony Okpotu has vouched to help the Super Eagles win the 2017 WAFU Cup of Nations title in Ghana.

Okpotu, who was the 2016-17 top scorer in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) with 19 goals having scored one more than MFM FC striker Stephen Odey who was on 18 goals before his move abroad.

However, the marksman says he’s not targeting the Cup of Nations Golden Boot award as his top priority is to help the Super Eagles win the tournament.

“I am not targeting the highest goal scorer in the WAFU tournament,” Okpotu said.

“I would prefer the team won the cup than for me to be the highest goal scorer.

“But if along the line the opportunity comes for me to be top scorer, I will grab it and make it a double – the cup and the award.”
Read More Interesting Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

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Predict correctly the outcome of the following Champions League games and win big.

We are rewarding the top five people who predict correctly the score lines of the two games and the top five people who predict correctly any one of the two games below.



Roma vs Atletico Madrid

Barcelona vs Juventus



Entries will end by 7:00pm.

Kindly write your preferred network in your predictions.

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Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus offered proof they can form a fearsome strike partnership during Manchester City’s 5-0 demolition of Liverpool, says manager Pep Guardiola.

Aguero became the top non-European goalscorer in Premier League history when he opened the scoring in the 24th minute, before Liverpool forward Sadio Mane was sent off for a rash aerial lunge on Ederson that saw the City goalkeeper leave the field on a stretcher.

Guardiola’s side were merciless in making the numerical advantage count and Jesus headed home Kevin De Bruyne’s cross in first-half stoppage time before Aguero teed him up for a simple finish when through one-on-one with Reds keeper Simon Mignolet early in the second period.

Debate over whether Brazil international Jesus or Argentina star Aguero should lead the line for City has been rife since the former’s arrival from Palmeiras in January, given Guardiola’s general preference for operating with one central striker.

As such, the significance of Aguero’s selfless assist was not lost on the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss.

“I don’t say to the striker pass the ball, I say score a goal please,” Guardiola told reporters.
“[But] it means a lot to me, what Sergio did. A lot.

“They are both good guys. Both are exceptional players, their relationship is top.

“Of course, both want to score goals and we need that, that egoism, wanting to score more than your team-mate, but they have the ability to choose the right decision like Sergio did.

“He was one-against-one with the goalkeeper but had the ability to pass the ball. When this happens the next time, Gabriel is going to do it for Sergio, and that’s good.”

Substitute Leroy Sane completed the scoring with a brace, while De Bruyne played an instrumental role in most of City’s good work.

The Belgium international hopes Saturday’s victory can act as a turning point for City, who only won two out of 10 league games against top-six rivals last season to significantly undermine their title bid.
“The only thing we didn’t do last year was win the big games,” De Bruyne told reporters. “I thought we deserved to win a few more games than we did, especially at home, like the ones against Tottenham and Chelsea.

“It makes a difference – that’s five or six points extra and they are losing those points so then you are closer together.

“Everyone wants to win, especially when you have a couple of years when you don’t win a lot.

“Maybe there’s more of an urgency to win something between the players, and I have a good feeling about this season, but you never know.

“The guys who have come in are very good additions, and I think they really suit the style we play.”
Read More Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger called for Financial Fair Play (FFP) to be scrapped, insisting the rules were too weak.

The rules have been questioned after Paris Saint-Germain spent a world record €222million on Neymar before landing Kylian Mbappe, initially on loan from Monaco but then set to join permanently for a reported €180m.

UEFA announced it would investigate PSG, who are “very confident” they will pass FFP tests.

Wenger said it was time to move on from FFP, insisting clubs were easily finding ways around the rules.

“I think Financial Fair Play [should end] because there are too many legal ways to get around it. At least the question has to be raised,” the Frenchman said.

“At the moment it looks like you can buy clubs in China and get the players there. The question has to be raised.

“I’m convinced that at the moment the rules are not strong enough to make that respected.”

Wenger, whose team host Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, said options other than FFP needed to be considered.

“Financial Fair Play raises new questions,” he said.

“Today I am not very convinced that we can maintain it. We have to maintain the control of financial management of the clubs.

“Football is maybe only at the start of a huge financial investment. It has become the most powerful sport in the world. That means, do we have to open the door completely? To investments? That is a question we have to raise, because at the moment it looks like we have created rules that cannot be respected. Nothing works when you create rules that cannot be respected.”
Read More Interesting Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

Isco has agreed to a new contract with Real Madrid, according to club president Florentino Perez.

The attacker has made a bright start to the season, and starred during the international break, scoring a brace for Spain in a 3-0 World Cup qualifying win over Italy.

