News sport : Rice football signs 7-year-old boy with leukemia (Video)

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Though national signing day was more than two months ago, Rice made an exception on Wednesday.


The Owls and head coach David Bailiff announced that they signed seven-year-old Fre’derick “Ziggy” Stoval-Redd to be an honorary member of the team. According to the Houston Chronicle, Ziggy was twice diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia – a cancer of the blood and bone marrow – but is currently in remission.



“Thank you for allowing me to be part of the team,” Ziggy said while donning his new white Rice hat.


Bailiff, who is entering his ninth season with the program, said that “Ziggy will always be part of the Rice University football family.”


“He has 100 brothers and 10 granddads that are always going to be here for him. We will be with him every step of the way,” Bailiff said.


Ziggy is originally from Mississippi, but moved to Texas to be closer to doctors. Bailiff said Ziggy “was a five-star recruit in Mississippi.”


Great job, Rice.


For more Rice news, visit OwlsInsider.com.


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News sport : Childhood artist Erik Compton drew himself playing in the Masters

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A dream comes true for Erik Compton on Thursday at the Masters. Compton, who got into the field with his T-2 finish in the 2014 U.S. Open, will make his Augusta National debut.


For Compton, who is on his third heart after two prior transplants, he hopes the maiden Masters experience will go exactly how he drew it up as a kid.


Before his first round, the 35-year-old Compton shared a picture he drew as a kid of him playing in the Masters.



It looks like Compton was trying to draw the par-5 second, Pink Dogwood. Strangely enough, Compton's hole location is even pretty close to what he'll see Thursday.




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Chiefs face tricky Usuthu test

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If it is true that they are dangerous when wounded, then AmaZulu might be facing Kaizer Chiefs at the most perilous of times.


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If it is true that they are dangerous when wounded, then AmaZulu might be facing Kaizer Chiefs at the most perilous of times.


Usuthu, who are enjoying an incredibly good run of form that has seen them whittle down their points deficit at the bottom of the table to a mere two from the massive 10 that it was earlier this year, visit a Chiefs side still licking their wounds after their exit from continental competition.


Chiefs – who were knocked out of the Caf Champions League in humiliating fashion after they were beaten 4-0 on aggregate by Moroccan outfit Raja Casablanca – will be keen to avoid further implosion on the domestic front where they have been champions-elect, literally, from the first day of the season.


But with the continental failure following hot on the heels of their defeat in the Nedbank Cup to National First Division outfit Black Leopards, murmurs of a possible meltdown in the league, similar to last season’s, are beginning to become more pronounced.


And with good reason, for Stuart Baxter’s team are nothing like the slick machine that marched into a seemingly unassailable lead to finish last year unbeaten. Lately, they have resembled an outfit very unsure of themselves, and their transition game – that no one seemed to be able to cope with – has deserted them completely.


The finishing power that all-and-sundry had become accustomed to and in which just about everyone in the team was able to find the net, has quickly been replaced by a lack of confidence in the final third, so much so that they’ve become masters at missing scoring opportunities.


All that will have to change if they are to bag maximum points in their final match at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, their alternative home venue, tonight.


For in AmaZulu they face a team that has found their second wind, Steve Barker having finally managed to get the KwaZulu-Natal side to start firing after a long period of failure that had many declaring Usuthu were destined for the drop. Now though, with six matches to go, AmaZulu are breathing down the necks of both Free State Stars and Moroka Swallows as they look to stay up amongst the elite.


And their revival has had a lot to do with that incredibly talented yet often self-destructive star that is Mbulelo Mabizela.


The defender has rekindled the magic which saw him not only lead Orlando Pirates to the title but also captain the national team and play overseas, but also lead a mini-resurrection for AmaZulu. And it is to him they will look to, not only to stop Chiefs but to deliver the winning goals as he has been doing since he joined from Black Aces.


