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      How Man Utd could line up after January transfer window with four players at AFCON and two huge stars sold

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      MANCHESTER UNITED’S line-up could look very different after the January transfer window.The Red Devils are set to lose four players to international duty during the Africa Cup of Nations.
      Erik ten Hag could be forced to name a fresh side after the January transfer windowCredit: Rex
      Manchester United have been linked with a move for Jean-Clair TodiboCredit: Getty
      Meanwhile, a New Year clear-out could also see both Casemiro and Raphael Varane leave the club.
      As a result, Erik ten Hag may be forced into naming a new look side come the start of February.
      A quartet of United stars are set to be called up for AFCON, which is being held in the Ivory Coast between January 13 and February 11.
      Sofyan Amrabat and Hannibal Mejbri are expected to appear for Morocco and Tunisia, respectively.
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      Andre Onana will also be involved for Cameroon after returning to the international fold in recent weeks.
      Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s potential inclusion in DR Congo’s squad may cause the most headaches, though.
      The full-back has reportedly been approached to switch his international allegiance from England after previously representing the Leopards at under-17 level in 2015.
      His absence during the tournament would leave Diogo Dalot as United’s only senior right-back.
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      Andre Onana is one of four United players who could be called up for AFCONCredit: AP
      Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been approached by DR Congo ahead of the tournamentCredit: Getty
      As for potential departures, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s imminent arrival to lead football operations could prompt a clear-out of the squad.
      Both Casemiro and Varane have been highlighted as players the club may look to move on when the window re-opens.
      Ten Hag is even understood to have gone as far as identifying Jean-Clair Todibo as a replacement for his fellow Frenchman.
      The defender currently plays for Nice, who are owned by Ratcliffe’s Ineos group, and has been strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford.

      Both Raphael Varane and Casemiro are expected to leave United sooner rather than laterCredit: PA
      He would likely partner Lisandro Martinez in the centre of defence, with the World Cup winner set to return from a foot injury in the new year.
      Further forward, Casemiro’s exit, paired with the absences of Amrabat and Mejbri, could cause issues in midfield.
      Ten Hag would likely call upon Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay in front of the defence during AFCON.
      United’s front four of Alejandro Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund is set to remain intact.
      Fellow attackers Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial and Antony are said to be facing the exit too as part of Sir Jim’s cull. More

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      Andre Onana hands Man Utd huge blow as he comes out of international retirement to accept Cameroon’s Afcon call-up

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      ANDRE ONANA has come out of international retirement to play for Cameroon.The Manchester United star is set to return to national team action for the first time since last year’s World Cup.
      Andre Onana was in action for Man United yesterdayCredit: Reuters
      The 27-year-old has not played for his country since last year’s World CupCredit: Getty
      Onana, 27, started Cameroon’s opening match in Qatar before being dropped by boss Rigobert Song.
      The goalkeeper is understood to have clashed with Song over tactics, and later left Cameroon’s Qatar camp.
      He has missed his country’s last seven matches, but was surprisingly named in Song’s latest squad last month.
      It was initially unclear if Onana would accept a call-up.
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      But he has now confirmed that he WILL play for his country once again.
      The Indomitable Lions face Burundi in an Afcon qualifier on September 12.
      Should they qualify, Onana could miss four Premier League matches between January and February.
      The tournament is set to kick-off in the Ivory Coast on January 13, with the final taking place on February 11.
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      In this time, United are scheduled to face Tottenham, Wolves, West Ham and Aston Villa in the Premier League.
      Onana debuted for his country in 2016 and has earned 34 caps.
      The Red Devils signed goalkeeper Altay Bayindir in a £4.3million deal from Fenerbahce on deadline day.
      Bayindir, 25, penned a four-year deal at United and was on the bench for their 3-1 defeat at Arsenal yesterday.
      Man United signed Altay Bayindir on FridayCredit: Getty More

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      I played with Ronaldo and bought a club that was named after me in my homeland for £19,500 – I even signed myself

