Charlton have signed highly-rated midfielder Abdul Razak on a three-month loan from Manchester City, the club confirmed on Saturday.

The all-action Ivory Coast international, who played in City’s Capital One Cup match against Aston Villa in midweek, watched Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers, and will boost Chris Powell’s options in the middle of the pitch.

Addicks manager Powell said: “Abdul’s a talented young midfielder and someone who I feel will compliment my squad well.

“He’s had experience of the Premier League and the Championship and we look forward to working with him.”

The expected joy of the new Ghana football season was delivered as Asante Kotoko beat New Edubiase 2-0 to lift the Super Cup match on Sunday.

Goals in either half at the Accra Sports Stadium from Kofi Nti Boakye gave the Premier League champions their Cup triumph.

Kotoko enjoyed more possession and that gave an indication that the Premier League champions may have enough firepower as it is when they open the new season at home on October 7.

Defensive lapses by Edubiase handed Kotoko both goals but the Porcupine Warriors showed more quality on the day than the side from Bekwai in the traditional curtain raiser to the new season.

Samuel Eto'o and Lacina Traore both scored to lift Anzhi Makhachkala to the top of the Russian Premier League table after a 2:1 home victory over FC Volga on Sunday.

Four-time African Footballer of the Year Samuel Eto'o gave Anzhi the lead in first half stoppage time, drilling home from the edge of the box after a pass from Ivorian strike partner Traore.

Eto'o then repaid the favour moments after Volga's 59th minute equaliser when he fed Lacina Traore to tap home from close range.

The victory sees Anzhi go two points clear atop the table after their closest rivals and former leaders CSKA Moscow crashed 2:0 at home to fellow Muscovites Dynamo earlier in the day.

Real Madrid midfielder Michael Essien claims the Spanish La Liga is the most competitive league in the world and superior to the English Premier League.

The 29-year-old moved to the Santiago Bernabeu on a season-long loan deal on transfer deadline day from Chelsea. 

Essien made his La Liga debut last Monday and lasted the entire duration in the 2-0 win at Rayo Vallecano. 

He is expected to play a key role in Sunday's clash against Deportivo La Coruna. 

Essien seems to have settled in at the club and but admitted it has not been a smooth transition for him.

In-form Demba Ba netted two goals to salvage a point for Newcastle as they drew 2:2 at Reading in the English Premier League on Saturday.

All goals were scored in the second half with the Senegal international twice pulling his side level with his fifth and sixth goals in six appearances this season.

Malian midfielder Jimmy Kebe gave Reading the opening goal on 57 minutes, but the lead lasted just two minutes before Ba evened proceedings with a superb goal. Ba controversially struck again on 83 minutes with his arm after Reading had taken the lead for the second time shortly after the hour.

The president of the Football Association of Malawi, Walter Nyamirandu, survived a car crash on Friday morning that claimed the life of his fiancé, Maria Inglis.

Another female passenger, who suffered serious injuries in the accident, died on Saturday in hospital in Blantyre.

Nyamirandu's son Allansten was also seriously injured and remains in hospital in Blantyre after initially being rushed to a hospital near the scene of the crash.

"The car overturned three times with Maria dying on the spot, while the son sustained serious injuries," the local police public relations officer Titani Chadwala explained.

Having finally achieved his dream of joining a European club, South African defender Siyanda Xulu has set his sights on securing a place in the Bafana Bafana squad for the 2013 African Nations Cup.

The 20-year-old centre-back, who had trials at Arsenal and Barcelona as a teenager and also saw a move to Atletico Madrid fall through last year, joined Russian side FC Rostov from Mamelodi Sundowns for £500,000 in September, signing a four-year deal.

He made his debut last week in a 3-1 Cup victory but faces competition from Nigerian veteran Isaac Okoronkwo and Benoit Angbwa of Cameroon to become a first choice in central defence.

Senegal coach Joseph Koto has published his roster for the return leg of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations final qualifying round against Ivory Coast set for October 13 in Dakar.

Expected to make the list after his five-year ban was listed days ago, former Senegal international El Hadji Diouf was not called up and no reasons were given by the coach, although a member of the football federation said on Thursday the body’s priority was to rejuvenate the outfit and not to seek momentary solutions.

Thirteen of the 23 players were drawn from U23 team that participated in the 2012 London Olympic football tournament.

Cameroon superstar Samuel Eto'o has ended his international exile after the country's prime minister intervened to facilitate a return to action for the Indomitable Lions.

Eto'o, 31, has been embroiled in a number of public disputes with the Cameroonian Football Federation over the past year, with relations between the Anzhi Makhachkala player and the country's governing body turning sour.

In January, the former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker - widely regarded as one of the greatest African footballers of all time - was banned for eight months for his role in organising a players' strike in a row over late payment of appearance fees.

Namboole Stadium in Uganda has been closed to allow repairs to be made ahead of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Zambia on 13 October.

The decision follows a complaint by Zambia's Football Association (Fufa) to the Confederation of African Football over a week ago about the playing field, which it claimed was not ready to host a high-profile match.

Zambia's two-man advance team visited Uganda and took pictures of the pitch, dressing rooms and toilets.

And in a letter to Caf, Zambia General Secretary George Kasengele requested urgent intervention into the matter, calling for Fufa to consider improving the playing area and dressing rooms so that they meet internationally accepted standards.