SOCCER IN BONGO

Manchester City goalkeeper Willy Caballero says he has repaid manager Manuel Pellegrini's trust in him with his Capital One Cup heroics at Wembley. The Argentine saved three Liverpool spot-kicks as City won the final 3-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Caballero, 34, was criticised after a 5-1 FA Cup fifth-round loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge a week earlier. "It is well deserved for me to play this final," Caballero, picked ahead of first-choice Joe Hart, told BBC Sport. Caballero has started just four Premier League games since moving to the Etihad from Malaga in July 2014. He had started every round of the League Cup this season and boss Pellegrini said he would rather have lost the final than drop Caballero. The former Boca Juniors keeper kept out penalties by Lucas, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana after the game had ended all square after 120 minutes. "It was incredible. To save three penalties and win a trophy is amazing," added Ca...

Jürgen Klopp insisted Liverpool will 'go on and get better' after his side were denied Capital One Cup glory by Manchester City on penalties at Wembley. Fernandinho and Philippe Coutinho scored the goals in a thrilling 1-1 draw in the final, but the Reds were undone during the subsequent shootout. The manager said: “[The overall emotion is] disappointment. It was a great day until the last shot in the penalty shootout. “Perfect organisation, a perfect atmosphere and a really great experience, but in the end we lost the penalty shootout. It’s the last possibility to lose. We tried everything. “I could be proud about a lot of things the players did today, but I expected we could do things like this so it’s not too easy to be proud of things you think are normal. But they did well in a lot of momen...

Orlando Pirates coach Eric Tinkler admitted to a spot of envy as four other South African clubs competed in African club competition this weekend. Pirates, who were runners up in the Champions League in 2013 and the Confederation Cup last year, did not qualify to compete this year - much to Tinkler's disappointment.  “Obviously I have an eye on what is happening in the Champions League and the Confederation Cup. I think that’s only normal because we had just experienced that whole journey, right to the final and one would like to be there again. That has to be our objective, to try and always play in the CAF Confederation Cup or the Champions League. A big club like Orlando Pirates … that’s where we should be. I believe we belong there. I was looking at the results and you think ‘why is our name not there’.”

AC Milan forward M'Baye Niang says the shock was greater than the pain after he was involved in a road accident on Saturday. The 21-year-old forward "sustained a capsular ligament injury in his left ankle and a bruised left shoulder" in the crash, according to a statement on the Serie A club's website. The French forward's car slid off the road in the area of Legnano, in the Province of Varese on Saturday night when he was driving to a bowling alley after eating out at a restaurant. He has been left out of the squad to face Alessandria in the Coppa Italia on Tuesday night, while reports in Italy said he could miss up to two months.

As it stands, AC Milan are just one match away from a Coppa Italia final. To get there, they must first defeat Lega Pro outfit Alessandria on Tuesday night. The Rossoneri won the first leg of their cup semi-final 1-0, giving them an advantage to hold onto ahead of the return encounter at the San Siro. However, Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side must guard against complacency to seal victory. Alessandria competed fairly well with Milan in the first leg in spite of their being several rungs below their more illustrious opponents in the Italian football league structure. Indeed, the only real letdown for Angelo Gregucci’s men was a lack of composure in the final third. Plenty has changed since their meeting on Jan. 26, however. While Alessandria have dropped out of the promotion places in Lega Pro, the third tier of Italian football, Milan have gone undefeated in their last six, winning four in Serie A.

For the past two seasons we have joined forces with Kick It Out, Football v Homophobia, Show Racism the Red Card, the Premier League and the Football Association. We will do so again for the visit of Stoke City on Saturday. This season we are also proud to link up with the Gay Football Supporters’ Network as we underline our commitment to tackling discrimination in all forms, while promoting equality throughout the club, our communities and our supporters. The Game for Equality falls under our Building Bridges campaign and the first team will be wearing the logo on their kit during the match against Stoke City.  This will be the third time the team have worn the Building Bridges logo on their kit.

The 20-year-old talented midfielder said: ‘I’m delighted to sign a new contract at Chelsea and my focus is on working hard in training every day in order to push on and establish myself in the team. It really means a lot because this shows the club believe in me so I’m really happy. ‘The club have done so much for me since I started here as an Under-8 and now I want to repay the faith they’ve shown in me with my performances on the pitch.’

The dismal performance of champions Gor Mahia and Bandari, who exited their respective continental championships in the first round, is a manifestation of how low the local football standards have sunk. Gor lost to CNaPs from Madagascar 0-1 away on Saturday to bow out of the Champions League on a 1-3 aggregate after losing 1-2 in the first leg in Nairobi. Bandari lost to St Eloi Lupopo from the DR Congo in their Confederation Cup on 1-3 aggregate after they drew 1-1 Saturday, having lost 0-2 in Kinshasa in the first leg. This is as a result of poor preparation due to inadequate structures.

