Drogba signs for Shanghai Shenhua

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba joins Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua in a two-and-a-half year deal.

FA Cup: Didier Drogba, Tottenham v Chelsea

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Didier Drogba will announce he will join Chinese big spenders Shanghai Shenhua on a two-and-a-half year deal on Wednesday according to reports.

The 34-year-old Ivory Coast striker has long been linked with a move to Shanghai, where he would re-unite with former Chelsea team-mate Nicolas Anelka who joined the club in a big-money move in December.

According to Chinese reports, Drogba will confirm the deal on his personal website on Wednesday, with Shenhua refusing to make any official statement until the player releases the news first.

Speaking on a promotional visit to India earlier in the week, Drogba confirmed an announcement on his future would happen "soon".

The Chinese mid-season transfer window opened on Monday, with speculation claiming the deal would be announced early in the week, however according to Sina Sports that has been delayed with his management team reviewing the lengthy contract.

It is understood the Drogba contract is a complicated deal, with 50 pages written in French, English and Chinese. The deal is reportedly worth €12 million although according to the China Daily the club's owner Zhu Jun said: "I have never mentioned the price on my Weibo (the Chinese equivalent of Twitter)."

The Ivorian will ignore alleged interest from a number of clubs to move to China, including Real Madrid and Anzhi Makhachkala.

Drogba, who helped Chelsea win the 2011-12 Champions League title last month, is expected to make his debut for the club against Beijing Guoan on July 14.

Shenhua, who have had a dismal first half of the 2012 Chinese Super League season despite the presence of Anelka, are also expected to unveil Racing's Colombian midfielder Gio Moreno this week according to Argentine reports.

Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan: I want to stay with Al Ain

The striker wants to extend his stay in the Gulf region and has ruled out a possible return to the Black Cats after his contract expired with Al Ain

Lucas Neill ,Asamoah Gyan, AlJazira, Al Ain, UAE

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Ghana international Asamoah Gyan is hoping to ink a permanent deal with Al Ain.

The 26-year-old has ruled out a possible return to Europe, saying that he has adapted well with the UAE league system.

"Al Ain have shown an interest [signing me on permanently]," said Gyan, who finished the season with 22 goals as top scorer said ahead of a charity game in Ghana.

"I am also interested in [staying]. I like the place and my family are also in love with the place," he told reporters.

The former Liberty Professionals player has been on a season-long loan from Sunderland and with the expiration of his contract, he hopes to pen a renewal or sign a permanent pact to stay in the Gulf region.

Gyan is currently in his west African nation of Ghana to help raise funds in a charity game between some Black Stars players and artists from the entertainment industry on Sunday.

The UAE champions chief says an announcement on the Ghanaian's future will be made in early July after confirming they are close to completing a new deal

'I don't want to play in the Championship again' - Yakubu eyeing Blackburn exit

Nigerian striker admits he has 'felt at home' at Ewood Park but insists he has no desire to drop to England's second tier after scoring 17 Premier League goals last season

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Yakubu has hinted that he is looking to leave Blackburn, insisting he does not want to play in the Championship after Rovers' relegation from the Premier League.

The Nigerian hit 17 goals in the league but could not prevent Steve Kean's side dropping out of the top-flight after an 11-year stay.
Despite having previously positive experience of the second tier with Portsmouth, Yakubu admitted he had no intention of dropping back to that level.
"I still have two years left with Blackburn, but I played in the Championship before," he told reporters.
"It was good but I don't want to play in there again."
The 29-year-old did concede that he has enjoyed his time in Lancashire after moving to Ewood Park in a £1.5 million deal from Everton on transfer deadline day in August.
"In football, you never know what is going to be," he continued. "But Blackburn really has been a part of me.
"I felt at home there but we'll see what is going to happen. I think it's too early to say whether I'll be moving on. I may be in the Championship. I may be in the Premier League."
unofficial report states that Yakubu is expected to join Shanghai Shenhua.

Kimanzi sacked as Kenya coach

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Lavagne optimistic despite laboured Guinea-Bissau win

Cameroon coach Denis Lavagne says his side is 'getting better' despite Saturday's tight Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win over Guinea-Bissau.
Playing a team ranked below Afghanistan by Fifa, the four-time African champions took 80 minutes to open the scoring in a 1-0 win.
"There are still things to improve," said the French coach.
"We're still lacking a bit of quality up front, particularly with the final ball, but we're getting better."

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“It's a new group with some young players up front - and they need to learn, work and play together to develop understanding”

Denis Lavagne

"We are on the right path."

Many Indomitable Lions fans would disagree, in a month where Cameroon lost to Libya in a 2014 World Cup qualifier before the disappointing defeat of Guinea-Bissau.
Lavagne's side started the month with a 1-0 defeat of DR Congo in World Cup qualifying but the last-gasp 2-1 defeat by Libya has left Cameroon third in Group I after just two rounds.
Fans had demanded an improvement after the defeat by Libya, a game that was played on neutral territory in Tunisia, but the 2-0 aggregate win over Guinea-Bissau failed to convince.
Nonetheless, the Cameroon coach said his team was evolving after the narrowest of wins against a team ranked over 100 places below the Indomitable Lions by Fifa.
"It's going to take a bit of time with this team," he said.
"It's a new group with some young players up front - and they need to learn, work and play together to develop understanding.
"We can be satisfied with the spirit the boys have shown during the three matches.
"Throughout 90 minutes, Guinea-Bissau did not have one shot on target.
"Even against Libya, we played a quality match although our efforts went unrewarded as we conceded from a corner in the dying minutes."
Cameroon, a team that became the first African team to reach the World Cup quarter-finals in 1990, has been hit by numerous problems in recent years.

Late last year, a decision by the players to boycott a friendly in Algeria because of a bonus row with the federation led to an eight-month ban for Samuel Eto'o.
The four-time African Footballer of the Year will be available to play when the third and final round of Nations Cup qualifying takes place in September and October.
The Indomitable Lions failed to qualify for this year's Nations Cup, which took place in neighbouring countries Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

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