Sporting briefs

Ogbonna: Nigeria want Torino defender Angelo Ogbonna, 20, to play for their national team. The Nigerian FA said it had told coach Shaibu Amodu to visit the player in Italy to try to persuade him to commit to the country his parents come from.

Valencia: Valencia vice president Fernando Gomez said Unai Emery will remain coach until at least next season as the struggling Primera Liga club try to reverse a poor run of form and cope with severe financial problems. "Unai Emery is not only safe in his job this season but he'll be running the team for the next campaign," Gomez said. "We believe in his work. The squad must meet its responsibilities."

Getafe: Getafe president Angel Torres has backed coach Victor Munoz after the Madrid-based club were beaten 2-1 by Malaga on Sunday and slipped to 16th, without a win in six matches and three points above the relegation places. "We are in crisis and you can't just start firing people," Torres was quoted as saying. "What's more, the players have made it clear to me that the problem is not the coach but lies with them."

Beckham: Milan's David Beckham, who has extended his loan deal from LA Galaxy until June, has injured an ankle in training. The Serie A club said in a statement that the England midfielder's condition would be assessed in the coming days.

Race row: Argentine first division club Independiente have landed in the middle of a race row after their supporters used flags of Bolivia and Paraguay as an insult to fans of rivals Boca Juniors during a match. The club issued a statement condemning the behaviour of the supporters at Sunday's league match after a protest from the Bolivian embassy in Buenos Aires. Boca Juniors have traditionally enjoyed widespread support among the working class and their fan base is reputed to include substantial numbers of immigrants from Bolivia and Paraguay. Rival fans often use the terms Bolivian and Paraguayan as an insult.

Totti: Roma striker Francesco Totti has been included in the squad for today's Champions League last 16 second leg clash at home to Arsenal despite a knee problem. Coach Luciano Spalletti said he was not a definite starter against the English side, who lead 1-0 from the first leg. "We need to consider not only his fitness but the situation with the team," Spalletti said. "I don't want to risk early substitutions. It is a game which could go to extra-time."

Obasi: Hoffenheim striker Chinedu Obasi, who returned from injury in late February, will be out for about another month with a torn hip muscle. Nigerian Obasi, 22, has scored six times for Hoffenheim who share second spot with champions Bayern Munich.

Basket, NBA: Dwyane Wade's running three-pointer at the buzzer gave the NBA's leading scorer 48 points and earned the Miami Heat a 130-127 double overtime victory over the Chicago Bulls on Monday. Wade stole the ball from Chicago's John Salmons and raced down the court before tossing up the three-point shot from just inside the circle.

Tennis: World number four Andy Murray will play in this week's Indian Wells Masters Series event in California despite feeling less than fully fit. "I am not 100 per cent fit yet but feeling better for sure," the Briton said. A virus forced the player out of his country's Davis Cup Europe/ Africa zone tie last week and the Dubai Championships in February.

Pool: Former world pool champion Wu Chia-ching is hoping to secure Singaporean citizenship after a row over pay in his homeland, Taiwan. Wu, who in 2005 became the youngest nine-ball world champion at 17, has been offered $131,000 a year to play for the city-state.

Cricket: Australia clinched a series win over South Africa and remained top of the world rankings after completing a 175-run victory on the fifth and of the second test in Durban yesterday. South Africa resumed on 244 for two, chasing an improbable victory target of 546 to square the series 1-1. They were eventually bowled out for 370.

Baseball: Italy pulled off another European shock at the World Baseball Classic, eliminating hosts Canada with a 6-2 win on Monday. Baseball minnows Italy and Netherlands have been the surprise packages of the opening round, claiming some of the biggest scalps of the 16-nation tournament. Italy's victory follows Netherlands' stunning 3-2 win over favourites Dominican Republic.

Rugby Union: Wales scrumhalf Mike Phillips will replace the injured Dwayne Peel for Saturday's Six Nations championship match against Italy in Rome. "Dwayne will be out for a minimum of four weeks after a scan revealed a tear to his hamstring," Wales physiotherapist Mark Davies said.