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Russia 2018 Preliminary Draw – As it happened
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Welcome to AfricanFootball’s recap of the Preliminary Draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Our focus falls on the African section of the draw, and you can read all about how it will work right here:
The Preliminary Draw was held at the Konstantin Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. All times listed CAT.
Africa's draw as it happened:
17h45- That completes the draw for Africa, the 20 winners of the ties listed below will advance into the Round Three and be drawn into five groups of four, from which each group winner will qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
17h40 - Africa, Round Two ties
These match-ups are for Round Two
- Sudan v Zambia
- Libya v Rwanda
- Morocco v Equatorial Guinea
- Mozambique v Gabon
- Benin v Burkina Faso
- Togo v Uganda
- Angola v South Africa
17h30 - Africa, Round One tie v Round Two opponents:
The teams paired on left make up the 26 lowest-ranked sides and will playoff in Round One. The winners will progress to face the 13 highest-ranked teams on the right in Round Two.
- Somalia/Niger v Cameroon
- South Sudan/Mauritania v Tunisia
- Gambia/Namibia v Guinea
- Sao Tome & Principe/Ethiopia v Congo
- Chad/Sierra Leone v Egypt
- Comoros/Lesotho v Ghana
- Djibouti/Swaziland v Nigeria
- Eritrea/Botswana v Mali
- Seychelles/Burundi v Congo DR
- Liberia/Guinea-Bissau v Ivory Coast
- Central African Rep/Madagascar v Senegal
- Mauritius/Kenya v Cape Verde
- Tanzania/Malawi v Algeria
17h25- Good news, Africa is first up for the draw.
17h19- FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke is on stage to begin the draw.
17h15- Speeches finally done. Putin and Blatter sure know how to dull the mood. Nonetheless, on with the draw...
17h02- Russia's Vladimir Putin and FIFA president Sepp Blatter have taken to the stage to give opening speeches.
17h00- The draw is underway, with various hosts, assistants and dignitaries being introduced.
16h45- Cameroonian legend Samuel Eto'o will be one of the draw assistants today and says Russia could stage a great tournament in three years' time: “I hope it will be the best, because Russia has everything it needs to stage the greatest World Cup ever.”
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africanfootball.com/news/554555/Russia-2018-Preliminary-Draw-As-it-happened

VICTOR MOSES PROMISደD A GOAL AGAINST PSG AND HE DELIVERED ON IT. WITH MOSES, IGHALO, IHEANACHO, IWOBI, MUSA, IMOH, MBAKOGU, UJAH ETC I SEE NO REASON WHY WE SHOULD BE STRUGGLING TO SCORE GOALS...

adegwurulez:
VICTOR MOSES PROMISደD A GOAL AGAINST PSG AND HE DELIVERED ON IT. WITH MOSES, IGHALO, IHEANACHO, IWOBI, MUSA, IMOH, MBAKOGU, UJAH ETC I SEE NO REASON WHY WE SHOULD BE STRUGGLING TO SCORE GOALS...

I believe Sunday Oliseh will make use of the best out of this strikers.

adegwurulez:
VICTOR MOSES PROMISደD A GOAL AGAINST PSG AND HE DELIVERED ON IT. WITH MOSES, IGHALO, IHEANACHO, IWOBI, MUSA, IMOH, MBAKOGU, UJAH ETC I SEE NO REASON WHY WE SHOULD BE STRUGGLING TO SCORE GOALS...

I believe you guy. 2017 AFCON & 2018 world Cup Qualification na sure thing. I just pray that the performance of our stars improve and wish them injury free seasons. Who say we no go fly again?

