₦airaland Forum

i will also wait till febuary b4 i tell u who i will vote 4

HISTORY, HONORS AND PROFILE OF FOOTBALL CLUBS
everton fc
csk moscow
wolfsburg fc
porto fc
totteham spurs fc
aston villa
roma fc
celtic fc
afc ajax
olympic lyeone
Manchester city fc
Ac Milan fc
Juventus fc
Liverpool fc
Real Madrid
Arsenal fc
Chelsea fc
Inter Milan fc
Barcelona fc
Manchester united fc
LOG ON TO http://www.footballclubs-worldwide..com

BACKGROUND, PROFILE AND HONORS OF FOOTBALLERS AND COACHES
Thienry Henry
ronaldinho
wayne rooney
frank lampard louis fabiano
arsene wenger
scolari
ryan giggs
xavi
iker casilas
zlatan ibrahimovic
fernado torres
Jose moriho
Ricardo kaka
Fernando Torres
Edwin van der sar
Lionel Messi
Christiano Ronaldo
Sir Alex Ferguson
LOG ON TO http://www.footballers-and-coaches..com


HISTORY AND WINNERS OF SOCCER TOURNAMENT

nigerian premier league
nigerian FA CUP
french lique 1
bundesliga
The laliga
The serie A
King’s cup
The EPL
The CAF super cup
The French cup
LOG ON TO http://www.historyandwinners-of-soccertournament..com


WINNERS OF DIFFERENT FOOTBALL AWARDS

FIFA world best award of the year
(both male and female 1st – 3rd )
UEFA player of the year
world soccer magazine awards
CAF award winners:different categories
BBC Award winners
LOG ON TO http://www.football-awards..com

those guys are not seriuos

HISTORY, HONORS AND PROFILE OF FOOTBALL CLUBS
everton fc
csk moscow
wolfsburg fc
porto fc
totteham spurs fc
aston villa
roma fc
celtic fc
afc ajax
olympic lyeone
Manchester city fc
Ac Milan fc
Juventus fc
Liverpool fc
Real Madrid
Arsenal fc
Chelsea fc
Inter Milan fc
Barcelona fc
Manchester united fc
LOG ON TO http://www.footballclubs-worldwide..com

BACKGROUND, PROFILE AND HONORS OF FOOTBALLERS AND COACHES
Thienry Henry
ronaldinho
wayne rooney
frank lampard louis fabiano
arsene wenger
scolari
ryan giggs
xavi
iker casilas
zlatan ibrahimovic
fernado torres
Jose moriho
Ricardo kaka
Fernando Torres
Edwin van der sar
Lionel Messi
Christiano Ronaldo
Sir Alex Ferguson
[B]LOG ON TO http://www.footballers-and-coaches..com
[/B]

HISTORY AND WINNERS OF SOCCER TOURNAMENT

nigerian premier league
nigerian FA CUP
french lique 1
bundesliga
The laliga
The serie A
King’s cup
The EPL
The CAF super cup
The French cup
LOG ON TO http://www.historyandwinners-of-soccertournament..com


WINNERS OF DIFFERENT FOOTBALL AWARDS

FIFA world best award of the year
(both male and female 1st – 3rd )
UEFA player of the year
world soccer magazine awards
CAF award winners:different categories
BBC Award winners
LOG ON TO http://www.football-awards..com

Federal University of IFE will will be conducting their POST JAMB EXAM on saturday.

FOR
FOOTCLUBS HISTORY AND HONORS LIKE MAN UTD,BARCA,CHELSEA,INTER MILLAN ETC
LOG ON TO http://www.footballclubs-worldwide..com

FOR SOCCER TOURNAMENTS HISTORY AND WINNERS SUCH THE EPL,LALIGA,SERIE A,BUNDESLIGA,CAF SUPER CUP, ETC
LOG ON TO http://www.historyandwinners-of-soccertournament..com

FOR BACKGROUND AND HONORS OF FOOTBALLERS AND COACHES LIKE C.RONALDO,MESSI,XAVI,SIR ALEX FERGUSON,TORREZ,GIGGS,CASILAS,VAN DER SAR etc
LOG ON TO http://www.footballers-coaches..com