Isco is contracted until mid-2018 but Perez said a renewal had been agreed, with the club to announce the deal in the coming days.

“Isco arrived here when he was very young and all he has done is improve,” Perez told Cadena SER.

“He is currently playing as we believed he would turn out.

“We will be announcing his contract renewal in the coming days, a renewal which is a done deal.”

Isco has made at least 30 league appearances in each of his four seasons at Madrid after arriving from Malaga in 2013.
Read More Interesting Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

Philippe Coutinho may have returned from international duty fit and healthy but he is unlikely to feature in Liverpool’s Premier League trip to Manchester City, says Jurgen Klopp.

The Brazilian playmaker – who was a target for Barcelona during the transfer window – has yet to play for the Reds this season due to injuries and illness.

However, he made two substitute appearances for Brazil in their recent World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Colombia, scoring the second goal in a 2-0 win over the former.

Brazil coach Tite said the 25-year-old is fully fit and, although Klopp agrees with the national boss, the German does not expect him to be involved at the Etihad Stadium.

“Both [Coutinho and Roberto Firmino] are fit, so that’s cool. They’re healthy, so now we have to see,” he told the club’s official website.

“It’s of course different because Phil, I know what people think, but Phil had the back problem a few weeks ago and couldn’t train, so that means he missed around about three weeks.

“Yes, he went to the national team and trained normally, but now we have to prepare for a normal season, so we have seven games [before the next international break] and we saw training this morning and thought ‘OK, maybe we should use him immediately’, because he was really good, but that doesn’t make sense.

“We have now to continue with the pre-season, not too long, but in a few sessions we have to give ourselves the time because in the next month we have seven games.

“We always have the same decision to make, ‘does he need training or can he play?’ and all that stuff.

“Yes, he will now do a little bit more than the other boys but he showed up in a very, very good mood and looks really promising.”
Read More Interesting Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

Leicester City star and England international Jamie Vardy is open to leaving the club, with a move abroad also on the agenda.

Vardy – under contract until 2020 – turned down a move to Arsenal after guiding Leicester to a remarkable Premier League triumph in 2015-16.

The 30-year-old has hit the ground running this season, scoring twice against Arsenal on the opening day of the campaign, but a transfer away from King Power Stadium could happen, having watched former team-mate Danny Drinkwater join N’Golo Kante at Premier League champions Chelsea.

“I want to win as much as possible,” he said. “I don’t want to only have one Premier League medal in my drawer at home – it would be an empty glass cabinet.

“I’m contracted to Leicester and we will see how high we can go. In the future, who knows?

“Just because I turned down Arsenal, that was my choice, but if another offer came in it would be the same in that I would look at it and work out the pros and cons.

“But no, turning down Arsenal doesn’t mean I wouldn’t look at another offer.”

On rejecting Arsenal, who won the FA Cup last season, Vardy added: “It wasn’t the Premier League was it? So we’re all right with that I think.

“I’ll never regret anything I’ve chosen to do. I’m a bit of a psychic, I could see the little downfall they are on now.

“They had qualified for the Champions League for the last 20 years until last year. That was something to think about.

“But there were all sorts of reasons. Football was the main thing, but moving the family when I’d just bought a house would have been a laugh – not.”

Playing abroad could also be an option for Vardy, who said: “That would be something I’d probably like to experience. A different culture. I’ve spoken about it with my agent [John Morris] in the past. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.”
Read More Interesting Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

LaLiga president Javier Tebas feels Paris Saint-Germain are “laughing at the system” and Neymar has “peed from the diving board” into the swimming pool of Spanish football.

The Brazil star stunningly joined PSG from Barcelona for a world-record €222 million in August, demonstrating the scale of the threat the Ligue 1 powerhouse now poses to Europe’s established hierarchy.

LaLiga have subsequently called on UEFA to investigate both PSG and Manchester City over potential breaches of Financial Fair Play rules.

European football’s governing body has confirmed it will assess the Parisians but is not looking into the economic affairs of City at this stage.

Speaking at Soccerex, Tebas was asked if he was concerned about Barca’s Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid following the example set by Neymar in departing LaLiga for the riches on offer elsewhere.

“I think the buy-out clauses of these players are higher but if [PSG chairman] Nasser [Al-Khelaifi] wants them, he can just open the gas and buy them,” he said, referring to the wealth, derived from fossil fuels, of PSG’s owners, the Qatar Investment Authority.

“This is not the market price, it is the gas market price.

“Maybe PSG can sustain these prices, I don’t know. It’s very easy for them to manage it, it’s not complex. But what we can see after this summer, is they are laughing at the system.

