MANCHESTER, July 19- Ivory Coast international midfielder Yaya Toure moved to end speculation about his future stating he was committed to Premier League champions Manchester City.

Toure, who scored 20 goals in City’s run to the title, told Sky Sports News that he wanted to honour his contract at the Etihad Stadium which runs until 2017.

“The fans have always been good to me, they’ve always been good to my family,” Toure said.

“I want to stay. I will always honour my contract. I don’t think about all this speculation. It’s a big pleasure to stay and enjoy the next season.”

Toure’s agent Dimitry Seluk sparked speculation about his future by claiming the midfielder was hurt by the club’s failure to mark his 31st birthday – despite a video on the club’s website showing Toure being presented with a birthday cake.

Further stories followed as Seluk claimed his client had been shown a lack of respect by City, and he was linked with Paris St Germain before, in recent days, rivals Manchester United emerged as another possible destination.

But Toure, who moved to City from Barcelona in 2010, described the speculation as “disappointing”.

“Everything is fine now,” he said. “There was a lot of speculation, you know. I think sometimes it’s quite disappointing. I need to do something for the fans, it’s important to let them know. They’ve done a lot for me. The team is preparing well and we will try to win again next season.”

Seluk told Sky Sports News: “I would like to say Yaya will stay at City. He won’t go to any club. Everybody can stop speculation about this.

“Yaya will stay at Manchester City 100 per cent. He has a contract, he will work very hard and I hope this season he will be the best player in England.”

Although Seluk is seen as the source of so much of the speculation, Toure backed his agent.

“He’s quite strong sometimes, but he’s a very good guy,” he said.

“To be honest, we never wanted to talk about money. There are more important things than money. To be happy, healthy. Respect as well is very important.”

Seluk was even able to laugh at some of the more stories that have emerged in recent weeks.

“I hope now everybody will have a very friendly relationship,” he said. “I hope his next birthday they will celebrate together.”

LONDON, July 19- Louis van Gaal will take a close look at Manchester United’s next generation of talent after including several youngsters in his squad for the club’s pre-season tour to the United States.

Van Gaal is keen to see what United’s youth academy has to offer and, with a handful of first-team stars missing the tour as they recover from the World Cup, the Dutchman has opted to pack his 25-man group with raw rookies.

Joining United’s new manager on Friday’s flight to the States are goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, 21, left-back Tyler Blackett, 20, centre-back Michael Keane, 21, defender Reece James, 20, forward Jesse Lingard, 21, and striker Will Keane, 21.

Among the established players travelling are Wayne Rooney, David De Gea and Juan Mata, while van Gaal’s two new signings — England left-back Luke Shaw and Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera — are also included.

Robin van Persie, Javier Hernandez, Marouane Fellaini and Adnan Januzaj are on holiday after the World Cup, with Michael Carrick a notable absentee after undergoing ankle surgery that will sideline the England midfielder for up to three months.

United will play the first match of their tour against Los Angeles Galaxy next Thursday before taking on Roma, Inter Milan and Real Madrid in the International Champions Cup.

If they make the final, they will play a fifth match in Miami on August 4.

The tour will be a big chance for the likes of Tom Cleverley, Darren Fletcher, Ashley Young, Shinji Kagawa and Nani to prove to van Gaal that they deserve to remain Old Trafford.

The fate of Bebe already appears to be sealed, though, after the winger was left out along with French left-back Patrice Evra, who is expected to join Juventus.

Brazilian midfielder Anderson is absent with a calf injury, but Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans will hope to stake their claims to be first-choice centre-backs following the departures of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.

Herrera, who joined United from Athletic Bilbao last month, is looking forward to his first taste of United’s huge global appeal when they touch down in North America.

“It will be a new experience for me because it will be my first time outside Europe. All the people have told me there is a lot of United fans in America and I can’t wait to play in front of them,” he told MUTV.

“I am very happy and really enjoying being at the club and in the city. The first couple of weeks here have been great.

“Training has been good, similar to at Bilbao in that we train a lot with the ball. The coaches want us to have the ball and keep possession, which is great for the players.”

LONDON, July 19- Jose Mourinho has taunted Arsenal by claiming he needed just 20 minutes to persuade Cesc Fabregas to join Chelsea because the former Gunners midfielder didn’t want to return to his old club.

Mourinho signed Fabregas from Barcelona for £27 million ($46 million) earlier in the close-season despite Arsenal having first option to take back the Spain star.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger reportedly didn’t want to re-sign Fabregas because he was happy with Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Mikel Arteta as main central midfielders.

But Blues boss Mourinho, who has had many verbal jousts with Wenger, couldn’t resist the chance to tweak his rival as he insisted Fabregas had no interest in a reunion with the club he left to join Barcelona in 2011.

“I spoke with him 20 minutes. I think he really wanted to come to us,” said Mourinho, who was talking at a BT Sport question and answer session in London on Friday.

“As you know, Arsenal had an option where they could interfere, but I think he was not open to that, I think he was very, very much in our direction, so it was an easy job for me.”

Mourinho wasn’t finished with Arsenal just yet and he also aimed a jab at Wilshere after the England midfielder was pictured smoking in Las Vegas recently.

“What football players do, millions and millions are watching, lots of kids are watching,” Mourinho said.

“I am not a specialist obviously, but I don’t think if a football player smokes one cigar or cigarette with friends in the summer when he is not training — I don’t think it affects his performance.

“What gets affected is that a kid at home says ‘if a top football player can smoke, then I can smoke’ and it is not a problem.