Dar es Salaam — Young Africans stalwart back Nadir Haroub (Cannavaro) as admitted that his side faces a testing time in the Premier League title run-in. The stalwart back, who has been out of action since last November, is back in full training and admits that Simba SC and Azam FC may beat them to silverware. Yanga and Azam top the 16-team table jointly with 46 points after 19 matches while Simba are a point behind them. The latter have played 20 matches. "It looked like a two-horse race a few weeks ago, but Simba have joined the fray, so we have to roll up our sleeves. Any slipup between now and April will certainly be costly," he said. "Yes, we have had a better record over our close title contenders this season, but we are in a situation that we must rack up all points from 11 matches.

Understandably, very few gave Ingwe a chance going into this season's opening match against Mathare. Almost to a man, pundits placed their bet on the slum boys thrashing the new look Leopards hands down. Even when Ingwe forced a one-all draw, many were still not convinced of the team's quality. Granted, this is a team largely comprising greenhorns, youngsters with no experience in the country's top flight league. With the exception of Clifford Miheso, Lucas Indeche, Allan Katerega, Andrew Tololwa and Lamine Diallo, the rest of the first 11 have been poached from the country's lower leagues and secondary schools. Even as you read this, the naysayers are still not convinced that Ingwe can challenge for trophies this season, the victory against Sony at Awendo Green Stadium a week ago notwithstanding. The haters will argue that upsets do occur once in a while, and this is one of those flash-in-the-pan outcomes. That should not really worry the devo...

Former Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, is prepared to meet the Nigeria Football Federation in court over what they termed breach of contract, The Football house is reportedly threatening to sue Oliseh for quitting his post as coach without prior notice, but the 42 year old gaffer is optimistic the court will vindicate him on the false allegations levelled against him.

Michael Carrick has heaped praise on Guillermo Varela after the full-back kept Alexis Sanchez quiet against Arsenal. The 22-year-old was making just his second start in the Premier League, but recovered from an early booking to prevent Arsenal's star man from having any influence on the game. Marcus Rashford stole the headlines after the 3-2 win over Arsene Wenger's side with a first-half brace. But afterwards Carrick was keen to make sure Varela got his share of the credit.

Marcus Rashford scored twice on his Premier League debut to give injury-hit Manchester United a 3-2 win over Arsenal and dent the Gunners' title hopes in the process. The teenager, who scored a brace against Midtjylland just three days earlier, continued his dream start to life at Old Trafford by netting twice in three first-half minutes before Danny Welbeck pulled a goal back for Arsenal shortly before half-time. Rashford then set up Ander Herrera for a deflected third goal in the 65th minute, and the Gunners were unable to find an equaliser after Mesut Ozil struck their second just a few minutes later. From Rashford's impact to Arsenal's title chances, here are the main talking points from the game Even Rashford's most ardent believers could not have imagined such a stunning impact from the 18-year-old. After a dream double on his debut against Midtjylland on Thursday night, the local lad's Roy of the Rovers story continued as he marked his first...

Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour believes a lack of on-field leaders was to blame for the Gunners' loss at Manchester United. Arsenal are now five points adrift of Premier League leaders Leicester City with 11 games left to play. The weekend loss was a costly one and drew some fierce criticism from Graeme Souness, who described Arsenal's performance at Old Trafford as "totally unacceptable" and said they "bordered on being a joke" in the 3-2 defeat. Parlour feels there was a clear absence of leadership during the display and that the title advantage may now be with Tottenham.

Barcelona's Gerard Pique has shut down rumours linking Neymar to Real Madrid, claiming he'd "bet an arm" his team-mate won't ever join Los Blancos. According to Sport , the Spaniard took questions from fans through video app Periscope following Barca's 2-1 win over Sevilla on Sunday.

It's been quite some time since Julian Green was on the radar of the United States men's national team. The 20-year-old, who has five USMNT appearances to his name, has been out of sight since he plays in the fourth tier of German football with Bayern Munich's reserve team.  In his latest game for the fourth-division side, Green bagged a brace that extended his decent run of form in front of the net. In addition to Green's success up top, Bobby Wood had another impressive week in Germany, while a USMNT stalwart returned to action in England. We'll have news on all of that and more below in our latest USMNT Watch.

Arsenal's defeat at Manchester United was especially disappointing because it showed they do not have the mental strength to deal with being where they are at in the title race. Gunners fans know they have a fantastic opportunity to win the Premier League this season, but the team does not seem to understand the enormity of their situation, and what it requires. There are still 11 games to go but, as things stand, I do not watch them and see a team that has what it takes to win the title. I don't know who is going to win it out of Leicester and Tottenham, but I do believe it is between those two now.

Teenage striker Marcus Rashford is a "special talent", says Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal. The 18-year-old marked his Premier League debut with two goals in three minutes as United beat Arsenal 3-2. Rashford also scored twice on his first-team debut against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League on Thursday. Van Gaal said: "Youngsters often play well in the first match. The second is different. Marcus played well in both so he is a special talent."

