Tigers hold Bullets

Azam Tigers frustrated TNM Super League title-chasing Big Bullets to a 1-1 draw at the Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, Malawi on Thursday afternoon.
The Bullets could only go third on 32 points from fourth position on the 15-member log table. This after Chimango Kaira’s 29th minute equalizer, which had cancelled out Lawrence Milanzi’s seventh minute opener for the ninth placed Tigers, proved inadequate.
The right winger Milanzi stunned the packed stadium when his cross-like shot from 40 metres dipped into the net at the far post of Bullets goalkeeper Owen Chaima’s goal posts. It was the probable goal of season contender.
Bullets tried to crawl their way back into the game but Diverson Mlozi, Heston Munthali and Henry Kabichi were so wasteful. Coach for Bullets Eddington Ng’onamo brought in veterans Fischer Kondowe and James Chilapondwa but the final ball in the attacking third was below par.
“Scoring was the biggest problem for us. Tigers only had one chance and they scored but we could not make use of five chances,” Ng’onamo said in a post match interview.
In Wednesday’s match, Blue Eagles thumped Mzuzu United 4-0 with Charles Ngosi striking twice, and John Banda and Gilbert Chirwa scoring each.
The Eagles took their tally to 34 points, two behind leaders Red Lions.

Roma set record with tenth straight win

AS Roma became the first team to win their opening 10 Serie A games of the season when they overcame bottom side Chievo 1-0 thanks to Marco Boriello's late header on Thursday.
The defiant visitors defended resolutely and physically for more than an hour and looked capable of denying Roma the record until striker Boriello broke the deadlock in the 67th minute.
Roma, under new coach Rudi Garcia who took over at the start of the season, have 30 points, five clear of Juventus and Napoli with more than a quarter of the campaign completed.
Chievo have taken only four points from 10 games but made life unexpectedly difficult and frustrating for the hosts.
The packed their defence, harried Roma in midfield and stood over the ball at free kicks to stop them being taken quickly.
Roma, who have conceded only one goal all season, were missing talismanic striker Francesco Totti and Ivorian forward Gervinho and they struggled to make chances against the wall of yellow shirts.

Tempers flared several times until the home side finally broke through when Alessandro Florenzi ran on to to Miralem Pjanic's pass, weaved his way through a crowded area and chipped the ball up for Boriello to head in at the near post. Chievo could have equalised when Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis failed to hold Luca Rigoni's long-range effort but Alberto Paloschi was offside as he closed in for the rebound.
Garcia has transformed Roma from the erratic, bickering outfit who limped home in sixth place last term and lost to arch-rivals Lazio in the Coppa Italia final.
They will try for an 11th consecutive win when they visit Torino in their next match on Sunday.

AVB cheered by Spurs fans' reaction

Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas paid tribute to the club's fans after seeing his side overcome Hull City in a penalty shootout to reach the League Cup quarterfinals.
Villas-Boas had been critical of his side's supporters after their 1-0 victory over the same team in the Premier League on Sunday, accusing them of creating a "very tense, very negative" atmosphere.
However, after seeing his team beat Hull 8-7 on penalties following a gripping 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane on Wednesday, he said he was happy with their support.
"It was a great, entertaining game and the supporters were absolutely fantastic," the Tottenham manager said.
"To see their response after we suffered a setback was very pleasant. They can make that difference for us. It was a great atmosphere and it was great for the team to feel that empathy with the supporters."
Tottenham were drawn to face West Ham United at home in the quarterfinals in December.

Reds right to tell Suarez to stay - Rodgers

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists Luis Suarez's impressive form this season proves the Reds were right to force the Uruguayan to stay at Anfield.
Suarez made repeated attempts to engineer a move to Arsenal in the close-season and became involved in a row with Rodgers after Liverpool refused to sell him.
The controversial striker, desperate to join a Champions League team, claimed Arsenal's bid of £40 000 001 triggered a clause in his contract allowing him to leave for that price, while he also accused Rodgers of reneging on an agreement between them which he claimed allowed him to leave for a side playing in Europe's elite competition.
Liverpool owner John Henry was unequivocally opposed to selling his team's prize asset to a rival and that stance appears to have been rewarded with Suarez scoring six goals in four league matches to help Rodgers' side climb to third in the Premier League table.
And Rodgers is adamant Suarez should now have no reason to want to leave as he could well be playing in the Champions League with his current side next season.
"This was the place for Luis to showcase his talents. He is a player who deserves to be playing at the highest level of European football but we believe he can do that at Liverpool," Rodgers said on Thursday.
"There is no greater stage for him than a club like this and once the window was shut, like we thought, there was never going to be an issue.
"He is one of the hardest-working players that is in love with football I've seen and once the window shut he has been brilliant.
"He is maturing as a man. He is 26, father of two now, and I think the maturity in his game and personal life is there to see.
"Everyone talks about his goals and work-rate but I've seen an improvement in his football ability and his maturity.
"That really bodes well for us. We won't get carried away, we have to keep our concentration and continue to work very hard."
Rodgers admits he understands why Arsenal tried to take advantage of Suarez's unrest.
But he was delighted with the way Liverpool's owners stuck to their guns, while also saluting the rest of the players for successfully blocking out the distraction.
"I understand why Arsenal would want to buy a player of Luis' quality because he is one of the leading strikers in the world but it was something that was never going to happen," Rodgers said.
"For us and the institution we are we certainly weren't going to sell to a rival, a competitor, and that was something which was very strong from the off.
"You have to give credit to the players themselves. It certainly wasn't an easy situation.
"It was also a great credit to the owners and the leadership of the club that they stood by what my thoughts were as a manager and they backed it all the way.

Martino unconcerned by Messi goal drought

Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino said he is not worried about Lionel Messi's month-long La Liga goal drought as Barca prepare to face Espanyol on in the Catalan derby on Friday.
Messi hasn't scored in the league since pulling up with a thigh strain in the 2-0 win at Almeria on September 28.
The Argentine subsequently missed the 4-1 drubbing of Valladolid at the Camp Nou and only came on for the final 30 minutes of the 0-0 draw at Osasuna.
He returned to the starting line-up for the victories over Real Madrid and Celta Vigo in the past week without managing to find the net, but Martino believes his compatriot is being unfairly treated due to the incredibly high standards he has set in recent seasons.
"Messi has made us accustomed to an average of three goals a game," said Martino.
"He can play a very, very good match like he did at Celta and not score a goal and it seems like there is a problem."
And rather than considering a rest for Messi, given Barca's hectic schedule with three more games in the next week, Martino says the four-time World Player of the Year needs more game time to get up to full speed.
"We cannot think about taking care of players so that they don't get injured, we are only trying to ensure that they don't end up fatigued and tired.
"In the case of Leo, with what has happened against Atletico and Almeria he has already had two episodes and what he needs now is a run of games.
"When we talk about Leo we are talking about someone whose footballing repertoire never ends. Even a bad game for him always produces something good."
On the injury front Martino has a problem at left-back for the visit of Espanyol as Adriano has joined Jordi Alba on the sidelines with a hamstring problem, so right-back Martin Montoya is expected to start in an unfamiliar role.
Elsewhere on the field, though, Barca are likely to be back to full strength with Gerardo Pique, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Neymar all returning after being rested against Celta.
And Martino is expecting a tough test from Barca's modest neighbours.
"Winning would allow us to continue as leaders. The important thing is we concentrate on how we play, maintain our style and do things well.
"One of the characteristics of Espanyol is to be very aggressive and combative, but when they have the ball they can also play with players like Sergio Garcia, Pizzi and Simao.

