Sporting briefs

Eto'o: Unsettled Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o is considering a move to join Uzbek club Kuruvchi, the Cameroon international said yesterday. "I have several good offers from various clubs at present," Eto'o told a news conference in Tashkent after arriving in the Uzbek capital. "I'm planning to return to Barcelona and starting from Saturday, I will consider all my options, including the one from Kuruvchi." The three-times African Player of the Year has been told he is surplus to requirements at the Spanish club and is free to negotiate his own contract.

Iraq: FIFA has given approval to Iraq's soccer federation for one more year after the war-ravaged country said it was unable to hold statutory elections because of security problems. Iraq were temporarily banned from international soccer in June after its government broke FIFA rules by sacking the soccer chiefs. FIFA granted the Asian champions a reprieve when the federation was reinstated at the 11th-hour.

Aimar: Benfica have agreed to sign Real Zaragoza's Argentine international Pablo Aimar, the Spanish club said. Aimar is to undergo a medical in Lisbon. Portuguese media have reported the deal was worth around 6.5 million euros and will keep the playmaker at Benfica until 2012.

Petkovic: Former Yugoslavia and Serbia coach Ilija Petkovic has been in talks with Kuwait to replace the sacked Radion Gacanin as coach, Kuwaiti soccer officials said. The 62-year-old met with the Gulf state's soccer federation last week. Croatian Gacanin was sacked in June after just three World Cup qualifiers.

Yobo: The brother of Everton defender Joseph Yobo has been released by kidnappers in Nigeria. Norum Yobo, who was seized on July 6 in Port Harcourt, has been re-united with his brother who stayed on in Nigeria. Everton's website did not say whether any ransom had been paid.

Squillaci: Sevilla have signed France defender Sebastien Squillaci from Olympique Lyon on a four-year contract. Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido said they had paid 6.25 million euros with a further 500,000 euros payable linked to variables for the 27-year-old, who was a member of the France squad at Euro 2008.

Ramos: Tottenham Hotspur manager Juande Ramos suggested they were prepared to sell senior players to build for the future and try to break into the Premier League elite of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. "Our plan is to buy young quality players with a future, and if there are important offers for the older ones we will study them to see what is best for the club," Ramos told reporters. "Our aspiration is to put an end to this 'top four' and put ourselves in there."

Luis Fabiano: Sevilla's Brazil striker Luis Fabiano, the Primera Liga's second top scorer with 24 goals last season, has obtained dual nationality and is close to signing a contract extension, the Spanish club said. "We can say, short of a few minor details, that we have an agreement on an extension for the next three seasons," Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido was quoted as saying.

Tennis: Lindsay Davenport will miss next week's Los Angeles Classic due to the recurrence of a knee injury. Davenport injured her right knee in practice before Wimbledon and had to pull out of the tournament after winning her first match at the grand slam. The 32-year-old Olympic gold medalist is scheduled to play at next month's Beijing Olympics.

Basket, NBA: Free agent centre Patrick O'Bryant, who has seen limited action with the Golden State Warriors the past two seasons, has joined the Boston Celtics, the NBA champions said. The 7-foot (2.13 m) O'Bryant, the ninth overall pick in the 2006 draft, appeared in 40 games for the Warriors and averaged 1.7 points and 1.3 rebounds.

Olympic torch: A business executive who was scheduled to be an Olympic torch bearer in central China has been disqualified amid charges he was involved in an illegal capital raising scam. Wu Zhenhai, former board chairman of an agriculture company in Shangqiu city of Henan province, was accused of improperly raising 610 million yuan ($87 million) from the public.