Boxing Legend Mohammed Ali hospitalized

Boxing Legend Mohammed Ali has been rushed to the hospital according to a statement made available by his family spokesman. His spokesman, Bob Gunnel in a written statement said Ali is being treated for a respiratory issue by a team of doctors and he is in fair condition. He also indicated that a brief hospital stay is expected. 74 years old Ali suffers from Parkinson disease and was hospitalized in January 2015 for a urinary tract infection. He was also previously hospitalized with pneumonia in December 2014. Ali, who is known for his prowess in the ring as well as his drive for social activism and black equality,  has however maintained a low profile

Nigeria’s Football Chief Coach Sunday Oliseh Resigns

Nigeria’s football chief coach Sunday Oliseh resigns segun February 26, 2016 African News, Nigerian News, Uncategorized Sunday Oliseh has resigned as the Head Coach of the Nigerian football national team, the Super Eagles, just over seven months after he was appointed. Oliseh, who announced his resignation on Twitter, said he took the decision due to the inability of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to honour the terms of his contract. “Due to contract violations, lack of support, unpaid wages, benefits to my players, assistant coaches and myself, I resign as Super Eagles Chief Coach,” he tweeted. He thanked Nigerians for the opportunity of serving as the coach of the team in a preceding tweet before announcing his resignation. “I feel fortunate, blessed and eternally grateful for having the honour to play, captain and coach this great nation of ours, Nigeria.” Oliseh, whose appointment was made with much fanfare by the NFF, soon started having problems with the executives of the federation over remuneration, match tactics and results. His complaint about being owed was not well received by the NFF, which rather threatened to sanction him. He also had challenges managing the players. An altercation between the coach and the team’s former captain and the country’s most capped goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, led to the goalie’s premature resignation from the team last October. Apparently, the last straw for Oliseh was the woeful outing of the Super Eagles at the CHAN competition in Rwanda, where the team were eliminated in the first round. Following widespread criticisms that greeted the team’s elimination, a Youtube video soon surfaced in which Oliseh lambasted his critics, referring to them as “insane”. On Thursday, the NFF directed Oliseh to henceforth report to former coach and the NFF’s technical director, Amodu Shuaibu. The NFF is yet to respond to his resignation.

