FOOTBALL TODAY

Cristiano Ronaldo WINS Ballon d'Or: Real Madrid star targets FIFTH triumph in 2017

CRISTIANO RONALDO has won the Ballon d'Or for a fourth time - beating Lionel Messi to the crown of football's player of the year.

Cristiano Ronaldo wins Ballon d'Or

Cristiano Ronaldo was nominated alongside Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann for the prestigious award. The Real Madrid forward helped his side win the Champions League this year, while he was the star man in Portugal's run to Euro 2016 glory. 
Ronaldo was expected to win the award after his victory was supposedly leaked this morning.

I never thought in my mind to win four times the Golden Ball, so I am so pleased and so happy," Ronaldo said.
"I have the opportunity to thank all of my team-mates, the national team, Real Madrid, all of the people and players who helped me to win this individual award.
"As you can imagine I feel so proud and happy to receive this amazing and beautiful ball, I am so happy."

Riyad Mahrez wins BBC African Footballer of the Year 2016 award

Riyad Mahrez has been crowned the BBC African Footballer of the Year 2016.

Fans from across the world voted for the Algeria and Leicester midfielder ahead of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Andre Ayew, Sadio Mane and Yaya Toure.

Winger Mahrez, 25, told BBC Sport: "It means a lot, it's something big for African players so I am very happy, I am very proud.

"It's always good to receive awards and for African players it's a huge honour. To all the fans, thank you very much."

He added: "Also I want to thank the Algeria fans and dedicate this to them as well and for my family.

"I just have to carry on and keep going with my football and see what I can do."

2016/2017 Champions League Round of 16 draw

The UEFA Champions League draw took place in Nyon at 11:00 GMT and the eight group winners were drawn against the eight runners-up.

Holders Real Madrid will face Napoli in this year’s UEFA Champions League last 16, with Bayern Munich and Arsenal set to meet in the competition for the fourth time in five seasons following today’s draw in Nyon.

Bayern and Arsenal have played each other ten times, all since 2000/01. The German club have won five of those games and the English team three, with Bayern beating Arsenal in the round of 16 in 2004/05, 2012/13 and 2013/14.

Debutants Leicester City will look to continue their fairytale against Sevilla, while Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona will face each other in the competition for the seventh and eighth time in four years. Barcelona beat Paris in the 2012/13 and 2014/15 quarter-finals, although the French team came out on top when the clubs met in the last eight in 1994/95. Barcelona won the 1997 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup final against Paris in Rotterdam, and each team won their home game when their paths crossed again in the 2014/15 group stage – 3-2 in France, 3-1 in Spain.

There’s also a repeat of a 2015 last 16 clash, with Bayer Leverkusen hoping to avenge their penalty shootout defeat to Atletico Madrid. Atlético and Leverkusen have faced off four times in recent years, sharing two 1-1 draws in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League group stage and a 1-0 home win each in the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League round of 16 – Atlético won the tie on penalties.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City will meet Monaco for the first time in one of only two ties in the draw – including Leicester against Sevilla – never to have been played before in European competition.

Borussia Dortmund will meet Benfica in CL Round of 16. Dortmund’s only previous encounter with Benfica came in the last 16 of the 1963/64 European Cup. The Portuguese outfit won the first leg 2-1, but BVB turned the tie around in front of their own fans, romping to a 5-0 victory to complete a 6-2 aggregate win.

Juventus drew FC Porto for its Round of 16 opponent, with Porto hosting the first leg in February. Juventus beat Porto 2-1 in the 1984 European Cup Winners’ Cup final in Basel, and recorded a win (3-1) and a draw (0-0) when the sides met in the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League first group stage.

Reigning champions Los Blancos have only just touched down in Japan for this year’s FIFA Club World Cup, the fruit of their victory against city rivals Atletico in May’s finale, but they will already have one eye on the defence of their crown – and a potential participation at UAE 2017 – following their draw against the Serie A side. Real Madrid beat Napoli in the 1987/88 European Champion Clubs’ Cup first round, winning 2-0 at home before a 1-1 draw in Italy.