Costa, Villa give Atletico victory

Atletico Madrid kept pace with leaders Barcelona and restored their five-point lead over third-placed city rivals Real when Diego Costa and David Villa each scored a penalty in a 2-1 win at Granada in La Liga on Thursday.
Atletico, King's Cup winners last season, have won 10 of their 11 league games this term, a record only bettered by unbeaten champions Barca, and their only setback was this month's 1-0 defeat at Espanyol.
Transformed into genuine title contenders by Argentine coach Diego Simeone, they have 30 points in second place, with Barca, who won 3-0 at Celta Vigo on Tuesday, on 31 and Real, 7-3 winners at home to Sevilla on Wednesday, on 25.
Spain forward Villa won both of Atletico's penalties at Granada's Los Carmenes stadium, La Liga top scorer Costa netting the first in the 38th minute for his 12th goal of the campaign.
Villa converted his spot kick in the 78th before Atletico fullback Felipe Luis was shown a second yellow card and sent off and Odion Jude Ighalo pulled a goal back for the home side in the first minute of added time.
"I am delighted with the effort the players are putting in," Simeone said at a news conference.
"It's not easy to win, win, win and continue winning," the former Atletico and Argentina midfielder added.
"What really pleases me is that the team knows how to suffer when it has to suffer because we will have to do so to keep fighting at the top of the table."

Athletic Bilbao climbed to fifth, level on 20 points with fourth-placed Villarreal, when they came from two goals down to draw 2-2 at home to promoted Elche. Getafe, one of the surprise packages of the season, closed to within a point of Villarreal and Bilbao in sixth when they won 2-0 at Villarreal's Madrigal stadium after the home side had defender Pablo Iniguez dismissed just before the break.
Real Betis forward Jorge Molina had a second-half penalty saved by Levante goalkeeper Keylor Navas in a 0-0 draw in Seville to leave struggling Betis in 18th and Levante in seventh.
The 12th round of matches begins on Friday when Barca host city rivals Espanyol at the Nou Camp.
Real play at struggling Madrid neighbours Rayo Vallecano on Saturday and Atletico host Athletic Bilbao on Sunday

The former Burnley player believes the Russian outfit should be kicked out of Europe's elite club competition following their supporters' racist abuse towards Yaya Toure

CSKA Moscow should be expelled from the Champions League for their fans' racist chants, according to ex-PFA chairman Clarke Carlisle.
The Russian club were sanctioned by Uefa on Wednesday over abuse aimed at Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure in the sides' Group D clash last week - won 2-1 by the Premier League outfit.
Toure reported the chants to referee Ovidiu Hategan, who requested a message to be sent to supporters over the public address system asking them to stop. However, this was not done, resulting in the sacking of Uefa's venue director for the game.
CSKA will play the next Champions League game at the Arena Khimki, against Bayern Munich on November 27, with a section of their stadium closed - the set punishment for a first offence of fan racism set down by Uefa in new guidelines that were created in May.
A second offence would result in a full stadium closure, and a third could lead to a points deduction or expulsion - which Carlisle believes is too long to wait.
"I think that, in a situation like that, it should be tournament expulsion," he told Perform.
"That might sound dramatic but the reason I think that is because if that incident happens here and it's 100 yards in any direction from the football ground, and the person, or group of people, committed that offence, they would be arrested and prosecuted.
"So, I don't understand why, just because it's in a football ground, that different rules are at play.
"I don't think that the sanctions we have in football at all, are anywhere near adequate."
Carlisle was happy to see Uefa stick to their guns and reprimand the Russian club, although he called for tighter measures to be established, in order to effectively prevent future incidents.
He explained: "I'm happy in so far as they've actually done what they said they would do and investigated it efficiently, reached a decision and sanctioned according to the guidelines they've got there.
"Uefa have acted appropriately in this situation."
However, when asked if the punishments were enough, he added: "No, nowhere near, you can you be happy only in so far as Uefa have acted from the incident and investigated it accordingly.
"The extent of the sanctions in my opinion are nowhere near enough because there is no way the consequences will be felt by the perpetrators.
"Closing a section of the stadium will just mean they will sit in another part of the stadium for one game and there is no reason for CSKA Moscow or the fans who committed the offence to address their actions or address the issue at hand.

The Blues are willing to listen to offers from abroad for the Spain international, who is concerned about missing out on selection for next summer's World Cup

Chelsea star Juan Mata is ready to leave the club in January as big-spending French side Paris S
Chelsea star Juan Mata is ready to leave the club in January as big-spending French side Paris Saint-Germain prepare a bid worth €41 million for the playmaker.

THE VIEW FROM FRANCE

Naim Beneddra | Chief Editor Goal France "Juan Mata is definitely the kind of midfielder who can bring more to this already star-studded PSG side. A few months ago we may have wondered where Mata could fit in, but with the planned departure of Jeremy Menez and Javier Pastore, coupled with Lucas Moura's fitness struggles, there will certainly be a place for the Spaniard. "Mata's technique and turn of pace with the ball at his feet would see him combine and complement the more imposing figures of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani."

The Spanish star started and scored in Tuesday’s Capital One Cup win against Arsenal but is unhappy under Jose Mourinho having again been left out of the starting line-up for key matches including last Sunday’s home win over Manchester City.

Mata is fearful for his place in the Spain squad for next summer’s World Cup in Brazil - and he is ready to quit Stamford Bridge in the winter as he goes in search of regular first-team football.

Chelsea are willing to listen to offers for the 25-year-old but will refuse to sell him to a Premier League rival, ruling out a transfer to Manchester United or Tottenham, who both tried to sign the former Valencia man over the summer.

Mata is happy in London and has publicly vowed to fight for his place and declared himself "happy" at Stamford Bridge. Behind the scenes, however, he is strongly considering his future, especially with no sign of  a new deal to improve on his €82,000-a-week contract which runs until 2016.

“I am happy at Chelsea. I have always felt the support of the fans - in every game, on the street - I have felt the love from them. I try to play for them, score for them and make them happy. We have great support," he told Talksport on Wednesday.

“I want to play as much as I can, but if you want to win titles you need 24-25 players ready to play. Anyone can play any game."

	CHELSEA LATEST

Mata’s father, who also acts as the player’s agent, is understood to have made discrete enquiries to sound out potential interest in his son.

PSG are the leading contenders at this stage, with sources confirming to Goal that the Ligue 1 club tried to sign Mata in the summer and are preparing to return with a bumper bid in the new year.

Barcelona and Real Madrid have both ruled out bids for the midfielder, while Valencia’s precarious financial situation means they are unable to fund a move to re-sign their former star.

Mata has failed to establish himself in Mourinho’s plans this season, often settling for a place on the substitutes’ bench, especially in big games against Manchester United, Spurs and City.

Mourinho has cited Mata’s lack of defensive work as the main reason behind the Spain international’s frequent omission, with Oscar preferred in the No.10 role at Stamford Bridge.

Mata has been Chelsea’s player of the year in the last two seasons, and last term scored 12 goals and provided 12 assists in the Premier League aloneaint-Germain prepare a bid worth €41 million for the playmaker.

THE VIEW FROM FRANCE

Naim Beneddra | Chief Editor Goal France "Juan Mata is definitely the kind of midfielder who can bring more to this already star-studded PSG side. A few months ago we may have wondered where Mata could fit in, but with the planned departure of Jeremy Menez and Javier Pastore, coupled with Lucas Moura's fitness struggles, there will certainly be a place for the Spaniard. "Mata's technique and turn of pace with the ball at his feet would see him combine and complement the more imposing figures of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani."

The Spanish star started and scored in Tuesday’s Capital One Cup win against Arsenal but is unhappy under Jose Mourinho having again been left out of the starting line-up for key matches including last Sunday’s home win over Manchester City.

Mata is fearful for his place in the Spain squad for next summer’s World Cup in Brazil - and he is ready to quit Stamford Bridge in the winter as he goes in search of regular first-team football.

Chelsea are willing to listen to offers for the 25-year-old but will refuse to sell him to a Premier League rival, ruling out a transfer to Manchester United or Tottenham, who both tried to sign the former Valencia man over the summer.

Mata is happy in London and has publicly vowed to fight for his place and declared himself "happy" at Stamford Bridge. Behind the scenes, however, he is strongly considering his future, especially with no sign of  a new deal to improve on his €82,000-a-week contract which runs until 2016.

“I am happy at Chelsea. I have always felt the support of the fans - in every game, on the street - I have felt the love from them. I try to play for them, score for them and make them happy. We have great support," he told Talksport on Wednesday.

“I want to play as much as I can, but if you want to win titles you need 24-25 players ready to play. Anyone can play any game."

