Latest Football Transfer Stories And Titbits For July the 9th 2015

here are the top transfer stories for July the 9th 2015 as compiled by Our man Paul Ayorinde.

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Done Deals:

– Kilmarnock have signed centre-back Stuart Findlay on a season-long loan deal from Celtic.

– Sevilla have completed the signing of midfielder Steven Nzonzi from Stoke City for £7million

– Kilmarnock have signed striker Dale Carrick on a three year contract

– Celtic sign striker Nadir Ciftci from Dundee United on a four-year contract.

– Genoa have announced the signing of Diogo Figueiras from Sevilla on loan with the option to buy.

– Aston Villa have completed the signing of goalkeeper Mark Bunn

Mark Bunn joins Aston Villa. photo credit Aston Villa

Today’s reports and rumours:

– Torino president Urbana Cairo has denied that Matteo Darmian’s proposed move to Manchester United is a done deal. “Manchester United are a great club but there’s still nothing done regarding his sale. Until there is something definite, I’d prefer not to speak about it officially.” Cairo said

– West Brom are interested in Queens Park Rangers defender Steven Caulker,according to reports.

– Manchester United forward Robin van Persie is edging closer to a switch to Fenerbahce,according to reports

– According to reports, Manchester United have expressed interest in West Ham striker Diafra Sakho

– Marco Reus decided against a move to Barcelona following talks with Camp Nou presidential candidate Josep Maria Bartomeu, reports Marca.

– Sevilla boss Unai Emery has admitted that he is weighing up a move for Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez.

Chicharito o Nino per il Milan, Destro legato a Benatia http://www.diggita.it:v.php?id=1388790

– Atletico Madrid are reportedly keen on signing defender Stefan Savic from Fiorentina

– Bastian Schweinsteiger is “flattered” by reported interest from Manchester United, according to Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

– According to Sky Sports sources, Watford are set to sign Hamburg midfielder Valon Behrami

– West Brom striker Saido Berahino has got rid of agent Aidy Ward because of his role in Sterling’s desired move to Manchester City.

– Micah Richards says Aston Villa should sign QPR striker Charlie Austin.

– Empoli sporting director Marcello Carli warns ‘we won’t sell off our players’ after rejecting a bid from Napoli for Riccardo Saponara.

– Manchester United have slapped a £10million price tag on defender Jonny Evans, according to reports

– Juventus director Guiseppe Marotta has insisted that the Serie A side do not need to sell their top players such as Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal this summer.

– According to reports, Napoli are close to sealing a deal for Udinese midfielder Allan, following further talks today.

– According to reports, Shay Given has passed his medical at Stoke City.

– Newcastle United manager Steve McClaren has revealed the club are closing in on one or two new signings but has refused to confirm who they are.

– The agent of Manchester City forward Stevan Jovetic is reportedly in Milan to meet Inter officials

– Lille have announced that they will not be signing defender Wilfried Kanon after he failed a medical

– According to Sky Sports Italia, AS Roma’s Sporting Director Walter Sabatini is currently in Monaco to reach an agreement with the Ligue 1 side for the transfer of forward Mattia Destro.

– Fernando Llorente’s agent says ‘anything is possible’ regarding a move to Porto, but ‘he has a contract with Juventus’.

– Watford owner Gino Pozzo has ruled out the possibility of Inter’s Davide Santon moving to London.

– Napoli appear to have agreed terms with Cagliari to sign Davide Astori for €5.5million

– Crystal Palace are set to enter the race for Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin, according to reports

– Atalanta defender Davide Zappacosta has reportedly asked for two days to consider whether to accept a move to Torino.

– According to reports, Real Madrid has dropped their interest in Nicolas Otamendi because they believe that the Valencia defender is heading to Manchester United

– According to reports in Germany, Dante has been told by Bayern Munich officials that he should look for a new club

– Wolves are reportedly interested in signing Manchester United goalkeeper Sam Johnstone

– Monaco have reportedly agreed to pay Lille €14million for Mali Under-20 star Adama Traore

– Espanyol have confirmed that Real Madrid have made an inquiry about their goalkeeper Kiko Casilla.

