Swansea wanataka kupanda dau kumsajili

 Leonardo Ulloa, kutoka Leicester.


Swansea wanataka kupanda dau kumsajili Leonardo Ulloa, 29, kutoka Leicester, wakati wakijiandaa kwa kuondoka kwa Andre Ayew na Bafetimbi Gomis (Daily Telegraph), mshambuliaji wa Wales Hal Robson-Kanu ambaye ni mchezaji huru amepewa mshahara wa pauni 100,000 kujiunga na Ligi Kuu ya China (Daily Mirror).

Negredo kurejea tena england?


Liverpool na Tottenham hawajakatishwa tamaa na bei ya pauni milioni 25 iliyowekwa kwa beki wa Kols, Jonas Hectors, 26 (Bild), Middlesbrough waliopanda daraja wanataka kumsajili beki wa Chelsea Tomas Kalas, 23 (Daily Express), Middlebrough pia wana matumaini ya kumsajili mshambuliaji wa Valencia Alvaro Negredo, 30, aliyeichezea Manchester City kwa misimu miwili (Guardian).

Chelsea kulipa  zaidi ya pauni milioni 50

  usajili wa beki Kalidou Koulibaly, 

toka  Napoli.


Chelsea wana wasiwasi kuwa huenda wakalazimika kulipa zaidi ya pauni milioni 50 kumsajili beki Kalidou Koulibaly, 25, kutoka Napoli (Evening Standard), Real Madrid wameingia kwenye mbio za kumsajili kiungo wa Valencia Andre Gomes anayefuatiliwa na Chelsea (Fichajes), Madrid wameamua kutomuuza mshambuliaji wao, Alvaro Morata, 23, kwenda Chelsea (Daily Mail).

Manchester United tayari kumsajili kiungo 

kutoka Spain, Cesc Fabregas.


Fabregas kuungana tena na Mourinho?
Meneja wa Manchester United Jose Mourinho yuko tayari kumsajili kiungo kutoka Spain, Cesc Fabregas, 29, ambaye alikuwa naye Chelsea (Daily Mirror), Mourinho huenda akaamua kumfuatilia kiungo wa Newcastle, Moussa Sissoko, 26, iwapo atashindwa kumsajili Paul Pogba kutoka Juventus (Le 10 Sport), Man United wanaendelea kumfuatilia beki wa West Ham, Reece Oxford, 17 (Evening Standard), meneja msaidizi wa zamani wa Manchester United, Ryan Giggs, 41, atacheza katika ligi kuu ya India mwezi huu (Daily Mail).

John Stones wa Everton atangaza

 kujiunga na  Manchester City

John Stones

Mshambuliaji Wilfried Bony, 27, anajiandaa kuondoka Manchester City, huku Galatasaray wakitoa pauni milioni 3 za kumsajili kwa mkopo (Sun), Leroy Sane, 20 anayesakwa na Manchester City, hajaiambia klabu yake ya Schalke kuwa anataka kuondoka, wakati meneja mpya wa City Pep Guardiola akiwa tayari kutoa pauni milioni 40 kumsajili kiungo huyo Mjerumani (Daily Star).

URENO MABINGWA ULAYA 2016

Ureno wameshinda michuano ya kandanda ya Ulaya, Euro 2016, kwa kuwafunga wenyeji Ufaransa 1-0 katika dakika za ziada kwenye mchezo wa fainali mjini Paris.

Goli la ushindi lilifungwa na Eder katika dakika ya 110, na kusababisha huzuni kubwa kwa mashabiki wa Ufaransa waliofurika kwenye uwanja wa Stade de France.

Ilikuwa furaha kubwa kwa mashabiki wa Ureno. Hii ni mara ya kwanza Ureno kushinda michuano mikubwa.

Ureno walicheza kwa kujituma na ushirikiano bila ya mchezaji wao nyota Cristiano Ronaldo aliyetoka kutokana na kupata jeraha la goti katika kipindi cha kwanza.

Ufaransa ilitawala mchezo kwa kiasi kikubwa, lakini hawakuweza kuzitumia vyema nafasi walizopata.

