Ronaldo backs coach Ancelotti

Madrid - Real Madrid top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo has signalled strong support for coach Carlo Ancelotti and sent a clear message to club president Florentino Perez that he does not want the Italian to be sacked.

Perez is widely expected to make Ancelotti the scapegoat after Real ended the season without winning a major trophy but the intervention of dressing-room heavyweight Ronaldo may make him think twice.

Ronaldo netted a hat-trick in Real's final game of the campaign on Saturday, a 7-3 drubbing of city rivals Getafe at the Bernabeu, taking his tally at the top of the La Liga scoring chart to 48 goals.

It was his best single-season haul in Spain's top flight since he joined from Manchester United in 2009 and two short of the record of 50 set in 2011-12 by Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, who scored 43 this term.

After the match, Portugal captain Ronaldo posted a message on his Twitter feed with a photograph of himself and Ancelotti.

"Great coach and amazing person," Ronaldo wrote. "Hope we work together next season."

Ancelotti, who led Real to a record-extending 10th European title and a King's Cup triumph in his debut year in Spain in 2013-14, has made it clear he wants to carry on but said on Saturday if Real do let him go he would take a year out.

His contract runs until the end of next season and he said he expected to meet with club officials early next week to discuss his future.

Media reports in Italy have suggested the 55-year-old could return to former club AC Milan, with whom he won the European Cup as both a player and coach.

Napoli's Spanish coach Rafa Benitez is the frontrunner to replace Ancelotti at Real, where he had a stint as a youth trainer, according to local media.

Real's Colombia midfielder James Rodriguez also backed Ancelotti after Saturday's game.

"He arrived two years ago and he knows the team, he knows how we are and how we go about things," he told Spanish television. "But it's not my decision and it's not my place to talk about it."

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FIFA candidates targets of blackmail

Singapore - Two men who launched challenges to Sepp Blatter for the leadership of world football body FIFA have been targeted in an attempted blackmail scam, a report said on Saturday.

Prince Ali bin al Hussein and Michael van Praag, who has now pulled out of the race, were both approached by Kenya-based conmen who said Blatter had gathered sensitive information about them.

Singapore's The New Paper and Dutch daily De Volkskrant said the men demanded money to hand over the information from what they claimed was a smear campaign orchestrated by Blatter.

According to The New Paper, Jordan's Prince Ali, who is now Blatter's sole challenger in next week's FIFA vote, and van Praag both confirmed approaches.

"We have had a number of individuals coming forward with similar allegations," a spokesman for Prince Ali was quoted as saying.

"Our approach has been to try and set up meetings with these individuals so we can assess them and the information they are giving for ourselves."

The conmen said the director of an India-based security company put together a surveillance report on Prince Ali for submission to Blatter's daughter, Corinne.

But when contacted by The New Paper, both the investigator and Corinne Blatter denied all knowledge and said they had been set up.

"I do not know who is behind it but it is clearly intended to damage my father's reputation," Corinne Blatter was quoted as saying.

According to the report, the approaches by email appeared genuine but details such as the investigator's phone number and email address were wrong.

"I have no idea who would want to set me up, especially on such an elaborate scam as this," the investigator, who was not named, told The New Paper.

"I have never worked for Ms Corinne Blatter in any way."

Van Praag received an email which stated: "Some time in late August 2014, Sepp commissioned some espionage work on you fearing you might stand against him in future."

The Dutch FA chief said: "What do you think it would mean for my image if I were to respond to those e-mails?

"If it is true that they are working on a case against me,then so be it. I have nothing to hide."

Van Praag and Portuguese great Luis Figo withdrew from the FIFA race on Thursday, leaving Prince Ali as the only man standing between Blatter and a fifth term as president on May 29.

Swiss-based FIFA has been hit by a succession of scandals, including claims of widespread bribery in the run-up to Qatar's successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup.

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Renard quits as Ivory Coast coach

Abidjan - Frenchman Herve Renard has stepped down as coach of his Africa Cup of Nations winners Ivory Coast, according to official sources on Friday.

The charismatic 46-year-old led the 'Elephants' to their first African title since 1992 in February, when they defeated Ghana on penalties, but is now hotly tipped to take over at Ligue 1 side Lille.

"I said to myself, that after the success at the CAN, it would be difficult to do better and I have to open myself up to other challenges," Renard told the press.

Renard had been at the helm of the Ivory Coast since August 2014 after signing a two year contract but that deal has now come to an end.

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Cosafa Cup quarter-final line-up

Johannesburg - Cosafa Cup quarter-finals line-up.
Sunday, May 24
Namibia v Zambia - 15:00
Botswana v South Africa - 17:30
Monday, May 25
Ghana v Madagascar - 17:00
Malawi v Mozambique - 19:30

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