– Marco Verratti’s agent has revealed he has been approached by a Barcelona presidential candidate over the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder.

– Giuseppe Rossi’s agent reveals they haven’t held contract talks with Fiorentina.

– Swansea are attempting to sign Reading midfielder Hal Robson-Kanu, according to reports

– According to reports, Domenico Berardi could return to Juventus this summer, should they fail to secure other targets.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter at the Footbal for Hope Festival
photo credit: GovernmentZA
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/legalcode

Football tit bits:

– Sepp Blatter says he carries no responsibility for misbehaviour by others in FIFA and claims the election of his successor as president is only a sideshow compared to the need for reform.

– Concacaf, the governing body in the Caribbean, North America and Central America, has announced it has parted
with the US division of a Brazilian sports marketing firm that federal prosecutors have indicted on corruption charges.

– Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano has denied rumours suggesting that he
could retire from Argentina duty. “I just want to clarify that everything that has been speculated about my future with Argentina is a lie,” he said in a note on his Twitter account.

Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015: Five teams chasing points at round 13 in Falsterbo

The 13th qualifier of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 season will take place in Falsterbo, Sweden tomorrow, Friday 10 July, attracting a field of eight teams.

The starting order, which was determined by a draw held in Falsterbo this afternoon, will be as follows:

1. Poland
2.‎ USA
3.‎ Germany
4. Sweden
5. ‎Netherlands
6. Great Britain
7. ‎Switzerland
8. Spain

This is the sixth leg of the Europe Division 1 League, and the teams from Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland will be eligible for Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping points. A total of 10 nations will compete in Europe Division I during the season, and seven teams will qualify for the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 Final which will take place in Barcelona, Spain from 24 to 27 September..

Friday’s competition will begin at 14.30 local time and will be broadcast live on FEI TV, the FEI’s official online video platform.

The FEI is providing a wide range of online information resources in connection with the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping.

Zhang and Melian battle in crucial Cycle I Round 2 Bantamweight bout

A crucial AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) Cycle I Round 2 Bantamweight (56 kg) match will take place on Friday night in Guiyang, China, as home star Jiawei Zhang (CHI) fights Alberto Melian (ARG) for the second time in APB history.

From 19:00 GMT (+8), fans in the arena and those watching around the world live and free at https://www.youtube.com/user/AIBAproboxingTV will be able to witness the bout, which will determine the number one contender for APB Bantamweight Champion Khedafi Djelkhir (FRA).

Zhang and Melian battle in crucial Cycle I Round 2 Bantamweight bout

The winner will additionally earn a qualification quota place for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, which raises the stakes of an already tense contest even higher.

Zhang’s Cycle I Round 1 match with Benson Gicharu Njangiru (KEN) was stopped in the second round, and the Chinese athlete has also beaten Robenilson Vieira de Jesus (BRA) and Sergey Vodopiyanov (RUS) in this competition.

Melian has lost only once in APB to the titleholder Djelkhir, and defeated Zhang in a close battle during the Matches for Champions stage.

Although Melian has looked impressive in the ring, especially against AIBA World Champion Javid Chalabiyev (AZB) last time out, there has been a worrying trend in the majority of his contests.

In three of his five APB fights, the Argentine has lost the last round of the match, and he also struggled towards the end of his bout with Chalabiyev.

This statistic is telling as Melian often pushes the action at the start of his contests, including in his title match with Djelkhir.

Melian also won the first four rounds of his earlier meeting with Zhang, but lost the last two rounds to his resurgent Chinese opponent.

Zhang and Melian battle in crucial Cycle I Round 2 Bantamweight bout

Their rematch will take place over eight rounds as opposed to six, which should favour Zhang considering Melian’s struggles down the stretch, however the two-time Asian Games silver medalist has never competed over the eight round distance in any format of boxing

Zhang has an excellent jab which he often uses as a rangefinder for his power punches, and his elegant footwork enables smart control across all four corners of the ring.

