As released by UEFA. The pictures says it all. No Barcelona player. Do you agree?

Chelsea star Mikel Obi has expressed his desire to feature at next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as one of three over-aged players. The 28-year-old midfielder has won almost every major trophy at stake including the UEFA Champions League and English Premier League, but has missed out on playing at the Olympics, AfricanFootball.com reports. Incidentally, it was Coach Samson Siasia that left him out from the 2008 Olympics after he stayed away from the competition qualifiers. “He has made it clear he wishes to play at the Rio Olympics,’ a top official of the Nigeria Football Federation told AfricanFootball.com. “But it is left for the coach to pick the overage players he will take along to Brazil next year.” Nation reportage.

Former England and Tottenham striker Gary Lineker dropped a daring tweet after Leceister defeated Chelsea 2-1 yesterday. The football pundit and Match Of The Day (MOTD) host tweeted: YES! If Leicester win the @premierleague I’ll do the first MOTD of next season in just my undies.

Hmmm… Gary we are watching!

Sprinter Usain Bolt will warm-up for the Rio Olympics by competing at the 2016 London Anniversary Games. The six-time Olympic champion will return to the track where he won triple gold at the London Olympics in 2012 to take part in the event from 22-23 July, which is part of the IAAF Diamond League series

Roger Federer, the 17-time Grand Slam singles champion, does not intend to retire after next year’s Olympics. The Swiss will turn 35 during the Rio Games, where he will play in the singles and mixed doubles, although he has not decided on the doubles. “I’ve planned all of 2016, you know all the way through the Rio Olympics and beyond,” he said. “No plans to retire yet. I don’t have a definite date even though that would help to make things easier to plan.”

Chelsea’s poor form in the premier league continued this night as they were defeated at Leicester by 2 goals to 1. Man of the moment, James Vardy (15 goals so far in the premier league) put the Foxes in front at the 34th minute while Riyad Mahrez made it two nil in the 48th minute. Substitute Loic Remy pulled one back for Chelsea in the 77th minute. With 15 points so far, Chelsea are just one point above the relegation zone. Is Morinho still the man to turn Chelsea around? Share your thoughts with us.

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Leicester striker James Vardy wrote a personal message to the club’s fans ahead of their game against champions Chelsea tonight at the King Power. The Foxes fans arriving at the King Power will find a special surprise tucked into their seats. Vardy has so far scored 14 goals this season to help place the Foxes in the top four against the book makers predictions.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has named the final three for its 2015 Player of the Year award. Ivory Coast’s Yaya Toure could be the first man to win the accolade five times. The Manchester City star is up against Ghana and Swansea’s Andre ‘Dede’ Ayew and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon and Borussia Dortmund. The winner is chosen by head coaches of the FA’s affiliated to CAF and ‎will be announced at a gala on 7 January. CAF named an original list of 37 players in October  before cutting it down to ten last month. Toure, who captained Ivory Coast to the Africa Cup of Nations title in January, has won the award for the last four years and was named the BBC’s 2015 African Player of the Year last week. Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o is the only other player to have been crowned the best on the continent four times by CAF, winning in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2010. CAF has also released the final three names for the Africa-Based Player of the Year; Baghdad Bounedjah of Algeria and Etoile du Sahel as well as the TP Mazembe duo of Tanzania’s Mbwana Samatta and the DR Congo goalkeeper Robert Kidiaba.

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Nigeria and Stoke City striker Osaze Odemwingie (right) poses with new British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (centre). Joshua was born in Watford to a Nigerian mother and an English father of Nigerian and Irish descent. He recently beat Dillian Whyte to become British heavyweight champion.   The 26 years old boxer is also an Olympic gold medalist in the super-heavyweight category.

Here comes the Europa draw:

Valencia vs Rapid Vienna

Fiorentina vs Tottenham

Borrusia Dortmond vs Porto

Fenerbahce vs Lokomotiv Mosco

Anderlecht vs Olympiacos

Midtjylland vs Manchester United

Augsburg vs Liverpool

Sparta Prague vs Krasnodar

Galatasaray vs Lazio

Sion vs Braga

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Schalke

Marseille vs Athletic Bilbao

Sevilla vs Molde

Sporting Lisbon vs Bayer Leverkusen

Villarreal vs Napoli

Saint-Etienne vs Basel

Below are the ties for the last 16 of the Champions League. The draw conducted by UEFA Secretary Gianni Infantino just held few minutes ago.

