Heads of some national sporting associations are upbeat about the appointment of veteran sports journalist and commentator, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, as the new Minister-designate for Youth and Sports.

Yesterday, President John Dramani Mahama released his first reshuffle list with the Odododiodoo Member of Parliament as the one to take over from the incumbent Dr Mustapha Ahmed.

In an interview with the Graphic Sports yesterday, the president of the Ghana Hockey Association, Richard Akpokavie, said Nii Lante’s rich background in sports dating back to his youthful days, would propel him to be more comfortable with the job.

According to him, as a former weightlifting president, Mr Vanderpuye would be expected to pay more to the needs of the least-financed sporting disciplines in the country.

Arsenal's Spanish left-back Nacho Monreal has signed a new long-term contract with the Premier League club. The 29-year-old joined the Gunners from La Liga side Malaga in January 2013.

Monreal has made 113 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions, including all 22 league matches this season.

The University of Cape Coast (UCC) emerged overall winners in the 2016 Ghana University Sports Association (GUSA) games which ended at the University of Education, Winneba last Friday.

The UCC won eight trophies from all the 11 disciplines they participated in and crowned the winners in the games which sportsmen and women from eight public universities in the country participated in.

The two-week games were held on the  theme:  ‘’Developing and sustaining Sporting Talents for Ghana’’ and the participating universities were the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), University of Ghana, Legon, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST) and University of Cape Coast (UCC).

Ghana midfielder Richard Boateng has finally been rewarded for winning the best player at Granada B in the 2014/15 season.

The 23-year-old was excellent for the Spanish side in the third-tier league after scoring five goals for his club.

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has commended ex-Black Stars captain Stephen Appiah and former English Premier League stars Sol Campbell and George Boateng, for their initiatives in organising a Unity Match aimed at promoting peace as the nation holds its Presidential and Parliamentary Elections on November 7 this year.

President Kufuor lauded the trio yesterday morning when they paid him a courtesy visit to brief him on the preparations for the event ahead of the official launch billed as a two-legged football match slated for June 8 and June 11, 2016.

“Stephen is, indeed, my son and I celebrate him always for his leadership. So, I am not surprised he has succeeded in putting together a team like you  with the objective of maintaining peace and unity in the election year of our country,” former President Kufuor stated.

Andre Ayew has emerged as a target for Chelsea as they look to bolster their attacking options for the second half of the season, it's claimed.

The Swansea striker was recently the subject of a rejected £11m bid from Sunderland according to reports, and the Black Cats are ready to come back with £14m.

Francois Zahoui might have built a formidable and physically defensive unit for this tournament but Oliseh’s boys need nothing less than a victory to show supremacy.

Nigeria face Niger Republic in a Group C fixture at the 2016 African Nations Championship at the Stade Régional Nyamirambo, Kigali today.

Niger upstaged Togo in the qualifying series to confirm their place in the championship – their second in the history of the competition.

The Menas made their debut appearance in 2011 but were knocked out in the quarter finals round by host Sudan on penalties.

Former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says he has had offers from around the world to return to management but insists he will not rush a decision on his next club.

The ex-Swansea City and Watford boss left Anfield in October following a mixed start to the Premier League season and has since been linked with jobs in Qatar, as well as a return to the Liberty Stadium.

Rodgers - who led Liverpool to the brink of the title in 2013-14 - says he would consider a job either at home or abroad provided the opportunity is right.

Manchester United produced the ultimate smash-and-grab victory at Anfield as Wayne Rooney's 78th-minute goal decided a game barely befitting of England's two most decorated clubs.

While Rooney was the match-winner with the visitors' only shot on target, David de Gea was the man who made the 1-0 win possible with a string of saves and was the far busier of the two goalkeepers.

It was just Rooney's sixth goal in 24 appearances for both Everton and United against Liverpool and his first at Anfield for 11 years but it edged him to within seven of Sir Bobby Charlton's club record of 249 and lifted his side back up to fifth, two points behind Tottenham.

Louis van Gaal's tactics may have been criticised as boring - and one shot on target in 90 minutes hardly did much to alter that - but he will see them as fully justified after leaving Merseyside with all three points.

Chelsea striker Diego Costa was taken to hospital after injuring his shin in his side's eventful 3-3 draw with Everton last Saturday, interim manager Guus Hiddink revealed.

"He's in the hospital and they will have a scan," Hiddink told reporters at Stamford Bridge. "We don't know the result yet and I hope it's not bad. It's on his shin. He was in a lot of pain, that's true."

Costa, 27, was replaced by Loic Remy in the 80th minute after hurting himself in a challenge on Leighton Baines.

American heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder defended his WBC title with a knockout of Artur Szpilka at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York last Saturday.

More drama followed the contest when WBA and WBO Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury climbed into the ring and said he wanted to fight Wilder in a unification bout.

Szpilka, who was bidding to become Poland’s first world heavyweight champion, made it a close battle before absorbing a tough right hand to the chin with 2:24 left in the ninth round.

Defending champions Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams will be hoping to get the Australian Open off to a sizzling start when they play back-to-back on Rod Laver Arena on today.

The weather also looks set to do its part in keeping temperatures high from the off at Melbourne Park with peaks of 37 Celsius (98.6 Fahrenheit) forecast for the opening day of the year's first grand slam.

The two dominant players of last year, Djokovic and Williams are no strangers to the heat of the Australian summer, of course, but sweltering conditions might help expose any flaws in their early season form or fitness.

David Haye returned after a three-and-half-year lay-off with a first-round knockout of Mark de Mori in London.

Australian De Mori looked bothered by the first jab Haye threw and thereafter it was one-way traffic.

Haye, 35, set up the finish with huge overhand right and De Mori was unconscious before he hit the canvas with 49 seconds left in the round.

Leicester are hopeful of sealing a deal for Copenhagen's Daniel Amartey by the end of the week.

The Foxes are in talks with the 21-year-old defender as boss Claudio Ranieri seeks to bolster his squad for their shock title assault.

Real Madrid still plan to sign Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea this summer, despite having a FIFA transfer ban imposed on them last Thursday.

It is understood the Real hierarchy met that afternoon to discuss the ramifications of the ban on signing players, which covers two transfer windows, this summer’s and January 2016.