Reuters Sports Schedule at 1400 GMT on Saturday, Feb 6

Reuters sports schedule at 1400 GMT on Saturday: FIFA African confederation backs Salman for FIFA job KIGALI - Bahrain's Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa was given a major boost in his bid to become the next FIFA president when he received endorsement from the Confederation of African Football (CAF). (SOCCER-AFRICA/FIFA, moved, by Clement Uwiringiyimana, 650 words) Jailed Uruguayan reaches plea bargain in FIFA case MONTEVIDEO - The former head of the South American Football Confederation has agreed to hand over more than $10 million in stocks and property in a deal to reduce his punishment in the FIFA corruption scandal, a prosecutor in the case said. (SOCCER-FIFA/URUGUAY moved, 350 words) OLYMPICS Athletes weigh gold lust against Zika fears LONDON/NEW YORK - As global health chiefs try to bring a Zika virus epidemic under control, aspiring Olympic athletes are weighing their lust for gold against health fears surrounding the mosquito-borne virus in Brazil. (HEALTH-ZIKA/OLYMPICS-ATHLETES (PIX, GRAPHIC) moved, by Ossian Shine and Joshua Schneyer, 800 words) SOCCER Premier League (1500 unless stated) Manchester City v Leicester City (1245) Aston Villa v Norwich City Liverpool v Sunderland Newcastle United v West Bromwich Albion Stoke City v Everton Swansea City v Crystal Palace Tottenham Hotspur v Watford Southampton v West Ham United (1730) Leicester continue to chase the dream at Manchester City LONDON - Leicester City face a severe test of their title credentials at second-placed Manchester City, who trail by three points, while Tottenham Hotspur, five points off the pace, host Crystal Palace. (SOCCER-ENGLAND/ (PIX), expect by 1445 GMT/9:45 AM ET, by Justin Palmer and Ian Chadband, 600 words) We will also file mini match reports on every game La Liga Atletico Madrid v Eibar (1500) Rayo Vallecano v Las Palmas (1715) Athletic Club v Villarreal (1930) Sporting Gijon v Deportivo Coruna (2105) Atletico host eibar aiming to keep up with leaders Barca MADRID - Second-placed Atletico Madrid host mid-table Eibar knowing a win will provisionally move them level on 51 points with leaders Barcelona, while fourth-placed Villarreal can join Real Madrid on 47 points if they beat visiting Athletic Bilbao. (SOCCER-SPAIN/ (PIX), expect by 1700 GMT/12 AM ET, 400 words) Neville faces media ahead of Betis clash Valencia coach Gary Neville talks to the media ahead of Sunday's visit to fellow mid-table side Real Betis as he comes under increasing scrutiny following a 7-0 midweek King's Cup thrashing by Barcelona and after 11 games without a league win, eight under the ex-England defender. (SOCCER-SPAIN/NEVILLE (PIX), expect by 1200 GMT/7 AM ET, by Ed Dove, 300 words) Bundesliga (1430 unless stated) Eintracht Frankfurt v VfB Stuttgart FC Ingolstadt 04 v FC Augsburg Hanover 96 v Mainz Hertha Berlin v Borussia Dortmund Schalke 04 v VfL Wolfsburg Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich (1730) Bayern out to show who is boss amid Guardiola City news BERLIN - Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich aim to confirm they are the champions-in-waiting when they visit Bayer Leverkusen, with coach Pep Guardiola's deal to join Manchester City next season in the spotlight. (SOCCER-GERMANY/ (PIX), expect by 1630 GMT/1130 AM ET, by Karolos Grohmann, 400 words) Serie A Bologna v Fiorentina (1700) Genoa v Lazio (1945) Fiorentina face Bologna test, Lazio at Genoa Third-placed Fiorentina can close the six-point gap to the top two at Bologna, while struggling Genoa can pull away from the relegation zone when they host Lazio, who were punished for their fans' racist chanting in a midweek match against Napoli. (SOCCER-ITALY/ (PIX), expect by 2145 GMT/4:45 PM ET, by Ed Dove, 200 words) Ligue 1 (1900 unless stated) Monaco v Nice (1300) Angers SCO v Olympique Lyon (1600) Caen v Stade de Reims FC Lorient v Montpellier HSC GFC Ajaccio v En Avant Guingamp Bastia v ES Troyes AC Toulouse v Nantes Monaco face Champions League qualifying rivals Nice PARIS - Monaco can open a six-point gap over visitors Nice with a win as they bid to seal the second automatic Champions League qualifying spot behind Paris St Germain, who play on Sunday and have a 24-point lead at the top. (SOCCER-FRANCE (PIX), expect by 1500 GMT/10 AM ET, by Ed Dove, 400 words) - - - - NFL Panthers, Broncos set for Super Bowl showdown SAN FRANCISCO - We look ahead to the Super Bowl 50 showdown between