Respected coach and former Nigerian International, Mr. Charles Bassey (MON), has spoken well about the Golden Eaglets being put in shape to face the rest of the world at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in the UAE come October.
Saturday 31 August 2013
U-17WC: Ogunjobi talk-up Mexico, Iraq Threat for Eaglets
Former Secretary-General of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi has said that the Golden Eaglets should be prepared for a tough contest in Group F when the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in United Arab Emirate kicks-off.
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE ROUND UP
I AM BACK AT A FAMILIAR TERRAIN- BOATENG
Italian giants Milan have confirmed the sale of Kevin Prince Boateng to German outfit Schalke 04.
UEFA SUPER CUP- BAYERN EDGE CHELSEA VIA PENALTIES
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer saved a penalty by substitute Romelu Lukaku to give Champions League winners a
5-4 victory over Chelsea in a shootout on Friday to claim the UEFA
Super Cup, after the game finished 2-2 following extra time.
MATRI IS THE BEST STRIKE PARTNER FOR BALOTELLI- ALLEGRI
Massimiliano Allegri explains why Milan signed Alessandro Matri from Juventus. “It’s the perfect partnership with Mario Balotelli.”
€91m dream move for Bale agreed - report
AS report that Real Madrid have finally closed negotiations with Tottenham for the transfer of Gareth Bale, agreeing a €91m deal.
Remo Stars in a battle to gain GNPL promotion slot, C.O.D United fighting the battle of their lives
The Nigeria National League Season finally see its climax as Remo Stars Football Club travel down to Lagos to face COD United.
After long weeks of rest and preparation the Sky Blue Stars will hope to do a double over the Lagos based team in other to achieve its dream of getting a promotion to the Nigeria Professional League.
Ahead of this encounter Head coach Fatai Osho has indicated that the League is not over for the team despite the slim chance of qualification and everyone in the team will perform at its very best to take advantage of the slim chance.
"We have a slim chance of picking a promotion ticket and we need everyone to be on top of their game because the league is not over yet," he told Remo Stars press.
"We’ve put ourselves in a difficult position with the last game performance - not everyone expected us to draw Abia Warriors at home but we have to pick ourselves up and now we have to fight to the last.
"The first leg in Ijebu Ode was an interesting one, they came out good but we were able to contain them and eventually won 2-0.
"We’ll take it as we do any game, and go for the win.
We want to give our fans who won't be watching something to rejoice with.
"The prize at stake on Saturday is Premeirship football next season, something we want so much.
"It is really important to us," he said.
"The Club deserves to be there, as you can see we have worked hard, and for players there is nothing better than to compete in it.
"It’s the highest level of football league here in Nigeria , and the place you want to be as a club.
So it’s vital to see things through, and I am confident in the team."
After long weeks of rest and preparation the Sky Blue Stars will hope to do a double over the Lagos based team in other to achieve its dream of getting a promotion to the Nigeria Professional League.
Ahead of this encounter Head coach Fatai Osho has indicated that the League is not over for the team despite the slim chance of qualification and everyone in the team will perform at its very best to take advantage of the slim chance.
"We have a slim chance of picking a promotion ticket and we need everyone to be on top of their game because the league is not over yet," he told Remo Stars press.
"We’ve put ourselves in a difficult position with the last game performance - not everyone expected us to draw Abia Warriors at home but we have to pick ourselves up and now we have to fight to the last.
"The first leg in Ijebu Ode was an interesting one, they came out good but we were able to contain them and eventually won 2-0.
"We’ll take it as we do any game, and go for the win.
We want to give our fans who won't be watching something to rejoice with.
"The prize at stake on Saturday is Premeirship football next season, something we want so much.
"It is really important to us," he said.
"The Club deserves to be there, as you can see we have worked hard, and for players there is nothing better than to compete in it.
"It’s the highest level of football league here in Nigeria , and the place you want to be as a club.
So it’s vital to see things through, and I am confident in the team."
Gists Galore.......Compiled By Ademetan Abayomi
•Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has made a desperate last-ditch move to sign German wonder-kid Julian Draxler from Schalke who is rated at £60m.
•Chairman Daniel Levy has claimed a transfer-market triumph for Spurs by leaving Arsenal with a race against time to sign Real Madrid's cast-offs.
•Chelsea are ready to loan striker Demba Ba back to Newcastle - but want a fee of £3m for one season.
•Everton boss Roberto Martinez is considering a late move for Gil Vicente midfielder Diogo Viana, 23, but are not willing to meet the £2.1m asking price.
•West Brom are set to snap up Marseille midfielder Morgan Amalfitano, 26, on loan and hope to sell striker Peter Odemwingie to Swansea.
•Crystal Palace have offered around £2m for Huddersfield Town right-back Jack Hunt.
•Middlesbrough hope to sign Aston Villa midfielder Stephen Ireland and Norwich City defender Daniel Ayala.
•Manchester United boss David Moyes is aiming to do £77m of transfer business this weekend with Athletic Bilbao playmaker Ander Herrera, Roma's Daniele De Rossi plus Everton pair Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini in his sights.
•Manchester City have been given the green light by Atletico Madrid to sign 32-year-old defender Martin Demichelis for £3.5m.
•West Brom want to sign Chelsea winger Victor Moses, 22, on loan but face competition from Southampton.
•Sunderland boss Paolo Di Canio will make Swansea City midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng his 12th signing of the summer.
•Liverpool are set to win the £5m battle to borrow Chelsea winger Victor Moses, 22, on a season-long loan deal.
•Real Madrid insist they have persuaded Tottenham to sell Gareth Bale for £78m - £2m less than the world record fee they paid for Cristiano Ronaldo.
•Arsene Wenger has upped the ante before tomorrow's north London derby by claiming Spurs risk wrecking the balance of their squad by signing so many players and suggesting they will struggle to cope without Bale.
Meanwhile, the Gunners are keen on signing former Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou, 28, from French club Lille.
•Liverpool are closing on a £25m double deal for PSG defender Mamadou Sakho and Sporting Libon's Tiago Ilori but face strong competition in their bid to sign Chelsea winger Victor Moses on loan.
•German side Schalke 04 have made a £5m bid for Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor and are confident they can meet his wage demands.
•Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry, 32, is ready to take a pay cut to ensure a season-long loan move to Everton goes through.
•West Ham are considering a loan move for former Manchester City striker Felipe Caicedo, 24, from Lokomotiv Moscow.
•Real Madrid midfielder Kaka, 31, wants to leave Spain and has been offered to Premier League clubs including Manchester United and Arsenal.
•Fulham are in talks to sign Colombia striker Jhon Cordoba, 20, on an initial loan deal from Mexican side Chiapas.
•Crystal Palace midfielder Own Garvan, 25, is set to join former boss Dougie Freedman at Bolton.
•David Moyes has told striker Wayne Rooney, 27, to stay at Manchester United and emulate club legend Sir Bobby Charlton.
•Liverpool are lining up deals for Sporting Lisbon defender Tiago Ilori, 20, and 23-year-old Paris St-Germain centre-back Mamadou Sakho and also want to sign Chelsea winger Victor Moses, 22, on loan and make Aston Villa keeper Shay Given, 37, the club's No 2.
•Jose Mourinho, the Chelsea manager, has escalated his complaint about those clubs who appear to be ignoring Uefa's new financial fair-play regulations, describing them as "economic sharks".
•Liverpool attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho believes England striker and Anfield team-mate Daniel Sturridge would be good enough to play for Brazil.
•Manchester United have had a second major transfer bid turned down in the space of two days - this time for the Athletic Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera.
•Andre Villas-Boas has taken Tottenham's summer spend to an incredible £110.5m, after the midfielder Christian Eriksen completed an £11m move from Ajax last night having passed a medical.
•David Moyes wants to add three midfielders to Manchester United before the close of the transfer window on Monday and has had bids of £25.6m for Athletic Bilbao's Ander Herrera and £12m for Roma's Daniele De Rossi turned down.
•Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says Sir Alex Ferguson's absence has made Manchester United a more cautious team.
•Chairman Daniel Levy has claimed a transfer-market triumph for Spurs by leaving Arsenal with a race against time to sign Real Madrid's cast-offs.
•Chelsea are ready to loan striker Demba Ba back to Newcastle - but want a fee of £3m for one season.
•Everton boss Roberto Martinez is considering a late move for Gil Vicente midfielder Diogo Viana, 23, but are not willing to meet the £2.1m asking price.
•West Brom are set to snap up Marseille midfielder Morgan Amalfitano, 26, on loan and hope to sell striker Peter Odemwingie to Swansea.
•Crystal Palace have offered around £2m for Huddersfield Town right-back Jack Hunt.
•Middlesbrough hope to sign Aston Villa midfielder Stephen Ireland and Norwich City defender Daniel Ayala.
•Manchester United boss David Moyes is aiming to do £77m of transfer business this weekend with Athletic Bilbao playmaker Ander Herrera, Roma's Daniele De Rossi plus Everton pair Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini in his sights.
•Manchester City have been given the green light by Atletico Madrid to sign 32-year-old defender Martin Demichelis for £3.5m.
•West Brom want to sign Chelsea winger Victor Moses, 22, on loan but face competition from Southampton.
•Sunderland boss Paolo Di Canio will make Swansea City midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng his 12th signing of the summer.
•Liverpool are set to win the £5m battle to borrow Chelsea winger Victor Moses, 22, on a season-long loan deal.
•Real Madrid insist they have persuaded Tottenham to sell Gareth Bale for £78m - £2m less than the world record fee they paid for Cristiano Ronaldo.
•Arsene Wenger has upped the ante before tomorrow's north London derby by claiming Spurs risk wrecking the balance of their squad by signing so many players and suggesting they will struggle to cope without Bale.
Meanwhile, the Gunners are keen on signing former Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou, 28, from French club Lille.
•Liverpool are closing on a £25m double deal for PSG defender Mamadou Sakho and Sporting Libon's Tiago Ilori but face strong competition in their bid to sign Chelsea winger Victor Moses on loan.
•German side Schalke 04 have made a £5m bid for Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor and are confident they can meet his wage demands.
•Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry, 32, is ready to take a pay cut to ensure a season-long loan move to Everton goes through.
•West Ham are considering a loan move for former Manchester City striker Felipe Caicedo, 24, from Lokomotiv Moscow.
•Real Madrid midfielder Kaka, 31, wants to leave Spain and has been offered to Premier League clubs including Manchester United and Arsenal.
•Fulham are in talks to sign Colombia striker Jhon Cordoba, 20, on an initial loan deal from Mexican side Chiapas.
•Crystal Palace midfielder Own Garvan, 25, is set to join former boss Dougie Freedman at Bolton.
•David Moyes has told striker Wayne Rooney, 27, to stay at Manchester United and emulate club legend Sir Bobby Charlton.
•Liverpool are lining up deals for Sporting Lisbon defender Tiago Ilori, 20, and 23-year-old Paris St-Germain centre-back Mamadou Sakho and also want to sign Chelsea winger Victor Moses, 22, on loan and make Aston Villa keeper Shay Given, 37, the club's No 2.
•Jose Mourinho, the Chelsea manager, has escalated his complaint about those clubs who appear to be ignoring Uefa's new financial fair-play regulations, describing them as "economic sharks".
•Liverpool attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho believes England striker and Anfield team-mate Daniel Sturridge would be good enough to play for Brazil.
•Manchester United have had a second major transfer bid turned down in the space of two days - this time for the Athletic Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera.
•Andre Villas-Boas has taken Tottenham's summer spend to an incredible £110.5m, after the midfielder Christian Eriksen completed an £11m move from Ajax last night having passed a medical.
•David Moyes wants to add three midfielders to Manchester United before the close of the transfer window on Monday and has had bids of £25.6m for Athletic Bilbao's Ander Herrera and £12m for Roma's Daniele De Rossi turned down.
•Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says Sir Alex Ferguson's absence has made Manchester United a more cautious team.
Friday 30 August 2013
2013/2014 UEFA Champions League- Group Stage Draws
Manchester United
Shakhtar Donestk
Bayern Leverkusen
Real Sociedad
Nigeria National League- Week 30 Fixtures
Date: 31st August, 2013.
Pool A
Mighty Jets vs TEAP FC
Plateau United vs Ranchers Bees
FC Abuja vs JUTH FC
FC Taraba vs Giwa FC
Niger Tornadoes vs DSS FC
Kogi United vs Spotlight
Adamawa United vs Jigawa Golden Stars
Pool B
Gateway United vs MFM FC
Abia Warriors vs Akwa Starlets
COD United vs Remo Stars
Prime FC vs UNICEM Rovers
Abia Comets vs Bendel Insurance
Crown FC vs Fountain FC
Pool A
Mighty Jets vs TEAP FC
Plateau United vs Ranchers Bees
FC Abuja vs JUTH FC
FC Taraba vs Giwa FC
Niger Tornadoes vs DSS FC
Kogi United vs Spotlight
Adamawa United vs Jigawa Golden Stars
Pool B
Gateway United vs MFM FC
Abia Warriors vs Akwa Starlets
COD United vs Remo Stars
Prime FC vs UNICEM Rovers
Abia Comets vs Bendel Insurance
Crown FC vs Fountain FC
2013/2014 UEFA Europa League- Group Stage Draws
• Group A: Valencia CF (ESP), Swansea City AFC (ENG), FC Kuban Krasnodar (RUS), FC St Gallen (SUI)
• Group B: PSV Eindhoven (NED), GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO), FC Chornomorets Odesa (UKR), PFC Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL)
• Group C: R. Standard de Liège (BEL), FC Salzburg (AUT), IF Elfsborg (SWE), Esbjerg fB (DEN)
• Group D: FC Rubin Kazan (RUS), Wigan Athletic FC (ENG), NK Maribor (SVN), SV Zulte Waregem (BEL)
• Group E: ACF Fiorentina (ITA), FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (UKR), FC Paços de Ferreira (POR), CS Pandurii Târgu Jiu (ROU)
• Group F: FC Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA), APOEL FC (CYP), Eintracht Frankfurt (GER), Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR)
• Group G: FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR), KRC Genk (BEL), SK Rapid Wien (AUT), FC Thun (SUI)
• Group H: Sevilla FC (ESP), SC Freiburg (GER), Estoril Praia (POR), FC Slovan Liberec (CZE)
• Group I: Olympique Lyonnais (FRA), Real Betis Balompié (ESP), Vitória SC (POR), HNK Rijeka (CRO)
• Group J: SS Lazio (ITA), Trabzonspor AŞ (TUR), Legia Warszawa (POL), Apollon Limassol FC (CYP)
• Group K: Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG), FC Anji Makhachkala (RUS), FC Sheriff (MDA), Tromsø IL (NOR)
• Group L: AZ Alkmaar (NED), PAOK FC (GRE), Maccabi Haifa FC (ISR), FC Shakhter Karagandy (KAZ)
• Group B: PSV Eindhoven (NED), GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO), FC Chornomorets Odesa (UKR), PFC Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL)
• Group C: R. Standard de Liège (BEL), FC Salzburg (AUT), IF Elfsborg (SWE), Esbjerg fB (DEN)
• Group D: FC Rubin Kazan (RUS), Wigan Athletic FC (ENG), NK Maribor (SVN), SV Zulte Waregem (BEL)
• Group E: ACF Fiorentina (ITA), FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (UKR), FC Paços de Ferreira (POR), CS Pandurii Târgu Jiu (ROU)
• Group F: FC Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA), APOEL FC (CYP), Eintracht Frankfurt (GER), Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR)
• Group G: FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR), KRC Genk (BEL), SK Rapid Wien (AUT), FC Thun (SUI)
• Group H: Sevilla FC (ESP), SC Freiburg (GER), Estoril Praia (POR), FC Slovan Liberec (CZE)
• Group I: Olympique Lyonnais (FRA), Real Betis Balompié (ESP), Vitória SC (POR), HNK Rijeka (CRO)
• Group J: SS Lazio (ITA), Trabzonspor AŞ (TUR), Legia Warszawa (POL), Apollon Limassol FC (CYP)
• Group K: Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG), FC Anji Makhachkala (RUS), FC Sheriff (MDA), Tromsø IL (NOR)
• Group L: AZ Alkmaar (NED), PAOK FC (GRE), Maccabi Haifa FC (ISR), FC Shakhter Karagandy (KAZ)
Glo Nigeria Premier League- Week 29 Fixtures And Venues
Akwa United vs Sunshine Stars
Uyo Township Stadium, Uyo.
