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Jose would like Cech to stay

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Jose Mourinho insisted he would force Petr Cech to stay at Chelsea for one more year or sell him abroad rather than to Arsenal.

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Jose Mourinho insisted he would force Petr Cech to stay at Chelsea for one more year or sell him abroad rather than to Arsenal if the choice were down to him.

Cech’s contract at Stamford Bridge expires next year and he wants to leave to play more regularly because Thibaut Courtois has ousted him from the team.

Arsenal, Inter Milan and Roma are all interested and the final call will be made by Roman Abramovich, who has a strong personal bond with Cech and is more likely to sympathise if he prefers to stay in London, where his family are settled.

Mourinho, who reacted with bewilderment at being overlooked once more for the Manager of the Month award yesterday, has a more clinical view but is prepared to accept his board’s decision.

‘One thing is Jose Mourinho and another is Mr Abramovich and another thing is the board because the board is a little bit of me and other people,’ said the Chelsea manager. ‘If it was my decision, the decision is Petr to stay. That’s it.’

When asked if he would even hold the 32-year-old keeper to the contract against his will, he added: ‘Yes, I think the club is more important than the player and the club needs two very good goalkeepers.

‘Without Petr this season I don’t think the club would be champions because he played in six important matches. Without these points we probably wouldn’t be champions.

‘For me, decision one would be for Petr to stay. After that, second point, to go but not in England. The option I don’t want is for him to go to an English club. But, I repeat, I am just the manager. If the club decision is different to mine I will accept it.’

Cech’s relationship with Abramovich may work in his favour, but the Czech also understands his legendary status will come under scrutiny if he joins Arsenal — especially now the manager has made his preference clear. Mourinho was irked when Frank Lampard left Stamford Bridge and turned up on loan, scoring against Chelsea for title rivals Manchester City — but then the Portuguese is quite easily irked.

Yesterday, it was the Manager of the Month award eating away at him as he became the first manager to clinch the Barclays Premier League without collecting at least one of the monthly prizes since the same thing happened to him in 2005-06.

‘I don’t live for the individual trophies,’ said Mourinho. ‘My motivation is the title but it does affect me. I would like to know why. If somebody tells me you don’t get this once in eight months because of this and this, no problem.

‘For many months there are no defeats, only victories. But I can do nothing. I can just enjoy my title, which is the most important thing. And my wife is happy because she says we have too much and every time I come in with a gift, she goes “arrrggh”.’

Liverpool will line up in a guard of honour for champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge tomorrow, although Mourinho paid his own tribute to Steven Gerrard, who leaves for Los Angeles Galaxy at the end of the season.

‘Steven is one of my favourite enemies,’ said Mourinho. ‘He is one of the opponents who made me a better manager. To stop him is very difficult.

‘I tried to bring him to Chelsea, to Inter and to Real Madrid but he was always with the enemy. It’s too late to sign him now. I want to honour him and hope Stamford Bridge has the same feeling.

‘I am very sad this is the last time I play against him. Who knows, maybe I will play against Steven as Liverpool manager some day.’ – Daily Mail

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Mashaba names Cosafa Cup squad

Bafana Bafana head coach Ephraim Shakes Mashaba has named a 22-man squad for the Cosafa Cup tournament.

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Johannesburg – Bafana Bafana head coach Ephraim Shakes Mashaba has named a 22-man squad for the Cosafa Cup tournament.

The event runs from 17 – 30 May.

South Africa will face Botswana in the quarter-final of the competition on Sunday, 24 May at Moruleng Stadium in the North West Province.

Kick-off is at 17h30.

Fourteen of the players ply their trade in the Premier Soccer League, while the rest are from the National First Division, the ABC Motsepe League and academies.

There are no overseas-based players in the squad.

“This was perhaps one of the most difficult squads to announce due to a number of reasons. The end of the domestic league programme always poses a challenge for the national team as it is not easily clear which players will be available. And when you look down the NFD and ABC Motsepe Leagues, you find some of the players you have earmarked for a tournament of this nature are involved in play-offs,” said Mashaba adding the squad selected will compete.