FOR THE WINNERS OF DIFFERENT FOOTBALL AWARDS SUCH AS FIFA world best award of the year
(both male and female 1st – 3rd ),UEFA player of the year,ETC
LOG ON TO http://www.football-awards..com

http://www.oladokun-sunday-emmanuel..com - MY PERSONAL SITE

my websites are
http://www.oladokun-sunday-emmanuel..com - MY PERSONAL SITE
MY OTHER SITES
FOR
FOOTCLUBS HISTORY AND HONORS LIKE MAN UTD,BARCA,CHELSEA,INTER MILLAN ETC
LOG ON TO http://www.footballclubs-worldwide..com

FOR SOCCER TOURNAMENTS HISTORY AND WINNERS SUCH THE EPL,LALIGA,SERIE A,BUNDESLIGA,CAF SUPER CUP, ETC
LOG ON TO http://www.historyandwinners-of-soccertournament..com

FOR BACKGROUND AND HONORS OF FOOTBALLERS AND COACHES LIKE C.RONALDO,MESSI,XAVI,SIR ALEX FERGUSON,TORREZ,GIGGS,CASILAS,VAN DER SAR etc
LOG ON TO http://www.footballers-coaches..com


FOR THE WINNERS OF DIFFERENT FOOTBALL AWARDS SUCH AS FIFA world best award of the year
(both male and female 1st – 3rd ),UEFA player of the year,ETC
LOG ON TO http://www.football-awards..com

i said it and i wish them a successful round of 16 match

united for life

i pray taht chelsea lose to liverpool so that we MAN UTD can lead with point and i celebrate with SIR FERGIE for winning the best manager in the EPL for the month of september. i think it is a best decision.
For more information about SIR ALEX FERGUSON(his history and honors)
log on to http://www.footballers-coaches..com

Lionel Andrés Messi born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for La Liga giants FC Barcelona and the Argentine national team. Messi is considered to be one of the best football players of his generation, having received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21. His playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to football legend Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi his "successor".

Messi began playing football at a young age and his potential was quickly identified by Barcelona. He left Rosario-based Newell's Old Boys's youth team in 2000 and moved with his family to Europe, as Barcelona offered treatment for his growth hormone deficiency. Making his debut in the 2004–05 season, he broke the La Liga record for the youngest footballer to play a league game, and also the youngest to score a league goal. Major honours soon followed as Barcelona won La Liga in Messi's debut season, and won a double of the league and UEFA Champions League in 2006. His breakthrough season was in 2006–07: he became a first team regular, scoring a hat-trick in El Clásico and finishing with 14 goals in 26 league games. Perhaps his most successful season was the 2008–09 season, in which Messi scored 38 goals to play an integral part in a treble winning campaign.

Messi was the top scorer with six goals, including two in the final game of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. Shortly thereafter, he became an established member of Argentina's senior international team. In 2006 he became the youngest Argentine to play in the FIFA World Cup and he won a runners-up medal at the Copa América tournament the following year. In 2008, in Beijing, he won his first international honour, an Olympic gold medal, with the Argentina Olympic football team.

HONORS

    * U-21 European Footballer of the Year: 2007
    * FIFA U-20 World Cup Top Scorer: 2005
    * FIFA U-20 World Cup Player of the Tournament: 2005
    * Copa América Young Player of the Tournament: 2007
    * Player of the Year of Argentina: 2005, 2007
    * FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year: 2006–2007, 2007–2008
    * FIFPro World Young Player of the Year: 2005–2006, 2006–2007, 2007–2008
    * World Soccer Young Player of the Year: 2005–2006, 2006–2007, 2007–2008
    * Premio Don Balón (Best Foreign Player in La Liga): 2006–2007, 2008–2009
    * EFE Trophy (Best Ibero-American Player in La Liga): 2006–2007, 2008–2009
    * FIFPro World XI: 2006–2007, 2007–2008
    * UEFA Team of the Year: 2007–2008
    * UEFA Champions League Top Scorer: 2008–2009
    * Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano: 2008–2009
    * UEFA Club Forward of the Year: 2008–2009
    * UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2008–2009

TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE BACKGROUND AND HONORS OF MESSI AND OTHER POPULAR FOOTBALLERS AND COACHES LIKE KAKA,TORRES,C.RONALDO,SIR ALEX FERGUSON,
LOG ON TO http://footballers-and-coaches..com

