Royal Rumble 2014 predictions

Royal Rumble is rightfully held in high regard as one of WWE’s most thrilling pay-per-views of the year, and the 2014 edition is no exception. Featuring a WWE World Heavyweight Title showdown between longtime rivals Randy Orton and John Cena, Brock Lesnar’s first match since last August, Batista’s return after a nearly four-year absence and the incomparable Royal Rumble Match, and Sunday’s big event feels positively monumental. Watch Royal Rumble | See who's in the Royal Rumble Match But who will win and who will lose? Which Superstar will withstand the 30- Superstar over-the-top melee to main- event a WWE World Heavyweight Title Match at WrestleMania XXX? These were the debates happening on the WWE.com floor this week. Check out who we predict will come out on top this Sunday!

RAFEL NADAL DEFEATS FEDERE IN AUSTRALIA OPEN

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Rafael Nadal admitted the sight of Roger Federer on the other side of the net brings out the best in him. Top seed Nadal defeated his old rival 7-6 6-3 6-3 in their Australian Open semi-final to increase his lead in their career head- to-head to 23-10. And the Spaniard will now take on another Swiss, Stanislas Wawrinka, in Sunday's final with the chance to become the third man to win each Grand Slam event on two occasions. "I played a lot of times against him and a lot of times I played great against him," said Nadal. "So probably that's why I had this success against him. "I think I played probably my best match of the tournament. Great news that I played my best match in that semi-final against Roger. "He arrived to that match winning two great matches against (Jo-Wilfried) Tsonga and Andy (Murray) two days ago. I'm very happy the way I played tonight and very special moment try to have the chance to be in another final." On his game-plan in the semi-final, Nadal said: "Every time I go on court I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I will be able to do it or if he will give me the chance to play the way that I want to play. "What happened in the past probably will not help me. I take every match like a different history and every day is different. "Sure, the matches that I won against him in the past helps to make me feel confident in the way that I have to play, but that's doesn't mean that I will have the chance to do it again. "Even if we played each other 32 times before this one and I was able to win against him 22, I go on court knowing that I am playing against a player that is unbelievable." Nadal has not dropped a set to Wawrinka in their 12 previous meetings but still expects a tough final. "I saw him play against Novak (Djokovic) and I saw him play against (Tomas) Berdych," he said. "He's playing great. He's a good friend, great guy. So, happy for him that he's in the final. He deserves it. He's playing better and better every year. "He's serving unbelievable. He's hitting the ball very strong from the baseline. If I am not able to play my best, I think I will not have chances because he's coming to this match with a lot of victories and playing great."

Mata's move to Manchester United is unfair, claims Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Juan Mata's proposed move from Chelsea to Manchester United is unfair and feels the rules of the transfer window should be adapted. The Frenchman is annoyed that the two clubs involved in the transfer do not have to play each other again this season, but that United will still meet the Blues' title challengers - Liverpool, Manchester City and the Gunners - with Mata in their ranks. United have prepared a temporary helipad at Carrington as the Spaniard flies in to complete a £37 million club record transfer on Thursday , but Wenger believes the timing is wrong. "It opens again a little bit the opportunity of this transfer market because Chelsea had already played twice against Man United so they don't play again," he told reporters. "They could have sold him last week but it opens at least the opportunity [to question] the dates of this transfer window. "Some teams have already played twice against one opponent and some others not. I think if you want to respect the fairness for everybody exactly the same, that should not happen. "I just think you would want that everybody is on the same level. Chelsea do not make the rules but maybe the rules should be a bit more adapted to more fairness." Wenger, who sold Robin van Persie to Manchester United in 2012, is puzzled by the Mata move. "I am surprised because Juan Mata is a great player and Chelsea sell a great player to a direct opponent," he continued. Wenger also backed David Moyes to ride out United's rough patch, after the club were knocked out of the Capital One Cup semi-finals by Sunderland on Thursday. "You have to survive massive disappointments and keep your belief high in what you do because to win is easy for everybody," he added. "How to live with defeat, that is what managers are about, and David Moyes is strong enough. For me he deals with the situation very well. "They go through a difficult moment in their season but they can still come back. They are in a strong position in the Champions League and they just bought a great player, so Man United has still to be considered a threat."

Mata flies in to complete Manchester United move

Juan Mata will arrive at Manchester United 's Carrington training base by helicopter this morning to complete his move to the Premier League champions. The Red Devils agreed a £37 million fee with Chelsea for the World Cup and European Championship winner on Wednesday night. The move is set to be finalised after the completion of a medical, which will take place at the new £10m medical facility inside Carrington's grounds, with doctors already on site. There was a breakthrough in talks between the two clubs on Wednesday, with the London club giving the 25-year- old permission to miss first-team training in the morning. Mata is expected to make his debut for David Moyes’ side in their Premier League clash against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Cardiff City next Tuesday. Chelsea will move for Basel's Mohamed Salah, who had been linked with Liverpool, as a replacement for the 25- year-old playmaker. Details of the transfer emerged as United crashed out of the Capital One Cup to Sunderland on Wednesday evening. Moyes' men missed four of their five shoot-out penalties after forcing extra- time thanks to a last-gasp Chicharito goal, which was scored just seconds after Phil Bardsley looked to have settled the tie for the Black Cats.

Murray cruises through

Andy Murray dropped his first set of this year's Australian Open campaign before overcoming plucky qualifier Stephane Robert to reach the quarter-finals, where Roger Federer awaits. Murray had seemed set to continue his untroubled progress through the men's draw in Melbourne as he gave a tennis masterclass for the first hour of his last 16 clash. Robert, though, refused to let Murray have things his own way by winning the third set before eventually succumbing 6-1 6-2 6-7 (8-6) 6-2. Murray's sternest test awaits next against four-time Australian Open champion Federer, who looked in brilliant touch during his 6-3 7-5 6-4 fourth round victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga later on Monday. The victory took the Swiss only an hour and 52 minutes, while he chalked up 43 winners compared to 21 unforced errors. Murray had breezed through the opening matches in Melbourne, accounting for Feliciano Lopez, Vincent Millot and Go Soeda en route to the fourth round. And on paper it looked as if Robert, the world No 119, would be despatched with similar ease. Robert had already surpassed all his own expectations in reaching this stage having only earned his place in the main draw as a 'lucky loser' after Philipp Kohlschreiber pulled out with a hamstring injury. The Frenchman did start well but Murray appeared to have him worked out as he rattled through the first two sets. But just as in his matches against Soeda and Millot, Murray appeared to take his foot off the gas in the third. And sensing his chance Robert upped his game and was able to make life uncomfortable for Murray. The British No 1 looked to have broken his resistance in the seventh game to move clear however Robert hit back. Having missed a chance to level in the eighth game he finally denied Murray in the 10th - with the 26-year-old having missed two match points. Murray had two more match points in the tiebreak but Robert was able to cling on and clinch the set. Hopes of an upset lifted the Hisense Arena crowd, who cheered every Robert point - however Murray was able to move back through the gears. He broke Robert in the fourth game and despite the Frenchmen's best efforts he could find no way back into the match. Murray broke again in the eighth game to seal the win and book a quarter-final date with Federer. From the start against Tsonga the Swiss looked sharp, breaking serve in the second game and easily holding throughout the first set. All the pressure was coming from Federer and, although Tsonga held on until 5-5 in the second set, the 32-year-old was quick to take his chance when it came. Federer and Edberg have only been working together for a week but the Swede's influence already seemed apparent, with Federer coming to the net 41 times during the match and winning 34 of the points. The writing seemed on the wall for Tsonga when Federer broke again to lead 2-1, although the Frenchman at least fought back from 0-40 in the seventh game to keep it to one break. Tsonga had roared in frustration after Federer won the first three points and hit a ball out of Rod Laver Arena in his anger. It certainly worked in his favour, and in the next game he brought up his first break point of the match but netted a return. Federer hit his first double fault of the match on his first match point but took it on the second with a clinical forehand volley.

