₦airaland Forum

Even Politicians wan rub shoulder with King Messi...


Who does not love Messi?

A top North Korean football official said she wants megastar Lionel Messi to visit a new football academy in the communist state, where the Barcelona wonder is a huge hit with kids.

Han Un-Gyong, a member of the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) executive committee, said children at the Pyongyang International Football School were avid fans of the Argentine.

"I want to invite him, because our children love him," Han said during an AFC gathering in the Philippine capital Manila.

"When I go to the Pyongyang international school, I ask them who do you think is the best player. They say: "Ah, we love Messi!" Even the girls," she added.

"They read books about Messi and watch his games through the Internet. They can see all the games, China, Europe and everything at our Pyongyang International School. They can watch any football.

"They love football, that's why they know all the players' names and everything."

Football's biggest stars frequently make trips to fast-growing Asia, but a visit by Messi, nominated for a fifth world player of the year award, to secretive North Korea would cause a stir.

"Lots of students love Messi, because Messi's a very honest man. He loves children," said Han.

She said the academy is the brainchild of sports-mad supreme leader Kim Jong-Un, who also likes basketball and has previously hosted ex-NBA player Dennis Rodman in Pyongyang.

About 200 boys and girls aged nine, 10 and 11 train at the new facility, which opened this year and gathers North Korea's most promising football talent.

"They're selected from all over the country. Our FA (football association) goes to all the provinces and chooses them," said Han.

"We have a lot of matches at weekends, we see them and choose the best. But if we see they're not developing, we send them back and choose another one."

Han said it may be five years before North Korea's senior sides start reaping the benefits of the academy. North Korea's men reached the 2010 World Cup and they will contest the Asian Cup in January.

North Korea are banned from next year's Women's World Cup after five players failed drugs tests at the 2011 edition -- a result they said came from taking traditional medicine, containing musk deer glands, to treat lightning strikes.

But Han is expecting that North Korea's women, three-time champions of Asia, will burst back on the scene when they are next eligible for the World Cup in 2019.

"They're so good. It's a great generation. Also the under-17s are very good," she said.

North Korea, without a professional league and with no club teams competing in regional contests, are currently ranked 135th in the world ahead of their Asian Cup opener against Uzbekistan on January 10.

Forays onto the big stage include the 1966 World Cup, when they stunned Italy to reach the quarter-finals, and an infamous World Cup qualifier in 2005 against Iran in Pyongyang, which ended in a riot.

But North Korea will be buoyed by their feat in reaching the Asian Games final in October, where they narrowly lost 1-0 to cross-border rivals South Korea -- with whom they are technically still at war.

http://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-official-makes-plea-messi-visit-030753223.html

See celebration galore...


https://giant.gfycat.com/ComposedImpressiveBluebird.gif

Classic pass from the King himself...


https://giant.gfycat.com/LightMixedCat.gif


See as 3 men come mark only baba ... e easy? Honestly, if we look am, other players were also distracted cos of the Genius that they left Busquets, Neymar & Pedro unmarked...

How come Linesman ruled this as offside?

https://giant.gfycat.com/SomberGlitteringBuckeyebutterfly.gif

Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez on FIFA FIFPro 2014 striker shortlist

The other Barça players nominated are Xavi, Iniesta, Bravo, Piqué, Jordi Alba, Alves and Mascherano

Neymar, Messi and Luis Suárez, nominated as best strikers / FIFA

FC Barcelona players Leo Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez have all been named as candidates to be included in the FIFA FIFPro 2014 World XI.
The three strikers have been selected amongst a shortlist of 15 attacking talents that includes other well known names from around the globe.

The other players selected to compete for the three attacking places in the World XI are: Sergio Agüero (Argentina, Manchester City FC), Gareth Bale (Wales, Real Madrid CF), Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid CF), Diego Costa (Spain, Chelsea FC), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid CF), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, Paris Saint-Germain FC), Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Bayern Munich), Thomas Müller (Germany, Bayern Munich), Marco Reus (Germany, Borussia Dortmund), Franck Ribéry (France, Bayern Munich), Arjen Robben (Holland, Bayern Munich) and Wayne Rooney (England, Manchester United FC).

