Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Chris Brown shout out to wizkid and on his song Azonto

Christiana ROnaldo Celebrate his Goal

  
 
 
 
 
Christiana Ronaldo (R) of Real Madrid CF celebrates scoring the opening goal with team-mate Mesut Özil during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg match against Galatasaray.

Messi injury


Lionel Messi has suffered a hamstring injury in the first leg of Barcelona's Champions League quarter-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain.

The club confirmed that the Argentine had damaged his right hamstring in Paris and that he will undergo tests on Wednesday to assess the full extent of his problem.

"Messi sustained an injury to his right hamstring. He will undergo further tests on Wednesday to determine the extent of the injury," read their statement.

The Argentine appeared to have suffered the muscle strain towards the end of the first half, with the attacker hugging the touchline and showing limited movement in the closing moments while talking with manager Tito Vilanova.

The Barca boss then chose to substitute the 25-year-old during the break, replacing him with Cesc Fabregas.

Messi had already put the Blaugrana ahead in the 38th minute, latching onto a lofted Daniel Alves' pass before striking the ball low past PSG keeper Salvatore Sirigu.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Drogba's aerial prowess could stop Real Madrid

 

Didier Drogba’s aerial prowess could see Real Madrid suffer from set-pieces against Galatasaray. expert argued that the debate ahead of the Champions League quarter-finals.
Garganese, James Richardson and Peter Staunton sat down to discuss what the deciding factors could be when the Turkish team visit the reigning Liga champions.
He said: "Real Madrid may be the most in form team in Europe but they do give up chances, especially from set pieces - they’ve conceded a lot of goals from crosses, off corners, and Drogba is one of the best in the world aerially.
"I think Drogba and [Burak] Yilmaz will get chances, but the question is will they take them? Van Persie didn’t take them, and as a result Manchester United went out."
Staunton, on the other hand, believes that Luka Modric could be the player to decide the fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu on April 3.
He explained: "Real Madrid were quite high up the pitch at Old Trafford and were looking for that pass, and Cristiano Ronaldo and [Angel] Di Maria at times lack the creativity and guile to unlock defences.
"It’s more about pace and power with those two, and a player like Luka Modric can find those runs in behind, make those clever little passes and interchanges between Ozil and the strikers.
"They need to rely on that in the last twenty minutes of a match when teams sit back against them, and Modric could be the one to make a difference in this tie."
Who can you see stealing the show on Wednesday night? Will Galatasaray spring a surprise or could Jose Mourinho’s men grab the victory Blancos fan crave?

Bacelona hope to defeat Real Madrid in Champions League


Arjen Robben is brimming with confidence ahead of the first leg of Bayern Munich's Champions League quarter-final tie against Juventus, and believes the Bundesliga leaders can challenge pre-tournament favourites Barcelona and Real Madrid for the title.

The Bavarians made it to the final of the competition last campaign, and Robben feels they have what it takes to make it to this year's showpiece at Wembley, too, even though he realises Juventus will not be pushovers in the quarter-finals.

"We showed last season that we can be up there with the best in Europe, so we want to be in the final at Wembley. We will challenge the likes of Barca and Real for the title," the Dutchman was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

"If you look at last year's final against Chelsea, again we should never have lost it. But we’ve improved from last year. We are in the quarter-finals and we are top of our league, so you can’t ask for more.

"The tie against Juventus is going to be a tough challenge for sure. They are a team with so many experienced players people like Andrea Pirlo  and we know how hard they will make it for us."

The Netherlands international then went on to discuss his future at Bayern, and dismissed rumours that he could be on the move this summer.

"Sometimes it's ridiculous what gets written. I have another two years on my contract and I am looking forward to seeing it through," he continued.

"Of course I didn’t want to be on the bench. When you’ve recovered from a few injuries like me, then you’ll understand. I love being on the pitch. When I’m out there, I just want to play football.
"

Monday, April 1, 2013

Chelsea dumped Manchester United out of the FA Cup...


