England striker Danny Welbeck scored twice – either side of a long-range strike from Granit Xhaka – as the Gunners won the second leg 3-1.

Hakan Calhanoglu had opened the scoring for Milan, but the Italian side fell to a 5-1 aggregate defeat.

“We would certainly want to avoid Atletico Madrid,” said Wenger.

The draw for the quarter-finals – which features teams from eight countries – will take place on Friday at 12:00 GMT.

This was Arsenal’s third win in a week after their first-leg victory in Milan and Sunday’s 3-0 Premier League defeat of Watford.

Prior to victory at the San Siro, the Gunners had lost four successive games in all competitions.

“It’s much better. We needed that to recover from our results,” Wenger said.

“It shows how the team has responded. We had a difficult game but in the end we won it. If we have the results and the way to play football, the crowds will be behind us.”

Turkish international Calhanoglu produced a stunning finish from 30 yards to give the Italians the lead.

The Gunners levelled within four minutes through Welbeck, who was controversially awarded a penalty after going down under minimal contact from Ricardo Rodriguez.

Xhaka’s long-range effort bobbled into the net for Arsenal’s second after poor goalkeeping by Milan’s highly rated Gianluigi Donnarumma, before Welbeck headed in a third.

“It was an open game. We played backwards a bit too much in the first half to protect the result. We played a very good side,” said Wenger.

“We have to improve defensively, but overall we are team with technical quality which is more attack-minded.

“We struggle a bit more when we have to defend. We finished the game more compact and more solid.”

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Source: BBC

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The move follows the revelation that government was shelling out $8,000 per month on hotel accommodation for Black Stars coaches.

The facility, located at Airport Residential Area, was renovated at a cost of GHS 300,000, according to the sports minister, and was previously an abode of government ministers.

It will serve as the official residence of all Black Stars coaches in the future.

“This will save the government a lot of money. The practice of paying huge sums of money in the past to hotels was never a good idea and was draining the state,” Asiamah said at the short ceremony.

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By: Fentuo Tahiru/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Youth team is gunning for the games in Dubai, where the global sports lens will be focused on budding talents and the exuberant show of skill that will be exhibited at the games.

The three day tournament will bring together the participating Youth Clubs and Teams of international Football giants, representing various countries including Spain (Real Madrid, Celta De Vigo RC, FC_Barcelona); England, (Liverpool FC); United Arab Emirates (Spanish Soccer School Dubai); Canada (Canadian Academy of football); from Australia (Pascoe Vale FC); Italy, (Juventus); Egypt (Al-Ahli) and from Ghana (Lizzy Soccer Academy).

Founder, Marcel Desailly states, “it is fulfilling to witness the results of hard work with the talents that my Protégées have accumulated. The testament will be in their performance on and off the Field. At Lizzy Soccer Academy, we train our youngsters to be rounded sports individuals. They are taught to practice great sportsmanship constantly. No doubt, we are focused on winning the Cup but above all else, we want our players to enjoy themselves and establish camaraderie among the other teams during the games.”

Desailly’s Sports Complex was established as part of his commitment to the development of sports in Ghana.

The various soccer programmes offered at the Complex have resulted in the culmination of spectacular wins in back to back Football Tournaments and a foray of trophies as testament.

In December 2017 the Lizzy Sports Academy beat eight other local teams to emerge the winners of the Qualifiers, a successfully hosted tournament that was witnessed by Michel Salgado, Ex- Defender of Real Madrid FC, Patron and Founder of the Dubai Intercontinental Cup.

Centa 14 Sports and Entertainment Management Agency, which holds the Rights of the Tournament in Ghana confirms that the games are aimed, not only at supporting children to follow in the footsteps of their footballing heroes, but to expose Ghanaian youth to one of the world’s most competitive and globally encompassing games.

The Franchise holders together with the Lizzy Sports Academy Coaches and Management will form the Ghana Technical Team for the Tournament

Sentiments from across the country are tipping the Lizzy Soccer Academy to win the title as Champions from the current Winners, Celta Vigo.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Sulaiman Al Fahim, who also fronted the Abu Dhabi United Group’s deal to buy Manchester City in 2008, was found guilty of forgery, using forged documents and aiding and abetting.

He and an accomplice were found to have stolen the money used to buy Pompey from Sacha Gaydamak, with Al Fahim soon selling the club to Ali Al Faraj.

Al Fahim, 42, did not attend the hearing and was sentenced in his absence.

Prosecutors said that Al Fahim’s wife discovered the money was missing after the returns she had expected from a high interest rate account she opened in 2009 did not come in.

She said she contacted the bank’s accounts manager, but he “kept stalling” despite her asking him to move the account in September 2011.