Almost five months after falling to Sevilla at the Sánchez Pizjuan, FC Barcelona stormed back from an early one-goal deficit to exact revenge on the last team to defeat them, securing a 2–1 victory at Camp Nou and extending their unbeaten streak to a record-tying 34 games. The victory allows Barça to stay eight points ahead of second-place Atlético Madrid and to widen their lead over arch-rivals Real Madrid , who Atlético beat on Saturday, to 12 points. Sevilla could not have gotten off to a better start on Sunday night, going ahead 1–0 after 20 minutes. But Lionel Messi drew Barça level with a long free kick goal and Gerard Piqué notched the game winner early in the second half to give Barça their ninth straight win in La Liga.

Manchester City's shootout victory over Liverpool in the Capital Cup was what we now almost expect from grand finals -- disappointing, short on good soccer, miserly on goals. The Man City and Liverpool fans will have their own views on whether the better team won. That is not my concern here. I’m taking a look at the one area where the game did excel, the moment when it memorably zoomed to the top of the class in a category which every soccer-involved person is familiar with: that of bad referee calls. This one almost hilariously bad. Actually, this was a non-call, for which we can thank referee Michael Oliver. In the 63rd minute Man City’s Sergio Aguero broke away and raced into the Liverpool penalty area, with the ball firmly under control. Defender Alberto Moreno caught up with him just inside the area but as he prepared to tackle, Aguero cut the ball sharply to his left, leaving Moreno staring into space, with Aguero now unhampered, on the move behind him, towar...

U.S. head coach Jill Ellis ' 22-player roster for the SheBelieves Cup that begins Thursday includes 2015 Women's World Cup champions Whitney Engen and Heather O'Reilly , who had been left off the U.S. roster for Olympic qualifying. Lauren Barnes of the Seattle Reign earned her first senior national team call-up. Stephanie McCaffrey is the lone player on the Olympic qualifying roster not brought in for the tournament.

U.S. Soccer elected Carlos Cordeiro as its vice president, unseating Mike Edwards , at the its Annual General Meeting Saturday in San Antonio. Cordeiro, who will serve a four-year term as vice president, joined the federation as its first independent director and has been treasurer since 2008. He is a confidante of U.S. president Sunil Gulati , traveling frequently on international matters. Cordeiro beat out Edwards, the vice president since 2006, and Kevin Payne , the former MLS executive who is now the chief executive officer of U.S. Soccer.

The USA is skipping the Algarve Cup for the SheBelieves Cup it is hosting. European champion Germany, England and France -- all quarterfinalists at the 2015 Women's World Cup -- will give the U.S. women their toughest tests in the buildup to this summer's Rio Olympics. 2016 SheBelieves Cup Schedule: March 3 in Tampa Germany vs. France, 5 p.m. ET USA vs. England, 7:30 p.m. ET, FS1 March 6 in Nashville, Tenn. USA vs. France, 3 p.m. ET ESPN3 England vs. Germany, 5:30 p.m. ET March 9 in Boca Raton, Fla. France vs. England, 5 p.m. ET USA vs. Germany, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3

With the notable exception of its two goalkeepers, with on the bench, key U.S. national team players are enjoying some of their best form in recent years in Europe.The USA's two March World Cup 2018 qualifiers against Guatemala are still more than three weeks away, but as many as a dozen players look to be in line to be called for the two games. They include Bobby Wood , who scored his 10th goal of the season for Union Berlin, and Fabian Johnson , whose sixth goal of the season matches his total over the last five seasons. Wood is closing in on the American record for goals in a season in German's second division. His 10 goals are two shy of Eric Wynalda 's record set with Saarbruecken in 1993-94. David Wagner scored 11 goals with Darmstadt in 1992-93.

\Despite his newly streamlined silhouette, Toronto FC striker suffered another hamstring injury and will miss the start of the MLS season. Also, Geoff Cameron and Danny Williams returned to action Saturday. Bobby Wood returned from a shoulder injury to play 80 minutes of Union Berlin’s 2-1 victory over Karlsruher today, scoring the match-winner in the 60th minute. Wood missed last Friday’s 3-0 win over RB Leipzig because of a shoulder injury. Union Berlin next travels to SpVgg Greuther Fürth on March 1. The return of Major League Soccer is just days away, but Toronto FC and national team regular Jozy Altidore will be questionable for the season opener on March 6 due to a hamstring injury picked up in training on Tuesday. “We’re not going to rush him back to try and get him back by any particular game or at any particular moment,” Toronto FC coach Gregg Vanney said Friday. “We’ll make sure that whatever the process is, Jozy’s healthy and he’s ready to go and we’re ...

SIMBA sailed through to FA quarter final stage after punishing Singida United 5-1 in a-one sided match at the National Stadium. Simba looked determined to win the encounter just from the start and managed to score an opener barely 3 minutes from the start. Danny Lyanga, who netted the opener, tapped home a cross from Emiry Numubona. In the 21st minute, Hamisi Kiiza added the second after beating an offside trick to easily put the ball behind the gaping net. The teams went for the breather with the host leading 2-0. The second half saw more goals rolling into the net from both sides. Simba added three more while Singida United scraped a consolation goal in this period.

