Victor Valdes to stay at Barcelona until 2014

Victor Valdes has insisted that he will not leave Barcelona in the summer transfer window and will stay put until the end of his contract in June 2014.

The goalkeeper told Barca earlier this season that he does not want to extend his current deal, leading to speculation that he could be on his way out of the Liga champions this summer.

Monaco were believed to be keen to lure him to France, but the 31-year-old has now made it clear that he will fulfill his contract with Barcelona.

"I owe the fans an explanation as to why I will not renew my contract. Barcelona have given me everything and this has been home for 20 years," Valdes said at a press conference.

"The pressure as a goalkeeper is huge, though, at this club. I am exhausted psychologically and I feel that my cycle at the club ends in 2014. This is not about money.

"I feel honoured that the club want me to continue, but my decision is final. I will continue to wear the Barca jersey with honour until the final day of my contract.

"I think that the club have enough time to find a good successor."

Valdes made his official first team debut in 2002-03 and has since made over 500 official appearances for Barcelona.

Sneijder revels in Inter's misery

Wesley Sneijder says Inter's struggles this season serve as justice for the way the club's hierarchy treated him before his move to Galatasaray in January.

The Netherlands international, 28, was frozen out at the Nerazzurri earlier this season after he refused to accept a pay-cut, with the midfielder joining the Istanbul giants for a reported €7.5m.

"I feel very sorry for the players and fans, but I do not mind at all for others at the club that Inter finished only ninth this season and that the coach had to go," Sneijder told De Telegraaf.

"They did not even qualify for European football and I hope this has made the people in charge think about what's happening at the club. What's happened is not Inter-worthy.

"Inter tried to break me time and time again. Had I not had such a strong personality, I would have hung up my boots.

"A lot of people at the club are not worthy of my trust and respect. I had a lot of difficult moments, but what happened has made me stronger in the end."

Sneijder ended the 2012-13 campaign on a high as he won the Turkish Super Lig title with Galatasaray.

Caf President Issa Hayatou to grace Kenya v Nigeria match

Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Issa Hayatou will grace the 2014 World Cup qualifier between Kenya’s Harambee Stars and Nigeria’s Super Eagles at Moi Kasarani on June 5.
information gathered has it that the African boss will arrive in Nairobi on June 3, two days to the decisive match.
“Hayatou has confirmed that he will attend the Kenya v Nigeria match. He (Hayatou) will jet into Nairobi on June 3. Hayatou has a good relationship with Kenya FA President Sam Nyamweya and wants to be part of the crowd at Kasarani on Wednesday (June 5),” the source, who sought anonymity, added.
Hayatou has been the President of Caf since 1987. In 2002, he contested for Fifa presidency but was defeated by current President Sepp Blatter. He is also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
President of Caf for over two decades, Hayatou has overseen particularly successful Fifa World Cup appearances by Senegal, Nigeria, and Cameroon, and pushed for African places in the finals to increase from two to five, with the 2010 World Cup in South Africa seeing the hosts garner an automatic sixth spot for an African team.
Wednesday’s match is crucial for both teams as the winner will put themselve in a better position of reaching the World Cup showcase slated for Brazil.
Kenya managed a 1-1 draw against the African champions in the first leg match played in Calabar and will be hoping to better the performance despite missing key players  goalkeeper Arnold Origi and striker Dennis Oliech through suspension.

The Super Eagles look for their first win against El Tri

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Both teams are undefeated in their last five matches so the match between Nigeria and Mexico, though a friendly will have lots of pride at stake. The last time the teams met it was a 2-2 draw in 2007 with a brace from Obafemi Martins with the Super Eagles yet to get a victory over El Tri in three outings.
With the Super Eagles team bereft of players like Victor Moses, Mikel Obi and Emmanuel Emenike for this game, players like John Ogu, Nnamdi Oduamadi have the chance to prove their mettle and keep a place in the team.
Coach Stephen Keshi will be looking to get his players in match condition for the trip to Kenya for the World Cup qualifiers – next week Wednesday and a week afterwards against Namibia.
Mexico is ranked 16th in the world higher than Nigeria’s 28th spot and have good players of the ilk of Javier Hernández and Giovani Dos Santos.  Coach Jose will be looking for a win after five successive draws and the team has not scored in their last two games - two 0-0 draws; the draw with the US was a World Cup qualifier, while their last match was a friendly against Peru.
Sixteen of the players that José Manuel de la Torre has called up for the friendly play in Mexico and he will be looking to assess the performances of this home-based players just like Keshi will be looking at a second tier of Eagles to get a strong bench as they approach the Confederations Cup.