FOR HISTORY AND WINNERS OF DIFFERENT SOCCER TOURNAMENT LIKE THE LALIGA,SERIE A,THE KING'S CUP,THE EPL etc
LOG ON TO http://historyandwinners-of-soccertournament..com

FOR THE WINNERS OF DIFFERENT WINNERS FOOTBALL AWARDS LIKE THE FIFA WORLD PLAYER OF THE YEAR(BOTH MALE AND FEMALE) AND THE UEFA PLAYER OF THE YEAR TILL DATE(BEST KEEPER,MID FIELDER AND THE STRIKER OF THE YEAR)
LOG ON TO http://football-awards..com/

FOR THE HISTORY AND HONORS OF DIFFERENT FOOTBALL CLUBS TILL DATE. CLUBS LIKE MAN UTD,CHELSEA,BARCA,INTER,AC MILAN,ARSENAL,LIVERPOOL etc
LOG ON TO http://footballclubs-worldwide..com

i think it is another opportunuty for arsenal to take their 3 points

THE HISTORY AND WINNERS OF THE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE(EPL)
Countries          England
Confederation       UEFA
Founded          20 February 1992
Number of teams      20
Relegation to       Football League Championship
Level on pyramid       Level 1
Domestic cup(s)      FA Cup, League Cup
International cup(s)    Champions League, Europa League
Current champions    Manchester United (2008–09)
Most championships    Manchester United (11)
Website          PremierLeague.  com


HISTORY
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs.   At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition.   Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League.   The Premier League is a corporation in which the 20 member clubs act as shareholders.   Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 38 games each totaling 380 games in the season.   It is sponsored by Barclays Bank and therefore officially known as the Barclays Premier League.
The competition formed as the FA Premier League on 20 February 1992 following the decision of clubs in the Football League First Division to break away from The Football League, which was originally founded in 1888, and take advantage of a lucrative television rights deal.   The Premier League has since become the world's most watched sporting league.   It is the world's most lucrative football league, with combined club revenues of £1.  93 billion ($3.  15bn) in 2007–08.   It is also ranked first in the UEFA coefficients of leagues based on performances in European competitions over the last five years, ahead of Spain's La Liga and Italy's Serie A
A total of 43 clubs have competed in the Premier League, but only four have won the title: Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Arsenal, and Chelsea.   The current champions are Manchester United, who won their eleventh Premier League title in the 2008–09 seasons, the most of any Premier League team and their eighteenth top division title, drawing level with Liverpool.

English Premier League Champions

1993 Manchester United
1994 Manchester United
1995 Blackburn Rovers
1996 Manchester United
1997 Manchester United
1998 Arsenal
1999 Manchester United
2000 Manchester United
2001 Manchester United
2002 Arsenal
2003 Manchester United
2004 Arsenal
2005 Chelsea
2006 Chelsea
2007 Manchester United
2008 Manchester United
2009 Manchester United

Total English Premier League Titles:

11 Manchester United
3 Arsenal
2 Chelsea
1 Blackburn Rovers

FOR A FULL ARTICLE OF THE HISTORY AND WINNERS OF THE EPL FROM 1889 TILL DATE LOG ON TO
http://www.  historyandwinners-of-soccertournament.  .  com

the tournament start today. i hope Nigeria will win their first match tommorrow which is my birth day so that i can celebrate it in a speacial way

i hope one of them will qualify for the final or even both of them

1 English Premier League trophies, five FA Cup wins, three Scottish Premier Division medals, and two Champions League final wins.

It doesn't get much more impressive than that. The haul was certainly enough to convince the majority of Goal.com voters to select Sir Alex Ferguson (he's been knighted too, of course) as the best coach in the world.

The Manchester United tactician has won everything put before him at the club level, and has kept a stranglehold on the EPL, winning more than half since the inception of the Premier League and the last three on the trot.

1999 will probably be remembered as the Scot's greatest year, when Manchester United won the EPL, the FA Cup, and the Champions League in an all-conquering treble.

The man who has won the one trophy Ferguson hasn't came in at fourth, sandwiched between England national team coach Fabio Capello and Barcelona's Pep Guardiola. Marcello Lippi is the only one of the bunch to have won the World Cup, but that honor couldn't earn him more than his 8% of the vote.