THE BEAST AND THE ANIMAL

The pit of danger reopens for business when Batista makes his long-awaited return. Also, Brock Lesnar faces Big Show one last time before their Royal Rumble confrontation. WWE.com previews a must-see episode of Raw! With less than a week to go until the Royal Rumble event, tension in the WWE locker room is at an all-time high. Brock Lesnar will be in the house. So will – finally – Batista. Daniel Bryan, seemingly king of the world at the end of last week’s Raw, has a bull’s-eye on his back for this one. And with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship hanging in the balance next Sunday, what will go down on tonight's Raw?

De Bruyne hits back at Mourinho

Kevin De Bruyne felt he had to leave Chelsea after becoming unhappy at Stamford Bridge under Jose Mourinho. The Belgian started both of the club's first two Premier League games of the season, against Hull City and Manchester United, but after coming off the bench against Fulham found his appearances restricted to cup competition. De Bruyne was persuaded to remain with the Blues during the summer, despite interest from high-profile European clubs, but has since made a January move to Wolfsburg. "In the summer he [Mourinho] convinced me to stay, although there was a nice bid from [Borussia] Dortmund on the table," De Bruyne told Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. "I also talked to Atletico Madrid. It was a good option, but I wasn't sure I would be playing there. "I didn't leave Chelsea because I have to go to the World Cup - it could be over after three games -but just because I lost my joy." Mourinho publicly criticised De Bruyne for his performances in the Capital One Cup victory over Swindon, and the Belgian also denied claims of a lack of effort in training. "My pre-season was good, my first game too, but I still don't know why I lost my place after the game against Manchester United. "I've also never asked Mourinho. He has never told me: 'Kevin, you don't train well.' "It's a pity he told a press conference that I wasn't doing well on the training pitch. That's not me. I'm always a player who gives the full 100 per cent in training. Those remarks created a wrong image

LATEST JANUARY TRANSFER NEWS

16:00 Birmingham boss Lee Clark has urged teenage midfielder Reece Brown to shun any interest from the Premier League to stay at St Andrew's. Clark doesn't want Brown to follow the example of Foday Nabay, who left Birmingham for Fulham last year while aged just 15. 15:49 Fiorentina are closing in on the signing of AC Milan forward Alessandro Matri. The 26-year-old only rejoined Milan last summer from Juventus, but the Rossoneri have confirmed Matri will have a medical at Fiorentina tomorrow. Fiorentina are keen to bring in attacking reinforcements after losing Giuseppe Rossi to injury, while Mario Gomez is not yet fit after a knee injury. 15:45 The agent of Manchester United twins Fabio and Rafael has been quoted by calciomercato.it as saying it is 'very likely' that both players can leave in the summer. Fabio is out of contract at the end of the season, while Inter Milan and Napoli have been linked with right-back Rafael. The Brazilians' representative Cassiano Pereira expects both players to stay until the end of the season after Fabio was linked with a loan move to Cardiff City. Recent reports have also claimed that Manchester United manager David Moyes is considering a move for Everton defender Seamus Coleman as a possible replacement for Rafael. Kevin Doyle is now odds-on (5/6) to join Middlesbrough amid reports of a loan bid. Boro do not have much competition for his signature, with Celtic their biggest contenders at 8/1, while Leeds are big outsiders at 12/1. 15:34 Marcos Painter has been with Portsmouth since August and he will be staying at Fratton Park for a few more weeks yet. 15:32 Fresh from some of Coventry's transfer restrictions being lifted, the League One club have now signed Dan Seaborne on a permanent basis. 15:21 St Johnstone confirmed last night that Tam Scobbie and Brian Easton had followed Gary McDonald and Scott Brown in signing new contracts. Saints boss Tommy Wright has been talking about the deals and is happy to be retaining the duo. 15:15 Could Wolfsburg playmaker Diego be heading back to Brazil? Santos are interested in re-signing Diego a decade after he left the club. The player's Wolfsburg contract expires at the end of the season and he has previously been linked with Premier League club Southampton. 15:05 Former West Ham youngster Dominic Vose has earned a longer deal at Colchester United. 15:01 In order to sign John Guidetti, Stoke had to end one of their other Premier League loan deals and that has been achieved by signing Stephen Ireland permanently from Aston Villa. 14:55 Manchester City have now confirmed John Guidetti has joined Stoke on loan. 14:47 Sevilla midfielder Ivan Rakitic has been linked with Liverpool and Manchester United of late, but he is not planning to move in January. Instead, the Croatia international insists he is happy at Sevilla and would be willing to extend his contract, which has 18 months left to run. 14:35 Here's more on Wes Thomas joining Rotherham from Bournemouth until the end of the season, with a view to a longer-term arrangement. Rotherham boss Steve Evans says there was competition for the striker. 14:20 We've taken a look through the regional papers to bring you some of the transfer lines doing the rounds: THE CHRONICLE: Papiss Cisse has 'no interest' in a move to Qatar, with Newcastle understood to have turned down a £9million bid last week. THE SENTINEL: Stoke are being linked with a move for Newcastle defender Steven Taylor. WIGAN POST: Uwe Rosler gets the impression Ben Watson would like to stay at Wigan but admits no agreement has been reached over a new deal. EVENING TIMES: Lee Wallace is capable of starring in the Barclays Premier League and Rangers face a fight to hold on to him during January, according to Gary Naysmith. 14:02 Sticking with Hull City, and a possible departure from the KC Stadium, as Steve Bruce warns Nottingham Forest to match Reading's offer for Jack Hobbs. Hobbs is on a season-long loan at Forest and has also been linked with a move to Bruce's former club Wigan Athletic. 13:46 Stuttgart midfielder Timo Werner is one of the rising stars in the Bundesliga and his club are hoping to finalise a new contract with the 17-year-old. Werner, whose current deal expires in 2015, has been tipped to make a push for inclusion in Germany's squad for the World Cup. 13:31 Huddersfield Town target Joe Lolley can easily make the step up to the Championship from the Conference, according to his Kidderminster team-mate Lee Fowler, who’s been speaking with Sky Sports News Radio. Lolley is tipped to sign for Huddersfield after playing for Kidderminster in their FA Cup third-round replay against Peterborough tonight. 13:19 Hull City owner Assem Allam has been talking to Sky Sports News about the club's bids for Everton striker Nikica Jelavic and West Brom's Shane Long. Allam confirmed Jelavic's arrival at the KC Stadium will be for a club record fee. 13:14 Benfica midfielder Nemanja Matic looks set to be Chelsea's first signing of the January transfer window, but will there be any further arrivals at Stamford Bridge this month? Here, Sky Sports takes a look at a few players who could be transfer targets for Jose Mourinho. 13:06 Grant Holt's agents confirm he has signed for Aston Villa. 12:56 A big boost for Coventry City, who have been granted clearance by the Football League to operate more freely within the transfer market. The Sky Blues will no longer have to work within the 'one in, one out' policy they have been adhering to under the terms of a transfer embargo. 12:52 Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed that John Guidetti will leave on loan this month, but 'doesn't know if he has arranged with Stoke'. Former City boss Mark Hughes has confirmed his interest in taking Guidetti to the Britannia Stadium for the rest of the season. 12:51 Rotherham have brought in Bournemouth striker Wes Thomas for the rest of the season for an undisclosed fee. 12:46 Wolves have been in talks with Danny Batth over a new deal for sometime and the defender has now signed a contract to stay at Molineux until 2017.

