2015 CEV European Championship runners-up Slovenia will be one of twelve teams competing in World League Group 3 in 2016
 
Lausanne, Switzerland, October 29, 2015 - The FIVB is pleased to announce that twelve teams will compete in FIVB Volleyball World League Group 3 in 2016 with Chinese Taipei, Germany, Slovenia and Qatar joining Greece, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Montenegro, Puerto Rico, Spain, Tunisia, and Venezuela. As a result, the World League will feature a record 36 teams for the first time in the history of the competition.

The pool round matches in Group 3 will take place over two weekends: on June 17-19 and June 24-26. The twelve teams in the group will play in pools of four teams each.

Will Voigt (USA) - Head coach of Nigeria's senior men's national team - Gabon v Nigeria, Afrobasket 2015, Radès (Tunisia),
Quarter-Finals, 27 August 2015

LAGOS (2016 Olympic Games) - The dust has settled.
It's been two months since that momentous occasion for Nigerian sport, when D'Tigers at long last stepped onto the top of the podium of an international basketball event.

It was yet another massive month in women’s football on both the international and club stage. FIFA.com reviews all the action highlighted by the impending retirement of the game’s greatest-ever goalscorer. There is also major news from USA’s domestic league, as well as from Europe, Rio 2016 qualifying and more.

International football
Goalscoring great to hang up boots
World record international goalscorer Abby Wambach has announced she will retire from the game. Wambach’s final outing is set to be against China PR on 16 December in New Orleans. Her international career record currently stands at 184 goals - more than any other male or female player - in 252 internationals. “Abby is a player who has transcended our sport and her legacy as one of the world's greatest players is set forever," USA coach Jill Ellis said about Wambach. Meanwhile, the Stars and Stripes farewelled three other long-serving greats during October; Shannon Boxx, Lori Chalupny and Lauren Holiday.

100m and 200m back World champion Mitchell Larkin (AUS) crowned a hugely successful meet by posting the best time in the world this year in the 200m backstroke (1:53.34), as the Tokyo leg of the FINA/airweave Swimming World Cup 2015 drew to a close tonight in the Japanese capital. This was Larkin's second win of the meet as he won the 100m back on Day 1.
Still on the Australian side, Emily Seebohm (AUS) topped the backstroke events, each time winning the duel with "Iron Lady" Katinka Hosszu (HUN). Together with Larkin, their successes allowed Australia to collect five golds and a silver in Tokyo.

Antoine Mendy (SEN) - Senegal v Nigeria, Afrobasket 2015, Radès (Tunisia), Semi-Finals, 29 August 2015

ORLEANS (2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament) - Senegal's Antoine Mendy has not given up on his dream of playing at the 2016 Olympic Games.

After suggestions indicated the 1.99m forward was bringing his national team career to a close, Mendy made sure to clarify that he is open to wearing the Senegal jersey again in the future.

Reigning FIFA U-17 World Cup champions Nigeria advanced to a quarter-final meeting against Brazil on the back of a hat-trick from the impressive Victor Osimhen, ending Australia’s run with a one-sided 6-0 victory in Vina Del Mar.

The tale of the first half was compacted into a three-minute period as Nigeria scored twice sandwiched either side of a gilt-edged opening for Australia.

It was 2-0 at the interval, and the game was still a contest until the final 17 minutes before Nigeria ran riot against an Australian side looking flat after surviving the ‘group of death’.

29 October 2015 – Bafana Bafana coach Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba has announced a 25-man squad to face Angola in back-to-back clashes for Round 2 of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia qualifiers.

The first clash will be the away leg, to be played on Friday, 13 November 2015 at the Ombaka National Stadium in Benguela, Angola and kicks off at 15h30 (16h30 SA time).

Mali made easy work of Korea DPR with a 3-0 victory at the Estadio Fiscal in Talca as the African champions eased into the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015, thanks to Amadou Haidara’s early blast and a brace from Sidiki Maiga.

Haidara opened the scoring in style for Mali with less than ten minutes on the clock. The No18 controlled an errant Korea DPR throw in off his chest with his first touch, his second created space and his third touch unleashed a venomous strike from 25 yards that flew by Ri Chol Song before he realised Haidara was lining up to shoot.

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Manchester City teenager Kelechi Iheanacho was on Thursday named in coach Sunday Oliseh's 24-man squad to face Swaziland in FIFA World Cup™ qualifying after initially being left out. The 19-year-old was a notable absentee in the original line-up but the Nigeria Football Federation later announced on Twitter he will feature.