Meanwhile, Baxter is hoping his team lift themselves up quickly as they seek to avoid the disaster that befell them last season when they contrived to lose the championship everybody had them winning to Mamelodi Sundowns.


“We are very disappointed to come away from Casablanca empty-handed but, on the positive side, the performance of the team was very good and we gained valuable experience from the trip. I am confident that if we can maintain our form, we will turn it into valuable points in the league,” he told the club’s website www.kaizerchiefs.com.


And getting those points will mean taking out the pain of their continental humiliation on AmaZulu and thus putting an end to Usuthu’s good run. - The Star






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News sport : Pittsburgh Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell suspended three games by NFL

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The Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the NFL's hottest teams late last season, but that ended when Le'Veon Bell missed a playoff game with a knee injury.


The Steelers are an intriguing team coming into this season, but they'll also start the year without Bell for three games.


Bell has been suspended three games and fined an additional game check for a suspicion of DUI and marijuana possession arrest last year, ESPN.com's Adam Schefter reported. New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount was suspended one game from the same incident. The difference was he didn't have the DUI charge like Bell did. Schefter reported Bell is appealing.


Even if Bell gets the suspension reduced, it's a big blow to the Steelers. They looked a bit lost on offense without their do-everything back in a playoff loss to the Ravens. The AFC North will again be very competitive and the difference between a division title, or a playoff spot at all, might be what happens to the Steelers when Bell is out.


Pittsburgh signed DeAngelo Williams, the longtime Carolina Panthers back, this offseason. But he has had durability issues in recent years and wasn't the same back he was in his prime. He's certainly not the same back Bell is. Bell had 2,215 yards from scrimmage, 11 touchdowns and made the All-Pro team last season. After the Steelers cut Blount, Bell rarely came off the field, a rarity for a running back in this era.


There's still a lot to like about the Steelers' offense this season, but it won't be the same until their star running back can play.


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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : Texas Tech is adorning a Sprint Cup car this weekend

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In 2014, Jeff Gordon drove a Texas A&M-themed car at Texas Motor Speedway. Now it's Texas Tech's turn to get in on the NASCAR action.


Texas Tech will be adorning the No. 32 car this weekend at Texas.



Yes, the race is sponsored by the former sponsor of the Independence Bowl.


Gordon had a matching helmet to go with his car, which was paid for by the CEO of Axalta, a sponsor of Gordon's. The CEO is a Texas A&M graduate.


Vic Keller donated the sponsorship through his company, ZAK Products. Keller is a graduate of Texas Tech.


If we're having a head-to-head contest between the schools in terms of exposure, A&M wins easily. Gordon is one of the most recognizable drivers in the sport and finished second to Joey Logano in last year's April race at Texas. The No. 32 is a backmarker in the Sprint Cup Series and will be driven by Mike Bliss this weekend. The chances of the team finishing second, or anywhere in the top five for that matter, aren't much better than yours or mine.


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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Jim Harbaugh stuck by 'American Sniper' during Michigan controversy

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According to Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, his team would have been watching American Sniper no matter what Michigan's student life department had done this week.



Under normal circumstances, the screening of an Oscar-nominated film to a football team is not noteworthy. However, it's been an eventful 48 hours in Michigan.


The university planned to show the movie on Friday to students who wished to attend. By now, you likely know the movie chronicles U.S. Navy Seal Chris Kyle, who was murdered at a shooting range in 2013.


Michigan is still planning to show the film on Friday, but not after it was canceled and rescheduled.


Tuesday, the movie was scrapped after a petition was created. From the Detroit Free-Press:



Lamees Mekkaoui led the drive to get "American Sniper" tossed. She questioned why the school would play a movie that makes her uncomfortable and promotes what she and others have said are anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiments.




The drive, which included a letter signed by a couple of hundred fellow students, led the university's Center for Campus Involvement to pull the film from its lineup of UMix events.