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      MOHAMED KALLON spent the 2001-02 season outscoring team-mate Ronaldo for Inter Milan. That summer, one of them scored both goals in the World Cup final.
      Mohamed Kallon starred for Inter Milan from 2001 to 2004Credit: Reuters
      He teamed up with legendary forward Ronaldo at the San SiroCredit: twitter @bashoverrated
      Still only 43, the footballer made his international debut way back in 1995Credit: Instagram
      The other bought a football club named after him in his homeland.
      A 22-year-old Kallon paid a cut-price £19,500 to purchase FC Kallon – a team in Sierra Leone rebranded from Sierra Fisheries to its new name in 2000.
      The striker had made a name for himself and was a national icon, scoring the winner on his senior Sierra Leone international debut in a crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifier aged just 15.
      And he had already represented ten club sides by 2001 spanning five countries.
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      But a change in non-EU player quota laws during the 2000-01 season enabled Kallon to return to the San Siro with Inter.
      The star-studded squad also had the luxury of picking from Christian Vieri, Ronaldo, Alvaro Recoba, Adriano, Hakan Sukur and Nicola Ventola up front – with Javier Zanetti, Clarence Seedorf and Laurent Blanc further back.
      However, injuries to Ronaldo and Recoba saw Kallon make 39 appearances across all competitions.
      And the star, who bizarrely wore the No3 shirt traditionally reserved for the left-back, notched up 15 goals – second only behind Vieri and more than double Ronaldo’s tally of seven.
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      Inter finished the Serie A season in third, just two points behind champions Juventus, and reached the Uefa Cup semis.
      But it was his decision to buy FC Kallon that raised eyebrows – especially when he announced he had sacked three officials “because they are incompetent” a month BEFORE taking over.
      On the pitch, Kallon the player struggled for form and fitness in 2002-03 despite Ronaldo’s exit to Real Madrid. Then the forward was banned alongside Colonel Gaddafi’s son Al-Saadi for a positive steroids drug test.
      He left Inter with 19 goals in 61 appearances and three years at Monaco followed before the Sierra Leone captain decided to sign himself for his very own FC Kallon in 2009.
      Kallon said at the time: “My homecoming is a temporary one and it’s just for three months but it’ll be fruitful for the Sierra Leone premier league.
      “I know my presence in the league will see many Sierra Leoneans get attracted to the Sierra Leone league and this will help the local game grow.
      “I’ll also use the league to keep myself fit for the next European transfer window in January.
      “Surely I have many offers on the table but I just need to be fully fit to accept one of them.”
      CARRYING KALL-ON
      It was meant to be a short-term solution but brief spells in China and India followed before Kallon returned to Kallon where he finished his career in 2014 amid a backdrop of a bitter feud with his nation’s FA.
      FC Kallon won their fourth Sierra Leone National Premier League title in 2006 – their first under Kallon’s ownership and name.
      They have also lifted the country’s FA Cup and reached the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederations Cup during his tenure.
      The league was put on hold from 2014 to 2018 due to the Ebola epidemic but is now back underway.
      Kallon, now 43, remains heavily involved as the owner and there are suggestions he has even taken over as manager of the side who play at the 45,000-seater National Stadium.
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      And unlike his former striker partner Ronaldo, Kallon is showing no signs of wanting to sell up.
      Ronaldo bought Real Valladolid in 2018 but two relegations in three seasons have led to frustrations from fans.
      Ronaldo inspired Brazil to World Cup glory in 2002Credit: AFP
      Kallon scored 19 goals in 61 appearances for InterCredit: AFP
      Kallon bought FC Kallon for £19,500 in 2002 and remains the ownerCredit: Instagram More

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      Incredible moment three ball boys are SENT OFF for hilarious s***house move in AFCON qualifying decider

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      THREE ball boys were SENT OFF by the referee during Tanzania’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Niger.Hosts Tanzania took the lead midway through the second half through Simon Msuva.
      Ball boys threw extra balls onto the pitch as Niger searched for an equaliserCredit: Canal+ Sport
      Referee Mohamed Al Sayd ended up sending three of the ball boys offCredit: https://twitter.com/EricNjiiru
      But the 29-year-old’s winning goal was not the major talking point.
      That’s because Egyptian official Mohamed Al Sayd was forced to deal with three ball boys in stoppage time.
      Tanzania were keen to run down the clock as Niger searched for a dramatic late equaliser.
      But the visitors were forced to deal with more than just the hosts’ players.
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      Just before Niger earned themselves a corner in the dying embers, ball boys attempted to delay proceedings by throwing extra balls onto the pitch.
      The Niger bench were wise to the tactic as they reacted furiously.
      And Al Sayd was forced to deal with the issue as he ran over to the touchline and ushered them away.
      Tanzania held on to secure a 1-0 win in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, before the clip involving the ball boys went viral on social media.
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      And the tactic left football fans divided.
      One said: “Haha great tactic!!”
      While another agreed, adding: “They were taught to protect the result by any means.”
      But others feel the practice should be punished, with one person saying: “Please tell me CAF [Confederation of African Football] is going to look into this…”
      And a second replied: “Might be a tactic… but this should be punished by CAF. Seems it was coordinated by the bench. They threw fair play out of the window.”
      Tanzania now need just a point away in Algeria in the last round of qualification games to secure second spot in their group ahead of Uganda. More

