Nigeria flagbearers Rangers International of Enugu remain resolute and positive ahead of their Total CAF Confederation Cup first leg Round of 1/16th away tie to Bantu FC of Lesotho to be played on Sunday at the Setsoto Stadium in Maseru.


The Flying Antelopes  are unbeaten yet in this campaign and recorded good results away from Enugu in the previous rounds including  that flattering 3-1 away win against Defence Force of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa as well as the gritty  goalless draw in Algiers against USM Bel Abbes (USMBA).


Yet the West African side are not oblivious of the task ahead against battled-hardened Bantu FC who dropped into the Confederation Cup play-off despite some sturdy performances against Township Rollers FC of Botswana and AS Vital Club of Congo.   
“Our fans should expect good football from us and by the way we are the training; and we shall have a good game,” explained Rangers’ winger Bright Silas who scored a brace in the 2-0 wins against USMBA to secure the berth into this round. “We don’t know much about them (Bantu FC) but we shall get the three points because we believe in ourselves.

NEW YORK (Wednesday, January 9, 2019) – The Professional Referee Organization is pleased to announce that Mark Geiger, one of the most heralded U.S. referees over the past two decades, has been appointed as Director of Senior Match Officials. He will oversee the work of officials operating at the Major League Soccer level with immediate effect.
 
The new role will see the two-time MLS Referee of the Year Geiger retire from refereeing to join PRO’s management team after an illustrious 21-year career that saw him officiate at two FIFA World Cups, three Concacaf Gold Cups and the Olympic Games.
 
As Director of Senior Match Officials, Geiger will lead a team of staff who are responsible for the coaching education and continual improvement of on-field and video match officials who work in MLS.
 
"Having worked games in MLS for 15 years and internationally for 11, I felt it was time for me both personally and professionally to hang up my whistle and boots and start this new chapter," the New Jersey native said.

© IIRM
The IAAF and the International Institute for Race Medicine (IIRM) today announced a new partnership designed to enhance the safety of participants in all IAAF Label road races by ensuring the highest quality medical support is available to the event organisers.
The IAAF and the IIRM have signed a Memorandum of Understanding through which they will jointly develop training courses and seminars for medical directors of marathons and other endurance races over the next two years.
The IIRM, whose members include the medical directors of the world’s largest marathons, is the global expert body on medical science related to health and safety at endurance events.
The two organisations will combine to organise regular seminars and educational courses for medical directors and other healthcare professionals at races and events around the world to enhance the medical services provided.

New Zealand leg-spinner Ish Sodhi and fast bowler Lachlan Ferguson have moved up in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings after creditable performances during a 3-0 sweep over Sri Lanka in a home series that ended on Tuesday.
 
The two are now in joint-31st position after Sodhi’s eight wickets in the series helped him climb up 26 slots and Ferguson’s seven wickets lifted him 12 places to a career-best position in the list led by India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. Sri Lanka captain Lasith Malinga is another bowler to gain in the latest update, moving up three places to take 46th spot after finishing with seven scalps in the series.
 
Among batsmen, Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill have retained their third and 14th positions after scoring 281 and 153 runs, respectively, while New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has dropped out of the top-10 to 11th position. Henry Nicholls has gained 21 places to take 59th position while Colin Munro has moved up from 58th to 56th.
 
Niroshan Dickwella (up one place to 26th), Thisara Perera (up 22 places to 65th), Kusal Perera (up seven places to 66th) and Danushka Gunathilaka (up 11 places to 82nd) are the batsmen to gain from the Sri Lanka side. The India pair of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are at the top of the list.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today welcomed USA Cricket as its 105th Member, in what is a historical milestone for the governing body established in 2017 to unify and develop the cricket community in the United States following the expulsion of USACA.


USA Cricket’s application to become the 93rd Associate Member in accordance with the ICC Constitution was approved by ICC Members following the Membership Committee’s recommendation to the ICC Board late last year and is implemented with immediate effect.


As a Member of the ICC, USA Cricket is now eligible to receive funding in accordance with the ICC Development Funding Policy and can sanction domestic and international cricket in the United States.


A transition plan has been agreed for the governing body, which has, to date, been managed by the ICC Americas regional support programme. This will see all governing body obligations transferred to USA Cricket under the auspices of the USA Cricket Board of Directors this month. The recruitment of a Chief Executive and key management roles will begin in due course as the immediate priorities of the new Member.