Manchester United welcome Arsenal to Old Trafford on Super Sunday , with the title-chasing Gunners looking to build on their victory over Leicester City. United saw off FC Midtjylland in the Europa League on Thursday, booking a last-16 tie against rivals Liverpool, and Louis van Gaal's side can still have a big say in the title race. But Arsenal head to Old Trafford as favourites for the first time in the Premier League era, so will they have too much for their opponents on Sunday? Did Marcus Rashford do enough to earn a starting place? Will Danny Welbeck return to haunt his old club? Graeme Souness looks ahead... It's a difficult time for Manchester United, and a difficult time for Van Gaal. They were playing a very poor Midtjylland team, one I think would struggle in any of the English leagues, even the lower divisions, and the players United have signed have not lived up to expectations, with the possible exception of Anthony Martial. He could be a s...

WOUNDED Simba SC will be back in action today taking on Singida United in the FA Cup encounter at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam. Still licking the wounds following their 2-0 defeat over the archrivals Young Africans in the Mainland Premier League match last weekend, Simba will certainly go full throttle to appease their disappointed fans. However, it will be a tricky assignment against Singida United which has been promoted in the First Division League (FDL) next season. Simba’s head coach Ugandan Jackson Mayanja, is not underestimating their opponents and he is taking the match seriously. The tactician has promised to feature his first team as he targets to win the tournament to earn CAF Confederation Cup spot next season. On his side, Singida United coach Fulgence Novatus predicted a tough encounter.

YOUNG Africans booked their spot into the first round of CAF Champions League, following their 2-0 victory over Mauritius side Cercle de Joachim in the return leg of preliminary round tie at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam yesterday. Goals in each half by Burundian striker, Amissi Tambwe and Zimbabwean midfielder, Thaban Kamusoko were enough to give the home side a comfortable victory. Yanga cruised into the first round of the continental top tier club championships following a 3-0 aggregate win over Mauritius side. The Jangwani Street side recorded a 1-0 victory in the first leg encounter held in Curepipe, Mauritius a fortnight ago. Tambwe gave Hans Van der Pluijm side an early lead only three minutes after the kick-off, by nodding home into the back of the net from Simon Msuva’s cross.

Real Madrid can pretty much kiss any chance of winning La Liga good bye. Cristiano Ronaldo and company put on a poor display on Saturday, falling to Atletico Madrid at home in the Madrid Derby 1-0. It was Antoine Griezmann's goal early in the second half that sealed it. With the result, Real Madrid is nine points behind Barcelona for the top spot in the league. If Barca beats Sevilla on Sunday, that advantage would push to 12 points with 12 matchdays remaining. But it gets worse. Dejected Real Madrid fans chanted late in the match for president Florentino Perez to resign, screaming "Florentino dimision," as they were upset with the result, the Copa del Rey exit, league form and more in what's been a rocky 2015-16, which also included manager Rafa Benitez being fired. Check it out.

Shane Long headed high for the home side but atoned when he pounced on a Baba Rahman blunder before clipping a shot over keeper Thibaut Courtois. Diego Costa volleyed wide for Chelsea but the visitors equalised when a Cesc Fabregas cross crept in. Chelsea finished strongly and Ivanovic headed in from a Willian corner. Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink managed Southampton counterpart Ronald Koeman when the pair won the European Cup with PSV Eindhoven in 1988. They later fell out over Hiddnk's appointment as Netherlands manager in 2014, although both have said there were no hard feelings. They shared a handshake and a few words before their teams competed in a fascinating match. Southampton were initially on top but Chelsea showed they had the greater stamina and capitalised on the home side dropping back too much after the break.

It might not be a title decider but this clash between United and Arsenal perhaps has a greater significance than some of their previous meetings The Premier League's greatest rivalry is reignited this weekend as Arsenal travel to Manchester United. But while this game might not hold the same importance in terms of league standing as it once did, there is still a lot riding on this match. Louis van Gaal is returning to Premier League action for the first time since he saw his United team slump to a desperately disappointing defeat at Sunderland. And Arsene Wenger will be keen to get Arsenal's title crusade back on track as they close in on leaders Leicester. Here is all you need to know ahead of the weekend's action...

The rivals were drawn together in the Europa League, with the Anfield leg set for a 8.05pm kick-off, while the Old Trafford clash is scheduled for 6pm Manchester United have asked UEFA to move kick-off in their Europa League second leg tie against Liverpool to a later slot. United and Liverpool are due to kick-off at 6pm at Old Trafford on March 17 in a game that will decide which of English football's fiercest rivals will advance to the quarter-finals. But United feel the early kick-off is unfair on their fans, in terms of enabling them to make it to the game, and have contacted UEFA to request it be pushed back to 8pm.