Mata’s father, who also acts as the player’s agent, is understood to have made discrete enquiries to sound out potential interest in his son.

PSG are the leading contenders at this stage, with sources confirming to Goal that the Ligue 1 club tried to sign Mata in the summer and are preparing to return with a bumper bid in the new year.

Barcelona and Real Madrid have both ruled out bids for the midfielder, while Valencia’s precarious financial situation means they are unable to fund a move to re-sign their former star.

Mata has failed to establish himself in Mourinho’s plans this season, often settling for a place on the substitutes’ bench, especially in big games against Manchester United, Spurs and City.

Mourinho has cited Mata’s lack of defensive work as the main reason behind the Spain international’s frequent omission, with Oscar preferred in the No.10 role at Stamford Bridge.

Mata has been Chelsea’s player of the year in the last two seasons, and last term scored 12 goals and provided 12 assists in the Premier League alone

The Rossoneri trainer has hailed the Brazilian after he netted his first goal in his second spell at San Siro in the 1-1 draw with Lazio on Wednesday

AC Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri has said Kaka is on a mission to prove he's "still a champion" since returning to San Siro in September.

The former Real Madrid ace netted his first goal in his second spell for the club in the 1-1 stalemate with Lazio on Wednesday, exquisitely curling beyond goalkeeper Federico Marchetti from the edge of the area on 54 minutes.

Defender Michael Ciani levelled matters 18 minutes later but, despite the result, Allegri sung the praises of the Brazilian midfielder, whom he claims is a paradigm for the younger generation of Rossoneri stars.

"Kaka achieved great things with Milan and he wants to prove he’s still a champion," the coach told Sky Sport Italia.

"He’s a humble guy and knows technique is not enough to stay at the top level, so he sets the example for younger players.

"As well as bringing a champion back to Italy, Milan have brought in an example in how to train and be a professional football player."

Striker Mario Balotelli had come in for some criticism from Allegri in the 3-2 defeat to Parma on Sunday, describing his performance as "poor", but the 46-year-old could find no fault with the forward's efforts on Wednesday.

"Balotelli had a good game," he added. "He worked hard and attacked the space, which was not easy against Lazio. I am happy with his performance."

Kaka, who quit the Italian giants for Real Madrid in 2009, endured an indifferent four-year spell in the Spanish capital, before re-signing for Milan on a free transfer in September

The Lagos-based football outfit played a star studded side parading top NPFL players in a friendly match

Westerlo football academy held a Nigeria Professional Football League selected side to a 3-3 draw in a test game played at Isheri , Lagos on Wednesday.
The highly entertaining encounter saw the academy run by former Nigeria goalkeeper Joseph Dosu open the flood gates of goals through Alimi Jamiu before a fine effort from Adewunmi Jelili doubled their advantage thanks to a defensive mishap from the Nigeria league stars.
Few minutes into the second half, 3SC’s Gbolahan Salami won a penalty for his side that was converted by Francis Edem. On resumption of the second half, Chibuike Meschack leveled scores for the NPFL selected outfit. Westerlo then shot to the lead few minutes later through Sani Riliwan before Jimoh Oseni restored parity for the premier league players.
Speaking to Goal after the match, Dosu expressed delight with the turn out of football fans and promised to organize more matches in future.
“This is a platform we put to ensure top players from the Nigeria Premier League get to play against the academy. It’s a nice thing to do and it gives the people of Isheri opportunity to watch their local heroes play and also interact with them,” said Dosu.

“This is the third edition and I can assure you that when the foreign-based professionals come home on holiday, we will bring them around to play against the Westerlo Academy,” he concluded.
Players like Olufemi Oladapo, Ayo Saka, Yusuf Babatunde, John Dosu, and Yemi Olanrewaju were some of the NPFL stars on parade

Fabregas enjoying senior role

Cesc Fabregas has said he is enjoying his more significant role in the Barcelona side as they look to continue their storming start to the campaign with a win over Espanyol in the Catalan derby on Friday.
Fabregas was involved in all three of Barca's goals as they moved four points clear of Atletico Madrid in second place with a convincing 3-0 win over Celta Vigo on Tuesday.
Barca boss Gerardo Martino had taken the opportunity to rest a number of his stars for the game in Galicia as the likes of Neymar, Andres Iniesta and Xavi all started on the bench.
However, Fabregas was retained from the side that beat Real Madrid 2-1 on Saturday and registered his second goal of the season with Barca's third nine minutes into the second-half.
"Right now I am playing a lot of games, I feel important and the only thing that I have to do is play well for the team," he told the club's website.
"These rotations give life to a lot of players and they are making us all feel important."
Martino has been keen to ensure his players don't suffer from burnout in the way they did towards the end of the last campaign when they were hammered 7-0 on aggregate by Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinals.
And with Barca in the midst of seven games in 22 days, the Argentine will rotate once more for the visit of Epsanyol.
However, despite the game being sandwiched by a series of other important matches for the hosts, Fabregas doesn't belive the derby will lose any of its importance.
"A derby is always a derby. It will be difficult and we hope to show our best form and win the three points."
Despite much talk of Barcelona's defensive problems, Tuesday night also saw them register their ninth clean sheet in 16 games.
And goalkeeper Victor Valdes, who is the only Barca player to start every game this season, hailed their attitude so far in what, on paper, should be their easier fixtures.
"Winning against Celta is the best possible way to prepare for a derby. We have been reinforced by the Madrid match.
"We have shown how much we want this league and everything depends on winning games like the one on Tuesday and against Espanyol."
Barca could be short of options at left-back as Adriano is a doubt after limping off against Celta with a hamstring strain, while Jordi Alba remains sidelined by a thigh injury so right-back Martin Montoya may start in an unfamiliar role.
Otherwise, Martino has a fully-fit squad to choose from with Gerard Pique, Neymar, Xavi and Iniesta all expected to return.

Real Madrid 7-3 Sevilla: Seventh heaven for Bale & Ronaldo The Welshman scored twice, the Portuguese winger bagged a hat-trick and Karim Benzema even struck a double to give the Blancos a thrilling victory

Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo scored five goals between them as Real Madrid romped to a 7-3 win in a thrilling clash with Sevilla on Wednesday.

Ronaldo struck a first-half penalty before netting twice in the second period to become the club's fourth-highest Liga goalscorer with 157 goals, one more than the legendary Ferenc Puskas.

On a record-breaking night at Santiago Bernabeu, Bale also capped his first start at home with two first-half strikes.

Madrid saw their 3-0 lead reduced before the break as an Ivan Rakitic penalty and close-range strike from Carlos Bacca brought the visitors to within a goal.

The hosts, however, turned on the style in the second half as Karim Benzema and Ronaldo both found the net twice to seal a comfortable victory, despite Rakitic curling home a third for the visitors. Rakitic also missed from the spot and Stephane M'Bia was sent off for two yellow cards in a frantic encounter.

Carlo Ancelotti made four changes from Saturday's Clasico defeat to Barcelona, while Sevilla - without an away win in 13 months - made a single change from their victory over Osasuna.

Madrid enjoyed the perfect start following a low-key performance at Camp Nou and took the lead through Bale in the 14th minute.

Isco ran the ball out of his own half and played a neat ball into Benzema, the Frenchman rolled the ball back into the Wales international and he fired into the top corner.

Sevilla were struggling to find any end product despite neat build-up play when they did have the ball, and their task became even tougher when Bale netted his second of the night.

Madrid were awarded a free kick 25 yards from goal after a crude challenge by Rakitic on Ronaldo in the 26th minute. Bale took the set piece and saw his effort deflect off the wall to wrong-foot Beto as it flew into the opposite corner.

The hosts moved 3-0 ahead after some poor defending from Fernando Navarro allowed Isco to dispossess him on the edge of the area. The defender then brought the forward down inside the area and Ronaldo made no mistake from the spot.

Sevilla were given a way back into the game when Sergio Ramos bundled Diogo Figueiras to the floor in the 38th minute and they had a penalty of their own.

Rakitic grabbed the ball and made no mistake with a well-placed spot-kick for his first goal of the season.

And the visitors reduced the deficit even further two minutes later as Vitolo and Jairo Samperio combined well to give Bacca the easy task of firing into the empty goal.

