FIFA panel member charged with fraud in Cayman

A member of FIFA's financial monitoring panel has been charged with fraud in a criminal investigation in his Cayman Islands homeland.

A Cayman anti-corruption unit has charged Canover Watson with money laundering, fraud and breach of trust amid a probe into a 2010 contract to supply local hospitals with a swipe-card billing system.

The 43-year-old Watson is the former chair of a health authority board in the British Caribbean territory. He issued a statement denying any wrongdoing after being questioned by investigators in August.

Calls to Watson's Grand Cayman home went unanswered Thursday. He is due in court on Tuesday.

Watson was temporarily suspended from FIFA's eight-person audit and compliance committee in September pending the outcome of the Cayman case. The panel scrutinizes FIFA's $1 billion-plus annual revenue and commercial contracts.

NFF mum on Keshi's future

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has remained tight-lipped on the future of out-of-contract Super Eagles head coach, Stephen Keshi, despite meeting on Wednesday in the wake of the country's failure to qualify for the 2015 Afcon.

The NFF executive committee met on Wednesday night after Nigeria's 2-2 draw with South Africa in a 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match at the Akwa Ibom Stadium in Uyo, but did not mention if there is a decision reached to give Keshi a new contract or not.

But the football federation agreed that Shaibu Amodu resumes as the technical director of the NFF while Emmanuel Ikpeme will assist. Both men are expected to resume duties immediately, according to the NFF.

The NFF executive committee also announced that it will be sending the like of Amodu, Nwankwo Kanu, Garba Lawal, Yisa Shofoluwe, Austin Okocha, Ann Chiejine, Florence Omagbemi, Edema Fuludu, Dahiru Sadi, Siji Lagunju, David Ngodigha as well as five coaches from the Nigeria Professional FOotball League (NPFL), Paul Aigbogun, Kelechi Emeteole, Salisu Yusuf, John Obuh and Ladan Bosso "on a two–week, intensive training programme in the United Kingdom."

The NFF explained that the 17 persons will undergo training "to improve the quality of coaching, match–reading and backroom analysis." However, from the list Keshi or any of his backroom staff are pencilled down for the programme.

The NFF has also constituted a Technical Study Group which former Nigeria international, Okocha, will head.

Others in the study group include Benedict Akwuegbu, Celestine Babayaro, Michael Obiku, Darlington Omodiagbe, Finidi George, Taribo West, Tijani Babangida, Kashimawo Laloko, Henry Nwosu, Peter Rufai, Dominic Iorfa, Nwankwo Kanu, Dahiru Sadi, Gbenga Ogunbote, Mutiu Adepoju, Florence Omagbemi, Mercy Akide-Udoh, Ann Chiejine, Eucharia Uche, Salisu Yusuf, Alloy Agu and Benedict Iroha.

The Technical Study Group, according to the NFF, is expected to focus "on getting talented Nigerian players into the developmental leagues in Europe for the purpose of creating a pool of future Super Eagles’ players, and work hard at getting more Nigeria–born footballers in Europe to commit to representing fatherland."

Chelsea will run away with title - Howard

Chelsea will run away with the Premier League title but could struggle to remain undefeated until May, according to Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard.

Chelsea have won nine and drawn two in their first 11 games and already have a four-point lead over Southampton, and an eight-point advantage over third-place Manchester City.

Howard told ESPN that he doesn't foresee any team catching Jose Mourinho's men for the title.

"Man, they're like a buzzsaw," Howard said. "I think they are going to run away with it. Do I think they'll go undefeated? No, but they'll go mighty close.

"They're just strong front to back, like I've almost never seen before, quite nearly flawless. But credit to them, Jose Mourinho came in last year and continued to build and build and build, and this is what it was for. It was for the team that he puts out right now."

Howard also said that he believes the start of the current Premier League season, which sees the likes of Southampton, West Ham and Swansea in the top five, is unlike any he can remember.

Everton sit 10th in the table after 11 games but Howard remains confident that they can move up in the games to come.

"I think we got off to a slow start, but this season seems to be so crazy compared to the other ones," Howard said. "Everton's a good team, we've got a really good squad of talented, talented players.

"We're going to be OK. We play a great brand of football. We're a tough match for any team so I'm not worried about us at all."

Howard dismissed questions that Everton's extra games in the Europa League this season have contributed to a slower start in the Premier League.

"Our manager Roberto Martinez has a great plan in terms of how he feels he wants to rotate the team," Howard said. "We're on top of the group in Europe, so we look forward to those games.

"Of course it's tough on the squad. You have to look after yourself a little more in terms of physically and getting a lot of rest because you're playing Thursday-Sunday, but we've not found it as a distraction at all.