But backlash to the backlash began after the decision was made to cancel the showing of the movie, and Harbaugh sent his tweet in the time period when the movie was canceled. Michigan's vice president of student life E. Royster Harper issued a statement late Wednesday night and less than 90 minutes after Harbaugh's tweet that said the movie was back on.



"It was a mistake to cancel the showing of the movie 'American Sniper' on campus as part of a social event for students.




"The initial decision to cancel the movie was not consistent with the high value the University of Michigan places on freedom of expression and our respect for the right of students to make their own choices in such matters.




"The movie will be shown at the originally scheduled time and location. We recognize, however, that some students are uncomfortable with the content of the movie, and appreciate that concern.




"Therefore, the university also will show an alternative movie, "Paddington," in another location on campus at that same time and date to provide our students with additional options that evening."



Harbaugh can simply have his team attend the showing if he so chooses, though it's important to reiterate that Michigan student life's showing is not mandatory for students. Rather it's simply an available entertainment option for a Friday night.


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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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Kind Afcon draw for Bafana

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Bafana Bafana have good reason to feel rather confident of qualifying for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations to be held in Gabon.


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Ba (Afcon), which will be held in Gabon.


The west African nation was yesterday announced as the hosts of the continent’s showpiece event when the draw for Afcon 2017 was made in Cairo. Gabon edged out two other bidders for the tournament – Ghana and Algeria. It is their second turn as hosts; the first being in 2012 when they co-hosted with neighbours Equatorial Guinea.


Bafana’s name came out of the hat in Group M, drawn alongside Cameroon, Gambia and Mauritania.


Fifty-two countries will be involved in the qualifying campaign for Afcon 2017, with the group winners, the two best second-placed teams and hosts Gabon making up the 16-team finals for the event.


In terms of Fifa rankings, Cameroon are 49th, Bafana 55th, Mauritania 115th and Gambia 168th.


Cameroon should provide Bafana with stern opposition, but head coach Shakes Mashaba will feel that it’s a good draw – one that provides his men with a fantastic opportunity to book a place in Gabon in two years’ time.


“Some may see this as a relatively easy group,” said Mashaba. “On paper it is, but on the field it is a different story altogether. There are no easy matches in international football anymore; football has changed and every country will give it a go.


“While we may know much about Cameroon, not much is said about Gambia and Mauritania, and those could be our banana peels. We have to do what we did during the 2015 qualifiers - be brave, show no respect, but, above all, prepare thoroughly and take nothing for granted. I am very happy with the draw and closer to the time we will reveal our plans as to how we will tackle the qualifiers.


South Africa’s 2017 Afcon qualifying fixtures:


South Africa vs Gambia (12, 13 or 14 June 2015).


Mauritania vs South Africa (4, 5 or 6 September 2015)


Cameroon vs South Africa (23,24, 25 or 26 March 2016.


South Africa vs Cameroon (26, 27, 28 or 29 March 2016)


Gambia vs South Africa (3, 4 or 5 June 2016).


South Africa vs Mauritania (2, 3 or 4 September 2016).


AFCON 2017 DRAW


Group A: Tunisia, Togo, Liberia, Djibouti


Group B: Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Central Africa Republic, Madagascar


Group C: Mali, Equatorial Guinea, Benin, South Sudan


Group D: Burkina Faso, Uganda, Botswana, Comoros


Group E: Zambia, Congo, Kenya, Guinea Bissau


Group F: Cape Verde, Morocco, Libya, Sao Tome


Group G: Nigeria, Egypt, Tanzania, Chad


Group H: Ghana, Mozambique, Rwanda, Mauritius


Group I: Cote d’Ivoire, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Gabon


Group J: Algeria, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Seychelles


Group K: Senegal, Niger, Namibia, Burundi


Group L: Guinea, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Swaziland


Group M: Cameroon, South Africa, Gambia, Mauritania - Cape Times






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United take aim at ailing City

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Manchester United have lost the last four league meetings against Manchester City, but head into this derby as favourites.


