David Moyes took heart from sparkling debuts by two emerging stars after his reign as Manchester United manager got off to a low-key start with an upset loss in Thailand.

A generally flat performance was enlivened by the eye-catching trickery of Belgian teen Adnan Januzaj, before new signing Wilfried Zaha came on and nearly snatched the equalizer.

France clinched a maiden under-20 World Cup title on Saturday after defeating Uruguay 4-1 on penalties following a goalless draw in Istanbul.

Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Alphonse Areola was the hero for France as he saved spot-kicks from Emiliano Velazquez and Giorgian De Arrascaeta in the shootout before Dimitri Foulquier swept the winning penalty beyond Uruguay's Guillermo De Amores.

Maria Sharapova hired former world number one and eight-time Grand Slam title winner Jimmy Connors as her new coach on Saturday, just a day after splitting with Thomas Hogstedt.

"I am happy to announce that Jimmy Connors will be my new coach. I have known Jimmy for many years and we briefly worked together in 2008 just before the Australian Open," said world number two Sharapova on her website.

The local basketball team of Amchit dropped over the weekend a lawsuit that was at the heart of the country's basketball crisis that had prompted the world governing body for basketball, FIBA, to suspend its membership, reported LBCI television.

FIBA accepted Amchit's decision to drop its lawsuit against the Lebanese Basketball Union, which will lead to the unfreezing of Lebanon's membership.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho said Mark Schwarzer will provide valuable competition and motivation for number one goalkeeper Petr Cech after handing the veteran Australian a surprise role at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho made clear that he regarded Cech as the world's best 'keeper, but he said the 40-year-old Schwarzer gave Chelsea extra "security" as a vastly experienced and highly rated back-up.

Hosts Zambia embark Sunday on a Cosafa Cup journey they hope will last seven days and finish with a record-equalling fourth title.

They face Mozambique in the second half of a quarter-finals double-header at Nkana Stadium in mining city Kitwe.

Caretaker Youth and Sports Minister Faisal Karami lamented on Friday the “death” of Lebanese basketball after the world governing body for basketball, FIBA, is likely to suspend the Lebanese union's membership, which will lead to the exclusion of the national team from international tournaments.

He said: “Politics and sectarianism ruined Lebanon's basketball.”

Real Madrid signed holding midfielder Asier Illarramendi from Real Sociedad on Friday as it intensified its efforts to capture Spain's latest generation of talent.

Sociedad club president Jokin Aperribay said Madrid paid Illarramendi's buyout clause worth 32 million euros ($42 million) plus another 6 million euros ($8 million) in taxes to secure his release.

Juventus has completed the signing of Italy defender Angelo Ogbonna from city rivals Torino.

Ogbonna put pen to paper on a five-year deal on Thursday, tying him to the Serie A champion until 2018.

Superstar forward Ilya Kovalchuk stunned the New Jersey Devils by retiring from the NHL on Thursday to return home to Russia.

In leaving, the 30-year-old Kovalchuk walked from $77 million left on the 15-year contract that he signed with New Jersey, including guaranteed annual salaries of at least $11 million over the next four seasons.