Euro 2016 final; Portugal vs France

Portugal are looking to land their first ever European Championship when they take on France this evening. Here's all the info you need to know

Party pooper? Ronaldo is looking to break French hearts

The final of Euro 2016 takes place in Paris tonight, with Portugal looking to break French hearts by winning their first European title.
The French will start as favourites following a stop-start campaign by Cristiano Ronaldo and company, who are looking to avoid a repeat of the 2004 final when they were stunned by Greece on home soil.
France have lifted the Henri Delaunay trophy twice before and will be confident of adding a third success to their 1984 and 2000 victories.
Didier Deschamps' men impressed in their semi-final win over Germany will have the overwhelming majority of the Stade de France cheering them on this evening.
But when and where can you watch the action? Here's all you need to know from the climax of Euro 2016...

What time is Portugal vs France?

The final between Portugal and France kicks off at 8pm (UK time) on Sunday evening.
The match will be played at the Stade de France in Paris.

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The stage is set...

Where can I watch it?

The game will be broadcast on both BBC1 and ITV, with live coverage beginning on both channels at 7pm.
Mirror Football will be running a LIVE blog so you can still keep up with the action if you can't watch the game on TV.

Click to play

Portugal's road to the final

Group F: Portugal 1-1 Iceland
Group F: Portugal 0-0 Austria
Group F: Hungary 3-3 Portugal
Last-16: Croatia 0-1 Portugal - aet
Quarter-final: Poland 1-1 Portugal (3-5 on penalties)
Semi-final: Portugal 2-0 Wales

Reuters

Wales of a time: Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani netted in the semi-final

France's road to the final

Group A: France 2-1
Group A: France 2-0 Albania
Group A: Switzerland 0-0 France
Last-16: France 2-1 Republic of Ireland
Quarter-final: France 5-2 Iceland
Semi-final: Germany 0-2 France

Getty

Shooting the Griez: Antoine Griezmann is the tournament's leading scorer

Team news

Portugal: Pepe is expected to return to the Portugal XI after missing the semi-final win over Wales with a thigh problem. William Carvalho is available again following a suspension, so coach Fernando Santos must decide whether to recall him or keep the faith with Danilo.
France: Didier Deschamps has all 23 players fit again. The biggest selection dilemma is whether to continue with Newcastle midfielder Moussa Sissoko who impressed against Germany, or recall Leicester's N'Golo Kante.

Getty

Return? N'Golo Kante started on the bench against Germanty

What are the odds?

Portugal: 39/20
France: 11/25
Odds to lift the trophy, collected from Unibet

This is what it's all about...

Quote corner

France coach Didier Deschamps: "We don't have the power to solve the French people's problems but we can ease their worries.
"The players are well aware of that power, and what they can give to the French people by wearing these colours. When you see the passion, inside and outside the stadium, this team has everything it takes to be loved, the players are performing well on the pitch and I'm very proud."

Black Stars Defeat Mauritius 2-0 to Qualify for AFCON 2017

The Black Stars of Ghana have booked a qualification to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2017 to be hosted by Gabon after beating Mauritius 2-0 on Sunday.
The first goal of the match was scored by caretaker skipper Andre Dede Ayew on the 71st minute with a strike from close range.
Christian Atsu increased the tally three minutes later after an excellent pass from Chelsea star Baba Rahman. The Black Stars needed just a draw to book their qualification to the AFCON 2017.
By this win, Ghana joins five continental giants who have already sealed their places at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.
These include; Cameroon, Morocco, Algeria and hosts Gabon who have already booked their tickets to Africa’s premier football competition.

Benin suspended from global football by Fifa

Benin suspended from global football by Fifa

Source: BBC

Fifa has suspended the Benin Football Federation (FBF) from global football after a court ruling in the country blocked upcoming elections.

A statement from football's world governing body said: "The Benin Football Association (FBF) was suspended with immediate effect due to a recent injunction by a local judicial court which impeded the holding of the due election."

It means Benin are set to miss June's 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Equatorial Guinea.

The decision was made at the inaugural Fifa Council meeting, which is being held in Mexico.

A court ruling in Benin on 4 May prevented the FBF from holding presidential elections and the suspension will be lifted only once a new Executive Committee has been installed.

Benin are currently second in Group C, two points behind group leaders Mali.

The Squirrels are due to host Equatorial Guinea on the weekend of 3-5 June and then travel to face Mali in September.

Only the group winners guaranteed a place at the 2017 finals in Gabon.

The Fifa Council meeting also ratified a recent of the decision of the bureau of the Council to appoint a normalisation committee to run the daily affairs of the Guinea Football Federation.

Medeama coach quits?

Medeama coach quits?

Medeama football club have announced that coach Tom Strand has gone Absent Without Leave (AWOL), with the Swedish trainer announcing his resignation 24 hours after his side lost 3-1 to Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Confederation Cup play-off tie.

The club has reported the matter to the South African Police with Ghana's High Commission duly notified.

Medeama has released a statement detailing the circumstances leading to the disappearance of the 33 year old coach.

"Medeama would like to announce our coach Tom Strand has gone AWOL in South Africa after the team's defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Confederation Cup play-off tie," the statement read.

"A resignation note has been found in his room after he checked out of the Holiday Inn Express Hotel without our consent.

"A report has been lodged with the South African Police who have assured us of acting swiftly to know his whereabouts.