“I don’t know if it is rude but a Spanish journalist defined it quite well: what we have done is caught them peeing in the swimming pool.

“Neymar has peed from the diving board. And we can’t accept this. At least we need to open up a file, this needs to be investigated.

“It’s not because PSG has taken a player from Barcelona. We are very concerned about this situation.

“We have fought a lot to move forward with LaLiga, with the TV rights. What they are doing is affecting us once again.

“They are affecting the economic structure of the league. This is going to damage the industry.
Read More Interesting Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

Kylian Mbappe sees his move to Paris Saint-Germain as an opportunity to quench his thirst for success.

The teenage sensation swapped Ligue 1 champions Monaco for PSG in a loan move that will be made permanent ahead of next season for a reported €180million.

Having burst onto the scene last season with 26 goals in all competitions for Leonardo Jardim’s side, Mbappe wants to go on to bigger and better things in the French capital.

“I want to do even better than last season,” he said as he was presented to the media on Wednesday.

“I am driven by the desire to win everything.
“It gives me great pleasure to join one of the biggest clubs in the world, which possesses the ingredients to become the best.

“Through hard work and humility, we will achieve our goals and this dream of winning the Champions League.”

The move will see Mbappe link up with Neymar following the Brazil star’s world-record transfer from Barcelona and that is something the France international is relishing.

“He is an additional advantage,” said Mbappe. “It is extraordinary to play with him. However, I came for the project.

“I have entered into a dressing room where I have the fewest titles to my name. I have a lot to learn and prove.

“In Paris, I will be able to learn and improve while winning. I am hungry for titles. I want to win, starting right now.”
Read More Interesting Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

Wayne Rooney has been described as “extraordinary” by former team-mate Louis Saha, who believes the Everton forward will continue to excel at the highest level for some time to come.

Rooney, 31, has made a superb start to his return to boyhood club Everton, scoring twice in the opening three Premier League matches of the season.

Deemed surplus to requirements at Manchester United, many questioned Everton’s decision to re-sign a player they sold in 2004.

However, England and United’s all-time leading scorer has reinvigorated himself at Goodison Park – bringing up his 200th Premier League goal against Manchester City before the international break – and Saha heaped praise on the former Three Lions and Red Devils captain.

“Rooney is an immense player with the biggest heart I’ve ever seen,” Saha – who played alongside Rooney at Old Trafford and is the founder of Axis Stars, which is a social network for past and present players and coaches – said in an interview with Omnisport.

“Wherever he goes, he will be decisive because he’s got a brain that can replicate the extraordinary. Not many can.

“He’s done it and will until the end of his career, and that is not soon in my eyes.”

Rooney was one of many fresh faces brought to Goodison Park by manager Ronald Koeman in the off-season.

Everton splashed the cash on Gylfi Sigurdsson, Davy Klaassen, Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane and Sandro Ramirez in their bid for a first piece of silverware since winning the FA Cup and Community Shield in 1995.

“Everton just need to win a trophy again as they have been the team consistently trying to reach a new level without the funds like Tottenham or Chelsea,” Saha, whose four-year spell at Everton ended in 2012, continued.

Koeman’s men play host to Tottenham on Saturday, having claimed four points from three league matches so far.
Read More Interesting Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

Liverpool have reportedly declined Emre Can’s request to insert a release clause in any new contract signed, leaving his Anfield future in doubt.

The Germany international is said to be on the radar of numerous clubs across Europe after recently entering the final 12 months of his deal.

Juventus are among those to have shown a serious interest, with suggestions that a pre-contract agreement will be struck in January to take the 23-year-old to Turin.

Liverpool had still been hopeful of persuading Can to extend his deal on Merseyside, but the Daily Star suggests that talks have further stalled in recent days.

It is claimed that the Reds do not want the ex-Bayer Leverkusen ace to have a clause in his contract, despite the risk of losing him for free next summer if an agreement is not reached.
Read More Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

David Alaba gave Bayern Munich an injury scare when he was substituted seven minutes before half-time during Austria’s World Cup qualifier against Georgia on Tuesday.

Alaba went down to the turf holding his left ankle following a challenge with Georgia midfielder Valeri Qazaishvili at the Ernst-Happel Stadion and it soon became clear he would be unable to continue.

Austria were trailing to Valerian Gvilia’s early goal at that stage but Alaba’s replacement, Rapid Wien attacking midfielder Louis Schaub, smashed home an equaliser from close range before half-time.

Bayern won the first two games of their Bundesliga title defence against Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen, with Alaba playing every minute.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men are back in action at Hoffenheim on Saturday and begin their Champions League campaign when Anderlecht visit the Allianz Arena next Tuesday.
Read More Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte was reportedly not included in transfer negotiations in the final days of the summer window.

