MITROGLOU SIGNS FULHAM

Fulham have signed Greek international striker Konstantinos Mitroglou from Olympiakos on a four-and-a-half-year contract, the Premier League strugglers announced on Friday.
Mitroglou, 25, was the top scorer in this season's Greek Super League with 14 goals and arrives for an undisclosed fee reported to be in the region of £12.5 million."Fulham Football Club is delighted to announce the signing of Greece international Konstantinos Mitroglou on a four-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee, seeing the player at Craven Cottage until the summer of 2018," read a statement on the Fulham website.
Mitroglou began his professional career with Borussia Moenchengladbach in Germany before joining Olympiakos in 2007. He went on to make 148 appearances for the Greek heavyweights, scoring 62 goals.
Earlier this season he became the first Greek player to score a Champions League hat-trick when he claimed all three goals in Olympiakos's 3-0 group-phase success away to Belgian side Anderlecht.
He has scored eight goals in 28 international appearances, notably netting three times as Greece overcame Romania in a two-legged World Cup qualifying play-off in November.Mitroglou will be expected to spearhead Fulham's attempt to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
Manager Rene Meulensteen's side have lost 12 of their last 15 games and are currently second from bottom in the English top flight.

AGUERO OUT FOR A MONTH

Manchester City's leading goalscorer Sergio Aguero is expected to be out for a month with a hamstring injury, the club's manager Manuel Pellegrini said on Friday.The Argentine striker hurt his hamstring after scoring the opening goal in City's 5-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday which took City to the top of the Premier League. It was his 26th goal of the season in only 22 appearances.
He will now miss key games against Chelsea in both the Premier League and FA Cup and at least one leg of the Champions League tie against Barcelona.The Spanish side are due in Manchester on February 18 with the return leg at the Nou Camp on March 12."The injuries are Samir Nasri, Javi Garcia and Sergio Aguero," Pellegrini told reporters. "The doctor has seen Aguero and he will be out for a month."It will be difficult because he is a top player for us but we have the players to replace him. He has just come back from injury. Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko replaced him then and Stevan Jovetic can now."Free-scoring Premier League leaders City host third-placed Chelsea on Monday having won eight successive league games since drawing at Southampton in early December.They have scored 42 goals in 11 league wins at the Etihad this season and a remarkable 115 in all competitions home and away.
Their emphatic victory at Spurs led the London side's manager Tim Sherwood to describe Pellegrini's team as "the best team on the planet" but the Chilean dismissed such talk."I don't think we are the best team in the planet," he said. "But if we play exactly the way we did against Tottenham, we are a very good team."At the moment, we are not thinking about titles. We are thinking about improving and winning every game."City head the standings by a point from Arsenal with Chelsea three points behind the leaders and Pellegrini said there would be plenty of twists and turns in the title race."
Arsenal and Chelsea are both having a good season. Just because they have dropped points does not mean they are weaker."Whatever happens in the game, the season is not over. There are still 42 points to play for.

DIEGO JOINS ATLETICO MADRID

Atletico Madrid have signed midfielder Diego from Wolfsburg for a reported 1.5 million euros.
The 28-year-old, whose contract with the Bundesliga club was set to expire in the summer, had long been linked with a return to Atletico -- where he spent a successful season on loan in 2011-12.There had also been strong signals that the Brazilian would return to former club Santos on a free transfer at the end of the current campaign.
However, he has instead opted for a move to the Spanish capital.“Atletico got in touch with us yesterday [Thursday] evening,” Wolfsburg sporting director Klaus Allofs told kicker. “We considered the pros and cons. Selling Diego is a bit of a step back for us.”
Atletico made the move after freeing up a space in their squad by loaning midfielder Josuha Guilavogui back to St Etienne for the rest of the season.
Diego joined Wolfsburg -- who signed Kevin De Bruyne from Chelsea earlier this month -- in 2010 from Juventus. He made a total of 77 appearances in that time, scoring 19 goals and creating a further 19.

ARSENAL SIGNS KALLSTROM ON A LOAN DEAL

Arsenal have completed the signing of Sweden midfielder Kim Kallstrom on loan until the end of the season from Russian club Spartak Moscow.The 31-year-old will provide cover for the injured Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere, while Mathieu Flamini is suspended for the next three games.Wenger said: "He has proven quality at both club and international level. We welcome Kim to Arsenal."Meanwhile the Gunners boss has ruled out buying Schalke's Julian Draxler.
Kallstrom said: "Arsenal is an amazing club with a lot of great players and a coach who has done really well here for a long time."I am so pleased to come here to learn as much as possible. I'm here to do my best for Arsenal and to help out the team, so we can achieve good results for the last part of the season."Kallstrom joined Spartak in 2012 following a six-year spell with Lyon, where he played more than 200 games and helped the French side to the Champions League semi-finals in 2010.
Wenger added: "We've been hit by the red card of Flamini, and Jack Wilshere is also not available. So in the area where we had plenty of players, suddenly we are a bit short."
Attacking midfielder Draxler, 20, who has played 10 times for Germany, was linked with a move to Arsenal and reportedly would have cost £37m.
He helped Schalke make it out of the group stage of the Champions League before Christmas.The German side will play Real Madrid over two legs in the last 16.
"The Draxler situation has been created by the newspapers, not by me. He will stay at Schalke," said Wenger.

OSVALDO JOIN JUVENTUS ON LOAN

Southampton's record signing Dani Osvaldo has completed his loan move to Serie A leaders Juventus.The deal gives the Italian side the option to buy the 28-year-old striker for a fee of £15.6m by 31 May.
Osvaldo is currently suspended by Southampton after a training-ground fight with team-mate Jose Fonte.The Italy international, who moved to St Mary's from Roma last summer for a club-record fee of £15m, has scored three goals in 13 appearances.His last goal came in Saints' 1-1 draw with Manchester City in December, but a week later his part in a touchline fracas at Newcastle saw him banned and fined £40,000 by the Football Association.
Osvaldo, who was born in Argentina and started his career at Huracan, was suspended by Roma in 2011 for punching team-mate Erik Lamela, now of Tottenham, during a 2-0 defeat by Udinese.
He admitted to missing Italian football during his "exciting experience" in England."I'm very happy, it's all been a bit of a whirlwind and I still can't quite believe it," he told his new club's website.
His departure leaves Southampton with England internationals Rickie Lambert and Jay Rodriguez and 18-year-old Sam Gallagher as recognised strikers.

ZOUMA SIGNS FOR CHELSEA

Chelsea have completed the signing of St Etienne defender Kurt Zouma, with the defender loaned back to the French club for the rest of the season.
Zouma, 19, was part of the France team that won the Under-20 World Cup last year and moves for a reported fee of around 12.5 million pounds.A statement on the Chelsea website read: "Chelsea Football Club has today (Friday) signed Kurt Zouma from St. Etienne. He will remain on loan at the French club for the rest of the season. The 19-year-old central defender has joined Chelsea on a five-and-a-half year contract. This season he has made 12 league appearances for France's fourth-placed side."
The 6ft 2in Zouma is a French Under-21 international. He was born in Lyon and joined St. Etienne as a 15-year-old in 2009, turning professional in 2011. In total he has made 52 league appearances for 'Les Verts' and scored four goals. We will be monitoring his progress for the rest of the season here on chelseafc.com."
Zouma, who has attracted the attention of many clubs across Europe this season, was banned for 10 matches in November for a leg-breaking tackle on Sochaux midfielder Thomas Guerbert. He hinted earlier this month that he would like to move to Chelsea, suggesting he had already spoken with Mourinho.

TOP EUROPEAN LEAGUE FIXTURES

Friday, 31 January 2014

Spanish Primera División
Granada vs Celta Vigo

German Bundesliga
TSV Eintracht Braunschweig vs Borussia Dortmund

French Ligue 1
Paris Saint-Germain vs Bordeaux

Saturday, 1 February 2014

Barclays Premier League
1:45 PM - Newcastle United vs Sunderland
1:45 PM - West Ham United vs Swansea City
4:00 PM - Cardiff City vs Norwich City
4:00 PM - Everton vs Aston Villa
4:00 PM - Fulham vs Southampton
4:00 PM - Hull City vs Tottenham Hotspur
4:00 PM - Stoke City vs Manchester United

Spanish Primera División
4:00 PM - Barcelona vs Valencia
6:00 PM - Levante vs Rayo Vallecano
8:00 PM - Getafe vs Real Valladolid
10:00 PM - Malaga vs Sevilla FC

Italian Serie A
6:00 PM - Bologna vs Udinese
6:00 PM - Cagliari vs Fiorentina
8:45 PM - AC Milan vs Torino

German Bundesliga
3:30 PM - Bayer Leverkusen vs VfB Stuttgart
3:30 PM - FC Augsburg vs Werder Bremen
3:30 PM - Mainz vs SC Freiburg
3:30 PM - Schalke 04 vs VfL Wolfsburg
3:30 PM - TSG Hoffenheim vs Hamburg SV
6:30 PM - Hannover 96 vs Borussia Monchengladbach

French Ligue 1
4:30 PM - Lorient vs AS Monaco
8:00 PM - Bastia vs Guingamp
8:00 PM - Evian Thonon Gaillard vs AC Ajaccio
8:00 PM - Sochaux vs Nantes
8:00 PM - St Etienne vs Valenciennes
8:00 PM - Stade de Reims vs Montpellier

Sunday, 2 February 2014

Barclays Premier League
2:30 PM - West Bromwich Albion vs Liverpool
5:00 PM - Arsenal vs Crystal Palace

Spanish Primera División
12:00 PM - Elche vs Almeria
5:00 PM - Real Betis vs Espanyol
7:00 PM - Atletico Madrid vs Real Sociedad
9:00 PM - Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid

Italian Serie A
3:00 PM - AS Roma vs Parma
3:00 PM - Atalanta vs Napoli
3:00 PM - Catania vs Livorno
3:00 PM - Chievo Verona vs Lazio
3:00 PM - Sassuolo vs Hellas Verona
8:45 PM - Juventus vs InternazionaleGerman Bundesliga
3:30 PM - Hertha Berlin vs Nurnberg
5:30 PM - Bayern Munich vs Eintracht Frankfurt

French Ligue 1
2:00 PM - Nice vs Lille
5:00 PM - Stade Rennes vs Lyon
9:00 PM - Marseille vs Toulouse

Monday, 3 February 2014

Barclays Premier League
9:00 PM - Manchester City vs Chelsea

Spanish Primera División
10:00 PM - Villarreal vs Osasuna

Italian Serie A
8:45 PM - Genoa vs Sampdoria

TOP EUROPEAN LEAGUE RESULTS

Barclays Premier League
Aston Villa 4-3 West Bromwich Albion
Chelsea 0-0 West Ham United
Sunderland 1-0 Stoke City
Tottenham Hotspur 1-5 Manchester City

Spanish Copa del Rey
Athletic Bilbao 1-2 Atletico Madrid
Barcelona 5-1 Levante

Italian Coppa Italia
Napoli 1-0 Lazio

German Bundesliga
VfB Stuttgart 1-2 Bayern Munich

French Ligue 1
Marseille 2-1 Valenciennes

LIBYA TO PLAY CHAN FINAL

The Mediterranean Knights, Libya’s national football team, have qualified for the 2014 Africa Nations Championship (Chan) final after a 5-4 penalty shootout win over Zimbabwe in the first semifinal played at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Wednesday night.
It was the first time the Libyans were returning to a major CAF competition final after their loss in the Afcon final to Ghana in 1982.
Libyan goalkeeper Mohamed Nashnush Abduala was the star with two saves during the penalties and converted the deciding final penalty which takes them close to the winners’ trophy and $750 000 cash prize.
Zimbabwe, who stopped Mali in the quarterfinal, dominated the most of the 120 minutes of normal play that ended goalless. Simba Sithole, Ali Sadiki and Kudakwashe Mahachi missed scoring opportunities for the Warriors of Zimbabwe.
Sithole scored in the 77th minute, but the goal was canceled for offside during the build-up. Muataz Mahde Abdelraman Fetori also came close to scoring for Libya.

