CLON LESLEY

The media in Azerbaijan claims Nigerian striker Victor Emenayo (23) who was recently signed by Azerbaijani top division side Shahdagh Qusar FK, is 17 years older than the age that is on his international passport.

24 year old Sheffield Wednesday player, Jeremy Helan, dubbed 'the next Patrice Evra' has walked away from the game in order to 'concentrate on religion'.

  Egyptian judoka Islam El Shehaby has been sent home from the Rio Olympics after refusing to shake the hand of Israeli Or Sasson following the end of their bout, the International Olympic Committee said on Monday.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) have thrown Nigeria's 4x400m women's relay team out of next month's Olympic Games in Brazil.

Chelsea are looking to heavily reinforce their squad this summer under the management of new boss Antonio Conte. The blues have already signed a top striker in the form of Michy Batshuayi from French side Marseille. Now, they are mainly interested in luring a midfielder and several top names are in the limelight, most notably N’Golo Kante.

  FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has been sentenced to a 21-month jail term for tax evasion in Spain.

Ryan Giggs is unhappy at the appointment of Jose Mourinho with the possibility of him being demoted from his assistant manager role, according to the ​Independent.

Manchester United's final Premier League game against Bournemouth has been abandoned after a suspect package was found in one of the stands at Old Trafford.   Fans being evacuated from the stadium. The bomb disposal squad was called in and a controlled explosion was carried out within the stadium. Supporters in both the Stretford End and the Sir Alex Ferguson stand were evacuated around 30 minutes before kickoff, with a delay of at least 45 minutes initially expected. Television pictures showed police with a sniffer dog walking through the stands, and shortly afterward it was announced that the game had been abandoned. A statement issued by United read: "Due to the discovery of a suspect package in the North-West Quadrant of the Old Trafford ground, the match against Bournemouth has been abandoned today on police advice. "People in the stadium were asked to remain in their seats while the forecourt was cleared of fans already evacuated from the stadium. ...

Bayern Munich have signed Benfica midfielder Renato Sanches and Borussia Dortmund centre-back Mats Hummels. Several national newspapers linked the 18-year-old Sanches with Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool in the January transfer window. But German giants Bayern have completed a deal for the Portuguese player, who will move to Munich in the summer for an initial fee of £27.5m (35m euros). And they have also bolstered their defence with the acquisition of Dortmund's German international centre-back Hummels on a deal until 2021. Speaking of the Sanches transfer, Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said: "Renato Sanches is a dynamic, technically-gifted midfielder who is strong in the tackle and will strengthen our squad." And on Hummels, Rummenigge added: "Mats is one of the world's best centre-backs. He will increase the quality of our team even more." Sanches signed a new contract at Benfica in November, which contained a relea...

Nigeria risks another suspension from world's football governing body. Fifa issued a warning to Nigeria on Monday to either reinstate its sacked Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials or face a suspension. It follows last week's high court ruling that Chris Giwa should be installed as the NFF's President and that the Fifa-recognised head, Amaju Pinnick, be sacked. Fifa warned that the country could face sanctions - including a ban - if a decision of the Federal High Court in Jos from Friday is implemented. In a letter dated 11 April 2016, Fifa's acting secretary general Markus Kattner said the ruling by a Jos federal high court is classed as "interference." "The decision of the Federal High Court in Jos, if implemented, would likely be considered as interference in the internal affairs of the NFF and the case would be brought to the highest authorities of Fifa for consideration of sanctions, including the suspension of the NFF," ...

Nigeria caretaker Samson Siasia has sprung a number of surprises for today’s must-win AFCON qualifier against Egypt by dropping Chelsea loanee Victor Moses to the bench, while starting youngsters Kelechi Iheanacho and Moses Simon. Victor Moses has been on superb form for both West Ham as well as in Eagles since he last featured for Nigeria at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Siasia has instead of banking on the vision and dribble runs of Victor Moses, opted for the speed and directness of Kaduna-born Moses Simon to start against Egypt. Manchester City starlet Iheanacho will get his first Eagles start. As expected, Portugal-based Stanley Amuzie will start ahead of Elderson Echiejile of Monaco at leftback and Shehu Abdullahi will start at rightback. Oghenekaro Etebo is the only player from the domestic league and he will play alongside skipper Mikel Obi in a withdrawn role in midfield. Nigeria Starting XI  versus Egypt Goal keeper: Carl Ikeme Defenders: - Shehu Abdulla...

Luis Suarez says he has been working on controling his "anxiety and nerves" as he prepares for his first competitive Uruguay game since biting Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup. Suarez was given a nine-game ban from competitive internationals, as well as a four-month ban from all football-related activity for the 2014 incident. "No-one is going to change the way I play," said  Suarez. Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said Suarez must be "more than mature". Suarez missed 641 days of competitive action for his country, including their 2014 World Cup defeat by Colombia, the entire 2015 Copa America and four games of 2018 World Cup qualifying.  He was still allowed to play in friendlies.Uruguay are second in South American qualifying behind Ecuador and face Brazil on Friday. 'I will still run, pressure and argue' Suarez has been in sensational form since leaving Liverpool for Barcelona in the aftermath of the ban, winning the La Liga,...

