Modric likely to return for Real v Schalke

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric is likely to return from a lengthy injury layoff in the Champions League last 16 second leg at home to Schalke 04 on March 10, coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Saturday.

Modric, who hurt a thigh muscle playing for Croatia against Italy in November, returned to training on February 19 but has not been called up for Sunday's La Liga game at home to Villarreal.

"He won't be in the squad," Ancelotti told a news conference.

"He has worked well with the team the past week but he needs to work more," added the Italian. "We are thinking about him for the Schalke game."

Real, who won this month's first leg at Schalke 2-0, have missed the control Modric gives them in central midfield.

At the same time his absence has given Isco a chance to prove his worth and the Spain playmaker has won over the Real fans with some classy performances.

Ancelotti said Isco would retain his place in the team, giving the coach a potential headache over who to leave out with Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez, Sami Khedira, Asier Illarramendi and new signing Lucas Silva vying for a midfield spot.

"If he (Isco) is fit he will always play, it's non-negotiable," Ancelotti said. "It's tough to say which position is best for him because he has shown he can play in many.

"He has also surprised us playing as one of two holding midfielders but I think we should use him more in attack than in defence."

Real could have their lead at the top of La Liga cut to a point by the time they take to the pitch on Sunday as second-placed Barcelona are playing at Granada later on Saturday.

Champions Atletico Madrid, in third, are a further three points adrift of Barca ahead of Sunday's match at fifth-placed Sevilla.

Tuks crowned Diski Challenge champs

University of Pretoria became the first team to lift the MultiChoice Diksi Challenge trophy after beating Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 on penalties in the final at the Nike Football Training Centre in Pimville, Soweto on Saturday afternoon.

The match had finished 2-2 after extra time.

Botshelo Mfulwane opened the scoring in the 13th minute when he tapped Sifiso Nzimande's cross into the back of the net, scoring his fourth goal of the competition.

Sundowns were level six minutes later after defender Rheece Evans headed Percy Tau's free past Lebogang Ngubeni, whose slight touch wasn't enough to keep the ball out.

The match failed to produce any goals in the second half and the teams went into extra time.

Sundowns got their second when veteran striker Rodney Ramagalela beat an offside crap from Tau's through pass and raced towards and put the ball past an advancing Ngubeni in 100th minute..

Tuks equalised eleven minutes later after Jason Skippers handled Dikgang Ngcobo's strike. The strike took the responsibility and converted the spotkick to make it 2-2.

The winner had to be decided via the penalty shootouts, which were dominated by missed attempts.

Mfulwane and Ronald Ketjijere scored their spotkicks for Tuks while Sundowns' only successful penalty was scored by Lebohang Mokoena.

Teams

Tuks: Ngubeni, Nkwana, Sibande, Kekana, Robertson, Ketjijere, Motlhatsang, Nzimande, Mfulwane, Ngcobo, Mathosi

Sundowns: Ngobeni, Evans, Babile, Skippers, Matima, Ngubane, Zulu, Mbhele, Tau, Ntlaba, Mokoena

Sammer unimpressed with Bayern

Bayern Munich may have scored 20 goals in four Bundesliga games, but director of sport Matthias Sammer is unimpressed with their latest lopsided victory.

Bayern started the month with a 2-0 win at Stuttgart, then drubbed Hamburg 8-0, thrashed Paderborn 6-0 and on Friday ran out 4-1 winners at home to Cologne to leave them 11 points clear.

Cologne coach Peter Stoeger came to Munich hoping for a miracle, but Bayern scored from just their fourth corner after 2min 22 seconds.

Bastian Schweinsteiger's bullet header put Bayern ahead before Franck Ribery added their second inside 10 minutes at the Allianz Arena.

But Bayern took their foot off the gas and allowed Cologne to hit back when Nigeria striker Anthony Ujah produced a superb header on the stroke of halftime.

The score boosted the visitors until Arjen Robben and Robert Lewandowski added to the hosts' tally in the second-half.

Sammer insists the defending champions should not have allowed Cologne back into the game.

"We made a very good impression in the first 25 minutes and were very consistent, but that we almost were pegged back to 2-2 and that shouldn't have happened," said Sammer.

"We should never be dependent on what an opponent does, but on what we do.

"We're happy that we won, but we can't get carried away with ourselves."

Robben added to his tally as the league's top scorer with 17 goals in 19 games ahead of Lewandowski (11), Mario Goetze and Thomas Mueller (both on nine goals).

The 31-year-old Robben is in superb form and picked up his eighth assist of the season with a cross which allowed Lewandowski to chest the ball over the line for their fourth.

But Robben said the victory was down to Bayern's Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer who pulled off a string of good saves to deny Cologne's attack in the second half.

"It was a weird game, we started well, went 2-0 up and you think that we'd push on from there," said the fleet-footed Dutchman.

"But in the last 10 minutes of the first half we slowed down and conceded a goal at the worst time, so you go into the break without feeling good.

"We didn't start the second half very well, but I must say Manuel Neuer brought us the win, it was amazing how he managed to keep their shots out."

