Malta U-17: The Malta U-17 national team lost their opening match from the UEFA Mini-Tournament after they were beaten by N. Ireland 3-1 in Lithuania yesterday. The Maltese started well and took a deserved lead in the 35th minute through Glanville Goodlip. Northern Ireland turned the match in their favour early in the second half with goals from Adam McGurk and Geoff McGaw before Clarke Simpson sealed their win with a third goal on 77 minutes. Then, Malta goalkeeper Matthew Camilleri did well to save a last-minute penalty. Tomorrow, Malta play Serbia and Montenegro.
Sweden: Panathinaikos defender Mikael Nilsson was selected yesterday by coach Lars Lagerback for Sweden's World Cup qualifiers against Croatia and Iceland next month. Nilsson, 27, replaces Rosenborg's Mikael Dorsin who was in the squad but did not play in either of Sweden's previous qualifiers against Bulgaria and Hungary. Sweden lead Group Eight with 21 points, one point ahead of Croatia. The Swedes play Croatia in Zagreb on October 8 and Iceland in Stockholm four days later.
Lecce: Serie A side Lecce appointed former Parma coach Silvio Baldini as replacement for the sacked Angelo Gregucci yesterday. Gregucci was dismissed earlier in the day after the club suffered their fourth defeat in five games this season with a 1-0 loss to Empoli on Sunday. Baldini previously worked at Chievo, Brescia, Empoli and Palermo before taking charge at Parma last season where he was sacked after 15 games. He will now have the task of turning around Lecce's season after a poor start in which they have picked up just a single point from the first 15 available.
Muntari: Ghana have recalled Udinese midfielder Sulley Muntari for their last World Cup qualifier against the Cape Verde Islands in Praia on October 8. Suspension ruled Muntari out of Ghana's 2-0 win over Uganda in their last qualifier, which put them on the brink of a first World Cup finals appearance. Ghana top their group with 18 points, three above second-placed Congo, and need only draw to reach next year's finals.
Blazevic: Swiss top division side Neuchatel Xamax have named Miroslav Blazevic as their new trainer nine days after the former Croatia coach was sacked by Hajduk Split. Blazevic replaces ex-Swiss international Alain Geiger who left the club earlier yesterday by mutual consent. The team from Switzerland's French-speaking region are bottom in the 10-team league standings, with just one win in 10 games. A well-known figure since guiding Croatia to a shock third place at the 1998 World Cup finals, Blazevic mounted an unsuccessful bid to become his country's president in 2005.
Hunt: Bolton defender Nicky Hunt will be out for six weeks after suffering a hairline fracture in his left leg. The England under-21 international, who will miss the second leg of Bolton's UEFA Cup first round tie against Lokomotiv Plovdiv in Bulgaria tomorrow, was injured near the end of the 1-0 home win over Portsmouth in the Premier League on Saturday.
In Italy: Serie B - Pescara vs Torino 0-2.
MFA Division Three: Birzebbuga vs Pembroke 1-1; Xghajra vs Sta Venera 2-5.