Suarez races clear of Ronaldo in European Golden Shoe standings

The Uruguay international netted a double in his side's away win to move first in the goalscoring charts again Luis Suarez has returned to the top of the European Golden Shoe standings following his two goals in Liverpool's 5-3 win over Stoke City on Sunday afternoon. The Uruguay international has now netted 22 goals in the Premier League this term - two more than Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo in La Liga, who did not score in his side's 1-0 win over Espanyol. Atletico Madrid star Diego Costa, meanwhile, failed to find the net as well as his side were held to a scoreless draw by Barcelona. Fourth-placed Giuseppe Rossi remains unavailable due to injury, as is the case with Manchester City hitman Sergio Aguero.

Manchester City close in on 'Nigerian Neymar' Yahaya

Manchester City are poised to secure a deal for Nigeria under-17 star Musa Yahaya. Yahaya scored four times in seven matches at the U-17 World Cup held in the United Arab Emirates, with Nigeria beating Mexico 3-0 in the final to win the tournament. Dubbed the 'Nigerian Neymar', Yahaya had been tracked by Tottenham, as well as teams in Portugal and Spain, but City appear to have won the race for the 16-year-old and are in deep discussions with the player's agent, Babawo Mohammed. The attacking midfielder, who plays at the Mutunchi Academy in his homeland, would become the third member of the African nation's junior team to join City and is keen to link up with his international team-mates at the Etihad Stadium. Yahaya, who describes Andres Iniesta as his footballing hero and has admitted he wants to play for Real Madrid, has remained coy over his immediate future in recent months. "I am not going to talk on that one [where he wants to move], I have a manager in Babawo Mohammed. I have left that for him to handle. He knows me and knows what is good for me," he told MTNFootball in November. Striker Kelechi Iheanacho, who won the Golden Ball at the U-17 World Cup after picking up six goals and seven assists, signed a pre-contract agreement with Manuel Pellegrini's side on Friday and will join when he turns 18 in October. Chidi Nwakali, meanwhile, is also on the verge of signing for the club after arriving for talks last week, with City opening their state-of-the-art Etihad Campus training facility in August.

Laureus World Sports Awards of the year

SPORT: Athletics BORN: August 21, 1986 RESIDENCE: Jamaica Regarded by many as the greatest sprinter of all time, he is the first athlete to hold both 100 metres and 200 metres world records since electronic timing was introduced SPORT: Adventure BORN: April 20, 1969 RESIDENCE: Austria Austria’s Felix Baumgartner became the first skydiver to go faster than the speed of sound when he jumped out of a balloon from a height of 128,100 ft (24 miles / 39 km) above New Mexico. SPORT: Athletics BORN: 28 January, 1986 RESIDENCE: United Kingdom Jessica Ennis became the hope of the British nation and the talisman of the British athletics team at the London Olympics. SPORT: Swimming BORN: May 24, 1988 RESIDENCE: Brazil Four years earlier in Beijing, he had won four gold medals, four silver and a bronze, a feat which earned him the 2009 Laureus Disability Award. Still just 24, he will be one of the home favourites to win more gold medals when the 2016 Paralympic Games are held in Rio de Janeiro SPORT: Tennis BORN: May 15, 1987 RESIDENCE: United Kingdom In a spectacular second half of the year, Andy Murray, after years of trying, finally made his own personal breakthrough, winning the US Open, his first ever Grand Slam event, and also a gold and silver medal at the London Olympic Games. SPORT: Golf RESIDENCE: Europe The United States needed only 4½ points from 12 singles matches to win, but it was the Europeans who won eight matches and halved another to secure a historic 14½-13½ win SPORT: Athletics BORN: August 30, 1977 RESIDENCE: Domenican Republic Two weeks before his 35th birthday, Felix Sanchez amazingly won the 400 metres hurdles gold medal in London, repeating his achievement in Athens in 2004. RESIDENCE: United Kingdom Following the International Olympic Committee’s decision to award the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to London, Coe, who had headed the London campaign, became chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, charged with overseeing the staging of the Games. SPORT: Swimming BORN: June 30, 1985 RESIDENCE: United States In 2012 American swimmer Michael Phelps, became the most decorated Olympian of all time.

[BALLON D'OR] christiano & Nadine wins fifa best player

2013 proved to be another goal-drenched year for Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese star helped himself to 34 of them in the 2012/13 Liga season, a haul beaten only by Lionel Messi’s 45, and scored a hatful more in Europe and for his national team. Always on top form for Real Madrid and Portugal, the flying forward, who won the FIFA World Player award in 2008, is only gaining in stature with Los Merengues, and it came as no surprise when he extended his contract with the club to 2018 and said he was considering staying put for the rest of his career.

Nadine Angerer already knew how it felt to play a pivotal individual role in a major international triumph. Back in 2007 the keeper with nerves of steel was Germany’s undisputed hero in the Final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in China as she produced a scintillating display against Brazil and saved a Marta penalty. The Germans won 2–0 to seal a second straight Women’s World Cup success, not least due to Angerer conceding no goals at all in her country’s six matches at the finals.

[BALLON D'OR] Coach of the year

The 2012/13 season will live long in the memory of Jupp Heynckes. The 68-year- old has won countless trophies during a distinguished career as a player and coach, but he marked his place in the history books once and for all with Bayern Munich last term when he became the first ever coach to win the treble with a German men’s team. Under Heynckes’ guidance, Bayern romped to the Bundesliga title with six games to spare. This was soon followed by victory in the UEFA Champions League final in May, before they completed their historic treble by lifting the DFB Cup at the end of the season. Pep Guardiola has since succeeded Heynckes at Bayern.

[BALLON D'OR] FIFA Puskas Awards

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has won the 2013 FIFA Puskás Award, with his audacious overhead kick against England voted by FIFA.com and francefootball.fr users as the pick of an outstanding shortlist. The Swede’s incredible strike was one of several spectacular moments produced for club and country over recent seasons, and rounded off his hat-trick in a 4-2 friendly win in Stockholm. Even by Ibrahimovic’s standards, the scissors kick he sent flashing into the net from 30 yards, adjusting to meet a clearing header by Joe Hart, was something truly extraordinary. Few would have even attempted it, far less executed it to perfection, with the ball sent the ball looping beyond the despairing English defenders. Steven Gerrard, England’s captain on the night, described it as "the best goal I've ever seen", and that admiration was shared by you, the FIFA.com and francefootball.fr users. You voted for Ibra’s strike in your thousands, enabling him to take this coveted prize ahead of Nemanja Matic and Neymar, who had also qualified for the final shortlist. Matic took second place, with plenty of voters enamoured with his brilliantly struck left-foot volley at the end of an intricately crafted Benfica set piece. And the final place on the Puskás podium went to Neymar for the top-corner finish against Japan that set the tone for the Brazil star’s magnificent FIFA Confederations Cup. There could only be one winner though, and Ibrahimovic becomes the latest person to lift an award previously collected by Miroslav Stoch (2012), Neymar (2011), Hamit Altintop (2010) and Cristiano Ronaldo (2009).