TEN MAN GHANA EDGE NIGERIA OUT OF CHAN

Ten man Ghana shocked Nigeria 4-1 on post-match penalties after a scoreless semifinal at the end of extra time at the Free State Stadium to advance to the 2014 Africa Nations Championship (Chan) finals.
Ghana will face Libya in the final on Saturday in Cape Town as they head into their second final after losing out to DR Congo in the 2009.
Successful spot kicks by Michael Akuffo, Theohilus Anobaah, Samuel Ainooson and the clincher from Abraham Attobrah sent Ghana through.Nigeria's solitary penalty was converted by Christantus Ejike while Ghana goalkeeper Stephen Adams saved Solomon Kwambe's spot kick before Ugonna Uzochukwu blasted his effort high and over to shatter the Super Eagles' dreams.
Meanwhile, there was little to separate the two sides in the first half of this West African derby although the Super Eagles had the lion’s share of opportunities while Ghana enjoyed the possession and territory.
Ghana were first to sample the target through Seidu Bansey in the second minute when he blasted a shot from halfway inside the Super Eagles area that veered just wide of goal.The Super Eagles suffered a scare in the fourth minute when their star player, Christantus Ejike, was left concussed after a clash with defender Kwabena Adusei, although the latter came off unscathed.But much to Nigerians' relief, the striker was able to continue and came back on the pitch in the eight minute.
Nigeria's first great chance came in the 11th minute, but striker Abubakar Ibrahim’s overhead kick on the near post smashed into the side netting.
Ibrahim had another chance in the 26th minute to break the monotony with a booming strike from just inside Ghana’s own area, but his effort came off the woodwork with Stephen Adams beaten before the game fizzled off into the break.Two minutes into the second half, Adams sprung to Ghana's rescue to parry Ugonna Uzochukwu’s flick off a Solomon Kwambe throw-in as Nigeria pumped up the pressure and, in the 52nd minute, Ifeanyi Ede powered past two Ghana defenders and into the box, but blasted his shot wide.
Ghana then suffered a setback in the 64th minute when defender Kwabena Abdesuei was sent off for a second booking after a foul on Ibrahim.
But Ghana had one great chance in the 82nd minute wasted when Nuru Sulley headed a set piece spectacularly wide of an inviting goalmouth.
Extra time also ended in a stalemate, but Ghana had a hawk-eyed referee Jani Sikwaze to thank after he rightly ruled out a Nigeria penalty call after Barnabas Imenger went down without any contact in the box.
A minute later, Imenger blasted high from close range after Abdullahi Shehu rolled the ball into his path with Adams beaten.
Adams then made a dramatic 120th minute save off the line before Sikazwe called time for post-match penalties.

BAYERN MAINTAINS THEIR BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE

A brilliant last-gasp goal from Thiago Alcantara saw Bayern Munich edge Stuttgart 2-1 on Wednesday night to extend their lead at the Bundesliga summit to 13 points.It looked for much of the evening like Bayern's 42-game unbeaten Bundesliga record was coming to an end after Vedad Ibisevic had put the hosts in front.Stuttgart wasted chances to add a second, though, and were pegged back 15 minutes from time by substitute Claudio Pizarro. And then, deep in stoppage time, Thiago's acrobatic effort earned the visitors all three points.While Bayern may have dominated the first half in the possession stakes, they were rather lucky only to be one goal behind as a young Stuttgart side created numerous openings.Mohammed Abdellaoue set up Timo Werner for the first before a header from Werner struck the outstretched arm of Rafinha inside the penalty area, but the referee waved away the home team's protests.Their anger at that decision did not last too long, however, as Ibisevic put them in front in the 29th minute with a fine side-footed finish from Abdellaoue's lay-off.
Abdellaoue then struck a shot over before Ibisevic shot wide early in the second half.
Bayern coach Pep Guardiola responded by introducing Pizarro and Mario Mandzukic, throwing caution to the wind for the final half-hour.The visitors upped the pressure and Stuttgart tried to raise the barricades, succeeding in keeping Mario Gotze and Thomas Muller out before a free-kick from Thiago was met by the 35-year-old Pizarro, who headed in from six yards out.
Stuttgart almost regained the lead through Werner, but, just when it seemed like they would get a point for their toils, they were deprived of even that.
An acrobatic shot from Thiago in the third minute of stoppage time ensured Bayern took all three points to give them a 13-point cushion at the top of the table.

CABAYE SIGNS FOR PSG

Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed the signing of Yohan Cabaye from Newcastle United on a three-and-a-half-year contract.
Cabaye, 28, joined the Magpies from French side Lille in 2011 for a fee reported to be in the region of five million euros.The France international has been in impressive form for Newcastle this season, leading to interest from a number of Europe's top clubs.
With PSG boss Laurent Blanc saying he admired for the midfielder, the Ligue 1 champions submitted an initial offer of 14 million pounds last week -- an offer rejected by the Magpies.The offer was increased and the two clubs have now reached an agreement -- an initial 20 million euros and up to three million in performance-related bonuses -- with Cabaye completing his medical on Wednesday afternoon.
"Seduced by the ambitious project of Paris Saint-Germain, I'm very impatient to join this exceptional team and help them achieve the most ambitious of objectives in both France and Europe," Cabaye, who will wear the number four shirt, is quoted as saying in a statement on PSG's official website.Confirming his departure via a statement on their official website, Newcastle said: "Yohan leaves the club after two-and-a-half seasons at St. James' Park."Newcastle United have benefited significantly from Yohan's talents since his arrival from Lille in the summer of 2011, and the player has likewise benefited, developing hugely during his time on Tyneside."The club wanted to keep him, but the lure of Champions League football and the prospect of being involved in the sporting project at PSG was an opportunity that Yohan made very clear to us he wanted to take.
"Yohan leaves the club with our best wishes for his future at PSG and, hopefully, as part of the French national squad for this summer's World Cup."

MAN CITY OVERTAKE ARSENAL AS CHELSEA DROP POINT

Manchester City surged to the top of the Premier League with a 5-1 victory at Tottenham, although a suspected hamstring injury to Sergio Aguero will have dampened the mood slightly.Aguero gave City a deserved lead on the quarter-hour mark, latching onto David Silva's through ball to slide it in past Hugo Loris and score for the eighth successive game. It made it seven goals in five games for Aguero since he returned from a month out with a calf problem in the FA Cup replay against Blackburn.
Spurs thought they had levelled when Michael Dawson side-footed Christian Eriksen's free kick in at the back post, but he was ruled to have been offside.Aguero then limped off shortly before half-time with a suspected hamstring injury, with Stevan Jovetic coming on in his place.Five minutes after the restart, Spurs were down to 10 men when Danny Rose was adjudged to have brought down Edin Dzeko in the box, despite appearing to get the ball. Yaya Toure stepped up to send Lloris the wrong way and make it 2-0.
It didn't take long for City to grab their next goal. Silva latched onto Pablo Zabaleta's cut-back and fired off a shot that Lloris saved onto the post, only for Dzeko to stroke in the rebound on 53 minutes.
However, Spurs pulled one back shortly before the hour with Etienne Capoue spinning in the box and firing home, in off the outstretched arm of Fernandinho.
Any chance of an unlikely comeback was snuffed out when Jovetic curled the ball into the bottom left corner via a deflection from Vlad Chiriches on 77 minutes. Vincent Kompany then capped off the victory a minute from time by scrambling the ball home when Dzeko's shot dropped kindly into his path.
Chelsea began life after Juan Mata by dropping points at home for just the second time this season, as West Hamheld on for a goalless draw.
It means Jose Mourinho’s men will not be able to overtake Manchester City at the top of the table even if they win at the Etihad Stadium when the two sides meet in their next Premier League outing on Monday night.The closest Chelsea came to opening the scoring in the first half was shortly before half-time when John Terry’s header brought a terrific save from Adrian with his legs. The West Ham goalkeeper was also tested before the break by an Oscar drive, but impressed again with another fine stop.
West Ham continued to hold their own in the second half and should even have taken the lead midway through it but Andy Carroll squandered a gilt-edged opportunity after Petr Cech failed to deal with a cross, but the striker produced a fresh-air swipe at the ball instead.
Eden Hazard and Frank Lampard both came close to breaking the deadlock but were denied by either good defending or narrowly missing the target.
Aston Villa emerged as 4-3 victors from a frantic Midlands derby against West Brom.
At Villa Park, West Brom took the lead after just four minutes in stunning fashion, as Chris Brunt picked the ball up 35 yards from goal and laced a shot into the top corner. The flying start continued five minutes later as James Morrison’s low cross from the left was deflected past his own goalkeeper by Villa’s Fabian Delph.The hosts responded almost immediately by opting for route one, a long clearance being flicked on to Andreas Weimann who crashed the ball into the net from 12 yards. By the 25th minute, they were level. Matthew Lowton provided a low cross that was turned home by Leandro Bacuna six yards out.Twelve minutes later, a remarkable turnaround was complete, and it was Delph scoring at the correct end this time. Another long ball was flicked on by Christian Benteke to Delph, who beat Steven Reid with a nice turn before drilling the ball high into the net.
Barely had Villa established a lead than they threw it away with more porous defending. Victor Anichebe and Morrison linked up well to set up Youssouf Mulumbu who created space for himself to equalise, and close the half at six goals, three for each side, only the sixth time that had happened in a Premier League first half.
It was 64 minutes before the score was added to as Benteke converted from the penalty spot after he himself was brought down by Diego Lugano. That was enough to seal a dramatic 4-3 victory, putting Villa up to 10th place, with their Midlands rivals just three points above the drop zone.
Sunderland moved out of the bottom three in the Premier League table after a hard-earned 1-0 victory against Stoke, despite playing most of the second half against 10 men.
After a lively start, it was Sunderland who made the breakthrough as Fabio Borini’s shot proved too hot for Asmir Begovic to handle and Adam Johnson was quickest to the rebound to put the hosts ahead. It was Johnson’s sixth league goal of the season, twice as many as any other Sunderland player.
Peter Crouch was presented with an opportunity to equalise as Vito Mannone collided with his own defender John O’Shea, but the Italian recovered to make a fine double stop and deny the Stoke striker.
Stoke’s task became even more difficult in the second half as Steven Nzonzi was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Jozy Altidore, reducing his side to 10 men. However, the next goalscoring opportunity fell to Stoke and new signing Peter Odemwingie, who nutmegged Wes Brown with a smart turn but hit his shot straight at Mannone.
Odemwingie came even closer with seven minutes remaining, his header crashing off the crossbar and out of play.

