Iran axe coach Skocic five months before Qatar World Cup

Dragan Skocic has been dismissed as Iran head coach with little more than four months to go to the World Cup finals in Qatar, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported yesterday. It said that Iran’s football federation had decided to dismiss the 53-year-old, adding that “there are unconfirmed reports that several Iranian candidates have a good chance to replace Skocic”.The move comes after Skocic, who took over from Marc Wilmots as coach in February 2020, secured the Iranians a spot at the World Cup by topping their qualification group ahead of South Korea. The Croatian won 15 of his 18 games in charge but has lost two of his last three matches, including a 2-1 friendly defeat by Algeria in Qatar last month.Current Oman boss Branko Ivankovic, who led Iran to the World Cup finals in Germany in 2006, has been linked with the role as well as former Bayern Munich striker Ali Daei and ex-Osasuna midfielder Javad Nekounam.Iran will be appearing at the World Cup for the sixth time in the country’s history and on a third consecutive occasion. They have been drawn in Group B and will kick off their campaign against England on Nov. 21 before taking on Wales and the United States.Mane, Salah among African Player of the Year contendersFormer Liverpool teammates Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah are among 10 stars shortlisted for the 2022 African Player of the Year award, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced. Salah won the award in 2017 and 2018 and Mane in 2019.The 2020 and 2021 editions were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Mane moved to Bayern Munich last month while Salah signed an extension to his contract at Anfield. Playing key roles as Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time this year and qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar could give Mane the edge over Salah.Another contender is 2016 African Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez, the Algeria captain and Manchester City winger. Senegal and Chelsea shot-stopper Edouard Mendy is hoping to become the first goalkeeper to lift the trophy since Moroccan Ezzaki Badou in 1986.The winner will be announced at a ceremony in Rabat on July 21 after the captains and coaches of African national teams, CAF technical committee members and selected media vote.African Player of the Year nominees: Riyad Mahrez (Algeria, Manchester City/ENG), Karl Toko Ekambi (Cameroon, Lyon/FRA), Vincent Aboubacar (Cameroon, Al Nassr/KSA), Sebastien Haller (Ivory Coast, Borussia Dortmund/GER), Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool/ENG), Naby Keita (Guinea, Liverpool/EGY), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco, Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Edouard Mendy (Senegal, Chelsea/ENG), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal, Napoli/ITA), Sadio Mane (Senegal, Bayern Munich/GER)Rooney agrees to return to DC United as coach: reportsFormer Manchester United and England star Wayne Rooney has reached an agreement to coach Major League Soccer team DC United, for which he played between 2018 and 2019, US media reported.The 36-year-old will join the team once visa formalities are finalised, reports said. A photo of Rooney at Dulles International Airport outside Washington on Sunday also went viral on twitter. The Englishman will replace Argentine Hernan Losada, who was fired due to poor results only six games into the season.The team also failed to rebound after Losada’s departure and currently occupies the penultimate position in the Eastern Conference with just 17 points in 17 games. Led by interim coach Chad Ashton, the capital club suffered a crushing 7-0 drubbing at the hands of the Philadelphia Union on Friday.Rooney resigned as manager of Derby County at the end of June, gaining plaudits for his efforts in his first managerial role under very trying circumstances. Rooney was unable to keep them in the Championship after the crisis-torn club were hit by a 21-point deduction as punishment for financial issues.However, he had managed to keep their hopes alive of miraculously escaping the drop into the final weeks of the season.In his spell at DC United as a player he scored 23 goals in 48 games in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.Palace sign Mali midfielder Doucoure from LensCrystal Palace signed Mali midfielder Cheick Doucoure from Lens in a deal worth a reported £20mn ($23mn). Doucoure agreed a five-year contract with the Premier League club after impressing for Lens in the French top-flight last season.The 22-year-old was one of Patrick Vieira’s top transfer targets as the Palace boss looked for a replacement for England midfielder Conor Gallager, who has returned to Chelsea after last season’s loan spell at Selhurst Park.Doucoure is Palace’s third close-season signing following the arrivals of Malcolm Ebiowei and Sam Johnstone.Pereira joins Fulham from Man UnitedFulham signed Manchester United’s Brazil midfielder Andreas Pereira in a deal worth a reported £10mn ($11.9mn). Pereira agreed a four-year contract with the newly promoted Premier League club, who are believed to have paid an initial £8mn and a further £2mn in potential add-ons.Fulham have an option of an extra year in his contract which could tie to him to Craven Cottage until 2027. The 26-year-old progressed through United’s youth system after joining from PSV Eindhoven in 2011. Pereira made 75 appearances and scored four goals for United, who have loaned him out to Granada, Valencia, Lazio and Flamengo.Italian coach De Zerbi leaves Shakhtar DonetskItalian coach Roberto De Zerbi has left Shakhtar Donetsk by mutual consent after a season cut short by the war in the country, the Ukrainian club announced. De Zerbi, 43, joined Shakhtar in May 2021, winning the Ukrainian Supercup, the only trophy awarded last season.The club had also managed to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League and reach first place in the Ukrainian league table when the season was interrupted in April due to the Russian invasion.