Unai Emery's side should have levelled early in the second half after creating a fantastic opening for Jairo, but he was unable to convert it and the hosts broke on the counterattack with Ronaldo.

Ronaldo found Bale on the right who delivered a low cross to Benzema and the Frenchman fired home to end a seven-game run without a goal.

On the hour mark, Ronaldo netted his second of the game after meeting a cross from Bale to fire past Beto, but Rakitic kept his side in the game with an exquisite finish from the edge of the area after neat work from substitute Diego Perotti.

But the night belonged to Portugal international Ronaldo as he completed his hat-trick in the 71st minute before Benzema added his second in the 80th minute to secure the win, with Rakitic slamming a spot kick against the crossbar in between Madrid's sixth and seventh goals.

The head coach of the Super Eagles has said he is unfazed about his team’s defeat to the Jordanian football team

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has revealed that Monday’s international friendly against Jordan was a good test for his boys as they prepare for next year’s Championship of African Nations billed for South Africa.
In an exclusive interview with Goal at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport on arrival from the Middle East, the former national team skipper admitted that he is not worried that they lost to Hossam Hassan’s men but insisted that his target is to ensure Nigeria performs well at CHAN 2014.
“Friendly matches are not all about winning. It’s about assessing the players on how they can perform and also to examine how quick they can adapt to the tactics and system the coach is playing. Besides, the game has nothing to do with our ranking with Fifa,” Keshi told Goal.
“It was a good experience for the boys [not minding] the fact that we had just three days to train and 18 hours journey to contend with which I think is too much for the players who are very young.  The boys have learnt a few things from the encounter which I think they will benefit from. ”
The Africa Cup of Nations winning coach hinted on the probable date the home based Eagles will resume camp for their debut appearance in next year’s CHAN.
“Hopefully, we will resume camp sometime in December if all things go on fine. Nigerians should keep praying for us that everything should go on fine,” he concluded

The Nigerian believes that the Portuguese coach has infused the club with a winning mentality again

Nigeria midfielder Mikel Obi has spoken about the influence of Jose Mourinho in his second stint at Chelsea and what he has added to the team.
“This game is all about winning and the manager that brought this transformation of winning to this club is back now,” Mikel told Chelsea TV before the Capital One Cup win over Arsenal on Tuesday.
"He still has the same idea of how he wants us to approach every game with a win, win mentality.
"I came to this club at 18 and he made me to think win, win, win,” Mikel added.
Mikel also revealed that the players get motivated just seeing Mourinho.
“Whenever you see him, you see motivation. You see him walking around the place…motivation.
“He walks around the place full of energy, full of confidence. And really, he is not doing it for himself but for you to see how he goes about his business and he wants you to emulate that into yourself and start behaving in a similar way.
"This is because confidence can lead you to so many places that you never thought you could go and it is just brilliant to work with him again.
“And now that he is back, we hope that we can continue winning the trophies that we won since he left,” Mikel concluded.

Flamini out for up to three weeks

Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini could be out for two to three weeks, missing a run of hugely significant games, after injuring his groin in Saturday's 2-0 Premier League win at Crystal Palace.
The 29-year-old, who has played superbly since rejoining the London club in August, is definitely out of Tuesday's Capital One (League) Cup tie at home to Chelsea and for Saturday's Premier League visit of Liverpool.
"When we get the (scan) results we will know how long he will be out," said manager Arsene Wenger. "It doesn't look like a bad muscle injury but it is his groin."
Groin injuries normally take two to three weeks to heal.
The French international could also miss the Champions League game at Borussia Dortmund on November 6 and the Premier League match at Manchester United on November 10.
Flamini has been widely praised for the impact he has had on the side since leaving AC Milan on a free transfer, with Arsenal unbeaten in any game he has played in.
Spaniard Mikel Arteta, who was sent off against Palace, is suspended for the Chelsea match but will be available when the Premier League leaders meet Liverpool.

Messi, Ribery head top award nominees

Six players from Bayern Munich's treble-winning team were included among the 23 nominees for the World Player of the Year award announced by Fifa on Tuesday.
Jose Mourinho was included on the shortlist for Coach of the Year despite failing to win any major trophies with Real Madrid last season, a performance the Portuguese himself described as "disastrous".
The only British player to make the list was Wales international Gareth Bale.
African Nations Cup winning coach Stephen Keshi of Nigeria was overlooked and Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure was the only African to make either list. There were no representatives from Asia or CONCACAF.
German internationals Manuel Neuer, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Mueller and Philipp Lahm, Frenchman Franck Ribery and Dutchman Arjen Robben were the Bayern players on the list.
Joining the Bayern contingent were the usual favourites such as Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Bayern's former coach Jupp Heynckes, since replaced by Pep Guardiola, was on the coaches list after leading his side to a Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League treble.
The omission of Bayern's Croatian forward Mario Mandzukic was a surprise as many critics felt he had made the difference between last season and 2011/12, where Bayern were runners-up in all three competitions.
Brazil's Luiz Felipe Scolari, whose side hosted and won the Confederations Cup in June, was the only South American to make the coaching shortlist.
Radamel Falcao, Edinson Cavani, Luis Suarez, Neymar and Thiago Silva were the South American nominees for the Player of the Year award, along with Messi. All six are based in Europe.
Although several of the nominated coaches failed to win a major trophy last season, Mourinho's nomination was the biggest surprise as his side's results fell far short of Real Madrid's expectations.
They finished 15 points behind Barcelona in La Liga, lost to smaller neighbours Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey final and were outclassed by Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semifinals.
Atletico's Argentine coach Diego Simeone was overlooked.
"The list of 23 male candidates has been drawn up by football experts from the Fifa Football Committee and by a group of experts from France Football," said Fifa in a statement.
It said the final decisions would be made by the captains and coaches of the national teams and international media representatives selected by France Football magazine. The ceremony takes place in Zurich on January 13.
Players' shortlist: Gareth Bale (Wales) Edinson Cavani (Uruguay) Radamel Falcao (Colombia) Eden Hazard (Belgium) Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden) Andres Iniesta (Spain) Philipp Lahm (Germany) Robert Lewandowski (Poland) Lionel Messi (Argentina) Thomas Mueller (Germany) Manuel Neuer (Germany) Neymar (Brazil) Mesut Ozil (Germany) Andrea Pirlo (Italy) Franck Ribery (France) Arjen Robben (Netherlands) Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany) Luis Suarez (Uruguay) Thiago Silva (Brazil) Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast) Robin Van Persie (Netherlands) Xavi (Spain)
Coaches: Carlo Ancelotti (Italy/Paris Saint-Germain FC/Real Madrid) Rafael Benítez (Spain/Chelsea/Napoli) Antonio Conte (Italy/Juventus) Vicente Del Bosque (Spain) Alex Ferguson (Scotland/Manchester United FC former coach) Jupp Heynckes (Germany/Bayern Munich former coach) Juergen Klopp (Germany/Borussia Dortmund) Jose Mourinho (Portugal/Real Madrid/Chelsea) Luiz Felipe Scolari (Brazil/Brazil national team) Arsene Wenger (France/Arsenal) (Writing by Brian Homewood; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

Eaglets soar into quarterfinals

Nigeria's Golden Eaglets cruised past Iran 4-1 in one of the round of 16 matches at the ongoing Fifa Under-17 World Cup on Tuesday to set up a quarterfinal meeting with Uruguay.
Samuel Okon, Kelechi Iheanacho, Musa Muhammed and Musa Yahaya got the goals for the Nigerians before Ali Gholizadeh scored Iran's consolation.
Iheanacho barely allowed the game to settle down when he tried from range but his effort went off target to the relief of Iran's goalkeeper, Mahdi Amini.
The Eaglets from then on swung into full gear moving swiftly on and off the ball with Yahaya orchestrating most of the moves from the middle with Iheanacho's help.
On 23 minutes, a sweeping move by the Nigerians led to the opening goal. Yahaya threading the ball nicely into the path of wing back Okon who just rolled it past Amini.
And before the Nigerian fans could settle down from celebrating Okon's goal, Iheanacho struck with his sweet left foot two minutes later.
Taiwo Awoniyi, who has been starting in the absence of injured Success Isaac, lined the ball for Iheanacho, who side-footed from the edge of the box for Nigeria's second of the evening.
But Iheanacho had to make way for Chidera Ezeh owing to a knock and that substitution of the Nigerian playmaker did not halt the offensive play of the Africans.
Just before the break, Nigeria captain, Muhammed made it three-nil. The right-back pounced on a poor defending to smash home his second goal of the tournament.