“We will have three warm-up matches before the start of the tournament as there are many new players in the set-up and that exercise will help a great deal. The good thing about this squad is that we are increasing our base of national team players because the bigger the base, the more the fight for places in the squad, which makes for a strong Bafana Bafana. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the clubs who have released their players for national team duty.”

Bafana Bafana go into camp on Sunday, 10 May in Johannesburg, and will have training sessions on Monday and Tuesday.

The next day (Wednesday, 13 May) the teams travels to Lesotho to play two training matches against the host nation on Thursday, 14 May and Saturday, 16 May.

They have also scheduled another training match against neighbours Malawi which will be played on Friday, 22 May in Rustenburg at a venue to be confirmed.

Bafana squad for Cosafa Cup:

NO. PLAYER’S NAME CLUB

GOALKEEPERS:

1. Jackson MABOKGWANE Mpumalanga Aces FC (SA)

2. Mondli MPOTO Supersport FC (SA)

3. Ricardo GOSS Golden Arrows FC (SA)

DEFENDERS:

4. Madisha MODJEKA Mamelodi Tigers FC (SA)

5. Sibusiso MXOYANA Vasco Da Gama FC (SA)

6. Marc VAN HEERDEN Amazulu FC (SA)

7. Siyabonga NHLAPHO Bidvest Wits FC (SA)

8. Kwanda MNGONYAMA Maritzburg United FC (SA)

9. Clayton DANIELS Supersport United (SA)

10. Daniel CARDOSO Free State Stars FC (SA)

11. Sibusiso Blessing Khumalo Mamelodi Sundowns FC (SA)

MIDFIELDERS:

12. Cole ALEXANDER Polokwane City FC (SA)

13. Thapelo MORENA Bloemfontein Celtic (SA)

14. Thamsanqa SANGWENI Chippa United FC (SA)

15. Carl LARK Santos FC (SA)

16. Athenkosi DLALA Supersport FC (SA)

17. Hendrick EKSTEIN Kaizer Chiefs FC (SA)

18. Mzikayise MASHABA Mamelodi Sundowns FC (SA)

STRIKERS

19. Puleng TLOLANE Polokwane City FC (SA)

20. Phumelele BHENGU Thanda Zulu Royals FC (SA)

21. Gift MATUPA Baroka FC (SA)

22. Moeketsi SEKOLA Free State Stars FC (SA)

Meanwhile Botswana coach Peter Butler has named his squad that will be play in the COSAFA CUP tournament.

Some of those included ply their trade in South Afica like Joel Mogorosi and Mogogi Gabonamong (both

Bloemfontein Celtic), goalkeeper Kabelo Dambe and playmaker Mogakolodi Ngele (Platinum Stars).

Botswana finished third in the tournament in 2006 and 2007.

Full Botswana squad:

Goalkeepers:

Modiri Marumo, Kabelo Dambe

Defenders:

Obuile Oscar Ncenga, Oteng Richard Legwaila, Katlego Koobake, Mosha Gaolaolwe, Obonye Moswate Tapiwa Gadibolae, Kaone Van Der Westhuizen

Midfielders:

Lemponye Tshireletso, Kabelo Seakanyeng, Segolame Boy, Joel Mogorosi, Mogogi Gabonamong, Ofentse Nato, Mogakolodi Ngele, Mpho Kgaswane, Lebogang Ditsele

Strikers:

Omaatla Kebatho, Onkabetse Makgantai – ANA

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Jose lauds ‘favourite enemy’ Gerrard

Jose Mourinho gets a final chance to outwit his “favourite enemy” when Steven Gerrard leads Liverpool out at Stamford Bridge for the last time.

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London - Jose Mourinho gets a final chance to outwit a player he calls his “favourite enemy” on Sunday when Steven Gerrard leads Liverpool out at Stamford Bridge for the last time before he heads off to join LA Galaxy.

With Liverpool's players expected to form a pre-match guard of honour for the newly-crowned Premier League champions, Mourinho paid his own tribute on Friday to the inspirational Liverpool skipper he says helped forge him into one of best managers in the business.