The first legs will be played on February 14, 15 and 21, 22, with the second legs on March 7, 8 and 14 and 15.

UEFA Europa League round of 32 draw

Manchester United will play Saint-Etienne in the round of 32 of the Europa League in a pairing of Pogba brothers.

France international Paul Pogba leads Man United’s midfield and older brother Florentin, a Guinea international, is a Saint-Etienne defender.

Also in Monday’s draw, Turkish club Besiktas, whose stadium in Istanbul was targeted by a deadly bombing on Saturday, will first play in Israel at Hapoel Beer-Sheva.

Italian clubs got tough draws: Roma will first play at Villarreal and Fiorentina will travel to Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Among Champions League clubs now switching to the Europa League, Tottenham is at Gent and Legia Warsaw hosts Ajax.

Also, it was: Athletic Bilbao vs. APOEL; Anderlecht vs. Zenit St. Petersburg; Astra Giurgiu vs. Genk; Ludogorets Razgrad vs. FC Copenhagen; Celta Vigo vs. Shakhtar Donetsk; Olympiakos vs. Osmanlispor; Rostov vs. Sparta Prague; Krasnodar vs. Fenerbahce; AZ Alkmaar vs. Lyon; and PAOK Thessaloniki vs. Schalke.

The first legs will be played on Feb. 16, with return matches on Feb. 23.

The final will be played in Stockholm, Sweden, on May 24. The winner gains entry to next season’s Champions League.

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FOOTBALL TODAY

Ronaldinho could play for Chapecoense after tragic crash

Brazilian legend Ronaldinho could offer to play for Chapecoense to help the club after a plane crash killed the majority of their squad.

Chapecoense players and officials were among the 71 people to lose their lives when a plane carrying the Brazilian team to Colombia for their Copa Sudamericana final first leg with Atletico Nacional crashed over Cerro Gordo, La Union.

The Brazilian Football federation has requested that Chapecoense fulfil their fixtures in the Campeonato Brasileiro "to have a big party that you deserve, that Chapeco deserves".

Club president Ivan Tozzo has raised concerns about fielding a team, although other Brazilian clubs have reportedly offered to loan players to Chapecoense for their last game of the season, against Atletico Mineiro.

Two-time World Player of the Year Ronaldinho is determined to help in any way, even if it is returning to the Brasileiro for the first time since leaving Fluminense last year. "Everyone is still affected by the accident," his brother and agent Roberto Assis is quoted as saying.

"I can only say that we are here and we want to help. I think that remembering the name of Ronaldinho, he is someone that everyone likes and he is without a club."

Arsenal's Santi Cazorla out for three more months due to ankle surgery

Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla will undergo foot surgery that will rule him out for three more months, dealing a major blow to the Gunners' title hopes.

Arsenal announced on Thursday that Cazorla, 31, will travel to Sweden next week for the operation after struggling to recover from an inflamed Achilles.

The Spain international has been sidelined since the Gunners' 6-0 Champions League victory over Ludogorets Razgrad on Oct. 19, and manager Arsene Wenger said on Wednesday that he was still hopeful his player would recover within a couple of weeks.

"He's important to our technical stability in the team, to the quality of our decision-making and to our build-up from deep midfield to the high midfield," Wenger said ahead of last Sunday's 3-1 win against Bournemouth.

Carrick: It would be tough to leave Man Utd

Michael Carrick admits he would find it difficult to play for a club other than Manchester United as his contract nears its end.

Carrick has played just three times in the Premier League for the Red Devils this season, but the lack of playing time and clarity over his role at Old Trafford is not weighing heavily on his mind.


"[Leaving Man Utd] is not something I am looking to do at the minute - it would be very difficult to play somewhere else," he said.

"I have said all along, I am relaxed about [my United future]. It depends if I am playing and if I am playing well enough, if I feel I can contribute, if the manager feels I can contribute.

"There are a lot of things to be decided. I am quite relaxed."

