Satellites confirm Nigeria date The Black Satellites management committee has confirmed a 12 August date for their international friendly against the Flying Eagles of Nigeria on home soil.

Officials are considering playing the match at the Tamale Stadium to give the locally-based players more exposure.

The Nigerians need the friendly to sharpen their arsenals for the Fifa World Youth Championship in Egypt later this year.

The match will be after the team had played two friendlies against South Korea in Seoul on 26 July and 28 July.

The Satellites are expected to depart for South Korea on 24 July and return home on 4 August.

Nine foreign-based players will join their locally-based colleagues in Qatar for a two-week training tour when the team arrives on 1 September.

A final list of 21 players will be selected in Doha for the 17th edition of the Fifa Under-20 World Cup and arrive in Egypt on 15 September.

Ghana will open their campaign against Uzbekistan on 26 September in Ismailia.

Accra Hearts of Oak wins President's CupTroubled Accra Hearts of Oak defeated Sekondi Eleven Wise on penalties to win this years President's Cup Competition at the Ohene Djan Stadium, Accra on Thursday, July 1.

Hearts converted five of the seven penalties, whilst Wise had four of their kicks right.

The game, which formed part of activities marking this years Republic Day Celebrations, provided the Phobians a perfect opportunity to appease their fans after seeing their 14 point lead on the Premier League table drop to 12.

It also settled the scores between the two sides as their two previous matches had ended without a winner.

With GHC 7,000 as the prize money and a giant trophy at stake, both sides approached the game with the seriousness it deserved and battled for supremacy in every department of the field.

It was however Hearts who called Wise's goalkeeper Mohammed Alhassan to duty on three occasions as he had to parry to corner goal bound shots from Francis Bossman and Samuel Affum who benefited immensely from the footwork of nimble footed Tawrick Gibril in the first quarter of the game.

Wise on the other hand were presented with two free kicks at the edge of the box, which were blasted off target by James Bissaw and Zacharia Abdulai after they took control of the game at the latter stages of the first half.

After an exciting and balanced first half, the second half saw Wise taking dominance of the game as they pinned Hearts to their own side creating several goal scoring opportunities which were however wasted. Despite their dominance, Wise had their men reduced to 10 after Stephen Aidoo was sent off by referee Joseph Lamptey for a second bookable offence in the 52nd minute.

Substitute Yaw Nyarko and Eric Owusu also went into the caution book for violent conducts.

The Phobians failed to take advantage of the numerical strength of the Western Show Boys, even though they mounted some amount of pressure on them.

It was instead Wise who took the lead in the 61st minute, through Winfred Dormon, who capitalized on a defensive blunder by Dan Coleman to direct the ball into the net for the opener to silence the expectant home crowd that had the Vice President John Mahama and other officials in attendance.

The lead lasted for just six minutes before substitute Eric Gawu directed a mid volley into the net in the 67th minute to level up for his side following a mis-understanding by the Wise defence. Hearts then took a slight dominance of the exchanges and pressured their opponents for the match winner, whilst a counter attack approach adopted by Wise also saw them creating few decent chances with Dormon and Michael Ocansey giving the Hearts defence much to worry about. The Western Show Boys however were unable to convert the chances they created.

As the game progressed, it was the Phobians who had much of the exchanges and could have fetched the match winner during injury time but Affum's re-bound went off target after Gawu had set him up with a well executed cross to push the game into penalty shootout.

Bossman, Karim Alhassan, Kwabena Boafo, keeper Laud Quartey and Eric Gawu converted their kicks with Affum and Douglass Nkrumah failing. Ocansey who was voted the Most Valuable Player (MVP), Dormon, Edmund Sakyi and Yaw Nyarko scored for Wise, whilst Eric Owusu, Ohene Addo, and Abdulai missed their kicks to send the Phobians into wild jubilation right into the night.

