Emmanuel Frimpong to play for Ghana, claims country's FA

The president of Ghana's FA has said Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong has pledged his future to the country.

The 19-year-old was recently called up by England's Under-21 side but is still eligible to play for the West Africans.

"We met Emmanuel in London last night and after talks, he has signed the document confirming he wants to switch nationality to play for Ghana," Kwesi Nyantakyi told BBC Sport on Tuesday.

"He is a player with enormous potential and will be a great addition to Ghana."

Frimpong met with Ghana FA officials on Monday night after theBlack Stars were beaten 1-0 by Brazil in an international friendly in London.

"This is a huge step in his career as he will join a talented squad with experienced players who are ready to help him improve," continued Nyantakyi.

"We are not relenting on Frimpong as we will continue to seek Ghanaian players both at home and abroad to continue to make the Black Stars among the best teams in the world."

Born in Ghana's capital Accra in 1992, Frimpong arrived in London as a youngster before joining Arsenal's youth academy aged nine.

He broke into the first team this season while also being selected by England's U21 side for last week's European qualifier against Azerbaijan.

However, he did not feature in a match won 6-0 by Stuart Pearce's side.

Earlier this year, a similar situation arose over the international future of Danny Welbeck, with the Manchester United star choosing England over Ghana.

Coincidentally, Welbeck then made his senior England debut in a friendly against the Black Stars at Wembley in March but because it was not a competitive match, it means he is still eligible to play for Ghana.

To complete his nationality transfer, Frimpong must await Fifa clearance - which is dependent on the world governing body receiving paperwork from the Football Associations of both Ghana and England.

Ref: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/14809809.stm

England close on Euro 2012 place with win over Wales

England need only a point in Montenegro next month to qualify for Euro 2012 after an unconvincing 1-0 victory against Wales at Wembley.

Ashley Young's first-half goal allowed Fabio Capello's side to build on Friday's win in Bulgaria and move closer to securing a place in Poland and Ukraine next summer - but this was not a performance to cause any concern among Europe's elite.

Wales, without the suspended Craig Bellamy and David Vaughan, deserved a point and should have claimed it, only for substitute Robert Earnshaw to miss an open goal with 13 minutes left.

It would have been deserved reward for Gary Speed's improving Wales against an off-colour England, who at least had the comfort of their first win at Wembley for more than a year.

And it left Capello knowing a draw in Podgorica in England's final qualifier will be enough to ensure he ends his time in charge of the national team at a major tournament, after his side moved six points clear of Montenegro at the top of Group G.

The Italian, however, will surely not be satisfied with this performance. The width, movement and threat on show against an admittedly poor Bulgaria was missing at Wembley and Wales keeper Wayne Hennessey was barely troubled apart from Young's goal.

Frank Lampard made a swift return in place of Scott Parker after his exclusion in Bulgaria, but he was anonymous - although he was not alone in that - and substituted late on.

Capello made two changes from the team that won so impressively in Sofia on Friday, with Lampard returning in place of Scott Parker and James Milner replacing Theo Walcott, who was suffering from a slight hamstring problem.

Speed promised a more resilient and organised display from Wales after a timid slide to defeat in Cardiff in March - and it was duly delivered despite England's interval advantage.

Wales had survived in some comfort, despite John Terry heading wide and Stewart Downing volleying off target, before Young put England ahead 10 minutes before half-time.

Downing, on one of the few occasions when England were able to get in behind Wales, pulled the ball back for Young to beat Hennessey emphatically at the near post.

If England's fans thought this would be the signal for Capello's side to confirm their authority, they were to be proved wrong as Wales grew in confidence as the second half progressed and emerged as the better side for spells.

And how they will regret the missed opportunity to secure a point they deserved with that dreadful miss from Earnshaw after 77 minutes. He only needed to apply the finishing touch to Darcy Blake's knockdown but somehow managed to blaze his finish over the top of an open goal from five yards.

The entire Welsh bench, led by Speed, was up in celebration and then down in despair at the realisation that Earnshaw had contrived to miss the game's best chance.

The striker attempted to make amends with a speculative long-range effort moments later - but to no avail as England closed out the win.