The England international is aware of the difficulties of continuing to play at a high level at his age but feels he has adapted his game around those challenges.

"You just have to understand what you can and what you can't do really," he added.

"At any stage of your career, people have their strengths and what they can't do so well. You just have to put yourself in a position where you can play to your strengths more often than not. You learn that from experience.

"As long as I am enjoying it, can feel I can contribute and the manager does then great."

Elia warned Memphis Depay against Man Utd move

Memphis Depay was warned against a move to Manchester United, where 'the pressure is so high, by Netherlands international colleague Eljero Elia.

The 22-year-old completed a switch to Old Trafford in 2015, with a high-profile transfer made on the back of a productive campaign with PSV Eindhoven that saw him finish as the Eredivisie's top scorer.

Elia said: "I thought Memphis first had to make a stop, first choose a club like Tottenham Hotspur. United are so big, the pressure is so high. Memphis accepted my opinion, but said, ‘I’ll try to give my all and I’m confident that I can succeed there.'"

Gareth Southgate named England Manager

Gareth Southgate has been appointed as England manager permanently by the Football Association on a four-year contract until the end of Euro 2020.

The former England Under-21 boss was promoted to the top job at the end of September after predecessor Sam Allardyce was removed from the position after being caught up in a newspaper sting relating to alleged corruption in football.

"I am extremely proud to be appointed England manager. However, I’m also conscious that getting the job is one thing, now I want to do the job successfully," he said in a statement on the FA's website.

"I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the players over these past four games and I think there’s huge potential. I’m determined to give everything I have to give the country a team that they’re proud of and one that they’re going to enjoy watching play and develop.

"For me, the hard work starts now."

FA chief executive Martin Glenn expressed his faith that Southgate is the right man for the task, stating: "We are delighted to confirm Gareth as England manager.

"He performed extremely well during the four games he was in temporary charge and he impressed us during a tough interview process. 

"Gareth is a great ambassador for what the FA stands for, he’s a very good football tactician and a leader but beneath that he’s a winner and that’s an important part of the job."

Southgate’s first match as permanent manager will come in March 2017 against Germany in a friendly, before they take on Lithuania in a World Cup qualifier. 

Joe Hart expects Manchester City exit when Torino loan move ends next year

Joe Hart admits he is expecting to be made available for transfer again by Manchester City when his loan spell at Torino finishes.

The England goalkeeper is on a season-long loan with the Italian outfit after slipping down the pecking order at City following Pep Guardiola’s appointment as manager.

In an interview, the 29-year-old said about next summer: "I don’t think City are going to be standing in the way – if somebody really wants me, then I’m probably going to be made available. So it will be about talking and working out what is next and what the best move is for whichever club that might be and for myself."

Regarding Guardiola, Hart added: “I came in after the other players because of the Euros, and when we first had a conversation he said he had his reservations about me. I shook his hand, I said it was professionally honest, but not what I wanted to hear. I said I wanted to work for him and see what happens but I got the impression that it wasn’t really going anywhere. I got the feeling I wasn’t going to play.

“I spoke to the chief executive (Ferran Soriano) and said: ‘You want me to go don’t you?’ He didn’t stop me with what I was saying. I’m up for a fight but you’ve got to be clever and pick your battle. It was the opinion of a guy who has got a lot of power at the club and I wasn’t on the right side of it. The goalkeeper he signed (Claudio Bravo) was a good goalkeeper. He liked Willy (Cabellero) as well, he liked Angus (Gunn) and I wouldn’t say there was an awful lot coming in my direction so I thought I needed to go elsewhere and I’m really grateful to Torino for giving me the opportunity.

“I would have backed myself but I prefer thinking about how I can help Torino now rather than ‘what if’ or ‘I could have done that’.”

Theo Walcott breaks world record once held by Messi

Arsenal's Theo Walcott has set a world record for controlling a ball dropped from a high altitude. 