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      Andre Ayew suffers freak knee injury without even playing on international duty in blow for Nottingham Forest

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      NOTTINGHAM FOREST forward Andre Ayew has suffered a freak injury while on international duty with Ghana.The Black Stars captain hurt his knee when he slipped to the floor on his way to the home dressing room after Thursday’s 1-0 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win over Angola in Accra.
      Nottingham Forest have received an injury blow as Andre Ayew has been sidelinedCredit: Alamy
      Ayew suffered a freak knee injury while on international dutyCredit: Reuters
      Ayew – who had been left on the bench for Chris Hughton’s first match as Ghana boss – complained of pains in his knee in the early hours of Saturday.
      The 33-year-old skipped the group tie in Angola on medical advice and returned instead to the East Midlands for further treatment and scans.
      It is not known yet if he will miss any matches as 16th-placed Forest fight for their Premier League survival with 11 matches left.
      Ghana came from behind to scrap a 1-1 draw against Angola and remain unbeaten in Group E as they chase a spot at the 2024 finals in the Ivory Coast.
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      Southampton centre-back Mohammed Salisu also did not make the trip to Luanda after being left out by Hughton due to fitness concerns.
      Ayew joined Forest almost six months after their Premier League promotion last May.
      Forest returned to the Prem after a whopping 23-year absence from the top flight.
      That led to a transfer splurge by owner Evangelos Marinakis, who has signed a total of 30 players since the summer.
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      In fact, Ayew was Marinakis’ 30th signing as he arrived during the January transfer window.
      The 33-year-old joined as a free agent after working with manager Steve Cooper at Swansea.
      Forest are only two points away from the relegation zone amid a turbulent season. More

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      New African football age scandal as Chad disqualified from Under-17 championship after SEVEN players fail MRI tests

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      AFRICAN football has suffered a fresh age cheating scandal after Chad were disqualified from the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations.Their squad underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging [MRI] scans to ensure nobody was over-age.
      Chad are the latest African country involved in the player age-cheating scandalCredit: Getty
      BSN Sports claims that seven players from Chad initially failed with some uncertainty over Ousmane Diallo – who the country’s FA believed had been deemed eligible.
      They were then told they had been kicked-out of the AFCON tournament the night before they were due to begin their qualification campaign.
      Chad’s football federation vice-president Nair Abakar said: “CAF announced a disqualification at 10.23pm, something that is difficult to digest.
      “If you put yourself in our place, you will see how difficult it is to accept this decision.”
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      This news comes just days after DR Congo were forced to withdraw from the U17s Cup of Nations.
      Recent MRI tests found 25 out of 40 squad members were found to have failed mandatory age testing.
      And of the 15 players who passed the test, only five “managed to complete the necessary administrative formalities” to allow them into Cameroon.
      DR Congo’s revelation came after Cameroon U17s were rocked by their own age fraud scandal.
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      Following MRI tests ordered by Cameroon Federation president Samuel Eto’o it was found 21 out of 30 players were too old to be eligible.
      The African country then suffered a further blow to their hopes of participating after another 11 players failed tests a few days later.
      BBC Sport Africa reported that Cameroon found 30 replacement players and all of them passed MRI tests, which define a player’s age by scanning their wrists and measuring bone growth, in Douala.
      Their federation, Fecafoot, then released a statement saying that Eto’o had given “strict instructions” for the tests to occur “in order to put an end to the tampering with civil status records which have, in the past, tarnished the image of Cameroon football.” More

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      Who is Belgium vs Canada World Cup referee Janny Sikazwe, and did he blow full time early at an AFCON game?