MANDZUKIC SET FOR BAYERN RETURN

Bayern Munich striker Mario Mandzukic has been recalled to the Bayern Munich matchday squad for the Bundesliga leaders' visit to Stuttgart on Wednesday.
Mandzukic, 27, was axed for last Friday’s victory over Borussia Moenchengladbach, with Bayern coach Pep Guardiola  later explaining the move was due to the Croatia striker’s lack of effort during training.The Mandzukic exclusion, in a media landscape searching for Bayern angles other than the same old “Bayern rushing from record to record,” made the headlines in Germany. Some experts have compared Mandzukic’s fate to that of Zlatan Ibrahimovic under Guardiola at Barcelona -- with many feeling the clock is ticking on the former Wolfsburg man’s time in Bavaria.
And ahead of his side’s trip to Stuttgart, Guardiola told a news conference that he is prepared to drop players because Bayern possess enough depth of quality.“I’ll have to wait for the final training session, and then I’ll decide. We have got a big squad, and every week one or two super, super players might not make the squad,” Guardiola said, adding that Mandzukic had trained “okay” in the past few days.Guardiola was bombarded with questions on Mandzukic from reporters and appeared visibly irked by the stream, remarking: “That’s the third question about Mandzu. You all know my decision, my opinion. Sometimes I need those players, sometimes I need other players.”Later on Tuesday, Bayern Munich took to Twitter to reveal that Mandzukic will be part of the Bayern squad at Stuttgart, but Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben will both sit out with muscle problems.The team are on their way to Stuttgart. Mandzukić makes the trip, but Ribéry and Robben (both muscle problems) are staying in Munich.
Bayern Munich lead Bundesliga by 10 points, and could extend the gap over Bayer Leverkusen to 13 on Wednesday. Stuttgart sit in 12th place but only hold a three point lead over Hamburg, who currently occupy the relegation playoff position.

MARTINEZ FEAR LONG ABSENSE OF LUKAKU

Everton manager Roberto Martinez fears Romelu Lukaku could face a lengthy absence after the striker injured his ankle in Tuesday's derby defeat at Liverpool.
Lukaku collided with teammate Gareth Barry while defending Luis Suarez's corner, from which Steven Gerrard opened the scoring in a 4-0 win for Liverpool at Anfield.The Belgium striker, who has scored nine goals so far for Everton this season, could face a lengthy absence, with Martinez admitting he is concerned and is waiting to discover the extent of the problem."We are going to assess it, he has his ankle in a cast but it does not look too good. He picked up a bad injury," Martinez told his postmatch news conference. "He just collided with Gareth Barry in the corner as the ball was delivered into the near post. There was a collision and he got an ankle twisted."
There are moments in games that can be very painful, and that was one of them. Not only did we concede from a dead-ball situation, two of our players collided and Romelu got injured."
Everton remain in sixth in the Premier League table following the defeat, but Manchester United's 2-0 win over Cardiff saw them move within two points of the Toffees.

NEGREDO SET TO FACE TOTTENHAM

Manchester City prolific striker Alvaro Negredo has been passed fit to return to the Manchester City team against Tottenham and will resume his prolific partnership with Sergio Aguero.

Negredo, who has scored 23 goals this season, missed Sunday’s 4-2 FA Cup win over Watford with a shoulder injury sustained in the closing minutes of the 3-0 Capital One Cup win over West Ham last Tuesday.

And so he is set to start a league game alongside the 25-goal top scorer Aguero for the first time since December’s 6-3 win over Arsenal.The two forwards have only begun 12 games for City but have scored 25 goals between them in that time.

Manager Manuel Pellegrini confirmed: "Negredo is okay. He is in the squad list and has no problems."The Chilean had hoped he would not need Aguero for all of the Watford game but City trailed 2-0 at half-time before the Argentine’s hat trick propelled them into a fifth-round meeting against Chelsea.

But Pellegrini insisted the former Atletico Madrid forward is fine, adding: "He played without problem for the 90 minutes and he is okay."City are still without Samir Nasri, who has a knee injury, while fellow midfielders James Milner, who has a groin problem, and Javi Garcia, who has a minor knock, have also been ruled out of the trip to White Hart Lane. "Both of them are injured," Pellegrini said.

Pellegrini was disappointed with City’s first-half performance against Watford, when the Championship team took a two-goal lead, and admitted: "Maybe in that match we couldn’t have the motivation we needed."

NASRI MAY BE BACK TO FACE BARCELONA

Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri is winning his battle to be fit to face Barcelona in the Champions League next month.
Nasri, 26, was injured by a shocking challenge from Newcastle defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa on Jan. 12 and was seen at City’s Carrington training ground on Tuesday with his knee in a brace.
But manager Manuel Pellegrini insisted the France international is on course to recover from his knee problem to take on the Spanish champions at the Nou Camp on Feb. 18, saying: “Next week Samir will start running and in two or three weeks he will be fit.”Pellegrini has insisted that City are excellent defensively and said his team work more on trying to prevent goals than score them.They conceded twice to Championship side Watford in the FA Cup on Saturday and captain Vincent Kompany told ESPN: “Our weakness is our strength, like any other squad that are so dominant and so attacking. We play with two strikers and two wingers who are virtually strikers and one of our midfield players -- which we only have two of -- is also virtually a striker.
“Our full-backs are pushing up all the time, ultimately out of a team of 11 players we have six or seven who are always involved in the attack and it just means that there is a lot of ground to cover when you lose the ball. It’s a risk but it’s a style of playing that suits us at the moment.”But Pellegrini responded: “We must be a very balanced team. Maybe you don't believe me but we work more in defending than attacking. It's my opinion and maybe I am wrong but I think this team defends very well. For the moment, we will continue in the same way.”

DE JONG SET FOR MEDICAL AT NEWCASTLE

Borussia Moenchengladbach forward Luuk de Jong will undergo a medical at Newcastle United on Tuesday, his current club have announced.
De Jong, 23, joined Gladbach from Twente in his native Netherlands for 12 million euros in the summer of 2012, but has failed to impress for the Foals.Throughout the January transfer window, the former Netherlands under-21 international has been linked with a move to St James' Park, and on Tuesday Glabach said that De Jong has left for England to complete his move to the Premier League.
"Luuk de Jong has not trained today with the Foals," they said via their official Twitter account. "The forward is on his way to Newcastle for a medical.
Gladbach head coach Lucien Favre later revealed the initial conditions of De Jong's proposed move to Tyneside."It's a loan," Favre told RP. "Newcastle is a great opportunity for him. We are glad that he has found a new club. It's the best for him and for us."  De Jong has been used 13 times as a substitute for Gladbach, and warmed up for 45 minutes during the Foals' 2-0 defeat at home to Bayern last Friday.
In the past few weeks, Gladbach sporting director Max Eberl had vowed not to let De Jong leave before the club had lined up a replacement. The Foals have also been linked with Newcastle striker Papiss Demba Cisse as part of a swap move. 

ARSENAL DROP POINT AS LIVERPOOL WALLOP EVERTON

Arsenal dropped point by opening the door for Manchester City and Chelsea to overtake them at the top of the Premier League table as they were held to a 2-2 draw at Southampton.The result means that victories for City against Tottenham or Chelsea against West Ham - both on Wednesday night - could move them top of the league and drop Arsene Wenger's men as far down as third place.
Southampton dominated possession in the early stages and finally made the breakthrough on 21 minutes when Luke Shaw whipped in a fantastic cross to the backpost which set up Jose Fonte with the perfect chance to score with a well-placed header.
Wenger was visibly furious as his team walked off at half-time, and they immediately sparked into life in the second half with an equaliser by Giroud on 48 minutes from Bacary Sagna's cross. Four minutes later, Arsenal were ahead as Cazorla smacked a left-foot shot into the net from the edge of the box but the lead lasted barely two minutes as Adam Lallana latched onto a loose ball in the box to score from 10 yards.
Mesut Ozil almost put Arsenal back in front midway through the second half as his mazy 40-yard run ended with a shot that crashed off the bar. Arsenal's night was further dampened by a red card for Mathieu Flamini as he lunged in two-footed on Lallana with 10 minutes to go.

Everton's miserable record at Anfield continued as Daniel Sturridge scored twice -- and missed a penalty for his hat trick -- in a 4-0 rout for a Liverpool side that proved far too strong for their neighbours.Liverpool took the lead on 21 minutes as skipper Gerrard leaped highest to head home. Romelu Lukaku was then stretchered off with an ankle injury, and Everton's night continued to deteriorate rapidly as Philippe Coutinho set up Daniel Sturridge to make it 2-0, and Sturridge added a third with an instinctive lob to all but wrap up the game inside 35 minutes.
It got no better for Everton at the start of the second half, as they were caught on the counter-attack by a blistering break from Luis Suarez who finished superbly. It could have been 5-0 soon after as Raheem Sterling was ruled to have been fouled by Tim Howard. However, Sturridge's penalty effort for his hat-trick did not even trouble the goalkeeper.The result means Everton are still without a Premier League win at Anfield since 1999.
Manchester United's record signing Juan Mata put in an inspired performance on his debut as his new side eased past Cardiff City 2-0 at Old Trafford.
All eyes were on Mata and the returning Robin van Persie - and the pair were involved in United's opening goal in the sixth minute.
Mata spread the ball wide to Patrice Evra with a delicious cross-field ball. Evra found Ashley Young, whose cross was headed onto the bar by Antonio Valencia.
It fell kindly for Van Persie, and the Dutchman's initial effort was saved by David Marshall. But the goalkeeper's parry only found Van Persie again, who headed into an empty net.
Cardiff, managed by former United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, came out fighting in the second half, but the hosts doubled their lead against the run of play through a fizzing 25-yard strike from Young.The result keeps Manchester United in seventh, six points behind Liverpool in the final Champion League spot.
Crystal Palace moved five points clear of the relegation zone thanks to a 1-0 win over Hull City at Selhurst Park.There was an element of fortune in Palace's goal as Jason Puncheon lashed home a rebound after his initial header from Yannick Bolasie's cross rebounded back to him off strike partner Marouane Chamakh.
Hull midfielder Tom Huddlestone ended the match playing in goal after Allan McGregor was sent off for kicking out at Stuart O'Keefe.
Swansea City also put daylight between themselves and the bottom three with a 2-0 victory over fellow strugglers Fulham at the Liberty Stadium.
After a dire first half, Swansea started the better after the break and took a deserved lead when a 25-yard strike from Jonjo Shelvey took a wicked deflection off Steve Sidwell leaving goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg wrong-footed.The points were safe 15 minutes from time when a whipped free-kick from Jonathan De Guzman was glanced in by Chico Flores.
Elsewhere, Norwich City and Newcastle United played out an entertaining 0-0 draw at Carrow Road. Loic Remy hit the woodwork either side of half-time before being shown a red card for a scuffle with Bradley Johnson - who was also sent off.