The England international took part in a challenge during training, competing against team-mates Laurent Koscielny, Francis Coquelin and Nacho Monreal. The quartet were challenged to stop a ball being dropped from a crane, with Walcott showing his skills by controlling it superbly after it was dropped from 34 metres.

Walcott takes the record from English football freestyler who John Farnworth set the record at 32 metres, after Lionel Messi had initially recorded a height of 18 metres in a promotion for a Japanese television show.

However, Farnworth can take solace in the fact that his name is still in the record books, having completed 83 around the world keepie-uppies in a minute.

FIFA FIFPro World 11 2016 Nominees

These are the nominees for the FIFA FIFPro World 11 2016:

Barça- J Alba, J Mascherano, G Piqué, S Busquets, A Iniesta, I Rakitic, L Messi, Neymar, L Suárez.

Madrid- K Navas, D Carvajal, Marcelo, Pepe, S Ramos, R Varane, Kroos, L Modric, G Bale, K Benzema, C Ronaldo.

Atletico- D Godín, A Griezmann.  

Chelsea- Hazard, N’Golo Kanté.

United- de Gea, P Pogba, Z Ibrahimovic.

Arsenal- H Bellerín, Özil, A Sánchez.

City- C Bravo, de Bruyne, D Silva, Agüero.

Juventus- Buffon, Bonucci, Chiellini, D Alves, P Dybala, G Higuaín.

Bayern Munich- M Neuer, D Alaba, J Boateng, M Hummels, P Lahm, X Alonso, A Vidal, R Lewandowski, T Müller.

PSG- S Aurier, D Luiz, T Silva, M Verratti.

West Ham- D Payet.

Leicester City- J Vardy.

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TOP 20 RICHEST MUSICIANS IN NIGERIA

20) PARTORANKING

Yeah i know you may be surprise to see him because it have not be long he made to the music i don’t but but you don’t have to because his unique style have made way for him. Partoranking is among the list 20 richest musician in Nigeria .
His hit song Girlie o which he featured Tiwa Savage brought him to the lime light properly and it earned him $1.75million.

19) YEMI ALADE

This girl is something else how she have manage to be so far to day is what everybody is still asking her question about well she is one of the Richest Musician in Nigerian even though she is new in the industry her net worth is $2.1 million

18) CHIDINMA

Chidinma has one thing going for her – she is extremely likeable. That alone has skyrocketed her take home performance fees and worth to an enviable position. From a mere contestant in the MTN Project Fame to a household name in Nigeria, Chidinma has created wealth that her peers could only dream about, enough to earn her a place on this list of richest musicians in Nigeria.

Her biggest video to date is “Kedike” with 1.2 million YouTube hit, followed by “Oh Baby” featuring Falvour which currently has 600,000 views. And collective views of about 5 million for her songs, Chidinma’s net worth is put at $2.86 million.

17) DUCAN MIGHTY

He is one the most successful musician in Niger Delta and in Nigeria he is one of the richest Musician in Nigerian and his net worth is $3.5 million.

16) PHYNO

Phyno is said to be the fastest rapper in Nigeria that came into lime light with his unique rapping skill He does it like no other, providing new dimension to rap music in Nigeria and Africa in general. Phyno is to the Igbos what Olamide is for Yorubas but he does it in a completely different fashion. Phyno’s net worth is put at – $3.6 million.

15) ICE PRINCE

When you talk about rap in Nigeria you to talk about ICE PRINCE because he i a when it comes to rapping. He broke into the limelight with “Oleku” featuring Brymo which currently has 3.2 million views on YouTube. Ice Prince Zamani is one of the finest rapper in Nigeria. He is one of the richest Musician in Nigerian 2016 and his net worth is $4.35 million.

14) OLAMIDE

One of the best rapper in Nigeria and Africa. Olamide has built name and fortune for himself in the music industry in Nigeria. Right from the day I heard his first song, I knew he was going to be big in the music industry in Africa.

His song with the highest YouTube view is “Eleda Mi” with 1.2 million views. He was able to overtake Patoranking due to the fact he has multiple singles with collective views of more than 5million. He is believed be to be the mastermind behind the rise of Shoki. Olamide’s current net worth is put at – $4.50 million.