Bayelsa United vs Sharks FC
Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenogoa.
Dolphins FC vs Enyimba Int'l
Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt.
Elkanemi Warriors vs Kaduna United
Elkanemi Stadium, Maiduguri.
Gombe United vs Nembe City
Pantami Stadium, Gombe.
Kano Pillars vs Enugu Rangers
Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano.
Kwara United vs Warri Wolves
Kwara State Stadium, Ilorin.
Lobi Stars vs Nasarawa United
Emmanuel Atongo Stadium, Katsina Ala.
Shooting Stars SC vs ABS FC
Adamasingba Stadium, Ibadan.
Wikki Tourists vs Heartland
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi.
Uyo Township Stadium, Uyo.
Bayelsa United vs Sharks FC
Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenogoa.
Dolphins FC vs Enyimba Int'l
Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt.
Elkanemi Warriors vs Kaduna United
Elkanemi Stadium, Maiduguri.
Gombe United vs Nembe City
Pantami Stadium, Gombe.
Kano Pillars vs Enugu Rangers
Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano.
Kwara United vs Warri Wolves
Kwara State Stadium, Ilorin.
Lobi Stars vs Nasarawa United
Emmanuel Atongo Stadium, Katsina Ala.
Shooting Stars SC vs ABS FC
Adamasingba Stadium, Ibadan.
Wikki Tourists vs Heartland
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi.
Thursday 29 August 2013
MILAN IN SEARCH OF A QUALITY STRIKER- MONITOR MATRI AND HERNANDEZ
Official: Eto'o signs for Chelsea
As expected, Samuel Eto’o has signed a one-year contract with Chelsea, ending hope of a return to Inter.
Agent: Kagawa not off to Atleti
‘Bale? Spurs are stalling, but…’
Real Madrid’s Fernando Fernandez Tapias has said there are ‘problems’ with Gareth Bale’s proposed move, but he expects the player will sign eventually.
JUVENTUS REJECTS LLORENTE'S EXIT RUMOUR
Juventus have acted to make clear that Spain international Fernando Llorente will not be moved out of the club this summer.
Glo Nigeria Premier League Week 28 Wrap: Bayelsa United's priceless draw earn them top spot
Bayelsa United continued their blistering form on the home stretch, with a hard-fought goalless draw against Sunshine Stars at the Akure Township Stadium.
The draw saw them climb to the top of the log, with 46 points from 28 matches.
Kadiri Ikhana started life as the gaffer of Nasarawa United on a ruthless manner. His boys defeated Dolphins four-nil at the Lafia Township Stadium.
Former Kano Pillars star Victor Namo registered his name on the scoresheet in the 2nd, 24th and 79th minute. Habu Mohammed scored the other goal.
Warri Wolves thumped Kaduna United 4-0 with moments of hat-tricks for Daniel Etor and Musa Najare. Etor provided a hat-trick of assists, while Najare netted 3 past United.
Najare had given the homers the lead after 2 minutes with a speculative effort. He netted his second goal of the match in the 26th minute.
Further Rovers goals came from Super Eagles forward, Oghenekaro Etebo and Najare completed the rout.
Heavy loss also came for Gombe United, with United losing 3-0 at Aba to Enyimba, with goals from Ifeanyi Ede, Bishop Onyeudo and Emeka Nwanna.
Kano Pillars failed to hold on to top spot, after losing 2-0 to Heartand at Dan Anyiam Stadium on Wednesday.
Goals from Happy Okuoka and Bright Ejike in either side of half-time were enough for Heartland, who moved out of the relegation zone with victory.
There was no such joy for Lobi Stars, whose own relegation worries continued with a 2-1 home defeat to Enugu Rangers.
A fifteenth-minute goal from Joshua Abanyi silenced Enugu fans, before Obiozor Christian's brace secured the maximum points for the Flying Antelopes.
Kelvin Njoku's own goal was enough to secure victory for relegation battlers, ABS against Akwa United, moving them level on points with fellow strugglers, Wikki Tourist, who were beaten 2-1 by Sharks.
Shooting Stars moved out of the mocky water, winning two-nil against Elkanemi Warriors in Ibadan.
Raphael Musa raised the home fans hopes with a 56th minute opener, before Osaghona Ighodaro confirmed the points with a well struck effort in the 70th minute.
Elsewhere, goals from Jonathan Zikiye
and Ebitimi Agogu sealed a 2-0 win for Nembe City over Kwara United, whose title hopes suffered a setback.
The draw saw them climb to the top of the log, with 46 points from 28 matches.
Kadiri Ikhana started life as the gaffer of Nasarawa United on a ruthless manner. His boys defeated Dolphins four-nil at the Lafia Township Stadium.
Former Kano Pillars star Victor Namo registered his name on the scoresheet in the 2nd, 24th and 79th minute. Habu Mohammed scored the other goal.
Warri Wolves thumped Kaduna United 4-0 with moments of hat-tricks for Daniel Etor and Musa Najare. Etor provided a hat-trick of assists, while Najare netted 3 past United.
Najare had given the homers the lead after 2 minutes with a speculative effort. He netted his second goal of the match in the 26th minute.
Further Rovers goals came from Super Eagles forward, Oghenekaro Etebo and Najare completed the rout.
Heavy loss also came for Gombe United, with United losing 3-0 at Aba to Enyimba, with goals from Ifeanyi Ede, Bishop Onyeudo and Emeka Nwanna.
Kano Pillars failed to hold on to top spot, after losing 2-0 to Heartand at Dan Anyiam Stadium on Wednesday.
Goals from Happy Okuoka and Bright Ejike in either side of half-time were enough for Heartland, who moved out of the relegation zone with victory.
There was no such joy for Lobi Stars, whose own relegation worries continued with a 2-1 home defeat to Enugu Rangers.
A fifteenth-minute goal from Joshua Abanyi silenced Enugu fans, before Obiozor Christian's brace secured the maximum points for the Flying Antelopes.
Kelvin Njoku's own goal was enough to secure victory for relegation battlers, ABS against Akwa United, moving them level on points with fellow strugglers, Wikki Tourist, who were beaten 2-1 by Sharks.
Shooting Stars moved out of the mocky water, winning two-nil against Elkanemi Warriors in Ibadan.
Raphael Musa raised the home fans hopes with a 56th minute opener, before Osaghona Ighodaro confirmed the points with a well struck effort in the 70th minute.
Elsewhere, goals from Jonathan Zikiye
and Ebitimi Agogu sealed a 2-0 win for Nembe City over Kwara United, whose title hopes suffered a setback.
Beach Soccer- CBN Challenge Cup postponed for Eagles
The 2nd edition of the CBN Beach Soccer Challenge Cup has officially been postponed. This was confirmed to us by the co-ordinator of the event, Mr Taye Olajide, who is also a top official at Sports Solution Limited.
The event will now hold from 20th to 22nd of September 2013 in Abuja. The showpiece was fixed for 6th to 9th September 2013, against 26th to 29th August 2013.
The decision was reached after close deliberation with the Nigeria Football Federation, with regards to the all-important World Cup Qualifier between Nigeria and Malawi, scheduled to take place in Calabar by 7th September 2013.
The cordinator of the event, Mr Taiwo Olajide, emphasised on the need to honour the Super Eagles on their World Cup Qualification campaign, insisting there are no view of future re-scheduling.
"We will like to honour our dearest Super Eagles, in their World Cup ticket bid. This was the main reason for the postponement after close deliberation with stakeholders of the game," he said.
"The new date will be honoured and remain as scheduled, because all logistics have been put in place, to ensure the kick-off of the Beach Soccer Challenge Cup," he insisted.
The event will now hold from 20th to 22nd of September 2013 in Abuja. The showpiece was fixed for 6th to 9th September 2013, against 26th to 29th August 2013.
The decision was reached after close deliberation with the Nigeria Football Federation, with regards to the all-important World Cup Qualifier between Nigeria and Malawi, scheduled to take place in Calabar by 7th September 2013.
The cordinator of the event, Mr Taiwo Olajide, emphasised on the need to honour the Super Eagles on their World Cup Qualification campaign, insisting there are no view of future re-scheduling.
"We will like to honour our dearest Super Eagles, in their World Cup ticket bid. This was the main reason for the postponement after close deliberation with stakeholders of the game," he said.
"The new date will be honoured and remain as scheduled, because all logistics have been put in place, to ensure the kick-off of the Beach Soccer Challenge Cup," he insisted.
Wednesday 28 August 2013
Glo Nigeria Premier League- Week 28 Results And Goalscorers
•Warri Wolves 4-0 Kaduna United
Musa Najare 2', 26', 78' (Warri Wolves)
Oghenekaro Etebo 29' (Warri Wolves)
•Nembe City 2-0 Kwara United
Jonathan Zikiye 24' (Nembe City)
Ebitimi Agogu 50' (Nembe City)
•Enyimba 3-0 Gombe United
Ifeanyi Ede 11' (Enyimba)
Bishop Onyeudo 35' (Enyimba)
Emeka Nwanna 56' (Enyimba)
•Enugu Rangers 2-1 Lobi Stars
Joshua Abanyi 15' (Lobi Stars)
Christian Obiozor 40', 50' (Enugu Rangers)
•Heartland 2-0 Kano Pillars
Happy Okuoka 2' (Heartland FC)
Bright Ejike 85' (Heartland FC)
•ABS FC 1-0 Akwa United
Kelvin Njoku 55' (OG)
•Nasarawa United 4-0 Dolphins FC
Victor Namo 2', 24', 79' (Nasarawa United)
Habu Mohammed 41' (Nasarawa United)
•Shooting Stars 2-0 El-Kanemi Warriors
Raphael Musa 56' (Shooting Stars)
Osagona Ighodaro 70' (Shooting Stars)
•Sharks FC 2-1 Wikki Tourists
(Ezeoha Okereke 26' (Sharks FC)
Ibrahim Shuaibu 51' (Wikki Tourists)
Thompson Stowe 83' (Sharks FC)
•Sunshine Stars vs Bayelsa United
Match to kickoff by 8 am on Thursday.
Martinez plan to give fringe players the chance to impress
Roberto Martinez says he plans to use the Capital One Cup visit of Stevenage to give some different faces a chance to impress.
Everton take on the League One outfit on Wednesday evening in the second round of the competition, with several members of the Blues squad itching to feature for the first time this term.
But Martinez, who has named identical line-ups in his first two competitive games in charge, insists any changes will be made only with progression in mind.
"I think the timing of the League Cup is always really, really good because we are on the back of seven weeks of very strong work from everyone and you get players who are a little bit disappointed because they couldn't show what they could do in the opening two games in the league," said Martinez.
"It's important if we want to be successful over the course of a season that we have a strong squad - not just 11 or 12 players, but a squad of players who are ready to come in, show a moment of form and help the team to get results.
"Making changes doesn't mean you don't respect the opposition - probably the opposite.
"I want players playing that are fully fresh and recovered. We've got those that played at the weekend, we're going to have another tough game [at Cardiff] and then the international break.
"So it's important we share that demand and give hungry players a chance to play."
By Abayomi Ademetan
Everton take on the League One outfit on Wednesday evening in the second round of the competition, with several members of the Blues squad itching to feature for the first time this term.
But Martinez, who has named identical line-ups in his first two competitive games in charge, insists any changes will be made only with progression in mind.
"I think the timing of the League Cup is always really, really good because we are on the back of seven weeks of very strong work from everyone and you get players who are a little bit disappointed because they couldn't show what they could do in the opening two games in the league," said Martinez.
"It's important if we want to be successful over the course of a season that we have a strong squad - not just 11 or 12 players, but a squad of players who are ready to come in, show a moment of form and help the team to get results.
"Making changes doesn't mean you don't respect the opposition - probably the opposite.
"I want players playing that are fully fresh and recovered. We've got those that played at the weekend, we're going to have another tough game [at Cardiff] and then the international break.
"So it's important we share that demand and give hungry players a chance to play."
By Abayomi Ademetan
Martinez plan to give fringe players the chance to impress
Roberto Martinez says he plans to use the Capital One Cup visit of Stevenage to give some different faces a chance to impress.
Everton take on the League One outfit on Wednesday evening in the second round of the competition, with several members of the Blues squad itching to feature for the first time this term.
But Martinez, who has named identical line-ups in his first two competitive games in charge, insists any changes will be made only with progression in mind.
"I think the timing of the League Cup is always really, really good because we are on the back of seven weeks of very strong work from everyone and you get players who are a little bit disappointed because they couldn't show what they could do in the opening two games in the league," said Martinez.
"It's important if we want to be successful over the course of a season that we have a strong squad - not just 11 or 12 players, but a squad of players who are ready to come in, show a moment of form and help the team to get results.
"Making changes doesn't mean you don't respect the opposition - probably the opposite.
"I want players playing that are fully fresh and recovered. We've got those that played at the weekend, we're going to have another tough game [at Cardiff] and then the international break.
"So it's important we share that demand and give hungry players a chance to play."
By Abayomi Ademetan
Everton take on the League One outfit on Wednesday evening in the second round of the competition, with several members of the Blues squad itching to feature for the first time this term.
But Martinez, who has named identical line-ups in his first two competitive games in charge, insists any changes will be made only with progression in mind.
"I think the timing of the League Cup is always really, really good because we are on the back of seven weeks of very strong work from everyone and you get players who are a little bit disappointed because they couldn't show what they could do in the opening two games in the league," said Martinez.
"It's important if we want to be successful over the course of a season that we have a strong squad - not just 11 or 12 players, but a squad of players who are ready to come in, show a moment of form and help the team to get results.
"Making changes doesn't mean you don't respect the opposition - probably the opposite.
"I want players playing that are fully fresh and recovered. We've got those that played at the weekend, we're going to have another tough game [at Cardiff] and then the international break.
"So it's important we share that demand and give hungry players a chance to play."
By Abayomi Ademetan
QPR continue their fine form
Title favourites QPR continued their fine start to the Championship season with a narrow victory which leaves Bolton awaiting their opening win.
Ex-England striker Andy Johnson tapped in Clint Hill's low cross to give QPR their third win in four games since relegation from the Premier League.
Former Manchester City and Sunderland defender Nedum Onuoha lasted the whole 90 minutes in the colours of the London-based side. He was solid at the back.
Ex-England striker Andy Johnson tapped in Clint Hill's low cross to give QPR their third win in four games since relegation from the Premier League.
Former Manchester City and Sunderland defender Nedum Onuoha lasted the whole 90 minutes in the colours of the London-based side. He was solid at the back.