the top-seeded Carolina Panthers and Peyton Manning's Denver Broncos with a nine-part package consisting of an overall preview, separate profiles and factboxes on each of the two teams, five storylines to watch for, five players who could have an impact on the game, a Super Bowl factbox and a list of previous Super Bowl champions. (NFL-SUPERBOWL/ (PREVIEW, PIX, GRAPHIC), moved, by Steve Keating and Larry Fine, 650 words) SEE ALSO: (NFL-SUPERBOWL/PANTHERS (PROFILE, PIX, GRAPHIC), moved, by Larry Fine, 600 words) (NFL-SUPERBOWL/BRONCOS (PROFILE, PIX, GRAPHIC), moved, by Larry Fine, 600 words) (NFL-SUPERBOWL/PLAYERS, moved, 500 words) (NFL-SUPERBOWL/STORYLINES, moved, 775 words) (NFL-SUPERBOWL/PANTHERS (FACTBOX), moved, 485 words) (NFL-SUPERBOWL/BRONCOS (FACTBOX), moved, 535 words) (NFL-SUPERBOWL/WINNERS, moved, 440 words) (NFL-SUPERBOWL/ (FACTBOX), moved, 440 words) Relaxed Goodell charting new course SAN FRANCISCO - A much more relaxed Roger Goodell delivered his Super Bowl state-of-the-league address on Friday than the under-fire NFL commissioner who last year was left to defend his job performance following string of scandals. (NFL-SUPERBOWL/GOODELL (PIX), moved, by Steve Keating, 450 words) NFL looks at international agenda SAN FRANCISCO - The NFL continued to build its global brand on Friday when commissioner Roger Goodell announced Mexico will host a game next season and dangled a carrot to British fans saying a team in London was a realistic possibility. (NFL-SUPERBOWL/INTERNATIONAL (PIX), moved, by Steve Keating, 450 words) Vegas bookmakers want Broncos to cover Super Bowl spread Las Vegas casinos are not against Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning winning a Super Bowl in what is likely his final game but would prefer the Carolina Panthers to deny him a fairytale finish and not cover the spread. (NFL-SUPERBOWL/VEGAS (PIX, GRAPHIX), moved, by Frank Pingue, 400 words) RUGBY Six Nations France v Italy (1425) Scotland v England (1650) New France coach Noves takes bow versus Italy PARIS - France look forward to a fresh start under new coach Guy Noves when they take on Italy in their opener with the veteran charged with restoring some panache to the French game after some dreary performances. (RUGBY UNION-FRANCE/ (PIX), expect by 1630 GMT/11:30 AM ET, by Julien Pretot, 500 words) England start afresh under Jones against fiery Scots EDINBURGH - England begin a new chapter under Australian coach Eddie Jones and captain Dylan Hartley when they face old foes Scotland at Murrayfield with the Calcutta Cup and local bragging rights up for grabs. (RUGBY-SCOTLAND/ (PIX), expect by 1830 GMT/1:30 PM ET, by Mitch Phillips, 400 words) GOLF PGA Tour: Phoenix Open, Scottsdale, Arizona (to 7) Hahn ahead at TPC Scottsdale SCOTTSDALE, Arizona - James Hahn, renowned for his "Gangnam Style" moves at the TPC Scottsdale in 2013, used a fast start and solid finish to edge one shot clear after Friday's second round of the Phoenix Open at the same venue. (GOLF-PGA/ (PIX), moved, by Mark Lamport-Stokes, 400 words) LPGA: Coates Golf Championship, Ocala, Florida Ko and Jang share lead in weather-disrupted event World number one Lydia Ko shrugged off a late rules scare to earn a share of the third-round lead with Jang Ha-na at the Coates Golf Championship in central Florida on Friday. (GOLF-LPGA/, expect shortly, 350 words) European Tour: Dubai Desert Classic (to 7) McIlroy aims to cut deficit on leader Cabrera-Bello DUBAI - World number two Rory McIlroy is six shots off the pace set by Spain's Rafa Cabrera-Bello, who takes a one-stroke lead into the third round as he bids for a second Desert Classic win. (GOLF-EUROPEAN/, expect by 1430 GMT/9:30 AM ET, 400 words) CRICKET New Zealand v Australia, 2nd ODI, Wellington (0100) Marsh guides Australia to victory WELLINGTON - Mitchell Marsh kept calm after New Zealand got the sniff of an unlikely victory and scored his sixth one-day international half century to guide Australia to a four-wicket win in the second match of the series. (CRICKET-NEWZEALAND/, moved, by Greg Stutchbury, 400 words) South Africa v England, 2nd ODI South Africa seek to level ODI series with England PORT ELIZABETH - South Africa bid to bounce back from their 39-run Duckworth/Lewis defeat against England in the opening game of the five-match one-day international series and will hope out of form captain AB de Villiers rediscovers his spark. (CRICKET-SAFRICA/(PIX), by 1600 GMT/11 AM ET, 300 words) NFL Newton