[BALLON D'OR] Rogge receives FIFA Presidential Awar

Jacques Rogge is no stranger to awards. As President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), he spent more than a decade hanging gold, silver and bronze medals around the necks of the world's finest athletes, but the Belgian sports administrator also has his own long track record of receiving prizes. The former head of the Olympic Movement, 71, has been singled out for distinctions by numerous countries and in various different fields, and he now has another honour to add to the list. In recognition of his exemplary record of service to sport, both on the field and behind the scenes, Rogge was presented with the FIFA Presidential Award 2013 at the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2013 ceremony on Monday 13 January at Zurich's Kongresshaus. "At a difficult time for the IOC, his refreshing, intelligent and humble approach to leadership took the Olympic Movement into an exciting era, with the Games in Salt Lake City, Athens, Turin, Beijing, Vancouver and London the high points," explained FIFA President Blatter, before welcoming Rogge on stage. "He worked tirelessly to defend the integrity of international sport, combat doping and promote new events, such as the inclusion of snowboarding and BMX at the Olympic Games. In addition, he launched the Youth Olympic Games." A life dedicated to sport Taking over from Juan Antonio Samaranch in 2001, Rogge held the position of IOC President until 2013, having climbed through the ranks in sports administration. Chef de Mission at the Winter Games in Innsbruck in 1976 and Calgary in 1988, as well as the Moscow 1980, Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988 Summer Games, he was also President of the Belgian National Olympic Committee from 1989 to 1992 and served as President of the European Olympic Committees (EOC). A member, too, of the World Anti-Doping Agency's Foundation Board after it was set up in 1999, Rogge first joined the IOC in 1991. Before his myriad achievements in sports administration, Rogge had already carved out an exemplary career in medicine. Educated at Ghent University, he specialised in sports surgery and medicine, and worked as an orthopaedic surgeon as well as teaching sports medicine at the Universite Libre in Brussels and his alma mater. While dedicating his time to the health of athletes, Rogge likewise experienced plenty of success as a sportsman in his own right. He contested the Finn-class yachting events at the 1968, 1972 and 1978 Olympic Games, and was Belgian champion 16 times. He played rugby for many years as well, and made ten appearances for Belgium's national team in addition to winning the Belgian title with ASUB Waterloo. Knighted by the King of Belgium in 2002 and awarded the French Legion of Honour in 2011, Rogge has therefore dedicated his entire life to sport and the ongoing mission to improve it. "This is the man who put the Olympic Movement back on the right track and gave it stability for the future," added President Blatter. "By doing so, he set an example for all of us." Rogge succeeds Franz Beckenbauer as the most recent recipient of the FIFA Presidential Award, Der Kaiser having been handed the prize in 2012.

[BALLON D'OR] Afghanistan awarded FIFA Fair Play prize

Following a year of remarkable achievement in grassroots level football, building infrastructure to further develop football throughout the country and nurturing a professional league despite enduring over a decade of disorder stemming from war, Afghanistan has been presented the 2013 FIFA Fair Play award. Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) President Karim Keramuudin and the entire association have emphasised the spirit of fair play at the heart of their work over the past 12 months and their achievements can be seen across all levels of the game. With the assistance of FIFA’s Goal Programme, Afghanistan has been able to construct artificial football pitches used for the second edition of the Afghan Premier League, which concluded in October 2013. These artificial pitches also enabled the growth of grassroots football, allowing a greater number of children to play than ever before. A major highlight of 2013 for the international footballing community was seeing Kabul play host to the first international friendly between Afghanistan and neighbours Pakistan in nearly ten years. Afghanistan won the encounter 3-0 in front of delighted and enthusiastic supporters. Building upon this encouraging progress, Pakistan will be welcoming Afghanistan for the return match in March in Lahore. And while hosting an international friendly may not appear groundbreaking on the surface, considering the amount of strife and terror Afghanistan has seen in recent years, the introduction of football back to the nation’s capital against Pakistan is a prime example of the power football has to unite and inspire in even the darkest of times. Afghanistan has also made great strides in making up the game available to a wider audience throughout the country, most notably to women and families. No fewer than 23 clubs – including 16 in Kabul alone - now offer opportunities for girls and women to play football. Tokyo Sexwale, FIFA Task Force Against Racism and Discrimination adviser, South African politician and anti-apartheid activist, who presented President Keramuudin with the 2013 FIFA Fair Play Award at the FIFA Ballon d’Or ceremony in Zurich, said: “(Afghanistan) is inspiring social change and breaking down barriers every day. Against all odds, the winner of the 2013 FIFA Fair Play Award has upheld this spirit of courage and solidarity through the aftereffects of war, disorder and conflict. “It takes a great amount of dedication and hard work to develop football at grassroots level, to build infrastructure for the game so that it can grow, and to nurture a national league in the midst of years of violence and destruction. But that is just what this remarkable and worthy winner has achieved.”

Defoe: Time to leave Tottenham

Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe feels it is the right time to leave the club and admitted a combination of reasons have prompted him to join MLS side Toronto. The England striker has scored 143 goals in two spells at White Hart Lane but, with just one year left on his current deal at Spurs, Defoe will leave north London for Canada at the end of February. Defoe admits it will be a wrench to leave Tottenham after such a long time at the club but is looking forward to a new challenge. "I was there nine years so you can imagine what it's like. I think everyone knows how I feel about Tottenham," he told Sky Sports News in an exclusive interview. "I have had a special relationship with the fans over the years but it's football and players move on. "At the age of 31 it is a great opportunity for me and my family." Defoe has suffered a series of personal traumas in recent years and he revealed they, along with the financial security the move to Toronto would bring, helped persuade him to make the move. "I've been through some things with my family over the last few years and sometimes it is nice to have a change," he added. "I only had a year left on my contract at Tottenham. If you have a year left and someone comes in and offers you four, you have to think about it and consider your options. It's as simple as that." Toronto head coach and former Tottenham team-mate Ryan Nelsen has suggested top four Premier League clubs were interested in signing Defoe. But the player himself was keen to play down such suggestions and remains hopeful the move will not threaten his chances of securing a place in Roy Hodgson's World Cup squad. "I wasn't aware of that. I've just tried to keep my head down and play football," he said of the transfer speculation. "I don't try to read too much into speculation or listen to what people say. You just have to let your agents and the club you play for make the decisions." As for the World Cup, he added: "Hopefully the manager knows what I can do. I am 31 and I have played in the Premiership my whole career. "There's not much more I need to prove but it's down to the manager, he picks the squad. "If I get picked to play for my country, I will be ready."