CAF Champions League: An open contest more than everThe thirteenth edition of the Champions League is expected to be different from the previous editions as all favourites have been eliminated before the group stages. Al Ahly who have reached the last four finals are out and only Etoile du Sahel can boast of a good record.

If one were to ask the favourites of the competition after Ahly, the answer will logically be Etoile du Sahel of Sousse. Taking into consideration all competitions on the continental scene, the Tunisian side are ranked next to the Cairo giants, Al Ahly. The Sousse-based outfit won the Champions League in 2007 and also played the finals in 2004 and 2005. It’s two Cup Winners’ Cup titles, three CAF Cup titles and two Super Cups places the club in another level of the African game with no contender.

TP Mazembe of Lubumbashi will be their  staunchest rival. The Congolese side dominated African football in the 1960s and played in four consecutive finals of the defunct Champions Cup, now Champions League.

The club has what it takes to win the competition with the bulk of its players having formed the base of the DR Congo side that won the inaugural edition of the CHAN in Cote d’Ivoire. The two sides will clash in Group B.

In Group A, the focus will be on the eternal rivalry between two of Sudan’s top clubs, Al Merreikh and Al Hilal. Their rivalry can only be compared to that between Al Ahly and Zamalek all of Cairo, ASEC and Africa Sports in Abidjan, or Raja and WAC all of Casablanca. The clash between the two Sudanese sides shall be full emotions and firepower.

This can be of benefit to the two other clubs in the group, Zesco United of Ndola, Zambia and Kano Pillars of Nigeria. The Zambians recently created sensation on the national team and has joined the league of elite clubs in Africa just as Power Dynamos, Nkana Red Devils, Green Buffaloes, Mufulira Wanderers and Kabwe Warriors which represented the country honourably in continental club competitions.

Nigeria has been trying to find a team to move in the shadow of Enyimba which won the Champions League title in 2003 and 2004. The country can count on two teams, Kano Pillars, that won its first championship and Heartland FC, which came as runners up in the same championship. Heartland formerly Iwuanyanwu National of Owerri, was the dominant Nigerian side on the African scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The last team in the group stages is Monomotapa FC of Zimbabwe. The relatively unknown club  eliminated ASEC Mimosas Abidjan on its way tot he group stages and must be taken seriously.
The question is who shall replace Ahly of Cairo as kings of African football? The answer will unfold in the few months ahead.

Mathare Utd in quarter-finals of CECAFA championshipMathare United on Thursday earned three points in the Cecafa club championship when they beat Rwand’a Atraco 2-1. Kevin Oliech struck twice in the 79th and 89th minutes, although Mike Sebelinga had equalised in the 84th minute.

Late Wednesday night, Tusker threw away a one-goal lead to draw 1-1 with home team Hey Al-Arab in a Group C match in Port Sudan.

The defending champions had gone ahead through a Oscar Kadenge strike in the 21st minute before Al-Arab equalised from Hamed Abdulhamid’s penalty kick in the 47th minute. Tusker must now beat Zanzibari side Miembeni today to enhance their chances of advancing to the quarter-finals.

Miembeni edged out Inter State of Burundi 2-1 on Tuesday with goals in either half from Salmi Ramadhan and Amir Hamadi to top the group. Ali Musa scored for Inter.

Tusker coach James Nandwa said prior to the tournament that his team was looking at nothing but an appearance in the final on July 13. 

Also on Wednesday evening, KCC underlined their credentials as title contenders with a 3-2 thrilling win against guest team TP Mazembe at the Khartoum Stadium.

The Ugandans, coached by former Cranes player George Nsimbe, started off at a cracking pace to open accounts through Tommy Okello in the 26th minute.  Tony Bongole stretched the lead five minutes from half-time following confusion in the Congolese defence line.

Mazembe pulled a goal back in the fourth minute of added time in the first half when Tshizeu Kanimbo somehow wiggled his way through a forest of legs to guide his shot home from close range.