Wole and Nduka in action
In another Turkey Division one encounter, Raheem Adewole Lawal and Nduka Ozokwo were on parade for Mersin Idmuryurdu as they drew goalless at Orduspor.
Adewole played from the attacking midfield position, behind the two strikers. Nduka was utilised from the right-wing. The former Rangers star was on for 90 minutes.
Adewole played from the attacking midfield position, behind the two strikers. Nduka was utilised from the right-wing. The former Rangers star was on for 90 minutes.
Shittu's Millwall pick-up first point
A late Andy Keogh penalty allowed Millwall to pick up their first Championship point of the season, against Sheffield Wednesday.
The Lions, who lined up in Wednesday's old away kit having forgotten their own, went ahead after five minutes through Kamil Zayatte's own goal.
The home side were level two minutes later through Reda Johnson and led when Jeremy Helan drove in from 20 yards.
But the visitors snatched a point when Keogh rolled home coolly from the spot.
Nigerian international Danny Shittu was in action for 48 minutes.
The Lions, who lined up in Wednesday's old away kit having forgotten their own, went ahead after five minutes through Kamil Zayatte's own goal.
The home side were level two minutes later through Reda Johnson and led when Jeremy Helan drove in from 20 yards.
But the visitors snatched a point when Keogh rolled home coolly from the spot.
Nigerian international Danny Shittu was in action for 48 minutes.
Another loss for Balogun and Irobiso
Agon Mehmeti scored the only goal for Olhanense to hand the three points to Abel Xavier's side in a Portugal Premier League match against Pacos Ferreira at the Estadio Do Algarve.
Christian Irobiso was a 63rd minute substitute for Pacos, while left-footed defender Femi Balogun was benched for the entire duration.
It was Pacos' second straight loss of the season, having crashed at home to Uwa Echiejille's Braga SC.
Christian Irobiso was a 63rd minute substitute for Pacos, while left-footed defender Femi Balogun was benched for the entire duration.
It was Pacos' second straight loss of the season, having crashed at home to Uwa Echiejille's Braga SC.
Ideye kept on the bench, Haruna on another 90 minutes run
Former Xamas star Brown Ideye was left on the bench in Dynamo Kiev’s 2-1 victory over Metalurh in a Ukraine Premier League fixture on Sunday.
Ex-Monaco midfielder Lukman Haruna enjoyed another 90 minutes run for the Kiev side.
Ideye who was on target during his side’s midweek victory over Kazhakstani opposition Aktobe in the first leg of their Europa League qualifiers was a surprise omission in the starting line-up.
Ex-Monaco midfielder Lukman Haruna enjoyed another 90 minutes run for the Kiev side.
Ideye who was on target during his side’s midweek victory over Kazhakstani opposition Aktobe in the first leg of their Europa League qualifiers was a surprise omission in the starting line-up.
Ideye kept on the bench, Haruna on another 90 minutes run
Former Xamas star Brown Ideye was left on the bench in Dynamo Kiev’s 2-1 victory over Metalurh in a Ukraine Premier League fixture on Sunday.
Ex-Monaco midfielder Lukman Haruna enjoyed another 90 minutes run for the Kiev side.
Ideye who was on target during his side’s midweek victory over Kazhakstani opposition Aktobe in the first leg of their Europa League qualifiers was a surprise omission in the starting line-up.
Ex-Monaco midfielder Lukman Haruna enjoyed another 90 minutes run for the Kiev side.
Ideye who was on target during his side’s midweek victory over Kazhakstani opposition Aktobe in the first leg of their Europa League qualifiers was a surprise omission in the starting line-up.
Steaua do enough, home joy in Vienna
Elsewhere, 1986 European champions Steaua Bucharest returned to the group stage for the first time since the 2008/09 season after sneaking past Legia Warsaw on away goals. After the first leg ended in a 1-1 draw, early goals from Nicolae Stanciu and Federico Piovaccari effectively ended the tie as a contest. Legia came back to draw 2-2 on the night, but the 3-3 aggregate saw Steaua progress.
Swiss champions Basel enjoyed smoother progress, beating Bulgaria's Ludogorets Razgrad 2-0 for a 6-2 aggregate success. Fabian Frei and Philipp Degen got the goals for last season's UEFA Europa League semi-finalists.
Meanwhile, Austria Vienna became the first club from the country to reach the group stage since Rapid Vienna in 2005 with a 4-3 aggregate victory against Dinamo Zagreb. Leading 2-0 from the first leg, the Austrians took an early lead on the night only for the Croats to score three, leaving them in the driving seat. However, a late Roman Kienast goal clinched the hosts' progress.
The remaining play-off ties will be played on Wednesday, including AC Milan against PSV Eindhoven, Real Sociedad against Lyon, and Celtic against Shakhter Karagandy of Kazakhstan, with the Scots looking to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit.
Swiss champions Basel enjoyed smoother progress, beating Bulgaria's Ludogorets Razgrad 2-0 for a 6-2 aggregate success. Fabian Frei and Philipp Degen got the goals for last season's UEFA Europa League semi-finalists.
Meanwhile, Austria Vienna became the first club from the country to reach the group stage since Rapid Vienna in 2005 with a 4-3 aggregate victory against Dinamo Zagreb. Leading 2-0 from the first leg, the Austrians took an early lead on the night only for the Croats to score three, leaving them in the driving seat. However, a late Roman Kienast goal clinched the hosts' progress.
The remaining play-off ties will be played on Wednesday, including AC Milan against PSV Eindhoven, Real Sociedad against Lyon, and Celtic against Shakhter Karagandy of Kazakhstan, with the Scots looking to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit.
Draxler stars as Schalke defy the odds
Semi-finalists in 2011, and knocked out in the Round of 16 last season, Schalke also returned to the group stage after getting the better of PAOK.
Coached by former Schalke boss Huub Stevens, the Greek side held the upper hand in this tie after a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Germany, but some of their advantage was lost by the fact that the return at their own Stadio Toumbia was played behind closed doors.
PAOK then lost their advantage in the tie when Atsuto Uchida squared for Adam Szalai to put Schalke ahead just before the interval. The hosts turned up the pressure in the second half and got their reward when Stefanos Athanasiadis fired home, and Schalke were then reduced to ten men when Jermaine Jones was shown a second yellow card just after the hour.
However, Julian Draxler put the Bundesliga club back in front, leaving PAOK - who were late replacements for banned Ukrainian club Metalist Kharkiv - needing to score twice to progress. The veteran Kostas Katsouranis got one, but Draxler set up Szalai to clinch a 3-2 win on the night for Schalke, who progress 4-3 on aggregate.
Coached by former Schalke boss Huub Stevens, the Greek side held the upper hand in this tie after a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Germany, but some of their advantage was lost by the fact that the return at their own Stadio Toumbia was played behind closed doors.
PAOK then lost their advantage in the tie when Atsuto Uchida squared for Adam Szalai to put Schalke ahead just before the interval. The hosts turned up the pressure in the second half and got their reward when Stefanos Athanasiadis fired home, and Schalke were then reduced to ten men when Jermaine Jones was shown a second yellow card just after the hour.
However, Julian Draxler put the Bundesliga club back in front, leaving PAOK - who were late replacements for banned Ukrainian club Metalist Kharkiv - needing to score twice to progress. The veteran Kostas Katsouranis got one, but Draxler set up Szalai to clinch a 3-2 win on the night for Schalke, who progress 4-3 on aggregate.
Draxler stars as Schalke defy the odds
Semi-finalists in 2011, and knocked out in the Round of 16 last season, Schalke also returned to the group stage after getting the better of PAOK.
Coached by former Schalke boss Huub Stevens, the Greek side held the upper hand in this tie after a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Germany, but some of their advantage was lost by the fact that the return at their own Stadio Toumbia was played behind closed doors.
PAOK then lost their advantage in the tie when Atsuto Uchida squared for Adam Szalai to put Schalke ahead just before the interval. The hosts turned up the pressure in the second half and got their reward when Stefanos Athanasiadis fired home, and Schalke were then reduced to ten men when Jermaine Jones was shown a second yellow card just after the hour.
However, Julian Draxler put the Bundesliga club back in front, leaving PAOK - who were late replacements for banned Ukrainian club Metalist Kharkiv - needing to score twice to progress. The veteran Kostas Katsouranis got one, but Draxler set up Szalai to clinch a 3-2 win on the night for Schalke, who progress 4-3 on aggregate.
Coached by former Schalke boss Huub Stevens, the Greek side held the upper hand in this tie after a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Germany, but some of their advantage was lost by the fact that the return at their own Stadio Toumbia was played behind closed doors.
PAOK then lost their advantage in the tie when Atsuto Uchida squared for Adam Szalai to put Schalke ahead just before the interval. The hosts turned up the pressure in the second half and got their reward when Stefanos Athanasiadis fired home, and Schalke were then reduced to ten men when Jermaine Jones was shown a second yellow card just after the hour.
However, Julian Draxler put the Bundesliga club back in front, leaving PAOK - who were late replacements for banned Ukrainian club Metalist Kharkiv - needing to score twice to progress. The veteran Kostas Katsouranis got one, but Draxler set up Szalai to clinch a 3-2 win on the night for Schalke, who progress 4-3 on aggregate.
Arsenal finish-off Fenerbahce in style
Arsenal made sure of a 16th consecutive appearance in the UEFA Champions League group stage on Tuesday, while Schalke joined them with a dramatic win in Greece.
The Gunners had more than one foot in Thursday's group-stage draw already after easing to a 3-0 win against Fenerbahce in Istanbul, but they finished the job in style too, and once again Aaron Ramsey was the star of the show. The Welshman netted in the first leg and scored both goals in the return at the Emirates Stadium, rolling the ball into an empty net in the 25th minute after Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott combined to set him up. Ramsey then got his second on the night in the 72nd minute, with a superb first-time finish on the volley from a Kieran Gibbs assist.
That saw Arsenal win 2-0 on the night and progress 5-0 on aggregate, but the loss of Podolski to injury right at the start of the second half took some of the gloss off a fine evening's work for Arsene Wenger's side.
The Gunners had more than one foot in Thursday's group-stage draw already after easing to a 3-0 win against Fenerbahce in Istanbul, but they finished the job in style too, and once again Aaron Ramsey was the star of the show. The Welshman netted in the first leg and scored both goals in the return at the Emirates Stadium, rolling the ball into an empty net in the 25th minute after Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott combined to set him up. Ramsey then got his second on the night in the 72nd minute, with a superb first-time finish on the volley from a Kieran Gibbs assist.
That saw Arsenal win 2-0 on the night and progress 5-0 on aggregate, but the loss of Podolski to injury right at the start of the second half took some of the gloss off a fine evening's work for Arsene Wenger's side.
Uche's Villarreal in good form
Former Getafe and Real Zaragoza star striker Ikechukwu Uche was in action in Villarreal's 2-1 victory over Real Valladolid.
The 29-year old forward who was a second half substitute, coming on in the 66th minute to replace Jonathan Pereira.
The 29-year old forward who was a second half substitute, coming on in the 66th minute to replace Jonathan Pereira.
Ordega and Ikidi in sparkling form
Super Falcons winger Francisca Ordega was a pest to Vittsjo's back-four in Pitea's three-nil win at the LF Arena on Sunday. She was dangerous and asked questions with her usual burst of pace and technique. The former Rivers Angels star made way for Victoria Forsmark in the 76th minute.
Her senior colleague in the national side, Faith Ikidi, as usual marshalled the defence line. She lasted the entire match duration.
Her senior colleague in the national side, Faith Ikidi, as usual marshalled the defence line. She lasted the entire match duration.
Some Matches Played Across Europe
Champions League - Qualification August 27
FT Arsenal 2 - 0 Fenerbahce
FT Austria Wien 2 - 3 Dinamo Zagreb
FT Basel 2 - 0 PFC Ludogorets Razgrad
FT Legia Warszawa 2 - 2 Steaua Bucuresti
FT PAOK Thessaloniki FC 2 - 3 Schalke 04
England - Capital One Cup August 27
FT Barnsley 1 - 5 Southampton
FT Bristol City 2 - 1 Crystal Palace
FT Burnley 2 - 0 Preston North End
FT Carlisle United 2 - 5 Leicester City
FT Derby County 5 - 0 Brentford
FT Doncaster Rovers 1 - 3 Leeds United
FT Huddersfield Town 3 - 2 Charlton Athletic
AET Leyton Orient 0 - 1 Hull City
AET Liverpool 4 - 2 Notts County
FT Norwich City 6 - 3 Bury
FT Peterborough United 6 - 0 Reading
FT Queens Park Rangers 0 - 2 Swindon Town
FT Sunderland 4 - 2 Milton Keynes Dons
FT West Ham United 2 - 1 Cheltenham Town
FT West Bromwich Albion 3 - 0 Newport County
Germany - Bundesliga August 27
FT Freiburg 1 - 1 Bayern Munich
FT Arsenal 2 - 0 Fenerbahce
FT Austria Wien 2 - 3 Dinamo Zagreb
FT Basel 2 - 0 PFC Ludogorets Razgrad
FT Legia Warszawa 2 - 2 Steaua Bucuresti
FT PAOK Thessaloniki FC 2 - 3 Schalke 04
England - Capital One Cup August 27
FT Barnsley 1 - 5 Southampton
FT Bristol City 2 - 1 Crystal Palace
FT Burnley 2 - 0 Preston North End
FT Carlisle United 2 - 5 Leicester City
FT Derby County 5 - 0 Brentford
FT Doncaster Rovers 1 - 3 Leeds United
FT Huddersfield Town 3 - 2 Charlton Athletic
AET Leyton Orient 0 - 1 Hull City
AET Liverpool 4 - 2 Notts County
FT Norwich City 6 - 3 Bury
FT Peterborough United 6 - 0 Reading
FT Queens Park Rangers 0 - 2 Swindon Town
FT Sunderland 4 - 2 Milton Keynes Dons
FT West Ham United 2 - 1 Cheltenham Town
FT West Bromwich Albion 3 - 0 Newport County
Germany - Bundesliga August 27
FT Freiburg 1 - 1 Bayern Munich
Group stage draw for the FIFA U–17 World Cup UAE 2013
Group A (Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah): United Arab Emirates, Honduras, Brazil, Slovakia
Group B (Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi): Uruguay, New Zealand, Côte d’Ivoire, Italy
Group C (Fujairah, Sharjah): Croatia, Morocco, Panama, Uzbekistan
Group D (Sharjah, Fujairah): Tunisia, Venezuela, Russia, Japan
Group E (Dubai, Al Ain): Canada, Austria, Iran, Argentina
Group F (Al Ain, Dubai): Mexico, Nigeria, Iraq, Sweden
Group B (Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi): Uruguay, New Zealand, Côte d’Ivoire, Italy
Group C (Fujairah, Sharjah): Croatia, Morocco, Panama, Uzbekistan
Group D (Sharjah, Fujairah): Tunisia, Venezuela, Russia, Japan
Group E (Dubai, Al Ain): Canada, Austria, Iran, Argentina
Group F (Al Ain, Dubai): Mexico, Nigeria, Iraq, Sweden
Glo Nigeria Premier League- Week 28 Fixtures
Date: Wednesday 28th August, 2013
3SC vs El-Kanemi Warriors
ABS FC vs Akwa United
Enyimba vs Gombe United
Heartland vs Kano Pillars
Nasarawa United vs Dolphins
Nembe City vs Kwara United
Rangers vs Lobi Stars
Sharks vs Wikki Tourists
Sunshine Stars vs Bayelsa United
Warri Wolves vs Kaduna United
3SC vs El-Kanemi Warriors
ABS FC vs Akwa United
Enyimba vs Gombe United
Heartland vs Kano Pillars
Nasarawa United vs Dolphins
Nembe City vs Kwara United
Rangers vs Lobi Stars
Sharks vs Wikki Tourists
Sunshine Stars vs Bayelsa United
Warri Wolves vs Kaduna United
Liverpool winger joins the Brittania train
Stoke City have signed Morocco winger Oussama Assaidi from Liverpool on a season-long loan, the Premier League clubs said on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old joined Liverpool from Dutch side Heerenveen last season but only made four league appearances.
