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• AFCON could be moved due to 'scheduling nightmare', CAF general secretary reveals

  The 2025 men's Africa Cup of Nations could be put back six months after a "scheduling nightmare", CAF general secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba has confirmed.

  The tournament, which was won by the Ivory Coast last February, was initially scheduled to take place in Morocco in June 2025.

  However, this will clash with the expanded 32-team Club World Cup, held in the United States between June 15 and July 13, with four African teams invited to participate.

  "For the men, we need to make sure that the dates that we'll be choosing will be in the interests of the players,” Mosengo-Omba told BBC Sport Africa.

  "For this, we need to balance different aspects and also discuss with our partners and then we complete [the dates]. Scheduling is a nightmare for everybody.”

  "We can play after the Club World Cup, but is this good for the interests of the players who have played all the season, and then they travel to America [and then] to immediately come to play Afcon?"

  The CAF general secretary also said there would soon be an update on when the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations would take place, with the forthcoming Olympic Games providing another potential clash.

  "We are supposed to play this year, but we have teams engaged in the Olympics, so we have to find another date," he added.

  "We are talking with UEFA, because most of the players are playing in Europe, the European Club Association, and also with FIFA in order to find [a] suitable date."

• Verbruggen to be Netherlands' number one at Euro 2024, Koeman confirms

  Ronald Koeman confirmed Bart Verbruggen will be the Netherlands' first-choice goalkeeper at Euro 2024.

  There had been question marks over who would keep goal for the Oranje during the forthcoming European Championship, with Verbruggen facing competition from Mark Flekken and Justin Bijlow.

  But the Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper, who made 27 appearances across all competitions during his debut season with the Seagulls, has been given the nod for the Netherlands' tournament opener against Poland on June 16.

  The Dutch, who will also play France and Austria in Group D, continue their preparations with a friendly against Canada on Thursday, before playing Iceland in their final warm-up match four days later.

  "It had been clear to me for several weeks that Bart would become the first-choice goalkeeper," Koeman told reporters ahead of the match against the Canucks. "Mark Flekken did well in March [the last international window], but the choice was clear to me."

  Verbruggen, who won the first of his five caps to date against France last October, admitted he could not contain his excitement when told the good news.

  "I didn't do a little dance, but I did have a grin from ear to ear," he said. "I don’t feel any pressure, but maybe it will come later because I have never been to a major tournament. But I feel I have the confidence of my team-mates."

• Italiano named Motta's replacement at Bologna

  Bologna have confirmed the appointment of Vincenzo Italiano as the club's new head coach, with the former Fiorentina boss succeeding Thiago Motta.

  Italiano has put pen to paper on a two-year deal with the Rossoblu, who will play in the Champions League next season following a fifth-place finish in Serie A.

  The 46-year-old departed Fiorentina at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, after guiding La Viola to successive Europa League Conference finals during his three-year spell.

  However, the Florence club suffered heartbreak on both occasions; losing to a last-minute winner from West Ham's Jarrod Bowen in 2023, while Ayoub El Kaabi struck in extra-time to clinch a dramatic victory for Olympiacos the following year.

  Italiano also led Fiorentina to the 2022-23 Coppa Italia showpiece, where they were beaten by Inter.

  A promotion winner with Trapani and Spezia earlier in his managerial career, he takes charge at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara and succeeds Motta, who is expected to replace Massimiliano Allegri at Juventus.