“It's opponents like Steven Gerrard that have made me the manager I am,” a relaxed Mourinho told reporters on Friday.

“I learn with my own players and I learn with my best opponents by the problems they give me, the way they make me think and analyse them and to study the best way to play against them. Steven Gerrard is one of my favourite enemies.

“For sure he is my dear enemy and for sure the one that made me a better manager. To try to stop him has been very, very difficult. I lost against him, I won against him, I drew, was happy, was sad, I played against him as a holding midfielder, as a number 10, coming in from the wing.

“I'm very sad that's it's the last time I play against him because I need people like him to make me better.”

Mourinho said he respects Gerrard for devoting virtually his entire career to Liverpool, even if it meant his attempts to sign the former England captain proved futile.

“I tried to bring him to Chelsea, to Inter, to Real Madrid but he was always a dear enemy,” he said.

“I want to honour him and I hope that Stamford Bridge has the same feeling that I have.

“He's had an amazing career and has amazing feeling with his people. He refused to play for other big clubs and big leagues.

“Maybe I'll play against him as Liverpool manager one day.”

Although Chelsea won the title with three games to spare thanks to last Sunday's 1-0 home win against Crystal Palace, Mourinho said there will be no slackening and he denied his players had been given four days off.

“We have three difficult matches and Liverpool need points, Sunderland need points, only West Brom will be in a situation of playing their last game without needing points,” said the Portuguese. “But it doesn't matter, we want to win.

“We don't have to win points, but if we can reach 90 it would be a beautiful number.” – Reuters

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Wenger in no rush for new signings

Arsene Wenger says Arsenal will not be rushing into the transfer market once the season is finished.

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London - Arsenal will not be rushing into the transfer market once the season is finished with manager Arsene Wenger saying that he is content to bide his time.

Manchester United have already got the ball rolling by announcing they will sign striker Memphis Depay from Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven.

However, Wenger pointed to last summer's signing of Chile striker Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona as evidence that waiting a while can pay dividends.

“What you want to do more than do it early is to do it right, put it right and make the right decisions,” Wenger, whose side are well-placed to finish runners-up behind Premier League champions Chelsea, told reporters ahead of Monday's match against Swansea City.

“Sometimes the opportunity comes up early. Last year we signed Alexis in the middle of the transfer window.”

“You have to take the opportunities when they come up but that's not only decided by your desire, sometimes it's created by the club that sells the player as well,” he added.

“Alexis was available because they (Barcelona) bought Luis Suarez. They could only buy Suarez at the beginning of July, so you have to always be on alert and do the business, fix your target and do it as well as possible.

“You're not the only one who can decide that.”

Wenger said his squad was already “top quality” and said there would not be wholesale signings.

The Frenchman said talks were ongoing with Theo Walcott about a new contract with speculation that the England forward might be allowed to leave this summer.

“When you go into negotiations with a player it is with a desire for him to stay,” Wenger said. “He looks keen to do it and I am keen to do it, so let's see what comes out.”

He is also keen to keep right back Carl Jenkinson, who has been on loan at West Ham United this season.

“I met Carl this week to speak about his future,” Wenger said. “We will sit down together at the end of the season, but my target is to keep him here at the club.

“He has had a great season for me and he has moved forward and overall he has gained a lot of confidence.”

Arsenal are level on 70 points with Manchester City but have a game in hand of the deposed champions. – Reuters

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Carrick blow for United

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick will miss the final three games of the Premier League season with a calf problem.

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London - Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick will miss the final three games of the Premier League season with a calf problem, manager Louis van Gaal said.

The 33-year-old Carrick was injured during United's 4-2 win over Manchester City at Old Trafford last month.

“We tried everything but now we have to think about next season,” Van Gaal told MUTV. “He shall not play any more this season, it's better now to focus for him on next season and being fit to start.”

United are fourth in the Premier League table with 65 points from 35 matches and travel to Crystal Palace on Saturday.