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Moses, Mikel feature in Chelsea pre-season win
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Super Eagles forward, Victor Moses, was the best player for Chelsea as the English champions defeated French kings,, PSG, in a pre-season friendly on Saturday.
Moses’ compatriot Mikel Obi played the first 45 minutes for the Londoners, africanFootball.com reports.
It was a brilliant individual performance that should guarantee the ex-England youth international’s future at Stamford Bridge after manager Jose Mourinho hinted he may be considered for first-team squad in the new season.
Moses got the equaliser for “The Blues” in the 65th minute to end the game 1-1 in regulation time, canceling Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s 25th minute goal.
Chelsea then won the tie 6-5 on penalties.
The former Wigan Athletic player pounced on Cesc Fabregas pass to jab in the goal.
Moses was the best Chelsea player on the pitch, as he was dangerous in attack and supported the defence.
In the 10th minute, the Super Eagles winger dribbled past three PSG players before finding Ivanovic, who failed to score from six yards.
[/b]
thenationonlineng.net/moses-mikel-feature-in-chelsea-pre-season-win/

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Emenike’s new status gives Oliseh headache
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New Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh’s first major selection dilemma would be whether or not to invite striker Emmanuel Emenike for an AFCON qualifier in Tanzania in September, AfricanFootball.comhas again exclusively been informed.
Oliseh is a long-term admirer of Emenike, but the striker’s recent switch to the backwater league in Dubai on loan from Fenerbache may now go contrary to his recent declaration that he will only pick players from credible leagues for his new Eagles.
AfricanFootball.comscooped that Emenike is on Oliseh’s provisional list of foreign-based stars for the match against Tanzania.
In 2013, Oliseh was a pundit for pay television stationSuperSportwhen Nigeria against all odds won a third AFCON crown courtesy of goals by Emenike.
“Oliseh is a big fan of Emenike and has not wasted any time in picking the striker for the AFCON qualifier in Tanzania, but he will most certainly be grilled by the media if he goes ahead and invites the striker who will in the new season play in the UAE, which is not by any definition ‘a credible league’,” said a top source.
However, another top official has already jumped in defence of the new Eagles coach, saying he will be on track to call up Emenike because his declaration excluded players who have already established themselves in the national team as well as players from the age-group teams.
“Oliseh when he made his declaration of his yardsticks for selection, he also made a caveat to exclude players who have already established themselves in the Eagles as well as those who are in the various junior national teams.
“That should cover a player like Emenike, who has done so much for Nigeria within a short time.”
Oliseh will announce his list of foreign-based players for the Tanzania trip by the third week of August.
[/b]
thenationonlineng.net/emenikes-new-status-gives-oliseh-headache/

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Keshi claims N1billion compensation from NFF
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A fricanFootball.comcan exclusively reveal that sacked Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has demanded a compensation of a billion Naira (more than $400 million) from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for defaming him.
Last week, AfricanFootball.comfirst broke the story that Keshi has dragged the NFF to court for “wrongful dismissal and defamation”.
A top source told AfricanFootball.com: “Keshi’s lawyers have demanded for a billion Naira from the NFF as compensation for defaming their client.”
The letter from the Kaduna-based law firm was received by the NFF on Friday.
Keshi was sacked by the NFF on July 5 after the NFF disciplinary committee investigated various allegations against him.
This was four months after the 53-year-old coach signed a new two-year contract after his initial three-year deal with the NFF ran out at last year’s World Cup in Brazil.

thenationonlineng.net/keshi-claims-n1billion-compensation-from-nff/

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Oboabona: I will be thrilled if Eagles make 2017 AFCON
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Super Eagles defender, Godfrey Oboabona says he would be more than elated to see the senior national team get one of the tickets to the 2017 AFCON after the country’s omission from the 2015 edition held in Equatorial Guinea.
Nigeria started the Gabon 2017 AFCON qualifier with a 2-0 win over Chad in June and Oboabona who was in that game toldSportingLifethat he would love his team mates to take all the qualifying matches seriously so as not to miss out again.
“It is our objective to qualify for AFCON before we talk about the World Cup qualification. We must take our games seriously and play as a team,” Oboabona toldSportingLife.
Oboabona has also tipped his Super Lig side, Rizespor for greatness in the league this season after they held Hellas Verona to a 1-1 draw in a friendly match on Saturday.
Oboabona and his Turkish side narrowly escaped relegation by the whiskers last season but the Super Eagles’ defender has said that his club would aim at finishing very strongly at the end of the next soccer season.
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thenationonlineng.net/oboabona-i-will-be-thrilled-if-eagles-make-2017-afcon/

