THE PARROTS

Argentina and Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for tax fraud, Spanish media say. His father, Jorge Messi, was also given a jail term for defrauding Spain of €4.1m (£3.2m; $4.6m) between 2007 and 2009. During the trial, prosecutors said tax havens in Belize and Uruguay were used to conceal earnings from image rights. But Lionel Messi said he "knew nothing" about his financial affairs. LIONEL MESSI

THE PARROTS can confirm the signing of a four years sponsorship deal between the Ghana Football Association and Sanford world clinic at a press conference held  GFA's secretariat last Tuesday. The marriage which is taking care of the Women FA Cup competition is worth GHC 1.1 million. The Women FA Cup competition which was introduced to the Ghanaian football calendar not long is  currently at the round of 16 stage and team mates will be making merry as the newly reported deal will fetch them some monies.  Dr. Kojo Benjamin Taylor, President for Sanford World Clinic,revealed that their decision to partner the GFA and to support women’s football in particular means more to them than just being a fulfillment of their social responsibility. According to him, 70 percent of the patients and visitors to their health facility are women so they deem it as an obligation to help develop women football and invest in the lives of girls who are playing football. “I have seen a women’

West Ham united have turned down the chance to re-sign Carlos Tevez - because the  Argentine striker wants £250,000 a week .   David Sullivan, chairman of the of the club confirmed they had offered Tevez, currently with  Boca Juniors, a contract on £150,000 a week, which would have made him the  highest-paid player in the club's history. But the 32-year-old demanded much more, to the disappointment of Sullivan, although  he remains confident a deal can be done.   "We tried to get Tevez but he wanted £250,000 a week. In his last year at Juventus,   he was great. But 250 grand a week?" Sullivan told the   Daily Mirror . "He'll probably stay where he is now, but he doesn't pay a lot of tax down there." Tevez is a huge favourite among the Hammers supporters after scoring seven  goals in the final 10 games of the 2006-07 season to keep the club in the Premier League. The player has always spoken of his fondness for the east

President John Dramani Mahama has cautioned the youth to desist linking terrorism to Islam. According to him, the people who hide under the guise of Islamic religion to perpetrate violence are not true Muslims as they contravene the teachings of the Holy Prophet Mohammed. “We live in a world that is changing and some people under the guise of religion and religious extremism misinterpret the religious doctrines and use it to create harm for ideological reasons.” Speaking at this year’s Eid-ul Fitr celebration at the Black Star square, President Mahama advised Moslems to follow the teachings in the Quran and not be swayed by religious extremists. “Terrorism has entered our sub region and these people who propagate the terrorism ideology come under the guise of religion and erroneously try to create an equation between terrorism and Islam ; it is not true; there is no link between terrorism and Islam.” Citing the recent bombimg in Bahgdad that saw hundreds of shoppers kill

Former Chairman of Ghana’s Football Association (GFA), Ben Koufie has passed on. Sources revealed to  Citi Sports  that Ben Koufie, aged 84, died at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital after a short illness. The GFA confirmed his death via their official Twitter account on Monday evening. Koufie started his career in football as a player for Cornerstones and Ebusua Dwarfs, before playing for the Black stars from 1957 to 1958. Ben Koufie  also coached the Black Stars and before  managing the  Zimbabwean national side from 1988 to 1992. In Ghana, his coaching exploits led Asante Kotoko to the Africa Club Championship in 1971 and Great Olympics to the semi-finals a year later. He also had a stint with the then Akosombo Akotex. He also worked for Ivorian team, Africa Sports. Ben Koufie became Chairman of the Ghana Football Association from 2001 to 2003. Tributes have started pouring in from fans, players and football teams in the country for the man who did so much for the