They have lost their last three matches in Carrick's absence. – Reuters

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Wages a stumbling block for Toure exit

Any proposed move for Yaya Toure away from Manchester City this summer could yet be scuppered by the midfielder’s enormous wages.

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Any proposed move for Yaya Toure away from Manchester City this summer could yet be scuppered by the midfielder’s enormous wages.

Toure’s increasingly talkative agent Dimitri Seluk claimed yesterday that it was 90 per cent certain the Ivory Coast international will leave the Etihad Stadium over the summer months.

However, the fact that Toure earns more than a £1million a month at City still represents a huge obstacle for suitors such as Inter Milan who cannot afford to operate at those levels.

Seluk claims three clubs wish to sign Toure and said yesterday: ‘It’s 90 per cent certain he’ll leave Manchester City this summer. Nothing has been decided. We are waiting until the end of the season.’

Toure, 32 next week, is out of action with a hamstring injury and is not expected to face QPR this Sunday.

Other advisors working for Toure are not as convinced that the former Barcelona player will leave City, even though it is understood the club are willing to listen to offers.

Meanwhile, City striker Sergio Aguero, whose 22 goals this season put him in pole position to win the Premier League Golden Boot, wishes he was in the running for the title instead.

‘I’d rather be competing for the top position of the Premier League. I always say goals are worth more when they let us make great achievements as a team,’ said the Argentine, who is two goals clear of nearest rival Harry Kane.

‘I hope I keep doing things right in these last three games so I can be the top goalscorer this season... because that would be something my team-mates and City’s supporters could also celebrate.’ – Daily Mail

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Sturridge could be out until October

Daniel Sturridge suffered a devastating blow as it emerged he could be out until October.

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Daniel Sturridge suffered a devastating blow as it emerged he could be out until October.

The Liverpool striker had surgery on his left hip on Tuesday in New York but the severity of the problem means the 25-year-old will not be able to resume full training for four months.

This latest prognosis is a huge setback for Sturridge and boss Brendan Rodgers, piling pressure on Liverpool to sign a top-class striker this summer.

Sturridge’s recovery will rule him out of the big kick-off on August 8 and four England games.

It is possible he will not play in the Premier League until the beginning of October. The surgery, which was performed by Dr Bryan T Kelly, has been deemed a complete success by Liverpool’s medical staff as it addressed a problem believed to be linked to Sturridge suffering so many issues with a thigh muscle.

Having been beaten to the signing of £25million Memphis Depay by Manchester United, Liverpool will have to redouble their efforts to bring in a striker to provide the firepower they have lacked this season.

Liverpool have a move lined up for Burnley’s Danny Ings and promising Belgium international Divock Origi will move to Anfield this summer after completing a year on loan at Lille, but Rodgers

will need to recruit a high-class, experienced forward as well.

It has been a year to forget for Sturridge. When the campaign ends, he will have missed 41 of Liverpool’s 58 games and only started seven matches because of a recurring thigh problem before the hip issue occurred in a game against Manchester United on March 22.

Sturridge was resigned to missing England’s summer internationals against the Republic of Ireland and Slovenia but there is now no chance of him playing in the Euro 2016 qualifiers against San Marino (September 5) and Switzerland (September 8). Liverpool will not rush Sturridge back so there must also be doubt over his availability for England’s games against Estonia (October 9) and Lithuania (October 12). If Liverpool finish in the top four this season, he would also miss the Champions League play-offs at the start of next season.

Steven Gerrard, meanwhile, hopes he will be able to return to Liverpool one day. Gerrard could come back to Anfield on loan from LA Galaxy next winter and in an interview with Liverpool’s official magazine he said: ‘I will be playing in another league and getting to see a great country like America.

‘At the same time, I know these final few weeks will be tough. I don’t know what is going to happen after my last game at Anfield. It will be a hugely emotional day. My relationship with Liverpool doesn’t end. I’m hoping I’ll return to the club in some capacity one day.’ – Daily Mail

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United learning from transfer mistakes?

For Manchester United, the two years since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement have brought some hard lessons in the transfer market.

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For Manchester United, the two years since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement have brought some hard lessons, nowhere more so than in the transfer market.

