Essien gets Nations Cup nod, but Appiah, Muntari out

At Soweto s most famous address, tour buses of camera-toting tourists roll up like clockwork outside Nelson Mandela s old red-bricked home for a dose of anti-apartheid royalty.

Pouring toward the modest but revamped house which Mandela returned to after 27 years in jail, they pass gentle foot-traffic and street vendors punting animal skins, curios and the occasional gaudy Mandela bust.

It s the most famous street in South Africa. All the tour buses go past Vilakazi Street, said Jojo Tsheola, tour operator and treasurer of a regional tourism body.

The world s only street that claims two Nobel Peace laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu s house is down the road the area is struggle-tourism gold anchored by the revamped Mandela Family Museum.

But with the FIFA…

Hadi Norouzi, the captain of Iranian football club Persepolis, has died of heart attack.

Norouzi passed away in his sleep on Thursday according to local media reports. He was 30 years old.

The Iran international forward scored 26 goals in 150 Pro League appearances for Tehran-based Persepolis over a seven-year period.

He also represented Naft Tehran on a season-long loan from November 2013, scoring three times in 12 games.

…

German giants Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen are locked in the battle for talented winger Julian Brandt, .

The 20-year-old has largely impressed since joining die Werkself from Wolfsburg in January 2014, but the Bay Arena outfit are now struggling to ward off heavy interest in his services.

It is no secret that Bayern Munich lead the chase for the youngster’s signature, and they could soon make their interest concrete.

Namely, Brandt has a deal until June 2019 at Bay Arena, but a €12.5 million release clause will be activated in June 2018, meaning that die Werkself need to sell before the summer of 2018 if they want to get the best possible price.

And even though Bayern Munich are prepared to pay top dollar for the Germany international, Leverkus…

Manchester United could sell Jadon Sancho in the summer transfer window to facilitate a move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar, according to . The report has claimed that the Red Devils are keen on bringing former Barcelona star Neymar to Old Trafford, and in order to do that, they are considering cashing in on Sancho.

Sancho has not had the desired impact at United since his move from Borussia Dortmund. The 23-year-old winger has made 17 starts and three substitute appearances in the Premier League for the Red Devils this season, scoring five goals and providing two assists in the process. The England international has made six starts and four substitute appearances in the UEFA Europa League this campaign, scoring one goal in the process.

Last season, Sancho made …

What the papers say

Former Everton winger Ademola Lookman, 26, is attracting attention with his performances for Atalanta, according to The Sun. Atletico Madrid and Juventus are being linked with a summer move for the Nigeria international.

Defender Cedric Soares, 32, could still leave Arsenal, despite the transfer deadline passing. The window remains open in Turkey for another week and the Daily Mirror reports, via ESPN, that Galatasaray, Besiktas and Trabzonspor are interested in the Portuguese full-back.

West Brom were among three Championship clubs who enquired about defender Calum Chambers, according to the Daily Mail. The 29-year-old opted to stay at Aston Villa.

Liverpool and Arsenal are being linked with Eintracht Frankfurt teenager Hugo Larsson. The Dai…

Porto to sign Alberto Bueno

Portuguese daily newspaper that FC Porto have all but agreed to sign Spanish striker Alberto Bueno from Rayo Vallecano.

The Dragons were on the lookout for a new centre forward as they prepare for life without Jackson Martinez and they seem to have found their man in the La Liga star.

According to O Jogo, the 27-year-old has agreed a long-term deal with Porto and he will join his new club when his current deal expires at the end of the season.

The Dragons boss Julen Lopetegui is well aware of the forward s qualities having coached him at Real Madrid Castilla and he has been impressed with Bueno s form this season.

The talented footballer has scored 16 goals in 28 La Liga outings this term despite playing for a relegat…

Jeffrey Webb was thankful after being re-elected as CONCACAF president for a second term on Thursday.

Webb took over as president in 2012 and will continue in that role, with reports saying he was re-elected unopposed.

The 50-year-old from the Cayman Islands was delighted to be given the opportunity to continue as president.

Thank you for allowing me to represent you for another term, Webb tweeted.

I am sure that with your support this leadership will continue to advance the game. What is great for the game, must be great for all.

Let s ensure that the game is bigger than any single one of us.

…

The Premier League still remains committed to completing the 2019-20 season, though all dates are tentative over a resumption.

All 20 top-flight clubs were present at a meeting on Friday for further talks over the campaign amid the continued suspension of the competition due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The league was halted on March 13, initially until April 3, though the extent of the COVID-19 outbreak means it is still unclear exactly when proceedings will be able to restart.

An extension will be necessary to fit in the backlog of fixtures, with the meeting allowing stakeholders to hold discussions over possible scheduling models .

In common with other businesses and industries, the Premier League and our clubs are working through complex planni…

Market: Under 2.5 goals

Odds: 

Once again turning our attention to the Belarusian Premier League this weekend, two of the top-flight strugglers will open Friday s fixtures when Smolevichy-STI welcome Energetyk-BGU to the Ozyorny Stadium.

Starting with the hosts, hit with a 3-1 defeat at home against Dinamo Minsk last weekend, it is no surprise that Smolevichy-STI are seen to be one of the leading contenders to be hit with an immediate drop back down this season. Stil looking to pick up their first Premier League victory since opening the new campaign, Head Coach Aleksandr Brazevich has seen his side land just three points out of a possible 18. Still sat in the drop zone, there is no doubt that fans around the Ozyorny Stadium will be desperate for their side to m…

The sacking of Mark Hughes as Manchester City boss wasn’t really a surprise. The fact that he was replaced by former Inter boss Roberto Mancini surprised me slightly.

I wasn’t that impressed with the former Lazio striker when he was Inter boss. To manage Inter didn’t take the best manager in the world as there were already top players at the club when he arrived.

Successful in Italy

Roberto Mancini’s managerial experience has come in Italian football with Fiorentina, Lazio and of course Inter. He won three Serie A league titles with Inter and two cups. He has won the Italian cup with Fiorentina and Lazio.

He has been learning English for awhile in anticipation of a move to the Premier League and is eager to test himself in the…