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Ujah hits goal No. 8 for Bremen
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Nigeria international Anthony Ujah has continued his impressive run with GermanBundesligaclub Werder Bremen with his eighth goal of the pre-season in a 3-1 win over SpanishLa Ligaside Sevilla.
Ujah, who played the first 45 minutes of the game, scored Bremen’s second goal in the 32nd minute.
Ujah joined Werder Bremen from FC Cologne this summer.
In England, compatriot Victor Anichebe was among the goals as West Brom thrashed Swindon Town 4-1 in a pre-season game also on Saturday, netting his first goal as the team’s build-up for the new EPL season.
Anichebe scored in the 23rd minute to give ‘The Baggies’ a 2-0 lead.
He scored three goals last season in 21 games for the Midlands club.
Fellow Nigerian Brown Ideye was close to goal twice, first in the 77th minute, when he failed to beat Swindon goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux in a one-on-one situation.
The second was when his long-range effort was spilled by the goalkeeper for Sessegnon to score for the fourth goal.
In a related vein, Leeds United midfielder Thomas “Tom” Adeyemi scored his team’s consolation goal as they lost 2-1 to German club Hoffenheim.
[/b]
thenationonlineng.net/ujah-hits-goal-no-8-for-bremen/

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Olabiyi shines for Houston Dynamo vs Gerrard’s Galaxy
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Nigeria midfielder Rasheed Olabiyi shone brightly for Houston Dynamo as they thrashed LA Galaxy 3-0 in an MLS game on Saturday night.
LA Galaxy paraded former Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard and Robbie Keane.
The former Enyimba and Shooting Stars played for few minutes but his impact was greatly felt as he assisted Leonel Miranda for the third goal.
Olabiyi replaced Alex in the 87th minute, he then won a ball in the opponents’ half, beat his marker neatly and sent Miranda through on goal in the 89th minute which sealed the victory for the Texas State-based team.

thenationonlineng.net/olabiyi-shines-for-houston-dynamo-vs-gerrards-galaxy/

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Joke figure Yakubu still has the last laugh
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Five years since that miss, the Yak cruelly remains a punching bag. However, considering his goal record, why is he not looked at more favourably?

By Solace Chukwu
The mention of Yakubu Aiyegbeniwithin any context in a Nigerian conversation invariably elicits a roll of the eyes and a snide comment. A lot of the time, this is not unconnected tothatincident at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
In hindsight, it is immeasurably harsh that that miss from inside four yards was the interment of his international career. A few months shy of his 28th birthday, he inexplicably contrived to divert a Yusuf Ayila square-pass inches wide of the Korean goal in the 66th minute, with the scoreline at 1-2.
However, one wonders why that moment alone should so colour the perception of an entire nation about ‘The Yak’. He had been with the national team for eight years up until that point, and by the time he stroked home a penalty a couple of minutes after that infamous miss, he cemented his place as the Nigeria national team’s third-highest scorer ever, behind only Rashidi Yekini and Segun Odegbami—both in the top five of Nigeria’s greatest-ever footballers.
While the first two are revered, Yakubu remains a figure of derision, an emblem of the improbable miss, the butt of cruel jokes, and something of a footnote in the country’s footballing history.
It is ironic when you think about it: that was the sort of opportunity that was his bread and butter over a nine-year English Premier League career. His goals-reel is littered with instances of tremendous calm finishes, and his prowess from the penalty spot was almost insulting—the jerky run-up, followed by an insouciant roll of the ball sending the keeper the wrong way. To then miss in that fashion in green and white seemed an abdication.
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m.goal.com/x/en-ng/news/13868672
.....continue in the next post

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Harmony Ikande regrets Champions League ouster
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Ikande could not feature for FK Sarajevo in the Champions League
Nigerian midfielder Harmony Ikande has said he is disappointed his new Bosnian club FK Sarajevo crashed out of the UEFA Champions League with he not able to feature due to late completion of his paperwork.
UEFA Champions League Nigeria roundup
The former Hapoel Tel Aviv player missed both legs in the Champions league qualifying round due to documentation issue which is sorted out now.
Ikande has now told AfricanFootball.com he want to win the league in Bosnia as well as get another chance to show case his talent in the Champions League.
"In games of that magnitude, there must be a winner and a loser, but not withstanding there is always a next time,” he said.
"Though one of my major targets here was to play in the Champions League and win the local league, I could not feature in the Champions League because my registration papers were not complete.
"Hopefully, we will win the league which will enable us play in the next Champions League.
“And I also hope the new Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh will watch the league here for me to be considered for his team.”
He has played for AC Milan (Italy), Honved (Hungary), Extremadura UD (Serbia), Horvela (Ukraine), Beitar Jerusalem, Hapoel Ashkelon and Hapoel Tel Aviv (All in Israel).
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africanfootball.com/news/554705/Harmony-Ikande-regrets-Champions-League-ouster