Last-minute deals, over-priced deals, collapsed deals and scrapped deals; the Barclays Premier League’s foremost club have made hard work of something that used to be quite simple in the 24 months since Ferguson stepped aside this very week in 2012.

What use lessons, though, if nothing is learned from them?

For some time now, United have been talking quietly about doing this summer’s business early.

With the announcement of an agreement to sign the young Holland forward Memphis Depay from PSV Eindhoven, it seems they have finally found a way of fulfilling some promises.

This is the way it was going to be last year, of course.

Then, however, they made the decision to sack David Moyes. The hiring of a manager committed to the World Cup campaign with Holland meant that players such as Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao didn’t arrive until after the current league season had started.

No danger of that this time, it seems. United moved decisively over Depay this week to gazump Paris Saint-Germain and bring in the first player of maybe five or six who could arrive at Old Trafford this summer.

‘If you had asked me two days ago where Memphis was going to go I would have said PSG,’ said PSV sporting director Marcel Brands last night. ‘The British were very late with a concrete offer. Actually, only in the last 48 hours there is a transfer to Manchester United.

‘It has become a whirlwind transition. But ultimately the player decides where he wants to go and that’s become Manchester.’

This is the way that United used to behave.

As long ago as 1973, the club hijacked Lou Macari’s move from Celtic to Liverpool when Tommy Docherty’s assistant manager Pat Crerand found himself sitting next to the young Scot in Anfield’s Main Stand the night before he was due to sign.

Thirty years later, meanwhile, Ferguson rushed though the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo from Sporting Lisbon by a whole year after learning of growing interest from Arsenal.

This, of course, is how big clubs work and, just a week after suggesting privately that the Depay situation was merely being ‘monitored’, United have agreed a £25million fee with PSV.

Manager Louis van Gaal believes Depay can bring some much-needed pace and direction to his team’s attack.

Only 21, Depay was part of Van Gaal’s team at last summer’s World Cup in Brazil, scoring two goals as Holland reached the last four.

Close to United’s other Dutch players Daley Blind and Robin van Persie — with whom he shares an agent — Depay will bring some instinctive flair to Van Gaal’s squad, even if the statement he posted on social media yesterday read like it had been clumsily cut and pasted from an awful public relations textbook.

‘I always say; Dream, Believe, Achieve,’ tweeted Depay, who has the phrase tattooed on his torso.

‘I was dreaming and believing of becoming the champions of the Eredivisie with PSV and we achieved it.

‘I’m extremely grateful towards @PSV, all the fans, (sponsors) @UnderArmour and (agents) @SEG-Football for believing in me. Now it’s time to set my goals again on winning trophies with @ManUtd.

‘It was an exciting and pretty hectic period and to have a choice between so many top clubs doesn’t make it any easier.

‘For me, Manchester United is an absolute dream club, so I didn’t need any convincing from the guys who already play at Manchester United.

‘They told me only positive things though, and I’m looking forward to playing with my Dutch team-mates next to all the other great players of Manchester United. And working with Louis van Gaal again is also a bonus.’

Depay can expect to play on the left side of United’s attack next season but his versatility — he can play right across the front three — will be invaluable.

Van Gaal, meanwhile, has already stated that he wants to bring other targets in before the start of the club’s summer tour in mid-July.

It is beginning to sound like a promise he may actually be able to keep. – Daily Mail

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Sevilla on course for Europa League final

Sevilla stayed firmly on course for a second consecutive Europa League crown after thumping Fiorentina in their semi-final first leg.

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Madrid - Sevilla stayed firmly on course for a second consecutive Europa League crown when an Aleix Vidal double and a Kevin Gameiro strike secured a thumping 3-0 win at home to Fiorentina in their semi-final first leg on Thursday.

Chasing a record fourth triumph in Europe's second-tier club competition, Sevilla took the lead in the 17th minute at a festive Sanchez Pizjuan stadium when Vidal thrashed a low shot into the corner from a Carlos Bacca layoff.