Sunday Oliseh has shockingly resigned as coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria after just seven months in the post. Sunday Oliseh Mr. Oliseh made this known in a tweet from his official Twitter handle. He wrote: “I feel fortunate, blessed and eternally grateful for having had the honour to Play,Captain & Coach this great Nation of ours, Nigeria” “Due to Contract violations, lack of support, unpaid wages, benefits to my players, Asst. coaches & myself, I resign as Super Eagles Chief Coach.” Oliseh was appointed in July 2015 as the country’s coach in place of sacked Stephen Keshi. However, the relationship between Oliseh and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has soured since the country failed to go past the group stage of the recent African Nations Championship in Rwanda.

Pau Vilanova Vila-Abadal, director of business and member of FC Barcelona management board, disclosed this during a visit to Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of the state, on Monday. Vila-Abadal said FC Barcelona decided to establish its academy in Lagos due to the impressive population of the state, and the opportunity to share the philosophy of the team with the state. Oscar Grau, worldwide director of Barcelona Academy, said “it was indeed a big honour for the club to establish its Academy in Lagos, as many of the big names in the team started from such Academy”. He recalled that players like Messi, Iniesta, Sergio Busquet, Pique, among others, all started from such academy, and that the club has a unique methodology of instilling great virtues in footballers, apart from footballing skills and education. He added that through the academy, the club also aims to raise excellent players for Nigeria. Responding to the team’s plan on the academy, Ambode expressed readiness of...

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has lost the confidence of several of the club's senior players and former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is their preferred option as his replacement. The Old Trafford club's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is believed to have contacted Mourinho's agent on Friday to see if he will take over before the end of this season. Woodward made the move after fearing that Inter Milan were about to offer Mourinho his old job back. Van Gaal is clinging to his role at Manchester United as Woodward is told to stop dithering over whether to sack him. The Dutchman has three games to save his career, starting with Monday's FA Cup tie at Shrewsbury.

  Jose Mourinho has confided in close friends that it is a “done deal” that he will take over at Manchester United in the summer. Sportsmail revealed at the weekend that the Portuguese was on the verge of agreeing terms to replace Louis van Gaal. Mourinho has been out of work since he was sacked by Chelsea in December but it is widely known he would relish the chance to take over at United. Now he has told associates that the move to Old Trafford is done and he is set to take over at the end of the season. It will bring to an end Van Gaal’s troubled two-year reign. The Dutchman will still have a year remaining on his United contract, but he has not impressed after being backed to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds in the transfer market yet failing to win any silverware. It has seen him come under increasing pressure from fans. Van Gaal has been publicly riled in press conferences on several occasions when asked about his future at the club, but Mourinho is cer...

MAURICIO POCHETTINO could become a clog in Jose Mourinho’s wheels to Old Trafford to become Manchester United’s next manager. It is understood United chiefs have spoken to representatives of the Tottenham boss about succeeding Louis van Gaal. Similar conversations are on-going between Old Trafford chiefs and Mourinho, who is desperate for the job. Although the talks with Mourinho were first revealed in December 2015, United also see Pochettino as a man who can lead them long-term and deliver trophies as well as good football. Some analysts and Manchester United faithfuls see Mourinho as a quick-fix manager who could help get the club back to the top, but cannot build for the future. Thus Pochettino is seen as a more preferred replacement.

  Nigeria coach Sunday Oliseh has revealed that he was persuaded to handle the Super Eagles after turning down the offer twice. The ex-international stated this while trying to defend his team’s shambolic showing at the African Nations Championship in Rwanda where his side crashed out of the group stage. AdTech Ad In the lengthy video released via his Youtube channel, Oliseh called those calling for his sack ‘insane’ while making a critical remark about his former teammates who he advised to pick up coaching forms and handle the national team instead of finding loopholes in his work. “I am addressing this insanity that has befallen some of our critics and I call it insanity because you must be insane to start seeking a plebiscite on the future of Nigeria’s national team coach because we lost CHAN,” Oliseh said. “CHAN is the least important competition held by Caf and a tournament that weighed more on the strength of the leagues against another. You can see how far Congo ...

  Manchester United assistant manager Ryan Giggs is likely to leave the club in the summer should they opt to appoint Jose Mourinho, according to reports. The Wales legend has been with the club since the age of 13 and became the club’s assistant manager under Louis van Gaal when he hung up his boots after 24 years in 2014. Ed Woodward, the club’s executive vice-chairman, was insistent upon including Giggs in the backroom staff of the manager that replaced David Moyes and the plan was to hand the 42-year-old the Old Trafford hotseat after the Dutchman’s three years at the club.  However, the 64-year-old’s tenure has soured in the last three months and the club are in talks with Mourinho’s representatives with a view to employing the former Chelsea manager this summer. And, according to the BBC, though Giggs was willing to further his education under Van Gaal, he would be unwilling to work under Mourinho and will look to leave the club to begin his managerial career. ...

As the zero hour approaches for the must win double header AFCON qualifier against the Pharaohs of Egypt on March 23, Sports Vanguard can reveal the real reasons why coach Sunday Oliseh may continue to tinker the Eagles from his base in Belgium. After contracting a virus in one of his official assignments, camp sources informed that the former Juventus player has alleged occultic manipulations by his enemies on his life and has vowed to flee far from the country to where they could not fly to attack him.  “He is always scared in camp and suspicious of even members of his back room staff”, a close source to the team informed. The source said that the outspoken coach allegedly confronted his staff and warned them that there were many witches and wizards who were trying to undermine the success of the Eagles. “He warned those fond of putting their hands in their pockets before shaking him to desist or keep their handshakes as he feared they touch objects concealed in their pocket...