The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has stated that no deal has been agreed with out-of-contract Super Eagles head coach Stephen Keshi. . There have been reports suggesting that the football federation has offered Keshi an improved contract reportedly worth N84 million per annum. . The reports also stated that Keshi will be handed a new contract for a year starting from January 2015 and will run till December of the same year. . But NFF president Amaju Pinnick has tactfully played down the reports of a new improved contract offered to Keshi. . In a report monitored on radio in…
Author: David F.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has declared that the international friendly match between the Super Eagles and their Brazilian counterparts, the Selecao, will go on as scheduled in Uyo on March 29, 2015. . NFF president Amaju Pinnick, whose election into office is being challenged, stated that the international friendly with Brazil has not been cancelled following reports that the South Americans will face France on March 26, 2015 – just three days before the planned tune-up with Nigeria at the Akwa Ibom Stadium in Uyo. . He disclosed that the football federation is planning to ensure that “we utilise…
Last season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund climbed off the foot of the table by beating Hoffenheim 1-0 on Friday, their second victory in 11 Bundesliga games. . Ilkay Guendogan scored with a diving header from a fine cross by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the 17th minute, allowing the players and fans to breathe a collective sigh of relief after an awful start to the season. . Dortmund, champions in 2011 and 2012, rise four places to 14th and are on 14 points following their fourth league win of the season. . There was more good news for the club as fit-again central…
Coach Pep Guardiola made no apology for Bayern Munich’s lack of goals in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen. . This was an off-key performance from Bayern, who managed just two first-half shots, as they began a busy period of five matches in 14 days, including Wednesday’s final Champions League group game at home to CSKA Moscow. . “People expect two, three or four goals from us, but I knew it would be difficult against Bayer Leverkusen,” said Guardiola as Franck Ribery’s 51st-minute winning goal kept Bayern seven points clear. . “Except for the first ten minutes, we didn’t give…
Galatasaray have dimsissed former Italy World Cup coach Cesare Prandelli after a string of poor results culminating in their exit from European competition, the Dogan news agency reported on Thursday. . Anderlecht beat Galatasaray 2-0 in their penultimate Champions League Group D game on Wednesday, guaranteeing that the Turkish club would finish fourth and miss out on a place in the Europa League. . Prandelli’s dismissal, widely reported by Turkish media, could not immediately be confirmed. . He resigned as Italy manager after they failed to get past the group stage at this year’s World Cup in Brazil. . Galatasaray…
Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta faces a spell on the sidelines after suffering a calf injury during Tuesday’s 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund which took the London club into the Champions League last 16. . Fellow midfielders Jack Wilshere and Mezut Ozil, defender Mathieu Debuchy and forward Theo Walcott are also injured, leaving manager Arsene Wenger with problems as he tries to revive his team’s faltering Premier League campaign. . “It’s difficult to take on the chin at the moment. You go into many games and need everyone available,” Wenger told reporters after Arsenal’s impressive display that secured a place in…
Paris St-Germain centre back Thiago Silva says the French club has what it takes to win their Champions League Group F after Tuesday’s decider at Barcelona. . PSG top the group with 13 points, one ahead of Barca, whom they beat 3-2 at home in their first encounter. . The French champions need only one point to secure top spot, which Silva is confident they will get. . “It’s a special game and I think we can win at Barcelona or at least get a draw,” the Brazilian international told L’Equipe. . PSG are unbeaten in 22 competitive games this…
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho insisted his side were still the team to beat despite the Premier League leaders seeing their unbeaten start to the season ended by Newcastle United. . Saturday’s dramatic 2-1 setback against 10-man Newcastle, their first loss since April, saw Chelsea fall one game short of setting a club-record mark of 24 matches without defeat. . More damagingly, it allowed defending champions Manchester City to close to within three points of Mourinho’s side by winning 1-0 at home to Everton. . But the Chelsea manager said he was relaxed after Papiss Cisse’s brace condemned his team to…
Louis van Gaal’s resurgent Manchester United will have their eyes on third place in the Premier League table when they tackle Ronald Koeman’s sputtering Southampton at St Mary’s on Monday. . After winning only three of their first seven league games, a run of four consecutive victories has taken United to within touching distance of early-season surprise package Southampton. . Koeman’s side shot up the table by winning eight of their nine games between late August and early November, but a draw at Aston Villa and losses to Manchester City and Arsenal extinguished their momentum. . Victory for United will…
Lionel Messi scored yet another hat-trick and surpassed 400 club goals as Barcelona came from behind to win the Catalan derby 5-1 against Espanyol in La Liga on Sunday. . The Argentine, who holds the La Liga and Champions League scoring records, produced a now familiar devastating performance to take his record to 402 goals for Barca in all competitions, including 28 in friendlies. . He produced his tour de force, predictably, just a day after Cristiano Ronaldo, his rival for title of world’s best player, scored a La Liga record 23rd hat-trick against Celta Vigo for Real Madrid. .…