The Spanish midfielder made it 2-0 to the Andalusians seven minutes into the second half when Vitolo released him into space on the right of the penalty area and he finished clinically past Fiorentina goalkeeper Neto.

Substitute Gameiro put the tie virtually beyond the Italians 15 minutes from time when he scored with his first touch just under 30 seconds after replacing Bacca following good work down the left from fullback Benoit Tremoulinos.

It was Sevilla's ninth win in a row at home in continental competition and their seventh in seven matches at the Sanchez Pizjuan in the latest edition of the Europa League.

“Fiorentina deserved to be here but we again demonstrated our strength at our stadium and got another positive result,” Vidal told Spanish television.

“We cannot relax in the return because if they get into the game early on we could suffer,” added the 25-year-old, who had never scored in nine previous European appearances.

“If we said that the tie was evenly balanced we would be lying. But I repeat that we cannot let our guard down because they could get a result like we got today.”

Fiorentina's Serie A rivals Napoli squandered the lead and drew 1-1 at home to Ukrainian side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in their semi-final, first leg, with the return legs to be played in a week's time.

Sevilla won back-to-back Uefa Cups in 2006 and 2007 and can eclipse Inter Milan, Juventus and Liverpool, who each won the competition three times. – Reuters

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Pele undergoes prostate surgery

Brazilian soccer legend Pele has undergone prostate surgery and is in stable condition, a Sao Paulo hospital said.

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Sao Paulo - Brazilian soccer legend Pele has undergone prostate surgery and is in stable condition, a Sao Paulo hospital said.

This is the second time Pele, 74, has been hospitalized in six months.

In a statement, the Albert Einstein Hospital said Pele had undergone a transurethral resection of the prostate. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health's website, the procedure involves removing an internal part of the prostate gland in order to treat an enlarged prostate.

Earlier in the day, local news site Globo Esporte said Pele had a prostate condition known as hyperplasia, which it said increases the risk of a urinary infection. The report did not cite sources.

Pele, whose given name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, was released from the same hospital in early December following a two-week stay with kidney problems.

With more than 1,280 career goals, and an unequaled three World Cup titles during his playing career, Pele is considered by many the greatest soccer player of all time. – Reuters

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Napoli left to rue missed chances

Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk substitute Yevhen Seleznyov snatched a late equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw at Napoli whose striker Gonzalo Higuain spurned several chances in their Europa League semi-final.

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Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk substitute Yevhen Seleznyov snatched a late equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw at Napoli whose striker Gonzalo Higuain spurned several chances in their Europa League semi-final, first leg.

David Lopez put Napoli ahead early in the second half on a frustrating night for their Argentina international Higuain, who saw four second half efforts saved before Seleznyov struck.

A frustrated Higuain was thwarted by goalkeeper Denys Boyko as the Serie A side pressed for a second goal.

Seleznyov then took advantage of slack Napoli defending to snatch an equaliser with nine minutes left to put the Ukrainians in pole position for a place in the final in Warsaw.

Holders Sevilla beat Fiorentina 3-0 in their first leg in Spain to take charge of the tie ahead of next week's return.

Napoli coach Rafael Benitez suggested Dnipro's goal was offside, telling reporters: “Everyone saw what happened with the goal that changed the game. But we have to bear in mind our excellent performance in the second half when we created a lot.”

Napoli, whose only European triumph was lifting the Uefa Cup in 1989, struggled to break down a stubborn Dnipro defence in the first half in Naples and, on the only occasion they got through, Lorenzo Insigne's shot struck the post.

The hosts appeared to have done the hard part when Spaniard Lopez headed them in front five minutes after halftime.

A second goal looked imminent as gaps began to appear in the Dnipro defence, but Dnipro keeper Boyko had other ideas.

Higuain twice got clear on the right but Boyko saved both efforts with his legs, and did the same when the Argentine got free on the left for another chance.

The Dnipro stopper then tipped a rising shot over the bar after Higuain worked an opening on the edge of the area.

Dnipro, playing their 17th match of a campaign which began in the third qualifying round on July 30, hit back against the run of play with nine minutes left.