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Keshi vs NFF: NFF confirm lawyers' notice
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NFF President Pinnick
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have confirmed they have received a letter from lawyers of sacked Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi demanding for a billion Naira compensation from the NFF for defamation.
A top NFF official, who did not want his name in print, confirmed to AfricanFootball.com:"We have received the notification.
"But we did not get it directly. We got it from the National Sports Commission.
"I don't think it’s something we should be discussing, but I can confirm that we have received the letter addressed to us through the National Sports Commission."
Last week, AfricanFootball.com first broke the story that Keshi has dragged the NFF to court for “wrongful dismissal and defamation”.
We then followed it up with yet another exclusive in which Keshi is claiming a billion Naira compensation after he was fired earlier this month for “a breach of trust”.
By Arafat Aliu
[/b]
africanfootball.com/news/554897/Keshi-vs-NFF-NFF-confirm-lawyers-notice

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Enyimba's Ezekiel Bassey leads home-based stars to Eagles camp
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Ezekiel Bassey 'Hazard' has been on superb form for title-chasing Enyimba this season
by Samm Audu
On-form Enyimba forward Ezekiel Bassey aka Hazard is one of a dozen fresh faces who will lead players from the Nigeria league to a Super Eagles training camp next month.
Some of the other fresh invitees from the domestic league include Bright Ikechukwu (FC IfeanyiUbah), Aneifiok Godspower (Kano Pillars), Nelson Ogbonnaya (Heartland) and Prince Aggrey (Sunshine Stars).
AfricanFootball.com has specially gathered that the training camp is tentatively fixed to begin on August 17 and will serve for both the Super Eagles AFCON qualifier against Tanzania the following month as well as the start for the CHAN qualifier against Burkina Faso in October.
“The Eagles coaches will players in the league who are doing well currently, not with those who have made a name for themselves over the years,” an official informed AfricanFootball.com
“They have worked closely with coaches in the various league clubs to find out about these players both on and off the pitch.”
Bassey, for one, has dazzled for six-time champions Enyimba in the first round of this season’s league since his switch from hometown club Akwa United.
“He has been our best player this season, he scores and creates goals that fans in Aba have nicknamed him Hazard (after Chelsea and Belgium star),” remarked Enyimba sporting director Jude Anyadufu.
“His No 1 fan is his mother, who is a principal of a secondary school in Akwa Ibom State, who travels to watch her son play in our home matches.”
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africanfootball.com/news/554717/Enyimba-s-Ezekiel-Bassey-leads-home-based-stars-to-Eagles-camp

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Iwobi delighted after scoring first goal for Arsenal
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The Gunners’ youngster reveals he was in shock after scoring his first senior goal for Arsene Wenger’s side in their defeat of Lyon
By Shina Oludare

Arsenal rookie Alex Iwobi has spoken of his delight at scoring on his first senior team goal against Lyon on Saturday. The Gunners spanked the French topflight side 6-0 in the Emirates Cup.
The Nigerian added his side’s third, completing a well-worked team goal, before the impressive Aaron Ramsey latched on to an Ozil pass to finish from close range.
He said he was surprised to have found the back of the net againstLes Gonesand was shocked that he did not know how to celebrate.
“When Aaron passed me the ball I couldn't believe it. I just swung my left foot at it and fortunately it went in and I was like 'oh my gosh.’” Iwobi told ArsenalPlayer.
“I couldn't believe it, I was in shock. I didn't know what to do or how to celebrate but I enjoyed it! I have dreamt about it so many times but I never thought it could feel as good as this.
“My family, my friends, my close friends even my uncle was here today so I was glad to get a goal for them,” he concluded.
Iwobi would be hoping to fight for a place in the star-studded Wenger’s team as the English top flight season kicks off in August.
[/b]
m.goal.com/x/en-ng/news/13910832

.....continue from the other corresponding post
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Joke figure Yakubu still has the last laugh
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Five years since that miss, the Yak cruelly remains a punching bag. However, considering his goal record, why is he not looked at more favourably?