Chelsea dumped Manchester United out of the FA Cup to set up a mouthwatering semi-final clash against Manchester City.

A brilliantly constructed and executed Demba Ba volley was the difference between the two heavyweights as Rafael Benitez’s team triumphed 1-0 in the quarter-final replay.
           As expected, both managers made wholesale changes to the teams that started in league clashes less than 48 hours previously.
Sir Alex trumped Benitez in the rotation stakes by bringing in seven new players to the Chelsea manager’s six, although Wayne Rooney was surprisingly not one of them.
           The forward was omitted from the United match-day squad with what Sir Alex claimed was a groin injury picked up on England duty. David De Gea, Chris Smalling, Michael Carrick and Antonio Valencia were the only United players to start both Saturday’s 1-0 win at Sunderland and then again today.
                 Benitez notably dropped John Terry, Frank Lampard and Fernando Torres to the bench, as he significantly reshuffled his attacking options, with Ramires, Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Demba Ba restored to the team, along with David Luiz and Ashley Cole. Before the match began, there was the chance for both sets of supporters to vent their feelings towards Ferdinand, returning to the pitch for the first time since his withdrawal from England’s World Cup qualifiers.
           The defender was roundly jeered by the home fans at the end of the warm-ups, again when the teams were read out shortly before kick-off and then whenever he touched the ball as the match began. The large United contingent responded on nearly every occasion with chants of ‘Rio, Rio, Rio’.
Sir Alex sprung a tactical surprise with Phil Jones anchoring alongside Carrick, Tom Cleverely tucked in on the left of midfield and Antonio Valencia deployed at right-back with Nani in front of him. Even without Jones providing extra screening, Benitez had warned that it simply would not be possible to have a classic because of the demands on the players, and so it initially proved as both sides struggled to settle into a rhythm.
       Chelsea were forced into an early change after Ashley Cole pulled up with a hamstring injury while chasing Danny Welbeck. He looked in severe pain as he hobbled off, to be replaced by Ryan Bertrand. It took half-an-hour for the game’s first real opening, which came when Hazard played in Ba on the right. The striker shot powerfully to De Gea’s near post, but the United keeper was alert and smartly kept it out.
           Hazard looked the most likely player to conjure an opening. Running with the ball from the left, he skipped past Jones and shared a one-two with Oscar before smashing his shot narrowly over the bar.
         Petr Cech nearly became the victim of a hopeful Javier Hernandez long-ranger. It did not wobble in the air as much as the goalkeeper’s reaction suggested, but the captain’s blushes were saved by his out-stretched right leg. Chelsea had ended the first period marginally in charge and took control early in the second through a superbly constructed goal that blew the cobwebs off what had been a tepid encounter.
             Mata seemingly had few options when he picked up the ball in a central area in the middle of the United half. But the Spaniard’s feet are in perfect sync with his sharp football brain, and he picked out Ba’s run with a perfectly weighted chipped pass.
The Senegalese had plenty to do but, crucially, had the technique to match his confidence. A brilliant first-time hooked finish on the volley surprised De Gea as much as onlookers to put Chelsea ahead.
            United responded with typical vigour. Hernandez inspired one of the saves of the season from Cech with a diving header that had looked destined for the net. Robin van Persie and Ryan Giggs were then sent on in place of ineffective pair Tom Cleverley and Nani to save United’s FA Cup campaign.
Hazard gave United a let-off after 67 minutes when he burst into the penalty area following a mistake from Carrick only to shoot a yard wide of the goal.
            It prompted a flurry of opportunities for the hosts, but their finishing did not match their approach play as, time and again, chances sailed above and either side of the woodwork.
Mata ran the show late on but, despite late United pressure, the hosts survived without the security of a second goal.


