NATIONAL TEAM - GHANA - COACH - Patrick Kluivert on five-man shortlist for Ghana job

The other candidates are ex-Chelsea boss Avram Grant, former Italy midfielder Marco Tardelli, Swiss Michel Pont and Spaniard Juan Ignicio Jimenez.

9 Oct 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - 3RD MATCHES - EGYPT - Elmohamady pulls out of Egypt squad

The 27-year-old was injured during the English Premier League side's 2:0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday. Hull said the right winger/full-back is suffering from "a back spasm". 

9 Oct 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - MAURITANIA - COACH - Corentin Martins appointed as new coach

The 45-year-old succeeds his compatriot Patrice Neveu, who was sacked in August after the team exited qualifying for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

8 Oct 2014
STARS IN EUROPE - IVORY COAST - Manuel Pellegrini never doubted Man City midfielder YAYA TOURE

Match stats:
Yaya Toure has scored in his last three
Premier League games against Aston Villa.

7 Oct 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - CAMEROON - The next generation can shine after Eto'o era

Cameroon's next generation of forwards can shine in the absence of Samuel Eto'o, says ex-player Patrick Mboma.

6 Oct 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - NIGERIA - COACH - KESHI CONTINUES

The never-ending story - Talks between Keshi and the NFF over a new contract have been on and off since July.

4 Oct 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - 3RD MATCHES - GHANA - COACH KONADU NAMES SQUAD

Konadu will take charge of the team until a successor to Kwesi Appiah, who left in September, is appointed.

3 Oct 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - 3RD MATCHES - IVORY COAST - SQUAD

Centre-back Souleymane Bamba has been omitted from the Ivory Coast squad to face DR Congo in this month's 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

3 Oct 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - 3RD MATCHES - SIERRA LEONE - SQUAD

Sierra Leone call up Leicester's Sesay

2 Oct 2014
STARS IN THE UAE - GHANA - STRIKER ASAMOAH GYAN ACCUSS AL HILAL PLAYER RACIAL ABUSE

Gyan, who joined the club originally on loan in 2011 before making the deal permanent a year later, was involved in some pushing and shoving before leaving the field following the dismissal which came with the scores level on the night at 1:1.

1 Oct 2014

FIFA - PORTUGAL - candidate Luis Figo wants World Cup with 48 teams

Luís Figo World Cup 2014

 

Luis Figo would consider a bigger World Cup if he is elected to replace Sepp Blater as Fifa president.

Releasing his manifesto at Wembley Stadium, the legendary Portugal midfielder said he would look at increasing the number of teams from 32 to 40 or even 48.

Figo, 42, is one of three candidates challenging Blatter in the election on 29 May.

He also proposed sin-bins and reverting to the old offside rule interpretation.

Dutch federation president Michael van Praag and Jordanian Prince Ali bin Al Hussein are also in the running to become head of football's world governing body.

Former Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan winger Figo, who played at two World Cups, said on Thursday that the current format could be increased to 40 teams or Fifa could stage two 24-team competitions simultaneously on two continents, followed by a knockout phase in one nation.

He said: "Both these options are feasible with an extra three to four days of tournament play.

If this expansion were to take place I believe that additional teams should come from non-European nations.

"We not only make sure that we include more countries from across the world, but also enable Fifa to raise significant increased revenues that can be used to invest in the growth of the game globally."

Figo, the 2001 Fifa world player of the year, also proposes:

•    Spreading half of Fifa's $2.5bn revenue over four years to associations to fund grassroots football.    

•    Redistributing $1bn of Fifa's $1.5bn cash reserves to the 209 national federations. 

•    Increased use of technology in the game, using sin-bins for unsporting behaviour.    

•    Reverting back to the previous interpretation of the offside rule, "where a player is judged offside whether directly involved in the play or not".


Blatter, 78, has been Fifa boss since 1998 and said in June 2014 that he intended to run for a fifth term.

He was criticised for Fifa's handling of Michael Garcia's report into alleged corruption during the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

 

 

21 Feb 2015
(BBC Sport UK)

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