Sliding in at second was Inter coach Jose Mourinho. Besides being good for a quote with his fiery antics and antagonistic mind games, the “Special One” has won a multitude of trophies in his short career. With Porto in his native Portugal he won the domestic title and the Champions League. At Chelsea he conquered England. Now with Inter, he's already won a Scudetto in his first season in charge.

Goal.com Poll
Who is the best coach in the world?
Jose Mourinho 26.95%
Pep Guardiola 13.77%
Sir Alex Ferguson 46.11%
Marcello Lippi 8.38%
Fabio Capello 4.79%

Following the midweek European action, clubs all across the Old Continent will be seeking to get back to domestic matters in a successful manner.

There are important ties in the Premier League, with the Manchester derby taking precedence while Barcelona square off against Atletico Madrid in Spain.

Elsewhere there a number of notable clashes, including Schalke's tie against Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga.



Friday 18 September

Bundesliga
Schalke - Wolfsburg

Saturday 19 September

Premier League
Burnley - Sunderland
Arsenal - Wigan
Aston Villa - Portsmouth
Bolton - Stoke
Hull - Birmingham
West Ham - Liverpool

serie A
Deportivo - Espanyol
Mallorca - Tenerife

LALIGA
Malaga - Racing
Osasuna - Sevilla
Barcelona - Atletico Madrid
Real Madrid - Xerez
Valencia - Sporting

Serie A
Napoli - Udinese
Juventus - Livorno


Bundesliga
Bayern Munich - Nuremberg

Serie A
Milan - Bologna
Bari - Atalanta
Cagliari - Inter
Catania - Lazio
Chievo - Genoa
Parma - Palermo
Sampdoria - Siena
Roma - Fiorentina

september 20
man utd vs man city
chelsea vs tottenham spurs

united for life. we go beat them

Abass Akande Obesere last weekend made a dramatic sign up for a relatively new record label, Stingomania Records.

Obesere, until last week, was to sign for another record label and both parties confirmed weeks back that agreement had been reached except for some few areas that needed to be sorted out before they both put pen to paper. But with what happened last week, ‘few areas’ were not sorted out and neither of the parties was able to put pen to paper.

Obesere, who was one of the two highest selling artistes during the glorious days of Sony Music, has finished work on his first hip-hop album and industry watchers have said that his latest effort will redefine him and stamp his authority on the hip-hop market.

The album, which has been aptly titled Revolution, has 12 tracks and features heavyweights of music industry such as 9ice, Lord of Ajasa, Timaya, Uncle Promise, Eazy Lizy and young Trybson, With the Revolution album, Obesere has pioneered a new genre of music for himself which he calls ‘Fuji-hop’, a fusion of Fuji element with heavy infusion of hip-hop.

That was clearly evident in the track with 9ice, Kin Noso, and in Gbose yewo. He was even audacious with his track, Ka anyi Gbe Egwu’ an Igbo song he did with Timaya.

The incursion is to help him ease the Igbo market, where he believes he has wide followership as well. Chairman of Stingomania Records, Ope Banwo said, “We are ecstatic
to sign and manage a megastar with a cross-over appeal like Obesere.

We are also doubly excited to partner with him in leading the Fuji-Hop revolution that will finally merge the fans of Fuji and Hip-Hop under one music umbrella with Obesere as the paramount king of music as the leading force. We can’t wait for the Revolution album to hit the airwaves! A nation-wide tour with top hip-hop act has been planned for the album, which is due for release in October.

THE FIRST EDITION OF THE EUROPA LEAGUE STARTED YESTERDAY WITH SOME OF THE POPULAR CLUBS IN THE TOURNAMENT LOSING THEIR FIRST MATCH E.G ROMA,CELTIC,FENERBACHE,LAZIO,HAMBURGER,