The relationship between the coach and board is believed to be tense due to the club’s transfer activity, but Conte dispelled reports that he was considering leaving by signing a new contract earlier in the summer.

The Blues recruited Antonio Rudiger, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Alvaro Morata, but they lost Nemanja Matic and missed out on signing Romelu Lukaku, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ross Barkley and Fernando Llorente.

According to The Times, the Chelsea hierarchy prevented Conte from speaking to Barkley and deadline-day signing Danny Drinkwater following the manager’s failure to convince Oxlade-Chamberlain to move to Stamford Bridge.

It is believed that the 48-year-old wanted the England international to provide competition for Victor Moses at wing-back, but Conte’s target ended up choosing Liverpool in the hope of playing in a more central midfield role.

The report claims that Barkley’s decision to snub a move to Stamford Bridge in favour of staying at Everton was in part because he did not speak to Conte directly.

Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo and director Marina Granovskaia took charge of every piece of transfer business in the summer.
Read More Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

Gareth Bale has claimed that he and his Wales teammates truly believe that they can finish their World Cup qualifying campaign at the top of Group D.

Chris Coleman’s side currently reside third in the standings, four points adrift of group leaders Serbia and two behind playoff contenders Republic of Ireland.

Wales’ chances of progressing into next year’s finals in Russia were boosted at the weekend when Ben Woodburn scored his debut goal in a slender victory over Austria.

This evening, Coleman’s men will take on Moldova, who sit at the bottom of the group with just two points to their name.

“I said we had four finals to keep our hopes alive,” Sky Sports News quotes Bale as saying. “If we win all four we’ll have a great chance of top spot, and if not we’ll get into the playoffs.

“One down, three to go. This is important too, we’ll be going into the match confident and prepared very well. We know they’ll make it difficult but we’ll do everything to get the points and put ourselves in an even better position.

“If I didn’t think we could [qualify] I wouldn’t be here. We all still believe we can do it. That’s the most important part.”

Bale has scored four goals in Wales’ qualifying campaign so far.
Read More Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

Josep Maria Bartomeu says Lionel Messi’s father has already signed the forward’s new Barcelona contract, which means the new deal is already valid.

Barca announced in July that Messi had agreed to renew until 2021, after his previous agreement was due to expire in 2018.

The club said at the time that formal signing of the contract would take place in the “coming weeks”, but two months have passed since without the Camp Nou icon putting pen to paper, prompting speculation of a shock transfer, with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City among the sides linked.

But president Bartomeu claims the renewal is already valid after the player’s dad Jorge signed and is optimistic the photocall for Messi’s deal will happen within a month.

“It’s all agreed and signed,” Bartomeu told Sport.

“There are three contracts. One with the Messi Foundation, which is signed with the president of the Foundations and the player’s brother.

“There’s an image rights contract with Messi, which his father has signed, who is the administrator of his company, and the employment contract, which his father has signed, who has the power to do so.”

Asked what was still lacking, Bartomeu explained: “That Leo arrives and we have the official photograph and the protocol of the signature.

“The contract’s signed, it’s valid from the month of June, from June 30, the same day that he got married, curiously.

“It’s been audited because it goes into the accounts for last season. The renewal is included in the accounts for the closing of this season. There are no problems. It’s just the protocol of the signature. We’re relaxed.”
Bartomeu acknowledged that “scheduling problems” had not been ideal, but urged Barca fans not to worry.

“We’ve had schedule problems,” he said. “Now, he’s back on September 6 or 7, then we play on September 9. There are a lot of games. We will find the moment.

“Two months have gone by. He got married on June 30, then when he came back he went to Japan, then there was the tour. Then he came back – ah – what happened? There was the Supercopa, then LaLiga started, the trip to Monaco.

“We will find the moment. I hope so [within a month].

“People shouldn’t be [worried]. There’s been a lot of noise but they can be calm.”

Bartomeu disagrees with observers who feel Messi looks sad on the pitch this season, verdicts that have fuelled speculation over his contract status.

“I don’t see that,” he said. “Focused, yes, very. I saw him the other day on the trip to the UEFA event. He was relaxed, happy.

“We speak regularly with the players. They are all happy.”

Messi, who turned 30 in June, has spent his entire senior career with Barcelona and made his debut in 2004.

In an astonishing career, he has won LaLiga eight times and the Champions League on four occasions, among a total of 29 club trophies.
Read More Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

Kylian Mbappe, Bernardo Silva, Benjamin Mendy and Tiemoue Bakayoko have all left French titleholders Monaco, but Rony Lopes is leading a new group of championship hopefuls as he desperately seeks to silence the doubters.