Melian also uses his jab very well, which allows him to pressure opponents onto the back foot, while he maintains a solid defence of his own.

Both men will have their own perception on how their rematch will go, and with the tension ramped up even further considering how much is on the line, the winner could be the fighter who has learnt the most from their first meeting.

Another intriguing Bantamweight bout features on the undercard in China, as Sangmyeong Ham (KOR) and Hakan Erseker (GER) aim to move up the all-important rankings.

Ham dominated Matti Koota (FIN) in Cycle I Round 1, while Erseker impressed against Yoni Blanco (ECU).

Match schedule:

Sangmyeong HAM vs Hakan ERSEKER

Jiawei ZHANG vs Alberto MELIAN

Nine Laser Rio 2016 Spots Awarded At 2015 World Championship

The 2015 Laser World Championship was the second opportunity for competitors in the Men’s One Person Dinghy to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition.

Of the 46 places available on the Rio 2016 Laser startline, nine were up for grabs at the 2015 Worlds which were held in Kingston, Canada from 2-8 July 2015. The first qualification regatta, the Santander 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships saw 24 nations secure a spot in Rio.

The nine nations to qualify for Rio 2016 from the 2015 Laser Worlds (in nation order) are:

1. Argentina
2. Chile
3. Estonia
4. Hungary
5. Korea
6. Montenegro
7. Peru
8. South Africa
9. Spain

Across a testing 13 race series in Canada, Nick Thompson (GBR) came out on top to take his first Laser world championship title. Philipp Buhl (GER) and Tom Burton (AUS) finished in second and third respectively.

Nine Laser Rio 2016 Spots Awarded At 2015 World Championship

As hosts, Brazil automatically receives a place on the start line. Eleven places will be awarded via a series of Continental Qualification Events sanctioned by ISAF, to finish by 1 June 2016 at the latest. The remaining two places in the Laser will be decided via the International Olympic Committee Tripartite Commission.

The inclusion for the first time by ISAF of Continental Qualification Events in the Qualification Pathway is an opportunity to develop sailing around the world and reflect the IOC Qualification System Principles. Key requirements of these Principles are to ensure the participation of the best athletes and ensure universality through continental representation.

High Winds Restricts Racing At ISAF Women’s Match Race Worlds

The second day of the 2015 ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship, the first event on the 2015 WIM Series, offered the sailors more waiting than sailing. A low-pressure front caused steady wind speeds of up to 40 knots and a long postponement as the race officials pondered the elements. Just two flights were sailed in the morning, with Australian Katie Spithill scoring two wins.

Spithall said, “We understood the boat better today, but it’s still a long way to go in this World Championship. We must keep improving throughout the week, and make sure we use the lessons learned.”

With heavy winds early morning, and even more wind in the forecast, the race management of Match Racing Denmark in Middelfart took the safe approach and ordered the sailors to take both reefs in the mainsail and change the genoa to a smaller jib. Spinnakers were still allowed, but many of the competitors chose not to use them unless absolutely necessary.

Katie Spithill waited the longest, but had to hoist her kite on the last downwind of her second match. “We saw the other examples and didn’t want to jeopardize anything, but at the last downwind we were even and had to do something,” she explained.

2015 ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship

The call was successful and the Aussies secured their victory in the match over local sailor Louise Christensen, to climb the results ladder up in to sixth place.

The first morning match between Sweden’s Caroline Sylvan and USA’s Stephanie Roble was another breath-taking fight with Sylvan aggressively attacking Roble in the pre-start. In just one minute the US skipper got penalized twice. “I misjudged the situations badly,” Roble admitted, after having had contact both with the opponent and with the pin end of the starting line.
“She tried to duck us, but instead hit our boat in the back,” said Sylvan giving her thoughts on the penalty.