"Oussama had a few options and I'm delighted he has chosen to join us," Stoke manager Mark Hughes told the club's website (www.stokecityfc.com). He's an exciting player, who has great pace and is very direct and will certainly add another dimension to what we already have at the club."
He is the club's fourth transfer window signing after Erik Pieters, Marc Muniesa and Juan Agudelo.
The 25-year-old joined Liverpool from Dutch side Heerenveen last season but only made four league appearances.
"Oussama had a few options and I'm delighted he has chosen to join us," Stoke manager Mark Hughes told the club's website (www.stokecityfc.com). He's an exciting player, who has great pace and is very direct and will certainly add another dimension to what we already have at the club."
He is the club's fourth transfer window signing after Erik Pieters, Marc Muniesa and Juan Agudelo.
Tuesday 27 August 2013
We are not out of the UEFA Champions League- Efe Ambrose
Efe Ambrose has backed Celtic to turn the tables against Shakhter Karagandy of Kazakhstan to reach the group stage of the Champions League.
The Kazakh giant killers shocked Scottish double champions Celtic 2-0 win in the first leg of the Champions League playoff and Celtic are now under pressure to score three unreplied goals on Wednesday to scale through to the mini-league stage of the Champions League.
"I am very sure we will go through to the group stage of UEFA Champions League at the expense of Shakhter,” predicted Nigeria international defender Ambrose, who was on the bench for the duration of the first encounter.
“I am not having any special feelings about the game or taking the game more seriously than others, it is just like every other game that we have played and will still play."
Last season, Celtic reached the Round of 16 of the Champions League before they were sent packing by Italian champions Juventus.
History favours Celtic as they have upturned such a first leg result three times in the past out of four such situations.
Shakhter, on the other hand, are aiming to make history as the first club from Kazakhstan to reach the group stage of the prestigious Champions League.
The Kazakh giant killers shocked Scottish double champions Celtic 2-0 win in the first leg of the Champions League playoff and Celtic are now under pressure to score three unreplied goals on Wednesday to scale through to the mini-league stage of the Champions League.
"I am very sure we will go through to the group stage of UEFA Champions League at the expense of Shakhter,” predicted Nigeria international defender Ambrose, who was on the bench for the duration of the first encounter.
“I am not having any special feelings about the game or taking the game more seriously than others, it is just like every other game that we have played and will still play."
Last season, Celtic reached the Round of 16 of the Champions League before they were sent packing by Italian champions Juventus.
History favours Celtic as they have upturned such a first leg result three times in the past out of four such situations.
Shakhter, on the other hand, are aiming to make history as the first club from Kazakhstan to reach the group stage of the prestigious Champions League.
An icon says "goodbye" to the game
Former Portugal and Chelsea playmaker Deco retired Monday after 17 years because of his failure to overcome a series of recent muscle injuries. The 35-year-old said that he wished he could play until his contract with Brazilian club Fluminense expired at the end of the year but realized it wouldn't be possible to continue because of the injuries.
"I wished I could help Fluminense a lot more, but my body didn't let me do it," he said in a statement. The talented midfielder played in two World Cups and two European Championships with Portugal. He won the Champions League with FC Porto in 2004 and with Barcelona in 2006.
Deco had four muscle injuries this year alone and played only a few times throughout the season. He picked up his latest ailment in a Brazilian Cup match at the Maracana Stadium last week. "It's with a lot of sadness that I announce the end of my career as a professional athlete," he said. "The last minutes I played Wednesday with Fluminense were the last of my 17 years on the field as a football player. I tried my hardest to try to continue playing until the end of the year. My muscles can't take it anymore. I can't keep going."
Deco played only 14 matches this year because of the injuries - three to his right thigh and one to his left. Deco, who will turn 36 on Tuesday, helped Fluminense win the Brazilian league in 2010 and 2012. He also won the Rio de Janeiro championship last year.
The left-footed midfielder played a total of 686 matches with eight clubs and the Portuguese national team. He scored 116 goals and won 23 titles, including 11 with FC Porto, where he played from 1999-2004. He left Portugal to play with Barcelona, where he twice won the Spanish league. Chelsea was his last club in Europe. He left the team in 2010 after winning the Premier League that year.
Deco, whose full name is Anderson Luis de Souza, left Brazil early in his career after not being able to secure a place on some of the country's top teams. He decided to seek Portuguese citizenship after realizing he was not going to earn a place in Brazil's national team. He quickly became a regular with Portugal and helped it reach the final of the 2004 Euros and the quarterfinal four years later.
Deco began his career with Corinthians in August 1996. He did not disclose any future plans.
"I wished I could help Fluminense a lot more, but my body didn't let me do it," he said in a statement. The talented midfielder played in two World Cups and two European Championships with Portugal. He won the Champions League with FC Porto in 2004 and with Barcelona in 2006.
Deco had four muscle injuries this year alone and played only a few times throughout the season. He picked up his latest ailment in a Brazilian Cup match at the Maracana Stadium last week. "It's with a lot of sadness that I announce the end of my career as a professional athlete," he said. "The last minutes I played Wednesday with Fluminense were the last of my 17 years on the field as a football player. I tried my hardest to try to continue playing until the end of the year. My muscles can't take it anymore. I can't keep going."
Deco played only 14 matches this year because of the injuries - three to his right thigh and one to his left. Deco, who will turn 36 on Tuesday, helped Fluminense win the Brazilian league in 2010 and 2012. He also won the Rio de Janeiro championship last year.
The left-footed midfielder played a total of 686 matches with eight clubs and the Portuguese national team. He scored 116 goals and won 23 titles, including 11 with FC Porto, where he played from 1999-2004. He left Portugal to play with Barcelona, where he twice won the Spanish league. Chelsea was his last club in Europe. He left the team in 2010 after winning the Premier League that year.
Deco, whose full name is Anderson Luis de Souza, left Brazil early in his career after not being able to secure a place on some of the country's top teams. He decided to seek Portuguese citizenship after realizing he was not going to earn a place in Brazil's national team. He quickly became a regular with Portugal and helped it reach the final of the 2004 Euros and the quarterfinal four years later.
Deco began his career with Corinthians in August 1996. He did not disclose any future plans.
Manchester United 0-0 Chelsea (Match Report)
Manchester United and Chelsea drew 0-0 in the Premier League on Monday as the action in the season's first big match failed to match the intrigue of the Wayne Rooney transfer saga that swirled throughout.
David Moyes began his first home match in charge of the champions by naming Chelsea target Rooney in his starting line-up, giving a clear message that his club's message of 'he is not for sale' still stood after two failed bids for the striker.
Chances for both sides were few and far between on a warm evening at Old Trafford as Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's decision to play much of the match without a recognised striker had little attacking impact and his defence held firm.
Rooney, in the unusual position of being cheered by both sets of fans, had a decent chance in the second half when his right-footed drive forced Petr Cech to dive to his right but the two title hopefuls were left to share the points.
"It was a tight game," Moyes, who received a warm reception from the Old Trafford crowd before taking his seat in the dugout opposite the stand that bears the name in big letters of his illustrious predecessor Alex Ferguson, told a news conference.
"We just didn't quite have the final cross, the final pass tonight but I thought we played very well."
The result means United have started their campaign with four points from a possible six, while Chelsea have made it seven from nine as the clubs' new managers enjoy unbeaten starts to the season.
"I think it's a fair point," Mourinho said.
"Nobody deserved to lose...nobody was better than the opponents to deserve a clear victory. For us, after two home victories to come to the champions in their first match at home, to get a point I think it's fine, it's positive."
Much of the pre-match buildup had focused on Chelsea's so far unsuccessful attempts to lure United striker Rooney to Stamford Bridge and it was this sub plot that dominated a match which was not the best advertisement for the English top flight.
Mourinho's decision to start without a recognised striker could have been a message to Rooney that the place was his for the taking and as the player listened to "Rooney, Rooney" chants from his own fans and "Wayne Rooney, we'll sign you next week" from Chelsea's, the match trundled along in the background.
The visitors' only real first-half chance fell to Oscar who shot straight at keeper David de Gea early on, while at the other end Robin van Persie slammed a shot into the side netting and Rooney sent a tame effort into the arms of Petr Cech.
The two teams are likely to be embroiled in the title fight later in the season. But they were meeting far too early in the fixtures list for the match to be decisive and it showed as both sides struggled to keep possession or muster meaningful shots.
Which side Rooney will be playing for by the time the two teams meet again remains to be seen after the England forward gave a reasonable account of himself, a neat touch here and there and some good distribution.
Mourinho had plumped for Oscar, Andre Schurrle, Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard as his attacking force, and even without reading the frantic scribbling in the notebook he keeps in his top pocket it was clear the set-up was not working.
The Portuguese finally brought on a striker on the hour mark, sending on Fernando Torres for De Bruyne, but it did not make much difference with Rooney ultimately showing glimpses of why he might be a better prospect up front for the London team.
Rooney had a chance to snatch a winner midway through the second half when his right-footed shot from outside the box was put behind by Cech for a corner and he also attempted an acrobatic volley in stoppage time.
David Moyes began his first home match in charge of the champions by naming Chelsea target Rooney in his starting line-up, giving a clear message that his club's message of 'he is not for sale' still stood after two failed bids for the striker.
Chances for both sides were few and far between on a warm evening at Old Trafford as Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's decision to play much of the match without a recognised striker had little attacking impact and his defence held firm.
Rooney, in the unusual position of being cheered by both sets of fans, had a decent chance in the second half when his right-footed drive forced Petr Cech to dive to his right but the two title hopefuls were left to share the points.
"It was a tight game," Moyes, who received a warm reception from the Old Trafford crowd before taking his seat in the dugout opposite the stand that bears the name in big letters of his illustrious predecessor Alex Ferguson, told a news conference.
"We just didn't quite have the final cross, the final pass tonight but I thought we played very well."
The result means United have started their campaign with four points from a possible six, while Chelsea have made it seven from nine as the clubs' new managers enjoy unbeaten starts to the season.
"I think it's a fair point," Mourinho said.
"Nobody deserved to lose...nobody was better than the opponents to deserve a clear victory. For us, after two home victories to come to the champions in their first match at home, to get a point I think it's fine, it's positive."
Much of the pre-match buildup had focused on Chelsea's so far unsuccessful attempts to lure United striker Rooney to Stamford Bridge and it was this sub plot that dominated a match which was not the best advertisement for the English top flight.
Mourinho's decision to start without a recognised striker could have been a message to Rooney that the place was his for the taking and as the player listened to "Rooney, Rooney" chants from his own fans and "Wayne Rooney, we'll sign you next week" from Chelsea's, the match trundled along in the background.
The visitors' only real first-half chance fell to Oscar who shot straight at keeper David de Gea early on, while at the other end Robin van Persie slammed a shot into the side netting and Rooney sent a tame effort into the arms of Petr Cech.
The two teams are likely to be embroiled in the title fight later in the season. But they were meeting far too early in the fixtures list for the match to be decisive and it showed as both sides struggled to keep possession or muster meaningful shots.
Which side Rooney will be playing for by the time the two teams meet again remains to be seen after the England forward gave a reasonable account of himself, a neat touch here and there and some good distribution.
Mourinho had plumped for Oscar, Andre Schurrle, Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard as his attacking force, and even without reading the frantic scribbling in the notebook he keeps in his top pocket it was clear the set-up was not working.
The Portuguese finally brought on a striker on the hour mark, sending on Fernando Torres for De Bruyne, but it did not make much difference with Rooney ultimately showing glimpses of why he might be a better prospect up front for the London team.
Rooney had a chance to snatch a winner midway through the second half when his right-footed shot from outside the box was put behind by Cech for a corner and he also attempted an acrobatic volley in stoppage time.
Where does the future lies for Iker Casillas?
The debate is well and truly open in Real Madrid but coach Carlo Ancelotti has no doubts over who, for the moment, is its first choice goalkeeper. One of Jose Mourinho's most controversial decisions during his three years at the club was to sit Iker Casillas on the subs' bench after he recovered from a broken hand bone which he suffered in January.
In Mourinho's case it could well have been personal given that Casillas was one of the strongest voices in the Madrid dressing room.
Their relationship was poor and did not help when Casillas' reporter girlfriend, Sara Carbonara, revealed there were divisions among players and coach.
Mourinho would only say that he thought Diego Lopez, who returned to the club from Sevilla when Casillas suffered his injury, was a better keeper.
With Mourinho's departure and the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti most believed that the river would return to its usual course and Casillas, who is after all the captain of the Spanish national side, would return in goal and over the pre-season Ancelotti gave nothing away as both keepers shared minutes in the warm-up friendlies.
In Mourinho's case it could well have been personal given that Casillas was one of the strongest voices in the Madrid dressing room.
Their relationship was poor and did not help when Casillas' reporter girlfriend, Sara Carbonara, revealed there were divisions among players and coach.
Mourinho would only say that he thought Diego Lopez, who returned to the club from Sevilla when Casillas suffered his injury, was a better keeper.
With Mourinho's departure and the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti most believed that the river would return to its usual course and Casillas, who is after all the captain of the Spanish national side, would return in goal and over the pre-season Ancelotti gave nothing away as both keepers shared minutes in the warm-up friendlies.
India- Twelve I-League clubs granted one-year club licensing exemption
Twelve top clubs of the country were Tuesday given one-time exemption for the National Club License, clearing the decks for their participation in the I-League season expected to start next month.
The Club Licensing Committee First Instance Body which met here decided to give one-time exemption so that they can participate in the upcoming 2013-14 football season.
The 12 clubs are Dempo SC, Salgaocar SC, Churchill Brothers, East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, Sporting Clube-de-Goa, United SC, Mohammedan Sporting, Mumbai FC, Rangdajied FC, Shillong Lajong FC and Pailan Arrows.
All the 12 clubs had requested for a year's exemption to the Club Licensing Appeals Body which in turn had referred the case back to the Licensing Committee for a final decision. Pune FC was the only club which has been granted the AFC and National License after complying with all 'A' Grade Criteria.
"This is the only exemption given to all the 12 clubs for the football season 2013-14. They will have to comply with all the 'A' Grade criteria just as Pune FC did for the National License from the 2014-15 Season onwards and no further exemption will be given if they fail to meet 'A' Grade criteria," Chairman Girija Shanker Mungali said.
Besides Mungali, other members of Licensing Committee present at the meeting today were advocate Ushanath Banerjee, Punkaj Jain, chartered accountant, and I-League CEO Sunando Dhar.
Monday 26 August 2013
The 40 players drawn to begin camping for the ambush of Japan
WE LIKE MATA
Sunday 25 August 2013
Live at the Liberation Stadium- Enugu Rangers starters vs Dolphins FC
Former Shooting Stars and Ranchers Bees custodian Daniel Emmanuel is in goal. The goal tender's displays has continued to shut-out last season's number one, Godwin Anyalogu.