Monaco made a stunning and rapid rise to the summit of Ligue 1 last season, dethroning French giants Paris Saint-Germain for their first league title in 17 years, while the Principality club sensationally reached the Champions League semi-finals with style and substance.

But the nucleus of their title-winning line-up has been ripped apart after being raided by PSG, Manchester City and Chelsea for teenage sensation Mbappe, playmaker Silva, star full-back Mendy and tough-tackling midfielder Bakayoko.

While doubts have emerged over Monaco’s ability to compete with Mbappe and €222million-rated Neymar at big-spending PSG, it has been business as usual for Leonardo Jardim’s side, who have not missed a beat on and off the pitch.

Monaco won their opening four matches of the Ligue 1 season before the international break and they managed to complete the signings of Keita Balde and Stevan Jovetic to add to the arrivals of Youri Tielemans and Terence Kongolo.

In an interview with Omnisport, Lopes – back from a loan spell at fellow French outfit Lille – said: “All eyes are on us. Some great players have left, indeed, however also new ones have joined in.

“Besides, the most important is still here: the structure, the staff, the culture is the same as last season. Everyone who loves football must enjoy watching Monaco play. Our culture is very offensive, but if you watch carefully we also know how to defend. Working as a block has been one of our biggest strengths and our coach has been decisive on the way we play.

“To those who doubt we can repeat or overcome last year’s results, we have only one thing to do: shut them up with victories.”

“Neymar joining Ligue 1 was important as he is a world star and more people will be interested in the French league,” he added. “Of course, to see a rival getting reinforcements like Neymar and Mbappe makes even more competition, but that is good. That’s what attracts audiences and interest in a competition: to see the best playing each other. In the end, in spite of more or less money spent, it’s 11 against 11 in every match. I’m sure it will be a long competitive season. For everyone.”

As Monaco attempt to rebuild and move on from Mbappe and others, it has been some familiar faces who have helped sustain the team’s title challenge and scintillating brand of attacking football.

Monaco have scored 14 goals in four league matches, thanks to Radamel Falcao’s league-best seven-goal tally, while France star Thomas Lemar remains a pivotal member after rejecting Arsenal and Liverpool.

And reigning champions Monaco are not lowering their ambitions in 2017-18, Lopes adding: “Our goal is to win titles. Monaco are the current French champions so there’s a title to defend, not to challenge.

“Our squad has been built based on the experience of players like Falcao and [Joao] Moutinho who are very important to the new and younger players such as myself, that look up to them and follow their example.

“Falcao is simply amazing. It’s difficult to imagine how he could become better, because he is already so good – shooting with both feet, heading, creating chances for himself and our team-mates, and even defending. He is a true leader, a great captain inside and outside the pitch. It’s a true honour to play alongside Falcao and work with him every day.

“We look to the domestic title as a difficult objective, as always, but possible as shown last year.”

Former Manchester City youth player Lopes is one of those youngsters who has benefited from a period of drastic change at Monaco.

Lopes returned to Stade Louis II after scoring four goals in 25 league appearances for Lille last term, and he has quickly established himself in Monaco’s starting XI following an impressive pre-season campaign.

The 21-year-old – who has been compared to Silva after replacing Mbappe in the starting XI – only made two league appearances before being sent out on loan, but he has already played four matches in 2017-18.

“The goal was always to return to my club. Monaco signed me in 2015 and since that day I felt part of the project,” Lopes said. “Last year in Lille was difficult because the club was undergoing a major renovation from top to bottom, with changes in coaches, staff and even presidents. In the end, the squad had to overcome many difficulties and we had to work harder than ever to keep LOSC on the first half of the table.

“This experience was positive for me, I feel that I grew a lot both physically and in terms of knowledge of the French league. When I came back to Monaco last June, my only goal was to rejoin the squad and show I’m ready to play at this level. The support I felt from both the coach, the staff and my mates showed they were counting on me too.”

Drawn in Group G of the Champions League alongside RB Leipzig, Porto and Besiktas, Lopes continued: “To play regularly at the highest level is naturally my biggest dream. Last season was great for the club and our objective is to keep the club on this streak. It will not be easy as our domestic competitors are investing strongly and our Champions League group is very homogeneous, but we are here to beat the odds once again.”

Lopes, who was born in Brazil but has represented Portugal through to under-21 level, hopes his performances for Monaco will earn a call-up to either nation ahead of the 2018 World Cup.