The Americans had to do one of their penalty turns right after passing the starting line, with Sylvan able to take advantage and gain a huge lead on the first beat. Roble kept her spinnaker up a little longer on the first downwind and she managed to pass the Swedish boat but it was not enough as Roble explained, “My crew got us back into the match with excellent work, but unfortunately we didn’t gain enough room to be able to take our second penalty in time.”

Despite the pass Sylvan was still confident, “We were never really worried, we just had to hang on to her and not let her stretch away.”

Roble took the positives into her second match by clearly defeating Netherland’s Klaartje Zuiderbaan. The American now sits in a three-way tie for seventh place in the regatta, where only the top eight will advance to the quarter final knock-outs. “There are still a lot of races left, so we’re pretty relaxed. We’re taking one match at a time, knowing that everything can happen in these tricky conditions”, said Roble.

2015 ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship,

Standings after two days of round-robin in the 2015 ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship in Middelfart, Denmark, the first event on the 2015 WIM Series (skipper, country, wins – losses):

1. Lotte Meldgaard, DEN, 8 – 0

1. Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA, 8 – 0

3. Anna Östling, SWE, 7 – 1

4. Camilla Ulrikeholm, DEN, 6 – 2

4. Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 6 – 2

6. Katie Spithill, AUS, 7 – 3

7. Stephanie Roble, USA, 5 – 3

7. Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED, 5 – 3

7. Pauline Courtois, FRA, 5 – 3

10. Milly Bennett, AUS, 4 – 6

11. Louise Christensen, DEN, 2 – 8

12. Sanna Häger, SWE, 1 – 9

13. Johanna Larsson, SWE, 0 – 6

13. Nina Ramm-Schmidt, FIN, 0 – 6

13. Rikst Dijkstra, NED, 0 – 6

13. Diana Kissane, IRL, 0 – 6

Wins for Afghanistan and Scotland on day one of the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015 #wt20q

Two of the favourites to top Group B of the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015 got off to winning starts in Edinburgh on Thursday with Afghanistan eventually overcoming the challenge of the Netherlands and host Scotland showing itself to be a class above the UAE.

The later match at the Grange had promised so much with the Netherlands being on top for significant periods of the game. But this is an experienced, passionate and highly skilled Afghanistan team that knows how to win and, once they regained the initiative towards the end of the first innings, they held on to it with a jealous intensity not letting the Dutch back in.

In the end, they won by 32 runs with Netherlands unable to chase down their formidable total of 162. But for a long time as Afghanistan batted, that score looked to be way beyond Asghar Stanikzai and his team.

Mudassar Bukhari had bowled very well up front for the Netherlands, making the ball duck in and nip away off the seam. He clean bowled Mohammad Shahzad and then had Asghar trapped lbw in an impressive opening spell that put the Dutch noses in front.

And when Roelof van der Merwe took the wicket of Nawroz Mangal, Afghanistan were struggling a little bit on 39-3. Samiullah Shenwari and Mohammad Nabi then consolidated, putting on 57 for the fourth wicket before Van der Merwe struck again, dismissing Nabi for 33 and stunting the Afhgans’ progress.

But some late-order hitting from Sami and Najibullah Zadran put real pressure on the Netherlands and swung the momentum of the entire game back in their favour. Najib’s 33 off 11 balls was particularly impressive as Afghanistan scored 68 runs off the final five overs to make sure they posted that competitive total.

In response, Netherlands started solidly with the top five batsmen all getting starts but, crucially, no one went on to make a big score. In the end, they slumped from 92-3 to 118-9 and 130 all out as Afghanistan’s confidence grew by degrees through the day.

Nepal v United Arab Emirates – ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015 Warm-up Match

Captain Asghar said: “When we were batting we knew the ball would seam around a bit early on so we didn’t worry too much about scoring at that stage. Our focus was always the last eight overs – we thought that if we could keep wickets in hand until then, we would be able to score heavily.