MSIMAMO WA LIGI  EPL 

Nambari	Klabu	Mechi	Mabao	Alama
1	Leicester	37	32	80
2	Tottenham	37	38	70
3	Arsenal	37	25	68
4	Man City	37	30	65
5	Man Utd	37	12	63
6	West Ham	37	15	62
7	Southampton	37	15	60
8	Liverpool	37	13	59
9	Chelsea	37	6	49
10	Stoke	37	-15	48
11	Swansea	37	-10	46
12	Everton	37	1	44
13	Watford	37	-10	44
14	Crystal Palace	37	-9	42
15	West Brom	37	-14	42
16	Bournemouth	37	-20	42
17	Sunderland	37	-14	38
18	Newcastle	37	-25	34
19	Norwich	37	-25	34
20	Aston Villa	37	-45	17

           Coach Hall to quit Azam

Azam head coach Stewart Hall will quit his role in charge of the ice cream makers at the end of this season.

The British tactician, who is at the Tanzanian side for this third spell, skipped training last Thursday after handing in a resignation letter but was convinced by club management to stay on until the Federation Cup final against newly crowned league champions Yanga.

Hall told supersport.com in an exclusive interview that, “I will not be in charge of Azam FC next season. My last game is the Federation Cup final against Yanga.”

Close sources revealed that, “It is not a secret that Hall has been frustrated by the continuous match fixing in Tanzania, something he feels has sabotaged his attempt to march the big guns in Yanga and Simba especially in trying to win the league title.”

Hall has failed to win the Vodacom Premier League title in all his three tenures at the helm of Azam including the 2010-2012 spell before he was replaced by Serbian Boris Bunjak for a few months.

Hall took over again in 2012 before leaving at the end of the 2012/2013 season with Cameroonian Joseph Omog taking over the icecream makers guiding them to the 2013/2014 league title.

Hall replaced Omog in 2015 and guided Azam to their first regional title after defeating Kenyan side Gor Mahia 2-0 to lift the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup titlebefore inspiring them to the round of 16 in the Caf Confederation Cup last month.

Azam defeated Esperance 2-1 in Dar es Salaam but fell to the North African giants 3-0 in Tunis in the absence of key players including Kipre Tche Tche, Serge Wawa, Shomari Kapombe and Jean Baptiste Mugiraneza with most critics deeming this as a failure for the club that has invested a lot of money in buying foreign players.

Azam will represent Tanzania in the 2017 Caf Confederation Cup with or without victory against Yanga in the Federation Cup later this month.

Hall’s side is second placed on the VPL table standings with 60 points from 28 games, eight points behind champions Yanga who have a game in hand and have 68 points.

Yanga were crowned the 2016 league champions with three games to spare following Azam’s 2-2 draw with JKT Ruvulast Wednesday and Simba’s shock loss to Mwadui FC on Sunday. Simba sit in third with 58 points from 27 games.

LVG refuses to blame bus attack for setback

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal put on a brave face and refused to blame an attack on his team's bus for the serious setback to his side's Champions League hopes at West Ham United.

Tuesday's gripping 3-2 loss, which was preceded by the United team bus being pelted with cans and bottles outside the east London ground, leaves Van Gaal's men needing to beat Bournemouth in their final match on Sunday and hope Manchester City lose at Swansea City if they are to creep into the Premier League's top four.

"No, it is still not gone," Van Gaal said of a top-four finish following the final match of West Ham's 112-year tenure at the Boleyn Ground.

"In the last match of the season we can pass over Manchester City. They can lose and we can win. Then we are fourth. You can count, I think?"

Van Gaal said to blame the bus attack for the result would have been an "excuse", but he conceded that it could have affected his younger players.

"I have a long experience in football and there are players who don't have the experience," said the 64-year-old Dutchman.

While United still have an FA Cup final date with Crystal Palace to come on May 21, missing out on a top-four place would represent a massive disappointment, but Van Gaal believed Swansea could give City a hard battle.

"I don't think it is not likely. In this league it happens a lot and Swansea City has a very good run.

"It is a mental blow for the players, but against Bournemouth we have to give everything so that we don't give Manchester City a free trip into the Champions League."

FA INVESTIGATION

The Football Association announced an investigation after United's bus was pelted with missiles outside the ground, causing a 45-minute delay to the kick-off.

The Metropolitan police said one officer and one member of the public had sustained minor injuries.

United goalkeeper David de Gea also appeared to have objects thrown at him during the game.

West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan blamed the visitors for not arriving earlier, but United captain Wayne Rooney said that "West Ham as a club will be disappointed with what the fans have done".

A video posted on United midfielder Jesse Lingard's Snapchat account showed several United players sheltering on the floor inside the bus while Lingard mockingly shouted: "Mummy!"

Needing to win to keep their top-four destiny in their own hands, United fell behind in the 10th minute when Manuel Lanzini teed up Diafra Sakho to score.

