SPORTS

Barcelona’s general manager said the club are close to completing deals for Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele after Wednesday’s 2-0 Super Cup loss to Real Madrid, although the claim has been strongly rejected by Borussia Dortmund. Liverpool’s Coutinho has been the subject of two bids from Barcelona, the most recent worth €100 million turned down last week. However, Coutinho responded ...

JURGEN KLOPP has hit back at Barcelona’s comments over signing Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho. Barcelona have identified Coutinho as the ideal replacement for Neymar, who left the Nou Camp to join Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record £200million deal earlier this month. Coutinho has handed in a transfer request at Liverpool in order to force through a move to the Catalan ...

Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote has reiterated his intention to one day buy Arsenal. Dangote, Africa’s richest man with a fortune of around $13billion, outlined his wish to purchase the Gunners, who he supports, back in September. He now thinks he can tempt current owner Stan Kroenke into doing business, despite the American insisting he is not looking to sell. Kroenke ...

Exiled striker Diego Costa has repeated his wish to return to Atletico Madrid and believes his stand-off with Chelsea will come to an end when he travels to Spain. The 28-year-old Brazil-born Spain international signed for £32million from Atletico in July 2014, agreeing a five-year contract, and wishes to return to the Spanish capital. Speaking from his native Lagarto earlier ...

Kevin-Prince Boateng has explained his decision to terminate his contract with Las Palmas. The suspended Black Stars midfielder reached an agreement on Wednesday to end abruptly his relationship with the Spanish club only just four months after signing a new three year deal. The deal signed in April would have kept Boateng at the club until 2020. He was rewarded ...

Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association, Saanie Daara is of the view that the local contingent of the Black Stars can provide an ideal back up for the Black Stars. The Black Stars “B” are currently preparing for a CHAN qualifier against Burkina Faso after holding the Stallions 2-2 in Ouagadougou. New faces, Ahmed Adams and Vincent Atingah have ...

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique says he felt “inferior” to Real Madrid for the first time after being thrashed by their rivals in the Spanish Super Cup. La Liga and European champions Madrid won 2-0 on Wednesday night to complete a 5-1 aggregate victory. Pique, 30, who has been at Barca for nine years, said: “We are not in the best ...

Kotoko Coach Steve Polack has admitted his side were fortunate to seal through to the MTN FA Cup semi-finals. Kotoko advanced to the next round of the competition after beating division one side Nea Salamina 2-1 at the Babayara Sports Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. Captain Amos Frimpong ensured the Reds made their fourth successive semi-final appearance after converting a penalty ...

The Black Starlets of Ghana will play Spain, Mexico and Iraq in a four Nation tournament in Spain, ahead of the FIFA U17 World Cup in India. Coach Paa Kwesi Fabin and his charges have pitched camp at the Ghanaman Soccer center of Excellence in Prampram preparing for the competition which starts early next month. The team have been drawn ...

Former Nigeria international Austin Okocha, Argentina legend Diego Maradona and Netherlands great Edwin van der Sar are part of an 11-man panel that will select the 23-man shortlist for The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2017 award, FIFA announced on their official website on Wednesday. Other football legends who are in the 11-man panel are Colombian icon Carlos Valderrama, Brazil 1994 ...