Coach Pep Guardiola relied on his customary three-prong emphasis to describe Cologne as a "very, very, very" difficult side.

"We started well, lost a bit of control, but after Arjen made it 3-1, it was a completely different game," said the Spaniard.

"We won today, because of Manu (Neuer's) two exceptional saves."

Bayern are set to score a few more goals when they host second division Eintracht Braunschweig on Wednesday with a place in the German Cup quarterfinals at stake.

Gomez to continue inspiring Fiorentina

It has already been a very good year for Mario Gomez and the in-form striker is aiming to extend his excellent goalscoring form as Fiorentina career prepare to fight on multiple fronts.

The Germany striker looked to be stuck in the wilderness following his move from Bayern Munich in 2013 with persistent knee injuries hampering his debut season in Italy and he was left out of his country's squad for the 2014 World Cup.

But the fit-again 29-year-old is showing signs of rediscovering the predatory touch that saw him finish the season with 41 goals in all competitions for Munich three years ago.

In nine Fiorentina games so far in 2015 Gomez has scored six goals, helping Vincenzo Montella's squad move from eighth to fifth in Serie A, six points back from third-placed Napoli and a chance to qualify for next season's Champions League.

"I knew I was not done and I wanted to show Fiorentina that I could help them," Gomez said of his injury-plagued first season with the club.

"The fans have always been behind me because they understood, right from the start, how eager I was to play."

Gomez was crucial in Thursday's Europa League game against Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, scoring the opening goal and creating the second for Mohamed Salah as Fiorentina reached the last-16 where they will face Italian rivals AS Roma.

The striker has already been a nightmare for Roma defenders this year as he netted a brace in Fiorentina's 2-0 away win in the Coppa Italia quarterfinals and scored the lone goal in their league draw back in January.

Fiorentina visit in-form Inter Milan on Sunday, with their hosts having won three consecutive games and moving up to eighth, four points behind Fiorentina.

"It'll be a tough game. After changing managers they needed time to get to know him (new manager Roberto Mancini) but now they are playing well. I just hope we'll be better," Gomez said.

An even tougher opponent awaits Fiorentina as they face Serie A leader Juventus away on Wednesday in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals.

"We are fighting with Roma (Europa League), Juventus (Coppa Italia) and Napoli (third place in the league); they are the three best teams in Italy. If we want to win, we have to beat the best."

Law-makers reject fourth sub proposal

Football's rule-making body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), rejected the idea of a fourth substitution in extra time on Saturday but is considering dropping the one-match ban for so-called "triple punishments".

The body, which consists of the four British associations and four from world governing body Fifa, also wants more time to discuss video trials being carried out in the Netherlands by the Dutch FA (KNVB).

The fourth substitute proposal, requiring a change to Law 3, did not get approval but will be referred back for further analysis by IFAB's newly-introduced advisory panels.

There are concerns it would lead to demands for an even greater number of substitutions during matches.

However, one significant change to Law 3 approved allowing "return substitutions" in grassroots and amateur football following trials by the English and Scottish FAs.

Patrick Nelson, the chief executive of the Irish FA, told a news briefing afterwards: "We think this is a ground-breaking decision that will have a significant effect on the way grassroots football is played by thousands of amateur and recreational players".

HARSH SANCTION

The controversial triple punishment applies when a player concedes a penalty, is sent off and is then banned for one match for denying a clear scoring chance in the penalty area.

IFAB agreed, in principle, that the one-match ban was too strong a sanction and could be dropped.

Nelson explained: "IFAB agrees that this triple punishment is too harsh and we must find a solution. A proposal from Uefa that a yellow card rather than a red card should be shown was rejected.

"But after significant discussion it was agreed that Fifa's Disciplinary and Legal Committees should investigate the removal of the automatic one-match ban."

If that process is completed in time to be approved by the Fifa Congress in May, the change will come in to force next season.

The Dutch FA wanted to extend an experiment which involves a video assistant watching a TV monitor and liaising with the referee via a headset to help him make the right decision on crucial plays.

They hope to use the system in their FA Cup competition but the idea was also referred back for further discussion.

IFAB, formed in 1886, pre-dates Fifa's founding by 18 years, and is the game's ultimate law-making body with proposed changes needing a 75 percent majority to make it into the statute book.

Ntseki confident ahead of Mali clash

Amajimbos coach Molefi Ntseki says the team is fully prepared for the final and that they know what to expect from Mali on Sunday.

In his own words, Amajimbos are 90 minutes away from glory and having their names written in continental history books.

Amajimbos will face Mali for the second time at the 2015 CAF U17 CAN in the final on Sunday at the General Seyni Kountche Stadium in Niamey, Niger.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm (SA time).

The two nations played to a 2-2 draw in their second group B match in what proved to be a defining moment for the young South Africans as they had to come from two goals down to earn an unlikely draw.

Amajimbos capped their fine run in the group stages with an emphatic 3-1 win against Cameroon to secure a place in the semifinals where they played and beat Nigeria 1-0.