ENGLAND BEATEN IN OPENING ODI

England's miserable tour of Australia continued as they crashed to a six-wicket defeat in the opening one-day international in Melbourne. Chasing 270 for victory, Aussie openers Aaron Finch and David Warner put on 163 for the first wicket to stamp out any hope of Alastair Cook's men regaining a first modicum of pride after their 5-0 Ashes whitewash. Finch eventually made 121 off 128 balls to become the first Victorian to make a century in a one-dayer at the MCG while Ashes tormentor Warner chipped in with 65. As in the Test series, England were left to rue more missed chances which cost them any hope of seizing the initiative. Gary Ballance should have held on at mid- off when he got two hands to a well-hit drive off Chris Jordan when Finch was on just eight. And Warner had also failed to reach double figures when he hammered back a difficult return chance to Jordan. England did appear to have Warner for 22 only for him to survive a contentious moment when Jos Buttler claimed a catch behind, which the opener initially accepted. Television replays were not as clear-cut and TV official Kumar Dharmasena decided to call Warner back after he had already made most of his way to the boundary's edge. England did finally remove the two openers with Warner skying a catch to Ben Stokes at long-on while Finch was caught at third-man by Ballance off Stokes. Jordan clean bowled Shane Watson for a second-ball duck as England saw a glimmer of light by turning Australia's 163-0 to 165-2 but skipper Michael Clarke hit a brisk 44 off 43 balls to quickly put the result beyond doubt again. He eventually spliced a Tim Bresnan delivery to Cook at mid-off. George Bailey (17no) and Glenn Maxwell (9no) saw Australia over the line with 4.2 overs to spare to put the hosts 1-0 up in the five-match series. Earlier Cook had begun the day by failing to survive the first over, edging behind off Clint McKay (3-44), and a laboured start followed to suggest England were still struck by their Ashes malaise. The tourists managed just 28-2 in the opening 10-over powerplay - during which Joe Root also scratched away for three from 23 balls. Root simply failed to get going before burning England's review when McKay - whose initial five-over spell was two for 11 - swung one into his front pad. Ballance's 79 - his maiden half-century - and a quickfire 50 from Eoin Morgan helped repair some of the the damage of the stuttering beginning and post a score that was greater than all but two of England's Ashes totals. Ian Bell showed some fluency in reaching 41, before missing a slog sweep off Xavier Doherty, and it took Morgan - one of four England players included who were not involved in the 5-0 whitewash - to provide some urgency alongside Ballance in an 83- run stand for the fourth wicket. His half-century came from 46 balls, but from his next delivery Morgan picked out Nathan Coulter-Nile, one of two fielders at cover, off Maxwell's gentle spin. Morgan's exit was untimely, just four overs before the batting powerplay, during which England again struggled to impose themselves. They scored 24 runs during it and also lost Ravi Bopara when he could only help a Coulter-Nile short ball through to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin. Ballance continued to be the guiding force and brought up his first England half- century, in any format, from 69 balls. Stokes was sent in ahead of Buttler - left to his 'finishing' duties - and smacked 21 from 20 balls before being bowled slogging at James Faulkner. Ballance survived a drop chance on 74 when Doherty put him down at third man off McKay, but when the same set of circumstances played out three balls later the Australia spinner held on. When Buttler (34 not out) was inserted he provided the hitting England required, with some help from Bresnan, as they took 40 from the last four overs.

FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Falconets whip South Africa 6-0

Abuja - The Nigerian under-20 women football team, the Falconets, on Saturday in Abuja whipped their South African counterparts 6-0, scoring three goals in each half of the match. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the match was the first leg tie in the African final qualifying round for the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. The match played at the Abuja National Stadium saw Asisat Oshoala opening scoring in the third minute, with Patience Okaeme doubling the lead two minutes later. Yetunde Adeboyejo extended the lead in the 26th minute to end the first half 3-0 in favour of the Falconets. The Nigerian side started the second half as strongly as they did in the earlier half, taking control of the game with Grace Winifred’s goal in the 51st minute. Uchechi Sunday who came in as a substitute took the match beyond the visitors in the 70th minute, while Halimatu Ibrahim added another goal in the 89th minute. At the end of the game, Peter Dedevbo, the Falconets coach, said he was very excited about his team’s performance. “My players were well focused to win this final round. So, going to South Africa for the second leg match will now be just to consolidate on the goals we have scored in the first leg,” he said. Dedevbo said he was sure his team would definitely qualify and represent Africa at the World Cup, having now known the strength of the South Africa team. Sheryl Botes, the South African team’s coach, blamed the weather for her players’ performance, saying “the weather was too hot for them”. The coach however said her team did not expect to be beaten with six goals, even though they were well aware that the game was going to be a tough one. “We were not expecting six goals, even though we knew it was going to be a tough and tactical game,” she said. Botes acknowledged that the Falconets had a very good team which was well experienced and physically stronger than her team. “But we will now have to prepare hard for the return leg,” she said. The coach singled out for commendation the Falconets’ Asisat Oshoala, saying she was very good, tactical and very strong. “The Falconets team is physically stronger than my team, and the players are also grounded tactically and well experienced.” ‘But Oshoala is a very good player. She is well grounded tactically. In the return leg, she will be a threat to us. But we will make sure we win that match,” Botes said. NAN recalls that the Nigerian side had gone through the earlier rounds of the qualifiers with emphatic victories. They had beaten Sierra Leone 16-0 aggregate in the first round, and Tunisia 8-0 aggregate in the second round, to qualify for the final round. NAN reports that the winners of the Nigeria/South Africa pairing will join another African side and 14 others at the seventh edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. It will take place in Canada from August 5 to August 24, 2014.

LWANDOWSKI MOVES TO BAYERN MUNICHEN

Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski has signed a pre-contract agreement to join fellow German side Bayern Munich in June. The 25-year-old Poland international has agreed terms on a five-year deal and will arrive at Bayern on a free transfer when his contract expires. Lewandowski has scored 16 goals for club and country this season. He grabbed the winner when Dortmund beat Arsenal 2-1 in the Champions League in October. Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was delighted with the deal, saying on the club's official website: "We are very pleased that this transfer is successful. "Robert Lewandowski is one of the world's best strikers, he will strengthen the squad of FC Bayern and give us a boost." Lewandowski is the second key Dortmund player within a year to announce a move to Bayern, after playmaker Mario Gotze agreed to a 37m Euros (£31.5m) transfer to the Allianz Arena last April. The switch had been widely mooted for months, with the frontman denying in September he had confirmed he would definitely join Bayern. Lewandowski has helped Dortmund to the 2010-11 and 2011-12 Bundesliga titles, plus the 2012 DFB-Pokal cup, since signing from Lech Poznan in 2010. He played a starring role in their run to an eventful Champions League final defeat to Bayern last season, memorably scoring four goals in the semi-final first leg against Real Madrid. Jurgen Klopp's side have struggled this term, however, and sit 12 points behind leaders Bayern in fourth. Despite securing progression to the knockout stages of the Champions League, they won only one of their last six top-flight games before the winter break.

JUAN BEATS TOMIC IN SDYNEY FINAL

Juan Martin Del Potro warmed up for the Australian Open with a convincing win over Bernard Tomic in the final of the Apia International. The Argentine brushed aside reigning champion Tomic 6-3 6-1 in Sydney. It is the 18th tour title of the 25-year- old's career. Del Potro is set to rise to a career high of third when the new world rankings are published next week - overtaking current number four Andy Murray. Both finalists will now turn their attentions to the first Grand Slam tournament of the year at Melbourne Park, where they have contrasting assignments in the first round. Del Potro, who was knocked out by Jeremy Chardy in the third round last year, faces American qualifier Rhyne Williams. Tomic meanwhile takes on world number one Rafael Nadal. Del Potro said: "Starting the year in this way is very, very positive. Now starts the hardest tournament, and I will see if I can go farther than last year."