“It is more a social consequence than a physical consequence.”

After finishing last season empty-handed, Mourinho has been quick to bolster his squad, spending a total of over £80 million on Fabregas, Spain striker Diego Costa, Brazilian defender Filipe Luis and teenage midfielder Mario Pasalic from Hajduk Split.

Chelsea have been linked with several other big names, including German World Cup winner Sami Khedira, also a reported target for Arsenal, and Colombia forward Radamel Falcao.

But Mourinho indicated he wouldn’t be spending any more of owner Roman Abramovich’s money before the start of the Premier League season next month.

“I have to say my club did a fantastic job, and not just because of what we bought, but because we did it in almost record time. The transfer market closes 31 August and we close our market on July 19. We finished the market today,” he said.

“The club did fantastic, we knew the targets, we knew the players and the club attacked them and their clubs at a very early stage.

“We got exactly what we need and what we want. The squad is one which I like very much and I look forward to starting the season.

“The market is open, but we are so happy with what we have.”

With Manchester United under new management with Dutch coach Louis van Gaal and Liverpool revamping their squad following the sale of star striker Luis Suarez, many expect champions Manchester City and Mourinho’s Chelsea to fight it out for the title.

But the Portuguese boss believes the 2014-2015 campaign will be the most difficult to predict.

“Why I like the Premier League so much is that at this moment, nobody knows who is going to win the title,” Mourinho said.

“I know that we want to and I know that we can, but it is the kind of competition where I can’t say.

“At this moment, I think between us, Liverpool, Arsenal, Man United, Man City — who is going to be first, who is going to play in the Europa League, I don’t know.”

LONDON, July 20- Arsene Wenger admits he will speak to Jack Wilshere after the Arsenal midfielder was pictured smoking while on holiday in Las Vegas.

Wilshere was criticised by Wenger last season after he was seen smoking a cigarette outside a nightclub and the England international responded by insisting it would not happen again.

Yet the 22-year-old was photographed smoking this week during a swimming pool party while on holiday with members of his family.

Wenger wants to find out what exactly happened and plans to speak to Wilshere shortly.

Speaking after Arsenal’s 2-0 friendly win at Boreham Wood on Saturday, he told his club’s official website: “I know what you can make of pictures – I have to speak to him really to see what happened before I come out publicly.

“I’m not deeply concerned by it. I just want to know what happened and before I know what happened, I don’t want to talk too much about it.”

A common consensus is that Wilshere’s career has stalled over recent years, with injury and loss of form costing him his place in both the Arsenal and England teams last season.

And Wenger insists the coming campaign will be an important one for the talented midfielder if he is to fulfil his potential.

“He’s at an age where you want him to move forward,” Wenger said.

“He has the potential. I believe for him, the most important (thing) now is to have a good preparation and focus on getting really fit.

“Jack is a great player – he has a football brain and he’s ambitious. I’m sure that if he’s injury free, he will have a great season.”

Wenger has signed France defender Mathieu Debuchy and Chile winger Alexis Sanchez already this pre-season and he claimed more new faces will arrive.

Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas opted to go to Chelsea rather than return to Arsenal, prompting delighted taunts from Blues boss Jose Mourinho, but Wenger says he won’t lose any sleep over his rival’s jibes.

“I think people came out and said he wanted to go to Chelsea. I don’t know who tells the truth here or not. He landed where he wanted to go,” Wenger added.

HOCKENHEIM, July 20- Nico Rosberg completed a memorable week for himself and his nation on Sunday when he cruised to his first win in his home German Grand Prix.

The pole sitter, cheered on by Germany World Cup winner Lukas Podolski in the Mercedes pits, extended his lead to 14 points over teammate Lewis Hamilton, who charged up to finish third from 20th on the grid, in the title race.

“It’s an amazing feeling to win at home. It’s a very special day,” said Rosberg.

Splitting the Mercedes men in second was the Williams of Valtteri Bottas.

Rosberg came home a comfortable 20.7 seconds ahead of the Finn at the end of an enthralling 67-laps contest.

Hamilton was only 1.8 seconds behind Bottas ahead of defending champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull, Fernando Alonso of Ferrari and Daniel Ricciardo, in the second Red Bull.

Rosberg’s win came after a week in which he had married his long-term girlfriend Vivian Sibold, signed an extended contract with Mercedes and celebrated Germany’s World Cup victory.

It was his fourth win of the season and the seventh of his career.

But even such joyful supremacy was overshadowed in an incident-filled race by the bold passing pace of Hamilton, who started at the rear of the grid following his high speed crash in qualifying.

The Englishman delivered a thrilling series of dramatic moves muscling his way through the field, but in the end was unable to grab second in the closing laps as Bottas hung on to register an historic podium for the resurgent Williams team.

I had great fun,” said Hamilton.

“I did as good as I could. It was hard to get through the pack safely… it was hard to overtake so I’m glad to get some points today.”

On one passing move Hamilton’s car clipped the McLaren belonging to Jenson Button.

“I had a little bit of a collision with Jenson,” he reflected.

“I thought he was going to open the door which he has done a couple of times lately but that was my bad judgement.”

Nico Hulkenberg of Force India finished seventh ahead of Button and his McLaren team-mate, Danish rookie Kevin Magnussen, and Sergio Perez who finished 10th in the second Force India.

After the searing heat of the previous three days, the race started in cooler conditions with an air temperature of 26 degrees Celsius and track equivalent of 33 degrees, compared to the 58 recorded on Friday and 55 on Saturday.