Mali qualified top of the group for the semifinals with victories against Cameroon (3-1), Ivory Coast (1-0) and the 2-2 draw against South Africa.

The Malians met Guinea in the semifinals and emerged 2-1 victors to book a place in the final against Amajimbos.

Amajimbos coach Ntseki says there is no pressure on the boys as they have delivered on their ultimate objective. Ntseki added that they will not rest on their laurels and that they had done their homework ahead of the final.

“Playing in the final is a cherry on top for us, as our slogan coming to this tournament was ‘ROAD TO CHILE’ -- a goal we have accomplished with flying colours. But it would be nice to go all the way.

“We have played Mali before and we know what to expect from them in tomorrow’s final. We have also sat down as a team and analysed our strengths and weaknesses. The boys are ready for round two, and I am confident that we will have a good game tomorrow,” said Ntseki.

Ntseki also thanked the nation of South Africa for all the support they have shown to the team throughout the tournament and urges everyone to believe in this team.

“Regardless of what happens tomorrow, the country’s future is looking really wonderful,” added the modest Ntseki.

Tunisia to play China, Japan friendlies

The Tunisian Football Federation has announced that its men's senior national team will play two friendly matches against Japan and China.

The FTF revealed the first match will be against Japan on March 27 before the Carthage Eagles go toe to toe against China four days later.

The Carthage Eagles had an offer to play against their Ukrainian counterparts but the friendly proposal was turned down due to political issues in the European nation.

Tunisia finished as quarterfinalists in the last edition of the Africa Cup of Nations when they lost to hosts Equatorial Guinea.

The Tunisians are facing threat of a suspension from the next edition of the Afcon in 2017 from Caf following comments made by its football federation in the wake of their quarterfinal exit.

Caf has given the Tunisians a March 31 deadline to tender an official apology over the incident or face suspension from the 2017 Afcon.

Bale's attitude has improved - Ancelotti

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has hailed the improvement in Gareth Bale's attitude as the European champions have bounced back from a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid with three consecutive wins.

Bale was heavily criticised after the defeat at the Vicente Calderon earlier this month for his lack of effort when Real didn't have the ball, but Ancelotti said he has responded in the right fashion.

"In the last few games, Bale has shown a good attitude. He has fought, won and sacrificed like everyone else," the Italian said on Saturday.

"He needs to continue like this. We need a Bale that always has a positive attitude."

Bale will be fit to take his place in the side as Los Blancos host Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday despite missing training earlier in the week after being on the end of a horrible challenge from Aaron Niguez in last weekend's 2-0 win at Elche.

Niguez took to Twitter after the game to apologise to the Welshman and Ancelotti said the former Tottenham Hotspur man was lucky to escape without a more serious injury.

"He was lucky with the challenge the other day. It is something that can happen during a game, it was a strong and hard challenge.

"We don't need to blame the player just because he didn't make a good tackle, but, luckily, it was just a knock."

Madrid are still dogged by injuries in midfield as Luka Modric, James Rodriguez and Sami Khedira remain on the sidelines.

Ancelotti is hopeful of having Modric and Colombian World Cup star Rodriguez fit for their El Clasico clash against Barcelona on March 22.

However, he insisted they may have to fight it out for one place in midfield given Spanish international Isco's superb form in recent weeks.

"He has surprised people as a central midfielder with his good defensive attitude and positioning. We need to use his characteristics in attack more than in defence.

"He has shown a positive attitude and that is key to improving. If he keeps playing like this it is unnegotiable that he will play."

‘Sturridge may face City’

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says the club must not "break" Daniel Sturridge although the striker could feature against former club Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday despite concerns over his fitness.

Sturridge, who began his career at City, was sidelined for five months at the beginning of the season with calf and thigh injuries and then suffered a series of setbacks in his bid to recover.

The England international, who has a history of breaking down with injury, scored on his comeback against West Ham United at the end of January and his return to the side coincided with a seven-match unbeaten run during which Liverpool won six games.

The sequence came to an end with a penalty shootout defeat to Turkish team Besiktas on Thursday as Rodgers's team crashed out in the last 32 of the Europa League.

Sturridge was replaced in extra time, sparking worries that he might have sustained another injury, but Rodgers explained that he must use him sparingly.

"Daniel had given everything," Rodgers told a news conference on Saturday. "This is a player coming back from five months out injured.

"We have to be really, really careful he doesn't break. Daniel's history shows that.

"There has been very little training in between games. He had no more left in his legs and we needed to take him off to prevent him getting an injury when he was very tired."

Rodgers said Liverpool would recall Philippe Coutinho, who missed the visit to Turkey, for the visit of second-placed City and that fellow midfielder Jordan Henderson may need a late fitness test.

The Liverpool boss warned his sixth-placed team might suffer after having only two days to recover from their trip.

"You don't need to be a sports scientist to work out that if you arrive back at 04:30 on Friday morning and have a game early on Sunday then physically there's going to be a cost," Rodgers explained.