By Solace Chukwu
Yakubu |A career misrepresented by that one moment
That symbolises quite aptly some of the animus toward him; the impression he never tried hard enough or hit the heights for the Super Eagles. This belief - his thickset physique lent him an air of cumbersomeness that was somewhat misleading; he did possess reasonable pace, but only in bursts – was perpetuated by his decision to abstain from the 2006 Afcon in Egypt, preferring to continue with Middlesbrough. This was not unconnected with his unceremonious dismissal from the 2004 edition following friction with then-manager Christian Chukwu.
That incident led him to exile himself from the international scene. While Nigeria bumbled about in World Cup qualifying and underwhelmed at the Nations Cup, Yakubu flourished, helping Middlesbrough improbably to the final of the 2006 UEFA Cup as it was then called.
That period was peak-Yak, as he came into his own as a top-level forward, devastating Premier League defences in tandem with Mark Viduka. He guaranteed goals wherever he played in England: 96 in total in the Premier League spanning four clubs, but his marksmanship elicited no pride from his compatriots. A force of nature on English soil, but relentlessly bullied back at home.
A further criticism is that, when he did score, it was rarely in an important context. It is hard to associate Yakubu with any truly memorable moments in a national team shirt—he decorated (and even that very rarely) rather than decided contests. This is not altogether his fault though; it was simply a symptom of the fact the national team was never really built around him or to his strengths.
In 2004, he was kicked off the team, and following the Afcon, Obafemi Martins burst onto the scene. In 2006, he was a conscientious objector; in 2008, perhaps the only time he had the complete trust of the manager (Berti Vogts), he flourished and scored twice in Ghana, albeit in Nigeria’s worst finals performance in 22 years; in 2010, he still managed a goal and an assist in an abject team display.
His performances for the national team may not have done much to quell the naysayers, but one could reasonably excuse him for lack of service—he was, after all, a striker who thrived on balls in behind the defensive line to run onto. Sadly, his peak years coincided with a lack of a true no. 10 in the Super Eagles: Kanu was on the wane, and lost his best role as Nigeria moved toward a single-striker system.
It would be unscrupulous to absolve him of blame for the way the team played – he being a part of it – but one cannot deny that the mid-to-late 2000s was a period of fetid stagnation for the Super Eagles. He was hardly the worst of the lot, but by virtue of that miss, he crowned the decade with a most fitting diadem—a missed opportunity.
If anything, it illustrated just how damaging a single moment can be within a certain context. For a player with so little goodwill to begin with, Yakubu pretty much doused himself in gasoline for his witch-hunt pyre. However, his name remains an important part of our national team history; his scoring record is the perfect comeback to the insults.
In the end, perhaps the joke is on us.
[/b]
m.goal.com/x/en-ng/news/13868672

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Monaco leave out Elderson from Champions League squad
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Elderson - Not listed by Monaco for Champions League tie in Switzerland
French club AS Monaco have left out Nigeria defender Elderson Echiejile from their squad for Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League tie at Young Boys of Switzerland.
Elderson has been involved in Monaco pre-season build-up.
Also missing is Tunisia centre-back Aymen Abdennour, who is undergoing serious transfer talks with AC Milan and Barcelona.
However, Mali U20 star Adama Traore, who joined from Lille for this season, made the cut for the trip to Switzerland.
The overall winners of this match-up over two legs will qualify for the group stage of the competition.
Monaco squad vs Young Boys:
Subasic, Badiashile, Nardi - Carvalho, Fabinho, Kurzawa, Raggi, Toure, Wallace - Bakayoko, Dirar, Lemar, Moutinho, Pasalic, Toulalan, Traoré - Bahlouli, Cavaleiro, Carrillo, El Shaarawy, Martial

africanfootball.com/news/554968/Monaco-leave-out-Elderson-from-Champions-League-squad