The 46-year-old is poised to accept a three-year deal to become Jose Mourinho’s long-term successor at ­Stamford Bridge Andrea Pirlo has warned the Chelsea players – and Roman Abramovich – that Antonio Conte is not a man to be trifled with. The 46-year-old is poised to accept a three-year deal to become Jose Mourinho’s long-term successor at ­Stamford Bridge. Conte lifted three consecutive Serie A titles with Juventus before taking the Italy job four years ago. But although he is keen to return to club management, Italy and Juve legend Pirlo has warned he will not ­tolerate interference in his transfer policy or team selection. Pirlo said: “I love the man, I have nothing but respect and admiration for him. I know if he takes a job, any job, it will have to be on his terms.

ISTANBUL (AP) — UEFA says it has charged Lokomotiv Moscow and its player Dmitri Tarasov with improper conduct for revealing a picture of Russian president Vladimir Putin on his t-shirt after a politically charged game in Turkey. UEFA rules prohibit political statements at its matches and the laws of football ban players revealing images and slogans on undergarments. Tarasov took off his team shirt to reveal the Putin vest after Lokomotiv played Fenerbahce in Istanbul on Tuesday. The Russian side lost 2-0 in the Europa League round of 32, first-leg match.

Kampala — Frank "Video" Anyau believes Al Khartoum's 1-0 first leg loss to SC Villa represents a dangerous proposition for his side ahead of tomorrow's preliminary Caf Confederation Cup return leg at Nakivubo. "Having lost at home I know from experience that Al Khartoum will approach the game with the mentality of nothing to lose," Anyau who boasts of more than two decades of coaching experience reasoned.

The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, stung by the sudden resignation of coach Sunday Oliseh have asked their lawyers to study religiously his contract and come up with possible areas he breached the contract that will guide them in dragging him before FIFA and the Court of Arbitration, CAS. Sports Vanguard gathered that Oliseh collected his backlog of salaries and allowances before throwing in the towel.

New Delhi: North east club Shillong Lajong were held to a 1-1 draw by debutants DSK Shivajians in an I-League encounter at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong on Friday. DSK's Cameroon striker Aser Pierrick Dipanda, gave the visitors the lead at the hour mark, while Shillong's Boithang Haokip equalised in the 74th minute. After the draw, Lajong remained fifth on the league table with 11 points while DSK moved up a position to the eighth spot with six points. Boithang Haokip was adjudged the player of the match for his equaliser. The two sides had earlier played out a 1-1 draw last time they met on February 21.

Manchester: Louis van Gaal has upset plenty of Manchester United fans already this season and may do so again by resisting calls for teenager Marcus Rashford to start against title-chasing Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday. The 18-year-old Rashford had a dream senior debut on Thursday when, thrust in after Anthony Martial was injured in the warm-up, the striker responded by scoring twice in a 5-1 win over Danish side FC Midtjylland as United overcame a first leg deficit for a 6-3 aggregate success in their last 32 Europa League tie. Such was Rashford`s display, and United`s injury crisis, there were those who said he should remain in the first team for Arsenal`s visit to Old Trafford this weekend. But veteran Dutch manager van Gaal, who has come under fire this season for adopting a defensive style at odds with United`s attacking tradition, advised caution. "No, he shall not play," said the United manager of talk Rashford m...

Kabul: The five-year-old Afghan boy who won the Internet's heart when he was pictured wearing a plastic bag as an improvised Lionel Messi jersey is still eager to meet the Argentine football superstar, he said today.

MBEYA soccer fans have yet another chance of witnessing a second derby, when Tanzania Prisons and Mbeya City clash for the quarter finals ticket of the Azam Sports Federation Cup (ASFC), at the Sokoine Memorial Stadium today.

TANZANIAN star, Mbwana Samatta has yet to score for his new team, KRC Genk but a quick glance at the top scorers list of the Belgian top flight gives the impression that it is an African contest. Strikers from the continent are dominating, with six featuring among the top ten.

YOUNG Africans SC will be the overwhelming favourites to progress into the first round of the CAF Champions League, when they host Mauritius side Cercle de Joachim SC today at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Following in the national team footsteps of his uncle, 18-year-old forward Joshua Perez is making his presence felt with Fiorentina, where he signed a four-year deal last month. Joshua Perez, nephew of Hugo Perez, is one of America’s top teen prospects, recently signing a four-year deal with Fiorentina. “It's definitely a big difference compared with the other clubs I tried out for,” Perez told ASN. “Italian soccer itself is tough. It definitely just makes you think quicker and play in uncomfortable situations.”

The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has picked Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa as its preferred nominee for the FIFA presidency ahead of today's elections in Zurich, Switzerland. General secretary George Kasengele said FAZ would support the candidature of Al-Khalifa, the president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) who also has the backing of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

UPDATED JUNE 15, 2015 World Only player to win the Ballon d’Or, FIFA World Player, Pichichi trophy and Golden Boot in same season: Leo Messi in season 2009/10 . Player with most Ballons d’Or won: Leo Messi with four (2009, 2010 and 2011). Player with most Golden Boots: Leo Messi with three (2010, 2011 and 2012) Youngest player to win three Ballons d’Or: on January 9 , 2012 Leo Messi got his third aged 24 years, 6 months and 17 days.