A morning shower played havoc with the team’s tyre-wear calculations in front of an improved attendance after so many empty seats on Saturday.

When the lights went out, Hamilton made a fast start from the back, but the drama was all up ahead.

As pole sitter Rosberg powered through the first bend there was a cloud of dust and debris as Magnussen collided with Felipe Massa, sending the Brazilian’s car into a spectacular somersault.

His car bounced back to a halt on the safety gravel with Massa sitting upright and, amazingly, unhurt.

“I am ok,” he said. “The accident was a little bit more scary watching than being inside. I just saw everything the other way around, but I am fine.

“I am so disappointed at what happened. It’s another race and another car that has pushed me out and finished my race.”

The race resumed two laps later with the circuit cleared.

Hamilton rose steadily through the pack, scrapping his way past all his rivals in a feat of speed and courage that provided thrills at every corner, notably when he negotiated his way past a cluster of cars driven by Ricciardo, Raikkonen and Alonso to reach seventh on lap 13.

By lap 35, despite damaging his front wing after the Button altercation, Hamilton was third behind Rosberg and Bottas. Even damaged, he was the fastest man on track, but Rosberg was cruising at this time with a controlled advantage of 15 seconds with 30 laps to go.

Bottas pitted on lap 41, Hamilton taking second but complaining that his “front left isn’t going to last” before, in a strategy change, following Rosberg into the pits on lap 43 for super-soft tyres.

This set up a final high-speed chase with Bottas managing to hold on in a thrilling climax.

KIEV, July 20- At least seven foreign players for two top Ukrainian football teams have refused to return to the country as tensions mount after the Malaysia Airlines crash, media reported Sunday.

Six players for champions Shakhtar Donetsk players and an Argentine with Metalist Kharkiv are too worried for their safety, the reports said.

The six Donetsk players refused to fly back to Ukraine after their side were beaten 4-1 by Lyon in a friendly Saturday in the French town of Annecy, ITAR-TASS news agency said.

It named five of the players as Brazilians Alex Teixeira, Fred, Douglas Costa, Dentinho and Argentine Facundo Ferreyra.

“I don’t want to give any comments for the moment,” Shakhtar general manager Sergei Palkin was quoted as saying by Tribuna information site.

Meanwhile, Metalist Kharkiv’s Argentine midfielder Sebastian Blanco refused to return to Ukraine from a training camp in Austria, the R-Sport agency reported.

“After the Malaysian plane’s crash I have no intention to return to Ukraine,” the 26-year-old footballer was quoted as saying.

“The situation there is currently abnormal. I decided to stay in Buenos Aires.”

Ukrainian Football Federation (FFU) is maintaining the start of the national championship for July 25 despite the troubles in the east of the country heightened by the apparent shooting down of the Malaysian Airlines jet on Thursday.

“The entire country mourns over the tragedy that happened. It’s terrible,” an FFU spokesman Pavel Ternovoi said. “But it will not influence the national championship kick off. We insist that football should stay out of politics.”

LONDON, July 20- Arsene Wenger admits he will speak to Jack Wilshere after the Arsenal midfielder was pictured smoking while on holiday in Las Vegas.

Wilshere was criticised by Wenger last season after he was seen smoking a cigarette outside a nightclub and the England international responded by insisting it would not happen again.

Yet the 22-year-old was photographed smoking this week during a swimming pool party while on holiday with members of his family.

Wenger wants to find out what exactly happened and plans to speak to Wilshere shortly.

Speaking after Arsenal’s 2-0 friendly win at Boreham Wood on Saturday, he told his club’s official website: “I know what you can make of pictures – I have to speak to him really to see what happened before I come out publicly.

“I’m not deeply concerned by it. I just want to know what happened and before I know what happened, I don’t want to talk too much about it.”

A common consensus is that Wilshere’s career has stalled over recent years, with injury and loss of form costing him his place in both the Arsenal and England teams last season.

And Wenger insists the coming campaign will be an important one for the talented midfielder if he is to fulfil his potential.

“He’s at an age where you want him to move forward,” Wenger said.

“He has the potential. I believe for him, the most important (thing) now is to have a good preparation and focus on getting really fit.

“Jack is a great player – he has a football brain and he’s ambitious. I’m sure that if he’s injury free, he will have a great season.”

Wenger has signed France defender Mathieu Debuchy and Chile winger Alexis Sanchez already this pre-season and he claimed more new faces will arrive.

Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas opted to go to Chelsea rather than return to Arsenal, prompting delighted taunts from Blues boss Jose Mourinho, but Wenger says he won’t lose any sleep over his rival’s jibes.

“I think people came out and said he wanted to go to Chelsea. I don’t know who tells the truth here or not. He landed where he wanted to go,” Wenger added.spe

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 20 – Harambee Stars chances of making it through to the 2015 African Cup of Nations Group qualifiers took a knock after they were humbled 1-0 by Lesotho in the second round of the first-leg qualifiers in Maseru on Sunday.

Midfielder Bushi Moletsane, netted the winning goal in the 70th minute as Kenya lost concentration in the second half.

The result means Stars need at least a 2-0 result at home to be assured of a slot in Group C of the final group qualifiers that features 2013 finalists Burkina Faso, Gabon and Angola for the proper qualifiers to the road to Morocco.