"But if you look at where the team is at there is no psychological damage from the other night. You can't dwell on it.

"The players gave everything over the two games. It is a different competition (on Sunday). We will move on and hopefully finish the season strongly."

No plan by Garzitto to dump Merrikh

Al-Merrikh Sporting Club head coach Diego Garzitto has assured that he will not leave his position if they are eliminated from the Caf Champions League.

The Sudanese club will play against Zambian side Azam after they lost the first match in Zambia 2-0.

Reports suggest that the Frenchman will leave the Sudanese side if they fail to make progress in Africa's premier club competition.

"That is not true, I will not leave the team even we lost. I like working with Al-Merrikh," Garzitto said.

"About the Azam match, I trust in my players and we can do well in the match and turn things around with this squad. I can't win the title to be honest but we can go far."

Garzitto took charge of Al-Merrikh a few months ago.

Murray scores twice in Palace win

Glenn Murray netted twice to fire Crystal Palace to a 3-1 win against West Ham before his memorable afternoon ended with a red card at Upton Park on Saturday.

Alan Pardew's side swept into a three-goal lead as Murray opened the scoring in the first half and struck again after Scott Dann had increased Palace's lead after the break.

Murray was then sent off for a second booking and Hammers striker Enner Valencia reduced the deficit, but Palace survived a late barrage to secure a sweet result for Pardew, who had been sacked by West Ham in 2006.

The fifth successive away win of Pardew's Palace reign lifted the south London club further away from the relegation zone, while West Ham are without a victory in their six matches in all competitions.

Sam Allardyce's men went close to taking the lead when Mark Noble's 20-yard free-kick cannoned off the woodwork with Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni rooted to the spot.

But Palace were soon in the ascendency and Murray fired straight at Hammers goalkeeper Adrian after running onto Jason Puncheon's pass.

Murray didn't need to rue that miss for long as he put Palace ahead in the 41st minute when he met Puncheon's corner with a header which Hammers defender Aaron Cresswell diverted into his own net with a woefully mistimed attempt to hack clear.

Murray's second goal in his last two appearances was even more frustrating for West Ham as he had escaped a red card earlier in the half after a crude challenge just moments after being booked by referee Mike Dean.

Palace doubled their lead six minutes after the interval when centre-back Dann climbed above Winston Reid to meet Puncheon's corner with a header that was too powerful for Adrian to keep out.

Allardyce sent on Brazilian winger Nene for his debut after an hour, but within three minutes Murray had ended the contest as he dived full length to head Puncheon's free-kick into the far corner.

Nene hit a post with a curling strike before Murray’s day reached an unwanted conclusion when he was sent off for a second booking after lunging in on Reid in the 69th minute.

The Hammers got one back in the 76th minute as Valencia smashed home from the edge of the penalty area, but it was way too late to prevent a chorus of boos from the home fans at fulltime.

Chiefs progress in Champions League

A single goal from Siyabonga Nkosi handed Kaizer Chiefs a 1-0 win over Township Rollers in a CAF Champions League second-leg preliminary tie at the National Stadium in Gaborone on Saturday.

The result, combined with their 2-1 win at home in the first leg, saw the side from South Africa into the next round of the Champions League 3-1 on aggregate over the two legs.

The Amakhosi controlled proceedings in the opening half and dictated the flow of play from the onset, but they struggled to break down a stubborn Township Rollers defence early on.

The first real effort on goal came in the 15th minute when a 30-yard shot from Siphiwe Tshabalala was well-saved by Township Rollers keeper.

Eight minutes later Matthew Rusike came close to opening the scoring when a thunderous shot from the striker on the edge of the box struck the side netting.

Chiefs made their dominance pay off just before the half hour mark when a left wing cross from Tshabalala into the box was headed down by Rusike for Siyabonga Nkosi who duly fired home on the volley from 14 yards out.

The home side were really chasing shadows in the first half and did not have a shot on goal.

Instead, Nkosi had the last significant chance two minutes before the break after swift passing by Chiefs saw him in space on the edge of the box, but his low shot was brilliantly saved by the keeper.

The second half saw Township Rollers come into the game a bit more as they chased the two goals they would need at the very least to stand a chance of progressing onto the next stage of the tournament.

The home side came close to levelling matters on the day in the 58th minute when Louis Jerome met a right-wing cross into the box, but his header went narrowly wide of the goal from ten yards out.

Chiefs sat back in defence after that and invited the pressure as Township Rollers pushed players forward.

In the end the side from Soweto held on for the 1-0 win on the day and the 3-1 win on aggregate over the two legs to progress into the next round of the CAF Champions League.

Township Rollers (0) 0 Kaizer Chiefs (1) 1 (Nkosi 28’) *Kaizer Chiefs progress 3-1 on aggregate

Teams

Township Rollers: Masule, Mooketsi, Mathumo, Ncenga, Moswate, Majawa, Ditshupo, Kebaikanye (Sekhana 63’), Boy, Sikele (Ngwenya 63’), Louis.