Former FC Barcelona defender Gabriel Milito visited the club’s training facilities on Friday to visit some of his old colleagues. The Argentine also had a bit of time to speak to Barca TV about the in-form side as well as his happy times at the Camp Nou where he played 76 matches and won ten titles. Here is a pick of what the no-nonsense defender had to say: Special front three “Barça has always had spectacular strike-forces but the current one is impressive: they score goals, break records, and are very determined.”

Claudio Bravo, Marc-André ter Stegen and Jordi Masip combine forces to keep Barça's net well guarded FC Barcelona's unparalleled level of play recently, as proven by the team's 33-game unbeaten streak, has brought tons of attention to their feared attack. Nevertheless, the goalkeeping corps deserves plenty of credit, too, in helping lead Barça to their current eight-point lead in La Liga, their already booked appearance in the Copa del Rey Final, and great shot at the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

Real Madrid will not give up on the La Liga title even if they lose to Atletico Madrid on Saturday, says head coach Zinedine Zidane. Both sides have seen their title hopes fade in recent weeks as Barcelona have moved eight points clear of Atletico at the top of the table with Real a further point behind in third. Indeed, the European champions have stretched their lead over Real by seven points since Zidane took over from Rafael Benitez last month. But Zidane insisted Real won't give up on the title race even if they are beaten by their city rivals. "No matter what we are not going to give up until the end. There are points to play for," he said. "It is always going to be harder if we drop points, but we have games to play, we have the Champions League and we need to concentrate only on ourselves. Our season doesn't end tomorrow. "It is a special match because it is a derby. I understand that people have doubted my abilities as a coach. ...

Anthony Martial is a doubt for Manchester United's Super Sunday clash with Arsenal, but Louis van Gaal's side expect to welcome back goalkeeper David de Gea. Martial injured his hamstring in the warm-up to Thursday's 5-1 Europa League Round of 32 win over FC Midtjylland - a week on from the first leg where De Gea injured his knee in similar circumstances. De Gea's timely return will come as a welcome boost for United as they look to secure qualification for next season's Champions League, while denting Arsenal's title charge. With leaders Leicester playing host to Norwich on Saturday, Arsene Wenger's side could find themselves five points off the pace before kick-off. The Gunners haven't won in the league at the Theatre of Dreams since September 2006, and they'll have to do without Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain following the midfielder's knee injury in Tuesday's Champions League defeat to Barcelona.

Serge Aurier will return to the Paris Saint-Germain first-team squad at the end of March after being suspended for insulting coach Laurent Blanc and several team-mates. The Ivory Coast full-back will train with the French club's reserves until March 20 before leaving for international duty after which he can resume training with the first team, PSG said in a statement. Aurier, 23, was dropped from the squad to face Chelsea in their Champions League last-16 first-leg tie last week after making disparaging comments about Blanc and some of his team-mates, including Angel Di Maria and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a video posted on social media. Blanc said he took the comments "very badly". The defender, who held talks with club directors and Blanc this week, must also do community service work for the club. PSG, who are 24 points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 standings, beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Parc de Princes, with the second leg scheduled for March 9 at Stamford ...

FA chairman Greg Dyke says England may bid to host the 2030 World Cup following Gianni Infantino's election as FIFA president. The FA attempted to host the 2018 tournament but were well beaten in the vote, which was won by Russia. Sepp Blatter was president at the time and Dyke says the FA ruled out trying to host big tournaments while he remained in charge. However, having been elected president for a fifth time last May, Blatter announced his resignation days later as FIFA was engulfed by scandal and he is now contesting a six-year ban from football. The extraordinary sequence of events surrounding world football's governing body took a new turn on Friday when the FA's preferred candidate Infantino upset pre-election favourite Sheikh Salman at the extraordinary congress in

  Gianni Infantino has been elected as FIFA president after a second round of voting in Zurich. UEFA general secretary Infantino won the election with 115 votes, with Sheikh Salman receiving 88 votes. Prince Ali received four votes and no votes were recorded for Jerome Champagne. In his victory speech, Infantino said: "I told you I went through a journey, an exceptional journey and a journey which made me meet many fantastic people - many people who love football and believe in football, and many people who deserve FIFA to be respected. "We will restore the respect people have in FIFA and everybody will

Sunday Oliseh has quit as Nigeria's football coach after claiming violations of his contract and receiving too little help from the national federation for next month's crucial 2017 Africa Cup of Nations clash with Egypt. Nigeria host seven-time African champions and group leaders Egypt on March 25 in Kaduna before a return fixture days later, with only the overall group winners guaranteed automatic qualification to the 2017 Nations Cup in Gabon. "Oliseh has resigned as