Stars who played without suspended head coach Adel Amrouche, started with Inter Milan midfielder Macdonald Mariga, Jamal Mohammed and Jacob Keli on the bench in favour of Peter Opiyo, South African based David Gateri and Allan Wanga.

The first-half belonged to the visitors as Opiyo combined well with Clifton Miheso, captain Victor Wanyama and Francis Kahata as the Finland based midfielder threatened on several occasions.

Opiyo had his first shot in the seventh minute rescued by Lesotho keeper as Wilson Obungu who replaced first choice custodian Arnold Origi punching the ball over the bar for a fruitless corner on the other end.

Sudan based Wanga could have broken the deadlock four minutes later, when Miheso and Kahata partnered well in the left for the Sofapaka winger to feed the forward who saw his shot punched for a fruitless corner.

In the 20th, Stars thought they had scored the opener after Wanga headed Aboud Omar’s free kick only for the ball to be cleared off the line.

As Kenya continued to boss the game, Kahata saw his shot blocked with Wanyama blasting the rebound wide minutes after Omar’s free-kick rattled the wood work as Lesotho survived the first half onslaught.

Tables turned after the break as Lesotho grew in confidence and pinned Stars back forcing assistant coach James Nandwa to pull out Wanga for Keli but the hosts finally got reward.

Moletsane slammed the ball past Obungu to give them the lead and despite the introduction of Mariga for Gateri and Mohammed for Kahata, the former going close with a well executed shot, Kenya failed to net the crucial equaliser as Keli spurned the last chance with five minutes to go when he fired straight at the keeper with the whole goal to aim at.

There was still time for David ‘Calabar’ Owino to clear off the line and prevent Stars from going further down.

The two teams will play the return leg in Nakuru in a fortnight.

MARSEILLE, July 21- Arsenal are close to reaching an agreement to sign Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina from Nice for a reported four million euros (£3.2million, $5.4million), the French club’s president confirmed on Sunday.

“There isn’t an agreement yet but we’re not far away,” Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere told AFP.

The two clubs are understood to have reached a verbal agreement over the transfer, according to a source close to the Ligue 1 outfit, but the move has yet to be finalised.

Ospina, 25, has spent the past six seasons with Nice and was part of the Colombia side that reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Brazil for the first time in the country’s history.

Ospina would provide competition for Arsenal’s incumbent number one and Poland international Wojciech Szczesny.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho insists he is relishing the competition Louis van Gaal’s arrival in the Premier League will provide this season.

The 62-year-old officially took over the Manchester United reins at the beginning of the week, having recently led the Netherlands to bronze at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Van Gaal’s appointment at United has breathed fresh impetus into the side, who endured their worst-ever Premier League campaign last term as David Moyes’ tumultuous 10-month spell in charge proved the catalyst in their seventh-placed finish.

When asked about how he feels having to come up against Van Gaal in the new campaign, Mourinho told the Mail on Sunday: “I’m not worried about him being here. I look forward to playing against United. Nothing worries me.

“I watched him at his press conference and he was pure van Gaal – honest and open, the way he always is.

“He is a very, very good coach, he’ll be great for Manchester United. We are both great coaches. It’s what we were born to do.

“Louis was the best coach in the World Cup and he is a good friend – really, a friend for life. I have deep respect for this man.

“He is in the best period of his career. With coaching, if you deal with winning and losing in the right way, you improve. He analyses every experience. He has got better and better.”

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 21- Typical Harambee Stars, taking one step forward and two steps back within 72 hours to leave Kenyan football with that all too familiar feeling of despair.

On Thursday, the country broke into the top 100 of the FIFA rankings for the first time in eight years and curiously, the usually vocal Football Kenya Federation (FKF) that gobbles up any tiny scrap of success that comes along with relish did not dispatch one of their customary (and irritating) congratulatory messages to newsrooms signed by its lord, Sam Nyamweya.

Perhaps that was the harbinger of what was to come on Sunday in Maseru when the team succumbed to a 1-0 loss to leave them with a mountain to climb when they host Lesotho for the return leg of their second round 2015 Afcon qualifier in Nakuru (why Nakuru? not in any way opposed to devolution) in less than two weeks.

For the risk of incurring a backlash, the defeat to Lesotho was richly deserved and instead of commiserating with the fallen Stars, we should applaud Lesotho who are silently emerging as giant killers after taking Liberia to the cleaners in the first round.

Before the raft of ready excuses are fished out upon the return of the team including poor officiating, maltreatment by the hosts, bad luck et al, the naked truth is Stars were set up to fail since they simply cobbled individuals together to face team.

The old cliché goes failing to plan if planning to fail and there was nothing in the build-up that suggested Stars were taking their Lesotho assignment with the seriousness it deserved, after all, football is a sport where the 23 squad members MUST function as an individual on the pitch.

While 18 members of the team were enjoying their sunshine break in Brazil to watch Nigeria take on Argentina, tiny Lesotho travelled to play Tanzania in a friendly, getting a good idea of how East Africans play and from that, they were able to formulate a plan to contain Stars.

Since they beat Liberia 2-1 on aggregate, Lesotho have been in camp gelling as a team, with most of their players based in their domestic league that was adjusted to give them more time.

Stars waited until some six days to go for head coach Adel Amrouche to convene his players, with the foreign contingent joining the team for the hastily arranged friendly with Burundi on Tuesday that did little to aid their cause.

In between, FKF gashed about the ‘unity’ in the squad after hosting them to dinner to watch the World Cup final at a swanky Nairobi hotel as if they were preparing for a seven course late lunch in Maseru.