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London - Manchester United, buoyed by five successive Premier League victories, head into Sunday's derby against Manchester City a place and a point above their rivals and believing they are poised to restore red ascendancy in the city.


Champions City have won the last four league meetings against United, including a 1-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium in November, but their hopes of retaining the title have faded.


They have dropped down to fourth after four wins in 11 league games and trail leaders Chelsea by nine points.


United, meanwhile, have put their early season struggles behind them to climb to third, eight points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool in the race for Champions League qualification.


“It was another Manchester United (last November), I believe,” United boss Louis van Gaal told reporters after Saturday's 3-1 win against Aston Villa.


“That was more in the start of the process and now we are in the end of the process.


“Now we have developed the team. I think also the confidence of our players is very high at the moment.


“This next game is the decisive game... you have to win these kinds of matches.”


City arrive at Old Trafford on the back of a 2-1 defeat by Crystal Palace but captain Vincent Kompany believes form counts for nothing in a derby.


“It doesn't matter what place you are in the league, it's a derby,” Kompany said after the Palace loss.


“If anything, it's a good moment to go into a derby.


“I guess the momentum is a little bit with our neighbours at the moment, but it's the perfect place for us to go and try to rectify what we've had.”


Chelsea, who need 16 points from their remaining eight games to win the title for the first time since 2010, travel to relegation-threatened west London rivals Queens Park Rangers on Sunday.


“I've never played at QPR as a Chelsea manager,” Jose Mourinho told the club's website (www.chelseafc.com). “But I know history and I know that for QPR to play against Chelsea is a special match.


“The most difficult job is the job of the others that come from behind, because... if they draw one game, they are in trouble. They have to win every game.”


Second-placed Arsenal, who have won 10 out of 11 league matches, travel to struggling Burnley on Saturday, while fifth-placed Liverpool will be aiming to close the gap on the top four with victory over Newcastle United at Anfield on Monday. – Reuters






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Could Wilshere snub Arsenal for City?

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The official word from Arsenal is that Jack Wilshere is not for sale at the end of the season. Not to Manchester City, not to anyone.


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The official word from Arsenal is that Jack Wilshere is not for sale at the end of the season. Not to Manchester City, not to anyone.


Wilshere is one of Arsenal’s own, a product of the fabled Hale End academy and an example to young recruits that it is possible to make a first-team breakthrough.


The reality is that Wilshere will sit with his influential father, Andy, at the end of the season to discuss whether a move to City would enhance his career and not just his bank balance.


Whatever manager Arsene Wenger has to say before Arsenal’s clash with Burnley on Saturday, Wilshere to Manchester City, as revealed in Sportsmail yesterday, is undoubtedly in the works.


He is on the list of Txiki Begiristain, City’s director of football. At 23, he is a young English player who could bring down the average age of this City squad — if they could prise him from the Emirates.


It will not be easy. Wilshere has always maintained that he wants to remain at Arsenal for the rest of his career. City, though, offer a fresh start and it is possible that Wilshere needs a change of environment after another frustrating season on the sidelines.


It is also a well-trodden path for Arsenal players in recent seasons, with Emmanuel Adebayor, Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna leaving the rhythmic, first-touch football at the Emirates for super-sized salaries at City.


It is not an easy decision, particularly with the vulgar salaries on offer at the Etihad and the inevitable accusations of being a mercenary, but this is key moment in Wilshere’s career.


The midfielder is already paid handsomely — £130,000 a week all in when he starts for Arsenal — but injuries are a constant source of frustration for Wilshere.


He has not played a first-team game for Arsenal since November 22, when he was substituted 55 minutes into the 2-1 defeat by Manchester United at the Emirates with an ankle injury.


In the past, Wilshere has been built up too soon, championed as a future Arsenal and England captain when he has yet to even make 100 starts for his club in the Barclays Premier League.