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, monday welcomed the decision of Barcelona Football Club (FC) of Spain to establish its first Football Academy in Africa in Lagos, just as he pledged the maximum support of the government in ensuring the successful take off of the project. Governor Ambode, who spoke at the Lagos House in Ikeja while receiving senior management staff of the football club, said he was delighted with the development, as it was in sync with his administration's philosophy for sports development. The Governor, who described the development as an historic moment for the state, said it was indeed a thing of joy coming at a time when the state was still

By Sani Tukur Thirty years after emerging victorious in the FIFA U-17 tournament in China, the victorious Golden Eaglets team was on Thursday rewarded by President Muhammadu Buhari with a cash gift of N2 million to each player, while their coaches were given N1.5 million each. The team won the trophy in 1985, when Mr. Buhari was military Head of State, and he reportedly promised to honour the team for its victory. However his tenure was cut short by a military coup, thereby making it impossible for him to fulfill his promise. On Thursday, the president thanked God for keeping him alive to fulfill his promise to the team. Mr. Buhari, at a reception to honour the team and other victorious Nigerian athletes in recent competitions, said the reward given to them was not payment for their services to the country but a "token of appreciation". The U-17 team that won the world championship last year were also rewarded with N1.2 million each while the chief ...

In the history of the Premier League only seven original teams have avoided relegation. In a month or so, that number will drop to six. It’s been a long time since Aston Villa did anything to remind the world that in the first Premier League season, 1992-93, it led the way with six games to go and eventually finished second to Manchester United. The next season it finished 10th, and a year later an 18th-place finish did not result in relegation only because there were 22 teams at the time. Since then the Premier League has consisted of 20 teams, and the other original members not to be relegated are Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Manchester City was relegated twice prior to its purchase in 2008 by current owners City Football Group. High-profile players have come and gone, managers have been hired and fired, and it has won two league titles while stumbling in Europe, but never has it again come close to the drop. Big money...

ASN's Brian Sciaretta spoke with the talented teen—and his famous uncle, Hugo—about his decision to play in Italy and how his game should grow in a soccer culture that produces so many great defenders. FOR MANY AMERICAN PLAYERS , soccer runs in the family. Alejandro Bedoya's father and grandfather both played professionally in Colombia. United States U-20 forward Tommy Thompson’s father saw time with the United States national team. And the Bradleys, Michael and Bob, both remain active and relevant in the sport. It's time to add another name to the list: Perez. Joshua Perez, 18, is one of America's top teenage prospects and his uncle, Hugo Perez, was one of the most dominating American players of his generation. The professional soccer tradition extends back two generations, as Hugo's father and grandfather also played professionally in El Salvador. Joshua is now following suit after inking a four-year deal with ACF Fiorentina earl...

The FIFA presidential election has not yet taken place, and the contest is already in the courts, or the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the high court for sports disputes. At issue: the construction of the voting booths. Prince Ali , considered a long shot in the five-man race to succeed Sepp Blatter , wants transparent voting booths, not to see who vote for whom but to ensure that voters don't take photos of their completed ballots. Many federations are under pressure to offer proof that they voted for whom they were told to vote for under threat -- it is charged -- of being penalized if they go against their confederation line. (Conversely, it has been suggested that

Currently second, Tottenham hasn't been named champion of England since 1961, with media darling Leicester City monopolizing the role of underdog while the heavyweights at Arsenal and Manchester City hog headlines, the youngest team in the Premier League continues to fly under the radar, even though Spurs title chances are as robust as any. Leicester City is attempting to become the littlest engine that ever could, as even those who've never bet a nickel can tell you that the Foxes began the season with 5000/1 odds of winning the Premier League title, a heartwarming Cinderella story overshadowing the exciting dark horse at White Hart Lane. Prior to opening day, Chelsea was listed at 13/8 to win this year’s title, Man City was 5/2, Arsenal was 4/1, Manchester United was 5/1,

The Seattle Sounders confirmed the transfer of Nigerian forward Obafemi Martins to Shanghai Greenland Shenhua FC of the Chinese Super League. Martins scored 40 goals in 72 MLS appearances for the Sounders and was the MLS MVP runner-up in 2014. "Ultimately, this transaction gives us roster and salary cap flexibility heading into our 2016 MLS season, including the opening of a Designated Player position," said Sounders FC general manager and president of Soccer Garth Lagerwey in a statement. "We have a talented and capable group in our locker room, and we're excited for the year ahead." NOTE: MLS free agents= players eligible to move as free agents between MLS clubs with

After a second straight year missing the playoffs, the Rapids revamped their roster. But will it be enough to break the postseason drought? Credit the  the organization did not live in denial this offseason. The team finished last in the Western Conference with just 37 points. Missing the playoffs for the second straight year and third year out of four was enough to spark plenty of change on the roster. Seven players who were in coach Pablo Mastroeni’s first starting XI of the 2015 season are not on the 2016 roster. At the very least, that means fans will see a

Dar es Salaam — As fans are counting down the hours to Saturday's Simba-Yanga much-anticipated derby, the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has announced that a female referee with Fifa budge from Kagera region, Jonesia Rukyaa will be the centre referee. The country's governing soccer body has also announced the pricing ticket for the duel to be played at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam whereby the lowest entrance will be Sh7,000. Rukyaa is one of the a few female referees in the country recognised by Fifa. She also officiate the two giant sides in the so-called Nani Mtani Jembe (non-league match) in 2014 that resulted to 2-0 infavour of Simba. She will be assisted by Josephat Burali of Tanga and Samuel Mpenzu of Arusha. The substitute referee of the Mainland Vodacom Premier Leaque match will be Elly Sasii of Dar es Salaam as the match commissioner will be Khalid Bitebo. According to the TFF information officer, Baraka Kizuguto, preparations for ...