“In spite of those comparisons [to Silva], I really prefer to keep focus on my own style and improve my football on such a way that I can help Monaco,” Lopes finished off by saying. “I’m confident that I can aim to play the World Cup one day, but to do so I have to exceed myself in Monaco and that’s my only priority.

“My personal goal is to play as much as possible because I know that if I play that means I’m important to my club and that my mates and my coach trust me. If I can establish myself at Monaco, I will be closer to an international call-up, that’s for sure. So I will keep focused on every training and every match with AS Monaco, fighting for wins every week. Whatever comes up besides that will be a bonus. I will keep on aiming for the moon, but with my feet well on the ground.”
Read More Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

Giampiero Ventura is “sure” Italy will qualify for next year’s World Cup in Russia, despite the country’s disappointing loss to Spain.

It was a night to forget in Madrid on Saturday as Italy crashed to their first tournament qualifying defeat in 56 games, beaten 3-0 by Spain.

An Isco brace and a goal from substitute Alvaro Morata condemned Italy to their first loss in a qualifier since 2006 and put Spain in pole position to claim the one and only automatic World Cup berth in Group G.

Italy are three points adrift of leaders Spain and four ahead of Albania after seven matches as a play-off looms but head coach Ventura is confident the four-time world champions will be among the 32 teams to feature in Russia.

“When the group was drafted, we knew that for the first time only the winner would qualify,” Ventura said ahead of Tuesday’s visit of fourth-placed Israel.

“Of course, if you’re not top seed and you play against Spain, you have to concede that you will probably have to go through the play-offs. Actually, that’s what almost everyone thought at that time. We did a good job in getting tied to this game. We did not do a good job on Saturday, and Spain deserved to win.

“We will go through the play-off, but we’re sure that we will qualify for the World Cup. I agree with [Italian Football Federation president Carlo] Tavecchio, not going to the World Cup will be very bad. But we’re not thinking about it now, we’re just going to think about the game with Israel, we need to win to qualify for the play-offs.”

Ventura continued: “When I said that Spain were not human, I meant it because of their qualities. You can’t buy qualities, either you have them or you have to work hard to improve. But you can’t do that in just 20 days.

“I believe that some teams are good and they can play at the same level with great teams just through hard work, otherwise the same team would win all over again. I started coaching one year ago and we played France 48 hours later, we had good results since then. Now we played Spain in September.

“I believe if we had played them in November it would have been different. Maybe we would have lost anyway, but we would have been at the same level of preparation. Not the same level of qualities, of course. I also believe if we would play Spain at the World Cup, after the right amount of preparation, we would play a different game.”

Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon, meanwhile, said: “We need to accept criticism. It’s inevitable like the changing of the seasons. Personally, I don’t feel resentment. We lost 3-0 in a very important game, I’m the goalkeeper and the captain, it’s natural to receive criticism.

“The season started too well for me, so it’s natural that something now goes wrong. People ask me if I felt hurt by what was said about me, but I honestly don’t. This does not affect what I am and what I want to keep being.”
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Chelsea have reportedly been considering a £50m lawsuit against Diego Costa if the striker refuses to return to Stamford Bridge.

The 28-year-old has stayed away from the club after a fallout with manager Antonio Conte over the player’s Blues future, reportedly conveyed to him by text.

A prospective move to former employers Atletico Madrid was said to be on the cards, but no deal was secured before the closure of the transfer window, keeping Costa on Chelsea’s books.

According to The Express, Chelsea would claim breach of a contract from which Costa is paid £185,000 a week – the club’s second highest earner – and which still has two years to run.

The Spain international, who has been named in Chelsea’s 25-man Premier League squad but not in their Champions League one, is now also understood to be consulting his lawyers.

Costa has scored 52 goals in just 89 Premier League appearances for Chelsea, including 20 to help fire them to the title last season.
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On a day of frantic transfer activity, one man who will not be concerning himself with any deadline-day business is the father and agent of Arsenal’s Shkodran Mustafi.

The Germany international had been linked with a move away from the Gunners just a year after joining from Valencia, with Inter Milan and West Brom reported to be interested.

But his father and representative Kujtim Mustafi looked to lay those rumours to rest by insisting he would spend the final day of the Premier League transfer window kicking back at home.

“I am his agent and I’m sitting here chilling at home. Nothing will happen today, ” he said in quotes reported on Thursday by Fussballtransfers.com.

Uncertainty shrouds the future of several Arsenal players, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain appearing set to join Liverpool, while Alexis Sanchez remains a target for Manchester City.
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Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi has reportedly emerged as a transfer target for Everton on the final day of the summer window.

As it stands, Batshuayi is currently regarded as deputy to club-record signing Alvaro Morata, but Blues head coach Antonio Conte is keen to sign Swansea City frontman Fernando Llorente.