Revival jolted

Substitute Kabangu Mulota latched onto a Tresor Mputa cross in the 64th to level as Mazembe threatened to run riot.

The revival was however jolted when their goalkeeper, Robert Kidiaba, was sent off for a professional foul a minute later and Jeremia Sebuyiva completed a swift counter move with aplomb in the 77th.

Stoke deny Martins link, as he enjoys new pay riseStoke City chairman Peter Coates has dismissed speculation linking the club with a bid for Newcastle United forward Obafemi Martins.

The Potters have been linked with a number of attackers, including West Ham United's Dean Ashton, but Coates said the Nigerian was not on their list.

"There's nothing in that one. We haven't had contact or discussions about him at all," he said. "I don't know where the story has come from, but there is no substance to it."

Stoke have also been linked with a bid for West Ham defender James Collins, and although Coates admitted an enquiry had been made - about the same time they asked about Ashton - talks have gone no further.

"I think Tony Pulis has had talks with West Ham about this and that, but nothing concrete," he told the Stoke Sentinel. "There's nothing happening at the moment with regard to that player and there probably won't be."

The relegation of Newcastle United has made no difference to Nigerian striker, Obafemi Martins, as he has gotten a mouth-watering £65,000 (about N16.8 million) weekly deal after activating the clause in his contract.

Although Premiership side, Stoke City, have denied any plan to take the former Inter Milan attacker out of St James Park, the report that dominated most media in London celebrated the 10 per cent pay rise, even as they revealed that he escaped sanction after reporting late to the club’s first training session.

The report claimed that Martins arrived 20 minutes late, which would have earned him a hefty fine under manager Alan Shearer except for the fact there was no Shearer around to administer the punishment because he remains in limbo while takeover talks continue.

According to the report: "Relegation has made no difference to Martins. In fact he is better off, having got himself a pay rise. Under the terms of the Nigerian striker's contract, his wages have just gone up nearly 10 per cent from £60,000 to £65,000 a week."

Meanwhile, Stoke City chairman, Peter Coatesm has claimed that the reports linking Martins with a possible move to the Britannia stadium are completely unfounded.
"There's nothing in that one. We haven't had contact or discussions about him at all. I don't know where the story has come from, but there is no substance to it. I don't bother about the speculation. It is normal. I think our fans know we don't go in for publicity stunts," Coates told The Sentinal.

While describing the situation at the club, a Newcastle source said: "The place is a joke. Nobody knows what is going on. There is no obvious sign of a takeover going through, there is no manager and no direction. In some ways it was a bit of a shock all those who were supposed to turn up did so.
"But, again, because they are all on such massive salaries they would not want to give Newcastle an easy excuse to sack them. The players are not going to make it easy for the club if they want to get rid of them. They will expect to be paid off or they will just sit tight," he added.

LOC to engage in looming stadia strikeSouth Africa's 2010 organising committee said on Thursday it will engage unions ahead of a looming strike at World Cup football stadiums that could affect construction deadlines.

"We want to engage with the workers unions so that we understand their problems, but will not interfere with their democratic rights," Irvin Khoza, local organising committee chairman, told journalists.

"Stadiums are expected to be ready six months before the World Cup kick-off, if a strike happens it might affect the timeline we set ourselves," Khoza said.

All five World Cup stadiums still under construction in Cape Town, Durban, Polokwane, Nelspruit and Johannesburg will be affected if the strike goes ahead, a spokesman for the industry, Joe Campanella said.

An interdict to bar the strike called over a wage dispute for next Wednesday will be sought by the South African Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors on Friday, said Campanella who is the group's spokesman.

The country's labour relations body -- the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration -- has also called an urgent meeting between parties on Friday to discuss the dispute and the potential impact on 2010.

Ahead of next June's kickoff, five World Cup stadiums have been completed so far and four were used during the Confederations Cup which ended on Sunday.