“Our plan is always to pace the innings well and thankfully that’s how it worked out. We were able to attack in the last five overs or so. And then having scored 162 we were very confident it would be enough. We put a lot of faith in our bowlers. Having Hamid (Hassan) back in the team and fit again is huge for us.

“We are ready for tomorrow again and we will try our best against the UAE. The win gives us some momentum and also provides confidence for the team as we move forward now.”

Left-arm spinner and man of the match Sharafuddin Ashraf added: “I am so happy with this performance. The whole team, especially the senior players, have given me a lot of confidence and they really motivate me towards this success. The surface was good to bowl on. We knew it would take a bit of spin so I really concentrated on my line and length and it paid off.”

Earlier, local favourite George Munsey gave the home crowd something to cheer about, smashing 62 off just 36 balls as Scotland demolished UAE to open its campaign with an emphatic victory. Set a paltry target of 110 to win on a good Grange wicket, Munsey and Kyle Coetzer went about their job with relish, putting on 96 for the first wicket.

Munsey saw the job through to the end playing an array of shots, most notably a powerful and lucrative reverse sweep that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a hockey pitch, which tellingly is his winter sport of choice. In the end, Scotland won by nine wickets with 10 overs to spare and man of the match Munsey was pleased with the result.

“I couldn’t be happier – this is a special place to come and play cricket,” said Munsey, who plays his club cricket at this ground.

“The surface here is always really good and reliable – great to come here and play. And we have all been working hard so it’s pleasing to get off to a good start in this event. We try to go out and do the same thing every time. Kyle and I enjoy batting together so we always look to have fun when we’re out there and so far it’s working well.”

Today’s scores:

Thurs, 9 July

At the Grange: UAE 109, 18.1 overs (Mohammad Naveed 19 not out; Michael Leask 3-20, Mark Watt 3-28)

Scotland 110-1, 10 overs (George Munsey 62 not out, Kyle Coetzer 39)

Scotland won by nine wickets

At the Grange:

Afghanistan 162-7, 20 overs (Samiullah Shenwari 44, Mohammad Nabi 33, Najibullah Zadran 33; Ahsan Malik 3-36, Mudassar Bukhari 2-25)

Netherlands 130, 19.4 overs (Ben Cooper 36; Dawlat Zadran 3-17, Sharafuddin Ashraf 3-27)

Afghanistan won by 32 runs

Tomorrow’s fixtures:

Fri, 10 July – Ireland v Namibia, Stormont, Belfast (1000-1310);

Canada v Kenya, Myreside, Edinburgh (1000-1310);

Nepal v USA, Stormont, Belfast (1415-1725);

UAE v Afghanistan, The Grange, Edinburgh 1415-1725

Edoh, Maikaba clinch June League Bloggers Awards

Giwa FC striker, Ocheme Edoh and Wikki Tourists gaffer, Abdu Maikaba, have emerged winners of the League Bloggers Awards (LBA) Player and Manager for the month of June respectively.

Edoh and Maikaba were picked as the top performers in the Glo Premier League for the month under review among other top contenders nominated for the awards in the player and manager categories.

The Giwa FC forward beat the trio of Bright Ejike (Heartland) as well as goalkeepers Sani Haliru (Wikki Tourists) and Itodo Akor (Enugu Rangers) to claim the LBA Player for June.

The battle for the player’s award was whittled down to Edoh and Ejike though the two goalkeepers, Akor and Haliru, kept three clean sheets each to influence their teams’ superb form in June.

Edoh, however, edged Ejike for the award as he scored in every match he featured in for Giwa FC in June despite being tied on four goals apiece with the Heartland striker.

It was a tight race between Edoh and Ejike for the player’s gong as the number of away goals scored by the two strikers was taken into consideration, and the Giwa FC man did enough to best his Heartland counterpart. Edoh scored twice on the road at Dolphins and Kano Pillars while Ejike managed just one away goal at Sharks for the month under review.