Gent vs Wolfsburg

AS Roma vs Real Madrid

Paris St Germain vs Chelsea

Arsenal vs Barcelona

Juventus vs Bayern Munich

PSV Eindhoven vs Atletico Madrid

Benfica vs Zenith

Dynamo Kiev vs Manchester City

Arsenal goalkeeper, Petr Cech made a goalkeeping milestone at the weekend while his club played away to Aston Villa at the Villa Park. Cech has now kept 169 clean sheets in 349 games in the Premier League This has equaled David James Premier League record of 169 clean sheets albeit in 223 games. Remember James? Some called him calamity James but he sure set some records in the game.

Cameroon’s Football Federation (FECAFOOT) officially launched its search for a new national team coach on Sunday, following the sacking of Volker Finke on 30 October. FECAFOOT, who placed Alexandre Belinga in temporary charge of the Indomitable Lions following Finke’s dismissal, advertised for applications   on their website. As interim coach, Belinga helped Cameroon reach the next round of 2018 World Cup qualifying, beating Niger 3-0 away and drawing 0-0 at home. FECAFOOT says it is open to looking at applications from a foreign coach – not just native Cameroonians – and has given a deadline of 15 December for applications to be submitted. The Federation also outlines an intriguing list of requirements for anyone hoping to become the next Cameroon coach.

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Nigeria’s  U-23 male team, Dream Team VI, have won the  African U-23 Africa Cup of Nations following a 2-1 win over Algeria in the final played last night at the at the Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium in Dakar. Nigeria’s Etebo Oghenekaro  scored a  first half brace in the 15th and 40th minute while Segun  Oduduwa conceded an own goal  in the 31st minute in the pulsating match that saw  goalkeeper  Daniel Emmanuel  deny the Algerians a possible  equaliser  after  he caught  a penalty kick in the second half. Nigeria and Algeria will be joined the South Africa to represent Africa at the Rio Olympics next year. South Africa  defeated hosts Senegal 3-1 (penalties) in the third place play-off match.

Congrats to coach Siasia and his boys!

The draw for EURO 2016 to be hosted by France was held today:

Saturday 12 December, 2015:

Norwich 1 – 1 Everton 

Crystal Palace 1 – 0 Southampton 

Man City 2 – 1 Swansea 

Sunderland 0 – 1 Watford 

West Ham 0 – 0 Stoke 

Bournemouth 2 – 1 Man Utd

Super Eagles of Nigeria striker, Odion Ighalo is actually having fun in his debut season in the English premiership where he plays for Watford. His goal today against Sunderland brings his goal tally to 10 so far this season (the most goals by a Watford player in Premier League history) . The goal is also Ighalo’s 26th in 2015. Something to cheer up Nigerian fans. Go Odion!

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Goalline technology could be used at Euro 2016 and in next season’s Champions League and Europa League. If approved, UEFA’s system of positioning an additional assistant referee behind each goal would remain. European football’s governing body discussed the issue on Friday and said it would make a decision in January. Goalline technology was introduced in the Premier League for the 2013-14 season, and FIFA used it for the first time at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. At a news conference in Paris, UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino said there was a “positive” attitude towards its implementation, despite “logistical challenges”. “This has been on the table for quite some time,” he added. “If it happens for Euro 2016 then it will also happen for the club competitions for next season, the Champions League and Europa League. This will be in addition to the five assistants. “The final decision will be made in January but the executive committee was pretty positive in its mindset.”

Cote d’Ivoire captain Yaya Toure has been voted the BBC African Footballer of the Year 2015. Football fans voted for Manchester City’s Toure, who first won in 2013, ahead of Yacine Brahimi, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Andre Ayew and Sadio Mane. “I am very proud. To receive this dedication from the fans is unbelievable,” Toure told BBC Sport. “Also I want to pay tribute to the other nominees. African football is growing up, becoming much better and we have fantastic young players coming through now.” Toure described all five nominees as “champions”. He added: “I am delighted and very happy. And as an African player, I want to lead all my younger brothers to be successful in the future. “When I was a kid I was always dreaming of being an important player. I have sacrificed a lot. “I will continue to try to win a trophy every year, I will fight to win a personal trophy.”

Manchester United winger Adnan Januzaj says that he does not know if he will return to Old Trafford from his loan spell with German side Borussia Dortmund. “I don’t know,” the 20-year-old Belgian replied when asked about his future beyond the end of the season. “I wanted to join somewhere I could play and there were a few things behind that were a problem but I’m happy here. I just need more games to play and then I’ll be fine.” Januzaj started his first game since October in Dortmund’s Europa League defeat to PAOK and was rated a humiliating 1/10 by German newspapers WAZ and Ruhr Nachrichten.