Quarantine: Referees in the 2013 Cup of Nations will be kept secluded from the public during the tournament in South Africa next year to avoid match-fixing, a local organising committee (LOC) said. Security force members will escort the referees from their hotels to the stadiums. The quarantine will be lifted at the end of the tournament, LOC said.

Arrested: Estonia’s Oliver Konsa has been arrested on suspicion of dealing in illegal drugs and has been suspended by his club. Konsa, 27, has played with the national side 20 times but was not in the squad for two friendlies against Oman and the UAE this month. The striker was arrested by police on Monday with three others suspected of distributing cocaine.

Futsal: Holders Brazil take on bitter rivals Argentina in the last eight of the Futsal World Cup in Thailand with the free-scoring ‘selecao’ hoping their red-hot form will edge them closer to a fifth title. The line-up for tomorrow’s quarter-finals will also see Spain take on a strong Russian side and another all-Europe tie between Portugal and Italy. Colombia and Ukraine complete the draw.

22 players: Panama’s best hope of ending Spain’s year-long unbeaten run would be to field 22 men in their friendly soccer match today, coach Julio Cesar Dely Valdes said. “The best thing to take on Spain would be to allow us to play with 22 players instead of 11,” Valdes joked yesterday. “Against Spain it is absurd to think of it as just another team.”

Remy: Marseille striker Loic Remy is expected to miss his team’s two games after suffering a thigh injury in Sunday’s draw with Nice. The France international came on as a second-half substitute as OM were held 2-2 at the Stade Velodrome but had to be replaced himself in the closing stages.

U-21 friendlies: Italy vs Spain 1-3; Cyprus vs Romania 1-1; England vs N. Ireland 2-0; France vs Ukraine 2-1.