Football Gossip: Pato, Vidic, Cavani, Ramirez, Xhaka, Berahino‎

‎Gossip: Pato, Vidic, Cavani, Ramirez, Xhaka, Berahino‎ Chelsea have agreed an £8m deal for Corinthians' 26-year-old Brazil striker Alexandre Pato. (Daily Express) Pato is willing to take a pay cut to join Chelsea, and has agreed a three-year deal in principle. (Daily Mail) The arrival of Pato could see striker Radamel Falcao, 29, end his loan spell at Chelsea and return to parent club Monaco.(Guardian) South American football expert Tim Vickery says big clubs are "playing poker" with Brazilian Pato.(BBC Radio 5 live) The Daily Mirror lead their sport pages on Liverpool and Tottenham winning their FA Cup third-round replays Aston Villa are in talks with former Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic, 34, about a return to the Premier League. (Sun) Manchester United are considering making a bid for Paris St-Germain's Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani, 28. (ESPN) Arsenal are willing to spend £37m on Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka, 23, who could leave Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer. (Daily Star) Xhaka joked with reporters he has already asked the Gunners' French midfielder Francis Coquelin, 24, for the number 34 jersey. (London Evening Standard) Chelsea midfielder Pedro, 28, wants to leave the club only five months after joining from Barcelona in a £21m transfer. (Daily Star) Saido Berahino is being kept waiting over whether he will be allowed to leave West Brom this month. The 22-year-old striker would like to join Tottenham, but the Baggies are keen to sell him to Newcastle for £15m. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea failed to include a sell-on clause when former Blues striker Romelu Lukaku moved to Everton in 2014. The 22-year-old, whom the Toffees value at £60m, has been linked with Manchester United, Juventus and Real Madrid. (Times) Fellow West Brom striker Salomon Rondon, 26, says he is feeling the pressure of having cost £12m. (Birmingham Mail) Tottenham are ready to pay Sandro Ramirez's £9m release clause to sign the 20-year-old Spanish striker from Barcelona this month. (Daily Express) France defender Eliaquim Mangala, 24, may have cost Manchester City £42m rather than the £32m they originally claimed, according to a leaked transfer document. (Manchester Evening News) The Daily Telegraph depicts Sheyi Ojo celebrating his goal for Liverpool in the FA Cup Standard Liege are set to offer Spanish keeper Victor Valdes, 34, a way out of Old Trafford with a loan move until the end of the season.(Daily Mail) Premier League clubs will receive their share of the record-breaking £5.14bn broadcast deal a month early to boost spending in the summer transfer window.(Times) Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce is offering Italian forward Fabio Borini, 24, back to Swansea City in a bid to sign Ghana international Andre Ayew, 26.(Sun) But the Black Cats have given up their hopes of signing Lorient and Ivory Coast defender Lamine Kone, 26.(Sunderland Echo) Real Madrid are closing in on £10m deal for 18-year-old Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur from Boca Juniors.(Daily Mirror) Stoke City have had a £7m bid for 23-year-old Burnley defender Michael Keane rejected.(Metro) However, the Championship club insist they have not received any bids for the highly rated former Manchester United player.(Lancashire Evening Telegraph) West Ham will not consider letting 23-year-old midfielder Pedro Obiang leave in the January transfer window.(London Evening Standard) Daniel Sturridge's poor injury record at Liverpool means the 26-year-old England striker's cost to the club is now a staggering £542,000 per goal.(Independent) West Ham are confident of completing a loan deal for 28-year-old Nigeria striker Emmanuel Emenike from Fenerbahce.(Daily Telegraph) Manager Alan Pardew says Crystal Palace are unlikely to make a big-money "statement signing" this January. (Croydon Advertiser) Newcastle are determined not to sell France midfielder Moussa Sissoko, 26, and Spanish forward Ayoze Perez, 22, during this January's transfer window, but will listen to offers for forward Yoan Gouffran, 29, and midfield Sylvain Marveaux, 29.(Newcastle Chronicle) A female footballer in Spain who said a referee tried to ask her out during a game will not file a formal complaint because it is her word against his. Romanian defender Elena Pavel accused referee Santiago Quijada Alcon of trying to provoke her by asking her on a date in Sporting Huelva's first-division game against Santa Teresa on Sunday.(Marca) Swansea have made contact with Liverpool about Joe Allen, to see if they can tempt the 25-year-old Wales midfielder back to the Liberty Stadium.(Wales online) Best of BBC Radio 5 live BBC pundit Pat Nevin believes Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will sell striker Christian Benteke, 25, for "a big dollop" of money to make funds available for new players. Film stars Kevin Hart and Ice Cube paid a visit to Manchester City during their promotional tour for Ride Along 2, and said they went to Etihad Stadium because they weren't invited by Manchester United. BBC Radio 5 live's Mark Pougatch, Tim Vickery and Pat Nevin discuss the future of former Chile boss Jorge Sampaoli - with Nevin hinting that he could be appointed as the new Chelsea manager. Best of social media Brazil legend Cafu tweeted about the return of Jon Flanagan to Liverpool's first-team following a long injury lay-off. The pair met years ago and Cafu said: "I have a thousand tweets! I guess it's the return of a friend to the field!!! @LFC." Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick tweeted about missing a train on Wednesday, and instantly regretted it after being bombarded with responses about his lack of pace. Full-back Sam Byram tweeted a thank you message to Leeds fans as he left the club to join West Ham on a four-and-a-half year deal. The 22-year-old said it was an "honour and a privilege" to play for the club - and posted a picture of himself as a 10-year-old academy player. Jermaine Pennant was delighted to find out restaurant chain Nandos delivered in Singapore, where the former Stoke and Liverpool midfielder is now playing. The 33-year-old tweeted: "No way..... Nandos do delivery here!!!!! Amazing news haha." And finally... Did Liverpool receive some divine intervention in their win over Exeter in their FA Cup third-round replay? Joe Allen scored the opener in their 3-0 win, but his name came up as Jesus on some live score sites. (Metro) Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo distracted team-mate Sergio Ramos during a conversation with the club's president by flicking his ear, as they posed for a team photo with new manager Zinedine Zidane. (Daily Mail) A policeman is facing six months in jail after allegedly recording a video of himself with Barcelona striker Lionel Messi's passport, which was then posted on social media. (Independent) Sportswear manufacturer Adidas sent Petr Cech's goalkeeping gloves to his former club Chelsea, despite him leaving the Blues last summer to join London rivals Arsenal. (Daily Telegraph)‎