In the manager’s category, Maikaba always looked favourite after the conclusion of the Glo Premier League matches for the month of June. The only challenge for Maikaba came from Enyimba head coach, Kadiri Ikhana and Enugu Rangers manager, Imama Amapakabo.

But Maikaba guided the Tourists to an unbeaten run in June and masterminded his two away successes at FC Taraba and FC Ifeanyiubah who had at the time held a 100 percent run at home. Wikki Tourists finished with 10 points – more than any team in June.

The teams of Amapakabo and Ikhana also enjoyed unbeaten runs in June but Rangers and Enyimba could only muster nine and eight points respectively.

Edoh and Maikaba will be presented their LBA Player and Manager for June in the coming days.

Abdu Maikaba

LBA winners this season

March 2015
Player: Ebere Odiche (Heartland)
Manager: Tony Ogharanduku (FC Taraba)

April 2015
Player: Ibrahim Shuaibu (Giwa FC)
Manager: Tony Bulus (Giwa FC)

May 2015
Player: Tunde Adeniji (Sunshine Stars)
Manager: Kennedy Boboye (Sunshine Stars)

All African Games: Football-Nigerian Men In Group of Death As Women Draw Host Nation

CAF today concluded draws For this years All Africa games coming up from 3-18 September 2015 in Brazzaville, Congo. The Draws were held at the CAF Headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, and the draw for both Men and Women’s competition was conducted by CAF General Secretary, Hicham El Amrani and assisted by Yosef Tesfaye Argaw, a member of the CAF ad hoc Organising Committee for the African Games Brazzaville 2015 and Tarig Atta, Deputy General Secretary of the Sudan Football Association.

The Nigerian Under 23 team have been drawn in a group that has got African Football Powerhouses, Ghana, Senegal and Egypt and this is without a doubt the toughest group of the men’s football event.

The Women on the other hand will come against host Congo, Tanzania and fellow West African’s Cote d’Ivoire. Although Nigerian Senior Women’s National team recently failed to progress from the Group Stages at the just concluded FIFA Women’s World Cup this crop of Nigerians will be expected to excel at this event as the Nigerian Women have always done but all eyes will be on the Cameroon women’s who did Africa Proud by Going a step further than other African teams in Canada.

Siasia Samson Nigeria U23 Coach credit fifa.com

Below are details of the draw;

Women
Group A – Congo, Nigeria, Tanzania, Cote d’Ivoire
Group B – Cameroon, South Africa, Ghana, Egypt

Men
Group A – Congo, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso
Group B – Ghana, Senegal, Egypt, Nigeria

The winners and runner up of each group will qualify for the semis, with the eventual winners progressing to the finals.

Independent Ethics Committee Bans Chuck Blazer From Football Related Activities For Life

FIFA

The adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee, chaired by Hans-Joachim Eckert, has decided to ban the former FIFA Executive Committee member and CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level for life.

The decision was taken on the basis of investigations carried out by the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee in response to the final report of the CONCACAF Integrity Committee and the latest facts presented by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

Mr Blazer committed many and various acts of misconduct continuously and repeatedly during his time as an official in different high-ranking and influential positions at FIFA and CONCACAF. In his positions as a football official, he was a key player in schemes involving the offer, acceptance, payment and receipt of undisclosed and illegal payments, bribes and kickbacks as well as other money-making schemes.

He was found guilty of violations of art. 13 (General rules of conduct), art. 15 (Loyalty), art. 16 (Confidentiality), art. 18 (Duty of disclosure, cooperation and reporting), art. 19 (Conflicts of interest), art. 20 (Offering and accepting gifts and other benefits) and art. 21 (Bribery and corruption) of the FIFA Code of Ethics.

Chuck Blazer

In May 2013, the Ethics Committee had decided to provisionally suspend the investigation proceedings in relation to former FIFA Executive Committee member Chuck Blazer until the end of 2013 at the earliest.

The body had taken the decision after receiving written confirmation that Blazer would not be engaging in any football-related activities until at least 31 December 2013, and after taking into consideration circumstances which made it advisable to provisionally suspend the investigations, especially for reasons of Blazer’s ill health.