Kaizer Chiefs: Khuzwayo, Gaxa, Mathoho, Mashamaite, Masilela (Moleko 85’), Masango, Nkosi, Katsande, Tshabalala, Parker, Rusike (Mphela 75’).

Tuks too strong for Aces

University of Pretoria kept up their fine form in the Absa Premiership when they defeated Black Aces 2-1 at Tuks Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday afternoon.

AmaTuks have now put together a seven-game unbeaten run in the league, with goals from Thabo Mnyamane and Vuyisile Ntombayithethi taking them to three points against an AmaZayoni team which has not won in the top division since early December.

Aces almost drew first blood in the fourth minute through Tendai Ndoro, who rattled the crossbar with a beautifully struck volley from outside the box after a clever touch to tee him up from Miguel Timm.

After that early scare, it was Tuks who looked the more dangerous in attack and they claimed the lead midway through the first, with Geoffrey Massa leaving Thabo Mosadi’s low cross from the right which allowed Thabo Mnyamane to arrive late in the box and steer home a left-footed shot.

Aces drew level in the 41st minute. Collins Mbesuma provided a clever touch to send strike partner Tendai Ndoro in on goal and the Zimbabwean held off a Tuks defender before beating Washington Arubi at his near post.

The visitors should have claimed the lead early in the second half when Abia Nale found himself in a great scoring position, but Arubi pulled off a great save to keep his side on level terms.

The University side threatened a second goal just before the hour mark when Atusaye Nyondo directed a cross from a corner kick toward goal, but the Malawian was denied by the crossbar, while a few minutes later Massa was denied by a fine save from Jackson Mabokgwane.

AmaTuks finally broke through with just over 10 minutes to play, as a Bennett Chenene corner kick was flicked on and substitute Vuyisile Ntombayithethi turned the ball home from close range to make it 2-1.

Aces pushed hard for a reply in the remaining time, but Tuks were able to see out the victory. The Tshwane side moves to eighth place on the log on 26 points, while AmaZayoni remain in 12th on 22 points.

University of Pretoria (1) 2 (Mnyamane 23’, Ntombayithethi 79’)

Black Aces (1) 1 (Ndoro 41’)

Tuks: Arubi, Nkausu, Jaure, Monyai, Shoyisa, Mukamba (Zwane 87’), Matsi, Mnyamane, Mosadi (Ntombayithethi 69’), Nyondo (Chenene 61’), Massa

Aces: Mabokgwane, Ngalo, Gyimah, Gumede, Tom, Nonyane, Nale, Khuboni, Timm (Tukane 60’), Mbesuma, Ndoro (Okonkwo 81’)

Manu explains AYC selection

Manu Garba, head coach of Nigeria’s Under-20 football team, insists form was the major prerequisite for the selection of the players who made the team’s final squad for the 2015 African Under-20 Championship.

On Monday, the trainer named 21 players to fly Nigeria’s flag in the competition which begins in Dakar, Senegal, on March 8.

The majority of the squad were drawn from the Nigeria Under-17 squad that emerged champions at the world stage two years ago in the United Arab Emirates but Manu insists reputation from years gone by had nothing to do with his decision on Thursday.

“All the players who were selected know they had to work very hard to make this team. Whatever they had done in the past meant nothing to me,” he told supersport.com on Friday.

Manu would however be missing important players like Chidiebere Nwakali, Musa Yahaya and Kelechi Iheanacho, key components in the team’s qualification for the tournament, but the experienced trainer is not losing sleep over the development.

“The truth is that (the three players) did not have guaranteed places in the team.

“They would have had to work hard like every other player to earn their places in the team. I also recall that during our qualifying games for the (2015 African Under-20 Championship), Iheanacho was not starting matches.

“He was starting on the bench because there were other players who were better than him in training. I don’t really care about reputations.

“I believe I have picked the best 21 players for the competition and, God willing, we will do well,” he said.

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will begin their 2015 African Under-20 Championship campaign on March 8 against hosts Senegal at Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar.

Three days later, Manu’s charges will pit their wits against Congo at the same venue in their second group game before rounding off their preliminary campaign against the Ivory Coast on March 14 at Stade Caroline Faye, M'Bour.

Ujah 'cherishes' scoring against Neuer

Nigeria striker Anthony Ujah says he will cherish scoring past Bayern Munich's Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer "for the rest of his life".

Ujah out-jumped the Bayern defence to head past Neuer on the stroke of halftime to put Cologne back in the game at 2-1 down before ultimately losing 4-1 to the Bundesliga leaders on Friday.

It was his eighth Bundesliga goal this season and his 32nd in the Cologne shirt since joining from Mainz in 2012.

But scoring past Neuer, the world goalkeeper of 2014, was a moment the Nigeria international will never forget.

"It's a great feeling. Scoring against Manuel Neuer is something any striker would be proud of at the moment," said the 24-year-old Ujah.

"It was a really, really, really proud moment that I will cherish for the rest of my life."