Monday gossip column: Costa, Debuchy, Mahrez, Yarmolenko

‎ Monday's gossip column: Costa, Debuchy, Mahrez, Yarmolenko‎ Southampton have rejected an £8m offer from Liverpool for their 29-year-old Republic of Ireland striker Shane Long. (Daily Mirror) Arsenal right-back Mathieu Debuchy says he regrets moving to the club and plans to leave this transfer window. (L'Equipe - in French, subscription required) ‎ Debuchy says he has already spoken to Aston Villa manager Remi Garde about a potential move to Villa Park. (Daily Mirror) Arsenal have appointed the Leicester scout who helped the club sign players such as Riyad Mahrez and N'Golo Kante. (Daily Telegraph) Atletico Madrid want to bring Chelsea striker Diego Costa back to the club. The 26-year-old Spain international left Atletico for Stamford Bridge for £32m in July 2014.(Fichajes.net - in Spanish) Costa's bruised shin, sustained against Everton on Saturday, may prompt Chelsea to speed up a move for Corinthians forward Alexandre Pato, 26. (Daily Telegraph) Newcastle have been offered the chance to sign former AC Milan playmaker Pato and Swansea's 30-year-old French forward Bafetimbi Gomis, 30.(Evening Chronicle) Gomis is unlikely to join Newcastle because Swansea do not want to sell to a relegation rival. (South Wales Evening Post) Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink says that, if it were down to him, he would give a new contract to captain John Terry, 35. (Independent) Terry, meanwhile, is confident he will earn a one-year contract to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge beyond the end of the season. (Guardian) Tottenham plan to step up their pursuit of Fulham's 19-year-old striker Moussa Dembele, but Whites boss Slavisa Jokanovic is unwilling to sell. (London Evening Standard) Former Chelsea and Arsenal left-back Ashley Cole, 35, has agreed a deal to join MLS club LA Galaxy from Roma. (Daily Mail) FC Porto are not planning to sell forward Yacine Brahimi to Crystal Palace. Reports had linked the 25-year-old Algeria forward with the Premier League club. (A Bola - in Portuguese) Leicester City have agreed a £5m deal with FC Copenhagen for their 21-year-old defensive midfielder Daniel Amartey. (Leicester Mercury) Leeds United's 22-year-old full-back Sam Byram has passed a medical at Goodison Park and will be presented as an Everton player on Monday. (Daily Star) Everton's Steven Naismith has agreed to join Norwich in an £8m deal. Selling the 29-year-old Scottish forward will free up funds to bid for Dynamo Kiev's 26-year-old winger Andriy Yarmolenko. (Daily Mirror) Southampton's Italian striker Graziano Pelle, 30, is set to leave the club following the signing of Charlie Austin, 26, from QPR. (ESPN) Sunderland remain in talks with Lorient over the signing of their 26-year-old defender Lamine Kone. (Sunderland Echo) A former Barcelona sporting director says the Spanish club had wanted to sign Sergio Aguero from Manchester City, but had to settle for Luis Suarez instead. (Marca - in Spanish) West Ham joint-chairman David Gold has suggested Southampton's signing of striker Charlie Austin for £4m should not be considered a bargain "if his wages are £100,000 per week". (Daily Mail) Real Betis want to appoint former Real Madrid and Tottenham manager Juande Ramos as their new manager, after firing former West Brom coach Pepe Mel. (AS - in Spanish) Manchester City right-back Pablo Zabaleta, 31, has indicated he could leave at the end of the season, with Italy a potential destination. (Sun) City are ready to bid for West Ham's 17-year-old defensive midfielder Reece Oxford. (Sun) Social media Manchester United's 1-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield was short on quality but rich on drama as Wayne Rooney scored the winner. Guess who was in the stands celebrating with the away fans? United midfielder Michael Carrick. Carrick was joined by United team-mates Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones, who tweeted a video that captured him celebrating Rooney's winner. United forward Anthony Martial was on the pitch, but after the game posted on Instagram: "Thanks for all your support!! A surprise will come very soon..." The other Premier League game on Sunday was a 0-0 draw between Stoke and Arsenal - the best performers there were the goalkeepers. But equally impressive is the state of Mesut Ozil's living room - that's where the Gunners midfielder was watching what drama did unfold. And finally Former Stoke, York and Macclesfield full-back Graham Potter - now the manager of Swedish side Ostersunds - led his players in a performance of the ballet Swan Lake as part of an end-of-season team bonding exercise. (Times - subscription required)‎

