Sporting Digest: Football

SSV Ulm won promotion to the German Bundesliga First Division for the first time by drawing 0-0 with SpVgg Greuther Furth on Thursday. Um, who joined the Second Division from the regional leagues at the start of the season, ended up third in the Second Division standings. Arminia Bielefeld and SpVgg Unterhaching, who finished first and second, had made sure of joining the top flight before Thursday's final programme.

Ajax have taken a 51 per cent stake in Goldfields, a leading club in Ghana. "As part of the co-operation, the main thrust will be to develop young talent," the Dutch club said.

Marco Simone, the former Milan and Italy striker, has joined Monaco from their French First Division rivals Paris St-Germain. Monaco have sold the Nigerian World Cup winger Victor Ikpeba to the German club Borussia Dortmund for an undisclosed fee.

The French club Montpellier have signed the former Paris St-Germain and France striker Patrice Loko from Lorient. He will be reunited with his former Nantes team-mates Reynald Pedros and Nicolas Ouedec at Montpellier.