TOP EUROPEAN LEAGUE RESULTS

Barclays Premier League
Manchester United 2-0 Cardiff City
Norwich City 0-0 Newcastle United
Southampton 2-2 Arsenal
Swansea City 2-0 Fulham
Crystal Palace 1-0 Hull City
Liverpool 4-0 Everton

Spanish Copa del Rey
Real Madrid 1-0 Espanyol

SALAH NAMED SWISS PLAYER OF THE YEAR

New Chelsea signing Mohamed Salah has been named Swiss Football League player of the year.The league said the 21-year-old winger, who on Sunday completed his transfer to Chelsea from Switzerland's FC Basel, won a trio of awards.
In addition to being named best player of 2013 by a jury of Swiss league managers, club captains and sports journalists, he was also named in the top flight fantasy squad.
And to cap the awards from the professionals, the Egyptian international was voted fans' favourite of 2013.
Salah's former manager, 39-year-old Murat Yakin, was meanwhile named coach of the year. The ex-Switzerland international has led FC Basel to a string of titles.
Salah joined the Swiss top flight club in 2012 from Egyptian Premier League side El Mokawloon after impressing Basel during their friendly against Egypt's Under-23s.
Quickly earning his berth in the first team thanks to his scoring skills, he caught Chelsea's eye with a consolation goal against them in Basel's 2013 Europa League semifinal defeat.
Salah has played against Chelsea four times over the last year, scoring three times, including in Basel's two Champions League group-phase victories against the London club earlier this season.
He has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with Chelsea, who have not disclosed the fee, but British media reports claim the transfer fee was around £11 million ($18 million, 13.2 million euros), which would make him a record sale by a Swiss club.
Salah is seen as a replacement for Spanish attacking midfielder Juan Mata, who has joined Manchester United for £37.1 million.

TOP EUROPEAN LEAGUE FIXTURES

Tuesday, 28 January 2014

Barclays Premier League
8:45 PM - Manchester United vs Cardiff City
8:45 PM - Norwich City vs Newcastle United
8:45 PM - Southampton vs Arsenal
8:45 PM - Swansea City vs Fulham
9:00 PM - Crystal Palace vs Hull City
9:00 PM - Liverpool vs Everton

Spanish Copa del Rey
9:00 PM - Real Madrid vs Espanyol

Wednesday, 29 January 2014

Barclays Premier League
8:45 PM - Aston Villa vs West Bromwich Albion
8:45 PM - Chelsea vs West Ham United
8:45 PM - Sunderland vs Stoke City
8:45 PM - Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City

Spanish Copa del Rey
8:00 PM - Athletic Bilbao vs Atletico Madrid
10:00 PM - Barcelona vs Levante

Italian Coppa Italia
8:45 PM - Napoli vs Lazio

German Bundesliga
8:00 PM - VfB Stuttgart vs Bayern Munich

French Ligue 1
7:00 PM - Marseille vs Valenciennes

NEWCASTLE'S CABAYE TO JOIN PSG

Newcastle and Paris St-Germain have agreed a fee of around £20m for France midfielder Yohan Cabaye.The French champions had a £14m bid for the 28-year-old, who joined the Magpies in 2011, rejected on Sunday.But a £19m deal, that could rise beyond £20m, has been reached.
Cabaye, who has scored 17 goals in 79 appearances for the Magpies, will fly to Paris for a medical on Tuesday and will not play a part in Newcastle's Premier League game with Norwich.
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew said earlier on Monday that he could not guarantee that the former Lille player, who joined the Tyneside club for £4.3m in June 2011, will remain at St James' Park beyond the end of the month."No, I'm not confident," Pardew said. "I don't think any team not in a Champions League position or fighting for a Champions League spot could be."Cabaye refused to play for Newcastle in August after they rejected a £10m offer from Arsenal, but later apologised to Magpies fans and in September insisted he was "happy" at the Premier League club.
However, Cabaye has continued to be linked with a move away from Newcastle before the transfer deadline on 31 January.
Paris St-Germain are the current French Ligue 1 leaders, three points clear of AS Monaco, and will face Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16 of this season's Champions League.

PIRLO AWARDED SERIE A PLAYER OF THE SEASON

Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo has been named Serie A player of the 2012-13 season by his fellow players.
The award marks the second consecutive time that the Italy international has been honoured by his peers, following an outstanding season with the Turin giants.The 34-year-old was a pivotal presence as Juventus claimed a second consecutive Serie A title and reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Pirlo said he was honoured to have again been picked by his fellow professionals as the most outstanding player in Italy."I really value this award because my footballing colleagues vote and it's very nice to be selected by your peers," Pirlo tolduefa.com. "They do the same job as me and they see better than anybody else what happens on the pitch."Pirlo was joined by team-mates Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini and Arturo Vidal in the team of the season, while Juventus coach Antonio Conte was again named best coach."I thank the players I have had the privilege of coaching these past three years," Conte said. "We had a long-term project but results came much sooner than expected. We won in the first season, we won in the second and now we want a third Scudetto in a row. We also have a plan for Europe. We need more patience but we have strength and ideas to do well."

Serie A team of the 2012/13 (4-3-3)
Samir Handanovič (Inter Milan); Christian Maggio (Napoli), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Mattia De Sciglio (AC Milan); Arturo Vidal (Juventus), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus), Borja Valero (Fiorentina); Edinson Cavani (Napoli, now Paris Saint-Germain), Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Mario Balotelli (AC Milan).

ARSENAL TO EXTEND WENGER'S CONTRACT

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis said Arsene Wenger will sign a new contract at an event to announce a lucrative new commercial deal with Puma.
Wenger’s current contract is due to expire at the end of the current season, but it was reported earlier this month that the Frenchman was ready to extend his 17-year reign at the club and he recently hinted that he had come to a decision.There has yet to be any official confirmation from the club over the manager’s decision, but Gazidis told the media on Monday: “We have always supported Arsene. The board has always been completely behind him as has [owner] Stan Kroenke, and Arsene has always been committed to this football club, so we are comfortable with the position, we are relaxed about it...“Arsene will be extending with us, and at the right time we will make that announcement.”The news came as Arsenal promoted a new long-term partnership with Puma, which will supply the Premier League club’s kit from July 2014.The official figures for the deal have not been made public, but reports suggest the agreement -- confirmed as “the biggest deal in Puma and Arsenal's history” -- will pay around 30 million pounds a season to replace Nike.Gazidis said: “We are excited to be partnering with Puma, a company whose football heritage and record of innovation have a strong affinity with our own. This represents another important step forward in Arsenal's progression on and off the pitch.”Puma's chief executive Bjoern Gulden added: “Arsenal have been a key strategic target for Puma for a number of years now.“Through a clear commercial vision, a well-defined sports marketing strategy and a relentless enthusiasm within the Puma organisation, we are proud to have signed this partnership with a truly global football club.“As we enter a new era in our company history, Arsenal represents a major commercial and marketing opportunity to reinforce Puma's credibility as a global sports brand, and we have full confidence the plans in place to activate this partnership will have a significant global impact.”

MATA EXCITED ABOUT HIS LINK UP WITH ROONEY

New Manchester United signing Juan Mata has shrugged off suggestions he and Wayne Rooney want to play in the same position, saying he “can’t wait” to line up alongside the England international.
Mata, 25, who became the most expensive player in United’s history on Saturday after joining from Chelsea, is confident he can gel with Rooney, 28 -- a player he feels is one of England’s greatest ever.The Spain international’s arrival, though, has prompted questions about how United manager David Moyes can accommodate two footballers who both want to operate as a No. 10. But Mata said: “I can’t wait to play alongside him [Rooney]. For me, he is one of the best players in the history of this country. He is unbelievable: he is a striker who can score, can assist and can come to the midfield to take the ball and move so I think I will enjoy playing alongside him.“I will try to connect with him as best as I can to try and find the gaps between the rival defences because I was doing this the last season. That is my best kind of play, to be in the position I have to be in to assist the strikers.”Mata spent much of the first half of the season on the bench at Chelsea and said he is relishing joining a club where he is likely to play more.The former Valencia man also said that he is happy to play wherever Moyes wants him to.
Asked about his probable position at United, he gestured to Moyes and replied: “That is a question for him. I would like to play anywhere, I would like to try my best to assist and score. I will try my best to improve as a player, to grow and to help the team as much as I can.”Mata will wear the No. 8 shirt vacated by Anderson, who has joined Fiorentina on loan, and not, as some predicted, United’s famous No. 7 shirt -- previously worn by George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.Mata said: “I think No. 8 is a great number. I like the number. I know No. 7 is iconic but I was speaking with David about it and we decided No. 8 is a good number for me and hopefully it will bring me good luck.”Mata declared that joining United is “great” and said the reception he has been afforded at Old Trafford has been “unbelievable.”He added: “Coming here is a great moment for me. I feel very happy to be here, to have the chance to play for a massive club like this and obviously the last six months in Chelsea were a bit difficult for me but now I am very happy and looking forward to winning as many trophies as I can with this club because I am sure it will be a great, great period for me.“I have to say the welcome was unbelievable for me, coming here by helicopter, the welcome from the manager, the players, the club and even the fans from social media has been unbelievable.”Meanwhile, Moyes refused to give an update on the situation regarding Rooney and his contract negotiations.The forward has begun initial discussions over a new deal at Old Trafford, but the United boss said: "I've left that to [chief executive] Ed [Woodward] and Wayne and his advisors. We'll give you an update at the right time.
"The right time to speak about Wayne's contract is at the time -- whenever that comes round. If you want to talk about his performances I can do, but I can't talk to you about both of them [contract and performances] together."

MONACO CLOSE UP ON PSG

Monaco beat Marseille 2-0 on Sunday night to close the gap on the Ligue 1 champions PSG to three points at the top.
The big-spending principality club were without injured star striker Radamel Falcao but were still too good for their south-coast rivals as goals from Valere Germain and Emmanuel Riviere earned them the win.
Marseille had to wait until the 41st minute for their first real chance, but Florian Thauvin saw his header blocked by Monaco keeper Danijel Subasic and within 60 seconds the home side were leading. Raggi fed the ball to Germain 30 yards from goal and he lifted the ball past outrushing defender Kassim Abdallah as he raced in the area from the left before rolling his shot just inside the far post.
Monaco kept the pressure up at the start of the second half and James Rodriguez brought another save out of Mandanda before Riviere made it 2-0 in the 58th minute. Geoffrey Kondogbia curled in a cross from the right of the area which Riviere controlled on the edge of the six-yard box before slamming his shot into the roof of the net.
Lyon made it three Ligue 1 wins in a row for the first time this season with a comfortable 3-0 defeat of 10-man Evian at the Stade Gerland.Bafetimbi Gomis scored his eighth goal of the season to set the hosts on their way before Alexandre Lacazette effectively wrapped up all three points with goals either side of the break to move the former champions to fifth - their highest league position since September.
A run of six winless games for the visitors is doing nothing for their hopes of survival and leaves Pascal Dupraz's team just three points above Valenciennes who occupy the final relegation spot in 18th.
Bordeaux got over their humiliating midweek Coupe de France defeat to L'Ile Rousse with an impressive 2-0 win against St Etienne at Stade Chaban-Delmas.Following that embarrassing exit, the home fans demanded a response and goals from Abdou Traore and Brazilian defender Henrique helped appease the disgruntled Bordeaux faithful.