13) TIWA SAVAGE

Welcome the queen of music in Nigeria, the sexy mama, the first lady of Mavins Record! Tiwa Savage is among the very few Nigerian artistes whose average video is grossing over 1 million on YouTube. She currently has about five videos with more than a million views each. Eminado is currently doing 7+ million. Her net worth is – $4.85 million and may soon crossover to ten in this rating within the next couple of months.

12) KCEE

Kcee is Currently making serious wave in the Nigerian music industry, KCEE, formerly a member of the KCPresh is one of the most fortunate guy in the industry. He picked the right beat at the right time, and the rest has become history.
Kcee is One of Nigerian best Musician and that is why he have been making wave, he is currently one of the Nigerian top 20 richest musician and his net worth is $4.91 million.

11) M.I

M I the African rapper is one of the successful Nigerian musician as long as Music is concerned he is the no 11 in the Nigerian Richest Musician and his net worth is $4.94 million.

10) TIMAYA

Timaya’s vocal power is unmatched in the industry. He is one the best and probably the most successful music star ever come out of the Niger Delta area. Far more successful than Daniel Wilson and others. He is truly the “Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa”.He is one the richest Nigerian Musician and his net worth is $5.5 million.

9) BANKY W

Banky w is one of the most famous Nigerian Muscleman who is regarded is as WIZKID boss because he was the one that brought wizkid to the lime light well is one of the Nigerian Richest musician and his net worth is $9.0 million.

8) WIZKID

Wizikid came into the lime light as Nigerian musician with his hit song holla at your boy which earned so many both within and outside the country he is popularly known now as Star boy he is among the Nigerian Richest musician top 8 precisely his Net worth is $11.5 million.

7) IYANYA

From a hungry project fame ex-winner to international famous superstar within the space of three years.
Iyanya’s hit song (“Kukere” complete with it’s one unique dance step) currently has more than 15 million views on YouTube. His net worth is – $12.5 million.

6) DAVIDO

Davido is one of the most celebrated Nigerian Musician and currently the most feature Nigerian musician both in and outside the country he made it to the list of richest musician in Nigerian and not only that made it here he is the top six person his net worth is $14.5 million.

                             TOP 10 RICHEST AFRICA MUSICIANS

5) 2 FACE (2 BABA)

Two face is one the Nigerian best musician that have earned himself in Nigerian Music Industry and the world at large in his ever reigning African Queen.Tu face is fifth Richest Nigerian musician and his net worth is $22.5 million.

4) D’BANJ

D’Banj started his life in the streets of The United Kingdom to MoHit and one of the biggest superstar Nigeria has ever have. D’Banj has proved that what you need to become successful is in you. You don’t need to look for it elsewhere, it’s within you.

He did the hottest hit that went around the world produced by Don Jazzy, Oliver Twist. It dethroned P-Square’s songs (Chop my Money) temporally in 2013 as the highest viewed Nigerian song on YouTube before Personally from P-Square reclaimed the number one spot. D’Banj net worth is – $25.0 million.

3) FLAVOUR

Flavour is the third richest Musician in Nigerian now,well i know that many people many be daunting the authenticity of the because they may be expecting Musician to come before Flavour but Frankly Flavour is the third richest musician inNigerian. He is an instrumentalist that can handle any type of Musical instrument and that have taken him far in the music industry Flavour net worth is $28.5 million.

2) DON JAZZY

Don Jazzy the boss of mavins Record is currently the top 2 richest musician in Nigeria his experience as a producer and a singer have done a lot for him.Don Jazzy net worth is – $35.0 million.

1) P- SQUARE

P -Square is one of the best musicians in the Nigerian music Industry and they are the richest Nigerian Musician in 2015. In fact when you talk about music in Nigeria,Africa and the we World at large the name of P-Square to be are written on the wall for everybody to see no wonder they have $128.0 million so P-Square made of Peter Okoye and Paul Okoye are currently Richest Musician Nigeria.