favorite to be named league MVP SAN FRANCISCO - Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is the big favorite to snare the coveted NFL Most Valuable Player award, while Brett Favre is widely expected to win entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during the NFL Honors awards show on the eve of Super Bowl 50. (NFL-SUPERBOWL/AWARDS (PIX, GRAPHIC), expect by 0300 GMT/10 PM ET, by Larry Fine, 500 words) - - In the future you will live the Super Bowl, not watch it SAN FRANCISCO - In 2066 when the Super Bowl celebrates its 100th anniversary fans will not just watch the National Football League's championship game -- they will live it in all its bone-jarring virtual reality glory. No longer a parochial pastime, American gridiron will be a global game with franchises from London to Beijing, concussions, like paper money, will have disappeared and fans will swarm stadium concession stands at halftime for a puff on legalized marijuana or to sip on $100 beers.(NFL-SUPERBOWL/FUTURE (FEATURE, PIX), expect by 2200 GMT/5 PM ET, by Steve Keating, 700 words) - - Panthers defense has been a turnover machine The Carolina Panthers defense may not allow the fewest points or lead the NFL in sacks, but their ability to force turnovers has been a key factor behind their remarkable run to the Super Bowl. (NFL-SUPERBOWL/PANTHERS-DEFENSE (PIX, GRAPHIC), expect by 1900 GMT/2 PM ET, by Tim Wharnsby, 451 words) - - Denver top-ranked defense set for ultimate test in Super Bowl It took a blowout loss in the Super Bowl two years ago for the Denver Broncos to transform from an offense-heavy attack to a defensive juggernaut better suited to winning the championship Vince Lombardi Trophy. (NFL-SUPERBOWL/BRONCOS-DEFENSE (PIX, GRAPHIC), expect by 1900 GMT/2 PM ET, by Jahmal Corner, 464 words) - - - - GOLF PGA Tour: Phoenix Open, Scottsdale, Arizona (to 7) Hahn holds one-shot lead at the TPC Scottsdale James Hahn, seeking his second PGA Tour victory, takes a one-shot lead over fellow American Rickie Fowler and New Zealand's Danny Lee into the third round at the TPC Scottsdale after firing a six-under 65 on Friday. (GOLF-PGA/ (PIX), expect by 0030 GMT/7.30 PM ET, 400 words) - - LPGA: Coates Golf Championship, Ocala, Florida (to 6) Ko and Jang lead heading into marathon final day World number one Lydia Ko and South Korean Jang Ha-na share the lead as the third round resumes in central Florida, while the fourth round will follow immediately afterwards on a marathon Saturday. (GOLF-LPGA/, expect by 0200 GMT/9 PM ET, 350 words) - - - - NBA Warriors look to extend home unbeaten streak The defending champion Golden State Warriors seek their 41st consecutive home victory going back to last season when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder. (NBA-WARRIORS/, expect by 0400 GMT/11:00 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - Spurs host Kobe for final time The San Antonio Spurs, off to one of their best starts in franchise history, play host to Kobe Bryant for one final time as the five-times NBA champion, who has announced plans to retires after this season, arrives in town with his struggling Los Angeles Lakers. (NBA-SPURS/, expect by 0500 GMT/12:00 AM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - Cavs host Pelicans, Grizzlies face Mavs LeBron James and the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers host the New Orleans Pelicans while the Memphis Grizzlies will try to extend their climb up the Western Conference standings when they host the Dallas Mavericks in two of the 10 games on the National Basketball Association schedule. (NBA-HIGHLIGHTS/, expect by 0430 GMT/11:30 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 800 words) - - - - NHL Upbeat Oilers face Canadiens, streaking Panthers play Pens The Edmonton Oilers, revitalized by the return of rookie phenom Connor McDavid to their lineup, visit the Montreal Canadiens while the streaking Florida Panthers try to make if five in a row when they host Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in two of the 12 games on the National Hockey League schedule.(NHL-HIGHLIGHTS/, expect by 0430 GMT/11:30 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 800 words) - - - - NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS Roundups of off-field developments in the major North American professional sports leagues. (expect by 0101 GMT/8:01 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 400 words) (London desk editor: Ed Osmond)