Only a stunning save from Neuer denied Ujah a second goal in the second-half which underlined the Germany star's status as the world's best.

"It just shows why he is the No 1 and why he is at the level he is right now," said Ujah with Cologne winless in their last five games.

"I thought it was almost in, but he showed why he's the best.

"I should be proud of being there at the right moment because that's one of the things I'm trying to work on improving.

"I know it didn't go in, but it's something I can build on and I hope will give me confidence to continue helping my team to stay in the league."

The defeat leaves Cologne 13th in the Bundesliga just a few points from the bottom three, but Ujah says he is ready for the relegation battle.

"We still have some big teams to play against like Schalke and Wolfsburg," he said.

"We know how tight it is, but the mood isn't too low after losing to Bayern, so we have to keep our heads up and continue fighting."

Atletico boosted by return of Koke

Champions Atletico Madrid will be boosted by the return from injury of midfielder Koke for Sunday's La Liga game at fifth-placed Sevilla, coach Diego Simeone said on Saturday.

Koke picked up a hamstring strain in the 4-0 victory at home to Real Madrid on February 7 and Atletico have stumbled in his absence, losing 2-0 at Celta Vigo in La Liga and falling 1-0 at Bayer Leverkusen in their Champions League last 16, first leg.

"I am very pleased," Simeone told a news conference after he named Koke, a Spain international, in the squad for the game in Seville. "He is a different type of player and we need him.

"He understands the game very well. He can play in different parts of the pitch. He is very good at set pieces.

"We are assessing whether he will play from the start tomorrow, which is likely."

Champions Atletico are third in La Liga with 14 games left, three points behind second-placed Barcelona, who play at struggling Granada later on Saturday, and seven adrift of leaders Real, who entertain Villarreal on Sunday.

Simeone's men have managed to stay in contention in La Liga and reach the Champions League knockout round despite losing three of their best players in the close season.

Top scorer Diego Costa, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and fullback Filipe Luis all departed for Chelsea, with the likes of Mario Mandzukic, Antoine Griezmann and Fernando Torres moving to the Calderon.

"I don't compare this team with last year's because there are a lot of new players," Simeone said.

"And, as I have always said, I think we can evaluate what this group did at the end because it's different from last season's squad.

"I would say the season this group is having up to now is good and the end will determine whether it is very good or just stays good."

El Hadary protests unpaid wages

Veteran Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary has decided to boycott Al Ismaily's training after they failed to pay his wages, supersport.com has been informed.

El Hadary joined Al Ismaily last summer in a free transfer deal after he ended his contract with his former club Wadi Degla.

Al Ismaily head coach Tarek Yehia confirmed the incident and frowned at El Hadary's action.

"El Hadary didn't attend the team's training in the past days. I know he did that because of his wages. I can't accept that from him, he should come and train."

"If he is facing problems about that he should come and talk with me and I will fix his problem in minutes but he can't boycott the training like this," Yehia said angrily.

"The club chairman Mohamed Abu Al Saoud promised to pay the players as we sold John Antwi and we await big money to end all our problems."

URA set up Pirates clash

Robert Sesentongo struck the winner before seeing red as 10-man URA edged Madagascar’s ASSM Elgeco Plus 1-0 on Saturday to set up a clash with South Africa’s Orlando Pirates in the first round of the Caf Confederations Cup.

The tax collectors progressed with a 4-2 aggregate having edged the Malagasy 3-2 in Kampala two weeks ago. This was also the Ugandans’ first ever away win since making their continental bow just over a decade ago.

And they did not have to wait; Ssentongo breaking the deadlock as early as the fourth minute in a match where just a draw would have seen URA through.

The striker, who also scored a brace in Kampala, was later to be sent off but the 10 men held on to claim victory.

The reigning Uganda Cup holders, however, face an even sterner opposition in Orlando Pirates in a fortnight.

Coach Alex Isabirye’s side will play the first leg away in South Africa hoping to stay in with a chance ahead of the return in Kampala two weeks later.

Dortmund goal flurry seals another win

Fast-improving Borussia Dortmund notched their fourth straight Bundesliga win after scoring three times in eight minutes late on to earn a 3-0 home victory over Ruhr Valley rivals Schalke 04 on Saturday.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put them ahead in the 78th minute, after last season's runners-up had squandered a dozen scoring chances, and the Gabon international celebrated by donning a Batman mask.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan tapped in from close range a minute later before Marco Reus made it 3-0 in the 86th.

"This was a big afternoon," beaming Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp told reporters after his side reignited their hopes of European football next season. "This is what I wished for this morning when I woke up."

Dortmund, who produced some sloppy finishing earlier in the game and also came up against superb goalkeeping from Schalke teenager Timon Wellenreuther, are up to ninth with 28 points.

The 19-year-old, promoted to first choice recently because of injuries, kept his cool when Aubameyang charged forward and managed to block his effort in the fourth minute.

Wellenreuther was lucky when Shinji Kagawa's lob sailed just wide but he pulled off a string of excellent stops especially from Reus and Aubameyang.