After taking a three-goal lead into the break, Nigeria somehow took their foot off the pedals but kept it tight at the back.
In the 76th minute, Yahaya deservedly got his goal to give Nigeria a four-goal lead and also put his name among those with four goals at the tournament.
However, the game was not done with goalscoring as Iran's substitute, Gholizadeh got a sight of goal from range and hit the ball hard past Nigeria goalkeeper Dele Alampasu who stood no chance of stopping his pile-driver.
But Gholizadeh's goal was just a consolation as Nigeria will face Uruguay in the last eight this Saturday.

U.S. hangs on to slim lead

Another rain delay cut short some exceptional golf Friday at the Presidents Cup.
Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley shot 30 on the front nine at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, an astounding performance in foursomes. Only some sloppy play allowed the match to go 15 holes in a 4-and-3 win over Jason Day and Graham DeLaet.
“We were down but, boy, on 5 we just turned it on and played some of our best golf,” Mickelson said.
Right behind them, Brendon de Jonge began to emerge as a star of the International team. He teamed with Ernie Els in a 4-and-3 win over Hunter Mahan and Bill Hass. They were 8 under when the match ended at the 15th.
“This guy, he played beautiful and we both played well today,” Els said.
The Americans had a 4-3 lead, although four matches were in progress when darkness descended on Muirfield Village.
For the second day in a row, storms interrupted play for almost three hours and left a bleak outlook for finishing Sunday.
The other four matches the Americans were up in two, the International led the other two were to resume this morning.
Tiger Woods and Matt Kuchar were 6 under through eight holes and still only had a 1-up lead over Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. Oosthuizen missed a short par putt on the ninth to lose another hole, and the former British Open champion made an even greater blunder on the par-3 12th. After Woods went long of the green, Oosthuizen’s 7-iron leaked to the right and hopped into the water. The Americans won with a bogey and were 3 up with six holes to play when they stopped.
Steve Stricker and 20-year-old Jordan Spieth finally seized control of their match when Spieth made a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 eighth, and the Texan made another key birdie on the 12th. They were 3 up with four holes remaining. Angel Cabrera and Marc Leishman overcame an early deficit and were 1 up with five holes remaining against Webb Simpson and Brandt Snedeker. The International team had control of the other match. Hideki Matsuyama and Adam Scott lost only one hole and were 4 up with seven holes remaining against Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner.
Today is the busiest day for the Presidents Cup, with five fourballs matches early and five foursomes matches late. It concludes with 12 singles matches Sunday, although the forecast is not any better, especially for Sunday.

Seattle Seahawks vs. St. Louis Rams

Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker Bruce Irvin (51) runs against St. Louis Rams tight end Jared Cook (89) after intercepting the pass during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 28, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

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Another stadium was visited by strange guests over the weekend, with 11 hooded onlookers causing a stir at Stamford Bridge on Sunday

Chelsea's Stamford Bridge became the latest football venue to play host to a gang of mysterious visitors on Sunday when 11 men in robes were spotted at the Premier League clash with Manchester City.

The figures closely resembled those seen at Saturday's Bundesliga fixture between Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin at the Allianz Arena.


Shrouded in secrecy | The visitors provoked curious glances from Chelsea supporters at the Bridge
As in the previous sighting, they wore black robes with mysterious circles on their chest and were seen making curious synchronised movements at irregular intervals during Chelsea's 2-1 win, while they also stood in unison at random moments.

Situated three rows back from the corner flag at the Shed End, the gang could be clearly seen on TV cameras beaming pictures of the crunch fixture all across the world.

One Chelsea fan sat close to the mysterious guests was Robin Taylor, who said afterwards that he was slightly perturbed by their presence.

"We're used to a few different characters down at Chelsea, there was once even a guy brushing his teeth behind the bench at a game, but we've had nothing quite like this before," he said.


Watching the Kaiser | Franz Beckenbauer was pictured near a robed man at Stamford Bridge on Sunday
The appearance of the mystery men coincided with the surprise visit to Stamford Bridge of Franz Beckenbauer, the former Germany World Cup-winning captain and coach.

The Kaiser watched the game from the VIP area and conducted media interviews. He subsequently released an extraordinary personal video which can be viewed from the link below.

The sightings at the football grounds follow a series of bizarre incidents involving the same mysterious circles at landmark locations - including London, New York and Rio - across the world.

Speculation over the events has hit social media, with discussions using the hashtag witnessed at the

Why are Xavi, Pirlo & Mourinho nominated? The Ballon d’Or is decided on reputation

The Fifa Ballon d’Or shortlist, revealed on Tuesday, has once again shown that players and coaches are rewarded based on reputation and not on their form and achievements over the course of the calendar year.
This has been proven time and again. The snubbing of Wesley Sneijder and Diego Milito in 2010 is just one example, but this year is perhaps the most blatant case of big-name favouritism.
In the main category, Andrea Pirlo and Xavi are among the 23 contenders. The pair have undoubtedly been the top two centre midfielders of their generation but both have been well below their best since January 1.
At Juventus alone, there have been two midfielders superior to Pirlo – Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal. The omission of the Chilean from the shortlist is nothing short of criminal; the 26-year-old has been Serie A’s standout player this year, inspiring Juventus to the Scudetto and Chile to the World Cup.
Xavi, meanwhile, has endured his worst year at Barcelona from a personal sense since his injury-plagued 2005-06 campaign. Struggling to maintain a high level as he reaches the final stage of his career, Xavi was outshone in a series of high-profile matches, including Barca’s 7-0 Champions League semi-final thumping by Bayern and Spain’s Confederation Cup final loss to Brazil.
Yaya Toure is another player who has only made the list based on past performances. The Ivorian has had an average 2013, with Manchester City finishing 11 points behind neighbours United in the Premier League in May and already well off the pace this term.

2013 Fifa Ballon d'Or 23-man shortlist

NAME	TEAM	LEAGUE
Lahm, Neuer, Schweinsteiger, Ribery, Robben, Muller	Bayern Munich	Bundesliga
Lewandowski	Borussia Dortmund	Bundesliga
Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Neymar	Barcelona	La Liga
Ronaldo, Bale	Real Madrid	La Liga
Cavani, Ibrahimovic, T.Silva	PSG	Ligue 1
Falcao	Monaco	Ligue 1
Hazard	Chelsea	Premier League
Suarez	Liverpool	Premier League
Van Persie	Manchester United	Premier League
Yaya Toure	Manchester City	Premier League
Ozil	Arsenal	Premier League
Pirlo	Juventus	Serie A

Eliminated in Europe in the group stages, it is inexplicable that Toure can be nominated ahead of Dortmund midfield stars Ilkay Gundogan, Marco Reus and Mario Gotze. The presence of just one Borussia Dortmund player, Robert Lewandowski, is insulting. This is a team who lit up the Champions League in 2013 along with Bayern Munich.
And a team that defeated Mesut Ozil’s Real Madrid in the semi-final after a 4-1 thrashing at Westfalenstadion. The playmaker was totally overrun by the above trio in that game and didn’t score a goal for Madrid in 2013 until April. His presence on the Ballon d’Or shortlist is purely a reaction to his high-profile big-money move to Arsenal in the summer, for whom he has played just eight times since.
The inclusions of Eden Hazard and Luis Suarez are less controversial, but also very debatable. Hazard has reserved his best form for the start of the 2013-14 campaign, but if that is sufficient to make the cut then Francesco Totti, Aaron Ramsey and Diego Costa should be inserted too. Suarez has been world class almost every time he has taken to the pitch in 2013, but he has missed almost a third of his club’s games this year due to suspension.
Spanish magician Isco - who dragged Malaga to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, was Player of the Tournament at the Under-21 Euros and has begun his Real Madrid career exceptionally - is more deserving than both Hazard and Suarez.
The coaching shortlist is also a slave to reputation. Vicente del Bosque, Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger have all achieved nothing in 2013. Mourinho even confessed upon leaving Real Madrid that 2012-13 had been the worst season of his career. The Special One lost the Copa del Rey final to Diego Simeone of Atletico Madrid - the Argentine is just one glaring omission in this category.
Fifa needs to consider new ways of deciding the nominees and winners of the Ballon d’Or. The current system - whereby the shortlist is compiled by the Fifa Football Committe and employees of France Football before the final voting is decided by international coaches, captains and journalists – does not work. The 2013 shortlist is confirmation that names are being selected purely on reputation

The former Bayern Munich and Manchester United bosses retired halfway through the year, but are still in the running to be rewarded for a fine farewell season

Jose Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson and Jupp Heynckes are among the 10 remaining candidates to win the Fifa World Coach of the Year award.

