STOKE’S Salif Diao claims Chelsea striker Didier Drogba’s tendency to frequently go to ground is “part of the entertainment” of football.

AC Milan legend George Weah has urged his former club to do everything possible to sign Emmanuel Adebayor from Arsenal.

PARIS Saint-Germain will be without four regulars for the UEFA Cup clash against Derry City at The Brandywell tonight.

BARCELONA striker Samuel Eto’o was crowned the African Player of the Year for the third year in succession yesterday.

Newly inaugurated President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf today unveiled her first nominations for Cabinet-level positions in Liberia’s post-war elected government, tapping a female international banker to be her economy minister.

Africa’s first elected female head of state, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has been sworn in as president of war-battered Liberia, promising a clean break with the west African nation’s violent past and pledging to rebuild.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf takes office today as Liberia’s new head of state, carving her name into history as Africa’s first elected female president and taking the helm of a ruined nation struggling for peace after a quarter century of coups and war.

Liberia’s president-elect Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf said today she’s deliberating on what should be done about Charles Taylor who is in exile in Nigeria but wanted in Sierra Leone on war crimes charges.

The loser in Liberia’s first post-war presidential elections today dropped his legal challenge agains the results, saying he would accept the outcome in the interest of national reconciliation.

The UN’s peacekeeping mission in Liberia said today it has stepped up security measures across the capital after police clashed with angry supporters of the loser in the country’s first post-war presidential election.

Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole has denied he is a “diver” after being accused of feigning a foul during the 2-0 victory over Portsmouth on Saturday.

African leaders today hailed the election of the continent’s first-ever female president, calling the victory of Liberia’s Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf a watershed for African women.

UN forces fired tear gas and used batons to beat back rock-throwing supporters of a soccer-star candidate who claims his Harvard-educated female rival stole Liberia’s presidential runoff.

UN FORCES fired tear gas at angry supporters of Liberian soccer star George Weah yesterday after they stoned police and marched to the US embassy to demand a halt to counting in an election Weah says was rigged.

The football superstar turned presidential candidate called for a halt today in vote counting that had him heading for defeat in war-ravaged Liberia, but also urged his angry supporters to remain calm.

LIBERIA’S top female politician took a strong lead over her millionaire football star opponent in early returns from the war-ravaged West African nation’s presidential run-off.

Liberia’s top female politician took a strong lead over her millionaire football star opponent in early returns from the war-ravaged West African nation’s presidential runoff.

WAR-RAVAGED Liberia voted yesterday to choose its first post-war president in a heated run-off pitting an international soccer star who dropped out of school against the country’s Harvard-educated top female politician.

Liberians are today choosing between a wealthy international soccer star and a Harvard-educated female politician vying for the country’s top job in a brains-versus-brawn presidential run-off that many hope will herald a new era after a quarter century of coups and war.

A FORMER world soccer star faces off against a Harvard-educated woman in a heated brains-versus-brawn run-off tomorrow to decide Liberia’s first post-war president after a quarter century of coups and war.

A former world soccer star faces off against a Harvard-educated woman in a heated brains-versus-brawn run-off tomorrow to decide Liberia’s first post-war president after a quarter century of coups and war.

Liberian voters waited in snaking queues at churches, schools and empty, long-shuttered bank buildings, hoping presidential balloting would mark an end to a quarter century of coups, despotic rule and fighting that killed tens of thousands.

LIBERIAN voters waited in snaking queues, hoping yesterday’s presidential balloting would mark an end to a quarter century of coups, despotic rule and fighting that killed tens of thousands.

Violence from Liberia’s war spilled across borders, and today the west African nation held its first presidential elections since fighting ended.

LIBERIANS are flocking to the presidential campaign of former soccer star George Weah, who has pledged to lead his war-scarred country to peace and development after decades of despots.

Former world player of the year George Weah returned home to Liberia today to launch a presidential bid.

Paul Gascoigne will join United Arab Emirate's side Al Jazira later this year, according to the club's spokesman.

WHILE a nation was entranced by turmoil in the Pacific, Cameroon footballers weren’t enjoying an restful week in the sun. Refusing to fly, delayed flights, some must have wondered would they reach Japan at all.

Patrick Mbomba lacks nothing in confidence. And why should he?

Nigeria are through to the quarter-finals of the African Nations Cup after beating Liberia 1-0.

George Weah has not ruled out a return to the Premiership next season.