Michael Owen calls on Fallon for Brown Panther in St Leger

Ladbrokes St Leger

• Venue: Doncaster
 
• Date: Saturday, 10 September
 
• Start: 1510 BST
 
• Coverage:Commentary on BBC Radio 5 live, report/results on BBC Sport website. Live on Channel 4

• 
  
  Brown Panther owner Michael Owen and trainer Tom Dascombe have surprisingly replaced Richard Kingscote with Kieren Fallon for the St Leger.
  Kingscote was wearing Owen's blue silks when Brown Panther won the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot in June.
  "I have spoken to Michael at length and it was a tough decision, but on this occasion we've decided to go for a more experienced jockey," said Dascombe.
  Brown Panther is a 10-1 shot for the race at Doncaster on Saturday.
  The colt's victory at Royal Ascot famously reduced the Manchester United star to tears of joy in the winners' enclosure.
  Kingscote partnered Brown Panther in his two races after Royal Ascot, both defeats, in the German Derby and behind fellow big-race hope Census at Newbury.
  Dascombe added: "Richard has always done a good job, but you don't get too many chances to win a Classic and I decided that it was a decision that had to be made."
  Six-time champion jockey Fallon will be taking part in the final Classic of the flat racing season for only the sixth time.
  He has finished second twice, once, in 1989, riding Sapience, ironically a horse on which he had been replaced earlier that year.
  A maximum of 11 runners will line up for the St Leger, with the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Sea Moon the red-hot 11-8 favourite.
  
  

• ref: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/horse_racing/14796485.stm

Jamie McDonnell beats Stuart Hall to win British bantamweight title

Doncaster's Jamie McDonnell, the European and Commonwealth bantamweight champion, added the British title to his collection after a unanimous points victory over Darlington's Stuart Hall.

Hall, 31, shaded the early rounds of a brilliant fight in Doncaster but McDonnell, 25, dominated from round seven onwards to take the decision.

The three judges ringside scored the fight 115-113, 116-114 and 116-113.

"I'm over the moon, my experience made the difference," said McDonnell.

Hall was the aggressor in the opening five rounds of the fight, landing the bigger punches of the two British fighters, but McDonnell's relentless body shots soon wore down his opponent.

McDonnell was noticeably lighter on his feet from round six onwards and almost floored his opponent a round later when catching Hall off balance with a right-hand uppercut.

Another uppercut in the eighth followed by a right-cross from McDonnell further disheartened Hall who was slipping behind on the judges' scorecards.

Both traded heavy shots in the 10th as Hall came back into the fight as the pace continued at a blistering pace.

Hall was cut in the 11th but still took the round, however, he went into the 12th knowing he needed a stoppage to win the fight.

But it was McDonnell who finished with a flourish as he showed his class and sealed the victory to take his record to 18 wins (seven stoppages), two defeats and one draw from 21 fights.

For Hall it was the first defeat of his 13-fight career.

"The better man won on the night," admitted Hall afterwards.

ref: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/boxing/14777689.stm

Thomas Bjorn wins European Masters title in Switzerland

Omega European Masters, final leaderboard

• -20: T Bjorn (Den)
 
• -16: M Kaymer (Ger)
 
• -15: J van Zyl (SA), R McIlroy (NI), J Donaldson (Wal)
 
• -14: L Westwood (Eng), D Lynn (Eng), F Andersson Hed (Swe)
• Selected others: -13: JM Jiminez (Spa), -12: E Molinari (Ita), -10: P Lawrie (Ire), -9: S Gallacher (Sco)

• 

  
  

  
  

  Denmark's Thomas Bjorn clinched back-to-back titles with victory at the European Masters in Switzerland.

  The 40-year-old two-time Ryder Cup star, who won last week's event at Gleneagles, shot a final-round 62 to win by four shots at Crans-sur-Sierre.

  Germany's Martin Kaymer was second on 16 under with Rory McIlroy, Jamie Donaldson and Jaco van Zyl tied third one shot further back.

  England's world number two Lee Westwood finished tied for sixth on 14 under.

  Bjorn arrived in Switzerland in good form having triumphed in a five-man play-off at the Johnnie Walker Championship in Scotland.

  Beginning the day three shots behind overnight leader Jamie Donaldson, the Danish veteran started slowly, sinking pars in the first three holes before a bogey on the fourth.