IMPATIENT CROWD

Dortmund kept pushing and hit the woodwork through a deflected Reus effort as the 80 000-crowd grew impatient.

Reus wasted several more good chances before Gabon international Aubameyang picked the ball up on the edge of the box and slotted in his 10th league goal of the season.

Armenian Mkhitaryan added another, as the Schalke defence buckled under pressure, before Reus finished them off four minutes from time.

Fifth-placed Schalke (35 points), who were toothless and did not produce a single shot on goal despite having striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar back from suspension, have now won only one of their last five league games.

Fellow Champions League combatants Bayer Leverkusen, buoyed by a 1-0 midweek win over Atletico Madrid, grabbed their first win in four league games as they beat Freiburg 1-0 to climb to fourth, a point ahead of Schalke.

Hertha Berlin needed an 88th-minute goal from Salomon Kalou to defeat in-form Augsburg 1-0, the win lifting them to 14th in the table.

Former champions VfB Stuttgart drew 1-1 with Hanover 96 to remain bottom.

Both teams ended the game with 10 men after Lars Stindl was sent off for Hanover and Stuttgart's Martin Harnik received a straight red card.

Leaders Bayern Munich are 11 points clear at the top after crushing Cologne 4-1 on Friday. Second-placed VfL Wolfsburg (47) travel to Werder Bremen on Sunday.

Rooney ends goal drought as United win

Wayne Rooney ended his eight-game Premier League scoring drought with a brace as Manchester United climbed back above Arsenal into third with a 2-0 victory against a dogged Sunderland on Saturday.

United were booed during stages of another underwhelming first half at Old Trafford but Rooney, restored to his favoured forward position, dispatched a 66th-minute penalty after Radamel Falcao was impeded by John O'Shea.

Fellow former United man Wes Brown was wrongly shown the red card instead of O'Shea despite the remonstrations of Sunderland's players before Rooney added his second with a simple finish in the 84th minute.

"It's great to score but the three points are the most important thing after last week (a 2-1 loss to Swansea City)," Rooney told the BBC.

"We knew Sunderland would be dogged. They defended well, but we were patient. It was a good performance.

"I think there are a lot of teams in a good run of form and there's not much difference between the top teams. We hope that, come the end of the season, we're in the right position."

United's top-four rivals Southampton continued their recent slump after they were beaten 1-0 at improving West Bromwich Albion courtesy of Saido Berahino's early goal.

Earlier Glenn Murray scored twice and was sent off as resurgent Crystal Palace registered a 3-1 Premier League win at a toothless West Ham United to heap more woe on the stuttering east London side, who began the season brightly.

Newcastle United extended Aston Villa's winless Premier League run to 12 games with a 1-0 victory at St James' Park thanks to Papiss Cisse's goal.

Swansea City climbed to eighth after Kieran Trippier's own goal in a 1-0 win at struggling Burnley while Stoke City were 1-0 victors at home against Hull City thanks to a Peter Crouch header.

UNITED VULNERABLE

Not for the first time this season, Manchester United's back three looked vulnerable and were indebted to goalkeeper David de Gea, who tipped Connor Wickham's early shot round the post before the Spaniard denied Jermain Defoe.

A prolonged period of United possession yielded no attacking enterprise and ended with a ball back to De Gea, which was met by widespread boos and groans from a disgruntled Old Trafford crowd.

Moments later Ashley Young's low cross clipped the bar via a sizeable deflection off O'Shea before the United wingback fired a shot narrowly past the far post.

After the break, more sloppy United play was greeted with groans though their side finally opened the scoring when Falcao turned brilliantly to win a penalty after he was impeded by O'Shea.

Referee Roger East mistakenly showed Brown the red card before Rooney calmly converted the penalty.

Adnan Januzaj, a halftime substitute for an anonymous Angel di Maria, made a huge impact following his introduction and his low shot was parried by Costel Pantilimon allowing Rooney to apply a simple finish to secure the points.

Southampton had won one of their previous four league games to slip out of the top four and they found themselves behind after Berahino's excellent strike in the second minute.

The visitors commanded much of the possession but too many of their players cut frustrated figures as they failed to break down a resolute West Brom side.

Morgan Schneiderlin split the hosts' defence with a sublime ball midway through the half but Sadio Mane wasted the opportunity with a wild shot.

West Brom's lively striker Berahino, who has 17 goals in all competitions this season, was substituted with an apparent injury.

Southampton's Graziano Pelle failed to convert a glaring opportunity with the goal beckoning midway through the second period.

Darren Fletcher missed a good chance for the hosts before both Pelle and Eljero Elia wasted good chances for Southampton as West Brom held on to climb eight points clear of the relegation zone with a fourth league game without defeat.

Second-placed champions Manchester City visit Liverpool on Sunday when Arsenal, two points behind United, host Everton. Leaders Chelsea play Tottenham Hotspur in the Capital One Cup final.