BARCELONA GO ON TOP OF LA LIGA LOG

It was back to business as usual for Barcelona following a turbulent week that saw the shock resignation of president Sandro Rosell as they returned to the top of the Primera Division standings with a 3-0 win over Malaga.
Gerard Pique opened the scoring just before the break and then Pedro Rodriguez and Alexis Sanchez notched twice in quick succession around the hour mark to complete the scoring.
It would have been an even bigger margin of victory for the reigning champions but they twice saw efforts came back off the post while Malaga goalkeeper Willy Caballero made a string of saves.It was the perfect end to a testing few days for the Catalan giants.
Rosell's decision to relinquish the presidency on Thursday night came as he defends himself against allegations he misappropriated funds from the signing of striker Neymar last summer.
Real Madrid had also briefly taken top spot from them by beating Granada 2-0 on Saturday.
However, far from letting those incidents affect their performance against Malaga, Barca dominated from start to finish at the Nou Camp to reclaim top spot on goal difference from Atletico Madrid - who themselves had leap-frogged back above Realearlier on Sunday with a 4-2 win over Rayo Vallecano.Barca, with new president Josep Maria Bartomeu watching on after he was named as Rosell's successor, came within inches of taking the lead after just five minutes when Alexis dinked the ball past Willy only to see it strike the far post.
Lionel Messi also failed to make the most of a similar opening as he lofted the ball wide with only Willy to beat before Pedro was denied by the visiting keeper.
Barca were dominating but they almost found themselves trailing in the 30th minute when Bartlomiej Pawlowski glanced a Sergio Duda header goalwards.Fortunately for the home side though, it was straight at Victor Valdes and he was able to deflect it away.That was a rare first-half scare for Barca and Pedro and Jordi Alba both went close before they broke the deadlock in the 40th minute.Xavi's corner was flicked on by Alexis at the near post and the unmarked Pique had time to control the ball before drilling a half-volley past Willy.
Barca's dominance continued after the break with Willy superbly saving from Alexis and Cesc Fabregas before Pique saw his header come back off the post.
It seemed only a matter of time before Barca notched a second goal though, and it arrived in the 55th minute when Pedro created space inside the area before curling a low shot just inside the far post.
Malaga tried to pull a goal back with an audacious long-range effort by Duda, which was clawed away by Valdes, but it was game over in the 61st minute when Barca added a third.
Messi threaded the ball to Pedro whose first-time pass was slotted home at the far post by Alexis as Barca returned back to their perch atop the La Liga standings.

TOP EUROPEAN LEAGUE RESULTS

English FA Cup
Sheffield United 1-1 Fulham
Chelsea 1-0 Stoke City

Spanish Primera División
Almeria 1-0 Getafe
Osasuna 1-5 Athletic Bilbao
Rayo Vallecano 2-4 Atletico Madrid
Barcelona 3-0 Malaga

Italian Serie A
Hellas Verona 1-3 AS Roma
Cagliari 1-2 AC Milan
Internazionale 0-0 Catania
Livorno 3-1 Sassuolo
Parma 1-0 Udinese
Sampdoria 1-1 Bologna
Torino 1-0 Atalanta
Fiorentina 3-3 Genoa

German Bundesliga
Werder Bremen 0-0 TSV Eintracht Braunschweig
Hamburg SV 0-3 Schalke 04

French Ligue 1
Lyon 3-0 Evian Thonon Gaillard
Bordeaux 2-0 St Etienne
AS Monaco 2-0 Marseille

GHANA OVERCOMES DR CONGO TO MOVE TO SEMI FINAL

Black stars booked their semi final ticket courtesy of a penalty goal by Kwabina Adusei which has put Ghana into a highly-anticipated African Nations Championship semifinal against Nigeria as beaten opponents DR Congo prepare to go home.
It was a tightly-contested match and DRC had a penalty appeal denied in the dying seconds of the game.
Ghana were the first to threaten in the seventh minute when Mpong’s header went well wide after some early pressure on the DRC defence.Then, six minutes later DRC had a good chance on goal when Mubele skinned his marker but sent his powerful effort from inside the area way over and into the crowd.
In the 27th minute Ghana went very close through Anobaah - who scored the opening goal for Ghana in this year’s tournament – when he danced his way past a few DRC defenders before directing his effort onto the post from an acute angle.
Eight minutes later DRC got into a good position to score but Simbas striker Mabidi ballooned his effort way over the crossbar.Two minutes before the halftime break Ghana had another chance when the ball fell nicely for Adusei, but he could not make it count for the Black Stars.
As the second half started there was a chance for DRC, but Lusadisu sliced his effort wide of goal from outside the area.
In the 54th minute, DRC nearly gifted Yahaya Mohammed a goal, but goalkeeper Robert Kidiaba reacted well to clear the ball from Yahaya's feet following a horrible back pass.
Kwabina Adusei opened the scoring for Ghana from the penalty spot after 68 minutes. The spot kick was awarded after DRC’s Kimwika handled the ball in the area.
In the 75th minute Ghana had another chance as Bansey sent his headed attempt wide of goal before Kasusula shot over the crossbar.
In the 80th minute DRC showed their intent to pull a goal back when Nzinga shot wide from range and moments later Mundele was stopped in a tackle.
In the 84th minute the impressive Yahaya Mohammed should have made it two for Ghana when he was right in front of the keeper and missed.
DRC had a penalty appeal denied in the dying moments of referee’s optional time, which lasted for as many as six minutes.

PELE ALWAYS REMAIN SECOND BEST - MARADONA

Argentina legend Diego Maradona has renewed his long-running feud with great rival Pele, insisting that the Brazilian will always remain inferior.Pele was awarded the Ballon d'Or Prix d'Honneur in Switzerland last week, after being ineligible to win the orginal Ballon d’Or during his playing days as it was then only for those plying their trade in Europe.
However, Maradona, who has often spoken out against the former Santos man in the past, was far from impressed at FIFA’s decision to honour the Brazilian.
“How can you say that Pele received the Ballon d’Or before me? I received the award in Paris [in 1996]. So to make Pele the first one to receive the award before me is a huge mistake,” he said.“According to me, Pele will always remain second best in football when compared to Maradona. Look at it this way, in his own country, Brazil, Pele is the second best sportsman after Ayrton Senna [the former F1 driver].“Pele will always be second, be it in international football or in Brazilian sports. The sad thing is that he is second best and he will continue to stay in that position.“While presenting the award [this year’s Ballon d’Or] to Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele uttered his name as ‘Cristiano Leonardo’. This just shows where he belongs.”Maradona, the former Argentina manager, is currently the Dubai sports ambassador, and added: “I am happy with what I am doing for football and for myself. I am content living in a home in Dubai, but Pele lives in FIFA.”

ATLETICO MADRID LEAP-FROG REAL MADRID

Atletico Madrid kept up their title charge to leapfrog Real Madrid again with a convincing 4-2 win over Rayo Vallecanoon Sunday night.
David Villa opened the scoring for Atletico early on, with on-loan goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois then saving a penalty from Rayo's Jonathan Viera to keep them in front.
Arda Turan soon scored a brace, either side of a Jonathan Viera strike, to put Diego Simeone’s side in command of the game.
A second-half own goal from Saul Niguez made sure of the result for Atletico, before Joaquin Larrivey's scored a late consolation for the home side, who remain stranded in the relegation zone.
Athletic Bilbao gave a clear demonstration of their Champions League credentials as they crushed local rivals Osasuna 5-1 with a powerful display on Sunday night.
Aritz Aduriz scored twice, taking the match away from the hosts with his side's second and third goals after Markel Susaeta's opener had been cancelled out by Emiliano Armenteros.Osasuna were dealt another setback by the 76th-minute sending-off of Alejandro Arribas and Athletic took full advantage. Substitutes Ibai and Enrique Sola struck late on as the visitors strengthened their hold on fourth place in the Primera Division.
Almeria kick-started their season as they ended a run of four games without a win with a 1-0 victory over Getafe.Jonathan Zongo's second-half header was all that separated the two sides as Miguel Moya pulled off many great saves to keep the scoreline respectable.The win moves Francisco Rodriguez's side out of the danger zone while their opponents remain midtable following a disappointing run of just one win in their last seven matches.

NEWCASTLE REJECT PSG'S CABAYE BID

Newcastle United have rejected a bid for their France international midfielder Yohan Cabaye from big-spending French champions Paris Saint-Germain, according to British media reports on Sunday.
PSG coach Laurent Blanc has described Cabaye as a "target" and Britain's Press Association claims that Newcastle have turned down a £14 million offer for the 28-year-old from the French giants.Cabaye joined Newcastle from Lille for £4.3 million in 2011 and has regularly been linked with a move away from St James' Park, with Arsenal reportedly having a £10 million bid for him rejected last August.Cabaye subsequently issued an apology to the club's fans after being left out for Newcastle's first three games of the season over the affair.
Speaking on Friday, Blanc confirmed PSG's interest in both Cabaye and Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic."They are two targets that are interesting for Paris Saint-Germain," he said."They have the same profile and they're very technical. There are negotiations, which sometimes go on. Will it become concrete? I don't know."If a midfielder arrives, I'll be very happy, and if not, for whatever reason, we'll make do. We've done that for the first six months (of the season) and it hasn't gone too badly."
Blanc can already call upon Thiago Motta, Blaise Matuidi, Marco Verratti, Javier Pastore and Adrien Rabiot in central midfield, but he is looking to bolster a squad that is competing in Ligue 1, the League Cup and the Champions League.

LIBYA GRABS SEMI FINALS TICKET IN CHAN

Libya grabbed a semi final ticket after beating Gabon on a 4-2 penalty shoot-out. This win sent Libya into their first ever CAF African Nations Championship semifinal after 120 minutes of action against Gabon at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane in Polokwane on Sunday finished 1-1.The first 45 minutes was a rather timid affair in attack as both teams kept it tight at the back. Consequently, chances on goal were few and far between.Gabon started the brighter of the two teams and created the first chance of the game in the second minute after Romuald Ewouta Entsitsigui made his way down the left flank before cutting inside and seeing his powerful shot from just outside the box well-saved.
Gabon were at it again in the 14th minute and a little unlucky not to take the lead as Samson Mbingui struck the crossbar with a 22-yard free-kick.
A minute later and Libya were gifted a glorious chance to open the scoring after a mistake in the Gabon defence allowed Almoatasembellah Ali Mohamed through on goal, but with just the keeper to beat the Libyan attacker fired inches wide from 16-yards out.The next chance on goal came in the 24th minute as Libya’s Abdelrahman Fetori curled a 24-yard free-kick narrowly wide.The rest of the half saw both teams squandering possession as neither could hold onto the ball long enough to sustain a period of pressure that would create a chance on goal.The half ended 0-0.The start of the second 45 saw Gabon with the lion’s share of possession in front of the Libyan goal, but it was at the other end of the park where we saw the game’s opening goal.
In the 50th minute, very much against the run of play, a swift counter-attack by Libya saw Abdelsalam Omar through on goal and he showed composure under pressure as he lobbed the on-rushing goalkeeper from just outside the box, 1-0.
Gabon tried to fight their way back into the match, but could not create any decent openings in front of goal as Libya’s defence held firm for the large part.
Finally, in the 72nd minute Gabon were rewarded for their pressure when Fetori pulled Lionel Yackouya down inside the box and the referee pointed to the penalty spot.Daniel Cousin then restored parity for Gabon with a cool finish, 1-1.
In the 78th minute Samson Mbingui come close to giving Gabon the lead, but he saw his powerfully struck shot from 24-yards out brilliantly saved by the Libyan goalkeeper, diving low and to his left to make the stop.
Eight minutes later and the Libyan keeper was called into action again, this time denying Cousin from point blank range after the Gabon striker met a cross from the right with a strong header.
Neither team could find the winner as the match ended 1-1 and moved into 30 minutes of extra-time.Libya were bitterly unlucky not to take the lead in extra time after a thunderous 24-yard shot from Mohamed Ghanudi struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced away from danger in the 102nd minute.Five minutes later, form the acutest of angles on the right, Fetori fired an 18-yard volley goalwards, but he was thwarted by an acrobatic save from the keeper.
Still, neither side could break the deadlock as the game finished 1-1 after 120 minutes of action and moved into the lottery of the penalty shoot-out.Libya were perfect in the shootout and did not miss a spot-kick as they ran out 4-2 winners on penalties.