Group
A AFC Ajax 0-0 FC TimiÅŸoara
A NK Dinamo Zagreb 0-2 RSC Anderlecht
B LOSC Lille Métropole 1-1 Valencia CF
B Genoa CFC 2-0 SK Slavia Praha
C Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC 2-1 Celtic FC
C SK Rapid Wien 3-0 Hamburger SV
D Hertha BSC Berlin 1-1 FK Ventspils
D SC Heerenveen 2-3 Sporting Clube de Portugal
E PFC CSKA Sofia 1-1 Fulham FC
E FC Basel 1893 2-0 AS Roma
F Panathinaikos FC 1-3 Galatasaray AÅž
F SK Sturm Graz 0-1 FC Dinamo 1948 BucureÅŸti
G S.S. Lazio 1-2 FC Salzburg
G Villarreal CF 1-0 PFC Levski Sofia
H FC Steaua BucureÅŸti 0-0 FC Sheriff
H Fenerbahçe SK 1-2 FC Twente
I SL Benfica 2-0 FC BATE Borisov
I Everton FC 4-0 AEK Athens FC
J Club Brugge KV 1-4 FC Shakhtar Donetsk
J FK Partizan 2-3 Toulouse FC
K AC Sparta Praha 2-2 PSV Eindhoven
K CFR 1907 Cluj 2-0 FC København
L Athletic Club 3-0 FK Austria Wien
L CD Nacional 2-3 Werder Bremen

The FA have implemented Emmanuel Adebayor's three-match ban for violent conduct immediately. Therefore, the Manchester City striker will miss Sunday's derby against Manchester United.

Adebayor was charged following a stamp on former team-mate Robin Van Persie during the 4-2 win against Arsenal. [/b]The Dutch striker condemned the incident as pre-meditated and "deeply disrespectful".

The FA have fast-tracked the disciplinary procedure so that [b]the Togolese striker will be banned in the next match at Old Trafford and will also sit out Premier League clashes against West Ham United and Aston Villa.

An FA statement revealed: “A regulatory commission today considered the charge of violent conduct issued against Manchester City’s Emmanuel Adebayor under the fast-track disciplinary procedure following an incident with Robin van Persie during their fixture against Arsenal on the 12th September.

“Taking into consideration Mr Adebayor’s acceptance of the charge of violent conduct the regulatory commission have ordered that he serve a three-match suspension from all football, commencing Thursday 17th September."

THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU NIGERIAN FOOTBALLER LOVERS AND OTHERS BECAUSE YOU DONT NEED TO SEARCH FOR T[b]HE HISTORY AND WINNERS OF THE NIGERIA PREMIER LEAGUE AND FA CUP [/b]AGAIN AND AGAIN BECAUSE I HAVE HELP YOU DO IT ALL WHAT YOU NEED ABOUT THIS TOURNAMENTS IN A FREE PDF DOCUMENT

HOW TO GET IT
THE WAY YOU CAM GET THIS FREE PDF DOCUMENT CONTAINING BOTH
1. THE HISTORY AND WINNERS OF NIGERIA PREMIER LEAGUE TILL DATE
2 THE HISTORY AND WINNERS OF THE NIGERIA COCA COLA FA CUP TILL DATE, IS VERY SIMPLE

-SEND A BLANK MAIL MESSAGE TO MY E-MAIL SOCCER.PROF@YAHOO.COM OR SOCCERPRF@GMAIL.COM. [/b]AND YOU WILL RECEIVE IT IN 24 HRS TIME.
-[b]OR DROP A REPLY ABOUT THIS BLOG [b]INCLUDING YOUR E-MAIL
[/b]

ALL FOR FREE
THKS AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL

The UEFA Champions League has once again begun, and this season there are a number of African players who have fundamental roles to play at their respective clubs.

Goal.com picks ten of the African players to take note of during the 2009-10 season.

Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon) - Inter Milan

Cameroon's new captain has made a big move this season by switching leagues and heading to Inter during the summer. He has the seemingly hard task of replacing Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the hearts of the tifosi over at the Giuseppe Meazza. Eto'o has already won the Champions League twice and one cannot overlook a man who has scored the first goal in every one of the finals he's played in and who has proven himself to be the best African striker on the planet for the last decade.

It will be very interesting to see him play in a league where selfish and lonely players are favoured. It will be interesting to see if he is indeed the piece of the puzzle that was lacking at Inter, and how far the Nerazzurri will go this season in the Champions League with the player in their ranks.

Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) – Chelsea

The powerful striker is on form at the moment, with new Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti looking like the right person to motivate the Ivory Coast star. His performances of late have allowed Chelsea to maintain a 100 per cent record in the Premier League, while improving the confidence of the team with each passing result.

Four goals so far for the Pensioners in the Premier League, and a couple more for Ivory Coast in a recent World Cup qualifier, bodes well for Chelsea’s Champions League onslaught, and Drogba will certainly be one of the strikers to watch as the competition heats up.