Even former England captain Steven Gerrard claimed he had the ability to become one of the best midfielders in the world before he played Brazil at Wembley in February 2013.


‘Jack’s got a bit of everything. He can tackle, pass, get up and down the pitch, create a goal or score a goal,’ said Gerrard at the time.


‘He ticks almost every box, and he’s going to get better and better. He has the potential to become one of the best in the world.


‘I don’t want to put any pressure on him, but having played against him and seen him in training, he’s a one-off. He’s a lot better than your normal Premier League midfielder.’


The truth is that Wilshere needs time, room to breathe again after being championed ever since he scored that magnificent goal for Arsenal’s reserve team against West Ham at Barnet’s Underhill Stadium in 2008. Wenger was there that night, grinning with approval in the stands after the 16-year-old’s curling left-foot effort confirmed his status as one of the club’s rising stars. He earned instant comparison to Liam Brady.


Since then Wilshere has made the grade with the first team, an established member of a core group of players who are enjoying the club’s soothing possession football. On present form Arsenal are the best team to watch in the Premier League and Wilshere, recovering from his latest injury, would dearly love to be part of it.


Although dad Andy is a West Ham fan, his son is Arsenal through and through, as he demonstrated after last season’s dramatic victory over Hull City in the FA Cup. During the victory parade, just hours before he joined up with the England squad to begin preparations for the World Cup in Brazil, he mischievously grabbed the microphone to ask the fans: ‘What do you think of Tottenham?’


The answer was well-publicised at the time, but the more pertinent question is whether Wilshere can reclaim his first place in this developing Arsenal team.


With England, manager Roy Hodgson plays him at the base of his midfield diamond, but at Arsenal Wenger prefers him in a pairing behind the main attackers.


With Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey the favoured attacking players behind Olivier Giroud, this is not an easy team for Wilshere to get into next season.


At 23 he has time on his side and even at the end of this season there are still three years to run on his current contract.


Soon enough there will be a decision to be made for all concerned. – Daily Mail






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Liverpool still seeking star quality

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Who has been Liverpool's player of the season? Had you asked that question 12 months ago, the answer would have been glaring: Luis Suarez.


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Who has been Liverpool’s player of the season? Had you asked that question 12 months ago, the answer would have been glaring: Luis Suarez.


For his 31 goals and his breath- taking displays, the gong could only have gone to the Uruguayan, who last night ironically scored twice for Barcelona in a 4-0 win over Almeria. It was not, though, a case of him operating alone.


Had it been a ‘normal’ season, Steven Gerrard, Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling would all have been worthy recipients.But it didn’t end there. Jordan Henderson was outstanding, Martin Skrtel was a big presence — it wasn’t stretching things to say the voting for the club’s in-house award was more competitive than it was for the PFA accolade.


Now fast forward to the present and ask the same question: who has been Liverpool’s player of the season? This time there is no obvious candidate, and as the campaign reaches its conclusion there isn’t even a clear favourite.


Henderson, of course, would have his supporters. The England international has excelled since the turn of the year, scoring some crucial goals and doing his best to provide leadership and inspiration in the absence of Gerrard.


Coutinho would command his share of the vote. Brendan Rodgers suggested after the Brazilian’s fabulous goal against Manchester City on March 1 that he might be a contender to be named PFA Young Player of Year, but his flame has only flickered since.


How about the others? Sterling had three months when his goals were key to reviving fortunes. Emre Can has caught the eye since Christmas, while results have been better with Lucas Leiva in the team; Liverpool have only lost three times in the 23 matches he has started.


And that explains why Liverpool are where they are at the moment. There have been lots of adequate contributions — a few, it should be stressed, have been excellent — but there hasn’t been anywhere near enough consistency.


It is why, most likely, they will find themselves on the wrong side of the line when the Champions League places are decided come the end of the campaign, and why they have made such heavy weather of this FA Cup campaign.