Cabic Boxing Promotions and Management have been named 2018 Promoters of the Year by the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG).
The boxing outfit which bounced on the scene in their first season organized quality events and were very particular with the media.
Cabic brought down quality and durable boxers to challenge their two World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Africa champions in super welterweight Patrick Allotey and heavyweight Richard Harrison.
During the year under review, Cabic organized three quality programmes at the Bukom Boxing Arena and excelled with entertainment also by Efe Kyzz and Papa Row.
They also have a social responsibility programme to fight against drug abuse among sportsmen and women and the youth.

Ghana’s top seed in Table Tennis, Derek Abrefa has thanked the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) for naming him among the list of award winners for 2018.
Speaking to Yours Truly in an exclusive interview, he said this is the sixth time he has been nominated and going for the Best Table Tennis Player of the year.
“I thank God Almighty and my sponsors for the new achievement and I dedicate it to all players of the ping pong game in Ghana” he said.
“I have won this title 6 times and want to win it 10 times before retiring; I want to set record like Azumah Nelson did in boxing for Ghana. I have gone to many championships and tournaments, but I am not satisfied, I want to improve on my ranking and come among the top 100 in the world” said Abrefa who is now ranked 272 in the world, and 14th in Africa.

Following a renewed exchange with the Australian Football Federation, FIFA is again calling for a humane and speedy resolution of the case concerning the player Hakeem Al Araibi. 
This player, a Bahrain national, is currently being detained in prison in Thailand awaiting the outcome of extradition proceedings to Bahrain, where he was previously convicted of a criminal offence, the validity of which he strongly contests. 

Former World Boxing Organisation (WBO) super bantamweight champion, Isaac Dogboe and Black Stars and Athletico Madrid’s midfielder Thomas Partey well vie for the coveted 2018 MTN Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) Sports Personality of the Year Award to be held later this year.
The annual awards ceremony to honour the nation’s illustrious athletes will see the two top contenders of the highest award on the night with over 40 others who are to be honoured in their various disciplines was released last Saturday in Accra.
Partey will also challenge four other footballera, namely John Antwi, a loanee from Egyptian club Al Ahly; Kotoko goalie Felix Annan, Kassim Nuhu of German club, Hoffenheim, and Joseph Aidoo of Genk in the Belgian First Division for the Male Footballer of the Year award.
For her performance at the recently held Under-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay, Black Maiden’s striker Mukarama Abdulai will contend with Black Queen’s Faustina Ampah and Black Princesses’ Grace Asantewaa for the Female Footballer of the Year award.

• The former ICC U19 Cricket World Cup star attains joint-highest ranking among batsmen by a wicketkeeper from India and highest rating points by a gloveman from his country
•  

·       Pujara, Harris, Markram and Asad among other batsmen to move up; Yadav, Lyon, Olivier and Shaheen also advance
 
Rishabh Pant has attained new highs for an India wicketkeeper in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Player Rankingsafter his superb century in the drawn final Test in Sydney.
 
The 21-year-old left-hander has gained 21 slots and reached 17th place, the joint-highest by a specialist India wicketkeeper along with Farokh Engineer, who did so in January 1973. Further, Pant’s aggregate of 673 rating points are the highest by an India wicketkeeper, with Dhoni having the next highest aggregate of 662 points and Engineer 619 points. Dhoni’s highest Test ranking was 19th.
 
Pant, a star at the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in 2016 when he scored an 18-ball half-century against Nepal, has moved into the top-20 after only his ninth Test match with an unbeaten 159. Pant had started the Australia tour in 59th place and made rapid progress, scoring 350 runs in a series that also saw him take 20 catches.

The 2019 Women's Tennis Association (WTA) season is officially underway, as three notable singles players and doubles teams captured the first titles of the season at the Brisbane International, Shenzhen Open and the ASB Classic (Auckland).

Karolina Pliskova scored her second Brisbane title in three years in the first WTA Premier-level event of the season. The former WTA World No.1 climbs to No.7 in the rankings to become the top-ranked Czech woman. The American-Czech team of Nicole Melichar and Kveta Peschke lifted the doubles trophy in Brisbane, earning wins over Chan/Chan and the co-World No.1s Krejcikova/Siniakova.

Coming off the most successful season from a competitive and business perspective in its 23-year history, Major League Soccer today unveiled the schedule for the 2019 regular season.
 
