Welcome to Sport News and Entertainment: 10/18/13

Friday, October 18, 2013

Super Eagles to confront Italy in London two days after second leg against Ethiopia

The Nigeria Football Federation and the Italian FA have agreed on a friendly match between both countries to take place in London. With the 2014 World Cup within reach, the Nigeria Football Federation has agreed for the Super Eagles to play the Azzurri of Italy in London on November 18.

The African champions will take on Ethiopia in the second leg of the African World Cup qualifying tie in Calabar on November 16, and will fly straight to London for the Monday confrontation with the Italians.

Italy will play Germany at San Siro in Milan on November 15 as the FIGC confirmed the dates for the international friendlies which will take place during the World Cup play-offs.

Both teams' first and only meeting to date was at the 1994 World Cup in USA with the Italians handing a 2-1 defeat to the Super Eagles in the second round of the competition, after the Nigerians led for close to 88 minutes.

Mourinho warns Barcelona over Courtois

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has told Barcelona they would be wasting their time in pursuing a move for goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. The Belgium international arrived at Stamford Bridge from Racing Genk in 2011 but is now in his third season on loan at Atletico Madrid, during which time he has blossomed into one of the best keepers in Europe.

And with Victor Valdes set to depart Camp Nou at the end of the season, the Blaugrana are on the hunt for a replacement between the posts, but Mourinho has no interest in sanctioning the exit of a player he holds in high regard. He told reporters: "We have the best goalkeeper in the world (Petr Cech) and the best young goalkeeper in the world. It's a very good problem. Our goal is safe and financially we are also very safe - the value in the market is the value of the best.

"In this moment I don't think about it. It doesn't worry me because our situation is fantastic and everything is under our control. We control the situation, not Barcelona, Atletico or another team interested in our goalkeepers. We control the situation so that's fine." The 21-year-old has become a key part of Atleti's rise under Diego Simeone and has lifted the Copa del Rey, Europa League and the Uefa Super Cup with the capital club.

Courtois has played in all eight of his side's Liga games so far this season as the Vicente Calderon club have kept pace with Barcelona at the top of the division with 24 points in an unbeaten start to the season.

Emmanuel Emenike now realizing huge potential in the colours of Nigeria

The Fenerbahce striker is enjoying a purple patch with the Super Eagles and seems to be realizing his dreams and a striker with 10 goals in 17 Nigeria matches, Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenike has shown with that he is ready to take on the goal scoring responsibilities for the national team.

He is steadily proving to all and sundry that he is very capable of leading the line for the national team and people are starting to dream again after the Super Eagles team of 1994 that was headlined by the goal scoring phenomenon, Rashidi Yekini.

The last striker to have made such an impact on the national team was the late Yekini, who scored 37 in 58 matches – an average of 0.64 goals per game. This compares favourably with Emenike’s, which stands at 0.58; though it must be said that at the early part of his Eagles career, Yekini’s average was closer to 0.4, a number which Emenike's stats currently dwarfs.

A team realizes that they have a potent striker when they find that player who contrives to almost always score the most important goals for the team – either the opening goal against a particularly stubborn team, or drags his team back into contention with an equalizing goal. It is much better when he scores the winner in a tight contest.