Heynckes guided Bayern Munich to a historic treble in 2012-13, only to step down at the end of the season to make way for Pep Guardiola.

Ferguson, meanwhile, won the Premier League title with Manchester United last term before retiring from professional football.

Mourinho has made the list despite a trophyless year with Real Madrid, while Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and Spain coach Vicente del Bosque are other noteworthy inclusions in the 10-man list.

The final decisions will be made by the captains and head coaches of the men’s national teams as well as international media representatives selected by France Football.

In early December 2013, Fifa and France Football will announce the names of the three men who have received the most votes, without revealing the winner.

The winners of the award will be revealed at the Fifa Ballon d’Or gala as part of a televised show at the Zurich Kongresshaus on 13 January 2014.

Last year's podium consisted of Del Bosque, Mourinho and Guardiola.

SHORTLIST IN FULL:

Carlo Ancelotti	PSG/Real Madrid	Italy
Rafa Benitez	Chelsea/Napoli	Spain
Antonio Conte	Juventus	Italy
Vicente del Bosque	Spain	Spain
Sir Alex Ferguson	Manchester United	Scotland
Jupp Heynckes	Bayern Munich	Germany
Jurgen Klopp	Borussia Dortmund	Germany
Jose Mourinho	Real Madrid/Chelsea	Portugal
Luiz Felipe Scolari	Brazil	Brazil
Arsene Wenger	Arsenal	France

FIFA Release Ballon d'Or 2013 Shortlist, Ferguson, Mourinho and Wenger Up for Coach of the Year

FIFA have released their 23-man shortlist for this year's edition of the Ballon d'Or.  Yes, nowadays this is a FIFA institution rather than a France Football institution, so theoretically a player playing outside of Europe can win it, too.  I'd mock the theoretical part, but FIFA did award a World Cup to Qatar, so you never know.
In the three years since FIFA took over the running of the award (and UEFA created the Best Player in Europe Award to continue feeling equally important), there's only been one winner:  Lionel Messi.  Cristiano Ronaldo has placed second each of the last two years with Xavi and Andrés Iniesta coming in third once each.  In 2010, those two shared the podium behind Messi.  Messi won it in 2009 as well (Cristiano second, Xavi third).  So basically, all the podiums have been shared between those four guys and it's all become a bit boring.  You have to go back to 2008 to find a new name (Fernando Torres, in third) and to 2007 to find a non Spain-based winner (Kaká with AC Milan).  But maybe this year there will be a change, just like there was a changing of the guard in the Champions League and the European football landscape in general (at least it felt like one).
Here are this year's nominees:

Gareth Bale, Edinson Cavani, Radamel Falcao, Eden Hazard, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Andrés Iniesta, Philipp Lahm, Robert Lewandowski, Lionel Messi, Thomas Müller, Manuel Neuer, Neymar, Mesut Özil, Andrea Pirlo, Franck Ribéry, Arjen Robben, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Luis Suárez, Thiago Silva, Yaya Touré, Robin van Persie, Xavi

It'd be tough to argue with any of these choices.  Even Neuer makes it as the token goalkeeper and Thiago Silva and Philipp Lahm make it as defenders.  See, defensive players are players, too!  Thanks for inspiring the next generation of classy, ball-playing defenders, FIFA!
Eden Hazard pops up as the lone Chelsea representative.  A Chelsea player has never won this award (although Gullitt, Weah, and Shevchenko all won it before coming to Chelsea); the closest they've come is when Frank Lampard finished a distant second to Ronaldinho in 2005.  No shame in that and no shame in Hazard's eventual loss to whomever, either.
Things are a bit more interesting on the coaching side of the deal.  Did you know there was a coaching award?  I didn't.  Apparently it started three years ago as well, with Mourinho winning the first one and placing third and second in the two years since (Guardiola and Del Bosque were the other two winners).
Here are this year's nominees:

Carlo Ancelotti (Italy/Paris Saint-Germain FC/Real Madrid CF), Rafael Benítez (Spain/Chelsea FC/SSC Napoli), Antonio Conte (Italy/Juventus), Vicente Del Bosque (Spain/Spain national team), Sir Alex Ferguson (Scotland/Manchester United FC former coach), Jupp Heynckes (Germany/FC Bayern München former coach), Jürgen Klopp (Germany/Borussia Dortmund), José Mourinho (Portugal/Real Madrid CF/Chelsea FC), Luiz Felipe Scolari (Brazil/Brazil national team), Arsène Wenger (France/Arsenal FC).

You'd think this one would have to go to Heynckes or perhaps to Sir Alex as some sort of lifetime achievement.  But does FIFA even give out awards to non-Spanish or Spain-based players and managers?  I guess we'll find out in December

Nigeria’s first choice and stand-in captain believes he has what it takes to become the best goalkeeper in the world

Super Eagles goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama has disclosed that his target is to be the best goalkeeper in the world.
The Lille OSC man revealed this after helping his club to a 1-0 victory away to Nantes over the weekend and in the process keeping his ninth clean slate in the Ligue 1.
 “It’s about work, work and even more hard work. I believe in hard work. I have been watching videos and looking at my mistakes. I keep striving day and night to correct them,” Enyeama told his club’s website.
“When I make a mistake, I am hard on myself….more than I could get on someone else if he made the same mistake.
“That’s the way I am. I have set very high standards for myself. I believe I can be the best goalkeeper in the world,” Enyeama concluded
The former Enyimba skipper has been in blistering form since returning from a season long loan to Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel.

Eleven men dressed in identical black robes were present in the stands to the surprise of bewildered fans at the Allianz Arena

A group of mysterious figures caused a stir in the crowd at Bayern Munich's clash with Hertha Berlin at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

The 11 unknown men, each dressed in black robes and sat in a line, were spotted making strange synchronised gestures during the league match, which Bayern won 3-2.




Situated six rows from the pitch just beside the halfway line in the stand opposite the broadcasting gantry, the group was also seen by TV viewers all across the world.

One fan, Torsten Schmidt, said: "It was very weird. They sat very still for a long time but then would hold their hands up together, or stand up in unison and then sit down again. Everyone near me was very confused. Some people laughed, some looked astonished. It was just very weird."

A key feature of their clothing was a circular symbol on the chest of their robes. It clearly resembled the logo spotted at a series of linked unexplained event over the past week.



The same symbol has been seen at locations across the globe, starting with the appearance of a hologram on Rio de Janeiro's Sugarloaf mountain on Sunday, 20 October.

A three-metre football displaying the sign then gouged a huge hole in the turf at London's amateur football hub Hackney Marshes 24 hours later, while New York City's Times Square was struck by similar images on the tourist spot's world famous digital billboards.