Friday, March 29, 2013

NFF Write FIFA, CAF Over Eagles World Cup Qualifiers


The Nigeria Football Federation on Thursday wrote to world football-governing body, FIFA and the African body, CAF over tricky 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying games and the FIFA Confederations Cup, all in the month of June.
FIFA had last week adjusted Nigeria’s matches, meaning the Super Eagles would play Kenya in Nairobi on Wednesday, June 5 and take on Namibia in Windhoek on Wednesday, June 12, before flying to the FIFA
 Confederations Cup tournament in Brazil. Nigeria became Africa’s flagbearer at the tournament following triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa last month.

“We have fully appraised our priorities and wish that either of the following options be seriously considered: 1) That the matches in our African qualifying Group F (Kenya Vs Nigeria; Malawi Vs Namibia and; Namibia Vs Nigeria; Malawi Vs Kenya) be played on the SAME DATES of Wednesday, 5th June and Wednesday, 12th June, 2013 respectively. 2)That all the matches be reverted to the ORIGINAL DATES of Saturday, 8th June and Saturday, 15th June, 2013 respectively,” the letter, signed by NFF General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu, read, inter alia.

It means the Super Eagles would either play Kenya’s Harambee Stars and Namibia’s Brave Warriors at the same time and day as Malawi would host Namibia and Kenya respectively, or the matches would take place at the World Cup qualifying weekends as originally scheduled.

“We make this request in the interest of fairness, as at the moment, Nigeria and Malawi have same number of points (5) and, for Nigeria to play TWO DAYS before Malawi in each of the two important qualifying games in June will give undue advantage to the Malawians,” the letter concluded.

Amadu added: “We see the FIFA Confederations Cup competition as a key tournament, but we also know we have to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals, as priority. It is important to us to go to the FIFA Confederations Cup and then return to Brazil a year later for the FIFA World Cup finals.”

Who will grab the Italian Champion Leaque?

With the final international window before the season's end having been negotiated, Serie A now takes centre stage once more, and there is an almighty tussle set to take place for Italy's Champions League spots.

Juventus are seemingly coasting towards a second successive Scudetto, but behind them lie six clubs who are all still in with a realistic chance of claiming one of the remaining podium positions with nine rounds to play.

Napoli currently sit in second place, but a recent poor run of form has seen Milan close in on the Partenopei. The Rossoneri themselves are only three points ahead of Fiorentina, who have thrilled many observers since the arrival of Vincenzo Montella last summer.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

New dates for Harambee Stars v Nigeria return leg match

The World Cup qualifier return leg match between Harambee Stars and Nigeria’s Super Eagles will now be played on Wednesday (June 5) and not Saturday (June 9), at Moi Kasarani.
This new date has been communicated to Football Kenya Federation (FKF) by Fifa World Cup Organising committee after a meeting held in Zurich last week.
The match was originally scheduled to be played on June 9 (Saturday) but has now been rescheduled in order to allow Nigerian team travel to Brazil to represent Africa in the Fifa Confederations Cup starting on June 15.
The new change of date will affect the other teams in the Group Malawi, Namibia as they will now play on June 7, two days later.
Stars then travel away to Malawi on June 14, before ending their campaign at home against Namibia on September 16.
Due to the new set dates, the Nigerian team is scheduled to arrive in Nairobi possibly on April 1 and depart on 6th to Brazil.
However, despite the match being played on a weekday, Kenya FA International Match Organising Committee members will start early preparations for the game which is expected to attract a big crowd buoyed by the impressive draw against the African Champions away in Calabar.
“We are ensuring Kenyans that we shall win our three next fixtures and get the nine points and eventually qualify for the Brazil 2014 World Cup and we urge total support from all fans as we appeal them to turn out in large numbers for the two key matches,” said Kenya FA President am Nyamweya.
Harambee Stars have to beat Nigeria in Nairobi if they are to keep alive their chances of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. Kenya are currently bottom of the table with 2 points and a loss against Nigeria will mean they are out of contention.