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FOOTBALL TODAY

HERRERA EXCITED ON FIRST SPAIN CAP

Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera plans to frame the Spain shirt that he wore when making his full international debut as a substitute against England at Wembley Stadium.

The 27-year-old had represented every junior age group of the national team prior to making his senior bow on Tuesday, when he stepped off the bench to replace Thiago Alcantara in the 56th minute.

Spain were trailing 2-0 at that stage of the friendly following Adam Lallana’s penalty and Jamie Vardy’s second-half strike, but they admirably fought back to claim a dramatic 2-2 draw thanks to a couple of late goals from former Liverpool striker Iago Aspas and Real Madrid midfielder Isco.

The nature of the unlikely comeback only added to what was a special occasion for United’s former Real Zaragoza and Athletic Club star. "Wembley is the best stage for a debut," Herrera told the media after the match. "It was so exciting and an honour to represent my country. I will have to frame the shirt."

On Spain's performance and team spirit, Ander said: "We will take pride from this performance and fightback. That showed our footballing ability and character. We finished the game very strongly and whilst it was important to beat Macedonia, tonight we showed our fighting spirit.

"Another team would have surrendered but we did not give up and that shows our quality as a team, it shows the togetherness of our group."

WEEKEND FOOTBALL BACK IN ACTION

Weekend football is back as a week full of international matches for the qualification of the FIFA WORLD CUP in Russia comes to an end. We take a look at the most exciting fixtures this weekend.

The EPL comes back in action as rivalry between Mourinho and Wenger is heated up at Old trafford as the Man United Manager welcomes Wenger. Liverpool travels to St Mary's Stadium as to take on Southampton.

In the Laliga Atletico Madrid welcomes Real Madrid in the Famous Madrid derby at the Vicente Calderón 

Borrusia Dortmund takes on Bayern Munich while Wolfsburg takes on Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga.

Sat 19th Nov.

Man United vs Arsenal                           1:30pm

Southampton vs Liverpool                      4:00pm

A. Madrid vs R. Madrid                          8:45pm

B. Dortmund vs B. Munich                     6:30pm

Wolsburg vs Schalke 04                          3:30pm

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WHATSAPP VIDEO CALL LAUNCHED

WhatsApp has introduced a new feature likely to strike fear into the hearts of its competitors: video calling. 

After months in the beta stage, the Facebook-owned tech giant rolled out the update on Tuesday to its more than one billion monthly users. 

The latest feature could be bad news for rivals such as Skype and Apple's Facetime, as Whatsapp ups the ante in its effort to position itself as a one-stop-shop for communications. 

Users will be able to make video calls across Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone devices in the coming days, according to a statement posted on the company’s blog 

The new functionality looks similar to the normal voice calling feature, however a picture-in-picture feed will allow you to see yourself and who you’re talking to.

“Today we’re excited to announce the next step in our efforts to connect people – WhatsApp video calling,” the statement read. 

“We’re introducing this feature because we know that sometimes voice and text just aren’t enough. There’s no substitute for watching your grandchild take her first steps, or seeing your daughter’s face while she’s studying abroad. And we want to make these features available to everyone, not just those who can afford the most expensive new phones or live in countries with the best cellular networks.”

Video calling is one of several new additions to WhatsApp’s feature suite in recent weeks. 

All you need to do is simply update your WhatsApp from the Google Play store to make your first video chat.

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FOOTBALL TODAY

Southgate keen for decision on England future

England interim manager Gareth Southgate is eager for the Football Association (FA) to make a quick decision on his future.

The Three Lions host Spain in a friendly on Tuesday in what could be Southgate's last game in charge.

"It would be important for me to know what I'm doing after the middle of November," Southgate told several national newspapers.

'I got a red card for no reason' - Dzeko bemused by Greece dismissal

Bosnia-Herzegovina striker Edin Dzeko was stunned by his red card against Greece, insisting it was for "no reason".