"That's a simple excuse a lot of clubs use. Not for us, though."

Everton return from the international break with a game against West Ham at Goodison Park on Saturday, and Howard said they "would like to always fancy our chances at home," despite praising his opponents' recent run of form.

"Hats off to West Ham, they've had a brilliant start," Howard said. "Certainly, a little bit unexpected, but they're there on merit. They've played really good football this year.

"They've been tough, they've put it to opponents. They've scored goals and they've been resilient at the back, which is the recipe for winning games. But they'll be on our patch and we're going to try to make them suffer a little bit."

Rodgers reveals Sturridge woe

Liverpool are launching a medical investigation after Daniel Sturridge suffered the ninth injury of his career in his left thigh.

The England striker has been ruled out for another six weeks with the second injury of this nascent season to the same thigh.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers previously blamed England for aggravating Sturridge's injury but he has now gone public in his concern about the recurring problem.

"We reckon it’s his ninth injury on the same thing from previous clubs here and there," said Rodgers.

"So there seems to be an underlying issue somewhere. Our medical team are looking into it, the latest scans show a slight tear just below where he had a previous injury.

"Daniel is very disappointed and so are we. It is hugely disappointing to be without a player of his quality. Most players you will find want to play through an injury to get on to the field and when the incident happened in training it was through quite an innocuous action.

"He just flicked the ball and instantly felt the pain, it wasn’t a shot or anything that looked as if it might be serious."

There have been suggestions that Liverpool could pay a fee to cut short Divock Origi's loan back to Lille, but Rodgers has instead put pressure on Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert to produce goals in Sturridge's absence.

"For the time being we just have to focus on the players we do have," Rodgers said. "We have to make the best of what is available.

"You could say it presents an opportunity for the guys who have been on the sidelines for a while. We have an exciting period of games coming up, we have to ensure we go back to our basics and be really hard to beat, we need to be strong and aggressive.

"Most of all we want to make an impact in front of goal, now there’s an opportunity for some players who didn’t think they would get a chance."

Bayern Munich to have £20m more a year for transfers after repaying loan

Bayern Munich have managed to repay the €346m loan used to build the Allianz Arena in just nine and a half years. Photograph: Christof Stache/AFP/Getty Images

Bayern Munich are likely to have about €25m (£20m) extra a year to buy players after paying off the cost of building the Allianz Arena. The club is set to top €500m (£400m) in turnover for 2013-14.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the Bayern CEO, told the Bundesliga champions’ club magazine the 25-year loan on the stadium, which cost more than €340m (£272m) to construct, had been paid off 16 years ahead of time.

“We have financed the entire stadium privately,” he said. “For that we took exactly €346m into our hands in 2005 with a financing plan to 2030 – so 25 years. Now we have paid off the stadium completely after nine and a half years.“

This means Bayern will have more money to buy players, according to the calculations of former club president Uli Hoeness a few years ago. Rummenigge did not give an actual figure but confirmed: “The revenues from the Allianz Arena can soon also be invested in the quality of the team.”

FIFA to review World Cup corruption report

 FIFA will further review the 2018 and 2022 World Cup corruption investigation, putting the status of hosts Russia and Qatar back in question.

FIFA says American prosecutor Michael Garcia and ethics judge Joachim Eckert want Domenico Scala, the independent chairman of its financial monitoring panel, to study Garcia's 430-page report.

Scala would then recommend details of the confidential dossier for discussion by FIFA's executive committee.

Scala, a Swiss businessman, got the unexpected duty Thursday after Garcia and Eckert met in Zurich, capping a chaotic week for FIFA.

Garcia appealed Eckert's decision last week to close the case against Russia and Qatar.

FIFA's executive committee, including members implicated by Garcia, meets Dec. 18-19 in Marrakech, Morocco.

FIFA says Garcia has formally opened proceedings against some individuals, whom it did not identify.

City receive Kompany lift

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany appears to be closing on a comeback after he was cleared to return to training.

The 28-year-old defender suffered a knock in City’s Champions League loss to CSKA Moscow earlier this month and was forced to sit out the 2-2 draw at QPR a few days later.

Kompany also pulled out of Belgium's European Qualifier against Wales last week, but the club have revealed pictures of him back in training, raising hopes of a return against Swansea at the Etihad on Saturday.

Manager Manuel Pellegrini might decide not to take a risk on the player's fitness, instead saving him for the crucial visit of Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

In four games in the competition so far, City have claimed just two points and need a positive result to maintain their interest in the competition.

City are hoping playmaker David Silva can recover from a knee injury in time to face the German giants as he took part in light training last weekend.

But striker Edin Dzeko and left-back Aleksandar Kolarov are both expected to be out until next month with calf injuries.