Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard accused Mario Balotelli of being disrespectful after the controversial Italian striker snatched penalty-taking duties away from Jordan Henderson during Thursday’s 1-0 Europa League win over Besiktas. . Gerrard was angry that Balotelli overruled Henderson when the stand-in Reds skipper tried to take an 85th-minute penalty in the last 32, first leg at Anfield. . With the game goalless, Jordon Ibe won the spot-kick and England international Henderson appeared set to fulfil his role as the assigned penalty taker in the absence of the injured Gerrard. . But Balotelli took the ball out of Henderson’s hands, prompting…
Author: David F.
Chelsea Football Club have condemned an incident, captured in amateur video footage in the Paris metro, that shows fans pushing a black man off a train and chanting “we’re racist”. . The video was filmed before Chelsea’s Champions League match against Paris St Germain at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on Tuesday evening. . The men can be heard chanting “we’re racist, we’re racist, and that’s the way we like it”. . A Paris police prefecture spokesman said on Wednesday that no immediate complaint had been filed in relation to the video which was posted on the website…
Preston goalkeeper Thorsten Stuckmann says Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney apologised for the way he won a penalty in Monday’s 3-1 FA Cup win at Deepdale. . The striker went down in the box after a challenge from Stuckmann, who appeared to make little or no contact. . “Rooney told me: ‘Sorry, it was my chance to get a penalty. I had to use that’,” Stuckmann told The Sun. . The England striker scored United’s third from the spot to secure an FA Cup quarter-final tie at home to Arsenal. . The incident split opinion among the BBC pundits during Monday…
Out-of-contract Super Eagles boss,Stephen Keshi will be offered a two-year deal worth N120m following the recommendation of the technical and development sub-committee of the Nigeria Football Federation that the big boss should be retained . . The sub-committee,Complete Sports scooped recommended a two-year deal for the former Eagles captain with a N7m monthly pay but a member of the executive committee of the federation who does not want to be named says the federation cannot afford the recommended salary and has opted to retain the coach on his former salary of N5m a month. The source also rubbished reports in…
Former Nigeria skipper Joseph Yobo has urged the Flying Eagles to work harder so they could be bigger stars than he and his contemporaries were. . Yobo met up with the Nigeria U-20 at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos at the weekend on their way to Ghana for two test matches against their Ghanaian counterparts. . “You can be bigger stars than we were, Yobo told the players. . “I left this country for Europe when I was just 17 and before you know it, I was my family’s bread winner. You can also do same and even more,…
Super Eagles goalkeepers’ trainer, Ike Shorunmu is excited that national team player Brown Ideye is back to his full potentials at West Brom after he was being criticized by fans of the English Premier League side that he was not living up to his £10 million transfer fees. . “I feel excited seeing these young boys doing well in their clubs and to be honest with you, Ideye will now have a relaxed mind to play and with time, he will even do more than the coach expects from him. It is good he has started scoring and with that,…
Former U-20 international Gero Abdullahi was the surprise exclusion from the 21 –man list released by the Head Coach of U-23 Eagles Coach Samson Siasia for this weekend’s All- Africa Games qualifying game against Gabon in Libreville. . Others who failed to make the team are Aminu Umar, who arrived late to camp and Warri Wolves’ forward Freedom Omofonma who also arrived camp late after his club’s CAF Confederation Cup game in Burkina Faso. . The list of 16 home boys and five overseas- based professionals are expected to depart the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos on Wednesday evening for…
Dominant in the first half but scrappy and ineffective in the second, Bayern Munich blamed themselves for failing to score in their 0-0 draw at Shakhtar Donetsk for their Champions League Round of 16 first leg on Tuesday. . The Bavarians had the best scoring chances and allowed only one shot on goal from their opponents but did not make their dominance count, lacking the final pass in front of goal. . “Now it is clear. We have to win in Munich. Nothing else will do,” said Dutch winger Arjen Robben. “We had a good first half and we had…
Out-of-contract Nigeria manager, Stephen Keshi, is now one step away from clinching the head coach job of Burkina Faso, supersport.com can report. . Keshi has been shortlisted among the final three for the coaching job of the Stallions. . The Burkina Faso Football Federation (FBF), on Tuesday, released a three-man shortlist that also include Serbian Milovan Rajevac and German coach, Gernot Rohr. . “The Burkinabe Football Federation has just taken the first step in selecting a national coach, producing the shortlist that includes the names of the top three contenders for the post,” the FBF announced. . Keshi and the…
Super Falcons head coach, Edwin Okon has said top grade warm-up matches are quite key to the side successful campaign at upcoming Fifa Women’s World Cup in Canada. . The African champions are expected to open camp on Sunday, February 22 in Abuja to commence preparations for the All Africa Games (AAG), Olympic Games qualifiers as well as World Cup campaign in June. . Falcons are pitched in Group D at the World Cup together with former champions, USA, Sweden and Australia. . Okon said he discovered that the All Africa Games and Olympic qualifying matches against mali are inadequate…