WILLIAMS CAN WIN ALL 2014 SLAMS

Serena Williams can become the first woman since 1988 to win all four Grand Slam titles in the same year, her coach Patrick Mouratoglou believes. He says it would be an "exceptional" achievement, but told BBC Sport: "With Serena, everything is possible." Speaking on the eve of the draw for the first Grand Slam of the season in Melbourne, he added: "Look at the level she plays at at the moment. "She's beaten all the top players many times, so you can aim that high." Williams, 32, held all four Grand Slams simultaneously when she won the Australian Open of 2003, but Steffi Graf in 1988 was the last female player to lift all four titles in the same calendar year. "Of course it would be exceptional because it's crazy to do that," added the Frenchman. "It's happened just a few times in the history of tennis - but she can do it and the goal is to do the best possible in all four Grand Slams. So why not?" Last year, the world number one won the French Open and the US Open, but was hindered by an ankle injury when she lost to Sloane Stephens in Melbourne and, according to Mouratoglou, was feeling the effects of a 34-match winning run when she lost to Sabine Lisicki in the fourth round of Wimbledon. He believes there is room for improvement, and describes 2013 - in which Williams lost only four matches - as a "transitional year" where she increased her schedule to develop greater consistency. The American expects to play the same number of tournaments in 2014, and has already won a title in Brisbane without dropping a set after beating both Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka.

ROBIN VAN PERSIE SET TO RETURN

Robin van Persie is set to return for Manchester United within 10 days after completing two weeks of specialist fitness work in his native Netherlands. The striker has been working one-on-one with PSV Eindhoven fitness coach Arno Philips after suffering a thigh injury in early December. Van Persie has completed the final stage of his rehabilitation and has now returned to Manchester to resume training at United’s Carrington headquarters. Sources say a programme is in place for the Dutchman to gradually build up his football fitness before making his long- awaited first-team return. The Red Devils spearhead is not expected to figure in the club’s league home match against Swansea City on Saturday evening but is likely to make his comeback when they visit Chelsea eight days later. Van Persie’s imminent return is a boost to beleaguered United boss David Moyes, who has not been able to call upon the prolific striker for the team’s last eight matches. The 30-year-old’s second season at Old Trafford has been interrupted by thigh, toe and groin injuries but his record of 10 goals in 16 appearances demonstrates what an asset he remains. Van Persie was ruled out for a month by Moyes after he injured his thigh taking the corner that led to United’s winner against Shakhtar Donetsk on December 10. The forward has a good relationship with Philips from their time working together for the Dutch national team. Philips is the fitness coach at PSV but he also has wide experience of physiotherapist and strength and conditioning roles, often as a member of Guus Hiddink’s backroom staff. Van Persie worked with Philips last October after picking up a toe injury on international duty and is believed to have insisted that his latest rehabilitation would be monitored by his fellow Dutchman, even though it was away from United’s training base.

NYEMAR'S BARCELONA CONTRACT MIGHT BE FAKE

A case relating to a complaint regarding the striker's summer switch to Camp Nou will continue after the prosecutor flagged up irregularities in the deal Barcelona president Sandro Rosell could find himself in court after a criminal case investigating the signing of Neymar from Santos in the summer revealed the Brazilian's contract may be fake. The Blaugrana were forced to hand over a dossier detailing the financial elements of the attacker's €57.1 million move, after club socio Jordi Cases made an official complaint last year. Rosell had hoped the complaint would be thrown out, but the investigation has flagged up irregularities in the deal and the Attorney General of the National High Court has requested further contractual documents as the case continues. Presecutor Jose Perals has asked for all the relevant documentation in the transfer and could call upon Barca auditors to provide evidence in the investigation, which is looking to establish the whereabouts of the €40 million not received by Santos (with the Brazilian side receiving €17.1m in their share of the deal). "The contracts that have been signed between the parties do not, at times, correspond to that which is specified within them," the prosecutor's report revealed on Friday, adding that "the contracts signed may have been faked to alter the concept of the payments." Barca maintain they have done nothing wrong in the transfer, although the Catalan club have been unable to specify exactly who received what. Meanwhile, one of the third-party owners, supermarket group DIS, claim they received only a small percentage of what they were owed as their part of the deal.

SUAREZ WINS PLAYER OF THE MONTH

The Reds' No.7 became the first man in Premier League history to net 10 goals in a calendar month as he cemented his place at the head of the league's goalscoring leaderboard throughout December. His performances were nothing short of breath-taking, starting with a sensational four-goal haul against Norwich City during his side's 5-1 win at Anfield. In the following match Suarez struck twice against West Ham United before skippering the Reds in the league for the first time in his career and notching two against Tottenham Hotspur in a stunning 5-0 win at White Hart Lane. Cardiff City were the next side to feel his wrath as the 26-year-old conjured two more Goal of the Month contenders against the Bluebirds at Anfield to take his tally for the season to 19. After collecting the prize, the forward told Sky Sports News: "It's so important when you work hard on the pitch and they recognise it when you win these prizes. "On the pitch I try to help Liverpool and I try to help the squad, and I think for confidence it is very good. If Liverpool continue at this level we can finish in the top four, which we want."

XAVI SLAMMED MOURINHO

Barcelona midfielder Xavi has launched another attack on Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho , hitting out at ‘The Special One’s’ footballing philiosophy. The Spain international, who was regularly critical of the Portuguese while he was in charge of Clasico rivals Real Madrid, insists Pep Guardiola and Johan Cruyff are examples of coaches who want their sides to play football in the right way. “Pep Guardiola is an important person for me - Jose Mourinho is a coach who focuses only on results,” Xavi told Panenka magazine. “He says he is ‘The Special One’ because he won this and that in so many countries but I do not like the way his teams play. “Who remembers the Inter side who were champions of Europe? For me, he has not left a legacy, unlike Cruyff has in the Netherlands.” Xavi was also critical of former Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo, who guided the Blues past Barca in the Champions League semi-finals on their way to winning the competition in 2012. “Di Matteo was the same [as Mourinho]," the playmaker argued. "He won the Champions League, but from my point of view that team didn’t play at all. “I am happy playing for Barca because of our philosophy.” Xavi has been a vocal critic of Mourinho's tactics, while he also hit out at the Portuguese coach for his treatment of international team-mate Iker Casillas during his final months at the helm of Madrid.

CENA VRS RANDY ORTON AT 2014 ROYAL RUMBLE

In what is being called the biggest championship rematch in history, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton will defend his title against John Cena at the 2014 Royal Rumble. This time, however, there will be no tables, ladders or chairs involved in the outcome. This epic rematch will be a true test of both Superstars’ skill inside the squared circle. After announcing the monumental bout, Stephanie McMahon declared that there will be no stipulations, no interference and no excuses in the championship clash. It will be one fall to a finish and will end by pinfall or submission. The battle scars are still fresh on both competitors from a brutal Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match at WWE TLC 2013. Though he was handcuffed to the turnbuckle at one point, Cena battled free from his shackles and nearly became the Champion of Champions. The cunning Viper, however, shoved the Cenation leader off a ladder, sending him crashing into a table propped up in the corner. That gave Orton the opening to grab both titles from their golden perch high above the ring, unifying sports-entertainment’s top two prizes into one ultimate championship. Cena wasn’t going to go quietly into the sunset after coming up short at WWE TLC. The next night, Cena crashed Orton’s celebration and urged The Viper to give Daniel Bryan an opportunity at the WWE World Heavyweight Title. The Apex Predator did clash with Bryan in non-title action later that night, but when it looked like the bearded wonder’s resilience would bring him a huge win, Orton put a stop to it with a blatant low blow. And when Cena rushed to Bryan’s aid, he got a ring- rocking RKO for his troubles. There won’t be any room for shenanigans on Jan. 26, 2014, when Cena and Orton write another chapter in their storied history that dates back to their time in WWE’s developmental system. Though the vicious temptations of the TLC Match won’t be looming nearby, there’s still no doubt that they’ll throw everything they physically have at each other to walk out of Pittsburgh’s CONSOL Energy Center and onto The Road to WrestleMania XXX with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in their possession. Can Cena dethrone The Viper, or will Orton finally get rid of the huge thorn in his side? Find out at the 2014 Royal Rumble, live on pay-per-view Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

YAYA TOURE "AFRICAN BEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR"

The 30-year-old wins the award for the third successive year, with only Samuel Eto'o boasting similar, after again shining at the Etihad Stadium for Manchester City Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has been named the CAF African Footballer of the Year for third successive time. The Ivory Coast international was announced as the winner of the award in a ceremony in Nigeria, beating off competition from John Obi Mikel and Didier Drogba - who came second and third, respectively. Toure is only the second player to win the award for three consecutive years, with Samuel Eto'o claiming to the prize between 2003 and 2005.The recipient of the award is decided by national team coaches and technical directors in Africa - with Eto'o the most-honoured individual with four. The 30-year-old already has 13 goals to his name this season, three more than his highest-ever season total, as he thrives under Manuel Pellegrini at the Etihad Stadium. Toure was also the only African player included on the 23-man shortlist for Fifa's World Player of the World award.