MAN CITY DRAWN TO CHELSEA AS ARSENAL HOST LIVERPOOL IN FIFTH ROUND OF FA CUP

The FA Cup fifth-round draw provided two huge ties as Manchester City were paired with Chelsea and Arsenal drawn at home to Liverpool.The Premier League's current top four will face-off as the Blues received scant reward for their 1-0 fourth-round victory over Stoke City on Sunday.
A trip to the Etihad Stadium now awaits Jose Mourinho, who won the FA Cup in 2007 during his first spell at Chelsea.
Premier League leaders Arsenal, whose hunt for a major trophy stretches back to 2005, also face a tricky tie as seven-time FA Cup winners Liverpool visit the Emirates Stadium.
Elsewhere, Everton boss Roberto Martinez faces former club Swansea at Goodison Park, while holders Wigan go to Cardiff and either Sheffield Wednesday or Charlton Athletic will ensure there is a lower-league presence in this season's quarterfinals. 

CHELSEA CONQUERS STOKE TO MOVE TO FIFTH ROUND OF FA CUP

Oscar, Jose Mourinho's chosen one, struck a match-winning free-kick as Chelsea celebrated a 1-0 FA Cup fourth-round victory over Stoke on their manager's 51st birthday.
Mourinho's preferred number 10, the man he chose for the role ahead of the now-departed Juan Mata, fired Chelsea ahead with a delightful 28th-minute set-piece and hit a post before Andre Schurrle also hit the woodwork. Chelsea struggled to kill off a stubborn Stoke side, despite the efforts of Oscar and Eden Hazard, and Samuel Eto'o spooned a glorious chance wide after Hazard's direct run and cross.The slender advantage did not ease Mourinho's concern, with the Portuguese wary of the December Barclays Premier League clash at Stoke, when Oussama Assaidi scored a last-gasp winner. But on this occasion Chelsea held on to take their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup, a trophy they have won in four of the last seven attempts, including in 2007 under Mourinho.
Chelsea's attention now turns to the Premier League derby with West Ham on Wednesday, when Stoke play Sunderland. Following the sale of Mata to Manchester United, Chelsea recruited Mohamed Salah from Basel in a deal which Mourinho confirmed before kick-off had been completed. Mata's frustrations became public when he expressed his exasperation when he was substituted for Oscar at Southampton on New Year's Day and Mourinho granted the World Cup winner his wish in sanctioning his exit. Oscar, Hazard and Willian have been the attacking trio of choice this term, but Schurrle came in for the latter as one of five changes from the side which beat Manchester United last weekend.Nemanja Matic made his second full debut after re-signing from Benfica and was a reassuring presence in deep midfield, slotting in seamlessly and allowing Frank Lampard to make forays forward. Eto'o, buoyed by his hat-trick against United, came close in the opening skirmishes after turning in a tight spot and firing a shot which drifted narrowly wide. Hazard was also lively and ran into an outstretched Wilson Palacios leg in the penalty area.Referee Chris Foy turned away the Belgian's appeal for what would have been a soft penalty, but did not dole out a booking. Hazard and Oscar were central to Chelsea's attacking work, while also tracking back as Mourinho's men defended as a team, a managerial demand Mata was unable to satisfy. Mata was a set-piece specialist, but Oscar has inherited those duties and curled in a sublime free-kick for his ninth goal of the season.
From the right edge of the area, the Brazilian struck the ball right-footed and into the opposite corner past Asmir Begovic, who was returning following a broken finger. Oscar then continued to illustrate Mourinho's faith in making him his attacking lynchpin by tracking back into deep midfield to thwart a promising Stoke counter-attack. Another trait Mourinho likes is the aggression in English football, but he did not enjoy Stoke players taking their physical approach too far at times. Hazard, on Chelsea's left, was a particular target, and, after Geoff Cameron was booked for one over-zealous challenge, switched flanks to escape.
From the right, Hazard crossed for Lampard, who was unable to convert on the slide. Stoke stood firm and threatened on the counter, coming close when Stephen Ireland found space on the left of the area and shot into the side netting. Oscar hit a post after ghosting through soon afterwards before Eto'o wriggled past Steven Nzonzi and Ryan Shawcross, but could not get a shot away. Schurrle fired on to the angle of post and bar soon after the restart and Oscar curled narrowly wide after good build-up play from Ashley Cole and Schurrle.
As long as there was just one goal in it, Stoke were not finished and Jonathan Walters shot narrowly off target, Marco Arnautovic curled a free-kick wide and Ireland prodded straight at Mark Schwarzer when the ball did not drop for him. Oscar and Hazard continued to be Chelsea's most-threatening players and the Brazilian shot at Begovic, while the Belgian's menacing cross was cleared. Assaidi came on with 18 minutes remaining and with Chelsea still striving to finish the contest.Begovic saved a Lampard drive from the edge of the area and was floundering on the floor when Eto'o contrived to slice wide after Hazard's run and cross fell to the striker with 13 minutes left. Ramires went down on the right side of the box under the challenge of Erik Pieters, but again Foy said no penalty.
A foul by Pieters on Ramires earned Chelsea a free-kick and Begovic saved a David Luiz pile driver. Chelsea could not get the second they sought, but Assaidi was unable to replicate his heroics as Stoke exited the tournament.

AS ROMA CLOSE GAP AS AC MILAN WINS

AS Roma moved to within six points of Serie A leaders Juventus as they claimed a comfortable 3-1 victory over Hellas Verona at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.
Goals from Adem Ljaljic, Gervinho and Francesco Totti handed the away side the points as Emil Hallfredsson's second-half equaliser proved not enough for Verona.The Giallorossi recorded a 1-0 victory over Juve in the Coppa Italia in midweek and made it their fifth win in succession, condemning Verona to their third straight league defeat.
Substitute Giampaolo Pazzini left it late to score his first goal of the season and complete a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory for AC Milan at Cagliari.The Italy striker only returned to the team in December following a long injury lay-off and, minutes after Mario Balotelli cancelled out Marco Sau's first-half opener with a free-kick, Pazzini was on hand to knock home from a corner.
It was a second straight league victory for Milan under new coach Clarence Seedorf and, although 14th-placed Cagliari may feel sick after surrendering all three points, the mainlanders can celebrate climbing two places to ninth.
Inter Milan endured another frustrating afternoon as basement boys Catania held them to a goalless draw at San Siro.The Nerazzurri went into the contest looking for their first win in 2014 and had their chances but lacked a finishing touch. The closest Inter came to taking three points was seven minutes from time when Rolando's header was kept out by Catania goalkeeper Alberto Frison.The result may have extended Inter's winless run to five games but the point has at least allowed the Nerazzurri to remain in fifth place, where they are one point clear of Torino, Parma and Hellas Verona.
A last-gasp goal from Alessandro Diamanti earned relegation-threatened Bologna a share of the points from a 1-1 draw with Sampdoria at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
The Rossoblu remain winless under new coach Davide Ballardini, who replaced Stefano Pioli earlier this month, but the point earned in Genoa puts a chink of daylight between them and 18th-placed Sassuolo.

CHELSEA COMPLETES THE SIGNING OF SALAH

Chelsea have completed the signing of Mohamed Salah from Swiss side FC Basel.
The Blues announced on Thursday night the signing of the 21-year-old Egyptian winger, subject to the agreement of personal terms and the signing of a medical. And, before Sunday's FA Cup fourth-round tie with Stoke, the club confirmed the deal has been concluded.
The deal is for a reported fee of 11 million pounds as Chelsea signed the forward ahead of Liverpool. Once it was clear Juan Mata was to join Manchester United, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho began looking for a replacement and Salah immediately came to mind.
Salah has played against Chelsea four times in the last 12 months, scoring three times, including in Basel's two Champions League Group E victories over Mourinho's men earlier this season.
Speaking on Friday, Mourinho spoke of his admiration for Salah, the potential of the player and said the Blues made their move quickly."I like the fact that he can play the same way our attacking players do, which is players with adaptability, to play right, left, or behind the striker,'' Mourinho said. "He's young, he's fast, he's creative, he's enthusiastic. When we analysed him he looks the kind of humble personality on the pitch, ready to work for the team and to work and to adapt himself to a new life."We believe if he comes that he will have a similar process to the Willian one. Willian needed two or three months to grow up and to feel comfortable playing for us (following his August signing from Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala). We think with him and (Andre) Schurrle, (Eden) Hazard, Oscar and Willian we will be fine."We lose an experienced top player like Juan, but we bring in a young player with great potential. Willian did that transition from his previous world to the top world of football. Hopefully, if Salah comes, he can do the same. We are ready to help, we are ready to support."

MAN UNITED COMPLETES SIGNING OF MATA FOR £37.1M

Juan Mata has completed his £37.1m move from Chelsea to Manchester United in a record transfer deal for the reigning Premier League champions.The Spain midfielder had a medical on Saturday and has signed a contract, understood to run until summer 2018.Mata, 25, is likely to make his debut at home against Cardiff on Tuesday."The time has come for a new challenge," he said. "I am excited at the chance I have to be part of the next phase in the club's history."He added: "Chelsea is a top club and I have many friends there but you cannot turn down the chance to join Manchester United. I look forward to helping the manager and the team be successful in the coming years."Mata, capped 32 times by Spain, will be unveiled at a news conference on Monday at 13:30 GMT.He becomes manager David Moyes's second high-profile signing, following the arrival in September of Everton's Marouane Fellaini for £27.5m.The deal also eclipses United's previous record signing - Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham in 2008 - by £6.35m.
Mata, who joined Chelsea from Valencia for £23.5m in August 2011, has been Chelsea's player of the year in both full seasons he was at Stamford Bridge.
He scored 32 goals for the Blues and made more than 130 appearances but has failed to command a regular starting place under Jose Mourinho, who returned to Chelsea last summer for a second spell as manager."Juan is one of the finest playmakers in the game today and it's a real pleasure to have secured his signature," said Moyes."He's been instrumental in Chelsea's recent success, with a notable 28 assists and 32 goals in his last two Premier League seasons."I have been impressed with the excitement he has shown to be part of the new Manchester United."I know our fans have admired Juan for some time now - he has always played well against us - and I know they will be delighted to see him in the red of United, starting on Tuesday."Mourinho praised Mata's contribution at Stamford Bridge, having helped Chelsea to win the Champions League, FA Cup and Europa League."
I and everyone at Chelsea have massive respect for Juan and his big talent, and when he told us of his wish to move on because he wanted to play more, we did not want to deny him this opportunity," said the Portuguese.'We want him to be successful in his career and as well as that, this transfer makes huge financial sense to us at Chelsea.'We are pleased Juan will stay in England - even with a rival club. He is happy in this country and it is good the Premier League retains such a talented player."Juan moves with our full blessing and I can speak on behalf of everyone at the club in thanking him for his fantastic service, and wishing him well for his future."

