The country’s flagbearers on continent advanced to the first round of Caf competitions on Saturday with the exception of Enyimba who play Buffles de Borgou on Sunday (today), Goal reports.

Continue reading →

Coach Stephen Keshi has described as “a slave contract” what has been offered him to continue as Nigeria coach, vanguard reports. Keshi said he has received his new contract from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), but has been far from impressed what has been offered him. “From the clauses I have seen so far, I don’t know what words to use but the contract can be described as a ‘slave contract’”, he remarked probably in reference to clauses which make him answerable to several persons and committees. Further checks showed he has been offered a two-year contract effective from March 1, 2015 with him to meet several targets or else the deal is off. He should reach the semifinal of the 2016 CHAN and also the last four of the next AFCON or the contract will be called off at “the absolute discretion” of his employers. He will also have to abide by a code of conduct. Keshi himself revealed that he will be paid five million Naira (less than $25,000), which was what he also received during his initial three-year contract, which ran out after last year’s world Cup in Brazil.

Nigeria’s quest to play Ghana next month in London in an international friendly has been scuttled due to a FIFA directive. According to the FIFA regulations, no country should play two games across two continents in three days, Vanguard reports. The Nigeria Football Federation had announced the Super Eagles would play Bolivia on March 26 in Uyo (Africa) and then take on the Black Stars on 29 March in London (Europe). This means the Ghana Football Association can now consider proposals from teams including Australia. It has the option to play all two matches during the FIFA free window next month either in Europe or Asia. Ghana finished second at the just ended 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea after losing 9-8 on penalties to Ivory Coast. The Super Eagles were seeking to use the game against their sworn rivals to kick-start their preparations for the 2017 African qualifiers.

Saturday 28 February:

West Ham 1 – 3 Crystal Palace

Burnley 0 – 1 Swansea

Man Utd 2 – 0 Sunderland

Newcastle 1 – 0 Aston Villa

Stoke 1 – 0 Hull

West Brom 1 – 0 Southampton

Sunday 1 March:

Liverpool 2 -1 Man City

Arsenal 2 – 0 Everton

Italian side Parma have had their Serie A match at Genoa on Sunday called off after players threatened to strike over unpaid wages.

Continue reading →

Saturday 28 February:

West Ham v Crystal Palace 1:45 pm

Burnley v Swansea 4 pm

Man Utd v Sunderland 4 pm

Newcastle v Aston Villa 4 pm

Stoke v Hull 4 pm

West Brom v Southampton 4 pm

Sunday 1 March:

Liverpool v Man City 4 pm

Arsenal v Everton 4 pm

Tuesday 3 March:

Aston Villa v West Brom 8:45 pm

Hull v Sunderland 8:45 pm

Southampton v Crystal Palace 8:45 pm

Wednesday 4 March:

Man City v Leicester 8:45 pm

Newcastle v Man Utd 8:45 pm

QPR v Arsenal 8:45 pm

Stoke v Everton 8:45 pm

Tottenham v Swansea 8:45 pm

West Ham v Chelsea 8:45 pm

Liverpool v Burnley 9 pm

*Time = Nigerian

The draw was made today and the games will hold on 12 and 19 March, 2015.

Chelsea have announced their largest ever commercial deal with Yokohama Rubber, reportedly worth £40m-a-year. Yokohama Rubber, one of the world’s leading tyre manufacturers, has signed a five-year deal beginning from the 2015-16 season and their logo will appear on all the Blues’ shirts from the first team to their youth teams.

Continue reading →

2nd Semifinal; Thursday 26 February:

Mali 2 – 1 Guinea

Sekou Koita opened scoring for Mali in the 25th minute while Aboubacar Touré equalized for Guinea in the 51st minute. Aly Malle made it 2 – 1 for Guinea in the 53rd minute.

Third Place Match; Sunday 1 March:

Nigeria Vs Guinea 4 pm

Final Match; Sunday 1 March:

South Africa Vs Mali 7 pm

FIFA Secretary General, Jerome Valcke, has hinted that the Confederation of African Football are favourably disposed to move the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations to accommodate the unique change that would be witnessed in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Continue reading →

Flying Eagles Head Coach, Manu Garba, has released a list of 21 players who will represent the country at the 19th African Youth Championship (meant for U-21 players) in Senegal.

Continue reading →

The European Club Association (ECA) will discuss ramifications of a switch from summer in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday (March 3).

Continue reading →

A player with a Serbian top flight club was threatened by the team’s own supporters at gunpoint after missing a penalty, the world players’ union FIFPro said. Two days after Novi Pazar’s Zarko Udovicic hit an 85th minute penalty over the crossbar against FK Rad, FIFPro said several hooligans burst into the dressing-room at the club’s training ground, drew a gun and held it in Udovicic’s face. It is “a new low in Serbian professional football”, said FIFPro. Meanwhile, Udovicic has since left the club.

Getafe coach Quique Sanchez Flores unexpectedly quit the La Liga club, citing ‘personal reasons’. “I want to communicate to you my decision today to stand down as Getafe coach,” Sanchez Flores told Spanish media. “It is a personal decision, the product of deep reflection which will allow me to avoid situations which at the time did not make me happy.” Getafe are 13th in La Liga, four points above the relegation zone.

The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria lost 1 -0 to South Africa in yesterday’s first semi final match at the ongoing African U-17 Championship in Niger. Khanyisa Mayo’s 26th minute goal was enough to secure South Africa a place in the final match. Nigeria will now play in the 3rd place match. All teams in the semi finals have all qualified for U-17 world cup coming later in the year.

McLaren Formula One driver Fernando Alonso has left hospital in Barcelona on Wednesday, three days after crashing in pre-season testing. Alonso pictured above is thankfully looking well.

The Greek government has suspended professional football in the country indefinitely in a crackdown on violence.

Continue reading →

Lawyers for jailed South African Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius have launched a legal bid to prevent prosecutors from appealing against his acquittal on murder charges, BBC reports. Judge Thokozile Masipa ruled in December that prosecutors could appeal against the acquittal. She had sentenced Pistorius to five years in prison for the lesser charge of culpable homicide, or manslaughter. Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in February 2013. He said he mistook her for a burglar, while prosecutors argued that he shot her after a row at his upmarket home in the capital, Pretoria. The double amputee athlete was acquitted by Judge Masipa of both premeditated murder and the lesser murder charge of dolus eventualis, also known as common-law murder. In South African law, this charge applies if the accused knew they might kill someone but still went ahead with their course of action.

Tuesday February 24:

Juventus 2 – 1 Borussia Dortmund

Manchester City 1 – 2 Barcelona

Wednesday February 25:

Arsenal 1 – 3 Monaco

Bayer Leverkusen 1 – 0 Athletico Madrid

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar should take place in November and December, a FIFA taskforce has recommended.

Continue reading →