If that deal is completed, Batshuayi could be demoted to third choice and it appears that the Belgian will not be short of offers should he become available on Thursday.

According to Foot Mercato, Everton are prepared to enter the race for Batshuayi’s signature as manager Ronald Koeman looks to add one more forward to his squad.

The Toffees are yet to find a replacement for Romelu Lukaku, and the chance to sign the compatriot of last season’s top goalscorer is one which will appeal to Koeman.

Last summer, Chelsea paid £33.2m to sign Batshuayi from Marseille, but the 23-year-old has only made two starts in the Premier League.
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The Super Eagles will aim to achieve a 12th triumph over the Lions of Cameroon when both teams go for each other’s jugular at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo on Friday.

In 19 previous encounters, Nigeria have been winners 11 times, with Cameroon winning four times and four matches drawn.

Of these games, three happened to be the Final matches of the Africa Cup of Nations (all won by Cameroon, including a nail –biting penalty shoot-out session in Lagos in February 2000), and there were two different fixtures of FIFA World Cup qualifiers (1968 and 1989) shared equally.

Nigeria eliminated Cameroon from the qualifying race for 1970 World Cup finals, winning 3-2 in Douala after a 1-1 draw in Lagos. But the Lions took their revenge in 1989, snatching the minimum win they needed in Yaounde (1-0) to kick the Eagles out of the race for Italia ’90, only two weeks after Sam Okwaraji’s death.

While Cameroonians treasure the wins in Abidjan (1984), Casablanca (1988) and Lagos (2000) that gave them three of their five African titles, Nigerians have sweet memories of a 2-0 defeat of the Lions in Ibadan (in 1989) and a gutsy 2-1 win over Cup holders Cameroon in the quarter finals of 2004 Africa Cup of Nations in the sunshine of Monastir.

When the two teams last clashed, at the Edmond Machtens Stadium in Brussels in October 2015, the Eagles ran away 3-0 winners. Efe Ambrose rose highest in the Lions’ box to nod home a Mikel John Obi free –kick, before Moses Simon rounded the goalkeeper for the second goal and Odion Ighalo headed the third after a splendid pull –out by Elderson Echiejile.

Mikel Obi, Simon, Ighalo and Echiejile are in the Nigerian squad that will seek a repeat scoreline on Friday.

NIGERIA & CAMEROON AT SENIOR LEVEL

8 Dec 1962: Nigeria 3 Cameroon 1 – Lagos (Nkrumah Cup)

1 Jan 1963: Cameroon 1 Nigeria 2 – Yaounde (Nkrumah Cup)

7 Dec 1968: Nigeria 1 Cameroon 1 – Lagos (World Cup Qualifier)

22 Dec 1968: Cameroon 2 Nigeria 3 – Douala (World Cup Qualifier)

13 Feb 1972: Cameroon 1 Nigeria 2 – Yaounde (Friendly)

22 Jan 1975: Nigeria 1 Cameroon 0 – Lagos (Friendly)

17 July 1978: Cameroon 0 Nigeria 0 – Algiers (All-Africa Games)

2 Feb 1980: Nigeria 0 Cameroon 0 – Ibadan – (Friendly)

18 Mar 1984: Cameroon 3 Nigeria 1 – Abidjan (ACN Final)

17 Mar 1988: Cameroon 1 Nigeria 1 – Rabat (ACN – group phase)

27 Mar 1988: Cameroon 1 Nigeria 0 – Casablanca (ACN Final)

10 Jun 1989: Nigeria 2 Cameroon 0 – Ibadan (World Cup Qualifier)

27 Aug 1989: Cameroon 1 Nigeria 0 – Yaounde (World Cup Qualifier)

25 Jan 1992: Cameroon 1 Nigeria 2 – Dakar (ACN – Bronze medal game)

7 Aug 1997: Cameroon 0 Nigeria 1 – Tunis (LG Cup)

13 Feb 2000: Nigeria 2 Cameroon 2 (3-4 penalties) – Lagos (ACN Final)

1 Jun 2003: Nigeria 3 Cameroon 0 – Lagos (LG Cup)

8 Feb 2004: Cameroon 1 Nigeria 2 – Monastir (ACN – group phase)

11 Oct 2015: Nigeria 3 Cameroon 0 – Brussels (Friendly)
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Nathaniel Chalobah feels his “brave” decision to leave Chelsea has paid off and believes Stamford Bridge is a “tough place” for young players to be.

The 22-year-old won his first England call-up last week to face Malta and Slovakia in World Cup qualifying after impressing for Watford in the early stages of this season.