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Inexperience won’t work against Oliseh – Chukwu
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Oliseh will manage and not coach players in the national team
by Samm Audu
Former Super Eagles coach Christian Chukwu has declared that inexperience will not work against new Nigeria coach Sunday Oliseh because he will manage rather than coach his players.
Former Eagles captain Chukwu told AfricanFootball.com that the job of the Super Eagles is not a coaching Job, but that of a manager’s.
"The Super Eagles job is not a job for coaching players. So, we don't expected Oliseh to come and begin to coach players in the national team,” he argued.
"The Super Eagles job is about managing professional players. And that is what Oliseh is supposed to come and do. All you need to do is manage the players to get results. So all this talk about experience and no experience does not even matter."
Oliseh's first game is in the first weekend of September, an AFCON 2017 qualifier against Tanzania.
By Arafat Aliu
[/b]
africanfootball.com/news/554965/Inexperience-wont-work-against-Oliseh-Chukwu

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Fatai bullish ahead Champions League clash vs Ahmed Musa
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Kehinde Fatai will lead his Czech club's attack on Tuesday
Ex-Nigeria U20 star Kehinde Fatai has told AfricanFootball.com his club Sparta Prague are ready for the battle against Ahmed Musa’s CSKA Moscow in a UEFA Champions League third round qualifying match first leg Tuesday.
Ahmed Musa delighted with CSKA start
Both Fatai and Ahmed Musa were born in the North Central Nigerian town of Jos and started their professional careers with JUTH FC of Jos.
Former Astra Giurgiu forward Fatai told AfricanFootball.com he is looking forward to help his team overcome the top Russian club, who will be favourites to reach the group stage of the Champions League.
"It's going to be a big and tough game. I am sure we are equal to the task, my target is to help my club get a positive result against CSKA Moscow on Tuesday," Fatai told AfricanFootball.com
Fatai is expected to lead the Czech Republic team, while Ahmed Musa will lead that of CSKA Moscow, who have won their first two matches in the Russian top-flight league this new season.
By Olusola Alao
[/b]
africanfootball.com/news/554930/Fatai-bullish-ahead-Champions-League-clash-vs-Ahmed-Musa

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Oliseh picks U23 stars win or lose in Congo
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Nigeria U23 star Oghenekaro (left)
by Samm Audu
Win or lose in Congo on Sunday, several Nigeria U23 stars are already part of the plans of new Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh, AfricanFootball.com has yet again scooped.
The U23 stars include Italy-based Stanley Amuzie, FC Taraba skipper Usman Mohammed, Oghenekaro Etebo from Warri Wolves and Enyimba midfielder Kingsley Sokari.
Left-back Amuzie, who only recently moved to Italian Serie A side Sampdoria, posted an eye-catching performance when the U23s beat Congo 2-1 in Port Harcourt earlier this month.
He was solid in defence and showed class going forward to join the attack.
"Even before Amuzie was mentioned to him, Oliseh already has the player on his list," said a top source.
Usman Mohammed, Etebo and Sokari will most certainly be called to a training camp for home-based stars later in August.
And should they then impress, they will be on the squad for a 2017 AFCON qualifier in Tanzania.
“The home-based Eagles camp in August will afford the players from the league to prove they are good enough for the main Super Eagles squad. Those who prove this will be on the flight to Tanzania,” a top team official revealed only to AfricanFootball.com
[/b]
africanfootball.com/news/555003/Oliseh-picks-U23-stars-win-or-lose-in-Congo