Further sightings of the symbol have been witnessed in the Copacabana neighbourhood of Rio and on the Brazilian city's Santa Maria hill, but this is the first time that the mystery has spread to a professional football arena. Also repeatedly spotted at the locations has been the message

Al-Nashāmā secured their first ever win over Nigeria in Tuesday’s international friendly played at the Amman International Stadium

ordan defeated Nigeria 1-0 at the Amman International Stadium in an international friendly played on Monday afternoon.
A 42^nd minute strike from captain, Hatem Aqel was all the host needed to beat Stephen Keshi’s men as they continue preparation for their make or break 2014 World Cup qualifying play-offs against the Uruguayan national team.
The West Asian coached by legendary Egyptian striker, Hossam Hassan started on an impressive note threatening   the Nigerian defence led by Azubuike Egwuekwe but could not get the curtain raiser due to poor finishing.
Nigeria tried to curtail the attacking forays of their opponent but were unable to take control of the game as Jordan proved a threat on the counterattack. The Super Eagles chance at getting the opening goal came in the 14^th minute when Etebo  quick burst of pace into the Al-Nashāmā defence but it was wasted by Sunday Mba as his first touch was cleared by Jordan’s defence.
Few minutes later, the 22^nd minute to be precise, Obiozor made a quick run then turns back towards the goal but shot waywardly at the opponents goal.
Not quite long, Jordan won a free kick in front of the Nigeria area after Egwuekwe rough challenge on his opponent but the resulting freekick was blocked by the Nigeria wall as the hosts continue to dominate possession.
In the 30^th minute, some fine play from the Eagles could have shot them into the lead as Benjamin Francis was brought down for a free kick on the left side of the Jordanian goal. The resulting kick was cleared off the line by the host's goalkeeper from Ugonna's close range shot.
The hosts however got the curtain raiser via a cool penalty taken by skipper Hatem Aqel after Obiozor stopped Yousef in his stride.
On resumption of the second half, Keshi’s side mounted pressure on the host and almost got the equaliser in the 52^nd minutes when Mba's shot from inside the Jordanian box narrowly missed the goal. Seconds later, Uzoenyi dribbled past his marker but does poorly in giving the final pass inside the box.
Despite the introduction of Ifeanyi Edeh, Barnabas Imenger and Christian Pyagbara, the Eagles failed to score as they look lethargic in front of goal.
In the 78^th minute, the host almost doubled their lead but Chadli’s header struck the cross bar from a corner kick.
With this result, Keshi records his second defeat with the Home based Super Eagles as they intensify preparation for next year’s Chan billed to hold in South Africa.

Moyes needs to Man Up

There is no room for Manchester United manager David Moyes to hide.
There were doubts about his ability to manage one of the biggest sporting brands in the world after the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. After eight matches in the Premier League season Manchester United are the butt of all jokes.
I will admit that I was calm and trusted that he would be good enough for the job - am still confident that he is. However, the time has come for him to take the bull by the horns, get as tough as he can and basically "man up" at Man U.
All the first team players at Manchester United have Premier League winners' medals bar Fellaini and the young lad Janusaj, so they will need the manager to show them what new things he brings to the table. At Everton, David Moyes showed a lot of modern tactical play with his team and rarely ever set the team up in the old fashioned 4-4-2 formation that he inexplicably uses at Man United now. It is a formation that is so rare to see at any of the top clubs in Europe.
It is very difficult to make excuses for the United manager with regards to the transfer window, as he was appointed before the end of last season, resuming work on the 1st of July - the day the transfer window opened. It was extreme carelessness on his part that the club chased shadows all through the summer, managing only to sign Maroune Fellaini on deadline day. The club had engaged in fruitless searches elsewhere.
What is proving to be the most difficult situation for Moyes, which might prove pivotal in his success or failure at Man United, is the playing relationship between Wayne Rooney and last season's hero Robin van Persie.
As I pointed out above, very few teams play with a twin strike force but clearly Moyes wants to keep Rooney and Van Persie happy by playing them both from the start. It is not working. The midfield empties and is shorn of numbers, as opponents overwhelm the two United have there. This then dries up the supply to the strikers, making playing the two of them irrelevant.
Wayne Rooney had said that he fell out with Sir Alex last season because he was asked to play a lot in midfield. Never mind that, factually, it was falsehood, as he played most of his matches last season as a forward. The fact is that now he seems to want to just score goals. His body language is that of a man who only wants to add to his tally and will not be ready for anything else. Robin van Persie also only wants to score goals as he did so thrillingly last season.
David Moyes needs to ignore the selfishness of both his star forwards and think of the success of his team first, which is closely tied to his tenure at Old Trafford, in making the hard decision of dropping one of them. A decision like that will send out a message to all the players that he is not afraid to take hard decisions for the benefit of the team and players will then trust him more.
It needs to be reiterated that the desires of both players to be the number one striker for the club is not a bad thing. It is the effect of having both of them in tandem that is a problem. Someone might point out that City have two strikers but City play with midfielders who are brilliant.
Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal make sure of their numbers in midfield to ensure territorial equality first, before going on to look for superiority in goals scored.
David Moyes has to sort the situation out pretty fast. He has the players to do it, his job is to present them with the right tactics for each match. It is embarrassing for a club the size of Man United to get a solitary point from two home games against WBA and Southampton.
The Premier League title race will run to the wire with so many teams to be involved to the end. The manager of the defending Champions David Moyes has to ensure he is part of the title race if he wants to have a job next season. It is that straightforward.

Moroccans send Panama packing

Morocco sent a message to other Round of 16-bound teams at the Fifa U-17 World Cup with a comprehensive 4-2 victory over Panama in Sharjah that sees the north Africans finish atop Group C.
Despite surrendering an early lead, Morocco were the better side throughout the 90 minutes, though Panama did have the Moroccans under pressure at the start. The Central American side were rewarded in the 20th minute with Werner Wald’s cool strike, Panama’s first goal of the tournament. Capitalising on Christopher

Bared’s free-kick that deflected off the Moroccan wall, Wald found the ball at his feet and his finish only required a simple pass from 12 yards to give the Panama the lead.
The ensuing five minutes saw Panama waste two clear chances that would have doubled their lead. And in the 30th minute, Morocco finally came to life and put on an impressive show, dazzling the Sharjah Stadium crowd with four well-crafted goals.
Younes Bnou Marzouk began the scoring for the north Africans with a dazzling run to beat three defenders, finishing past Jaime De Gracia and into the far corner. The leveler took the wind out of the Panamanian sails as the Moroccan crowd urged their team on to take the lead. Ten minutes later, they had their wish with a go-ahead goal, once again Marzouk providing the finish. A brilliant bit of build-up from the Moroccans gave Karim Achahbar all the time needed to get to the goal-line and pick out Marzouk at the top of the area, He calmly curled his effort into the side netting, leaving De Gracia with no chance.

Morocco picked up right where they left off at the start of the second half, adding their third – and probably best – goal of the match four minutes after the break. A deflected cross found its way out to Hamza Sakhi, whose first touch set him up for a well-taken volley at the corner of Panama's penalty area that screamed inside the far post. Achahbar added a fourth with five minutes to play to put the match firmly out of reach. Jaadi made a run through the heart of the Panama defence and hit a powerful shot from distance that De Gracia could only parry away. Unfortunately for the Panama goalkeeper, his attempted save rebounded off the crossbar and straight into Achahbar’s path for a simple header into the empty net.
Panama added a second goal in the 88th minutes when Ismael Diaz set up Ervin Zorrilla, who finished past Morocco goalkeeper Oussayd Belkouch to send the Central Americans home with at least a little bit of consolation. While the win sees Morocco finish first in Group C, the result also sends Slovakia - from Group A - into the Round of 16. Groups E and F finish up on Friday, and the remaining U-17 sides will regroup over the weekend and prepare for the knockout stages to begin on Monday.

Eaglets to get better

 
Head coach of the Nigerian squad, Manu Garba, is sure that his team would improve as the 2013 Fifa World Cup continues in the UAE.
The Golden Eaglets thumped Iraq 5-0 at the Rashid Stadium in Dubai on Friday to reach the round of 16 but Garba was in not totally in awe following the big win.
Though his boys have scored 14 goals in three matches and conceded four, Garba said there are still "some lapses" in his squad.
“Iraq gave their best and I want to commend them. But despite our victory, we have noticed some lapses too which would be corrected as we move on.
“We would get better as the tournament progresses and as I said earlier, we did not have any quality friendly matches before the start of the tournament and I believe we can always get better," said the Nigerian coach.
The Golden Eaglets will now face Iran in the round of 16 of the Under-17 World Cup in Al Ain City on Tuesday.

