Sport in Short: Football

PAVEL SADYRIN has been named as the first coach of the Russian national team. Sadyrin, 50, won the Soviet title with CSKA Moscow last year - the final season of the Soviet championship - to repeat his success with Zenith Leningrad in 1984.

THE West African Football Union said yesterday it had invited South Africa to play in a four-nation tournament in Ghana in October alongside the host nation, Nigeria and Senegal.

PAUL LAKE, absent for nearly two years with a knee injury, is out of Manchester City's squad for their tournament in Dublin this weekend with a hamstring injury.

ASTON VILLA are to play their reserve team matches at Walsall's Bescot Stadium next season in an attempt to protect the pitch at Villa Park.

MARK ROBINS, the Manchester United and England Under-21 striker, has rejected an pounds 800,000 move to Dynamo Dresden of the German Bundesliga, leaving Norwich and Newcastle to compete for his signature.

PETER BONETTI, England's goalkeeper coach, has been appointed goalkeeper coach at Coventry City. He will work at the club for two days a week. He succeeds Mike Kelly, the former Plymouth manager, who ceased to be the club's reserve team coach earlier this month and rejected the offer of resuming as goalkeeper coach.

TRANSFERS: Paul Musslewhite, goalkeeper, Scunthorpe to Port Vale, pounds 20,000. Richard Clark, goalkeeper, Cheltenham to Port Vale, nominal fee. Sean Francis, striker, Birmingham to Telford, free.

FRIENDLY MATCH (Marino): Italian Olympic XI 5 Qatar Olympic XI 0.