MATA WELCOMED AT MAN UNITED

Juan Mata has left Chelsea for Manchester United with the club's blessing and wrote a goodbye message to fans on his personal website.
On the Chelsea website, manager Jose Mourinho said: "I and everyone at Chelsea have massive respect for Juan and his big talent, and when he told us of his wish to move on because he wanted to play more, we did not want to deny him this opportunity. We want him to be successful in his career and as well as that, this transfer makes huge financial sense to us at Chelsea."We are pleased Juan will stay in England - even with a rival club. He is happy in this country and it is good the Premier League retains such a talented player. Juan moves with our full blessing and I can speak on behalf of everyone at the club in thanking him for his fantastic service, and wishing him well for his future."THANK YOU GRACIAS @ChelseaFC for everything during all these years .
Meanwhile, there was also an emotional farewell from fellow Spaniard Fernando Torres, who posted a picture of himself and Mata celebrating Chelsea's Champions League triumph of 2012 on Instagram. Accompanying the picture was the message: "Thanks for everything. I miss you already my friend. #allthebest".
Mata was also welcomed to Manchester United by several of the club's stars. Robin van Persie was quick to welcome his new teammate, and also hinted that he is set to return to the United squad for their Premier League game against Cardiff on Tuesday.
Mata's compatriot David de Gea also poked fun at Mata's choice of outfit which certainly looked out of place on the muddy pitches of Carrington. He tweeted: "Welcome to my brother @juanmata10 just one thing....Not the best clothes!!"

PSG ESCAPES DEFEAT

Paris Saint-Germain narrowly avoided a second straight defeat in a scrappy 1-1 draw at mid-table Guingamp in the Ligue 1.
Centre-back Alex headed home from a corner in the 87th minute after striker Mustapha Yatabare did the same three minutes earlier to give Guingamp the lead. PSG was outplayed by Guingamp for much of the match, three days after losing 2-1 at home to Montpellier in the French Cup.
Second-place Monaco can close the gap at the top to three points if it beats Marseille at home on Sunday.
PSG manager Laurent Blanc called the pitch "detestable" in the rainy conditions.
With PSG star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic having a rare off day, Yatabare caught the eye and rose impressively to head Guingamp in front from Rachid Alioui's corner in the 84th minute.
PSG was missing captain Thiago Silva, who sat out the match with an ankle injury and was replaced at center half by Marquinhos, who was again out of sorts after a poor match against Montpellier.PSG midfielder Javier Pastore, who had a disappointing game, was taken off midway through the second half and replaced by winger Lucas.
Nantes and Reims played out a 0-0 stalemate that maintains both teams' unlikely assault on the top six in Ligue 1.Reims' Odair Fortes came closest to winning a low-key encounter with a shot that was tipped onto the bar in the first half.
The result sees Nantes climb to fifth, a place ahead of Reims on goal difference, with both sides leapfrogging Marseille in the standings.Montpellier capped a fine week with an impressive 3-1 win over Nice.
Having been in the midst of a relegation scrap a week ago, Rolland Courbis' men have since beaten Sochaux in the league, Paris Saint-Germain in the cup and now in-form Nice.
M'baye Niang and Hilton had put them 2-0 up before Nice eventually stirred through substitute Alexy Bosetti, but Souleymane Camara wrapped things up late on.

Ligue 1 strugglers Valenciennes claimed a point against Lorient in a 1-1 draw.Saliou Ciss' 39th-minute own goal had given Lorient the lead but Gregory Pujol netted the equaliser for the home side shortly after the break to claim a vital point.Ligue 1's bottom sides Ajaccio and Sochaux shared the points in a 1-1 draw thanks to Vincent Nogueira's stoppage-time equaliser.Benjamin Andre got Ajaccio off to the perfect start in the eighth minute when he beat goalkeeper Simon Pouplin at the far post, and the Corsican side looked to have claimed their second win of the season until Nogueira levelled in the 93rd minute.
The match between Toulouse and Bastia was postponed because of the local river's rising water levels.Toulouse's stadium is on an island and the city's prefect has banned any access because of the threat from the Garonne River, Ligue 1 said in a statement. No new date has been set.

TOP EUROPEAN LEAGUE RESULTS

English FA Cup
AFC Bournemouth 0-2 Liverpool
Birmingham City 1-2 Swansea City
Bolton Wanderers 0-1 Cardiff City
Huddersfield Town 0-1 Charlton Athletic
Manchester City 4-2 Watford
Port Vale 1-3 Brighton & Hove Albion
Rochdale 1-2 Sheffield Wednesday
Southampton 2-0 Yeovil Town
Southend United 0-2 Hull City
Sunderland 1-0 Kidderminster Harriers
Wigan Athletic 2-1 Crystal Palace
Stevenage 0-4 Everton

Spanish Primera División
Real Madrid 2-0 Granada
Real Valladolid 1-0 Villarreal
Valencia 2-2 Espanyol
Sevilla FC 2-3 Levante

Italian Serie A
Napoli 1-1 Chievo Verona
Lazio 1-1 Juventus

German Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund 2-2 FC Augsburg
Nurnberg 4-0 TSG Hoffenheim
SC Freiburg 3-2 Bayer Leverkusen
VfB Stuttgart 1-2 Mainz
VfL Wolfsburg 1-3 Hannover 96
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 Hertha Berlin

French Ligue 1
Guingamp 1-1 Paris Saint-Germain
AC Ajaccio 1-1 Sochaux
Montpellier 3-1 Nice
Nantes 0-0 Stade de Reims
Valenciennes 1-1 Lorient

ZIMBABWE BOOK SEMI FINALS TICKET IN CHAN

Zimbabwe booked their place in the semi finals beating Mali 2-1 in Cape Town this evening to make their debut Chan semifinal appearance.The Warriors become the first of three sides who have taken part in all three Chan tournaments at the South Africa event to reach the last eight to set the standard for DR Congo and Ghana at the business end of the competition.Zimbabwe were in control for most of the first half, pressing Mali despite the latter’s early warning shot from Ibourahima Sidibe in the sixth minute that was saved by George Chigova.
Mali were restricted to shooting from range for most of the first half thanks to some solid defending by Milton Ncube, Partson Jaure and Hardlife Zvirekwi.Zimbabwe took the lead in the 10th minute through striker Simba Sithole who toe-poked a long punt from Jaure after out-pacing Souleyamane Konte.The goal was Sithole's first following a frustrating time in the preliminary group stage to finally pay off the faith Gorowa had put in him in the last three games.After a 20 minute spell of sustained pressure, Mali managed to briefly to wiggle out of heat but Mamadou Sidibe’s volley from half way inside Zimbabwe’s half flew high and over.Peter Moyo then came close to adding to Zimbabwe’s second in the 20th minute when he fired a long-range shot forcing the best out of goalkeeper Soumaila Diakite.
On the half hour, Ali Sadiki saw his tame shot from a Simba Mambare corner easily saved by Diakite and he had another chance from a free kick in the 37th minute parried by the under-pressure Mali goalkeeper.
Sithole then elected to miss when it looked easier to score in the 41st minute blast high and over at point-blank range.Mali then gave Zimbabwe a late scare dead on 45minutes when Lassina Diarra breached the Warriors wall of steel but amazingly thumped the ball inches high with Chigova beaten.Then came a touch of magic in the 56th minute from midfielder Kuda Mahachi who added Zimbabwe’s second goal when he then slalomed past four Malian defenders before rounding Diakite to run with the ball into the Mali goal.
Mali had chances begging after the hour mark when Sissoko slipped Zimbabwes’ defence in the 66th minute but blasted his effort wide and ten minutes later Hamidou Sinayoko too whipped his shot wide.Mahachi could have added a brace in the 82nd minute had been more sensible with his cross while a minute late Mambare saw his probing ball parried by Diakite.
Mali’s consolation came in the 88th minute when Sinayoko headed in Sissoko's cross to seek Zimbabwe finally concede their first goal of the tournament.
Zimbabwe head to Wednesdays semifinals where they await winner of Sunday’s quarterfinal meeting between Libya and Gabon.

EVERTON CRUISE INTO FIFTH ROUND OF FA CUP

Roberto Martinez's tutored side Everton cruised into the fifth round of the FA Cup, but their 4-0 victory against Stevenage was overshadowed by a horrific injury to Bryan Oviedo, who was taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg.
Oviedo's left leg looked to have been snapped in two after he was caught by Stevenage midfielder Simon Heslop as he was attempting a shot on goal.Everton's players turned away in horror as the midfielder lay stricken on the floor at the Lamex Stadium. The Costa Rican was taken to hospital and now looks set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.Everton, who were 1-0 up at the time thanks to Steven Naismith's goal, did not let the incident affect them as they strolled to a comfortable win.Naismith found the net again before substitutes Johnny Heitinga and Magaye Gueye finished the rout against the Sky Bet League One side.Roberto Martinez will be pleased to have avoided an upset at Stevenage, who beat Newcastle at the Lamex Stadium three years ago, but there will be deep concern for Oviedo, who has impressed recently for the Merseysiders.
A serious injury to one of his key players is the last thing the Everton manager needs ahead of Tuesday's Merseyside derby, especially as he already has seven first-team players out through injury.Writing in his programme notes, Stevenage boss Graham Westley said his team would go on the attack from the start, and Stevenage lived up to that promise early on.With four minutes gone Everton failed to clear Luke Freeman's cross and the ball dropped to Lucas Akins, who would have put the home side ahead had John Stones not stopped his shot on the line.
Everton responded in the best way possible. The Toffees raced straight up the other end through Kevin Mirallas, who drew a top save from Chris Day. McGeady picked up the loose ball and squared for Naismith, who turned home from six yards.Stevenage came back into the game momentarily. Former Chelsea man Filipe Morais swung a deep cross in the direction of Jimmy Smith, but Stones came to the rescue again.Then, in the 18th minute, Oviedo suffered his horrific injury. The Costa Rican stretched out his left leg attempting to take the ball from under Heslop's feet.Oviedo caught the full force of Heslop's right boot as he attempted to shoot and the midfielder fell awkwardly, twisting his leg.
Replays showed the midfielder's leg was bent almost at a right angle as he lay in agony.
Several players rushed to Oviedo's aid, but some turned away in horror at the severity of the injury before waving towards the bench for assistance.
After just over three minutes of treatment, Oviedo was carried off the pitch on a stretcher to a standing ovation from all corners of the ground.
Joel Robles had to be at his best to save from the resulting free-kick, which was taken by Freeman.The former Wigan stopper pulled off another top save, diving to his right to deny Morais from a free-kick moments later.
Just as Stevenage started to come back into the game, Everton doubled their lead. Leon Osman picked the ball up on the halfway line and passed towards Naismith. A moment of hesitation from Boro captain Jon Ashton proved costly as the ball slipped through to Naismith and he slotted the ball under the goalkeeper.
After the break Martinez replaced Phil Jagielka with Johnny Heitinga and within 10 minutes the Dutchman made it 3-0.
Mirallas played an audacious overhead kick across the box and Heitinga swept the ball home via a deflection from Stevenage's Darius Charles.
Any hopes of an upset had gone, but Stevenage did not give up.In-form Francois Zoko nudged a half volley just wide of Robles' goal with 20 minutes to go.Soon after it was 4-0, though. Osman charged at the Stevenage defence and laid the ball through to Gueye, who dodged a couple of challenges before beating Da

OVIEDO HIT BY INJURY

Everton have confirmed that Bryan Oviedo has been taken to hospital after suffering a broken leg during their 4-0 FA Cup fourth round win over Stevenage.
Oviedo suffered a clean break to his tibia and fibia, which will likely see him miss the World Cup with Costa Rica, who face England in Belo Horizonte on June 24.
The injury occurred 15 minutes into the match when Oviedo's studs appeared to get caught in the turf at the Lamex Stadium as he slid in to make a challenge on Stevenage's Simon Heslop. His Everton teammates immediately called for medical attention, with Oviedo eventually carried off on a stretcher.Update on Bryan - he's been taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg.
It was a real negative today, an unfortunate incident. We end up with Bryan picking up a bad injury," said Everton boss Roberto Martinez. "We need to give him as much support as we can."He's had a terrific season. I've been so impressed with his level, that he can play in different positions. He's a really important player in the group. We want to make sure everything goes well because he deserves it."
The incident with Bryan affected everyone. Those injuries give you a bad taste, but it was a very professional performance from our point of view."