When she decided to visit the bank in person, she was told there was no money in the account.

She then went to the bank’s legal affairs department, and when they failed to take action she reported the matter to the police.

Dubai Criminal Court also convicted the bank manager of theft, forgery of official documents and use of forged official documents. He was also sentenced to five years in prison.

‘Top eight by 2016’

At the time of Al Fahim’s ownership, Portsmouth were in the Premier League but the club was also in financial difficulty and had struggled to pay players and staff.

Four years later, Pompey had gone into administration twice, suffered three relegations and had seven different owners.

In 2013, it was taken over by the Pompey Supporters Trust (PST), who sold it to former Disney chief executive Michael Eisner in August 2017.

Last season the club was promoted from League Two to League One. They are currently ninth in the table.

In a 2009 interview with Radio Solent conducted after he had bought Portsmouth, Al Fahim said: “To be realistic we need a new ground and we want to strengthen the squad and the academy.

“Hopefully we can have a new stadium in place by 2015 or 16. We would like to be a top-eight club by that time.”

PST spokesperson Ashley Brown told BBC Sport the case “once again raises questions about how owners can purchase football clubs”.

The Premier League has tightened its rules on ownership since Al Fahim’s brief spell, and stricter criteria now have to be met than at the time of his takeover – with changes introduced largely as a result of the club’s tumultuous ownership history.

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Source: BBC Sport

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Tony Chapron fell to the ground when his heels were clipped – apparently accidently – by Nantes’ Diego Carlos during a league match last month.

Chapron, 45, kicked out at the player, then booked him for a second time.

The referee – who was suspended after the game – was given his punishment by a French league disciplinary committee on Thursday.

Carlos’ booking was rescinded at Chapron’s request.

Chapron has been refereeing in France’s top flight since 2004 and taken charge of more than 400 matches in that time – including the French Cup final in 2014.

Prior to the incident he had announced that this would be his final season as a referee.

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Seminars before congress – The Executive Committee approved four seminars on Match fixing, Refereeing, Marketing and Media for various interest groups in football ahead of the start of the next season to help improve the game. The seminars will be held on the 6th and 7th of February in Prampram.

Calendar for the next three seasons – The Executive Committee approved the calendar for all competitions in Ghana football for the next three seasons that is –  2017/2018, 2018/2019, 2019/2020. The calendar involves the CAF Inter-Club matches, the Ghana Premier League, the MTN FA Cup, Division One League and GHALCA tournament. With CAF restructuring its Inter-Clubs competitions, the calendar will be tweaked further to accommodate the changes when it is made by CAF.

Gala Competition – The Gala will usher in the 2017/2018 football season. The Gala will be an invitational tournament for clubs in the Premier and Division One Leagues. Clubs will be asked to write to the GFA to express interest in participating in the 16-team tournament which will be held in Cape Coast from 3 to 4 February 2018.

Substantive General Secretary – The Executive Committee unanimously approved Mr Isaac Addo as the substantive General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association.

Competitions Department: The General Secretary was tasked to advertise the three positions of the officers to work in the newly-created Competitions Department. The three positions are General Manager, Marketing Manager and Media Officer.

Pitches for the GFA – The Executive Committee approved the proposal of the President for the sod-cutting ceremonies for the construction of the ten StarTimes pitches to begin over the next few weeks. StarTimes’ leadership in Ghana were invited to the meeting and also agreed with the Executive Committee to get the project underway as soon as possible.

The regions targeted are Upper West, Upper East and Brong Ahafo regions as they are in dire need of these pitches to foster the development of the game. Some Regional FAs have already secured the lands for pitches while some are still in talks with landowners.

Young Referees’ Development Programme – A new scheme to help develop new and younger referees for the country will be launched in the coming weeks to encourage young people in the country to take to refereeing. The Secretariat has been tasked to work with the Referees Association of Ghana (RAG) for the launch of this scheme and the training of these young referees. These young referees will in the long term take charge of matches in the Colts Leagues.

African Women’s Championship – The Executive Committee asked the Secretariat to work closely with the LOC of the tournament to ensure Ghana’s successful hosting of the competition which will be held from 17th November to 1st December, 2018.

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Source: Ghana FA

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The Armenian playmaker has not started a game since the defeat at Chelsea on 5 November and has not been in the matchday squad for the last four games.

Mkhitaryan became Mourinho’s third signing when he joined from Borussia Dortmund for a £30m fee 18 months ago.

But BBC Sport understands there has been a “breakdown of trust”.

Speaking before Sunday’s trip to West Brom, Mourinho said: “If a player is not happy and brings with the request a number we consider good for us, I would never say no.

“That is my approach as a manager. Every player has a price.”