Having been held to a goalless draw at Anfield by Blackburn Rovers, this replay was crying out for someone in red to stamp their authority on it —for Sterling to buzz about with brilliance or Coutinho to cast magic spells all over the pitch, or Sturridge to demonstrate his penalty-area ruthlessness.


For long periods, however, they flattered to deceive. Sterling, so potent when he goes through the gears, saw little of the ball and Sturridge continued to show how out of form he is; this has been a wretched campaign for the striker, one decimated by injuries.


The goals have dried up for Rodgers’ side over the course of the last month — they had only scored seven in their previous six matches before last night — and, despite a formation change here, switching to a flat-back four rather than a three-man defence, Liverpool lacked punch.


As he stood anxiously in his technical area, watching Simon Mignolet keep his side’s Wembley dreams alive with two stunning saves early in the second period, Rodgers must have thought that would cost his side dearly. Much to his relief, up popped Coutinho. Having scored a late winner in the fourth round at Bolton, he repeated the trick in another Lancashire town.


Exchanging passes with Henderson, the Brazilian’s finish from a tight angle was emphatic.


There is still time, of course, for one of Rodgers’ squad to emerge as the absolute best of this bunch; on May 19, a gala dinner will be held at the city’s Echo Arena when the successor to Suarez will be announced.At this moment nobody is better positioned than Coutinho.


If Liverpool are going to clamber into the top four — and that might not be beyond the realms of possibility if Manchester City’s implosion continues — and win the FA Cup, much will depend on the Brazilian.He proved he had what it takes to settle a frantic clash at Ewood Park. Rodgers needs him to show that right through until the end of May.– Daily Mail






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Chelsea in bid for Japanese striker

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English Premier League leaders Chelsea have made a formal offer for Japan striker Yoshinori Muto, his club FC Tokyo said.


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English Premier League leaders Chelsea have made a formal offer for Japan striker Yoshinori Muto, his club FC Tokyo said.


Japanese media reported the offer was worth $5.9 million.


“It is true that we have received an official offer from Chelsea for Muto,” said a spokesman for the J-league club.


“But nothing has been decided,” the spokesman told AFP, declining to comment further on details, including the amount of money offered.


However, Sports Nippon said Chelsea offered about four million pounds ($5.9 million), which would be a J-League record from an overseas club.


“I'm honoured to receive an offer from this wonderful team,” the 22-year-old Muto told the sports daily. “But I have not made any decision yet.”


Muto began his professional career at FC Tokyo last year, scoring 13 goals in 33 games to match the first-division record for a player in his rookie season.


The baby-faced striker also made his debut for Japan last year and scored his first international goal in a 2-2 draw against Venezuela in September.


Muto has scored three goals in four games this season, helping FC Tokyo move into joint second place in the J-League standings just two points behind leaders Urawa Reds. – AFP






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Ex-Bafana player arrested in foiled hijacking

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A former Bafana player was arrested in Germiston with nine other people before they could hijack a truck transporting cigarettes.


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Johannesburg – Ten people, who included a former Bafana Bafana player, were arrested in Germiston, East Rand before they could hijack a truck transporting cigarettes, Gauteng police said on Thursday.


”Police got a tip off on Wednesday about the planned hijacking and the description of the vehicles to be used. Two of the suspects were in full Ekurhuleni metro police uniforms,” he said.


The two men in uniform were not police officers, Makhubela said. The former soccer player used to play for Jomo Cosmos and Bafana Bafana.


Makhubela said they were charged with conspiracy to hijack a truck.


”The other two in uniform also face charges of impersonating police officers. They are expected to appear in the Germiston Magistrate’s Court soon.” – ANA






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Ronaldo reaches 300 goals for Real

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Cristiano Ronald headed his 300th goal for Real Madrid in a laboured 2-0 La Liga victory at neighbours Rayo Vallecano.