Artem Fedetskiy sent in a low cross from the right, the Napoli defence failed to clear and Seleznyov turned it in at the back post to completely change the complexion of the tie. – Reuters

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Relegation fight goes down to the wire

The fight to avoid automatic relegation will be the main focus when the final round of Premiership fixtures kick off on Saturday.

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Johannesburg - The fight to avoid automatic relegation will be the main focus when the final round of Premiership fixtures kick off at 3pm on Saturday.

The team who finishes last (16th) at the end of the season is automatically relegated with the National First Division (NFD) champions (Golden Arrows) promoted.

The two teams who finish 14th and 15th in the Premiership will then have to battle it out with the NFD’s second and third placed teams in the relegation/promotion playoffs to decide which two teams will play in the top-tier South African league next season.

Current favourites for automatic relegation are Moroka Swallows who occupy last spot on the table with 27 points. AmaZulu are on the same number of points, but six ahead of The Birds on goal difference in 15th place.

Swallows come up against Bloem Celtic at Dobsonville Stadium with their future in the league on the line. AmaZulu are also at home to Maritzburg United at Moses Mabhida Stadium in their last attempt to avoid the chop.

Chippa United are better off in 14th place with 30 points, but only a win in their game against champions Kaizer Chiefs at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium could take their side out of the relegations playoffs – also depending on other results. If Chippa lose or draw, they will be condemned to the relegation playoffs. But if Chippa wins, it would bring the University of Pretoria into the equation. Tuks are on 32 points and face Mamelodi Sundowns at Lucas Moripe Stadium. If Tuks lose and Chippa wins, the Eastern Cape side could sneak ahead into 13th place. A draw, however, would be enough for Tuks to stay in the Premiership as their goal difference is nine better than Chippa.

The race for second and third spots in the NFD is tight, with Jomo Cosmos, Black Leopards, Thanda Royal Zulu and Cape All Stars all in with a chance.

ANA

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Bale reduced to role of bystander

According to Uefa statistics, Gareth Bale had made fewer passes and taken fewer touches of the ball than keeper, Iker Casillas against Juventus.

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The day before the European Cup semi-final, Gareth Bale was approached by a group of Real Madrid fans with a camera phone. They wanted a picture; the trouble was they wanted one of themselves with James Rodriguez and they wondered if the world's most expensive footballer would take it. Naturally, the Welshman obliged.

In the passageways of the Juventus Stadium in the wake of Real's 2-1 defeat there were a couple of journalists waiting not to speak with any Madrid player but to have their photos taken with them. Had Woodward and Bernstein taken that approach to Watergate, they would have asked for Richard Nixon's autograph rather than exposing him as a crook.

They were not particularly interested in posing with Bale, which was just as well because he was in no mood to chat. According to the Uefa statistics, he had made fewer passes and taken fewer touches of the ball than Real Madrid's keeper, Iker Casillas.

Had Bale's family watched ITV's coverage of the semi-final, they would not have enjoyed the analysis from Turin. Roy Keane, who in this city in 1999 had turned a European Cup semi-final that had seemed hopelessly lost Manchester United's way, had been damning. He argued Madrid were playing “with 10 men because Bale gave them absolutely nothing”. Keane went on: “He kept making the easy decision. The reason he is at Real Madrid is to be brave and to get at people. But every time he got the ball, he turned back. “

In the eyes of the Italian press, who had seen him destroy Internazionale when he was still a Tottenham player, Bale had been an irrelevance. “Banal” was the headline in one newspaper.

It would, of course, have been too much to have expected anyone bar Real's manager, Carlo Ancelotti, to have pointed out that Bale was not fully fit and that he had only made his comeback from injury at the weekend, when his cross against Seville had allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to celebrate his hat-trick in a match won by the odd goal in five.

In what has proved a difficult second season at the Bernabeu, Bale has averaged a goal every other match - roughly the same ratio as Wayne Rooney. And yet Rooney's command of a foreign language, or the way he mixes outside the training ground, or the way Ronaldo looks at him, is not analysed to death in the pages of Madrid's sports paper, Marca.