Jordan Spieth's success inspires PGA Tour rookie John Peterson at Sony Open

John Peterson was in the 11th grade and thought no one his age could beat him. That changed when he was at a junior event in Texas, where he heard so much chatter about an eighth-grader from Dallas that he went out to watch him. That was his introduction to Jordan Spieth, now one of his good friends. "I heard he was good," Peterson said at the Sony Open, his first tournament of the year. "I wanted to see what everyone was talking about. I'm a junior in high school, thinking no one could beat me, and here's this eighth-grader killing everybody, already as tall as me. We battled in junior golf. I got him in a playoff at the Jones Cup, and he's been beating me ever since." Spieth inspires him in a different way on the PGA Tour -- just like Spieth was inspired by Sony Open defending champion Russell Henley. Every year brings a new crop of rookies. Each year, the intimidation factor of playing alongside the best in the game deteriorates. To look at the latest group of newcomers gathered at Waialae for the first full-field PGA Tour of 2014 begs one question. Who's next? "It really helps when you see your peers compete -- and win," Spieth said Wednesday. "I watched Russell Henley last year. I was on the Walker Cup team with him, and he wins the first event of the year. When you see that, it gives you a mental edge. You're starting to see young guys on the leaderboard all the time, and these are guys who competed against for years." Spieth was among four rookies who won on the PGA Tour last year, joining Henley, Derek Ernst and Patrick Reed. It was one of the strongest rookie classes in years. "I wouldn't be surprised if it happened again," Spieth said. Peterson is a 24-year-old NCAA champion from LSU who has never been afraid to say what he thinks. He was still an amateur when he lost to fellow amateur Harris English -- now a two-time winner on the PGA Tour -- on the final hole of a Nationwide Tour event. He told Golf World magazine that day, "I knew I could beat all those guys," and that the top 20 or 30 college players could hang with the top 20 or 30 on the PGA Tour with a few exceptions. It's that fine line of confident and cocky, which Peterson is known to cross on occasion, that adds to the increasing depth and makes it harder on everyone to win. "Jordan, Peter Uihlein, Harris English, Russell Henley ... all those guys we've played with the last six years, they're all doing big things," Peterson said. "Peter is playing himself into the World Golf Championships. He's killing it. Guys are really starting to believe they can play with guys who have been here for 15 years. Twenty years ago, guys coming off the Nationwide or whatever the Web.com was called, they probably didn't believe they could beat these guys straight out. "Now you're seeing it happen every year." Peterson was with Spieth in Colombia early last year when Spieth was at a crossroads. With no status anywhere, Spieth was about $4,000 short of full status on the Web.com Tour. He honored a commitment to play a PGA Tour event in Puerto Rico instead of going to Chile to wrap up his card. "I was like, 'Dude, you've got to Chile,'" Peterson said. "He went to Puerto Rico and proved everyone wrong again. He could have been out there with us all year. Instead, he went to Puerto Rico ... and wound up in the Presidents Cup." Peterson laughed at his bad advice. Their banter remains, and it's refreshing. Spieth gives him a hard time for a full beard -- Peterson spent the last two months with his hands on a rifle instead on a 6-iron, killing a turkey, two bobcats, a seven-point and 10-point buck, two does, two hogs and two raccoons on family property outside Abilene, Texas. Peterson questioned whether Spieth could even grow peach fuzz. "I'm just looking forward to calling him 'rookie' all year," said Spieth, who is three years younger and $3 million richer. Peterson won the Web.com Finals last year by finishing among the top five in all four tournaments. That gives a high priority the entire season, along with a spot in The Players Championship. He already has made the cut in three majors, including a tie for fourth at Olympic Club in the U.S. Open. He played three times when the wraparound season began in October, making one cut. The full year starts Thursday in the Sony Open. For Peterson and all the other newcomers, they only have to look at what happened last year. Henley and Scott Langley went toe-to-toe playing in the last group, both of them rookies.

MOURINHO HAIL MIKEL'S IMPACT IN CHELSEA

The Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has praised John Obi Mikel’s impact on his squad as the Blues won their third round FA Cup game against Derby County on Sunday. The Blues were late in scoring before the Nigerian’s header in the second half put them on their way to winning 2-0. Mikel was given the captain’s armband by Ghanaian Michael Essien instead of Ashley Cole and he went on to make great impact afterwards scoring his fourth ever Chelsea goal on the day he made his 300 appearance for the club. “I never recognise his ability to score goals,” Mourinho told the club's website. “I recognise his ability to play as an anchorman, to play that position in a very comfortable way, with no mistakes. He reads the game well, plays in an intelligent and safe way, but I never recognise his goal scoring appetite. “There was a smile on my face [when he scored]. For some reason Essien gave him the armband, normally it should go to Ashley Cole, so maybe it made him believe he was a goal scorer! “It was important for us, we were dominating and dominating, creating and creating but the goal was not arriving. It was like the winning goal.' Mikel is in the running for the 2013 Caf African Player of the Year award that will be announced on Thursday January 9 at a gala to be held in Lagos. He is contesting against Ivoirians Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba. He has seen support for him rise in recent days with Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi stating: “It will boost the team and Mikel and all Nigerians because it has been a long time since we last won the award and I know we deserve to win this year.”

WHO WILL BE THE 2013/2014 EPL TITTLE WINNER??

Irrespective of the sudden rise in bundeslige, its still obvious that premiere leagues is still the most outstanding & hardest league in europe producing 4 clubs to the champions league knouckout stage & 3 in the Fa cup currently. Down home in England, premiere league has got all its fans anxious as currently no one is sure of the 2013/2014 league tittle and on top of the league currently are:- Arsenal Helped by the signings of Mesut Ozil and Mathieu Flamini, Arsenal have made an unexpectedly fine start to the season. There is no reason to think they will fade away as some claim, but a lack of depth may ultimately see them come up short for the title. Chelsea The doubts that existed at the start of the season have so far come to fruition. The squad lacks balance in key areas, while it also doesn’t match the philosophy of Jose Mourinho. Experience and knowhow of both the coach and players could see them yet compensate for those deficiencies, but all does not look right at Stamford Bridge. Manchester City It has not been the best start for Manuel Pellegrini, having inexplicably lost four away games already. A lack of defensive cover is a worry, but they have already shown that they are a class above on their day and consistency should soon come. Liverpool There has been big progress made in Brendan Rodgers’s second season in charge and the striking partnership of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge poses a threat to any opposition. However, as was exposed against Arsenal, the squad doesn’t yet quite have enough quality throughout to mount a sustained title challenge. Just as the say "In EPL everything is possible" other than this four clubs there's still threats from Everton Roberto Martinez has made a strong start to life at Goodison Park and shown that, despite Wigan’s struggles, he is a quality coach. Despite the loss of Marouane Fellaini, the squad has been improved, but they just lack the necessary quality to push for a top- four spot. Tottenham Given that it was always likely to take time for so many new signings to gel, the negativity from some Spurs fans has been surprising and ultimately won’t help the side. The team will surely improve as the season goes on and a title challenge and at least a top- four place certainly shouldn’t be ruled out, but a lack of creativity from central midfield, added to the lack of goals and the form of Roberto Soldado is a concern. And finally the defending league champions Manchester United Having failed to adequately add to a squad that had been carried by Sir Alex Ferguson’s nous in recent seasons, United’s struggles should be no surprise. There has been little to suggest that, for all his competency, David Moyes has the ability to turn good players into an excellent team and they could struggle for a top-four berth. Ultimately, quality players in key areas should rescue a place in the Champions League. So the big question remains WHO WILL BE THE 2013/2014 EPL CHAMPION???