Etim Matthew and Nnamdi Junior Anyasodo, are the right and left-back respectively. Tireless Pierre Coly be lining up alongside skipper of the side, Umar Aminu at central defence.
Ugonna Uzochukwu's grafting displays earns him a place in front of the back-four. The other components in the midfield are Sunday Chinedu and Emeka Eze.
It's an all-attack system. Dada Bitrus will play in a more withdrawn role. Kingsley Salami will operate from the wing. Former Fame FC forward Christian Obiozor aka Nigerian Balotelli will be a source of concern to Dolphins defence with his pace and trickery. He is the lone man upfront.
The substitutes bench is full of excellent players in the mould of Meschack Chukwubuikem, who just lost his mother. Cyril Oriaku is another perfect sweeper on the reserves list. Others are Oghogho Oduakpe, Godwin Anyalogu and some others.
Etim Matthew and Nnamdi Junior Anyasodo, are the right and left-back respectively. Tireless Pierre Coly be lining up alongside skipper of the side, Umar Aminu at central defence.
Ugonna Uzochukwu's grafting displays earns him a place in front of the back-four. The other components in the midfield are Sunday Chinedu and Emeka Eze.
It's an all-attack system. Dada Bitrus will play in a more withdrawn role. Kingsley Salami will operate from the wing. Former Fame FC forward Christian Obiozor aka Nigerian Balotelli will be a source of concern to Dolphins defence with his pace and trickery. He is the lone man upfront.
The substitutes bench is full of excellent players in the mould of Meschack Chukwubuikem, who just lost his mother. Cyril Oriaku is another perfect sweeper on the reserves list. Others are Oghogho Oduakpe, Godwin Anyalogu and some others.
The world of the Sunday Mirror
Gareth Bale has agreed a stunning £97million contract to join Real Madrid.
Chelsea will make a £40-million last-ditch bid for Wayne Rooney.
Barcelona are preparing a £10million move for Liverpool central defender Daniel Agger.
Arsenal will this week offer £20million to land French midfield star Yohan Cabaye.
Manchester United face D-Day in their long bid for Cesc Fabregas this week.
Chelsea will make a £40-million last-ditch bid for Wayne Rooney.
Barcelona are preparing a £10million move for Liverpool central defender Daniel Agger.
Arsenal will this week offer £20million to land French midfield star Yohan Cabaye.
Manchester United face D-Day in their long bid for Cesc Fabregas this week.
News From "The People"
Yohan Cabaye has gone on strike at Newcastle after refusing to play in Toon's opening matches of the season.
Ian Holloway is already fighting for his job at Crystal Palace despite masterminding the club' sshock promotion to the Premier League.
Chelsea must bid at least £50million if they are to land Wayne Rooney this week.
Arsenal could offer Juan Mata a surprise escape route from Chelsea.
Newcastle are considering a late move for Watford striker Troy Deeney.
Wigan boss Owen Coyle is ready to make a record-breaking bid for Blackburn Rovers striker Jordan Rhodes.
Derby have told Liverpool it will take a £15-million plus offer for them to part with midfield teen sensation Will Hughes.
Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino wants Valencia winger Pablo Piatti.
Chelsea will meet Home Office officials in the next 48 hours in a bid to gain a work permit for Willian.
Ian Holloway is already fighting for his job at Crystal Palace despite masterminding the club' sshock promotion to the Premier League.
Chelsea must bid at least £50million if they are to land Wayne Rooney this week.
Arsenal could offer Juan Mata a surprise escape route from Chelsea.
Newcastle are considering a late move for Watford striker Troy Deeney.
Wigan boss Owen Coyle is ready to make a record-breaking bid for Blackburn Rovers striker Jordan Rhodes.
Derby have told Liverpool it will take a £15-million plus offer for them to part with midfield teen sensation Will Hughes.
Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino wants Valencia winger Pablo Piatti.
Chelsea will meet Home Office officials in the next 48 hours in a bid to gain a work permit for Willian.
The Daily Star
Jose Mourinho last night urged David Moyes to sell Wayne Rooney to Chelsea, insisting: "Why keep an unhappy player?"
Angry Everton boss Roberto Martinez last night blasted David Moyes for trying to unsettle his star pair of Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini.
Gareth Bale will be greeted by a 50,000 Bernabau crowd this week when he finally completes his move to Real Madrid.
Ashley Williams is refusing to let talk of a switch to Arsenal affect him - and says he is in no rush to leave.
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has been boosted by the news that PSG have ended their interest in Yohan Cabaye.
Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski has revealed that he has turned down moves to Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid in the past 12 months.
Manuel Pellegrini has been promised another £50million to spend on players in January.
Angry Everton boss Roberto Martinez last night blasted David Moyes for trying to unsettle his star pair of Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini.
Gareth Bale will be greeted by a 50,000 Bernabau crowd this week when he finally completes his move to Real Madrid.
Ashley Williams is refusing to let talk of a switch to Arsenal affect him - and says he is in no rush to leave.
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has been boosted by the news that PSG have ended their interest in Yohan Cabaye.
Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski has revealed that he has turned down moves to Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid in the past 12 months.
Manuel Pellegrini has been promised another £50million to spend on players in January.
Paper Talk- The Sun
Spurs were last night holding out for a world record £86.3million from Real Madrid for Gareth Bale.
Chelsea will up their bid for Wayne Rooney to £40million.
Mark Hughes is ready to raid his former employers Manchester City for striker Johyn Guidetti.
Juventus have been urged to sign Nani before the transfer window closes.
Chelsea will up their bid for Wayne Rooney to £40million.
Mark Hughes is ready to raid his former employers Manchester City for striker Johyn Guidetti.
Juventus have been urged to sign Nani before the transfer window closes.
No show for Super Eagles strikers
Everton's new manager Roberto Martinez is still looking for his first victory with the club following the goalless draw with West Brom and will be rueing his team's missed chances after Marouane Fellaini hit the post late and Seamus Coleman also struck the woodwork.
Everton now have two draws from their opening two games, while West Brom earned their first point despite playing without striker Nicolas Anelka, who is on indefinite compassionate leave after the death of one of his representatives.
Super Eagles forward Victor Anichebe was benched for the entire duration by Martinez, while his West Brom senior Peter Osaze Odemwingie was expectedly not listed. The former La Louviere star is set to make a move before the closure of the summer transfer window.
Everton now have two draws from their opening two games, while West Brom earned their first point despite playing without striker Nicolas Anelka, who is on indefinite compassionate leave after the death of one of his representatives.
Super Eagles forward Victor Anichebe was benched for the entire duration by Martinez, while his West Brom senior Peter Osaze Odemwingie was expectedly not listed. The former La Louviere star is set to make a move before the closure of the summer transfer window.
Sturridge and Mignolet's magic earns Reds the maximum points at Villa Park
Daniel Sturridge scored with a superb finish in the first half on Saturday to give Liverpool a 1-0 win over Aston Villa and maintain the team's strong start to the Premier League season.
Sturridge, who started his youth career with Villa, received the ball at the edge of the area in the 21st minute, rounded goalkeeper Brad Guzan and maintained his balance to poke the ball into the roof of the net with two Villa defenders rushing back to block the shot.
It was Sturridge's second goal of the season and Liverpool's second clean sheet as Brendan Rodgers' team has now started with two straight 1-0 wins despite having star striker Luis Suarez suspended.
"The manager's philosophy is that we play well as a team and that's what we did," Sturridge said. "It's nice to score, but it's more important we win. I am just playing my normal game. I have matured a little bit in terms of confidence and playing regularly. This is how I have been as a kid, but I've now been given a chance to show what I can do in a first-team environment."
Villa, which beat Arsenal 3-1 in its opening game, fell to its second straight defeat after a midweek loss to Chelsea.
Liverpool had to wait until the end of September before recording a win last year, but is making its best start to a Premier League season in five years. The Reds are second behind Chelsea in the standings on goal difference.
"It was a terrific win for us," Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said. "We didn't have a good start at all last year.
Since the turn of the year we've been getting better and better. What's important now is the mentality of the group is to win and win together. We just have to keep it going."
Villa looked out of pace in the first half but dominated in the second period, creating several chances only to be denied by Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
The Belgian goalie, who saved a penalty against Stoke, again proved solid late in the game when he parried Christian Benteke's powerful shot from the right side of the box with a spectacular dive in the 86th minute.
"In the second half you expect more pressure from them but overall Simon has made a couple of terrific saves and we got three points," Rodgers said.
Sturridge, who started his youth career with Villa, received the ball at the edge of the area in the 21st minute, rounded goalkeeper Brad Guzan and maintained his balance to poke the ball into the roof of the net with two Villa defenders rushing back to block the shot.
It was Sturridge's second goal of the season and Liverpool's second clean sheet as Brendan Rodgers' team has now started with two straight 1-0 wins despite having star striker Luis Suarez suspended.
"The manager's philosophy is that we play well as a team and that's what we did," Sturridge said. "It's nice to score, but it's more important we win. I am just playing my normal game. I have matured a little bit in terms of confidence and playing regularly. This is how I have been as a kid, but I've now been given a chance to show what I can do in a first-team environment."
Villa, which beat Arsenal 3-1 in its opening game, fell to its second straight defeat after a midweek loss to Chelsea.
Liverpool had to wait until the end of September before recording a win last year, but is making its best start to a Premier League season in five years. The Reds are second behind Chelsea in the standings on goal difference.
"It was a terrific win for us," Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said. "We didn't have a good start at all last year.
Since the turn of the year we've been getting better and better. What's important now is the mentality of the group is to win and win together. We just have to keep it going."
Villa looked out of pace in the first half but dominated in the second period, creating several chances only to be denied by Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
The Belgian goalie, who saved a penalty against Stoke, again proved solid late in the game when he parried Christian Benteke's powerful shot from the right side of the box with a spectacular dive in the 86th minute.
"In the second half you expect more pressure from them but overall Simon has made a couple of terrific saves and we got three points," Rodgers said.
Wenger defends his developmental policy for British players
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hit out at critics who say he does not give young British players a chance after fielding five in their 3-1 win over Fulham on Saturday.
Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey was named man-of-the-match having pulled the strings as Arsenal claimed their first Premier League points of the season and was joined on the pitch by England's Carl Jenkinson, Kieran Gibbs and Theo Walcott.
Jack Wilshere was a second-half substitute.
"During the transfer period, people are so much focused on who is coming in that they forget how good our players are," Wenger told reporters on Saturday.
"Somebody told me there was an interesting article somewhere in a newspaper. I personally didn't read it so I don't give you any guarantee but they (apparently) said "We don't bring players in. But on the other hand, the English players don't get the chance to play in the Premier League.
"If you look at our team today, you had Jenkinson who gets a chance, you get Walcott who has started with us, you have Ramsey, you have Wilshere, you have Gibbs - all (British) players who get a chance with us.
You should give us some credit for that sometimes."
The Arsenal manager was also full of praise for forwards Olivier Giroud, who scored the opener, and Lukas Podolski, who netted either side of halftime.
"I am pleased for him (Podolski) because he hasn't started much recently more because of the balance of the team than his performances," Wenger said.
"I am pleased because he plays with a lot of spirit and he can score goals. Everybody in the squad loves Lukas and I want to keep him.
"When a player doesn't play he is not happy and recently he did not always start but if you look at his and Giroud's goalscoring record it's very good."
Giroud is frequently touted as a player Arsenal need to upgrade to improve their title chances, but Wenger expects him to kick-on this season after he grabbed his third goal in three games.
"His second season is always better than his first one," Wenger said.
"You could see as well technically today that he was quite impressive. His physical presence up front is very important and I think he looks like he's much more confident than last year."
Wenger defends his developmental policy for British players
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hit out at critics who say he does not give young British players a chance after fielding five in their 3-1 win over Fulham on Saturday.
Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey was named man-of-the-match having pulled the strings as Arsenal claimed their first Premier League points of the season and was joined on the pitch by England's Carl Jenkinson, Kieran Gibbs and Theo Walcott.
Jack Wilshere was a second-half substitute.
"During the transfer period, people are so much focused on who is coming in that they forget how good our players are," Wenger told reporters on Saturday.
"Somebody told me there was an interesting article somewhere in a newspaper. I personally didn't read it so I don't give you any guarantee but they (apparently) said "We don't bring players in. But on the other hand, the English players don't get the chance to play in the Premier League.
"If you look at our team today, you had Jenkinson who gets a chance, you get Walcott who has started with us, you have Ramsey, you have Wilshere, you have Gibbs - all (British) players who get a chance with us.
You should give us some credit for that sometimes."
The Arsenal manager was also full of praise for forwards Olivier Giroud, who scored the opener, and Lukas Podolski, who netted either side of halftime.
"I am pleased for him (Podolski) because he hasn't started much recently more because of the balance of the team than his performances," Wenger said.
"I am pleased because he plays with a lot of spirit and he can score goals. Everybody in the squad loves Lukas and I want to keep him.
"When a player doesn't play he is not happy and recently he did not always start but if you look at his and Giroud's goalscoring record it's very good."
Giroud is frequently touted as a player Arsenal need to upgrade to improve their title chances, but Wenger expects him to kick-on this season after he grabbed his third goal in three games.
"His second season is always better than his first one," Wenger said.
"You could see as well technically today that he was quite impressive. His physical presence up front is very important and I think he looks like he's much more confident than last year."
The speculation rages on
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's pursuit of Manchester United's unsettled striker Wayne Rooney has added spice to the first big Premier League match of the season when the title rivals clash at Old Trafford on Monday.
The west London club have already tabled two bids for the England forward and have not ruled out making a third, despite new United boss David Moyes's steadfast refusal to sell.
"We have Plans B and C," Mourinho said ahead of Wednesday's home game against Aston Villa, which they won 2-1 thanks to a second-half header from Serbian Branislav Ivanovic.
"Don't ask me names because it's difficult to speak about players from other clubs. We have the conditions to try to improve our team by bringing in one more player and we are going to try that till the end."
The Blues are keen to add to their striking options of Fernando Torres, Romelu Lukaku and Demba Ba but United do not want to sell to a Premier League title challenger despite the form of Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck, who each scored twice in an opening 4-1 win at Swansea City on Saturday.
Monday's match between two of the Premier League's biggest rivals sees David Moyes in charge of United at home in the league for the first time since replacing Alex Ferguson, a man whose absence the returning Mourinho said would be strange.
"It will be difficult for me, and I think all managers, to go to Old Trafford and play against Manchester United without this mythical figure waiting for us," he recently told Sky Sports.
The west London club have already tabled two bids for the England forward and have not ruled out making a third, despite new United boss David Moyes's steadfast refusal to sell.
"We have Plans B and C," Mourinho said ahead of Wednesday's home game against Aston Villa, which they won 2-1 thanks to a second-half header from Serbian Branislav Ivanovic.
"Don't ask me names because it's difficult to speak about players from other clubs. We have the conditions to try to improve our team by bringing in one more player and we are going to try that till the end."
The Blues are keen to add to their striking options of Fernando Torres, Romelu Lukaku and Demba Ba but United do not want to sell to a Premier League title challenger despite the form of Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck, who each scored twice in an opening 4-1 win at Swansea City on Saturday.
Monday's match between two of the Premier League's biggest rivals sees David Moyes in charge of United at home in the league for the first time since replacing Alex Ferguson, a man whose absence the returning Mourinho said would be strange.
