Morocco banned from Africa Cup of Nations in 2017 and 2019

The cost of transforming the London Olympic Stadium has been revealed at £272million, with West Ham contributing £15m to the final total.

Reports suggest that the original budget for the revamp of the stadium, which was the host of track and field events for the 2012 Olympic Games, was set at £154m.

However, the final spend released by the London Legacy Development Corporation  was considerably more thanks in part to the fact that a new roof had to be installed that covers all the seats and is the largest of its kind in the world.

Premier League side West Ham are due to move to their new stadium ahead of the 2016-17 campaign, having held off a lengthy legal battle from Tottenham and Leyton Orient.

In addition to West Ham s portion of the cost, the …

Milan midfielder Adel Taarabt has revealed how a failed move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2011 led to a year of misery .

The 24-year-old Moroccan joined the San Siro outfit on loan from QPR in January and made Serie A starts against Napoli and Bologna before making his UEFA Champions League bow against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

However, things could have been different for Taarabt, who held talks with PSG in the 2011 close-season.

I was the priority of the Qataris (PSG owners), he said. They had met me before all the other players who have signed.

They wanted me to sign. But I think that Leonardo (director of football) had other priorities.

I suffered from this transfer failure, I suffered a lot. In my head, I was in Paris, a big club, I was going to play …

Harry Maguire struck a stunning injury-time winner as Leicester City won 2-1 away at 10-man Southampton on Saturday.

A drab encounter had looked set to end all square after Demarai Gray cancelled out Ryan Bertrand s fine opener on his 150th appearance for the Saints.

But Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was shown a second yellow card for a clear dive in the penalty area with 13 minutes remaining and Leicester pushed on in search of a winner.

It arrived from the right boot of England man Maguire in stoppage time as he drilled through a crowded area, beating the rooted Alex McCarthy low to his right.

Southampton edged a dull first half, but Kasper Schmeichel kept out the only two shots on target with a pair of comfortable low parries from Mohamed Elyounoussi and Danny…

Lionel Scaloni thinks Argentina s 2-2 draw with Germany on Wednesday produced arguably the best performance of his spell in charge of La Albiceleste.

Argentina found themselves trailing 2-0 in Dortmund after 22 minutes of the international friendly, as Serge Gnabry prodded in from close range before teeing up Kai Havertz for his first Germany goal.

But Scaloni s substitutions helped inspire a comeback, as Lucas Alario – brought on for Paulo Dybala just past the hour – headed in and then Lucas Ocampos sealed a draw late on having been introduced at half-time.

Scaloni stepped in after Argentina s shambolic 2018 World Cup campaign and has often attracted criticism for his selections and disappointing displays against better opposition, although Wednesday s comeb…

The Netherlands will not take Uruguay s challenge lightly in Tuesday s World Cup semi-final Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk said on Saturday.

Van Marwijk, who guided the Dutch into their fourth World Cup semi-final with a thrilling 2-1 win over five-time winners Brazil on Friday, said that his side had to prepare themselves for a tough battle against the two-time winners, who reached their first semi-final in 40 years with a penalty shootout win over Ghana.

They fought and they survived, said van Marwijk, who took over from Marco van Basten following Euro 2008.

Like us they deserve their place in the semi-finals and must on no account be underestimated. Related article:

Van Marwijk, who was capped once as a player, said that even though the Uruguyans, who…

Ange Postecoglou savoured Celtic’s title party but insisted he needed no reinforcement of what his Parkhead role brings him.

The 57-year-old is reported to be high on Tottenham’s wanted list as they search for a new manager but Postecoglou remains focused on winning the treble with Celtic ahead of next weekend’s Scottish Cup final against Inverness.

Celtic warmed up in style with a 5-0 win over Aberdeen before collecting the cinch Premiership trophy.

We are Glasgow Celtic, the best in Scotland, the only team for me and you!

— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC)

“I don’t need any reinforcement, I feel it every day,” Postecoglou said. “I know it’s a special football club and I have had wonderful support from day one.

“I a…

Borussia Dortmund s trip to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga on Saturday has come at a sensational time for head coach Jurgen Klopp.

Dortmund travel to the Allianz Arena buoyed by their 2-0 victory over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, despite going out of the competition 3-2 on aggregate.

They sit second in the German top flight, three points ahead of arch-rivals Schalke in third, and can strengthen their grip on the position with victory against the newly crowned champions.

Bayern have not won in the Bundesliga since wrapping up their 24th German title at Hertha Berlin last month, with a 3-3 draw against Hoffenheim followed by a surprise defeat at Bavarian rivals Augsburg, their first league loss in more than 17 months.

Pep Guardiola appears …

South Africa s 1-0 friendly win over Spain will remain ratified by FIFA, despite the European side breaking substitution rules in the game.

The narrow victory was sealed by Bernard Parker at Soccer City, the stadium at which Spain won the 2010 FIFA World Cup with an extra-time victory over the Netherlands.

The fixture had been expected to lose its status as an A international due to Spain manager Vicente del Bosque making seven changes in the Johannesburg clash.

Six is the most permitted in friendlies, but Del Bosque brought Pepe Reina on for Victor Valdes after the maximum had been made as the Barcelona goalkeeper had picked up a calf injury.

FIFA had originally hinted that South Africa could lose ranking points earned by the victory, but the result has been all…

Barcelona star Luis Suarez believes team-mate Lionel Messi is the best player of all time as he opened up about his decision to turn down Real Madrid.

Suarez joined Messi at Camp Nou in 2014 and, along with Neymar, form arguably the world s best attack.

The Uruguay international has no doubt as to the world s best player, saying Messi was the greatest ever.

Messi is the best in history, Suarez told Onda Cero.

He is also a spectacular human being who welcomed me very well when I got to Barcelona.

Suarez headed to Barca after impressing at Liverpool, but it could have been different.

Instead of Messi, the 30-year-old had an opportunity to be lining up alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Santiago Bernabeu.

There were talks with Real Ma…

that Chelsea are set to reignite their interest in Napoli forward Gonzalo Higuain when the transfer window reopens in the summer.

The fallen Premier League champions went in for the Argentina international in January, though he had reservations about the move with Diego Costa still in the Blues’ ranks.

However, that is not likely to deter the London side to go back in for the 28 year old, who has been in Naples since switching from Real Madrid in the summer of 2013.

During his time in Italy, Higuain has made one hundred and thirty-two appearances in all competitions so far, scoring an impressive seventy-nine goals while he was also prolific during his time with Real and River Plate the club where he began his career.

Guus Hiddink’s side are sev…