In his later years at Old Trafford, Sir Alex Ferguson became something of a snob when it came to newspapers, ignoring the man from the Manchester Evening News and granting extensive interviews to Gazzetta dello Sport and L'Equipe. He never allowed Marca anywhere near his training ground.

Marca and the Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez, have been at war for several months now and Bale has become the newspaper's chief and easiest target. It matters not that Bale struck an astonishing winner against Barcelona in the final of last season's Copa del Rey or scored in the European Cup final against Atletico. That credit, which at Manchester United would sustain a man for a couple of seasons, long ago ran out.

Instead, Bale is portrayed as Perez's creature, a man the president considered worth more than Ronaldo, whose precious away goal in Turin brought him level with Alfredo di Stefano in the list of Real's all-time leading scorers.

There have been reports of Perez asking Ancelotti why Bale was subbed or not selected and on Tuesday night, as Juventus regained a lead they could and should have extended, it seemed bizarre Ancelotti should have chosen Isco rather than Bale as the first man to be brought off. It was strange but not as odd as his choice of Sergio Ramos as a central midfielder.

Like everyone who manages Real Madrid, Ancelotti finds himself seated on a throne of bayonets. Facing the club with whom he enjoyed less success than anywhere else in his managerial career, Ancelotti made too many mistakes, one of which was probably not starting with Javier Hernandez, who had scored the winner against Atletico in the quarter-finals, rather than Bale.

Had Fernando Llorente scored for Juventus late on, the tie might already be out of Real's reach. As it was, Rodriguez could promise that Madrid's footballers “would be out to kill”. The Bernabeu will be an intimidating place on Wednesday night - and it might not be just the Juventus players who feel the fear. – The Independent

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Toure '90 percent certain' to leave City

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure is “90 percent certain” to leave the Premier League club at the end of this season, his agent Dimitri Seluk said.

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London - Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure is “90 percent certain” to leave the Premier League club at the end of this season, his agent Dimitri Seluk said.

Seluk told Sky Sports News that Ivorian Toure, who joined City in 2010 as part of owner Sheikh Mansour's vast outlay on world-class players, is attracting serious interest from three clubs.

The 31-year-old Toure, a dominant force in City's two Premier League title-winning sides in 2012 and 2014, has not made the same impact the club have come to expect from the powerhouse midfielder this season.

Last month Seluk branded boss Manuel Pellegrini a “weak manager” after a poor run of form dropped City out of the running for the Premier League title and ensured they will end the current campaign without a piece of silverware.

Toure caused controversy last May after he claimed he was shown disrespect by City after they failed to wish him a happy 31st birthday and present him with a cake. – Reuters

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Footballers to get financial aid

In a bid to stop local players from ending up broke, Safpu and Old Mutual have entered into a deal to educate them about money.

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Johannesburg - In an effort to stop footballers from spending all their money and ending up broke when they retire, the SA Football Players Union and Old Mutual have entered into a deal to educate the sportsmen about money.

There are many stories of South African footballers who were national heroes in their time left destitute because they did not save their money. Just one example is former Bafana Bafana star Sizwe Motaung who died in poverty.

The ‘On the Money’ financial wellbeing programme aims to increase the financial knowledge of footballers and help them manage their finances better.

“The union is very excited about this partnership with Old Mutual. The challenges facing our players are well documented. For far too long our players have been disenfranchised by their lack of knowledge on issues such as finance, which has had devastating impacts on their futures,” said Sapfu president Hareipha “Simba” Marumo said on Thursday.

Old Mutual’s Retail Mass Foundation managing director Bongani Madikiza said the programme would be rolled out to all South Africa’s professional football bodies, including the PSL, NFD, Bafana Bafana, and Banyana Banyana.

“By concluding this partnership with Safpu, we are able to promote financial fitness awareness… We are confident that our practical ‘On the Money’ programme and others will not only help players while their solid sporting careers are on the go, but will also ensure that they make wise investment choices for the longer term so that they can look ahead to do great things once they retire from soccer,” Madikiza said at the announcement of the programme in Johannesburg.

Labour Bureau

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