Anthony Martial scored twice to put United ahead, but Michail Antonio equalised with a bullet header before Dimitri Payet teed up Winston Reid to head home an 80th-minute winner.

'SPECIAL GAME'

The goal was a fitting conclusion to West Ham's 2 398th and final match at the Boleyn Ground – also known as Upton Park – which the club will leave next season for London's Olympic Stadium.

The match was followed by an on-pitch ceremony featuring pyrotechnics and London taxi cabs, while club greats Trevor Brooking, Martin Peters and Paolo Di Canio were presented to the crowd.

"It was a special game," West Ham manager Slaven Bilic told Sky Sports.

"It was big, big pressure for us, although I told the guys, 'However we finish the last couple of games, this season has been great for West Ham in terms of breaking a few records and everything.'

"We were till the end in a couple of competitions and battling for the Europa League and a good run in the FA Cup, so it was good, very good or excellent, but we were under pressure.

"We didn't want to lose our last game at this fantastic stadium. We just wanted to win and this was a win of character."

West Ham returned to sixth place, reclaiming a Europa League berth from Southampton in the process, ahead of their final game of the season at Stoke City on Sunday.

Zanaco test for Power Dynamos

Power Dynamos interim coach Anderson Phiri has a big test on Wednesday, when his side visits Zanaco in a rescheduled Week 5 match at Sunset Stadium in Lusaka.

This will be Phiri’s second game in charge after making a winning start last Saturday with a 1-0 home win over Nkwazi, in Kitwe following the dismissal of his ex-boss Tennant Chilumba on Thursday.

That win lifted Power from 8th to 6th on 13 points in what has so far been a stuttering start for the six-time champions this season.

Phiri said he is staying very calm also knowing that Wednesday’s match will be first of two big away tests for him ahead of Saturday’s Kitwe derby clash leaders Nkana.

Samson Chilupe

“We have two away games starting on Wednesday when we travel to Lusaka to play Zanaco. It is a different ball game altogether but we have prepared even though we had just one day to get ready for it,” Phiri said.

Zanaco, unlike Power, are unbeaten this season with a 100 percent start in 3rd place on 15 points from five matches played with three games in hand.

Power are two points behind Zanaco and know another victory will move them into 4th place tied with Zanaco who have a healthier goal difference.

However, Power have yet to win away this season after picking up two defeats and a 0-0 draw at Lusaka Dynamos on April 16.

Power trace their last away league win in Lusaka to August, 2015 when they beat Napsa Stars 1-0 but earlier fell by the same margin to Zanaco in April.

Maritzburg targeting Ajax scalp

Maritzburg United are at home this week welcoming Ajax Cape Town in an aim to salvage their Absa Premiership status on Wednesday night at Harry Gwala Stadium. Kick-off is at 7:30pm.

The struggling Team Of Choice is hoping to bag the full three points in their penultimate Absa Premiership tie following their 0-0 draw against Orlando Pirates last weekend.

Coach Ernst Middendorp is fully aware that the match is crucial for their PSL survival and will now have to ensure his charges are in fine form.

The bottom-placed side cannot afford to lose or drop points at this stage of the season as their future in the top flight division hangs by a thread.

Looking at their previous three league matches, they registered one win against Free State Stars, a draw against Eric Tinkler's side before losing to SuperSport United.

Anssi Jaakkola

They still remain rooted at the wrong end of the table with 21 points from 28 matches and a win will revive their hopes heading to the final match of the season.

Speaking after the match at Orlando Stadium, Middendorp said he accepted a point from their Buccaneers' clash.

"I personally can accept the point despite being so close to getting more. We did well in the end but didn't score," said Middendorp.

"We still have an opportunity against Ajax so we are going for it, with nothing to lose.

“Compliments to the players for the effort today. We have seen that there is a lot of fight, spirit and desire in the team. The frustrations are the same whether you fight for the title or fight relegation. We just have to look to the next game.

“This is nothing new. I've taken teams from the bottom up to safety. I like this challenge, working within these elements.”

Shifting focus to the Urban Warriors, Roger De Sa's men are also chasing a win at all costs to ensure they reach the top eight.

The Capetonians will have to go all out and ensure they qualify for the MTN8 Cup tournament and boost their chances of defending their trophy.

However, facing a team of United's calibre who are fighting for their lives presents a challenge for the visiting Ajax, especially meeting them in Maritzburg.

The Mother City side defeated the Team of Choice 3-1 in the first round, but this time around, it's going to be a different football game as both sides want the three points for different reasons.