The debut of MLS’ 24th club, FC Cincinnati, highlights a season that includes new and renovated stadiums, increased coverage of major events, more primetime matchups, and expanded flex scheduling options for U.S. networks. It also sees the advent of the new fixed-bracket, single-elimination playoff format with the higher seed hosting every match, which significantly increases the importance of the regular season. In the 2019 season each club plays 34 games (17 home and 17 away), facing conference opponents twice, and playing each non-conference opponent once.

© Getty Images
The IAAF has today launched its first air quality monitor in the Southern Hemisphere, at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre in Australia, as part of a pilot programme to measure air quality at stadiums around the world.
IAAF President Sebastian Coe, accompanied by Athletics Australia President Mark Arbib, switched on the device, the third installed at athletics stadiums as part of the IAAF’s five-year partnership with UN Environment, which is designed to create greater global awareness and promote action on air pollution.
The ultimate aim of the programme is to develop an air quality monitoring network linking 1000 IAAF-certified tracks around the world.

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has been suspended for one Test and fined 20 per cent of his match fees, while his players have been fined 10 per cent of their match fees, for maintaining a slow over-rate during South Africa’s nine-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Cape Town Test, which ended on Sunday.
 
David Boon of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees imposed the suspension on du Plessis after South Africa were ruled to be one over short after time allowances were taken into consideration.
 
In accordance with Article 2.22.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Players Support Personnel, which relates to minor over-rate offences, players are fined 10 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount.

The sensational Die Hard Supporters Union last Saturday morning celebrated their tenth anniversary with a football match which they lost 2-1 against the star studded Ayigbe Town Saturday Stars.
The game was played at the Naa Korle Park with the Saturday Stars featuring players like Amui Quaye formerly of Accra Great Olympics, Abetia Ayeh, former star of Obuasi AshGold and Charles Allotey of Accra Hearts of Oak fame.
Die Hard was led by President Abraham Nkansah aka Apirigu Chakapama who had a good game controlling the midfield.
The Stars had to depend on their experience to score two beautiful goals after conceding the opening goal.

World Kickboxing (75kg) champion, Lawrence Nyanyo Nmai has expressed his readiness to face Ghana's most feared boxer, Bastie Samir aka The Beast.
Nmai now based in Switzerland says he is ready for Samir Bastie in a super middle weight or light heavy weight contest and can even put his world titles at stake. 
Nmai is a multiple world champion in kicking boxing Muay Thai as well as a coach handling a big gym as well as promotions. 
He is president of the Pro Fighting Factory Gym and Promotions in Ghana and Switzerland.

• Gala event at Lusail Marina revealed design of 80,000-capacity arena
• Lusail Stadium is the biggest stadium proposed to host Qatar 2022
• Design inspired by the Middle East's ancient tradition of craftsmanship

The remaining and perhaps most-anticipated design of the eight stadiums proposed by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ was unveiled today at a colourful gala event held at the Lusail Marina, 15km north from Doha.
With its golden bowl structure and apertures shaped like “fanar” lanterns, the stadium celebrates the Middle East’s ancient tradition of craftsmanship. Lusail Stadium will welcome up to 80,000 fans and has been proposed by the organisers as the venue for the opening and final matches of the tournament taking place in four years’ time.

In preparation for the world’s largest annual gathering of soccer coaches and administrators, Major League Soccer continues its commitment to coaching education by today announcing – in conjunction with the United Soccer Coaches – a featured slate of MLS-led programming for the United Soccer Coaches Convention at McCormick Place West in Chicago from Jan. 9-13. The annual event will be highlighted by the 2019 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas on Friday, Jan. 11 at 12 p.m. CT.
 
As part of the United Soccer Coaches Convention, MLS and Chicago Fire together will host the Coaches Lounge outside of the Skyline Ballroom on the third floor of McCormick Place West. Convention attendees are welcomed to stop by the Coaches Lounge throughout the week for access to charging and work stations, informal meeting spaces and lounge seating, FIFA gaming, an interactive photo booth, giveaways, and more.

