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 - CANDIDATE Luis Figo pulls out of election

Luís Figo

 

Ex-Portugal midfielder Figo, 42, pulled out on the same day as Van Pragg, 67, to leave Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan as Blatter's only rival.

Blatter is favourite to win a fifth term as president and Figo said: "This process is anything but an election.

"This process is a plebiscite for the delivery of absolute power to one man - something I refuse to go along with."

Each of Fifa's 209 member associations have a vote in the election and Van Praag, who is president of the Dutch football federation, says he will now support Prince Ali.

The English Football Association also intend to support Prince Ali, while the Scottish FA had previously said they would back Van Praag.

The Dutchman held a joint news conference with Prince Ali in Amsterdam on Thursday, urging his supporters to get behind the Jordanian to unseat Blatter.

"Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein convincingly demonstrated that at this moment in time he is the candidate who has the biggest chance to challenge Sepp Blatter," Van Praag said.

"It is impossible that Fifa moves on with its current presidency," he added.

Figo also highlighted the need for change in his withdrawal statement.

"I travelled and met extraordinary people who, though they recognized the value of much that had been done, also concurred with the need for change, one that cleans up Fifa's reputation as an obscure organization that is so often viewed as a place of corruption," he said.

"I have seen with my own eyes federation presidents who, after one day comparing Fifa leaders to the devil, then go on stage and compare those same people with Jesus Christ. 

Nobody told me about this. 

I saw it with my own eyes."

He also questioned an election process in which a main candidate - Blatter - had not produced a manifesto "so that federation presidents know what they're voting for".

Figo added: "There has not been a single public debate about each candidate's proposals."

The latest withdrawal comes after another presidential candidate, Frenchman Jerome Champagne, a former Fifa deputy general secretary, pulled out in February.

Former Tottenham and Newcastle midfielder David Ginola, backed by a betting company, originally announced his intention to stand against Blatter in January, but withdrew two weeks later.

The vote will be held in Zurich at Fifa's annual congress and requires the winning candidate to secure a two-thirds majority in the first round of voting.

If subsequent rounds are required then a simple majority is all that is required for victory.

 

 

22 May 2015
(BBC Sport UK)

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