When Dr Cornel Borbély took over the role of independent chairman of the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee in December 2014, he lifted this suspension and started new proceedings against Chuck Blazer, which have led to today’s announcement of the lifelong ban.

The ban is effective from 9 July 2015, the date on which the present decision was notified.

World Expanded Broadcast Reach And Digital Activations Set To Take ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier To The Next Level

20 matches from the event to be broadcast around the globe by 16 broadcasters

ICC launches dedicated mobile App and customised website for the event

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the broadcast schedule for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier UAE 2015, which starts in Scotland today.

Live coverage will be produced for 20 matches from the event across two venues, The Grange in Edinburgh and Malahide in Dublin. The 20-camera High Definition coverage will be broadcast by ICC’s global broadcast partner, Star Sports and its licensees including Sky Sports (UK and Republic of Ireland), SuperSport (Africa and sub-Saharan Africa), OSN (Middle East and North Africa), ESPN Caribbean and Willow TV (USA and Canada). A full list of licensees is attached.

The live coverage will begin 30 minutes before the start of the match and will feature a commentary line up consisting of Mpumelelo Mbangwa, Jonty Rhodes, Dominic Cork, Mark Butcher, Matt Prior, Fraser Watts and Kyle McCallan. Fans will be able to get involved with the live broadcast via the ICC’s digital channels, as both commentators and players will interact with the viewers during the pre-game shows.

7 July 2015; Sultan Ahmed, Oman. ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015, Warm-up Match, Ireland v Oman. Stormont, Belfast. Picture credit: Brendan Moran / ICC / SPORTSFILE

Complementing the live broadcast will be unparalleled coverage for the event on ICC digital and social media channels. The dedicated event website, accessed via http://www.icc-cricket.com will feature live scoring for all 51 matches, while the 20 broadcast matches will also have short form highlights and in-depth coverage on the official website. Another exclusive feature on the website will be the #PlayoftheDay activation, giving fans the opportunity to pick the best ‘play’ each day during the broadcast matches.

Providing further coverage to the event will be a dedicated and newly released ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier App, an upgrade to the hugely successful ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 App. It will feature live scores, in-match clips, exclusive video content and much more.

Fans can also catch up on the event and get involved via ICC’s digital and social media channels on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram and YouTube.

FIFA/COCA-COLA WORLD RANKING July 2015

* Argentina are the new leaders of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.

* New entries in the top ten are
Romania (8th, up 4), England (9th, up 6) and Wales, whose win over Belgium in the EURO 2016 qualifiers has seen them surge 12 positions to tenth place.

* The biggest mover by point this month is Wales (up 226 points)

* The biggest mover by rank this month is Belize (up 37 ranks)

* Germany made the biggest drop by point this month (down 364 points)

* Central African Republic made the biggest drop by rank this month (drop down 29 ranks)

FIFA

1 Argentina 1473 points

2 Germany 1411 points

3 Belgium 1244 points

4 Colombia 1217 points

5 Netherlands 1204 points

6 Brazil 1186 points

7 Portugal 1177 points

8 Romania 1166 points

9 England 1157 points

10 Wales 1155 points

11 Chile 1129 points

12 Spain 1110 points

13 Uruguay 1036 points

14 Croatia 1023 points

15 Slovakia 1016 points

15 Austria 1016 points

17 Italy 1001 points

18 Switzerland 997 points

19 Algeria 941 points

20 Czech Republic 933 points

Top Ten African teams in World Ranking;

1. Algeria (19) 941 points

2. Côte d’Ivoire (21) 917 points

3. Ghana (25) 827 points

4. Tunisia (32) 758 points

5. Senegal (39) 715 points

6. Cameroon (42) 672 points

7. Republic of Congo (47) 630 points

8. Cape Verde (52) 608 points

9. Egypt (55) 606 points

10. Nigeria (57) 601 points