Nyamweya and his mandarins need to realise to quote Brazil star Neymar, “Other countries have moved ahead and we must catch up,” of course, not about Stars but his Brazilian side that was shamed despite reaching the World Cup semis and it’s time to dispel this notion that Kenya are a force in football despite boasting fine talent.

Oliech’s absence not a factor

Upon return, Amrouche will see members of his team scatter to their clubs, here and overseas with the likelihood he will miss his captain, Victor Wanyama, who will most certainly be involved with pre-season preparations with Southampton alongside other foreign players who are taken as the backbone of the team.

Being outside the FIFA calendar, these clubs are not obliged to release their players as Lillestrom of Norway did with keeper Arnold Origi and in the full knowledge of that, FKF did not put a contingency in place since to them, Maseru was a stroll in the park.

We will be told of how the team missed chances and luck to win the game by a mile but the cold reality is in modern football, the margins are so thin, the width of a post, the frame of the goal or in the case of Allan Wanga and Jacob Keli on Sunday, inaccuracy in front of goal.

The argument is always fronted that Stars lack axed former captain, Dennis Oliech upfront and the clamour to have him back has already started gathering steam on social media but shouldn’t a nation that boasts of being a football titan find a way past their record scorer?

Colombia World Cup hopes were said to be over when their striking super-star, Radamel Falcao, was injured in the run-up to the Mundial but rather than moan about the loss, they simply shifted James Rodriguez to a more advanced role and boom! The country produced the top scorer in Brazil!

Indeed we don’t boast of the talent of Rodriguez but the fact remains every team worth their salt will always have a Plan B in place. In Kenya’s case, there no working Plan A as we rely on the ‘rojo juu’ (brave heart) modus operadi that on it’s day, works but it’s not a ticket to qualify for Afcon or World Cup finals.

That Bushi Moletsane goal 20 minutes to time could prove enough to slay Stars Nations Cup dreams for another three years and reduce them to travelling to Morocco next year to watch the finals.

Boot camp, suspend KPL

Hope is not lost if FKF, Amrouche and his bench can get their act together, boot camp the individuals they took to Maseru into a team and if necessary, even suspend all domestic competition to give them ample time to turn into a cohesive unit that can conjure at least the two goals they need to overturn the deficit.

Costa Rica, Honduras (before the World Cup) and now Lesotho did that for the sake of their national team taking a good tilt at glory and although suspending the Kenyan Premier League will have ramifications on the fixture schedule and broadcast obligations, it’s a small price to pay for the sake of the aspirations of a nation.

To put it into perspective, Barrack Obama was not US President when Kenya last played at Afcon in 2004, a girl born that year is reaching puberty and within that period, Zambia have been crowned African champions.

Jerim Onyango and Co who travelled to Brazil to watch the World Cup would rather be playing there and exit at the group stage than to say how delighted they were “to learn from the experience,” just like the rest of armchair fans.

London July 21-Arsenal look set to miss out on any potential deal for Sami Khedira as Real Madrid are reportedly prepared to offer the midfielder up as part of a swap deal for Monaco’s James Rodriguez.

The Gunners have been strongly tipped with a move for the Germany international and were even believed to have agreed a £24million fee with the Galacticos for the World Cup-winning playmaker.

However, Khedira’s agent last week claimed no such deal had been reached, and any further hopes the Gunners faithful had of seeing the 27-year-old turn out at the Emirates Stadium this season seem to have been ended following claims he will be headed to France.

Madrid are known to be keen on luring Colombia star Rodriguez to the Bernabeu, with the midfielder having sky-rocketed to stardom during Brazil 2014, where he finished as the tournament’s top scorer after helping lead the side to the quarter-finals with six goals.

However, the forward has an estimated £59million buy-out clause in his contract with the Ligue 1 side, although Real Madrid are reportedly prepared to put forward a player-plus-cash offer, with Khedira and an additional £30million thought to be on the table.

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 22- Football Kenya Federation (FKF) will begin the hunt for a new Harambee Stars coach if their impending appeal over the one-year CAF ban on incumbent Adel Amrouche falls through.

In a statement sent to newsrooms on Tuesday, FKF boss, Sam Nyamweya, stressed they would have a replacement in place should their bid to have the suspension overturned does not find favour with the continental governing body.

“Should our appeal and all other channels of reprieve fail, FKF assures the country that it has alternatives to look at and implement to ensure there is no vacuum in the technical management of Harambee Stars now and in the future,” the statement read.

Having earlier told Capital Sport on phone they had not received correspondence from CAF, Nyamweya confirmed the decision to suspend the Belgian had reached them formally, setting off the appeal process as Amrouche’s future at the helm hangs in the balance.

“Football Kenya Federation herewith confirms receipt of the notice of suspension of our national senior men’s team coach Adel Amrouche for a period of one year by the Confederation of African Football.

“From the outset, FKF reiterates that it stands in solidarity with Mr Amrouche and will do everything possible to ensure he continues with his work as head coach of Harambee Stars. In this regard, the federation will invoke the right to appeal provisions as provided for by the Statutes and policy because the decision to suspend the coach for one year is far too harsh a disciplinary measure to be meted out by CAF,” the statement signed by Nyamweya added.

“However, an individual can’t hold the country at ransom and should the appeal fail, we will consider other options. The country must go on, our team must move forward,” the federation boss earlier told with local publication, The Standard, claiming Gor coach, Bobby Williamson, who coached neighbours Uganda before taking over at K’Ogalo, was an early favourite to take over should Amrouche relinquish his position.