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      ZAMBIAN referee Janny Sikazwe has a reputation as one of the best in Africa – but what he did at the Africa Cup of Nations was bizarre.Sikazwe has been appointed to officiate Belgium vs Canada at the winter World Cup in Qatar.
      Sikazwe angered the Tunisian bench with his handling of the AFCON clashCredit: Reuters
      But after becoming a worldwide story due to farcical scenes in the match between Tunisia and Mali at AFCON, all eyes will be on the Zambian to see what he does next.Who is Janny Sikazwe?
      A familiar face to fans of African football over the past decade, Sikazwe was born in Kapiri Mposhi in 1979.
      After receiving his Fifa licence in 2010, he first progressed through international youth matches before taking charge of African Cup of Nations qualifiers in 2012.
      Since then he has moved up the ranks and has a reputation for being a leniant ref who likes the game to flow.
      But controversy reigned when Sikazwe took charge of the 2016 Club World Cup Final between Real Madrid and Kashima Antlers.
      When Sergio Ramos brought down an opponent having already been booked, the Zambian reached for a second yellow card and called the Galacticos captain over.
      Averaging just over 3 cards per game, the Zambian ref is one of the most statistically lenient in RussiaCredit: AFP – Getty
      But he then put his hand back in his pocket and bizarrely chose not to send Ramos off.
      Sikazwe subsequently said the decision was down to miscommunication and as he misheard his assistant over his earpiece, thinking he had called for a card when he actually said “foul, no card”.
      He officiated two games at the 2018 World Cup – Belgium v Panama and Japan v Poland. – but was the subject of more controversy later that year.
      Sikazwe was temporarily suspended on suspicion of corruption after his handling of an African Champions League match between Esperance and Primiero Agosto.
      He gave a controversial penalty for Esperance before ruling out a goal for their opponents due to a perceived foul on the keeper.
      The suspension by CAF was imposed in November 2018 but lifted just three months later by FIFA.
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      What happened in Tunisia vs Mali?
      Security were forced to race on to the pitch to protect the referee after a series of outrageous blunders during Mali’s 1-0 win over Tunisia at the Africa Cup of Nations.
      Sikazwe endured an horrific afternoon as he gave two controversial penalties, a questionable red card and TWICE ended the game early.
      He first awarded a penalty early in the second half after Ellyes Skhiri was deemed to have blocked Boubakar Kouyate’s shot with his arm.
      Sikazwe awarded another penalty with just 15 minutes on the clock after Wahbi Khazri’s shot smacked into Moussa Djenepo’s hand.
      The ref originally missed the handball and needed VAR to bail him out.
      The match between Mali and Tunisia ended in farce after the ref blew for time earlyCredit: Sky Sports
      Incredibly, Sikazwe then blew for full time on just 85 MINUTES – before enraged Tunisia officials pointed out his simply bizarre error.
      Sikazwe then sent off sub El Bilal Toure two minutes later for a slightly late challenge which was worthy of a yellow card at worst.
      He was instructed by VAR to look at it again, but after a glance at the pitchside video screen, he stuck by his decision.
      And to make matters worse, he then called for the end of the game early AGAIN.
      The players left the field and it did for a time look like play could resume, but eventually Tunisia failed to materialise giving Mali their 1-0 win.
      What has he said about the incident?
      The Zambian referee claimed to have heard from somebody that the match
      Sikazwe said: “I reached the point where I could start hearing some noise and I thought someone was communicating with me and people were telling me ‘no you ended the match’. It was a very strange situation.
      “I was going through my head to find who told me to end the match. Maybe I was talking to myself, I don’t know. That is how bad the situation was.”
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      Who is Maguette Ndiaye? Senegalese referee at the World Cup 2022

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      ALL 32 teams involved at this year’s World Cup will be making their final preparations before boarding the plane to Qatar, and we’ve been taking a look at the referees.Maguette Ndiaye is one of five African referees called up to officiate at this winter’s tournament.
      Maguette Ndiaye has been appointed to referee in QatarCredit: Reuters
      Here is everything you need to know about the Senegalese.
      Who is Maguette Ndiaye?
      Maguette Ndiaye was born in 1986 and is the son of former international referee Papa Ndiaye
      He always keeps his whistle close by. Away from refereeing, Ndiaye works as a secondary school PE teacher.
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      Ndiaye has officiated a variety of major tournaments including the Club World Cup, CAF Super Cup, CAF Champions League, Under-20 World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations.
      He took charge of a tense quarter final match between Egypt and Morocco, which saw the Pharaohs snatch the win during extra-time.
      Things got heated during the match between Egypt and MoroccoCredit: Reuters
      The 36-year-old came under fire on social media for appearing to push Getafe forward Munir during the game.
      He will be hoping for an easier ride this time round.
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