QATAR 2022 WORLD CUP

Speculation about a potential winter World Cup has percolated ever since the 2022 tournament was awarded to Qatar, the tiny, gas-rich nation in the Middle East, four years ago. On Wednesday, however, a top official with global soccer’s governing body indicated that the expected scheduling switch is all but inevitable. Jérôme Valcke, the secretary general of FIFA and the organization’s second in command, said in a French radio interview that the tournament would most likely be held between mid-November 2022 and mid-January 2023. “If you play between 15 November and the end of December that’s the time when the weather conditions are best — when you can play in temperatures equivalent to a warm spring season in Europe, averaging 25 degrees,” he said. “That would be perfect for playing football.” Twenty-five degrees Celsius is equivalent to 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Qatar’s searing desert heat has raised safety concerns for players and spectators. World Cup tournaments are traditionally played in June or July, and FIFA’s executive committee, which includes Sunil Gulati, the president of the United States Soccer Federation, has created a study group charged with researching the issue. Valcke is leading that committee , and an official announcement is not expected until later this year. FIFA responded quickly to Valcke’s comments, issuing a news release in which it emphasized that no decision on the timing of the event had been made. “The precise event date is still subject to an ongoing consultation process which involves all main event stakeholders,” it said, a reference to groups from national federations and player advocacy groups to sponsors and television networks. It added: “As the event will not be played until eight years’ time, the consultation process will not be rushed and will be given the necessary time to consider all of the elements relevant for a decision.” Still, all signs point to a calendar shift that would have significant ramifications around the soccer world. A winter tournament would require that many top stakeholders make significant changes to long-range plans, including the Fox television network, which has stated its reluctance to broadcast a World Cup during the N.F.L. season. In September, a Fox Sports spokesman told The New York Times that the network had bid on the tournament games “with the understanding they would be in the summer as they have been since the 1930s.” The English Premier League has also indicated its preference to play the tournament during summer, since a winter tournament would force it and the rest of Europe’s top leagues to take a midseason break in competition of a month or more, which could unsettle the leagues’ relationships with their business partners. One development that seems highly unlikely is a shift of venue away from Qatar, which won the bidding for the tournament in 2010 — beating out the United States, England and other countries — in surprising circumstances, given its lack of soccer infrastructure and history. Sepp Blatter, FIFA’s president, has repeatedly stated his desire to hold the tournament in Qatar, and he has criticized European officials for what he sees as intransigence to change. Michel Platini, another member of the executive committee, has made similar statements, including one in which he noted that FIFA has respected the European domestic league calendar for “150 years” and added, “For one month in 150 years you can change.” Moving the World Cup forward on the 2022 calendar does not appear to be an option; the new International Olympic Committee president, Thomas Bach, said in September that he had spoken with Blatter and received assurances that the tournament would not be moved up to the cooler months of January or February, when the 2022 Winter Olympics are scheduled. And with the world’s biggest club tournament, the UEFA Champions League, holding its semifinals and final in April and May each year, that would rule out a spring World Cup as well. Even as FIFA sought to portray Valcke’s comments as his opinion, player advocacy groups who have warned of the dangers of playing in searing temperatures seized on them as a positive sign. FIFPro, the worldwide union of professional players, confirmed that it was being consulted on the possibility of a move to winter and restated its opposition to a summer tournament on safety grounds. “While it goes against a longstanding tradition to hold a World Cup between June and July, common sense looks set to prevail,” its statement said. At least one member of FIFA’s executive committee, Jim Boyce of Northern Ireland, was taken aback by Valcke’s comments. Boyce told Sky Sports that he was “totally, completely shocked, to be honest” by Valcke’s comments, and he restated FIFA’s official position that no decision would be made before this year’s World Cup in Brazil, and possibly not until 2015. “Whether Jérôme was making a personal opinion or not, I just don’t know,” Boyce added, “but I can honestly confirm this has not been discussed by the executive committee of FIFA.”

SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF JANUZAJ & OSCAR

ADEN JANUZAJ vrs OSCAR DOS SA (1) ADEN JANUZAJ OF MANCHESTER UNITED

HISTORY:- Januzaj was born in Brussels , Belgium, where his family had migrated in 1992 so his father Abedin could escape Yugoslav Army recruitment. CAREER:- Januzaj began his football career with FC Brussels but joined Anderlecht as a 10-year-old in 2005. [3] He left Anderlecht for Manchester United at the age of 16 in March 2011 after impressing in a skills session in Brussels. Towards the end of the 2012–13 season , United manager Sir Alex Ferguson promoted Januzaj to the first-team and he was registered with the number 44 jersey; he did not feature in the remainder of the season, but he was an unused substitute in the final game of the season away to West Bromwich Albion . (2) OSCAR DOS SA OF CHELSEA

HISTROY:- Oscar , is a Brazilian footballer , who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Premier League club Chelsea and the Brazil national team . [CAREER:-] Oscar started his first football appearance at the age of 17 For the club São Paulo, but later joined internacional after a salary dispute with his former club oscar's first season at Internacional was blighted by injury. On 16 July 2012, Chelsea agreed a fee of £19.35 million for Oscar, a fee that was released in the financial statement from Internacional for that year . On 21 July, Oscar confirmed he had undergone a medical whilst in England for the London 2012 Olympic Games, but would wait until the end of the event to decide his future. [16] On 25 July, however, before the Olympics had started, Chelsea announced on their official website that the signing of Oscar had been completed. [17] Oscar was given the number 11 shirt, last worn by Chelsea legend Didier Drogba . On 19 August 2012, Oscar made his debut for Chelsea by coming on in the 64th minute for Eden Hazard in their opening game of the 2012–13 season against Wigan Athletic

SPORTS BETTING AS A MEANS OF EARNING

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TOP 5 COMPANY TO BUY SPORTS APPARELS

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Introduction

INTRODUCTION INFORMATION:-I am called Obinwa but my full name is Obiajunwa Chinaemerem Samuel, I'm an x-seminarian & x-student of st lousia computer training institute, I specialize in blogging,advertising & marketing online,A lover of sport & money. AFFILIATE:-Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate's own marketing efforts. SPORTS:-Sport (or sports) is all forms of usually competitive physical activity which through casual or organized participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical ability and skills while providing entertainment to participants, and in some cases, spectators. CONCLUSION:-I aim at giving you all the latest & exciting sports updates & several ways to earn from Sports.Thank you & welcome to sports page blog.