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Flying Eagles Ifeanyi Matthew gets Eagles chance
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Ifeanyi Matthew (left) in action for El Kanemi
by Samm Audu
Flying Eagles midfielder Ifeanyi Matthew will get a chance to show what he is capable of at full international level when he is called up by the Super Eagles next month.
The versatile midfield star has already represented Nigeria at U17 and U20 levels and AfricanFootball.com has understood Eagles assistant coach Salisu Yusuf is a big fan having worked with him at El Kanemi.
“Ifeanyi Matthew will get his first Eagles call-up next month because he is highly rated for his creativity and vision by the new national team handlers,” a top source informed AfricanFootball.com
“He shone at the 2015 AYC in Senegal, scoring goals and providing assists for Taiwo Awoniyi, but unfortunately a foot injury he suffered against Brazil cut short his appearance at the U20 World Cup in New Zealand.”
Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh has already penciled Europe-based Flying Eagles skipper Musa Mohammed, Kelechi Iheanacho and Moses Simon for his new team.
Matthew will now be one of 25 players from the domestic league who will get a chance to impress by the middle of August for them to be selected for a 2017 AFCON qualifier in Tanzania in September.
Other fresh call-up for the Eagles training camp AfricanFootball.com gathered will include Enyimba leftback Idris Aloma, Rangers rightback Orji Kalu as well as Dayo Ojo and Eze Stephen from Sunshine Stars.
[/b]
africanfootball.com/news/555173/Flying-Eagles-Ifeanyi-Matthew-gets-Eagles-chance

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Mourinho tips Mikel for Chelsea captaincy
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The Portuguese has tipped the Super Eagles’ midfielder to replace Terry as Blues’ skipper owing to the number of years he has spent at the Stamford Bridge
By Shina Oludare

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has earmarked John Obi Mikelas a likely replacement for John Terry as the Blues’ captain.
The Super Eagles star has spent nine years with the Stamford Bridge lords since his controversial move from Norwegian side, Lyn in 2006 and had since won over 224 caps with four goals to his credit.
With 34-year-old Terry’s career with the London side winding down, it means the English champions will have to select a new skipper and Mourinho feels Obi – the team’s second longest serving player may just be accorded with the honour of wearing the skipper’s armband.
“Mikel is, after John, the guy with most years of Chelsea,” Mourinho told Dailymail.co.uk
“I think (Cesc) Fabregas has personality for a captain too. Eden is coming with big status now and was voted one of the top 10 players in Europe last year.
“In my opinion he should be in the top three not in the top 10. Let’s see what is going to happen but we have these people. But let’s say John and Branislav are our captains and the others are ready to come,” he said.
Mikel recently ended speculation over his Chelsea future by insisting he is happy at Stamford Bridge. The 28-year-old was linked with the likes of Al Ain and Fenerbahce during the transfer window but remained with the Blues despite the interest.
[/b]
m.goal.com/x/en-ng/news/13956902

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Haruna scores first goal for Anzhi Makhachkala
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The midfielder was on target for the Eagles in their home defeat to Lokomotiv Moscow in a league game on Monday evening
By Shina Oludare

Former AS Monaco midfielder Lukman Haruna scored his first goal for Anzhi Makhachkala in their 3-1 defeat to Lokomotiv Moscow in the Russian Premier League.
The 24-year-old who joined Yurin Semin’s team on loan from Dynamo Kyiv showed he still has plenty to offer with a strike in his second appearance for the club after 15 minutes.
After he had given the home side a first half lead, the visitors popped up to level up four minutes later through Petar Skuletic as scores stood at 1-1 going into the half time break.
Maicon and Alan Kasaev’s strike in the second half condemned the hosts to an embarrassing home defeat which leave them in the 15th position after two winless games.

m.goal.com/x/en-ng/news/13939482

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Official: K.A.A Gent sign William Troost-Ekong
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The Nigeria international defender has signed a three-year contract with the Belgian champions, after leaving FC Dordrecht earlier this summer
By Shina Oludare

K.A.A Gent have completed the signing of Nigeria defender William Troost-Ekong. The 21-year-old joins the Belgian kings on a three-year contract after leaving FC Dordrecht that got relegated from the Dutch elite division.
“Very happy! #KAAGent #AllglorytoGod,” Troost-Ekong wrote on his Twitter handle.
He will be hoping for a regular action in the Buffalos’ defence that boast of Rafinha, Uroš Vitas and Ante Puljić.
Moses Simon is another Nigerian playing for Hein Vanhaezebrouck’s side, and they will be hoping to retain their domestic diadem and also do well in next season’s Uefa Champions League.
Very happy! #KAAGent #AllglorytoGod pic.twitter.com/dDnLKx9Zv9
— William Troost-Ekong (@wtroostekong)
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m.goal.com/x/en-ng/news/13941032