Wednesday Football Gossips: Hazard, Guardiola, Bale, Adebayor, Remy

‎Wednesday's gossip: Hazard, Guardiola, Bale, Adebayor, Remy‎ Real Madrid are willing to pay £100m to sign Chelsea's Belgium playmaker Eden Hazard, 24. (Daily Star) That move could prompt Chelsea to pursue the signing of Real forward Gareth Bale, 26. (Daily Mirror) ‎ But Manchester United are hoping to sign the Wales international for £75m this month - and working with "boyhood hero" Ryan Giggs, the club's assistant manager, could be key in attracting his compatriot. (Daily Mail) Bale has no plans to leave Real Madrid in the wake of Rafael Benitez's sacking but his future at the club will hinge largely on whether Zinedine Zidane deploys him in a central role. (Guardian) Wednesday's back page of the Daily Express leads on Manchester City's bid to bring in manager Pep Guardiola and sign Lionel Messi Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola, 44, will become Manchester City manager in the summer. (Sky Germany via Sky Sports) Should Guardiola move to City, the club will look to reunite him with Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, 28. (Daily Express) Guardiola could yet move to Manchester United - if they act quickly. The Spaniard has spoken to both Manchester clubs, turned down an offer from Chelsea and would also consider Arsenal. (Sun) The Daily Mirror's chief football writer, John Cross, believes that Guardiola becoming Manchester City manager is a "done deal". (BBC Radio 5 live) Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini says he would accept the sack from the club this summer, if he left with the Premier League title. (Daily Mirror) Pellegrini believes it is "impossible" for his side to achieve the quadruple of Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup. (Daily Star) General Charles Krulak - an Aston Villa board member who served in Vietnam and the first Gulf War - says he "faced way bigger losing battles and won them" during his military career than the predicament currently facing the Premier League's bottom club. (Sun)  Everton boss Roberto Martinez wants the club's supporters to "trust" 21-year-old John Stones, who he says is "the best footballing centre-half in Europe". (Times - subscription required) Former Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor, 31, is considering offers from Watford and Crystal Palace. (Guardian) Chelsea are reluctant to let 29-year-old striker Loic Remy - a target for Newcastle, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace - leave on loan unless they find a replacement (Daily Mail) Everton have ended Celtic's hopes of re-signing the club's former winger Aiden McGeady, 29, as they will not subsidise his wages as part of a loan deal. (Daily Record) Wednesday's back page of the Mirror leads on Manuel Pellegrini who wants to leave Manchester City after winning the Premier League Watford are close to signing Fiorentina's Spain midfielder Mario Suarez, 28. (Daily Star) FC Basel say 23-year-old midfielder Mohamed Elneny's move to Arsenal could be completed "in the coming days". (London Evening Standard) AC Milan midfielder Nigel de Jong, 31, is not a target for Leicester City, despite reports to the contrary. (Leicester Mercury) Belgian winger Kevin Mirallas, 28, will not be leaving Everton, according to manager Roberto Martinez. (Talksport) Everton are expected to sign Grasshopper Zurich's Switzerland Under-21 striker Shani Tarashaj, 20, on Wednesday. (Liverpool Echo) Swansea will not recall winger Nathan Dyer, 28, from his loan spell at Leicester in the January transfer window. (South Wales Evening Post) Joe Cole, 34, is set to complete a permanent move to Coventry, with Aston Villa allowing the former England midfielder to be released from his contract six months early. (Birmingham Mail) Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed training on Tuesday. The 26-year-old has been linked with both Arsenal and Liverpool. (Independent) Best of social media Manchester United forward Juan Mata has been out and about in Manchester's trendy Northern Quarter, and posted a picture to Instagram. Mata's club-mateWayne Rooney and Stoke goalkeeperJack Butland used Twitter to thank fans for voting them as England's player of the year and under-21 player of the year respectively. Arsenal's former Real Madrid midfielder Mesut Ozil has given his backing to new Real boss Zinedine Zidane, tweeting that the appointment was a "good decision". And finally The future of Crystal Palace mascot Kayla the bald eagle is in doubt because the charity where she lives is short of funds. (Premier League website)  Former NBA star Steve Nash and Robert Sarver, owner of the Phoenix Suns, have bought a controlling share of La Liga side Real Mallorca. (Fox Sports) ‎