Last January, Mourinho allowed Memphis Depay to join Lyon and Morgan Schneiderlin to move to Everton.

He subsequently released Bastian Schweinsteiger from his contract so he could take up a lucrative offer with Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.

Defender Luke Shaw is another potential January departure, although the indications have been that the former Southampton player intends to remain at Old Trafford for the rest of the season.

Marouane Fellaini’s contract expires at the end of the season and, so far, United’s efforts to persuade the Belgian to sign an extension have failed.

However, Mourinho likes the midfielder and selling him is not thought to be an option, particularly as Fellaini knows he can maximise his earnings in the summer if he left for free.

–

Source: BBC

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I looked up to two people as a young journalist – Christopher Opoku and Yaw Ampofo Ankrah. My love for the two was cemented during their perceptive coverage of Ghana’s first ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup in 2006.

I was a first-year student at the University of Ghana and had the privilege of listening to Chris on Asempa FM every morning when he took charge of their sports morning show. I could barely speak a word of Twi back then but still tuned in every morning because of Chris. It was almost as if he knew I was listening and for my sake, would sneak in more than a few lines of his impeccably carved English.

I could go on and on about how many more times I’d gone on to watch Chris on TV or listen to him on the radio. But that would take months to finish.

After I graduated from school and moved to Kumasi for my year of national service, I was also racking up internship hours at Kapital Radio’s sports department; working and learning from Listowell Yesu Bukarson, Nathaniel Abankwah (Natty Bongo) and Benjamin Yamoah.

While I got better at sports news writing and broadcasting, I never quite learned how to commentate. I consistently turned down opportunities to do commentary with flimsy excuses. I was afraid of performing so abysmally, I’d disappoint my bosses. I could speak fluent English; I just couldn’t figure out how to string words together to spontaneously describe the ongoing action.

It was a painfully harrowing experience. It was a fear I could never overcome up until I quit Kapital to focus on the teaching job I was offered after my national service.

Between 2011 and late 2013, I was out of the media. And in November 2013, I got an offer from Ultimate FM for a part-time job as a sports broadcaster. Most mornings, I would listen via TuneIn radio to Chris and his Power FM crew as they doled out some of the best sports discussions Ghana has ever seen.

Ultimate FM only ran short bulletins. There was no commentary show which meant my commentary weakness would not be exposed. I was partly relieved because my bosses were under the assumption that I was by default, a fantastic commentator. But deep down, I was insecure.

But not for long. Five months later, I had my date with commentary. It was May 2, 2014 at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium. The game between Great Olympics and Tema Youth was a crucial one with the winner guaranteed a return to the top flight of Ghana football for the 2014/15 season. On a hot Friday afternoon, I was not to miss a game of that significance.

I went to the stadium to watch the game and get a few post-match interviews after. Ten minutes before kick-off, Kwaku Ahenkorah, the venue media officer at the Baba Yara stadium came over to inform me Chris was on the other end of the line and wanted to speak to me. I was confused.

But then Chris asked my name and proceeded to ask how I was doing. Then he told me how his commentator had disappointed him by not coming to the stadium and then politely asked if I could run commentary for Power FM in Accra. My heart missed a beat; not only because my broadcast idol was asking for my help, but because I was ill-equipped to help.

I remember saying excitedly; “Yes, I’d love to”, before quickly adding, “I’ve never done commentary before.” The conversation that followed was similar in tone if not in style to General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s speech when he ordered the Normandy Invasion in 1944. And I needed that speech because running commentary was a battle I was often too afraid to fight. I needed a General to lead me into battle. Chris was that General.

“Do you speak English?” was the next question he asked me when I told him I had never done commentary prior. “Fluently, sir,” I responded. “Do you believe you can do it?” He asked again. “I don’t know sir, I’ve never done it before,” I retorted. “I said do you believe you can do it?” Christ pressed on. “I will try, sir,” I responded. “I don’t want you to try. I want you to tell me you can do it,” Christ hit back, with his voice rising in tone. “Ok sir, I can do it,” I replied, out of abdication rather than in real belief of the words I uttered.

Then Chris hung up the call and told me to get ready in the next five minutes and expect a call from the studio soon after. I hurriedly got a team sheet, found myself a nice spot, and waited for the call. When the call came, it was Henry Asante Twum, another broadcaster I had only watched on TV and admired from afar. He introduced me as “Pentuo Tahiru”. I heard him say my name wrong but I was so nervous I missed out on the chance to correct him.

This was just so difficult on so many levels. Not only had I never done commentary before, I had not watched Olympics or Tema Youth all season, and didn’t know any of their players. But somehow Chris made me believe I was capable. In the opening 30 minutes of the game, I swore I was merely putting English words together, barely running any half decent commentary.