"It will be difficult for me, and I think all managers, to go to Old Trafford and play against Manchester United without this mythical figure waiting for us," he recently told Sky Sports.
The New Neymar
Neymar just left Brazil and there is already another Santos teenager making all the headlines in the country.
This time the kid attracting all the attention is Gabriel Barbosa Almeida, a 16-year-old nicknamed "Gabigol" thanks to his scoring prowess in Santos' youth squads.
Gabriel scored his first professional goal this week, giving Santos a key win in a Brazilian Cup match and igniting widespread comparisons to Neymar.
Gabriel is about two months younger than Neymar was when he scored his first goal, and the teen also needed less time on the field to do it than the newly signed Barcelona star.
Before Neymar, the team made famous by Pele in the 1960s had also delivered Robinho, the AC Milan striker who thrived with Santos as a youngster and eventually played a World Cup with Brazil.
Gabriel may only be 16 but he has been touted a future star for quite some time in the coastal city of Santos. There was talk about him even while Neymar was just starting to showcase his skills at the club a few years ago.
But it wasn't until Wednesday that Gabigol put his name on the map for good, thanks to scoring the winning goal in Santos' 1-0 victory over Gremio in the first leg of their round-of-16 matchup in the Brazilian Cup.
Gabriel wasn't even supposed to play that night. He went to the stadium to watch the match as a spectator, but got the last-minute call to get ready after another player was suddenly cut from the squad.
"When it's meant to be, it's meant to be," Gabriel said. "I was playing videogames at home all afternoon and just came to the stadium to watch the match. I went to the changing room to give my support to the players and then they told me that I had to get ready because Victor wasn't going to be able to play. I didn't even have my playing shoes with me, I didn't have anything with me."
Gabriel started the match on the bench, but got into the game in the second half and scored the winner in the 82nd minute with a low left-footed shot from near the penalty spot, giving Santos the advantage heading into the second leg in Porto Alegre next week.
The goal came against veteran Gremio goalkeeper Dida, who is 23 years older than Gabriel.
The Santos youngster took off his jersey and ran toward the fans in the stands to celebrate, yelling and pumping his left fist.
"I'm going to save this moment for my entire life," Gabriel said after the match. "I'm incredibly happy, I'm speechless. It was amazing to see the fans celebrating with me."
Neymar was 17 when he scored his first professional goal. The 21-year-old Brazil striker scored in his third match with Santos, but he needed a total of 149 minutes on the field to do it. Gabriel, meanwhile, was playing in his sixth game as a professional, but needed only 124 minutes to get a goal for the first time, according to GloboEsporte.com.
What Neymar and Gabriel have in common is the man who discovered them among the hundreds of youngsters trying to make it from the youth squads. Betinho, the scout who also found Robinho, was responsible for selecting Gabriel and helping him get ready to transition into the professional squad.
Gabriel was only 10 when Betinho started talking about his potential. He gave an interview to GloboEsporte.com at the time saying that Gabriel could "be playing at a very high level in the future."
"It's a pleasure to see what's happening now," Betinho told the website this week. "Like I said a few years ago, he can be the idol of a generation."
Gabriel, physically strong and owner of a powerful left-footed shot, reportedly already has a 50 million buyout clause in his contract with Santos. He has the same agent as Robinho and Neymar, Wagner Ribeiro, who played a big part in Neymar's transfer to Barcelona earlier this year.
Gabriel, who will turn 17 on Aug. 30, already played for Brazil's under-15 squad and has already been summoned for the under-17 national team.
He only got to play on Wednesday because Victor had to be cut for taking allergy medicine which could potentially show up in a doping test, but Santos coach Claudinei said that the youngster will likely be getting more playing time soon.
"Gabriel got in and took advantage of his chance," the coach told local media. "There is no doubt that this is going to help him find his space in the team."
Gabriel will go back to teenage life until he can get another shot at glory.
"I'll just go back to playing videogames," he said. "I always score a lot in the videogames, but in real life it's so much better."
This time the kid attracting all the attention is Gabriel Barbosa Almeida, a 16-year-old nicknamed "Gabigol" thanks to his scoring prowess in Santos' youth squads.
Gabriel scored his first professional goal this week, giving Santos a key win in a Brazilian Cup match and igniting widespread comparisons to Neymar.
Gabriel is about two months younger than Neymar was when he scored his first goal, and the teen also needed less time on the field to do it than the newly signed Barcelona star.
Before Neymar, the team made famous by Pele in the 1960s had also delivered Robinho, the AC Milan striker who thrived with Santos as a youngster and eventually played a World Cup with Brazil.
Gabriel may only be 16 but he has been touted a future star for quite some time in the coastal city of Santos. There was talk about him even while Neymar was just starting to showcase his skills at the club a few years ago.
But it wasn't until Wednesday that Gabigol put his name on the map for good, thanks to scoring the winning goal in Santos' 1-0 victory over Gremio in the first leg of their round-of-16 matchup in the Brazilian Cup.
Gabriel wasn't even supposed to play that night. He went to the stadium to watch the match as a spectator, but got the last-minute call to get ready after another player was suddenly cut from the squad.
"When it's meant to be, it's meant to be," Gabriel said. "I was playing videogames at home all afternoon and just came to the stadium to watch the match. I went to the changing room to give my support to the players and then they told me that I had to get ready because Victor wasn't going to be able to play. I didn't even have my playing shoes with me, I didn't have anything with me."
Gabriel started the match on the bench, but got into the game in the second half and scored the winner in the 82nd minute with a low left-footed shot from near the penalty spot, giving Santos the advantage heading into the second leg in Porto Alegre next week.
The goal came against veteran Gremio goalkeeper Dida, who is 23 years older than Gabriel.
The Santos youngster took off his jersey and ran toward the fans in the stands to celebrate, yelling and pumping his left fist.
"I'm going to save this moment for my entire life," Gabriel said after the match. "I'm incredibly happy, I'm speechless. It was amazing to see the fans celebrating with me."
Neymar was 17 when he scored his first professional goal. The 21-year-old Brazil striker scored in his third match with Santos, but he needed a total of 149 minutes on the field to do it. Gabriel, meanwhile, was playing in his sixth game as a professional, but needed only 124 minutes to get a goal for the first time, according to GloboEsporte.com.
What Neymar and Gabriel have in common is the man who discovered them among the hundreds of youngsters trying to make it from the youth squads. Betinho, the scout who also found Robinho, was responsible for selecting Gabriel and helping him get ready to transition into the professional squad.
Gabriel was only 10 when Betinho started talking about his potential. He gave an interview to GloboEsporte.com at the time saying that Gabriel could "be playing at a very high level in the future."
"It's a pleasure to see what's happening now," Betinho told the website this week. "Like I said a few years ago, he can be the idol of a generation."
Gabriel, physically strong and owner of a powerful left-footed shot, reportedly already has a 50 million buyout clause in his contract with Santos. He has the same agent as Robinho and Neymar, Wagner Ribeiro, who played a big part in Neymar's transfer to Barcelona earlier this year.
Gabriel, who will turn 17 on Aug. 30, already played for Brazil's under-15 squad and has already been summoned for the under-17 national team.
He only got to play on Wednesday because Victor had to be cut for taking allergy medicine which could potentially show up in a doping test, but Santos coach Claudinei said that the youngster will likely be getting more playing time soon.
"Gabriel got in and took advantage of his chance," the coach told local media. "There is no doubt that this is going to help him find his space in the team."
Gabriel will go back to teenage life until he can get another shot at glory.
"I'll just go back to playing videogames," he said. "I always score a lot in the videogames, but in real life it's so much better."
Bale's fee is an insult to football, Messi will be fine- Barcelona gaffer Gerardo Martino
Real Madrid's bid to land Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur for a world record fee in the region of 100 million euros is out of place in the current economic climate, Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino said on Saturday.
"Bale's a very good player," the Argentine told a news conference when asked about Real's pursuit of the Welsh winger.
"The numbers are lack of respect to the world in general."
Barca, Real's arch-rivals, splashed 57 million euros on their major signing of the close season to date, Brazil forward Neymar.
Nine-times European Cup winners Real appear to be close to securing the signature of Bale with local media reporting that after weeks of negotiations an agreement has been reached with Spurs, pending a final confirmation.
The player is expected to be presented next week probably after Real's next league match away to Granada on Monday evening.
Champions Barca travel to play Malaga on Sunday, but will do so without World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, who is recovering from a bruised left thigh.
The Argentine struggled with injury at the end of last season and concerns have been raised that his latest setback, when he was substituted at halftime in the Spanish Super Cup first leg on Wednesday, was a recurrence of a hamstring problem.
"Honestly, I am not worried (about Messi) because I think he is fine," said Martino, who indicated it was purely precautionary.
"He has been fine since day one and he has been working during his holiday. He got here fit and he has been training every day.
"What happened the other day was coincidence. I think it is totally unnecessary to take risks at the start of the season."
Barca drew 1-1 away to King's Cup winners Atletico Madrid in the Super Cup first leg, and host the return leg on Wednesday bidding for the first piece of silverware of the new season.
"Bale's a very good player," the Argentine told a news conference when asked about Real's pursuit of the Welsh winger.
"The numbers are lack of respect to the world in general."
Barca, Real's arch-rivals, splashed 57 million euros on their major signing of the close season to date, Brazil forward Neymar.
Nine-times European Cup winners Real appear to be close to securing the signature of Bale with local media reporting that after weeks of negotiations an agreement has been reached with Spurs, pending a final confirmation.
The player is expected to be presented next week probably after Real's next league match away to Granada on Monday evening.
Champions Barca travel to play Malaga on Sunday, but will do so without World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, who is recovering from a bruised left thigh.
The Argentine struggled with injury at the end of last season and concerns have been raised that his latest setback, when he was substituted at halftime in the Spanish Super Cup first leg on Wednesday, was a recurrence of a hamstring problem.
"Honestly, I am not worried (about Messi) because I think he is fine," said Martino, who indicated it was purely precautionary.
"He has been fine since day one and he has been working during his holiday. He got here fit and he has been training every day.
"What happened the other day was coincidence. I think it is totally unnecessary to take risks at the start of the season."
Barca drew 1-1 away to King's Cup winners Atletico Madrid in the Super Cup first leg, and host the return leg on Wednesday bidding for the first piece of silverware of the new season.
The Oriental Brothers At War- Dolphins FC vs Enugu Rangers
It's a clash two inconsistent sides at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt. It's another oriental derby on offer.
Rangers have been poor travellers this season. They have been tipped to go back to Enugu empty-handed. One thing that might work for the Coal City boys are the array of talents they have namely; Chibuzor Okonkwo, Bitrus Dada, Emmanuel Daniel, Cyril Oriaku, Meschack Nkemgika and the young Christian Obiozor. Does stars wins matches?
Stanley Eguma's Dolphins recently lost to their arch-rivals Sharks, a result which didn't go down well with followers of the club. He will want to use this match to appease loyal wishers of the former Eagles Cement outfit. He will be aiming to unleash Fred Okwarah, Isiaka Olawale and some of his trusted performers to do the job at the Liberation Stadium.
Verdict: On a tight angle, but the truth must be revealed. The better side will win today.
Rangers have been poor travellers this season. They have been tipped to go back to Enugu empty-handed. One thing that might work for the Coal City boys are the array of talents they have namely; Chibuzor Okonkwo, Bitrus Dada, Emmanuel Daniel, Cyril Oriaku, Meschack Nkemgika and the young Christian Obiozor. Does stars wins matches?
Stanley Eguma's Dolphins recently lost to their arch-rivals Sharks, a result which didn't go down well with followers of the club. He will want to use this match to appease loyal wishers of the former Eagles Cement outfit. He will be aiming to unleash Fred Okwarah, Isiaka Olawale and some of his trusted performers to do the job at the Liberation Stadium.
Verdict: On a tight angle, but the truth must be revealed. The better side will win today.
Akwa United vs Shooting Stars (Match Preview)
The two sides have wounds to heal. Any bad result on the part of any of this two teams will pile-up the pressure on them. Justine Tenger vs Hakeem Busari. Will the old show that experience counts or the young shall grow?
Akwa United were on the brink of a win during the Fed Cup clash against Warri Wolves, but lost concentration at the home stretch. They will be approaching the clash dubbed "the relegation battle" with all seriousness.
The Oluyole Warriors have a Jericho to destroy. They are yet to gain a point on the road. This poor record is a source of concern for their die-hard followers.
Verdict: I don't see the historical side ending their bad patch away from home. Uyo fans to sing the song of victory.
Akwa United were on the brink of a win during the Fed Cup clash against Warri Wolves, but lost concentration at the home stretch. They will be approaching the clash dubbed "the relegation battle" with all seriousness.
The Oluyole Warriors have a Jericho to destroy. They are yet to gain a point on the road. This poor record is a source of concern for their die-hard followers.
Verdict: I don't see the historical side ending their bad patch away from home. Uyo fans to sing the song of victory.
Wikki Tourists vs Sunshine Stars (Match Preview)
Rejuvenated Wikki Tourists are at home to Sunshine Stars at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium.
Sunshine won a jackpot with the sale of skipper Godfrey Oboabona to Rizespor in a fee believed to be in the region of €0.7m. Former Ittihad forward Izu Azuka is rumoured to be on the radar of a Turkey Div 1 club. GNPL topscorer Dele Olorundare has also travelled to Turkey to seal a deal. More exits should be recorded before the European transfer window ends in the first week of September.
Wikki Tourists felt they deserved a win in Ilorin against ABS FC, blaming the centre referee for the thrilling two-all draw.
Sunshine Stars have not been convincing since the departure of Samuel Abimbola.
Players in the fold of Wikki Tourists to create the spark are Solomon Jabadson, Alaba Johnson and a hosts of others. Fatai Amoo aka Arsenal will relying on Moses Ocheje, Alaba Osawe, Ofem Inah, Termen and Lucky Omeruo.
Sunshine won a jackpot with the sale of skipper Godfrey Oboabona to Rizespor in a fee believed to be in the region of €0.7m. Former Ittihad forward Izu Azuka is rumoured to be on the radar of a Turkey Div 1 club. GNPL topscorer Dele Olorundare has also travelled to Turkey to seal a deal. More exits should be recorded before the European transfer window ends in the first week of September.
Wikki Tourists felt they deserved a win in Ilorin against ABS FC, blaming the centre referee for the thrilling two-all draw.
Sunshine Stars have not been convincing since the departure of Samuel Abimbola.
Players in the fold of Wikki Tourists to create the spark are Solomon Jabadson, Alaba Johnson and a hosts of others. Fatai Amoo aka Arsenal will relying on Moses Ocheje, Alaba Osawe, Ofem Inah, Termen and Lucky Omeruo.
Festival of goals at the Stadyen Spartak- Joy Jegede scores three from her defensive position, Ayila puts five past Brest, Jane David in her creative form, Queens Ejovwo in substitute appearance
In a one-sided encounter, at the Stayden Spartak, Nigerians blazed the trail in front of 100 fans, in a Belarus match between Bobruichanka and Viktorya-86 Brest.
2010 U17 FIFA Women's World Cup discovery, Loveth Ayila registered five goals for Bobruichanka. The goals were scored in the 42nd, 59th, 68th, 82nd and 84th minute of play.
Defensive minister Joy Jegede also grabbed the headlines with an uncomprising display at the back and three goals to her name.
The team's playmaker and former Delta Queens star, Jane David, though wasn't on the scoresheet, she was involved in five of the goals scored. She lasted 90 minutes.