Speaking Tuesday, a bitter Amrouche claimed a media conspiracy to force him out of the job with a series of ‘negative reports’ aimed at ‘disrupting the team’

“People keep saying many things about the team instead of letting me continue my work here. This is not right!” the tactacian who was accused of spitting at a match official in their 2015 Afcon first round qualification tie away to Comoros said.

Nyamweya went on arrangements were in place to ensure that the team preparations for forthcoming return leg of their second round qualifier against Lesotho go on despite the appeal process and uncertainity over Amrouche.

“In the meantime, FKF wishes to call on all Kenyans to be calm as we pursue the options available to us with a view to ensuring that the team is well attended as we prepare for the crucial 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying return leg match against Lesotho and the group stages of the campaign, which we are confident of progressing into,” the federation chief underscored.

Amrouche was initially given a two-match ban that FKF appealed and the Disciplinary Committee sat on Thursday to review his case before CAF’s stunning announcement on Monday they had decided to give the Belgian national the lengthy sanction.

“Yes, these cases do happen. At first, a two-match ban is given before the Disciplinary Committee sits to look into each case and it may decide to give a longer punishment,” Nyamweya explained.

Kenya lost 1-0 in Maseru with assistant head coach, James Nandwa, at the dug-out and will at least play a similar role for the return leg in Nakuru as the appeal process on his boss continues.

Amrouche, who was hired in February last year, was accused of an altercation with the fourth official in their preliminary round 2015 Afcon qualifier return leg against Comoros Island where Kenya drew 1-1 to advance to the second stage 2-1 on aggregate.

It was the second time he has been cited for clashing with match officials after he was suspended for the 2014 World Cup qualifier home tie against Nigeria when he fell foul with the referee in their away match in Calabar that ended 1-1.

Without him, Stars went down 1-0 the team that made the last-16 of the World Cup in Brazil.

Stars have lost only one game with Amrouche in the dugout, a 2-1 reverse to Botswana in a friendly in July last year since he took charge as Kenya jumped from 108 to 95 in the latest FIFA World Rankings.

MADRID, July 21- James Rodriguez’s spectacular volley against Uruguay was crowned the best goal of the World Cup on Monday as speculation mounted that he will soon be unveiled as Real Madrid’s latest big money signing.

Spanish sports dailies Marca and As said Real had agreed a deal worth between 75 and 80 million euros ($100-$108 million) with the Colombian striker’s French club Monaco and he could be presented as a new signing on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old is waiting in Europe for the call to Madrid while his teammates prepare for a pre-season friendly in Miami, the reports said.

Rodriguez became the hot property of the World Cup with his six goals that gave him the Golden Boot for the top scorer.

In a FIFA.com poll, his volley against Uruguay in the last 16 was declared goal of the tournament by more than four million voters — three quarters of those who took part.

Robin van Persie’s diving header for Netherlands against Spain in Group B came second.

Rodriguez collected a ball on the edge of the penalty area with his back to the Uruguay goal. He chested the ball over his head, turned and fired the volley into the goal via the underside of the crossbar.

The goal established the global reputation of the young playmaker, who cost Monaco 45 million euros (60 million dollars) one year ago when he was signed from FC Porto of Portugal.

Marca newspaper said Real will pay 75 million euros straight away and up to five million more in add ons.

If confirmed, the fee would make Rodriguez the fourth most expensive player in history behind Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo (both of Real) and Luis Suarez who joined Barcelona this month.

Monaco’s coach Leonardo Jardim denied any knowledge of a transfer when asked about Rodriguez’s future at a press conference in Colombia on Sunday.

Monaco, who have Rodriguez and fellow Colombian international Radamel Falcao on their books, played a friendly there before moving on to Miami.

WASHINGTON, July 22- Fifty years after the Beatles launched a British musical “invasion” of America, English football clubs are playing pre-season matches in the United States hoping to spark growth for the sport.

Premier League sides Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City will combine to play 16 matches on US soil in a follow on to strong American interest in the World Cup.

“Football is growing here, particularly after the World Cup, and every time you come over you see it’s getting bigger,” Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney told the team’s website. “It’s incredible to see the number of fans who turn up to cheer us on. The crowds will be really good.”

More than 55,000 watched as hosts Seattle drew 3-3 with Spurs in Saturday’s friendly, but the biggest and best events are yet to come.

New manager Louis Van Gaal kicks off his reign at Manchester United this week when the Reds visit the Los Angeles Galaxy, already in the middle of their Major League Soccer season, on Wednesday to kick off their US tour.

The 62-year-old Dutchman, who replaced the sacked David Moyes, guides United in the States after directing the Netherlands to a third-place finish at the World Cup earlier this month, leaving barely a break in between assignments.

“That’s no problem for me. I don’t need a holiday,” Van Gaal said. “It’s great to have such an exciting challenge. To work daily with young people is something that I don’t need time off to rest for. I’m looking forward to it.

“I’ll do my best. Whether that’s enough for the fans I will wait and see, but I genuinely hope that will be the case.”

Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City will play in the International Champions Cup, a collection of pre-season matches between top European clubs all preparing for the start of their domestic campaigns.

Manchester United will play AS Roma on Saturday in Denver, meet Inter Milan on July 29 in Washington and face Real Madrid on August 2 in suburban Detroit before a sold-out Michigan Stadium crowd of about 110,000, the largest US crowd ever for the sport.