A strong start can often be decisive, particularly in motorsport, where the driver who presses the accelerator down at just the right moment can end up leading the pack into the first corner. This philosophy seems to have been adopted by Mali’s representatives at the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2015, as these African youngsters have made several lightning-fast starts in succession during their time in Chile.

Although the Malian goalscoring engine was still stuttering into life in their opening goalless draw against Belgium, they have not looked back since. With a 2-1 victory over Ecuador and 3-0 wins against Honduras and Korea DPR, it has proved almost impossible to stop the attacking fireworks that have propelled Les Aiglonnets into the lead within the first ten minutes of each match. “There’s no doubt that our strategy is always to score a quick goal – the sooner the better,” coach Baye Ba explained to FIFA.com. “We always want to play on the front foot from the start; it’s better than scoring too late.”

THE DAY REPLAYED – Former champions Brazil, Mexico and Nigeria rolled back the years by emerging victorious in their respective FIFA U-17 World Cup Round of 16 matches. They were joined by Belgium, who won in their first knockout game at this level, in completing the first half of Chile 2015’s quarter-final line-up on a day of penalty drama, birthday celebrations and emotional farewells for the hosts.

Mexico came from behind to dump Chile out of the competition, cantering to a 4-1 victory courtesy of goals from Claudio Zamudio, Pablo Lopez, Eduardo Aguirre and Diego Cortes after Brian Leiva had put La Roja ahead.

Upon request of the International Sports Shooting Federation (ISSF),  the IOC Executive Board today revoked the Olympic Qualification status of the Asian Shooting Championship taking place in Kuwait City between 1 and 12 November.

The decision comes after the designated Technical Delegate from the ISSF, Yair Davidovich (Israel), who was due to supervise the event on behalf of the ISSF, was denied a visa by the Kuwaiti Immigration Department.

The denial of a visa is against the non-discrimination principle of the Olympic Charter. The Olympic Charter must apply for all Olympic Qualification competitions.

THE DAY REPLAYED – Following in the footsteps of Brazil, Nigeria, Mexico and Belgium on Wednesday, Croatia, Mali, Ecuador and Costa Rica all advanced on Thursday, completing the quarter-final line-up of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015. 

While the Malians, Croatians and Ecuadorians all took charge of their Round-of-16 encounters early on and never looked back, Costa Rica emerged victorious from a war of attrition with previously free-scoring France.

Course participants with instructors and federation representatives in Lomé

Lomé, Togo, October 24, 2015 – A Level II Coaches Course took place in Lomé, Togo from October 12-24 under the supervision of Course Director Shailen Ramdoo and Instructor Séwa D. Edem Agobodjan-Prince. The course was sponsored by Olympic Solidarity and organised with the help of the National Olympic Committee of Togo (CNOT) in collaboration with the Volleyball Federation of Togo (FTVB).

The course was joined by a total of 25 participants, including 24 men and 1 woman. The opening ceremony took place on October 12 - the course was the first of its kind in Togo in 28 years.

D.C. United vs. New York Red Bulls and Montreal Impact vs. Columbus Crew SC in the East; Seattle Sounders FC vs. FC Dallas and Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the West 

NEW YORK, NY (October 30, 2015) – The Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals are set following the conclusion of the four Knockout Round matches.

· WTA has donated more than $115,000 to USANA charitable efforts over the past five years 
SINGAPORE – The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) announced today the Aces for Humanity, a joint WTA and USANA initiative supporting the USANA True Health Foundation, has raised $25,000 this year toward the not-for-profit philanthropy whose mission is to provide the most critical human necessities to those suffering or in need.
                     
Beginning at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, every ace served at a Premier-level WTA event translated into a dollar donation for the Foundation. For every ace served by the eight USANA Brand Ambassadors—Caroline Wozniacki, Eugenie Bouchard, Madison Keys, Monica Puig, Sloane Stephens, Samantha Stosur, Zhang Shuai and Zheng Saisai—the WTA contributed $10 to the campaign, while every ace served by any other WTA player translated into a $5 donation.  In sum, 435 aces were served by the eight USANA Ambassadors resulting in a donation of $24,220. The overall amount was increased to $25,000.

The recent AIBA World Boxing Championships 2015 in Doha was the eighteenth edition of the event, and the first to see boxers having to qualify from their respective Confederation’s Boxing Championships. In all, 243 of the 733 who started down the road to Qatar made it to the World Championships, and among them were a crop of young stars destined to set the world of AIBA boxing alight over the coming decade.

When USM Alger take on TP Mazembe in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final on Saturday in the Omar Hamadi Stadium in Algiers, the contrast between the two clubs could hardly be greater.