More than 60,000 professional players from around the world will take in a vote to select the FIFA FIFPro 2014 World XI. The final eleven will be during the awards ceremony for the FIFA Ballon d’Or which will take place in Zurich, Switzerland on the 12th of January.

Messi, Neymar Jr and Luis Suárez have chosen amongst the strikers’ 15 man shortlist. Also nominated are Xavi and Andrés Iniesta in midfield; Claudio Bravo amongst the goalkeepers and Gerard Piqué, Dani Alves, Jordi Alba and Javier Mascherano amongst the shortlist of 20 for the four places in defence.


http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/detail/article/messi-neymar-and-luis-suarez-on-fifa-fifpro-2014-striker-shortlist-fcbarcelona

King Messi Winning...

dmcdad:
He he he he he... No remind me of Valdes abeg. That guy chop yabbing for my hand ehn... But seriously, if Valdes no give person hypertension, how I wan take get am again?

Dem just unban me oh!!!


I don tire sef...

realtem:
Na so

Just got unbanned again...


Anyway, I was able to complete it... Although 1 part was chopped off...


Thanks though...

Na today...


Sometimes, I wonder why we Nigerians keep circulating the same news over & over...

logica:
A rule not to protest being struck by objects thrown by fans? Explain more please...

Abeg leave my babe joor, she doesn't really know what went down, she no even watch the game...


No mind am, babes n beckham... You know the rest na...

RaeMystix:
Mistake..

I got confused too but I understood what you were saying...


We understand ourselves as luv birds...

RaeMystix:
I want to spoil this thread...Back to Barca thread

Smh...

RaeMystix:
Sorry love

You are welcome babe...

RaeMystix:
I swore I was about to say the exact same thing.
Happy New month to you too love; Same goes to other crazy Barca fans.( >:....coughs D......

Smh...

RaeMystix:

I'm backing off

Happy New Month Luv...

HAPPY NEW MONTH TO EVERY BARCELONA FAN & HATERZ...

RaeMystix:
I swore I was about to say the exact same thing.

Just edited it...


Your new id is strange n I had to copy it...

See my babe oh! RaeMystix...


Happy New Month To Everyone Including my babe...

RaeMystix:
Beckham did something similar, and was also give a red card; I think it's a rule not to protest. At least while the game's in progress.

Babe pls don't go there cos this case is different...

Haters going guest mode to check on us...


Usbcable I see u... --- Don't have to go guest mode na...

realtem:
Oya come finish your list o

Thank you jare...


Dem ban me like 5 times already cos of this thread but GOD pass dem haters...

barackohandso:
The name fits

Make we dey look name before we buy keepers now

As in...


Pinnnn----toooo... --- Person wey suppose dey sing Spanish rap music...


Make I just respect Valdez cos I no wan burst him bubbles...

I can imagine how many haterz paid @ viewing centers just to watch Valencia humble us...


Owo-jo-na...

dmcdad:
Just lock up...

But my thing be say, wetin I do this guy wey dey yan opaks...


Like you said, lock up...

barackohandso:
I don fix am

I am happy we bought 2 Great goalkeepers especially BRAVO...

RaeMystix:

Yikes; I never did watch the match.

Now you are talking...


Yet he was yellow carded for protesting...

Austeenx:
jeez! that was a scare!

big ups to the boys for fighting right to the last kick of the game.
i was at the verge of losing my sanity when neymar's header was saved - busquets' volley gave me an instant headache after screaming for good 5 minutes.
phew!

Na so oh...


I was like when I saw Neymar header punched out...

RaeMystix:
#Pulls out the puppy face#
Pls, I will back off Messi

The guy bled na...


Make we put hating 4 one side abeg...

cisse7575:
is there anything better than happiness to describe how I felt for that 93 goal

I am lost here!

dmcdad:
Alves sold? He needs to be chased away!

Smh...


See your padi again...


https://www.nairaland.com/669609/fc-barcelona-fan-thread-mes/489#28485679