“The USA had a good World Cup. People are into their football out here and it’s vitally important we come here,” Liverpool all-time goals leader Ian Rush told the club’s website.

“To see so many English Premier League teams here is a story in itself. It tells you that football in the USA is getting bigger and bigger.”

More than 31 million people watched Premier League matches as part of a $250 million deal last season under a new US television contract with US Olympic telecaster NBC and World Cup ratings were strong in America even beyond the US squad’s march to the last 16.

Liverpool, run by the owners of Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, expect to play before 150,000 people over their four matches.

- US offers many benefits -

United, owned by the Glazer family that owns the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, could play in the Cup final at Miami on August 4, just 12 days before opening the Premier League season at Old Trafford against Swansea.

“There are lots of benefits,” Manchester United assistant manager Ryan Giggs said. “Facilities are good. All the lads love going to the States because you can chill out in the day, do a bit of shopping and relax when you have a bit of down time. You don’t get pestered like you might in other places.”

It’s the first US visit for United since 2011 and the travel group includes Rooney, Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa, Spanish midfielder Juan Mata and Mexico’s Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, the “Little Pea” who arrives Tuesday.

“Pre-season is always massively important and the tour gives the manager an opportunity to get all the players together and drill home his ideas that will last for the rest of the season,” England defender Chris Smalling said.

While Dutch star Robin Van Persie will not accompany the team, resting in the wake of his team’s deep run in Brazil, there will be plenty of World Cup talent.

“There will be nine or 10 players who have been in the World Cup,” Giggs said. “That’s great for the fans in the US and great for us because we can work with them as quickly as we can.”

LONDON, July 22- QPR striker Loic Remy has flown to Boston in the USA to complete a medical ahead of his move to Liverpool, according to Sky sources.

Sky Sports reported on Saturday that the two Premier League clubs had agreed an £8.5million fee for Remy’s transfer to Anfield, and it is now understood that fee could rise to £11m.

The Reds flew out to the US for their pre-season tour on Sunday, where they face Italian side Roma at Fenway Park as their first fixture of the Guinness International Cup, and France international striker Remy is on his way to join them.

And he could be joined by centre-back Dejan Lovren later this week following a step forward in negotiations over his transfer from Southampton.

Saints boss Ronald Koeman insists he “doesn’t want to lose” Lovren, but the clubs are believed to have agreed a fee and the Croatia international defender is keen on the move.

Remy, meanwhile, has a release clause in his contract which allows him to speak to clubs in the UEFA Champions League if a fee is agreed, and the two clubs made headway over the weekend.

He attracted the attention of a host of European clubs with an impressive season-long loan at Newcastle last season in which he scored 14 goals in 26 Premier League appearances.

QPR are keen to offload the expensive forward, with chairman Tony Fernandes recently speaking of his desire to sort the player’s future out quickly.

Remy, 27, and Lovren, 25, would be the Reds’ fifth and sixth signings of the current transfer window following the arrivals of Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert from Southampton, Emre Can from Bayer Leverkusen and Lazar Markovic from Benfica.

-Sky News

LONDON, July 22- Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has stated that he has no plans to sign a striker this summer, following the high-profile arrival of forward Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona.

Olivier Giroud is set to remain the Gunner’s first-choice striker next season while Joel Campbell, following his impressive World Cup campaign with Costa Rica, is finally eligible for a UK work permit after spending several seasons out on loan.

Reports had suggested that AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli was a target, but Milan chief Adriano Galliani told reporters on Sunday that no enquiry from the Gunners had been received.

The addition of Sanchez and the return to fitness of Theo Walcott give Wenger options in attack, while young striker Yaya Sanogo could see more game time in his second season at the club.

“Up front we don’t need any more,” he is quoted as telling reporters by the Evening Standard. “It’s not especially for numbers.”

However, Wenger is planning on strengthening in other positions in his squad this summer, with reports in France suggesting a fee for Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina has been agreed with Nice.

“We need a goalkeeper for sure and, after that, it depends on how our midfielders get through without injuries until the start of the season,” he added. “Maybe at centre-back we’ll still bring one in.”

Wenger had previously admitted that club captain Thomas Vermaelen may leave Arsenal this summer, amid persistent reports of interest in the defender from Manchester United.

-ESPN FC

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 22- The moment of reckoning for Alfred Kipketer comes Friday when he lines-up for the heats of the men 800m at the 10th IAAF World Junior Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Kipketer is aiming to progress from the first hurdle and the semis before landing his place in the medal race on Sunday so he can add World Junior gold to the World Youth top medal he won last year in Donetsk, Ukraine.

The talented teenager, 17, has already served notice of his capabilities this season by running a World Junior leading 1:44.2 at the high altitude of Nairobi besides anchoring the Kenyan 4x800m relay team to gold at the inaugural IAAF World Relay Championships in Bahamas in March.

The sixth born in a family of eight opted out of the Commonwealth Games senior squad to fulfil his dream of bidding farewell to age running with the greatest prize of all available in the sport for a runner aged 20 and below.

“After Bahamas, I was called for the Commonwealth Trials and even given a lane at the final after I decided not to run in the semis but I told them I want to finish my running as a junior in Eugene since I have many years ahead of me to run as a senior,” Kipketer, said before they departed for Oregon for the biennial IAAF showpiece that starts Tuesday.

The student at Kosirai High School in Nandi started out in the sport in the 100m dash before stepping up the distances from 200m, 400m and finally the two-lap race that has brought him international acclaim after missing selection in the Kenyan team in his first and second years of his secondary education.