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Madrid - Cristiano Ronald headed his 300th goal for Real Madrid in a laboured 2-0 La Liga victory at neighbours Rayo Vallecano that kept the gap on leaders Barcelona down to four points.


Fresh from thrashing Granada 9-1, when Ronaldo hit five, the European champions needed a win at Rayo's Vallecas stadium after Barca strolled to a 4-0 home victory over Almeria to open a seven-point advantage over their arch-rivals.


In-form Luis Suarez scored twice and Lionel Messi ended a three-game goal drought, with Marc Bartra also getting on the scoresheet at the Nou Camp.


Real struggled to exert any control over lowly Rayo and missed a host of chances before Ronaldo netted his 37th La Liga goal of the campaign with a header from Dani Carvajal's cross.


The prolific Portugal forward, five clear of Messi at the top of the scoring chart, is the third player after Raul (323) and Alfredo Di Stefano (307) to reach 300 goals for Real, but has needed only 288 matches, compared with Raul's 741 and Di Stefano's 396.


Ronaldo had earlier been booked for a dive in the penalty area and will be suspended for the La Liga game at home to Eibar on Saturday.


James Rodriguez made it 2-0 with a sharp finish from Ronaldo's layoff to lift Real to 70 points, five ahead of third-placed champions Atletico Madrid, who won 2-0 at home to Real Sociedad on Tuesday.


“We tried to pressure them with more intensity high up the pitch but in the first half we were not convincing,” Real coach Carlo Ancelotti told a news conference.


“In the second, we were more complete, we played well and we deserved to win,” added the Italian.


After edging to a 1-0 win at Celta Vigo on Sunday, Barca dominated Almeria at the Nou Camp to record their 20th victory in 22 matches this year in all competitions.


Messi, who had not scored since his double against Eibar three weeks ago, made it 1-0 in the 33rd minute when he skipped in from the right wing and whipped a left-foot effort inside the far post.


Almeria, who are third from bottom, defended doggedly but conceded again when Suarez netted an almost identical goal 10 minutes into the second half.


Centre back Bartra added a third when he nodded in a Xavi corner with 15 minutes left and Pedro set up Suarez to make it 4-0 in stoppage-time.


“We know that if we don't stay focused in the league we will not get the three points,” Suarez said in an interview with Spanish television.


With eight league games left, Barca have a chance of repeating 2009's historic treble under Pep Guardiola, the only time a Spanish side has won the domestic league and Cup and Champions League in the same season. – Reuters






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Pirates, Stars in six-goal thriller

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A stunning hat-trick from Mogakolodi Ngele was not enough for Platinum Stars to overcome Orlando Pirates as the sides drew 3-3 in their Premiership match.


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Orlando – A stunning hat-trick from Mogakolodi Ngele was not enough for Platinum Stars to overcome Orlando Pirates as the sides drew 3-3 in their Premiership match at Orlando Stadium, in Orlando, on Wednesday.


Fresh from their African conquests the Sea-Robbers started strongly before Stars worked their way into the match and hit the lead just past the half-hour mark. Pirates were able to equalise, before Stars hit the front again, and for a second time the Soweto Giants came back to level matters. But, it would be the third wonder-strike from Ngele which appeared to seal the contest. With three minutes remaining in the clash, Issa Sarr met a Sifiso Myeni corner and from a tight angle his deft header rocketed into goal to ensure the sides shared the points.


With the draw, Pirates stay in third position with 44 points, but did not lose ground on Mamelodi Sundowns three points ahead in second who also played out to a draw at the same time.


Stars’ log position also did not change as they moved to 28 points from 24 games for 11th place on the log.


Earlier, Myeni sent the ball into the Aces area where Lennox Bacela rose up and his unchallenged header was directed just wide of target in the second minute.


Six minutes later, under the attention of two defenders, Bacela showed good strength to get the shot away but the effort, like his earlier attempt, was off the mark.