In their previous three matches, Ajax suffered a disappointing 5-0 loss against Bloemfontein Celtic, drew 0-0 against league champions Mamelodi Sundowns as well as a 2-2 stalemate against relegation threatened Jomo Cosmos last Wednesday.

As they occupy the 10th spot with 34 points from two matches to go, De Sa will now push his team to fight for the full three points and make it two wins over United this season.

Goalkeeper Anssi Jaakkola says they must fix their errors as a team because that has led to loss of points and matches.

“Maybe our concentration isn’t where it should be because the players seem to be accepting these mistakes game after game,” said Jaakkola. “It’s costing us points and it looks like it is going to cost us the top eight. It is something that we need to fix.

“We still make too many mistakes as a team. We lose the ball too easily and when it comes to counter attacking, in those situations we are still too exposed and very vulnerable.

“These are things that we need to get rid of because it has been costing us games the entire season especially the ones we could have easily won.”

SIMBA YAVULIWA UBIGWA MAPINDUZI CUP.


Wekundu wa Msimbazi Simba wamevuliwa ubingwa Mapinduzi Cup na Mtibwa Sugar kwenye mchezo wa nusu fainali uliomalizika jioni ya Jumapili January 10, 2016 baada ya kulala kwa bao 1-0 lilikwamishwa wavuni na Ibrahim Jeba dakika ya 45 kipindi cha kwanza.

Simba walibanwa vilivyo na Mtibwa Siugar ambao walitawala eneo la katikati ya uwanja wakiongozwa na viungo wao hatari Ibrahim Jeba pamoja na Ibrahim Mohamed ambao kwa pamoja walizima mipango nay a Simba katika muda wote wa mchezo.

Kipindi cha pili Simba walifanya mabadiliko kwa kuwangiza wachezaji watatu kwa mpigo Said Ndemla, Ibrahim Ajib na Mohamed Hussein Tshabalala ambao mara ningi wamekuwa wakicheza kwenye kikosi cha kwanza lakini kwenye mchezo wa leo walianzia benchi.

Madiliko hayo yalileta tija kwa Simba kwani mchezo ulibadilika na Simba kutengeneza mashambulizi kadhaa lakini sifa za pekee ziende kwa safu ya ulinzi ya Mtibwa ikiongozwa na golikipa wao Said Mohamed ambaye aliokoa michomo ya washambuliaji wa Simba.

Wakati dakika zikiyoyoma, kocha wa Simba Dylan Kerr alifanya tena mabadiliko kwa kuwaingiza Paul Kiongera na Abdi Banda lakini bado Jahazi lake lilishaenda mrama.

Mtibwa wamelipa kisasi kutokana na kupata ushindi kwenye mchezo wa leo baada ya kupoteza mchezo wa fainali mbele ya Simba kwenye mashindano yaliyopita na hivyo Simba wamevuliwa rasmi ubingwa wa Mapinduzi Cup.

Wakali hao wa Morogoro watacheza mchezo wa fainali siku ya Jumatano, January 13 dhidi ya mshindi wa mechi kati ya Yanga dhidi ya URA ya Uganda.

West Ham 3-2 Manchester United

Klabu ya West Ham United iliaga uwanja wake wa nyumbani wa Upton Park kwa kuvuruga juhudi za Manchester United za kutaka kufuzu kwa Ligi ya Klabu Bingwa Ulaya Jumanne.

Ilikuwa mechi ya mwisho kuchezewa uwanja huo ambao umetumiwa na West Ham kwa miaka 112 kabla ya kuhamia uwanja wa Olimpiki.

Kwenye mechi hiyo ya kusisimua, West Ham walichomoza na ushindi wa 3-2.

Vurugu zilitokea kabla ya mechi.

Vijana wa Louis van Gaal walifahamu kwamba ushindi dhidi ya klabu hiyo na baadaye ushindi dhidi ya Bournemouth vingewahakikishia nafasi katika ligi kuu ya klabu Ulaya.

Lakini kushindwa kwao kuna maana kwamba Manchester City, walio nambari nne, wamo alama nne mbele yao kabla yao kucheza mechi ya mwisho dhidi ya Swansea City.

West Ham walitangulia kupitia bao la Diafra Sakho kipindi cha kwanza, lakini Antony Martial aliwasawazishia Red Devils kwa bao dakika ya 51 na kisha akawaweka kifua mbele dakika ya 72.

West Ham, hata hivyo, walijikwamua kwa kufunga mabao mawili ya kichwa katika kipindi cha dakika nne kupitia Michail Antonio na Winston Reid.