Paris St Germain sustained their hopes of reaching the Champions League quarterfinals when Edinson Cavani’s powerful second-half header salvaged a 1-1 home draw against Chelsea in their last-16 first leg on Tuesday. . Cavani struck early in the second half to cancel out Branislav Ivanovic’s first-half header, which was scored against the run of play after the French champions had dominated from the start at the Parc des Princes. . Chelsea, who won last year’s quarterfinal with PSG on away goals, scored with their only chance while the hosts had several opportunities to take a lead into the second leg…
Jose Mourinho conceded his Chelsea side ‘got away with it’ in a 1-1 draw at Paris St Germain in their Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday and had one man to thank for a flattering result — Thibaut Courtois. . The Belgium keeper made several brilliant saves, including one to deny PSG’s Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic in added time at the Parc des Princes, to keep his team afloat ahead of the March 11 return leg at Stamford Bridge. . “The 1-1 reflects one half for Chelsea, one half for Paris but on chances created and goalkeepers’ performances we…
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho admitted his side were fortunate to come away with a draw in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday as he hailed goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. . PSG had the better of the game but only had a second-half Edinson Cavani goal to show for their efforts, with Courtois producing half a dozen vital saves to help Chelsea claim a 1-1 draw in the French capital. . As a result, Branislav Ivanovic’s precious away goal in the first half – from Chelsea’s only chance of the game – gives the…
Enyimba’s new centre back Chima Uluocha has said his side will go for an outright win at the Beninese side Buffles du Borgou. . The former Abia Warriors captain was sidelined by slight knee injury in the side’s 3-0 win against the West African foes in Sunday’s Caf Champions League first leg clash at the Aba Township Stadium. . Uluocha said he is positive to regain 100% fitness before the side head to Parakou, Benin Republic, for the decisive clash. . “We won’t defend the 3-0 win advantage in Benin Republic but go all out for another convincing victory. .…
Head coach of Nigeria’s Under-23 tean, Samson Siasia says he is not building his side around any individual as he prepares for this weekend’s All Africa Games qualifying match against Gabon in Libreville. . Siasia has also warned the five overseas-based players called up for the game against Gabon not to rest on their laurels as any dip in standards will see the affected individual instantly dropped. “There is no automatic shirt in this team. Anybody who does not work hard or meet our standards will be dropped immediately,” Siasia told supersport.com shortly after he named a squad of 21…
Aoubabacar Toure in action Caf Seemingly there are so many gifted Toure’s from Guinea that one needs a calculator to keep track of them. All also are mostly related . The latest one is Aoubabacar Toure whose 25th minute strike proved decisive at the U-17 AYC in Niger against Zambia. Toure fired home from close range as the two sides contested a hard fought encounter. . Zambia now face the hosts Niger on 18th January while Guinea take on Nigeria on the same day . The Nigerians true to competition form and being led by the Ex Super Eagle Emmnauel…
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets will go into Wednesday’s match with the Young Syli of Guinea with the hope of garnering three points that will see them qualify for the 2015 Fifa Under-17 World Cup in Chile. . The Golden Eaglets were up and running in their first game of the 2015 Caf Africa Junior Championship with a 2-0 win over hosts Niger, thanks to two first half goals by Victor Osimhen and a sumptuous free-kick by skipper Kelechi Nwakali. . Same can be said of the Guineans who also need a win to ease passage to Chile, which guarantees a potentially…
Basle’s Champions League tie against Porto on Wednesday pits two clubs who have mastered the art of nurturing the talent of little-known footballers and selling them on to Europe’s top teams. . Unable to compete with the financial power of the biggest clubs, both have instead been happy to accept a role as stepping-stones for players hoping to make their way to one of the leading five leagues. . Both have been highly successful at what they do and have managed to remain competitive despite allowing a succession of top footballers to walk through the exit door. . Twice European…
Bayern Munich’s attacking ambitions were curtailed by an organised Shakhtar Donetsk who held them to a goalless draw in their Champions league last-16 first leg on Tuesday with Xabi Alonso sent off for the Germans in the second half. . Alonso, who was making his 100th Champions League appearance, was dismissed with 25 minutes remaining following a second booking from Spanish referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco. . Bayern, who trounced Hamburg 8-0 in the Bundesliga on Saturday, were stifled by a Shakhtar side, playing their first competitive game in two months. . Shakhtar’s solid rearguard display maintained their chances of reaching…
FC Basel coach Paulo Sousa promised that his team will take risks and show the same courage and ambition which helped them eliminate Liverpool in the group stage when they face Porto in the Champions League on Wednesday. . Sousa insisted that his side, attempting to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 1973/74 would not be overawed against the twice former champions, who are unbeaten in eight Champions League games this season. . “For us, it’s an extraordinary challenge and I like these challenges,” the Portuguese told reporters as he prepared to face his countrymen in Wednesday’s last-16…