Mohamed Salah (Player of the Year)
I am proud and very honoured to be nominated for the second time. It was not obvious, for the first time, I was told that it was not going to happen and it's done and this year, we had to confirm and that's good. As a child, I always dreamt of the Best Player award, but winning in two consecutive years is really huge. These titles I will share with all those who contributed to my football training, my coaches. My joy is even greater with the designation of Egypt as the organizing country of the next edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Award Winners
Player of the Year
Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)

Women’s Player of the Year
Chrestinah Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa & Houston Dash)

Youth Player of the Year
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco & Borussia Dortmunmd)

Men’s Coach of the Year
Herve Renard (Morocco)

Women’s Coach of the Year
Desiree Ellis (South Africa)

Men’s National Team of the Year
Mauritania

Women’s National Team of the Year
Nigeri

Mohamed Salah completed a memorable day for Egyptian football by retaining his African Player of the Year award in Senegal Tuesday.

The 26-year-old Liverpool star finished first with club-mate Senegalese Sadio Mane and Arsenal and Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the other finalists. 

"I have dreamt of winning this award since I was a child and now I have done so twice in a row," Salah said soon after receiving his trophy in Dakar.

"My thanks go to my family, my team-mates and my fans and I dedicate this trophy to my homeland, Egypt." 

It was an identical outcome to last year when Salah became only the second Egyptian after 1983 winner Mahmoud al Khatib to be voted the best footballer in Africa.

Egypt crushed sole rivals South Africa 16-1 earlier on Tuesday in a CAF executive committee vote in Dakar to decide which country succeeded Cameroon as 2019 Cup of Nations hosts

President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) Ben Nunoo Mensah says all is well with him and the sports body responsible for organizing international competitions for the nation as he wishes the sporting public a winsome season for the various federations to prepare adequately for qualifiers towards the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
In his New Year Message he thanked all sports fans and urged the media to report the positive sides of the Committee.
He noted that many developments have taken place within and outside Ghana, especially preparations towards Tokyo 2020, by the GOC.
He said the Chef Du Mission (CDM) for the 2020 Olympic Games and his team have been meeting and planning on how the nation can win Gold, as Tokyo was the hosts when Freddy Blay won Bronze in Tokyo 1964, which they want to improve.

Powerhouse Chile to play in San Diego on March 22; Paraguay, led by former
Mexico Manager Juan Carlos Osorio, to visit Levi’s ® Stadium on March 26

NEW YORK CITY & MEXICO CITY (Thursday, January 3, 2019 ) – The Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF) and Soccer United Marketing (SUM) today announced Mexico’s rivals for the two previously announced March games of the 2019 Mexican National Team U.S. Tour.  South American powerhouse Chile, ranked 13th in the world by FIFA, will be Mexico’s rival when it visits San Diego’s SDCCU Stadium on Friday, March 22.  Four days later, on Tuesday, March 26, Mexico will take on Paraguay at Santa Clara’s Levi’s® Stadium.  Paraguay is led by former Mexico Manager Juan Carlos Osorio, who led Mexico from 2015-2018, posting a record of 33 wins, nine losses and ten draws. 
 
With both matches being played during the March FIFA window, all participating national teams are expected to bring their top players.  Kickoff times, as well as additional matches for the 2019 Mexican National Team U.S. Tour, will be also announced at a later date.  ​

·       Stylish left-handed India opener also named ICC ODI Player of the Year for 2018
 
·       Australia’s wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy voted ICC T20I Player of the Year
 
·       England’s Sophie Ecclestone named ICC Emerging Player of the Year
 


India’s stylish left-handed opener Smriti Mandhana has won the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year and also been named as the ICC Women’s ODI Player of the Year, the International Cricket Council announced today.
 
The 22-year-old, who has also been named in the ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year and the ICC Women’s T20I Team of the Year, scored 669 runs at an average of 66.90 in 12 ODIs and 622 runs at a strike-rate of 130.67 in 25 T20Is during the voting period, which ran from 1 January to 31 December 2018.
 
Mandhana played a crucial role in India’s semi-final appearance at the ICC Women’s World T20 in the West Indies, scoring 178 runs in five matches at a strike-rate of 125.35. She is currently ranked fourth in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s Players Rankings for ODI Batters and 10th in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s Players Rankings for T20I Batters.

A record number of candidates, 25, will be competing for The World Games Athlete of the Year 2018 title. The online voting will start on January 1, but the candidates have been published today on the voting site. 
The 25 candidates from 25 The World Games sports have been proposed by their international federations based on extraordinary achievements in 2018 or for several years. Everyone can vote once per day during January for their candidate online.