On the one hand, you have the home side: a team consisting almost exclusively of local players, the vast majority of whom are inexperienced in playing in a match at this level. The club itself has never made it to an African final before.

On the other, you have TP Mazembe, who made four consecutive finals in the showpiece event of African club football starting 1967, when they were still called TP Englebert and won two of them. They added another two titles in 2009 and 2010, and their squad is made up of international players from across the continent, the majority of whom are experienced when it comes to playing in high-profile cup finals.

Photo Courtesy: Soccerladuma.com


Lusaka, Zambia, October 28: Zambia international striker, Ronald Sate Sate Kampamba   has reportedly secured a yearlong loan deal with Belgium second division league side Lierse SK after undergoing successful trials two weeks ago. 
Kampamba has been on three and half contract with Egyptian side, Wadi Delga which he signed early this year after moving from Zambian soccer giants Nkana Football Club.

Sportcal, the leading provider of news and intelligence to the global sports industry, will be announcing its latest edition of the Global Sports Cities and Nations Index at the World Travel Market in London on November 3rd. 
 
The World Travel Market is the leading global event for the travel industry, attracting over 50,000 visitors every year. 
 
Sportcal will be presenting the two indices as well as its recent publication, the Global Sports Impact (GSI) Report 2015, ahead of a session on Sports Tourism.  The Launch of the Global Sports Cities & Nations Index 2015 will be free to attend with further details available on the website.

He may be an unknown quantity outside of Africa, but Mbwana Aly Samatta is nothing short of a star name in Tanzania. An iconic figure across his native country, the forward recently helped the Taifa Stars reach the second round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, and he is no less appreciated on the club scene. Equally famous in Lubumbashi for his feats with TP Mazembe, Samatta lies second in the CAF Champions League scoring charts with six goals after firing the Congo DR outfit to this season's upcoming final.

"Obviously everything's going well at the moment," he said. "At club level, we're having a really good season. And, with the national team, our win against Malawi got us back on good terms with our supporters after we'd deprived them of victory for far too long." Indeed, those fans had not witnessed a win since Tanzania beat Benin 4-1 on 12 October 2014, and Samatta played a leading role in ending that drought with a goal as he and his team-mates took a 2-0 first-leg lead in their World Cup qualifying tie, before sealing a 2-1 success on aggregate.

Mariama Toure (GUI) - Senegal v Guinea, 2015 Afrobasket Women, Yaoundé (Cameroon), Group Phase, 26 September 2015

CONAKRY - Guinea may not be a powerhouse in Africa women's basketball, but they remain resilient and ambitious to keep on growing at continental level.

Nigeria's Victor Osimhen arrived at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015 as a serious candidate for the adidas Golden Boot. Who, after all, could argue with his record of 39 goals in 71 appearances for the national team before the tournament started? 

Those figures clearly spoke for themselves, and Osimhen has not disappointed since touching down on South American soil. At the end of the group stage, the 16-year-old forward sat joint top of the scoring table with Germany's Johannes Eggestein, both players having found the net four times. He has scored in all three games he has contested, with his standout performance against the hosts yielding two goals and an assist.

NEW YORK (Wednesday, October 28, 2015) – Montreal Impact forward Didier Drogba was voted Etihad Airways MLS Player of the Month by fans on MLSsoccer.com for the month of October for the 2015 MLS season.
 
Drogba spearheaded Montreal’s late-season playoff push by scoring four goals in five matches in October, including a two-minute brace in the Impact’s crucial 2-1 win versus rival Toronto FC on #DecisionDay. The former Ivorian international accounted for 66 percent of Montreal’s scoring output during the month of October and became the club’s leading goal scorer on the season with 11 tallies in 11 games. He claims his second consecutive Etihad Airways MLS Player of the Month award, joining Toronto FC’s Sebastian Giovinco as the only players to win the honor multiple times this season.

It was the last innings for VKB Knights coach Sarel Cilliers yesterday when the VKB Knights took on the bizhub Highveld Lions at Senwes Park, Potchefstroom, in a Momentum One-Day Cup match. Appropriately, Cilliers ended his 26-year first-class career on the same ground that he started it in 1989. He will be succeeded on an interim basis by former Proteas all-rounder, Nicky Boje, with a permanent appointment to be made in May, 2016.
 
After beginning his coaching career with the under-17 Free State side, Cilliers served as fitness trainer under Andy Moles from 2000 to 2001 and under Corrie van Zyl for the Free State side in 2002. Cilliers served as Knights fitness trainer and then later as assistant coach to Corrie van Zyl from 2003 to 2009.