The best chance to open the score fell to Stars in the 19th minute. Pirates keeper Brighton Mhlongo collided with a Stars player, but play was allowed to go on, and Ngele had a shot at an open goal but scuffed his shot across the face of goal.


In the 28th minute, Robert Ng’ambi made a run down the right for Stars and Ngele was able to take a touch before unleashing a left-footed strike which was saved by Mhlongo.


Stars were rewarded with their period of dominance with the opening goal in the 32nd minute.


Ngele was on target again, this time running into space and from 25 metres out, and the striker’s low shot found the corner of the net to take a 1-0 lead for the visitors.


Right on the interval, Pirates pulled a goal back. Oupa Manyisa made a run into the right hand side of the box drawing both a defender and the keeper, but instead of shooting passed for Mpho Makola who made no mistake in front of an open goal.


Stars, however, were not done yet as they took the lead again four minutes into first half injury time. Stars were awarded a free kick on the edge of the Pirates box. Ngele stepped up and produced a swerving strike into the top right corner of goal to secure his brace as his side led 2-1 at the break.


In the second half, it took just three minutes for Pirates to draw level once again. Bacela and Manyisa combined for a masterclass goal. Bacela held the ball up in the middle and released Manyisa in the box, who took a touch before driving the ball home with pinpoint accuracy to make it 2-2.


Ngele completed his hat-trick in the 69th minute. The player, in red-hot form, received the ball in the middle of the park and unleashed a left-footed thunderbolt from 25 metres out which crashed into the back of the net and forged a 3-2 lead for Stars.


It was then the turn of Sarr to make it 3-3 late in the match. – ANA






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Liverpool saved by late goal

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Philippe Coutinho thumped home a second-half winner as Liverpool broke the resistance of Blackburn Rovers.


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London - Philippe Coutinho thumped home a second-half winner as Liverpool broke the resistance of Championship Blackburn Rovers to reach the FA Cup semi-finals with a gritty 1-0 replay victory on Wednesday.


Brendan Rodgers's side, who came into the game after back-to-back Premier League defeats that all but ended their hopes of a top-four finish, will face Aston Villa in a Wembley semi-final.


They came out on top at Ewood Park having dominated possession but struggled to break down the hosts who got men behind the ball and restricted Liverpool to very few sights of goal.


The breakthrough came in the 70th minute when Coutinho exchanged passes with Jordan Henderson from a corner, drove into the box and drilled the ball low into the bottom corner.


“From start to finish, I thought we were brilliant tonight,” Liverpool's captain on the night Jordan Henderson told BT Sport.


“Now we have a tough game against Villa at Wembley, but it gives the club a good lift.”


The victory kept seven-times Cup winners Liverpool on course to win Rodgers's first trophy for the club after a disappointing league campaign that has left them out of the Champions League qualification places.


Rodgers had said winning the FA Cup would represent progress for his side despite failing to make any impact in the league after last season's second-place finish.


It was far from a convincing performance from Liverpool, however, who looked like the confidence had been knocked out of them by consecutive losses to Manchester United and Arsenal.


With the bone-hard and bobbly playing surface making possession difficult, Liverpool, who lost defender Mamadou Sakho to injury early on, spent the first half probing at a pedestrian pace with little success.


Blackburn were rolling their sleeves up and keeping numbers in defence, the tried and tested formula for lower league teams hoping to cause a cup upset.


Liverpool had little more than glimpses of goal in the first half, with Coutinho prodding an effort that was saved by Simon Eastwood and Daniel Sturridge trying his luck with a speculative effort that drifted a fraction too high.


The hosts had two efforts saved by Simon Mignolet at the start of the second half, with the Liverpool keeper tipping Tom Cairney's 25-metre effort over the bar and palming Ben Marshall's firm header on to the post.


Liverpool maintained their stranglehold of the ball, however, and Coutinho's moment of class proved the difference.


Reuters






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