AF has named Egyptian, Mohamed Salah as the 2017 African Footballer of the Year while Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala picked the award for the female version.

The award gala took place in Ghana inside the beautiful International Conference Centre in Accra with a host of former award winners on parade. The newly elected Liberian president George Weah was represented by his lovely wife and also in attendance was ex-Barcelona winger Emmanuel Amuneke, ‘Prince of Monaco’ Victor Ikpeba and the mercurial Kanu Nwankwo.

The event which was sponsored by the Aiteo group was filled with glamour as a fine core of music artistes light up the stage in a well-timed and organised show.

Egyptian Mohamed Salah beat Gabon’s Aubameyang and Sadio Mane of Senegal to win the 2017 CAF player of Year which was a career first for the Liverpool flying winger.

Salah enjoyed a remarkable 2017 as he powered Egypt to their first World Cup since 1990 when he scored a dramatic stoppage-time penalty against Congo during the qualifiers.

The 25-year-old helped AS Roma finish second in the Serie A behind Juventus, scoring 15goals with 11 assists – that earned him a big money move to Liverpool and he has hit the ground running with 17goals in 21 matches in the premier league so far.

For the female category, Super Falcons forward Asisat Oshoala won her third Women’s Player of the Year prize, beating Cameroon’s Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene and Chrestina Kgatlana of South Africa.

“It’s been truly an emotional journey through 2017,” an emotional Oshoala said after picking her award. “I must say this is one of the special moment in my career because when I left Arsenal and moved to China a lot of people said that, Asisat your career is going to be gone but I told myself that I can do this and I think I have done that.  I want to use this opportunity to encourage all the young girls do not let anyone talk you down, don’t listen to anyone, just follow your heart.”

The Nation 

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed they will sign Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos from PAS Giannina in the current transfer window.

According to British media reports, Mavropanos will complete a move to the Emirates Stadium this week in a deal worth around 2 million pounds.

When asked about the deal after Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Wednesday, Wenger said: “Yes but he’s not ready to play for us, we’ll give him out on loan.”

Mavropanos, 20, has impressed at both ends in his first full season in Greece’s Super League for PAS Giannina, scoring three goals in 14 appearances.

Reuters

Arsene Wenger is facing the prospect of a stadium ban after being accused of questioning the integrity of referee Mike Dean and verbally abusing him in the official’s room after Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

Wenger was furious that West Brom were awarded a late penalty from which they equalised and, even after receiving a four game touchline ban last January for pushing Anthony Taylor, accusing him of “dishonesty” and, according to the official’s report, telling him to **** off, he still angrily confronted Dean.

It is understood that the Arsenal manager has been accused of swearing at Dean during an exchange in which the referee’s partiality was questioned. There is also a suggestion that Wenger may have entered Dean’s changing room before the 30-minute “cooling off” period that referees can insist upon.

Wenger was formally charged by the Football Association on Tuesday afternoon but, before that, he also escalated his already public criticism of Dean’s decision to award a penalty when Kieran Gibbs’s cross struck Calum Chambers’ arm. “This one is a bit of a farce,” said Wenger. “He sees what he wants to see. Some decisions that have happened to us this season are unbelievable.

“That is a concerning coincidence. I was not happy at all with the movement that the referee made to show why he gave the penalty, because that didn’t correspond at all with what happened. It’s a bit worrying.” Separate to the charge for confronting Dean, the FA will also now study these comments and may seek further explanation from Wenger. Managers can criticise a referee’s performance but not question their integrity.

Wenger was furious with Dean's decision to award a late penalty against  Arsenal  CREDIT: ACTION IMAGES 

The incident involved Dean has already been referred to an independent commission and Wenger has until 6pm on Friday to offer his own response. A decision is then likely to be made early next week but a fine, touchline ban and full stadium suspension are among the potential sanctions. The fact that it is less than a year since Wenger’s previous touchline ban – when Arsenal suffered in his absence – will also be taken into consideration. 

Wenger was unrepentant on Tuesday in his wider assessment and, with a video assistant referee being trialled next Monday in the FA Cup, the Premier League have stressed that technology would have aided Dean. “The angle from which Mike Dean saw the incident made it look like Calum Chambers was attempting to handle to ball,” said a spokesman for the Professional Game Match Officials’ Board Limited. “If VAR had been in use, Mike would have made a more informed decision. He would have had the chance to see the reverse angle which shows the Arsenal defender was trying hard not to handle the ball.”

Wenger believes that there is still inconsistency in the interpretation of handball and says that referees should stop visiting the clubs in an attempt to clarify rules. “They don’t look to have the same rulebook,” said Wenger. “They should spare that visit because they never respect what they say. We want them to respect the game and make the right decision and the ego should not interfere in that.

“They have a shortage of referees. I think the system of promoting young referees doesn't work. We should have a bigger league of referees and the guys who have a bad patch, get them to go down to the second division and promote young refs.”

Asked how he wanted referees to approach a game, Wenger said: “Quick, clear decisions. Sometimes I say to the fourth official when, after five minutes the goalkeeper starts to waste time, ‘Look up there, there are people who pay a lot of money to watch football.’ They have to serve the game like we have to serve the game. They have not to be the star.”