Speaking after a meeting with Fifa, Khoza said a full assessment of the 14 day tournament will be delivered in August after the committee has met all parties involved.

Transport and accommodation are some of the sticking points that emerged out of the past event, which is regarded as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup.

The world football body gave organisers a 7.5 out of ten for the Confeds Cup, saying it hoped the score will rise to ten by next year for the world's football extravaganza.

"We are happy with the score because we started from zero when everyone was doubting us," said Khoza.

The Confederations Cup was also lauded for filling stands with fans of different races, with football traditionally supported by black South Africans.

"About 90 per cent of the spectators were South Africans of diverse races," said Danny Jordan, chief executive of the organising committee, at the briefing.

Keita moves to Turkey, Marseille sign Cissé and DiawaraLyon have agreed to sell winger Abdul Kader Keita to Turkish club Galatasaray. The 27-year-old Keita was said to have agreed a three-year contract at Galatasaray, where he will play under new coach Frank Rijkaard.

The Ivory Coast international never settled at Lyon after joining from Lille two years ago for a club record €18 million. Keita scored only five league goals in 52 games for Lyon.

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas said Keita will be sold for €8.5 million - under half of what they paid for him.

"It's a shame," Aulas told Le Progres newspaper. "He was excellent for Lille ... that's football."

He becomes the third player to leave Lyon recently after Karim Benzema was transferred to Real Madrid and veteran midfielder Juninho moved to Qatar's Al Gharafa.

On Wednesday, Lyon agreed to sell Benzema to Madrid in a six-year deal worth up to €41 million.

Seven-time champion Lyon finished third in the French league this season, behind Bordeaux and Marseille.

Olympique de Marseille have made two signings from fellow UEFA Champions League group-stage participants with midfielder Edouard Cissé arriving from Beşiktaş JK and FC Girondins de Bordeaux defender Souleymane Diawara also heading to the Stade Vélodrome.

The 31-year-old Cissé returns to his native country joining on a free transfer from the Turkish champions and penning a two-year deal. The former Stade Rennais FC, AS Monaco FC and West Ham United FC player spent two years with Beşiktaş playing 54 league games following his transfer from Marseille's arch-rivals Paris Saint-Germain FC.

No details of Senegal centre-back Diawara's transfer have been released. The 30-year-old was one of the key men in Bordeaux's title-winning campaign last term, only missing two league games all season. Diawara spent two years with Laurent Blanc's outfit, making 64 top-flight appearances, after arriving from Charlton Athletic FC.

Refs empowered to stop matches amid racist chantsUEFA's Executive Committee has approved guidelines for match officials to deal with serious racist incidents in stadiums.

Strong sanction
The decision, made by the Executive Committee at its two-day meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, means in effect that if there are incidents of sufficient magnitude and intensity, the referee will apply Law 5 of the Laws of the Game in particular. First of all, the match will be stopped and announcements will be made. Eventually, if the racist behaviour does not cease, the referee has the power to abandon the match.

"This sends out a strong signal, and also a very practical signal that in terms of UEFA matches, these guidelines will be enforced," said UEFA General Secretary David Taylor. The guidelines come into force immediately in all UEFA competitions.

"Our policy on racism is one of zero tolerance," said UEFA President Michel Platini. "It was necessary to give the pitch people the means to do something, and we have determined the parameters and lines of conduct, whereby in important cases of racist behaviour in a stadium, a referee must stop the match."

A three-step procedure is involved in the guidelines. If the referee becomes aware of serious racist behaviour, or is informed of it by the fourth official, he shall, as a first step, in application of Law 5 of the Laws of the Game, stop the game and ask for an announcement to be made over the public address system requesting the public to immediately stop such racist behaviour.

As a second step, if the racist behaviour does not cease once the game has restarted, the referee shall suspend the match for a reasonable period of time, for example five to ten minutes, and request the teams go to the dressing rooms. A further announcement shall be made over the public address system to the public.