“My coach told me not to give up, next time, it would be my time. He suggested we train harder and learn from my mistakes and my prayers were finally answered when I made the World Youth team,” Kipketer told.

It was third time lucky for him last year when he made the Donetsk World Youth squad by winning the Trials in 1:48.9 on June 10 before going on to strike gold in 1:48.01 to secure Kenya’s fifth 800m title in 14 editions of the event.

From the gun in Ukraine, he flew to an astonishing 48.63 split at 400m – which was notably faster than the 49.28 that David Rudisha ran en route to his 1:40.91 World record at the London 2012 Olympics – He was reeled in with 200m remaining but had enough energy in reserve to hold onto the lead in the final metres.

“I did that because I was so scared, I was shaking, it was my first world final and I could not imagine losing. I realised at 600m that I was going too fast to finish so I slowed down and did enough. I was not chasing any record, I just wanted gold,” he revealed.

“I want to be a champion, not only in Eugene but in future. I will keep working hard at it,” he added as he packed his bags for Oregon where he expects to return with the gold.

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 22 – Cecafa secretary general Nicholas Musonye, has expressed confidence Harambee Stars will overturn their 1-0 deficit and overcome Lesotho in the home leg of their second round clash to progress to the 2015 Afcon group qualifiers.

A Bushi Moletsane’s 70th minute goal left Stars with a mountain to climb and need at least 2-0 win in Nakuru next weekend to advance as the regional governing boss calling upon his compatriots to rally behind the team.

“I’m sure Stars will qualify to the Group stage. What the team needs is support from everyone including the technical bench and sponsorship to motivate the boys.

“Kenyans want to see more matches and if they are really genuine about this, they should support the national team to the best of their abilities,” Musonye told Capital Sport.

The secretary general supported the move by Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to take the second-leg to Nakuru.

“People in Nakuru also want to watch matches too, it’s a good idea because it happens in other nations for example Nigeria where they take their matches to various venues like Calabar, Kano and Kaduna,” he added.

Stars suffered a huge blow when head coach Adel Amrouche was slapped with a one-year ban by CAF for allegedly spitting at a match official during their preliminary qualifier return leg against Comoros in May.

Kenya who have never been eliminated in the Afcon pre-qualifiers are likely to miss the services of key foreign based players including captain Victor Wanyama who might join his EPL side Southampton for the pre-season.

Norway based first choice keeper Arnold Origi, Belgian based duo of Lommel United midfielder Johanna Omolo and Genk winger Ayub Timbe were ruled out of the first-leg due to club commitments since the fixture was outside the FIFA calendar and remain doubtful for Nakuru clash.

The aggregate winner will join 2013 finalists Burkina Faso, Angola and Gabon in Group C.

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 23- Uganda struck first blood as Joshua Cheptegei clinched 10,000m gold with Kenya bagging two medals on the opening day of competition at the IAAF World Juniors in Eugene, Oregon.

Elvis Cheboi and Nicholas Kosimbei trailed the first champion of the Oregon World Juniors for silver and bronze as the 10,000m men title eluded Kenya for the second successive edition of the biennial global showpiece.

In the middle distance heats, silver medallist from Barcelona, Hillary Ng’etich, kept his hopes of ascending to the middle step of the rostrum when he made the semis of the men 1500m.

However, it was compatriot Jonathan Sawe, the winner of the Kenyan Trials for Oregon, who set the fastest mark of the day in winning the first heat in 3:41.35. Ng’etich sealed his place by finishing second in 3:48.40 running in the third preliminary.

Women 800m duo, Margaret Wambui (2:04.24) won heat three as team mate Maximila Imali (2:06.91) barely hang on for third in the second race as both made the semis.

Raymond Kibet (47.91) became the first Kenyan to crash out of competition in the men 400m in a sixth finish as hopeful Alexander Sampao (46.91) won his heat as he seeks to improve on his wooden spoon finish at last year’s Donetsk World Youth.

Cheptengei outclasses Kenyans

The race that mattered on the opening night of action was the medal showdown over 25 laps where Cheptegei, the only junior to run under 28 minutes this year, fulfilled his role as favourite to take the first gold at the historic Hayward Field track.

By the time he was done, 28:32.86 read on the clock as he held off a strong challenge from Cheboi and Kosimbei in the final two laps, finishing with a final 400m burst of 59.6, to capture a memorable victory.

Cheboi came home second after being unable to respond to Cheptegei’s final move with 200 metres to go, crossing the line in 2:35.20, while Kosimbei was third in 28:38.68.

The winner was part of the chase pack which overtook early leaders Keisuke Nakatani and Hazuma Hattori, both of Japan, and held off strong challenges from Kenyan duo Elvis Cheboi and Nicholas Kosimbei for the victory with a 59.6 closing lap.

Cheptegei was clearly proud of his achievement. “I’m so very happy and elated. My family in Uganda is very happy.”

He added that the early breakaway by Nakatani and Hattori didn’t worry him. “Starting slow and finishing fast is how I usually run. I didn’t give up. I knew things would change during the race.

Kosimbei, speaking for the Kenyans, was less satisfied with the outcome. “It was a hard race, especially the last two laps. We were planning to run together with Elvis, and we were sticking to our plan.”

Dennis Masai was the last Kenyan to win gold at the 2010 edition in Moncton, Canada, as the country finished top of the medals standings.

-Sourced from material by the IAAF