Mamadou Niang (Senegal) - Olympique de Marseille

Mamadou Niang has proven to be a dependable goal-poacher for his club this season. The 29-year-old striker, who has spent five seasons at Marseille, has already scored three goals in the five appearances so far for his side in Ligue 1 this season.

The French side will be depending on Mamadou to open up the defences of Milan, Real Madrid and Zurich in their bid to progress to the next round of the competition. His display as captain against Milan on Tuesday shows that he is dangerous upfront, using his power and pace to outwit his markers before shooting at goal.

Michael Essien (Ghana) - Chelsea

The Ghana international midfielder is a top-class act and showed this with a wonder strike at Stamford Bridge in last season's dramatic Champions League semi-final against eventual winners, Barcelona. Now with a World Cup ticket in bag for the Black Stars, the former Lyon star can afford to set his sights firmly on his club career with the Blues.

He is strong in the tackle and can surge forward with ease from his defensive position in the middle of the park to crack some great and important goals. The 26-year-old Ghanaian’s work-rate is staggering, and in the absence of Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa for the initial matches, Essien will be asked to shoulder the burden of sealing the Chelsea defensive line and providing something extra upfront.

Obafemi Martins (Nigeria) - Wolfsburg

The UEFA Champions League is a favourite hunting ground for 'Oba-goal'. He came to the fore through this competition when he starred for Inter a couple of seasons ago, and he now has another chance to shine in the tournament with German champions Wolfsburg after his switch from relegated English club, Newcastle United.

His pace and nose for goals will again see him among the top performers in this year's competition, and his ability to adapt well to new surroundings will surely see him become a fans' favourite in Germany.

MacBeth Sibaya (South Africa) – Rubin Kazan

The Rubin Kazan defensive midfielder has been a pillar of strength in the middle of the park for South Africa and the Russian side on countless occasions, with his coaches always counting on him to be a calm influence and a leader to the other players.

A fixture in Joel Santana’s starting XI for South Africa, Sibaya won his 50th cap for Bafana recently during the Confederations Cup, and he will be counting on his experience to guide his team-mates in one of the most difficult groups - Rubin will face Barcelona, Inter and Dynamo Kyiv. His tough tackling and work-rate are two important parts of the softly spoken player’s game.

Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast) - Barcelona

Buoyed by an improved contract, the Ivorian midfielder is expected to continue where he left off last season with defending champions Barcelona. His strength, versatility and vision will again be called to action as the Catalan giants try for an encore.

His ball-winning in the middle of the park allows the Blaugrana to be the creative attacking force that they are, with players like Andres Iniesta and Xavi benefiting from his hard work by having more freedom to create in attack.

Yassine Chikhaoui (Tunisia) - FC Zurich

Although he is currently sidelined by a nagging knee injury, FC Zurich's midfield maestro cannot go without mention given that he is undoubtedly the most technically gifted players on his side and a future great according to practically all who have had the pleasure of witnessing him strut his stuff.

The former Etoile Sportive du Sahel playmaker's elegance on the ball and vision is something to behold, and has even prompted some to begin calling him 'Zurich Zidane'. Sadly, he will probably only be taking part in the later fixtures in the group stage because he is yet to fully recover from a knee injury that has robbed him of more than a full year of action. He will be hoping to get a game in against Milan, Marseille or Real Madrid so that he can showcase his enormous talent and potentially secure a move to a higher profile team.

Marouane Chamakh (Morocco) - Girondins de Bordeaux

The Moroccan striker has been on-form so far in this season, having scored three goals and assisted once in five French Ligue 1 matches. What makes those statistics even more impressive is the fact that they were produced in the midst of a turbulent transfer saga, during which the North African forward failed to secure a move to the English Premier League because of Laurent Blanc's strong desire to keep him.

His production during such a mentally draining period has given fans hope that the player will rise to the occasion in Champions League play, rather than wilt when the lights are shining their brightest. Tall and lanky, Chamakh is a constant aerial threat and his sense of positioning makes him a real hassle for defenders to mark.

Frederic Kanoute (Mali) - Sevilla

Sent off during the first match of the campaign, Frederic Kanoute has not yet shined this season, but as one of the most important players in Sevilla's ranks, the Mali superstar will undoubtedly be one of the men to watch this season. At 32-years-old, the French-born striker seems to be getting much better with age, and his team needs him more now than ever.