"Accordingly, the Ghana High Commission in South Africa has also been duly notified of the current situation.

"The club is in constant touch and cooperating fully with authorities to unravel the mystery surrounding his whereabouts.

"We would like to assure our teeming fans and Ghanaians to remain calm in these trying times."

In a related development, Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane is confident his side will defend their 3-1 lead in Sekondi against Medeama in the CAF Champions League play-off return leg.

The ‘Brazilians’ staged a strong comeback to score three goals in six minutes after Eric Kwakwa had given the visitors the lead.

Ahead of the second leg clash at the Sekondi Stadium on 18 May, Mosimane is confident of making it to the next stage of the competition.

"If we focus and concentrate, we should be able to come out. You know what I like, this team [Medeama] plays,” he said.

"They didn't come here to sit back. They played, they passed the ball well. In Ghana football they are not sitting back.

"It will be an open game there; that will be nice. I think we can get one; I think we can do that there.

"But we don't have to score as long as they don't score."

The winner of the tie will progress to the Group stage of the Confederations Cup. 

Hearts coach Kenichi Yatsuhashi rejects salary

Hearts coach Kenichi Yatsuhashi rejects salary

Source: Starr FM

Hearts of Oak head coach, Kenichi Yatsuhashi, has rejected his monthly salary and bonuses in solidarity with his backroom staff's outstanding wage.

The Japanese trainer was handed his outstanding pay on Monday by the management of the club, leaving his backroom staff, but he refused it because he thinks the entire team should be remunerated ahead of their next league game.

After seven matches in the ongoing Ghana Premier League, the Phobians have won four games, drawn two, lost just a game and players are yet to be paid last month’s salary.

The Phobians will face WAFA in their eighth week midweek fixture at the Accra Sports Stadium on April 20.

Meanwhile, the coach has submitted some three players to the strategic committee to be purchased for the second round.

Anthony Joshua beats Charles Martin to become world heavyweight champion

Anthony Joshua stopped Charles Martin in two rounds at London’s O2 Arena to claim the IBF heavyweight title in only his 16th professional fight. The Briton floored his American...

By Gameli April 10, 2016

Anthony Joshua stopped Charles Martin in two rounds at London’s O2 Arena to claim the IBF heavyweight title in only his 16th professional fight.
The Briton floored his American opponent with a peach of a right-hand counter and after Martin was knocked down again, the referee called a halt.
The 26-year-old is his country’s sixth bona fide heavyweight world champion.

Joshua is also just the third man to win a pro heavyweight world title while still a reigning Olympic champion.

And he is the first Briton to win both the super-heavyweight Olympic gold and a version of the world heavyweight title – London-born Lennox Lewis was fighting for Canada when he won the 1988 Olympic super-heavyweight title in Seoul.

Joshua’s victory now brings a super-fight against fellow Briton and WBA and WBO champion Tyson Fury a step closer.

Champion Martin, who was making the first defence of the title he won in January, entered the ring wearing a tall crown, a fur-trimmed, velvet cape and a smile as broad as his shoulders. But the smile soon disappeared.

Some thought previously unbeaten Martin, 29, would trouble Joshua with his southpaw stance – he was the first left-hander Joshua had faced in the paid ranks – but he barely threw a punch in anger.
It took Joshua half of the first round to find his range but when he did, he landed with three or four big right hands that appeared to rattle the champion.

The challenger staggered Martin with a sweet left hook early in the second, before a beautifully timed right put him on the seat of his pants.

Martin rose at eight but after another massive right put him down again, referee Jean-Pierre van Imschoot counted him out on his feet, one minute and 32 seconds into the round.

Remarkably, Joshua now has 16 knockouts from 16 pro fights and has only boxed 34 rounds in total. His only fight to go past three rounds was a seventh-round stoppage of Dillian Whyte last time out.
Joshua joins Ali in history books

Joshua joins Muhammad Ali and Leon Spinks as the only men to be professional heavyweight world champions while still reigning Olympic champions.

Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, won light-heavyweight gold in 1960 before dethroning Sonny Liston in 1964; Spinks won light-heavyweight gold in 1976 before dethroning Ali in 1978, in only his eighth paid fight.

While nobody has won a world heavyweight title faster than Spinks, Joshua surpasses Ali (20 fights), Lennox Lewis (22) and Mike Tyson (28).

Frank Bruno, Lewis, David Haye and Bob Fitzsimmons complete the list of Britain’s heavyweight world champions. Herbie Hide and Henry Akinwande were WBO title-holders when the belt was not taken seriously by many of the elite fighters in the division.

Source: BBC

Hearts faces three-match ban

Hearts faces three-match ban

Source: Ghana Sports

Accra Hearts of Oak could be handed a three-match ban from the Accra Sports Stadium following an unsporting behavior by the Clubs fans in their 3-1 defeat at home to WA All Stars last Sunday.

Fans of the Club were involved in hooliganism after attacking center referee Ernest Baffi and his assistants expressing their displeasure about the performance of the match officials.

Goals from Kweku Asuandzi, Richard Arthur and Emmanuel Ocran dented Hearts’s unbeaten run in the Ghana Premier League.

The match review committee of the Ghana Football Association after assessing the situation are on the verge of slapping the Club (Hearts of Oak) with a three home match ban.

The situation could see Hearts play their games against WAFA, Kotoko and Hasaacas away from home.