Chalobah joined Marco Silva’s side from Chelsea for a reported £5million in July after only starting once in the Premier League for the reigning champions during a stay that saw him loaned out six times.

And after becoming the first permanent Watford player to be called up since John Barnes 30 years ago, the midfielder feels it is further evidence he made the right call.

“I would definitely say it was the toughest decision I’ve had to make,” Chalobah told reporters. “I had been at Chelsea my whole life. I had been there 12 years and Chelsea was all I knew, the club that I loved and supported as well so for me it was a very hard decision.

“It takes a lot [to decide to leave]. I think you have to really look deep into yourself and see what makes you happy. For me, I was at a top club and people were saying to me, ‘You are at Chelsea, you should stay at Chelsea, a big club’, but for me that was not what the problem was.

“The problem was that I wanted to play, after getting a taste of it last year, I needed to go out and try and do better things for myself. So yeah, I think you really have to be brave, and sometimes decisions can be hard to make.

“It’s a tough place Chelsea, top club, and I think that sometimes you can get a bit carried away with being there.

“You are on the brink, on the brink, almost there, and it’s very hard when you have got established players who come in and they have got the experience already. In my situation or a youngsters’ situation if you don’t have the experience it is a lot harder to get into the team, so it was a matter of me judging the situation and seeing what the best options were.”
He added: “Yeah I guess [the England call-up means the move has paid off], that was the aim really, to leave and try and get game time somewhere else, and I am just very pleased and happy that things are going well.

“I had been on a few loans and back and forth. I was never really settled and for me it was more a case of trying to find somewhere to be really settled and try to find somewhere to call home. And I was finding it difficult to do that at Chelsea even though I was there for the whole season, and played a few games.”
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Monaco have completed the signing of Inter striker Stevan Jovetic in another sign that star forward Kylian Mbappe is closing on a move to Ligue 1 rivals Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG are reportedly closing on a deal that will see France’s teenage striker Mbappe join on an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy for €180 next season.

Leaked pictures this week showed Jovetic wearing Monaco’s number 10 shirt, which is currently worn by Mbappe at Stade Louis II.

And the Ligue 1 champions have announced the signing of the former Manchester City striker for a reported €11million fee on a four-year deal, which could now hasten Mbappe’s move.
“I’m very happy to be here,” the Montenegro international told the club’s official website. “AS Monaco is a big club that played in the semi-finals of the Champions League and won the French title last season.

“There are some great players on this team. That’s why I chose AS Monaco.”

Monaco executive vice president Vadim Vasilyev added: “We are very happy to welcome Stevan Jovetic to AS Monaco.

“He has evolved in the biggest championships and has the experience of the highest level. At 27 years old, he is a great player who is mature.

“We are convinced that he will find here all the conditions to fully express his talent.”

Jovetic scored six Serie A goals in 31 appearances in his two years at Inter, spending the second half of last season on loan at Sevilla.

Monaco have already lost Bernardo Silva, Benjamin Mendy and Tiemoue Bakayoko since winning the title last season.

But thus far Leonardo Jardim’s men have kept pace with big-spending PSG, winning their opening four Ligue 1 matches including a 6-1 battering of Marseille on Sunday.
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Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko has insisted that he is not worried about the possible competition posed by Danny Drinkwater.

The Premier League champions have reportedly agreed a £28m fee with Leicester City for the midfielder.

The deal is yet to be officially announced, but Bakayoko, who joined the Blues from Monaco earlier this summer, does not fear for his place.

“Danny Drinkwater doesn’t scare me,” the Frenchman told SFR Sport. “It’s the competition. It’s good, I think every team needs that. It makes you improve.”

Chelsea are believed to be keen to strengthen their midfield following the departure of Nemanja Matic to Manchester United.
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Manchester City is reportedly willing to include Raheem Sterling in a player-plus-cash deal for Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez.

The Gunners have insisted that Sanchez is not for sale this summer, with manager Arsene Wenger recently suggesting that the Chile international will see out the rest of his contract.

Less than 12 months remain on the attacker’s deal, and there is no indication that the 28-year-old, who has also been linked to Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain this summer, is close to signing a new one.

According to The Mirror, Man City are hopeful that Arsenal will agree to sell before Thursday’s deadline if the two-time Premier League champions include Sterling in a deal.

The former Liverpool winger, who joined City in a £50m transfer in 2015, has scored two goals in three Premier League appearances so far this season.

It is believed that Pep Guardiola’s club has now made direct contact with Arsenal regarding a possible deal for Sanchez, but the Gunners may want a fee of around £70m before they consider selling.
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