As a third and final step, if the racist behaviour does not cease after the game has restarted, the referee shall definitively abandon the match as a last resort. The UEFA delegate will assist the referee, through the fourth official, in determining whether the racist behaviour has ceased, and any decision to abandon the match will only be taken after all other possible measures have been implemented and the impact of abandoning the match on the security of the players and public has been assessed. UEFA said that the full and detailed guidelines will be made available shortly.

Mr Platini said: "There are people of authority [at a UEFA match], such as the referee and match delegate who can consult before deciding to temporarily suspend a match for five or 10 minutes, in agreement with officials responsible for security – and from then, if the atmosphere remains negative, the match must be stopped." Subsequently, the case would be referred to the UEFA disciplinary authorities.

United set to sign Owen in a shock moveMichael Owen was on the brink of a sensational move to Manchester United last night after accepting the terms of a pay-as-you-play one-year deal with the champions.

Talks were understood to be continuing last night but only if Owen passes a stringent medical will he become a member of Sir Alex Ferguson's squad.

Ferguson believes the 29-year-old is a gamble worth taking if he can stay injury-free and return to the kind of goalscoring form that made him European Footballer of the Year in 2001.

It is believed Owen could be offered as little as £20,000 a week as a basic salary but with massive performance-related bonuses which could take him close to the £110,000 a week he was on at Newcastle.

It has been a difficult time for Owen. Dropped from the England squad by Fabio Capello and the captain of the woeful Newcastle side who were relegated at the end of last season, he was ridiculed recently when his management company advertised his credentials in a brochure sent to a number of clubs.

There was thought to have been interest from Aston Villa and Everton, while Hull City manager Phil Brown made public his wish to lure Owen to the KC Stadium.

Painful reminder: Owen in action during his last appearance for England, against France in March 2008

But agent Tony Stephens may have negotiated a dream move that could propel him back into the England squad in time for the World Cup. The move would be a free transfer as Owen's Newcastle contract expired on Wednesday.

Neither United nor Owen's management company WMG would comment last night, but there was a suggestion that a medical could be arranged for as early as today.

The move failed to impress United fans, particularly after the club said they had received £80million in a single payment from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo and they had been linked to the likes of Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema.

One fan wrote: ‘Not in a million years. I’d rather bring Bellion back . . . than have Michael “I’m a crocked scouse” Owen.’

But Owen has proved himself an excellent strike partner to Wayne Rooney with England and Ferguson clearly considers him a decent acquisition when the financial risk is so small. The United boss declined to move for Owen when the player left Real Madrid for Newcastle four years ago in a £16million deal.

His medical record will be a worry, however, having gone down with injury or illness 16 times during his time at Newcastle. Within his first four months at St James' Park, Owen pulled a hamstring, strained his groin and broke a metatarsal. Having signed for a club record £16m, he made only 58 Premier League starts.

Real spending spree not normal - PlatiniThere is something "not normal" about the huge sums of money spent by clubs like Real Madrid in the transfer market, Uefa president Michel Platini was quoting as saying on Thursday.

Real took their recent spending spree to around €215 million when they signed French forward Karim Benzema from Olympique Lyon on Wednesday.

Benzema will follow Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo, Brazilian playmaker Kaka and Spanish defender Raul Albiol to the Bernabeu Stadium.

"Does the club making such enormous transfers have the money or not?," Platini asked in an interview in Thursday's French sports daily L'Equipe.

"The Ronaldo transfer, personally, puts a question to me, but then, if Real has a guarantee from banks....

"Personally, I can't understand that you can spend €90 million on a player," Platini added. "But I remember the transfer of (Diego) Maradona from Barcelona to Naples (in 1984). It must have been for the equivalent of €6.5 million and people already found it indecent.

"I think there's something not normal in there. I don't like all that, and even less the fact that today, contracts are being signed only to be breached. But then again, if the clubs have the money, what can I do?"