Hardworking defender Queen Ejovwo also got a taste of the festive show, with a 46th minute entrance, in place of two-goal heroine Irina Tretyakova.
The game ended fourteen-nil in favour of Bobruichanka, with Loveth voted the best player. Joy, Queen and Jane all got high ratings from pundits that covered the game.
2010 U17 FIFA Women's World Cup discovery, Loveth Ayila registered five goals for Bobruichanka. The goals were scored in the 42nd, 59th, 68th, 82nd and 84th minute of play.
Defensive minister Joy Jegede also grabbed the headlines with an uncomprising display at the back and three goals to her name.
The team's playmaker and former Delta Queens star, Jane David, though wasn't on the scoresheet, she was involved in five of the goals scored. She lasted 90 minutes.
Hardworking defender Queen Ejovwo also got a taste of the festive show, with a 46th minute entrance, in place of two-goal heroine Irina Tretyakova.
The game ended fourteen-nil in favour of Bobruichanka, with Loveth voted the best player. Joy, Queen and Jane all got high ratings from pundits that covered the game.
Sarah Michael's hat-trick sinks Sunnana
Former Gateway United playmaker earns his gaffer's praises
Better days are finally here for Nigeria star Rabiu Ibrahim at Kilmarnock after new boss Allan Johnston hailed his magical skills.
Rabiu, once dubbed heir apparent to the legendary Austin “Jay Jay’ Okocha, has featured for Nigeria at U17, U20 and Olympic team levels and he is on the fringes of a full international debut.
But he has not been lucky with games at all the European clubs he had played for, but that might change now as he is working under a manager who has seen great prospects in the Nigeria central midfielder, who plays same pattern with him.
Allan Johnston’s arrival at Kilmarnock in the summer might be the best thing that has happened to the midfielder.
Ibrahim, 22, did not play a game for Sporting Lisbon, before he played two matches for PSV Eindhoven and one for Celtic and was then forced to pitch up at Rugby Park in January.
He played only three games under Kenny Shiels – but Johnston’s arrival has seen Ibrahim identified as the team’s playmaker and the new manager said he believes Killie fans are only just starting to realise they’ve unearthed a gem.
Johnston said: “When I arrived I didn’t know much about him (Rabiu), but I saw his skill straight away.
“He’s been brilliant, really creative. Some of his skill is unbelievable to watch.
“We’re just trying to work on his end product and add goals to his game. He’s started to put some crosses into the box and he’s always trying to look for that forward pass in behind that strikers love.
“When you have people of his quality supplying crosses and passes, the players up front will score goals.
“I took him off last week when we went down to 10 men. He played terrifically, but it doesn’t help when you’re a man down.
“He is just getting his fitness as he’s not played a lot of football for a while – he’s just now getting used to being a first-team regular rather than a sub.
Rabiu, once dubbed heir apparent to the legendary Austin “Jay Jay’ Okocha, has featured for Nigeria at U17, U20 and Olympic team levels and he is on the fringes of a full international debut.
But he has not been lucky with games at all the European clubs he had played for, but that might change now as he is working under a manager who has seen great prospects in the Nigeria central midfielder, who plays same pattern with him.
Allan Johnston’s arrival at Kilmarnock in the summer might be the best thing that has happened to the midfielder.
Ibrahim, 22, did not play a game for Sporting Lisbon, before he played two matches for PSV Eindhoven and one for Celtic and was then forced to pitch up at Rugby Park in January.
He played only three games under Kenny Shiels – but Johnston’s arrival has seen Ibrahim identified as the team’s playmaker and the new manager said he believes Killie fans are only just starting to realise they’ve unearthed a gem.
Johnston said: “When I arrived I didn’t know much about him (Rabiu), but I saw his skill straight away.
“He’s been brilliant, really creative. Some of his skill is unbelievable to watch.
“We’re just trying to work on his end product and add goals to his game. He’s started to put some crosses into the box and he’s always trying to look for that forward pass in behind that strikers love.
“When you have people of his quality supplying crosses and passes, the players up front will score goals.
“I took him off last week when we went down to 10 men. He played terrifically, but it doesn’t help when you’re a man down.
“He is just getting his fitness as he’s not played a lot of football for a while – he’s just now getting used to being a first-team regular rather than a sub.
Former Kano Pillars forward hands his side the maximum points
Explosion in Czech, as Nigerians earns rave reviews for his hat-trick
Nigerian striker Steven Ojini has received rave reviews in the Czech Republic after a hat-trick on his debut for FK Tatran Kadan.
Ojini, who signed a two-year deal this summer with the Czech club, fired a treble even though his club FK Tatran Kadan lost 5-3 to TJ Krupka.
The opposing team manager Pavel Caitaml saluted Ojini, saying he is a rare talent and deserves to be playing in a top division league.
"What he did was not for a player who is playing in this level of the league, he should be playing in the top flight," Caitaml praised the quality of Ojini.
According to him, the Nigerian striker is incredibly strong on ball, fast and well equipped technically.
"Our defenders made some schoolboys errors, apart from that Ojini was technical and dangerous,"Caitaml added.
Eugene Salami and Praise Onubiyi are the other Nigerians who have joined Czech Republic clubs this summer.
Ojini, who signed a two-year deal this summer with the Czech club, fired a treble even though his club FK Tatran Kadan lost 5-3 to TJ Krupka.
The opposing team manager Pavel Caitaml saluted Ojini, saying he is a rare talent and deserves to be playing in a top division league.
"What he did was not for a player who is playing in this level of the league, he should be playing in the top flight," Caitaml praised the quality of Ojini.
According to him, the Nigerian striker is incredibly strong on ball, fast and well equipped technically.
"Our defenders made some schoolboys errors, apart from that Ojini was technical and dangerous,"Caitaml added.
Eugene Salami and Praise Onubiyi are the other Nigerians who have joined Czech Republic clubs this summer.
Exciting Gombe United prospect set for another surgery
Gombe United starlet Mustapha Babadidi is set for another knee surgery in London in a bold bid to rescue his once promising career.
“I am waiting for my visa to travel to London for the operation. Hopefully, I will travel to London next month. But I am doing light training on my own now,” he asserted
Gombe State Sports Commission chairman Faruq Umar Yarma said:
“He will soon go for an operation to correct the injury in London. I pray Allah heals him.
“I feel for Mustapha (Babadidi), he is such a great talent and this injury has done great harm to his career but it is not over for him.”
Babadidi took the Nigeria top flight league by storm when he netted 10 goals inside the first half of the 2011/2012 season, but a knee injury he suffered in a game against Rangers could now consign him to the scrapheap of the game forever.
He was first operated in Ibadan which his London-based agent picked up the bills and he has also reportedly visited experts in the USA and UK to get a second opinion on this injury.
Born on October 16, 1995, the youngster at the height of his emergence was picked by both the Super Eagles as well as the Nigeria U17 team, but this injury will eventually deny him a chance to wear the country’s green and white jersey.
Also, a pre-contract agreement with Dutch club VVV Venlo was cancelled on account of this injury, which has sidelined the teenager since February 2012.
Credit: MTN
“I am waiting for my visa to travel to London for the operation. Hopefully, I will travel to London next month. But I am doing light training on my own now,” he asserted
Gombe State Sports Commission chairman Faruq Umar Yarma said:
“He will soon go for an operation to correct the injury in London. I pray Allah heals him.
“I feel for Mustapha (Babadidi), he is such a great talent and this injury has done great harm to his career but it is not over for him.”
Babadidi took the Nigeria top flight league by storm when he netted 10 goals inside the first half of the 2011/2012 season, but a knee injury he suffered in a game against Rangers could now consign him to the scrapheap of the game forever.
He was first operated in Ibadan which his London-based agent picked up the bills and he has also reportedly visited experts in the USA and UK to get a second opinion on this injury.
Born on October 16, 1995, the youngster at the height of his emergence was picked by both the Super Eagles as well as the Nigeria U17 team, but this injury will eventually deny him a chance to wear the country’s green and white jersey.
Also, a pre-contract agreement with Dutch club VVV Venlo was cancelled on account of this injury, which has sidelined the teenager since February 2012.
Credit: MTN
Glo Nigeria Premier League- Week 27
Matches Played On 24/8/2013- The Goalscorers
•Bayelsa United 2-0 ABS FC
Adamu Mohammed 84'
Obinna Njoku 90'
•Gombe United 2-0 Nasarawa United
Bilyaminu Aliyu 22'
Habibu Inusa 50'
•Kwara United 1-0 Enyimba Int'l
Okey Odita 30'
•Kano Pillars 1-0 Sharks FC
Gambo Mohammed 72'
Compiled By Ademetan Abayomi
•Bayelsa United 2-0 ABS FC
Adamu Mohammed 84'
Obinna Njoku 90'
•Gombe United 2-0 Nasarawa United
Bilyaminu Aliyu 22'
Habibu Inusa 50'
•Kwara United 1-0 Enyimba Int'l
Okey Odita 30'
•Kano Pillars 1-0 Sharks FC
Gambo Mohammed 72'
Compiled By Ademetan Abayomi
Saturday 24 August 2013
Glo Nigeria Premier League- Week 27
Matches Played On 24/08/2013
El-Kanemi Warriors 3-0 Warri Wolves
Kwara United 1-0 Enyimba
Gombe United 2-0 Nasarawa United
Bayelsa United 2-0 AB FC
Kano Pillars 1-0 Shark FC
El-Kanemi Warriors 3-0 Warri Wolves
Kwara United 1-0 Enyimba
Gombe United 2-0 Nasarawa United
Bayelsa United 2-0 AB FC
Kano Pillars 1-0 Shark FC
Aluko tastes first victory in the EPL
Super Eagles left-wing dazzler, Omotsone Aluko was in action when Hull City won one-nil against Norwich City at the KC Stadium.
The former Birmingham city ace was in action for 72 minutes before making way Danny Graham.
The former Birmingham city ace was in action for 72 minutes before making way Danny Graham.
Tom Taiwo vs Rabiu Ibrahim- The winner is Taiwo
Hibernian earned an impressive 2-1 away victory at Kilmarnock, to record their first win of the SPL season. It was a clash of two Nigerians on opposite ends, namely Tom Taiwo and Rabiu Ibrahim.
Kilmarnock playmaker Rabiu Ibrahim, who featured for Gateway United in his homeland, lasted full 90 minutes of the encounter.
Tom Taiwo on his part lasted 89 minutes time on the pitch. He was enterprising with his distribution.
Former Kano Pillars star Reuben Gabriel wasn't listed for this one. He is expected to return next week.
Kilmarnock playmaker Rabiu Ibrahim, who featured for Gateway United in his homeland, lasted full 90 minutes of the encounter.
Tom Taiwo on his part lasted 89 minutes time on the pitch. He was enterprising with his distribution.
Former Kano Pillars star Reuben Gabriel wasn't listed for this one. He is expected to return next week.
Efe Ambrose returns to Celtic Glasgow's team in a thrilling match
Former Kaduna United and Ashdod SC star, Efe Ambrose was restored to Celtic Glasgow's team in Saturday’s two-all home draw against Inverness in a SPL week four encounter.
The committed defender was benched in Celtic’s two-nil defeat to Kazari side, Shakter, in a UCL play-off tie last Wednesday. He got a starting place to help Celtic fight back from two goals down to claim a point against Scottish Premiership leaders Inverness in an entertaining tussle at Parkhead.
The committed defender was benched in Celtic’s two-nil defeat to Kazari side, Shakter, in a UCL play-off tie last Wednesday. He got a starting place to help Celtic fight back from two goals down to claim a point against Scottish Premiership leaders Inverness in an entertaining tussle at Parkhead.
The Eight Promoted Teams To Nigerian National League
Nigerian Prison FC
Meridian FC
Go Round FC
Cannan FC
FRSC FC
Supreme Court FC
Union Bank FC
Gray International
Meridian FC
Go Round FC
Cannan FC
FRSC FC
Supreme Court FC
Union Bank FC
Gray International
ADELEYE CLOSER TO ANZHI DEAL
I RECOMMENDED WILLIAN TO UNITED- MEULENSTEEN
I MADE A GOOD CHOICE-IBEH
'Relying on Messi is inevitable'
Dani Alves has admitted that it is ‘inevitable’ that Barcelona rely on Lionel Messi, but the defender has downplayed the record-breaker’s injury.
SPANISH INTERNATIONALS OFFERED NEW DEALS
Barcelona are hoping to open contract talks with Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique, according to reports.
CAMEROON LEGEND OFFERED TO REAL MADRID
Samuel Eto’o has apparently been offered to Real Madrid this transfer window, as Anzhi reportedly struggle to pay his wage.
SPURS WINGER LANDS IN SPAIN
AS have reported that the Wales international has flown into Malaga, before travelling by taxi to Marbella.
The 24-year-old is likely to be in the popular holiday resort for at least 24 hours, before flying to Madrid to be presented as a Blancos player.
Bale’s move to the Santiago Bernabeu side has been one of the most protracted of the summer, with constant rumours speculating that he will sign for Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
A fee of around €100m is the reported amount Real Madrid will pay for the attacker.
Real Madrid invites bid from Manchester United for Ozil
Moyes and Mourinho set for a big battle at the Theatre Of Dreams
Germany through to the 2014 U20 Women World Cup
Germany have become the first team to join hosts Canada in qualifying for next year’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. The Germans secured their place by advancing from their UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship section with a game to spare after two impressive wins at the Wales-hosted tournament.
Getafe and Ramon Azeez' Almeria shares the spoils
Getafe twice came from behind to share the spoils with Almeria at the Coliseu Alfonso Perez, as both teams picked up their first points in the 2013/14 La Liga season.
Monaco held to a stalemate by visitors
Monaco dropped points for the first time this Ligue 1 season as Claudio Ranieri's side played out a goalless draw against Toulouse on Friday.
Having beaten Bordeaux 2-0 and then thumping Montpellier 4-1 in their opening two matches, the principality club would have been confident of extending their perfect start against a limited Toulouse outfit.
However, they could not find a way through the visitors' well-marshalled defence and will be left to wonder how the game might have turned out had they had they been able to enjoy the backing of their own supporters.
Having beaten Bordeaux 2-0 and then thumping Montpellier 4-1 in their opening two matches, the principality club would have been confident of extending their perfect start against a limited Toulouse outfit.
However, they could not find a way through the visitors' well-marshalled defence and will be left to wonder how the game might have turned out had they had they been able to enjoy the backing of their own supporters.
Lewy's strike catapult Dotmund to the top
Robert Lewandowski's second-half goal took Borussia Dortmund clear at the top of the Bundesliga thanks to a 1-0 win over Werder Bremen in a one-sided game at the Westfalenstadion.
Some flakes from Africa
•The Ayew brothers Andre and Jordan have written letters to the Ghana Football Association announcing their availability for the Black Stars.