The Dutchman believes he has become more susceptible to injury because of the training implemented by Sir Alex Ferguson's replacement, which Wayne Rooney admitted is "so hard

Robin van Persie is at odds with David Moyes over the new Manchester United manager's training methods.

The Dutch striker has told close friends that he is "disgruntled" at the greater emphasis on running and endurance in sessions under Moyes' coaching staff compared to the Sir Alex Ferguson regime.

It is understood that Van Persie believes he is being overtrained, which is making him more susceptible to injury. The player has also expressed his frustration that Rene Meulensteen, the former United first-team coach and his fellow Dutchman, was not retained by Moyes this summer when he succeeded Ferguson.

Sources have said that Van Persie and Moyes exchanged heated words in the build-up to the Manchester derby after the 30-year-old suffered a groin injury in training, which kept him out of the 4-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium.

It ended a remarkable run of 90 consecutive Premier League appearances at both Arsenal and United for the once injury-plagued Dutchman, which stretched back to March 2011.

Van Persie is believed to have blamed the training methods for the injury, while Moyes later hinted that the player and the staff did not see eye-to-eye over how serious it was.

"I don't think his injury is that bad," Moyes said in the aftermath of the Manchester derby. "We felt he was going to make it but he just felt something in his groin.

"He'd actually done some training in the last couple of days but he just felt it when he made any sharp movements and didn't want to aggravate it so we took that decision."

Van Persie subsequently missed United's Capital One Cup win over Liverpool and was only a substitute in the 2-1 league defeat to West Brom that followed.

The 30-year-old has started the last four matches for club and country but he came off at half-time during Netherlands' 2-0 win over Turkey in midweek.

The Dutchman is understood to hold strong views on match preparation and rehabilitation, believing heavy-duty sessions do not suit his explosive style of play, body shape and the advanced stage of his career.

In contrast, Van Persie's strike partner, Wayne Rooney, has spoken of how Moyes' methods have reaped their rewards in terms of his own personal fitness.

"It's a bit different in terms of David Moyes and his staff coming in," explained Rooney during the recent international break. "The training is different, there's a different style, a different way of thinking about how he wants us to play. Honestly, the training has been so hard. We've done a lot more running. Long running, quicker running, sharper running.

"I feel that's really benefited me. I feel as fit as I ever have done. I had a couple of injuries pre-season but I feel great and in good shape. It's a mixture of things, but I am happy and I am enjoying my football.

The Chilean attacker says the Blaugrana will be suitably prepared for what awaits them at San Siro on Tuesday following their humbling defeat last season

Alexis Sanchez says Barcelona will be a different team to the one that AC Milan tactically outclassed in San Siro last season when the sides meet in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Barca were humbled 2-0 in Milan in the first leg of the last 16 encounter back in February as Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng goals ensured a comfortable victory.

The return leg saw the Catalans overturn Milan's aggregate lead with an emphatic 4-0 win at Camp Nou, but the memories of the San Siro defeat will spur the Blaugrana on to make sure there is not a repeat result in the Group H match, according to Alexis.

"We learned from last year's experience [2-0 loss against AC Milan in the San Siro]," he told reporters ahead of the game.

"Milan have always shown great heart, it is important to play 90 minutes with great concentration. I always give my 100 per cent."

The Chile international has been criticised from some quarters as they believe he has not reached his full potential since his €26 million move from Udinese.

However, the 24-year-old, who has scored 30 goals in 97 appearances for Barcelona, says detractors spur him on to do even better.

He added: "In Barca there are so many good players. I am ready to play but I do not feel like a starter.

"The criticism gave me more strength. Playing with Neymar gives me happiness and confidence."

The Chelsea boss was sent to the stands in the victory over Cardiff City after verbally abusing referee Anthony Taylor over a time-wasting issue and may face a touchline ban

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has been charged by the Football Association for improper conduct during the 4-1 win over Cardiff City on Saturday.


The Portuguese coach was sent to the stands after berating referee Anthony Taylor for warning Branislav Ivanovic over time-wasting.

Mourinho was forced to watch the remaining 20 minutes from the East Stand amongst Chelsea fans but may now face a touchline ban following the FA's statement.

It read: "Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has been charged with improper conduct in relation to his behaviour during his side's game against Cardiff City on Saturday 19 October 2013.

"Mourinho has until 24 October at 6pm to respond to the charge."

Assistant manager Steve Holland fielded questions in the post-match press conference and attempted to explain Mourinho's actions.

Speaking to reporters Holland said: "Jose is very frustrated and it stems from the time-wasting from the opposition from basically the first two or three minutes of the game. We mentioned it to the fourth official in a professional way on countless occasions.

"The referee didn't appear to do anything about it but when we had a throw-in, Ivanovic had the ball in his hands for two seconds, and the referee was about getting the ball back into play and pointing at his watch.

"So it was a case of huge frustration with that. And to be sent off for that was very harsh.

The 50-year-old is hoping the Argentina international picks up where he left off and helps the Blaugrana through an important few days of the season

Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino expects the best from Lionel Messi as the forward returns in time to take on AC Milan and Real Madrid this week.

The Argentina international came on as a second-half substitute in the Blaugrana’s 0-0 draw with Osasuna on Saturday, after missing the previous two games with a hamstring problem.

Messi looks set to start his first match since September 28 against Milan on Tuesday, and Martino is confident that the No.10 will pick up where he left off before his injury.

“Everyone wants the best from Messi when he’s out on the pitch,” he told reporters.

“He has made us expect it from him. It’s something we’ve grown used to since he made his debut in the top flight.

“Messi is fine and once he gets the clearance from the medical team, he runs the same risks as any other player.”

Barcelona are looking to extend their perfect start in the Champions League to three games in Milan but Martino is wary of the threat posed by the Rossoneri.

“I’m sure that tomorrow, the players will think exactly as they did last season - that Milan is a side with a great tradition and shouldn’t be underestimated," he reasoned.

“This match isn’t a just a formality for us. We’re going into the game on the back of a good performance in a match which, although we didn’t win, allowed us to go top of the table. We’re in good form and we’re happy.

“I think we just need to focus strictly on what we do - give Milan few chances to hit us on the break and try to dominate possession.

“Reducing their options of hitting us on the counterattack is the key because that is where they are at their most dangerous.

Cristiano Ronaldo and his team-mates will have to deal with Zlatan Ibrahimovic's side, while les Bleus take on the Euro 2012 co-hosts

Either Cristiano Ronaldo or Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not be involved in next year's World Cup after the play-off draw pitted Portugal against Sweden.

The sides have met 15 times up to date, with the Scandinavians winning six, drawing six and losing three times.

Elsewhere, France will meet Euro 2012 co-hosts Ukraine as they fight for one place at next summer's tournament.

Didier Deschamps' men have taken on the Ukrainians on seven occasions up till date, with les Bleus emerging victorious four times and drawing the remaining three encounters.

However, Deschamps urged caution ahead of their clash with the Eastern Europeans.

"Portugal and Croatia are nations with experience, but it will not be easy against a team who are undefeated in their last seven matches and concede very few goals," he said.

"Having the second leg at home is a good thing for us. These four days will decide our future. We need a lot of confidence but also a lot of respect for the Ukrainian team."

Finally, Euro 2004 winners Greece take on Romania, while surprise package Iceland face Croatia.

The first legs will be played on November 15, with the returns scheduled to take place four days later on the 19th

Mario Balotelli’s sister delivers baby boy for Obafemi Martins

The lovebirds were delivered of a baby on Sunday, the third for the Seattle Sounders’ forward and the first for Milan striker’s siste


Seattle Sounders forward Obafemi Martins has had a baby boy by Abigail Barwuah, older sister of Milan striker Mario Balotelli.
The baby was delivered on Wednesday in Italy. Seyi Aduloju, an associate of the striker confirmed the birth to Goal.
The two have been dating since 2012 and Martins confirmed to Goal in an interview last year about their relationship.
It is Martins’ third child but the first for Abigail. The two lovebirds spent last Christmas in Lagos and have been photographed in a private jet together.
It is reported that she had a miscarriage late last year but got pregnant again almost immediately