At halftime, I was expecting Chris to call and destroy me for a poor job done, or that better still he had found his commentator and would be more than happy to dispose of the garbage commentator that I thought I was. But no. He called alright, but to tell me I was doing a decent job; told me to slow down a bit; only describe what I see and move the phone away from my mouth because it was giving bad feedback.

By the beginning of the second half, the Power FM commentator had arrived and he only acted as a summarizer as I completed my first 90 minutes of commentary in what was a very controversial game which Olympics won 2-1 while Tema Youth threatened to abandon the game over poor refereeing decisions by referee Joseph Lamptey.

After that game, my commentary fears were conquered. I’ve since gone on to run commentary for all sorts of matches – from Ghana Premier League games to La Liga matches and everything in between. When I attempted my first tennis commentary, I was not afraid. When I did my first basketball commentary, I was not afraid. When I did my first squash commentary, I wasn’t afraid. And because of Chris, when I attempt my first rugby or cricket or boxing commentary, I know I will not be afraid. Every time I turn on the microphone to run commentary, I’m on a path to make Chris proud.

Chris believed in me so much to offer me a writing role at his website footy-ghana.com. If there’s one thing I learned writing for footy-ghana.com, it’s “accuracy over speed”. Chris always emphasized the need to be accurate with reports instead of rushing to be the first to break a story that would later turn out to be false. That compromises your integrity, he always said. And Chris never compromised.

Of the new generation of sports journalists, not many have had the privilege of personally working with this great man. I did and I’m truly honoured by that. Everything he stood for – truth, honour, integrity, accuracy without fear or favour – the best way to truly honour his absence is to stand for these things.

Chris spent his last years as a journalist in the Citi FM newsroom. I’m honoured to be working at the same place he once did. I feel sad that I did not come in early enough to work closely with you.

I will miss your counsel; your sense of humour; your wisdom and above all, your kindness. You will never be forgotten, Chris.

Happy Birthday, Christopher Colombus! Continue to rest in peace!

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By: Fentuo Tahiru/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Spaniard made 14 saves, equalling the record since statisticians Opta began collecting data.

“You need the keeper to be there for you when the team needs,” added Mourinho.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said De Gea was “absolutely outstanding”.

Wenger’s side fired 33 shots at goal, with 15 finding the target. The United resistance prompted the Frenchman to state De Gea was “man of the match by a clear mile”.

Only Tim Krul – for Newcastle against Tottenham in 2013 – and Vito Mannone – for Sunderland at Chelsea in 2014 – have recorded 14 saves in a game since Opta began gathering this piece of data in 2003-04.

Most remarkable of all was a double De Gea save to deny Alexandre Lacazette and Alexis Sanchez with the score at 2-1 early in the second half.

De Gea played down his role, saying it was simply a “good game for me” before focusing on the “confidence” United can take into next week’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford.

Mourinho added: “I told De Gea after the match, what I saw today was the best from a goalkeeper in the world.

“I loved the way my team played and fought. Arsenal played in some period amazing attacking football – creating difficulties for us.

“But I have to say that my players deserve all the great words. I don’t know so many in English but amazing, phenomenal, fantastic. They deserved three points.”

Goals from Antonio Valencia and two from Jesse Lingard either side of Lacazette’s strike moved second-placed United to within five points of their city rivals.

They comfortably held on despite Paul Pogba being sent off for a dangerous challenge late on, punishing Arsenal for early defensive mistakes.

“Despite being 2-0 down we should have come back – we had enough chances,” said Wenger, whose side are now fifth.

“It was a big blow to go 2-0 so early on – especially at home. We were too on the edge mentally maybe – you cannot be in a game like that.

“We played well but there is nothing more frustrating when you have that quality of performance and nothing to show for it at the end. The attitude was impeccable until the end. But you cannot make the mistakes we made at the beginning.”

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Source: BBC

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Richmond Boakye Yiadom’s future has been thrown into doubt as the agent of Black Stars forward, confirmed that the player will leave Serbian side Red Star Belgrade for main stream Europe by the end of next summer’s transfer window.

The former Juventus striker has been in prolific form for the Serbian outfit and already has 35 goals in 44 appearances this calendar year which has seen him attract a lot of interest from Europe’s big clubs including English giants Chelsea.

The 24-year old forward has been in Belgrade for less than a year, joining from Italian Serie B side Latina in January 2017.

In an exclusive interview with Citi Sports, Oliver Arthur disclosed that his client will be playing in mainstream Europe at the beginning of next season.

“Richmond will move to mainstream Europe very soon. It can even be this January but definitely by June, he will make the move,” he said.

A move away from Red Star will be his ninth since moving to Europe in 2008.

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By: Daniel Koranteng/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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