Wenger is also irritated by referees spending time talking to players. “People want crisp, sharp action - this is the 1950s, where the referee talks to him: ‘If you’re not nice, I might punish you.’ Come on, let’s not waste time. We don’t live in the dark ages.”

Arsenal’s referee on Wednesday night against Chelsea, when they will be without defenders Nacho Monreal, Sead Kolasinac and potentially Laurent Koscielny through injury, will again be Taylor. “I never look at the referee - I just think they guy will try to do a good job,” said Wenger.

Telegram

Joshua is currently locked in talks with WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker and revealed this week that the fight deal was ’95 per cent done’. But, should that fight fail to make it over the line, Joshua will conduct a voluntary defence and Povetkin will be the opponent.

Povetkin is fresh off a points victory over Christian Hammer and that win earned him WBA’s top ranked contender spot. Joshua is eager to hold onto all his heavyweight titles, which means a mandatory defence is likely in 2018. Just as Joshua defended his IBF title against Carlos Takam in October, Povetkin will most likely get a shot at the WBA strap this year.

Joshua has spoken at length about his ambition to at some stage hold all four major world titles and that will mean holding onto his WBA belt. Povetkin is an experienced opponent who fought 24 rounds and two fights in 2017 after previously recording five stoppages in a row. The Russian has had issues with doping watchdogs and was forced to compensate Deontay Wilder after That showdown was canceled as a result, but a life-time ban handed down by the WBC on Povetkin was lifted this month. Joshua has another major 12 months ahead of him and is likely to fight at least twice this year, if not three times.

The 28-year-old returns to training this month in preparation for a March fight in Cardiff, with Parker the frontrunner to be Joshua’s next opponent.

Metro

Former Nigerian youth international, Raymond King is dead, aged 52.

He died on Monday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital just before adequate treatment was about to be given to him.

His former teammate, Tajudeen Disu disclosed the news to Completesportsnigeria.com on New year Day.

Disu said the late King was receiving treatment at the General Hospital in Ijaye a week ago, but his conditions never improved.

“He just passed on 20 minutes ago at the LASUTH (Lagos State University Teaching Hospital).

“He was transferred from the State Hospital, Abeokuta to Ikorodu General Hospital yesterday when his condition was not improving.

“When the news got to the Commissioner for Health in Lagos (Olajide Idris), he directed that he (King) should be taken to LASUTH for better treatment and it was this evening on Monday he got there and LASUTH told us initially they didn’t have electricity to commence treatment or fuel to run their generator.

“But when they eventually started to set up their equipment to treat him he was already gasping for air and he passed on,” Disu said.

King was a member of the Flying Eagles squad in 1979/80.

He made his name in football playing for the Shooting Stars of Ibadan

DailyPost 

Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker have brought their unification belt a step closer after finally agreeing on the purse split.

Both teams have agreed on a deal where Parker will receive between 30 to 35 per cent of the fight purse after struggling to negotiate how the pot would be divided.

Parker’s promoter, David Higgins of Duco Events, has confirmed that he has received a contractual offer from Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn that both sides have agreed upon.

Higgins said. "We're really, really close.

“We've agreed the ratio. The Joshua side gave a small concession, and we've agreed that the Parker side will get somewhere between 30 and 35 per cent."

Originally Team Parker asked for a minimum share of 35 per cent saying its “utterly non-negotiable" for the unification bout with Joshua.

But they have now come to a deal after months of back-and-forth negotiations for the figh, which is likely take place in March or April next year.

Higgins said the purse spilt was the most important part of the negotiations but now that is agreed the rest will flow from there.

He added: "There's still a lot to agree, but we've agreed the most important thing which is the ratio. The rest should flow from there."

There are three primary options for locations to hold the fight with Manchester, London, or Cardiff all in the running.

The Sun

Liverpool have agreed a deal for Southampton star Virgil van Dijk.

The Telegraph insists the Reds will pay £75million for the Dutch centre-back which would be the highest fee ever paid for a defender.

And Anfield chiefs have confirmed Van Dijk will arrive on January 1 and wear the No4 shirt.

A club statement said: "Liverpool Football Club can confirm they have reached an agreement with Southampton for the transfer of Virgil van Dijk.

 "The Reds have agreed a deal with the south coast club, and the player himself, that will see the 26-year-old defender move to Anfield when the transfer window re-opens on January 1, 2018.

"The Netherlands international will be assigned squad number four, upon his arrival at Liverpool."

Liverpool wanted to sign the classy Holland international in the summer but withdrew their interest and apologised for the manner of their pursuit.

The 26-year-old was left out of the Saints squad for the 5-2 Boxing Day defeat by Tottenham and has been unsettled all season.

After that game, Saints boss Mauricio Pellegrino admitted he had no idea if Van Dijk is staying or going.

He said: “We know around Virgil there is a lot of speculation about him.

“We have to wait and see what will happen. I can’t control this but we have to think of our games.”

Chelsea and Manchester City were after the Dutchman's signature but have failed to land their target.

Liverpool have been fragile at the back again this season, surrendering leads on numerous occasions.

The Sun