WEST HAM SIGNS BORRIELLO AND NOCERINO

West Ham have announced the signing of Italy duo Marco Borriello and Antonio Nocerino on loan until the end of the season.
AC Milan midfielder Nocerino, 28, is an Italy international who scored one of the penalties that knocked out England at the quarterfinal stage of Euro 2012. He began his career at Juventus, before spending time on loan at Genoa, Messina and Piacenza before joining Palermo in 2008.Nocerino left for AC Milan in the summer of 2011 but has fallen out of favour this season and has opted to continue his career in London in the hope of raising his chances of playing for Italy at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Borriello joins the Hammers from Serie A club AS Roma and, according to the West Ham website, "will add strength, presence and goals to Sam Allardyce's squad."
The 31-year-old has netted nearly 100 career goals for Roma, AC Milan, Juventus and Genoa, among others and the striker will also be hopeful of raising his chances of playing for his country in Brazil. 

BAYER LEVERKUESEN LOSE AS DORTMUND DR

Bayer Leverkusen disappointed as they were beaten by Freiburg 3-2 in the Bundesliga.
Leverkusen scored after five minutes with their first chance as Lars Bender struck a low shot home. Then, just before the half hour mark, Admir Mehmedi struck an equaliser beyond goalkeeper Bernd Leno but Simon Rolfes restored the advantage from a corner before the break.
Freiburg were not to be outdone as Jonathan Schmid fired in a direct free kick for 2-2 and with minutes to go before the final whistle, Felix Klaus finished neatly to take home all three points.
Dortmund's poor form continued as they dropped to fourth in the table after a 2-2 draw with Augsburg in which summer signing Ji Dong-Won scored against his new team.Sven Bender netted on five minutes, but he diverted Andre Hahn's cross into his own net on 57 to level the scores. Nuri Sahin then curled in a fine free kick ten minutes later to make it 2-1 but Ji, on loan at Augsburg from Sunderland and set to join Dortmund this summer, headed home an equaliser.
Nurnberg coach Gertjan Verbeek can reach for the razor after his side picked up their first win of the season in style, downing Hoffenheim 4-0 at the Frankenstadion.The Dutch coach had vowed not to shave again until Nurnberg won a game, and his three-month wait was ended with Josip Drmic grabbing a brace and both Timothy Chandler and Daniel Ginczek on target for the Bavarians.
The win lifts Nurnberg to within two points of safety and puts pressure on Hoffenheim, who have now conceded more goals than anybody else in the Bundesliga this season.
Substitute Benedikt Saller scored a late winner as Mainz came from behind to edge out Stuttgart 2-1 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.The home side went ahead after 11 minutes through Mohammed Abdellaoue, but Shinji Okazaki equalised against his former team in the 40th minute before Saller settled the contest three minutes from time.
Mainz are now unbeaten in four Bundesliga matches and knocking on the door of the European places.Hannover started the new year with a victory under new coach Tayfun Korkut as Leonardo Bittencourt scored twice in the second half in a 3-1 win at Wolfsburg.
Hannover went ahead after 28 minutes through Artjoms Rudnevs, with Ivica Olic equalising at the 35 minute mark. But Bittencourt struck in the 50th and 72nd minutes to give Hannover the victory.

REAL MADRID GO TOP OF THE LA LIGA LOG

Second-half goals by Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema saw off Granada and fired Real Madrid to the top of the Primera Division for the first time since May 2012.
Newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo opened the scoring for the hosts after 57 minutes and then played a part in Benzema's goal, which wrapped up the points 19 minutes later.This was not a vintage performance from Madrid, who were playing their seventh game in January, and they were frustrated for large parts of the game by a tough Granada side who gave them little space to counter-attack until late in the second half.Carlo Ancelotti's side temporarily move two points clear of Atletico Madrid and Barcelona at the league's summit, and although they could be third again by Sunday, the Italian's aim of "going to sleep top of the league" was realised.Before kick-off Ronaldo showed off his glinting Ballon d'Or trophy to the Bernabeu faithful and the former Manchester United man could have given his team the perfect start when he broke free down the left but shot well wide of the far post.
Manuel Iturra risked scoring an own goal a short while later as he attempted to clear a deep cross from Dani Carvajal, heading the ball off the crossbar.
Gareth Bale hit a wayward shot over the bar, and then right before half-time Ronaldo almost scored a sensational overhead kick but Granada goalkeeper Roberto fisted the ball away.Bale was replaced at half-time by Jese, the Welshman not enjoying the best of afternoons after getting hit in the groin by a tough challenge from Jeison Murillo.
Benzema saw a header strike the bar early in the second half, although he had been ruled offside anyway, and Luka Modric, playing in a far more advanced rule than usual, shot over the bar while trying to score a rebound.Ronaldo finally broke the deadlock on 57 minutes, shimmying past two defenders inside the area before blasting into the bottom corner - but Granada's players were furious Modric had not put the ball out of play earlier when Mohamed Fatau went down injured in the middle of the pitch.Ronaldo had an opportunity to double the lead midway through the second half after getting on the end of a through ball by Carvajal, but Roberto was able to block the shot with his thigh. The Portuguese then hit a deflected free-kick off the bar.Although Ronaldo was unable to find a second goal, he will take comfort from the fact it was his flick towards Marcelo which opened up the Granada defence, allowing Benzema to side-foot home when the Brazilian's low cross arrived.Di Maria launched a low shot just wide of the near post before he was substituted, and Isco made his first league appearance in three games, but was unable to add to the goals in his 12 minutes on the pitch.

OSAZE TO JOIN STOKE CITY

Osaze Peter Odemwingie will join Stoke City as Cardiff and Stoke City are set to exchange strikers in a move that will see Peter Odemwingie move to the Potteries and Kenwyne Jones head in the opposite direction.The swap deal will be finalised after Jones has a medical in south Wales, according to reports.
Odemwingie, 32, joined Cardiff on a two-year contract from West Brom this summer but has managed just two goals in 17 appearances in all competitions, with his last coming on Oct. 5 against Newcastle.The Nigeria international is aiming for more regular first-team football as he looks to earn a place in the Super Eagles' World Cup squad.
Jones, meanwhile, has been advocating for a move away from Stoke for some time, even allegedly refusing to play against Liverpool recently.
Potters boss Mark Hughes subsequently fined Jones two weeks' wages and left him off the squad against Crystal Palace.
The Trinidad and Tobago international was a club-record signing for Stoke when he joined the club in August 2010 from Sunderland for 8 million pounds. He started the current campaign brightly with an August hat trick in the Capital One Cup against Walsall, but he has only made one Premier League appearance in the past three months.

MAN CITY AND LIVERPOOL QUALIFIES FOR NEXT ROUND OF IN FA CUP

Manchester City qualified for the next round of the FA Cup and they kept their quadruple hopes alive after they survived a scare to come back from two goals down and beat Watford 4-2 in the fourth round of the FA Cup at the Etihad Stadium.City boss Manuel Pellegrini had talked up his side's chances of securing a clean sweep of trophies this season, and few doubted Watford would pose much threat to their lofty ambitions having won just one of their last 14 games prior to Saturday.But Watford took the lead after 21 minutes when Troy Deeney found Fernando Forestieri who controlled and shot low past Costel Pantilimon. Deeney then doubled their advantage on the half-hour as an improbable victory looked to be on the cards,However Sergio Aguero got City back into the game though, converting Aleksandar Kolarov's cross an hour into the match.Aguero then made it five goals in four games since returning from injury, curling the ball home for his 24th of the season.And Kolarov completed the comeback for City, Watford keeper Jonathan Bond letting his 40-yard shot slip through his hands with just three minutes remaining to end their hopes of earning a replay.City weren't done, however, with Aguero completing his hat-trick in injury time after heading in Jesus Navas' cross.Goals in either half from Victor Moses and Daniel Sturridge were enough to see Liverpool overcome Bournemouth in a keenly contested FA Cup fourth round tie.The visitors named a strong side for the game at the Goldsands Stadium and it was Luis Suarez who created both goals to see the Reds into the last 16.Cherries' boss Eddie Howe had said leading into the game that he hoped, even if his side lost, they would show people that they could play attractive football.That was the case for much of the game as the Sky Bet Championship outfit created more chances than their Premier League opponents - but it was the clinical nature of Liverpool's finishing which ultimately proved the difference.
Crystal Palace were the only Premier League team to go out as holders Wigan Athletic won 2-1 at the DW Stadium.Ben Watson, who scored Wigan's winning goal in the FA Cup final against Manchester City last season, scored against his former club nine minutes from the break, tucking home James McClean's pull-back. The first half saw eight minutes of added time after Jonathan Parr needed urgent medical attention for a clash with Wigan's Callum McManaman. Parr was taken off on a stretcher wearing an oxygen mask.Palace then levelled through substitute Aaron Wilbraham's close-range finish, but McClean restored Wigan's lead after 78 minutes.
The lowest-ranked side in the competition - Kidderminster Harriers - will be very proud of their efforts after going down just 1-0 at League Cup finalists Sunderland.Gus Poyet made 10 changes from the side that won on penalties at Manchester United on Tuesday, needed just five minutes to take the lead when Greek winger Charis Mavrias' controlled finish found the bottom corner.
Southampton avoided a potential banana skin against perennial giant killers Yeovil Town as they eased past the Glovers 2-0 at St Mary's.The Premier League club hit the bar through Jay Rodriguez after 18 minutes shortly before they made the breakthrough from the penalty spot. Guly Do Prado stepped up and scored his first goals in more than two years after Jos Hooiveld was felled following a corner.Sam Gallagher assured the Saint's place in the fifth-round when he drifted past two Yeovil defenders before slotting in from a tight angle.
Hull City also avoided an upset - but were made to work much harder in a 2-0 victory at League Two Southend Unitedthanks to a Matty Fryatt double.
Cardiff City have now won two FA Cup games in two since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over when they scraped a 1-0 win at Bolton Wanderers.Fraizer Campbell tapped in Craig Noone's cross send through Cardiff, who had lost their last 11 visits to the Reebok stadium.
Charlton Athletic won the battle of the Championship sides with Huddersfield Town thanks to Simon Church's goal as the Addicks advanced past the fourth round for the first time since 2000.