Dzeko and Kyriakos Papadopoulos saw red in the 79th minute, the former receiving a second yellow after pulling down the shorts of Sokratis Papastathopoulos.

Dzeko asked, "The referee says I started the whole thing, but I was the only one ending on the floor, so how could I have started it?"

Kante hails Matic partnership at Chelsea

N'Golo Kante believes Nemanja Matic is his ideal partner in central midfield and has hailed the understanding he has developed with his Chelsea teammate.

The France international joined the Blues from Premier League champions Leicester City in July and has gone on to play in all 11 of his new side's top-flight matches.

"Chelsea have many very good midfielders, but most of the time I play with Matic and, yes, he's a good player. In training we have done a lot of work together, so in the game we can understand each other," said Kante.

Gerrard drops huge LA Galaxy exit hint

Steven Gerrard has dropped another major hint that he is leaving LA Galaxy as speculation over his next move intensifies.

The 36-year-old is set to be out of contract with the MLS side after an 18-month stay, with the club's penalty shootout defeat by Colorado Rapids in the playoffs on November 6 likely to be his last appearance in the United States.

Gerrard posted a picture on Instagram on Sunday evening, posing in front of the LA city lights with a caption: "Special place, incredible view, I will miss you LA."

Memphis Depay made 'passionate impression' vs. Luxembourg - Blind

Netherlands coach Danny Blind was not surprised by the impact of two-goal substitute Memphis Depay in his side's 3-1 World Cup qualifying win in Luxembourg.

Blind's side struggled to dismantle Group A minnows Luxembourg at the Stade Josy Barthel and were being held 1-1 at half-time when Manchester United striker Depay replaced Wesley Sneijder and went on to score two match-clinching goals.

"His attitude in training was good,'' Blind said. "He also made a passionate impression. His two goals were a nice reward for him and the team.''

'He really understands what a footballer needs' - Herrera hails honest Mourinho

Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera has praised Jose Mourinho's man-management skills, saying he is “very straight” with his players.

Despite suggestions of issues at United, though, Herrera has insisted the players are welcoming Mourinho's methods – and the Portuguese tactician's honesty.

"If a coach is not straight, players soon find him out. Mourinho is very straight," said the Spaniard.

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TOP 10 RICHEST AFRICAN MUSICIANS FOR 2016

Richest African musicians: Forbes has released their lists of Richest African musicians. The list was put together using factors such as endorsement value, popularity, show rates, Sales, awards, YouTube views, appearance in newspapers, investment, social media presence, Influence and so many other factors.

They include:

10) BANKY W

Artiste. Co owner EME, Samsung Ambassador, Philanthropist, multiple award winner.

9) ICE PRINCE

Ice prince Zamani has Six million downloads, 2 studio owner, one foundation member, Plug N Play ambassador, Zamani foundation.

8) SARKODIE

Rapper. Youth ambassador Ghana, Sark clothing, Samsung ambassador, fan milk Ghana ambassador.

7) ANSELMO RALPH

Musically Artiste Samsung and Coca Cola ambassador, Perfume line, clothing label, multimillion dollar tour bus, Sony artiste.

6) 2FACE IDIBIA

Music Artiste. 10million CDs and at least 7million digital sales, one campaign associated with Guinness, Haven Homes, Airtel Worldwide and philantropist – 2face foundation.

5) WIZKID

Music Artiste. EME artiste, Starboy CEO, affiliation with Disturbing London, several international collaborations, highest paid Pepsi ambassador in Africa, ambassador of MTN.

4) D’BANJ

Music Artiste. G.O.O.D Music deal, Sony Entertainment deal.

3) P SQUARE

Music Duo featured on Forbes Africa twice, sold out concerts, presidential guest in at least 5 African countries, they fly private jets.

2) DON JAZZY

Producer. CEO Mavin Records, MTN, Samsung and Loyal Milk endorsement. D’Banj, Kanye West, Beyonce and Jay Z on production credits.

1) AKON

CEO of Konvict Music, opened doors with other African artiste – Stargist

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