  But he followed that up with four straight birdies and added another at the 11th to race ahead.

  A second bogey came on the 12th, but he sank a 12-foot putt for eagle at the par-five 15th and then nailed two eight-foot putts in the closing par fours to ease to his third victory of the season.

  "The way I finished was special and it's been an amazing two weeks," said Bjorn, who also won in Qatar in February.

  "I started hitting my wedges so well last week and kept it going.

  "At the end you think nothing can go wrong. Golf seems easy sometimes and you have to remember that when you are not playing well."

  Bjorn has now won 13 times on the European Tour stretching back to 1996, but he has had a somewhat rollercoaster career, admitting "fighting demons" after he lost the 2003 Open from three ahead with four to play.

  He went through another low earlier this year following the death of his father, but after also finishing fourth at the Open he is now back in the world's top 30.

  The European Masters was the first qualifying event for next year's Ryder Cup, so Bjorn, who played on the European team in 1997 and 2002, leads the standings.

  The Dane, who is chairman of the Tour's players' committee, has since served as an assistant to Bernhard Langer in 2004 and Colin Montgomerie at Celtic Manor last year.

  However, when asked if it was possible for him to return to the team to play in Chicago in September 2012, he said: "There's a long, long way to go and with the talent we have, it's going to take a few more of these weeks."

  World number six McIlroy, who had a share of the lead after the second round, started the final day two off the lead.

  The US Open champion birdied the first two holes to move into a share of the lead, but his putter let him down thereafter and he faded to finish five shots off Bjorn.

  The Northern Irishman, who was playing for the first time sinceinjuring his arm against a tree root at the US PGA Championship,said: "It was a bittersweet week.

  "Coming back off the injury I didn't know what to expect. To get myself into contention was great and the arm felt 100% healthy, which is a huge positive."

  
  

Rugby World Cup 2011: Lewis Moody out of England opener

Rugby World Cup Pool B: Argentina v England

• Venue: Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
 
• Date: Saturday 10 September
 
• Kick-off:0930 BST
 
• Coverage: Live text and score updates on the BBC website, live on ITV1, live commentary on TalkSport radio, highlights on S4C

Captain Lewis Moody will not play in England's opening Rugby World Cup match against Argentina on Saturday after failing to recover from a knee injury.
The 33-year-old suffered a recurrence of the ligament injury in England's first World Cup warm-up game against Wales at Twickenham on 6 August.
Moody hurt the knee playing for Bath in January and missed the Six Nations.
"We hoped he would be fit to start training but he is not quite there", Johnson said.
Moody said on Thursday he was hopeful of adding to his 67 caps and was "on the right path" to proving his fitness for the clash against the Pumas.
But the skipper, who has played only 62 minutes of Test rugby this year, will not be risked with England's next fixture on Sunday, 18 September against Georgia.
Johnson said he was confident Moody would still play a significant role in the tournament.
"He has been running around today so he is not a million miles away," Johnson added.
"It is just one of those calls, 'are you ready to participate fully this week and play a Test match this Saturday?' Not quite."
Meanwhile, defence coach Mike Ford says England face a stern test in the group stage of the Rugby World Cup but that it could serve them well for later in the event.
"You don't want to go to a quarter-final winning by 100 points in every game," Ford said of Group B, which pairs England with Argentina, Scotland, Georgia and Romania.
"If you are not on your game in this tournament you will probably lose.
"We are probably in the group of death as Scotland are playing very well.
"If we don't treat Argentina with the utmost respect we will come unstuck."
England reached the final of the last World Cup in 2007, and go in to the tournament in New Zealand as reigning Six Nations champions.
Johnson's side won their final warm-up game 20-9 against Ireland, a match that Ford saw as perfect preparation for the challenges ahead during a tournament that finishes on 23 October.
The former Northampton Saints coach has been impressed with the way Johnson has improved the fortunes of the team since he took over in April 2008.
"They were really on the rise when we played them at Twickenham in November and we saw that when they beat Australia [on 13 November 2010]," he said.
"They were brilliant. Martin Johnson has done a really good job. He's given them a lot of belief. They come out here with a squad that has developed its game hugely from basically a 10-man rugby team to playing 15-man rugby.
"I think that makes them a real danger." ref: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/14784677.stm