Wolves beat RCB, advance in Confed Cup

Nigeria Professional Football League club, Warri Wolves beat Burkinabe side, RC Bobo-Dioulasso 3-0 on Saturday to progress to the first round of the 2015 Caf Confederation Cup on Saturday.

The big news before kick-off was the presence of Super Eagles defender, Azubuike Egwuekwe in Wolves match day squad for the first time this season since his failed move abroad. He started from the bench.

Wolves head coach, Paul Aigbogun opted to start with a defensive quartet of Onamado Goodluck, Eyimofe Joseph, Osagie Monday and Semiu Liadi.

Ichull Lordson, Bartholomew Ibenegbu and Abu Azeez (who scored in the first leg in Bobo-Dioulasso) all started with Oghenekaro Etebo given the duty to provide the goals from the most advanced position.

It was, however, Etebo who got the first crack at goal but his effort from the left went narrowly wide.

Wolves continued to dominate and duly got their reward on the half hour through Etebo who was put clean through on the left by Joseph Osadiaye.

The forward showed cold-bloodedness and unerring accuracy to finish low and hard past Kofi Herve.

Etebo came close to completing his brace a minute later but his acrobatic effort from six yards narrowly missed the goal.

Wolves began the second half brightly but failed to double their lead mainly as a result of poor finishing.

On 59 minutes, only a last ditch defending exemplified by a goal line clearance saved the day for RC Bobo but seconds later the luck of the visitors ran out.

Osadiaye was inexplicably left in acres of space and he duly curled home a low drive which left Herve with little chance.

Freedom Omofomah made it 3-0 deep into the second half, rounding off a sweeping team move as Wolves finished off the visitors with aplomb.

The Nigerians thus advanced on a 4-0 aggregate score following a 1-0 first leg win in Bobo-Dioulasso two weeks ago.

Wolves will next meet Ethiopian club, Dedebit in the first round of the competition.

The first leg will be played on the weekend of March 13-15 in Warri with the second billed to hold at the 30,000 capacity Abebe Bikila Stadium, Addis Abeba on the weekend of April 3-5.

Line-ups

Warri Wolves: Okiemute Odah, Onamado Goodluck, Eyimofe Joseph, Osagie Monday, Liadi Semiu, Ichull Lordson, Ikechukwu Igbenegbu (Egbeta Michael 70’), Etebo Oghenekaro, Abu Azeez (Itoya Kelvin 84’), Omoforman Freedom, Osadiaye Joseph.

Substitutes not used: Akpeyi Daniel, Azubuike Egwuekwe, Akpojuvwewo Bright, Okafor Onyekachi, Atuliwa Gift.

RC Bobo: Kofi Herve, Kone Mobah, Barro Adama, Traore Oula (Traore Kossi 25’), Diallo Moustafa, Beao Fousseni, Diawara Banou, Deprah Justice Kouffi, Coulibaly Yacouby, Sory Moussa, Nimi Aboubacar (Dah Sansan 57’)

Substitutes not used: Bailou Mohammed, Gnimassou Kossi, Ahiro Carter

Barcelona close in on Madrid

Barcelona moved to within a point of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga as Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi were on target in a 3-1 win at Granada on Saturday.

Ivan Rakitic opened the scoring for the visitors as he profited from a mishit Suarez shot before halftime and Suarez himself then prodded in the second just after the break.

Fran Rico's penalty briefly gave Granada hope, but Suarez teed up Messi to make the points safe 20 minutes from time.

Real can restore a four-point gap over the Catalans when they host Villarreal on Sunday.

Barca boss Luis Enrique rotated his squad once more as he made four changes from the side that beat Manchester City in midweek and it took Barca some time to get into their stride at Nuevo Los Carmenes.

Xavi was one of those returning to the starting line-up and he forced former Barca 'keeper Oier Olazabal into his first serious save from a rasping drive from the edge of the area.

Granada's offside trap frustrated Barca in the early stages, but they were caught flat-footed for the opener on 25 minutes as Luis Suarez was played in by Jordi Alba and the Uruguayan's mishit shot fell perfectly off the unfortunate Cala for Rakitic to slam home.

Messi came within inches of a stunning second 10 minutes before the break as he controlled the ball instantly on his left-foot before flashing a right-footed volley over the bar at the end of a flowing counter-attack.

However, the hosts were unlucky not to be level at halftime as the referee turned down huge penalty appeals when Dimitri Foulquier tumbled under pressure from Marc Bartra.

And moments later Claudio Bravo was forced into a stunning save to turn Javi Marquez's low shot behind for a corner.

Three minutes after the break, though, Suarez gave Barca the cushion they desired when he latched onto Rakitic's through ball and slotted home with the outside of his right foot.

Granada were handed a lifeline just four minutes later when this time Bartra was penalised for a foul on Lass Bangoura and Rico thumped the resultant spot-kick past Bravo.

Yet, in their push for an equaliser, Granada left more space in behind for Barcelona to exploit in the closing stages and were picked off again by a Rakitic pass into Suarez. The former Liverpool man then rode a challenge from Oier before squaring for Messi to roll the ball into the unguarded net.