Football Results
Spanish La Liga:
Getafe 2-2 Almeria
Athletic Bilbao 2-0 Osasuna
German Bundesliga:
Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Werder Bremen
French Ligue 1:
AS Monaco 0-0 Toulouse
Dutch Eredivisie:
Heerenveen 3-3 Ajax Amsterdam
Turkish Super Lig:
Genclerbirligi 3-0 Akhisar Belediye
Major League Soccer:
Chicago 1-0 Kansas City
Primera División de Argentina:
Belgrano de Córdoba 1-2 Gimnasia La Plata
Atletico Rafaela 0-2 Newell's Old Boys
Racing Club 0-2 Arsenal de Sarandí
Getafe 2-2 Almeria
Athletic Bilbao 2-0 Osasuna
German Bundesliga:
Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Werder Bremen
French Ligue 1:
AS Monaco 0-0 Toulouse
Dutch Eredivisie:
Heerenveen 3-3 Ajax Amsterdam
Turkish Super Lig:
Genclerbirligi 3-0 Akhisar Belediye
Major League Soccer:
Chicago 1-0 Kansas City
Primera División de Argentina:
Belgrano de Córdoba 1-2 Gimnasia La Plata
Atletico Rafaela 0-2 Newell's Old Boys
Racing Club 0-2 Arsenal de Sarandí
Danny Shittu confident of Millwall's turn-around
Millwall travel to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday looking to register their first Championship goal and point of the new campaign.
The Lions are desperate to arrest a disappointing run that has seen them lose their opening three fixtures of the season, but the experienced players in the Millwall ranks are confident that the tide will turn.
Striker Jermaine Easter said: "It has been a frustrating start, but there is certainly no need to panic. Palace lost their first three games last season and ended up getting promoted so it's very early days.
It is not as if we haven't been creating chances. We just have to keep doing the right things and we will start to pick up results."
Skipper Danny Shittu added: "Most of the boys in the squad have been through situations like this before. We know we have to cut out the mistakes at the back and start scoring goals, but we are not a bad side. We just need to stick together and work through this.
I believe we have some very good players here, and once we get that first win, hopefully on Saturday, we'll start moving in the right direction."
Lions Player subscribers can watch full interviews with Jermaine Easter and Danny Shittu now, and also listen to full 90 minutes commentary from Hillsborough on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).
The Lions are desperate to arrest a disappointing run that has seen them lose their opening three fixtures of the season, but the experienced players in the Millwall ranks are confident that the tide will turn.
Striker Jermaine Easter said: "It has been a frustrating start, but there is certainly no need to panic. Palace lost their first three games last season and ended up getting promoted so it's very early days.
It is not as if we haven't been creating chances. We just have to keep doing the right things and we will start to pick up results."
Skipper Danny Shittu added: "Most of the boys in the squad have been through situations like this before. We know we have to cut out the mistakes at the back and start scoring goals, but we are not a bad side. We just need to stick together and work through this.
I believe we have some very good players here, and once we get that first win, hopefully on Saturday, we'll start moving in the right direction."
Lions Player subscribers can watch full interviews with Jermaine Easter and Danny Shittu now, and also listen to full 90 minutes commentary from Hillsborough on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).
Nigeria set to loose another talent
Scotland have given a debut call-up to Nigerian winger Ikechi Anya for the World Cup qualifiers against Belgium and Macedonia.
The Whites shows interest in Eaglets starlet
Spanish giants, Real Madrid have snapped up Abuchi Obinwa, an American born Nigerian, who was dropped by the Nigeria U17 team for failing the MRI test.
The parents of the young Nigerian had sent him to the NFF to undergo trials with the Eaglets, and according to reports, the youngster had dazzled the technical crew.
However, some expressed doubts about his real age, and the parents promptly shelled out about $700 to have an MRI scan done on him.
He is said to have failed the test, but now, he seems headed for Real Madrid, as the Spanish giants had expressed an earlier interest in him.
The parents of the young Nigerian had sent him to the NFF to undergo trials with the Eaglets, and according to reports, the youngster had dazzled the technical crew.
However, some expressed doubts about his real age, and the parents promptly shelled out about $700 to have an MRI scan done on him.
He is said to have failed the test, but now, he seems headed for Real Madrid, as the Spanish giants had expressed an earlier interest in him.
Matilda Otuene shows gratitude to the Rivers State Governor
Malawi's squad to face Nigeria
Goalkeepers: Owen Chaima (Big Bullets), Charles Swini (Silver Strikers);
Oboabona shows gratitude to Keshi
Nigeria U17 9-1 City Club
The Golden Eaglets continued their impressive build-up towards the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in the UAE with a 9-1 spanking of City Football Club of Calabar- a Cross River State League team at the main bowl of the U.J Esuene Stadium on Friday.
Friday 23 August 2013
Super Eagles star likely to join Parma on season-long loan
Joel Obi may go on loan to Parma before the close of the transfer window, reports in Italy suggest.
Transfer market experts Tuttomercatoweb.com says the attacking midfielder is being sought after to replace Ghanaian Yussif Raman Chibsah , who just moved to Serie A newcomers Sassuolo on a season - long loan.
After an injury plagued 2012 - 2013 campaign, from every indication, Joel Obi is not in the plans of new Inter Milan gaffer Walter Mazzarri and might leave to join a club where he will get playing opportunities.
Even though he has no physical issues, the 22 - year - old failed to make Inter Milan's 21 - man squad for tomorrow's game against Sampdoria.
Transfer market experts Tuttomercatoweb.com says the attacking midfielder is being sought after to replace Ghanaian Yussif Raman Chibsah , who just moved to Serie A newcomers Sassuolo on a season - long loan.
After an injury plagued 2012 - 2013 campaign, from every indication, Joel Obi is not in the plans of new Inter Milan gaffer Walter Mazzarri and might leave to join a club where he will get playing opportunities.
Even though he has no physical issues, the 22 - year - old failed to make Inter Milan's 21 - man squad for tomorrow's game against Sampdoria.
Aneke on the move, wanted by clubs in Turkey, Albania, Romania
Hasan Egilmez has provided an update on the situation of top goalscorer of all time in the domestic championship, Jude Aneke.
23 - year - old Jude Aneke has been hunting for a new club since he officially terminated his contract with Egyptian outfit Al Masry over unpaid wages about three weeks ago.
'' We are still negotiating with clubs in Turkey . Also, there are offers from Tunisia, Albania and Romania we are studying.
'' It mustn't necessarily be Turkey. It must be a team where he can be guaranteed a first team shirt, play and score goals as Egypt was very difficult for him,'' Egilmez said.
Romanians Dinamo Bucharest had invited Jude Aneke for tests this summer, but he rejected the proposal from the capital side.
Credits: An Soccer
23 - year - old Jude Aneke has been hunting for a new club since he officially terminated his contract with Egyptian outfit Al Masry over unpaid wages about three weeks ago.
'' We are still negotiating with clubs in Turkey . Also, there are offers from Tunisia, Albania and Romania we are studying.
'' It mustn't necessarily be Turkey. It must be a team where he can be guaranteed a first team shirt, play and score goals as Egypt was very difficult for him,'' Egilmez said.
Romanians Dinamo Bucharest had invited Jude Aneke for tests this summer, but he rejected the proposal from the capital side.
Credits: An Soccer
EPL- Some gists
The second Matchweek of the new Barclays Premier League season is upon us already with a London derby kicking off the action, Aston Villa facing another tricky fixture late on Saturday and a fascinating Bank Holiday Monday encounter between Manchester United and Chelsea.
Arsenal will hope to bounce back from their opening defeat by Aston Villa on Saturday lunchtime when they make the short trip across London to Fulham, while in the Saturday evening kick-off Liverpool must find away to silence the division's leading scorer Christian Benteke, who has scored three goals in his last two matches against the Gunners and Chelsea.
The fixture that really catches the eye in Matchweek 2, however, is Monday night's clash at Old Trafford between the defending champions Man United and Jose Mourinho's early pacesetters.
Arsenal will hope to bounce back from their opening defeat by Aston Villa on Saturday lunchtime when they make the short trip across London to Fulham, while in the Saturday evening kick-off Liverpool must find away to silence the division's leading scorer Christian Benteke, who has scored three goals in his last two matches against the Gunners and Chelsea.
The fixture that really catches the eye in Matchweek 2, however, is Monday night's clash at Old Trafford between the defending champions Man United and Jose Mourinho's early pacesetters.
Eneramo makes debut, Besiktas goes down in Norway
Nigeria striker Michael Eneramo debuted for Turkish club Besiktas on Thursday in a 2-1 loss at Norway’s Tromso in a UEFA Europa League tie.
Eneramo was an 83rd minute substitute for Kavkal.
The second leg will be in Istanbul on Thursday.
The group stage draw will take place in Monaco on Friday, August 30.
Turkey Football Federation wrongly listed Eneramo in the starting line-up for Besiktas in league opener against Trabzonspor.
Eneramo has signed a two-year deal with Besiktas after his contract with another Turkish club Sivasspor ran out.
Eneramo was an 83rd minute substitute for Kavkal.
The second leg will be in Istanbul on Thursday.
The group stage draw will take place in Monaco on Friday, August 30.
Turkey Football Federation wrongly listed Eneramo in the starting line-up for Besiktas in league opener against Trabzonspor.
Eneramo has signed a two-year deal with Besiktas after his contract with another Turkish club Sivasspor ran out.
Panel reveals senior players snub
Mikel Obi and Vincent Enyeama snubbed a panel to probe a bonus row involving the Super Eagles after a World Cup qualifier in Namibia.
Chairman of the ministerial panel Segun Adeniyi made the revelation when he presented the findings of his panel to the Nigeria sports minister.
Adeniyi disclosed that all efforts to reach Israel-based goalkeeper Austin Ejide also proved abortive.
"We discussed with all the actors involved in the bonus row crisis, the technical crew, the leadership of the Nigeria Football federation, six home-based players and the team captain Joseph Yobo, who was not in Namibia but we understand was carried along by his team mates," he said.
"We tried to call Chelsea's John Obi Mikel, Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide, but we could not get them, so we sent them SMS and it was only Joseph Yobo who returned our call."
However, the former presidential spokesman noted that their snub of the panel did not affect their job.
"The refusal of the trio of Mikel, Vincent and Ejide did not affect the job of the panel because we already heard from all the parties involved,” he maintained.
The panel has made some far-reaching recommendations as regards the welfare of the national team.
Chairman of the ministerial panel Segun Adeniyi made the revelation when he presented the findings of his panel to the Nigeria sports minister.
Adeniyi disclosed that all efforts to reach Israel-based goalkeeper Austin Ejide also proved abortive.
"We discussed with all the actors involved in the bonus row crisis, the technical crew, the leadership of the Nigeria Football federation, six home-based players and the team captain Joseph Yobo, who was not in Namibia but we understand was carried along by his team mates," he said.
"We tried to call Chelsea's John Obi Mikel, Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide, but we could not get them, so we sent them SMS and it was only Joseph Yobo who returned our call."
However, the former presidential spokesman noted that their snub of the panel did not affect their job.
"The refusal of the trio of Mikel, Vincent and Ejide did not affect the job of the panel because we already heard from all the parties involved,” he maintained.
The panel has made some far-reaching recommendations as regards the welfare of the national team.
Olorundare to pitch tent with Agbetu and Gideon's club
Sunshine Stars forward Dele Olorundare has agreed to join Turkish club Tavsanli Linytspor.
Olorundare, who was on the verge of joining South African league club Maritzburg, will now lace his boots for the Turkish club along with compatriots Akeem Agbetu and Sani Gideon.
Olorundare is expected to sign a two-year deal after a routine medical in Turkey.
The hard working striker has featured for defunct Babanawa FC, Nasarawa United and Sunshine Stars. He was also on the fringes of the Super Eagles.
Olorundare, who was on the verge of joining South African league club Maritzburg, will now lace his boots for the Turkish club along with compatriots Akeem Agbetu and Sani Gideon.
Olorundare is expected to sign a two-year deal after a routine medical in Turkey.
The hard working striker has featured for defunct Babanawa FC, Nasarawa United and Sunshine Stars. He was also on the fringes of the Super Eagles.
Super Mario is a gentle man- Allegri
AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri has hit back at claims from the mayor of Verona that Mario Balotelli is a troublemaker, saying the problem of racism lies with supporters not the Italy attacker.
"The racism problem isn't anything to do with Mario, but rather with a lack of culture on the part of people who go to the stadium and behave in a certain way towards players with a different skin colour," Allegri said on Friday.
Allegri was speaking at a news conference ahead of their Serie A season-opening match at Hellas Verona on Saturday. Verona mayor Flavio Tosi, also speaking before the promoted local team's first Serie A match in more than a decade, said Italy striker Balotelli brings abuse upon himself.
"Mario is a troublemaker. There are lots of black players (in Italy), and those who don't wind up opposition fans don't have any problems," Tosi, who represents the separatist Northern League party, said.
"Balotelli is a formidable player... but he knows how to be irksome when he's out on the pitch and that exasperates people. He even managed to have issues with Chievo fans, who most certainly are not racist," he said referring to the city's other first division team.
However, Tosi appealed to Hellas Verona fans not to abuse Milan's black players and backed the closing of spectator sections or even whole stadiums should fans racially abuse players.
Lazio and AS Roma will have to play matches with the hardcore fan sections of the Olympic Stadium in Rome closed after incidents of racist chanting.
"If chants come from four idiotic individuals then it's right to close the sector. If it's the whole stadium at fault then it's correct to close the entire ground," the Gazzetta Dello Sport quoted Tosi as saying.
Tosi's party has been embroiled in a series of racism scandals. He was the only Northern League politician to publicly apologise to Italy's Minister for Integration Cecile Kyenge after Senate vice-president and fellow party member Roberto Calderoli said she looked like a orangutan.
Juventus manager Antonio Conte also backed a hardline approach with racist supporters, pleading with journalists to not give them any attention.
"The thing that needs to be done is that you, both in written and television journalism, stop giving attention to these people, who are proud to see themselves on TV," Conte told reporters at Friday's press conference for their clash at Sampdoria.
Hellas Verona's match with Milan will be their first in the top flight for 11 years after securing promotion from Serie B on the final day of last season.
"The racism problem isn't anything to do with Mario, but rather with a lack of culture on the part of people who go to the stadium and behave in a certain way towards players with a different skin colour," Allegri said on Friday.
Allegri was speaking at a news conference ahead of their Serie A season-opening match at Hellas Verona on Saturday. Verona mayor Flavio Tosi, also speaking before the promoted local team's first Serie A match in more than a decade, said Italy striker Balotelli brings abuse upon himself.
"Mario is a troublemaker. There are lots of black players (in Italy), and those who don't wind up opposition fans don't have any problems," Tosi, who represents the separatist Northern League party, said.
"Balotelli is a formidable player... but he knows how to be irksome when he's out on the pitch and that exasperates people. He even managed to have issues with Chievo fans, who most certainly are not racist," he said referring to the city's other first division team.
However, Tosi appealed to Hellas Verona fans not to abuse Milan's black players and backed the closing of spectator sections or even whole stadiums should fans racially abuse players.
Lazio and AS Roma will have to play matches with the hardcore fan sections of the Olympic Stadium in Rome closed after incidents of racist chanting.
"If chants come from four idiotic individuals then it's right to close the sector. If it's the whole stadium at fault then it's correct to close the entire ground," the Gazzetta Dello Sport quoted Tosi as saying.
Tosi's party has been embroiled in a series of racism scandals. He was the only Northern League politician to publicly apologise to Italy's Minister for Integration Cecile Kyenge after Senate vice-president and fellow party member Roberto Calderoli said she looked like a orangutan.
Juventus manager Antonio Conte also backed a hardline approach with racist supporters, pleading with journalists to not give them any attention.
"The thing that needs to be done is that you, both in written and television journalism, stop giving attention to these people, who are proud to see themselves on TV," Conte told reporters at Friday's press conference for their clash at Sampdoria.
Hellas Verona's match with Milan will be their first in the top flight for 11 years after securing promotion from Serie B on the final day of last season.
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