West Ham bado wana nafasi ya kumaliza katika nambari tano.

Wamo alama moja nyuma ya Manchester United na watazuru Stoke Jumapili.

Manchester United, watakuwa wenyeji wa Bournemouth, mechi ambayo watahitajika kushinda kujiimarishia uwezekano wa kumaliza katika nne bora.

‘No more dropping of points’

FC IfeanyiUbah right back, Chibuzor Okonkwo has said his side will not drop further points in the remaining matches on the half hour calendar.

The Nnewi outfit will host Lobi Stars in midweek Nigerian top flight matchday 16 clash in Nnewi.

Okonkwo said his side have shifted their attention wholly on the match against the Pride of Benue after the 0-2 thumbing at Akwa United.

“We are not dropping any point both home and away in the remaining matches on the half hour mark.

Chibuzor Okonkwo 

One point from possible nine in our immediate past three matches is not a good score card for us.

“We want to return to winning way once again starting from the matchup on Wednesday against Lobi Stars.

“We do not pretend that Lobi Stars will come out strongly to challenge for the points but we are not in the jolly mood to allow the side such luxury.

“After the defeat at Akwa United we told ourselves that we must get it right against Lobi Stars so we see the match as one capable of turning things positively around for us,” said the former Enugu Rangers strongman to supersport.com.

FC IfeanyiUbah are seventh on the 20-team top flight on 23 points five points behind leaders and neighbours, Enugu Rangers.

Dikwena face rejuvenated Celtic

Platinum Stars will be looking to bounce back to winning ways in the Absa Premiership when they welcome Bloemfontein Celtic at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg on Wednesday.

Cavin Johnson

Dikwena played to a 1-1 draw with Free State Stars away in their previous league game. Ndumiso Mabena netted for the visitors.

Before taking on Stars, Dikwena had edged out Orlando Pirates 2-1 at home ending their three match winless streak in the league.

The victory over Pirates was also Stars' last home victory. Prior to the clash with Bucs, they had suffered a 2-0 defeat to SuperSport United at home.

In-form striker Ndumiso Mabena survived a car crash ahead of the clash with Celtic. The Stars forward is expected to play on Wednesday.

Stars are placed third on the Absa Premiership standings with 47 points from 28 games. They are two points above fourth-placed Kaizer Chiefs

Dikwena's defender-cum-midfielder Tintswalo Tshabalala deemed their encounter against Celtic a must win game for his side.

“These last two games are a must win. We have to do well so that we can play in Africa. Most of the guys wish to play in CAF," Tshabalala said.

"We are ready. We had a target at the beginning of the season. Our target was to be in the top five so we have done well,” he added

Meanwhile, Celtic will be hoping to maintain their unbeaten run in the league when they lock horns with Stars on Wednesday night.

Phunya Sele Sele played to a goalless stalemate with Kaizer Chiefs away in their previous league encounter at the FNB Stadium.

The draw extended Celtic's unbeaten run in the league to six matches. They have won two and drawn four during their current streak.

The Free State side beat Mamelodi Sundowns in their last victory on the road in the league. Phunya Sele Sele thrashed the Brazilians 3-1 at home.

Alfred Ndengane is set to miss the clash against Stars on Wednesday. The strong defender will be serving his suspension.

Celtic are placed twelfth on the Absa Premiership standings with 32 points from 28 games. They are six points behind eighth-placed SuperSport United.

Celtic head coach Serame Letsoaka explained that they aim to finish the current season on a good note by doing well in their remaining games .

“We’re left with two games, and we will see what we can get in those

games. We aren’t competing for anything," Letsoaka said.

"We just want to wrap up the

season and ensure that we become a better team in the next campaign,” he added.

When Stars and Celtic met in the first round league game, the two sides played to a 1-1 stalemate on the 23rd of August 2015.

Lyle Lakay opened the scoring for Phunya Sele Sele in the first-half, but Sibusiso Msomi equalised four minutes after the restart.

Vardy 'happy' at Leicester

amie Vardy

 Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has given the Premier League champions further encouragement that he will stay with them next season by saying he is happy at the club.

Vardy, who has scored 24 Premier League goals this season and was named player of the year by the Football Writers' Association, has played a pivotal role in taking his team from 5 000-1 outsiders at the start of the campaign to champions of England.

"We've just won the league and will be playing in the Champions League next year. I am happy here," the prolific striker told British media.

England international Vardy, 29, signed a contract with Leicester in February running through to June 2019.

Leicester visit their manager Claudio Ranieri's former club Chelsea in their final game of the season on Sunday.