Manchester City's Yaya Toure will be favourite to collect a record fourth successive African Footballer of the Year crown.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
In a year when the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan made big ticket moves, there were some footballers who surprised us with their decisions.
Arsenal midfielder Alexander Song has been fined for refusing a reconciliatory handshake from Samuel Eto'o, reflecting continuing divisions in the Cameroon soccer team.
Manchester United will be getting used to life without Wayne Rooney at home to Bursaspor in the Champions League on Wednesday when holders Inter Milan unleash red-hot Samuel Eto'o on Tottenham Hotspur. Rooney has shocked United by saying he wants to leave but manager Alex Ferguson will not have to make an awkward decision about playing him against the Turkish side after the club said the England striker had gone down with an ankle injury.
European champions Barcelona will quickly renew acquaintances with their former striker Samuel Eto'o when they begin the defence of their trophy at Inter Milan in their opening Champions League match next month. The draw also brought together AC Milan and nine-time European champions Real Madrid in another mouthwatering Italian versus Spanish clash with Brazil forward Kaka facing his old club at his new Bernabeu home on Matchday Three.
European champions Barcelona will face Inter Milan, Dynamo Kiev of Ukraine and Russian newcomers Rubin Kazan when they open the defence of their crown following the draw for the Champions League group phase on Thursday.
A late goal by striker Samuel Eto'o gave the African champions a 1-0 win in the Confederations Cup.
Late goals from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi gave Spanish Primera Liga leaders Barcelona a 2-0 win over Real Madrid at the Nou Camp on Saturday, condemning Juande Ramos to defeat on his league debut as coach of the champions. Barcelona top the table with 38 points from 15 matches, eight ahead of Valencia who beat Espanyol 2-1 earlier on Saturday. Villarreal, who play at fourth-placed Sevilla on Sunday, are third on 29 points with Real fifth on 26.
Angola and Kenya were eliminated from the 2010 World Cup finals after failing to make the cut in the African qualifiers.
Pep Guardiola got off to a winning start as Barcelona coach with a comfortable 4-0 home victory over Wisla Krakow in their Champions League third qualifying round first leg on Wednesday.
Jose Mourinho is starting to feel drained at having to watch his Chelsea team hang on for scrambling victories despite dominating opponents, the manager said after Thursday's 1-0 Premier League win over Swansea City.
Images from the Champions League matches played across Europe on Wednesday.
Images from the Champions League matches played across Europe on Wednesday.
The Spanish champions came back from a goal down to beat 10-man Arsenal 2-1 and win their second European Cup.
Leading striker Samuel Eto'o will also miss the Champions League Group C match at Udinese because of a bruised ankle.
Barcelona beat Benfica 2-0 in the second leg quarter-final, while Arsenal went through on a 2-0 aggregate after their second leg with Juventus ended goalless.
The Liverpool striker's contract runs out at the end of this coming season, when he will be able to leave the club on a free transfer.
The 'Pass the message to kick out coronavirus' campaign calls for people around the world to follow five key steps to protect their health in line with WHO's guidelines.
Following Samuel Eto'o's unique goal-scoring celebration on Saturday, Rediff.com brings you a glimpse of how footballers - male and female - celebrate their goals in their style.
David Beckham stayed sober and was first to bed as his Real Madrid teammates enjoyed a booze-filled night in Hong Kong.
Chelsea routed title rivals Arsenal 6-0 in manager Arsene Wenger's 1,000th game in charge as blundering referee Andre Marriner was left red-faced after he sent off the wrong player in the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge, in London.
Chelsea surged seven points clear at the top of the Premier League after a 4-0 demolition of London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure landed his third successive African Footballer of the Year award on Thursday to cap a memorable week.
If reports are to be believed, it is a video posted online that has got the Portuguese's goat. According to the European press, Canal Plus, a French TV channel put up a video where Mourinho has questioned the quality of strikers in his Chelsea squad.
Chelsea's title ambitions suffered a major blow with a shock 2-1 home defeat by bottom side Sunderland on Saturday, handing the initiative to English Premier League leaders Liverpool who visit lowly Norwich City on Sunday.
Past and present Barcelona team mates Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano, Neymar and Luis Suarez were all there, as was Gerard Pique and his pop star wife Shakira.
Samuel Eto'o scored twice to give ambitious Anzhi Makhachkala a 2-0 Europa League win over Young Boys on Thursday while Liverpool lost 3-2 at home to Udinese and Videton, Sparta Prague and Molde pulled off surprise wins.
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti is stunned that striker Diego Milito was not included in the 23-man shortlist for the new FIFA Ballon d'Or.
Mumbai City FC manager Peter Reid is all praise for his star signing, Frenchman Nicholas Anelka.
Mexico got just rewards for their attacking intent when Oribe Peralta's 61st minute strike gave them a 1-0 win over Cameroon in their World Cup opener at a rain-saturated Dunas arena on Friday.
Mumbai City FC have been fairly inconsistent in the inaugural season of the Indian Super League so far, one could actually term their performance as the strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Inter Milan beat Palermo 3-1 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome to lift the Italian Cup and rescue an otherwise disappointing season.
European champions Inter Milan won the Club World Cup and brought some relief to beleaguered coach Rafael Benitez when they brushed aside Africa's TP Mazembe 3-0 in the final on Saturday.
European champions Inter Milan comfortably booked their place in the Club World Cup final with a 3-0 win over Seongnam of South Korea on Wednesday. Inter will meet surprise packages TP Mazembe of DR Congo on Saturday after the African champions upset Internacional of Brazil 2-0 to become the first team from outside Europe or South America to reach the final.
Samuel Eto'o scored twice as Inter Milan swatted aside Bologna 4-1 on Saturday to record their fourth successive win under new coach Leonardo and continue their ominous climb up the Serie A table.
It was a belated birthday celebration for Japan's makeshift striker Keisuke Honda, who helped Japan beat Cameroon 1-0 on Monday.
Cameroon's Indomitable Lions look set to feast on struggling Japan when they meet in their opening World Cup match on Monday.
The list of candidates to win the 2009 Ballon d'Or award was reduced to 10 men on Sunday, with Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi the overwhelming favourite.
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