AZAM are poised to reclaim the pilot seat of the Vodacom Premier League (VPL), but they have to clear Tanzania Prisons hurdle at Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya. Second-placed side will be also hunting for their second away win, a few days after demolishing the city's big gun, Mbeya City. Azam who stamped a comfortable 3-0 victory over Mbeya City at their home ground are likely to maintain their winning formula at the venue against Prisons. However, it won't be an easy win as they are facing hard-fighting opponents who rarely lose at home. The victory is also urgently needed for Tanzania Prisons as it can place them into the top four spot. To the Dar es Salaam-based makers, who are placed second in league standing, the victory will propel them to the top with unassailable 48 points. And for Prisons who are settled in the sixth position with 31 points, they can climb to the fourth position do they beat Azam at their Sokoine home ground. The win will see them le...

After just seven months on the job, Nigeria head coach Sunday Oliseh has resigned from his post, claiming “contract violations, lack of support, and unpaid wages.” Oliseh has

Marcus Rashford had a debut to remember and wasn't the only one to impress, while injuries and a small squad continue to feature in the narrative of Man Utd's season. Rashford rises to the occasion United are famed for their youth policy, but it doesn't normally involve telling the kids they're playing ten minutes before kick-off! He would not have been playing but for injuries to Anthony Martial, Wayne Rooney and Will Keane (and the absent Javier Hernandez, Robin van Persie, and James Wilson, but we'll get onto that...) But despite the chaotic start, the 18-year-old Wythenshawe lad was a lesson in composure on the pitch - and had some great celebrations off it. While it doesn't guarantee him a glittering United career, it certainly marks a fantastic start to his senior career at Old Trafford and a significant moment in his development. Memphis shows more sides of his game Ludicrous skill, laying balls on a plate for his team...

FC Barcelona on Sunday host the last team to have defeated them this campaign After a fantastic midweek win against Arsenal, FC Barcelona now turn their attention to their league game against Sevilla on Sunday, who were the last team to inflict defeat on Luis Enrique ’s side. Since the 2-1 loss at Sánchez Pizjuán on 3 October, Barça have embarked on a club record unbeaten streak which stands at 33 matches, 27 of which have been victories. As a result of this superb run, Barça find themselves eight points clear at the top of the league, in the Copa del Rey final and with one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals. In those 33 games, Barça have racked up 100 goals (an average of 3.03 scored per game) and 18 conceded. The famous front three of Messi, Suárez and Neymar Jr have been responsible for 77 of the century of goals. Barça have won 14 of the last 15 matches, with the only draw coming in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Valencia with a 7-...

The 2015/16 Mainland First Division League season ended in a dramatic fashion some two weeks ago, amid a lot of controversy, with some quarters suggesting match-fixing and demanding a probe. Drama ensued in the final day in group C, after teams that were eyeing for Mainland Premier League promotion next season, recorded an extraordinary hefty results. Geita Gold snatched an 8-0 win over JKT Kanembwa at the Lake Tanganyika Stadium in Kigoma while Polisi Tabora thrashed JKT Oljoro from Arusha 7-0 at the Ali Hassan Mwinyi Stadium in Tabora. Tying on 30 points and on goal difference, both teams needed to outscore each other, for one to earn promotion into the topflight league, but the score in both matches raised eyebrows and this is why it is time for the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), to take stern measures by investigating seriously into the matter and punish those who will be found guilty of match-fixing. The positive thing, however, is that already TFF has s...

WITH three giants locked at the top and five others on each throats to escape relegation, the chase for the Vodacom Premier League (VPL) title has become

Defiant Tanzania Prisons dealt a blow to Azam campaign to topple Young Africans and reclaim the premiership's pilot seat. The Mbeya-based warders fought bravery in all 90 minutes to hold Azam to a barren draw in a fiercely fought encounter held yesterday at Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya. The second-placed Azam who needed a win that would earn them 48 points, have now remained at the same position with 46 points the same as the leaders Young Africans, but the latter have superior goal average. The results also complicated their race to the championship as they face another hurdle on March 5 when they play defending champions, Yanga at the National Stadium. Looking determined to win the encounter, Azam tried all tricks to win the away match, but the hosts stood firm to end the first half without a goal. However, it was the Azam goalkeeper, Aishi Manula and defenders Serge Paschal Wawa, Erasto Nyoni and Shomari Kapombe who were occasionally kept busy in attempts to d...