Kanoute has shown a tremendous ability to score at the most critical moments for Sevilla, and there doesn't seem to be a reason why that would change for the player, who signed a new contract for two more seasons in the summer. Kanoute, like his club, has never been impressive in the Champions League, but for their fourth straight participation, much more will be expected from the Spaniards.

Frm Goal.com Africa

AS THE 1st EDITION OF THE EUROPA LEAGUE(FORMERLY UEFA CUP) START TODAY. 24 MATCHES TO BE PLAYED TONIGHT. GROUP A- GROUP L.( TOUGH MATCHES AND POPULAR CLUBS IN BOLD FONT)

Group
A AFC Ajax 19:00 FC TimiÅŸoara
A NK Dinamo Zagreb 19:00[b] RSC Anderlecht [/b]
B LOSC Lille Métropole 19:00 Valencia CF
B Genoa CFC 19:00 SK Slavia Praha
C Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC 19:00 Celtic FC
C SK Rapid Wien 19:00 Hamburger SV
D Hertha BSC Berlin 19:00 FK Ventspils
D SC Heerenveen 19:00 Sporting Clube de Portugal
E PFC CSKA Sofia 19:00 Fulham FC
E FC Basel 1893 19:00 AS Roma
F Panathinaikos FC 19:00 Galatasaray AÅž
F SK Sturm Graz 19:00 FC Dinamo 1948 BucureÅŸti
G S.S. Lazio 21:05 FC Salzburg
G Villarreal CF 21:05 PFC Levski Sofia
H FC Steaua BucureÅŸti 21:05 FC Sheriff
H Fenerbahçe SK 21:05 FC Twente
I SL Benfica 21:05 FC BATE Borisov
I Everton FC 21:05 AEK Athens FC
J Club Brugge KV 21:05 FC Shakhtar Donetsk
J FK Partizan 21:05 Toulouse FC
K AC Sparta Praha 21:05 PSV Eindhoven
K CFR 1907 Cluj 21:05 FC København
L Athletic Club 21:05 FK Austria Wien
L CD Nacional 21:05 Werder Bremen

i dont think it is possible for now

I think is the FG supposed to be blame for this prolong strike by ASUU, now in its 3rd month. suppose the FG have continue the negociation with them, there should have be a good result. i pray god will touch their heart and call off this strike since june 21.

i hope arsenal should be able to win this match even without eduardo

Today's night will boasts one of the more interesting of opening matches in this year's Champions League. Olympique Lyonnais and Fiorentina met last year in the opening matches of the competition, and this clash that will leave the teams with a sense of deja vu, but offering the Italian contingent a chance at revenge.

Last season, on the 17th of September, Lyon fought back at the Stade Gerland, after falling two goals behind in the earlier stages of the game. Frederic Piquionne and Karim Benzema were the protagonists in this spirited comeback.

Benzema struck again in Florence to add to Jean II Makoun's goal after only 15 minutes, giving the visitors a two goal lead. Alberto Gilardino, who had scored a double in the first leg, tried as hard he could to bring his side back into the tie, but could only score once to provide an eventual 2-1 scoreline in favour of the French.

For Viola boss Cesare Prandelli, Wednesday night is sure to spell payback time.

Progress Breakdown

This year's Champions League will see Lyon competing in the competition for the tenth consecutive season. Claude Puel's men have successfully reached the knockout rounds in each of the past six campaigns.

Having lost out to Lyon and Bayern Munich last term, the Viola will be determined to reach the last 16 for the first time since the 1999-00 season of the competition.

It is also worth noting that Fiorentina have enjoyed a great run of form while on the road so far in this season's Champions League, losing only one out of eight away games so far.

FORM GUIDE

Lyon

Sep 12 Lyon 1-0 Lorient (Ligue 1)

Aug 29 Lyon 3-1 Nancy (Ligue 1)

Aug 25 Anderlecht 1-3 Lyon (Champions League)

Aug 22 Auxerre 0-3 Lyon (Ligue 1)

Aug 19 Lyon 5-1 Anderlecht (Champions League)

Fiorentina

Sep 13 Fiorentina 1-0 Cagliari (Serie A)

Aug 30 Fiorentina 1-0 Palermo (Serie A)

Aug 26 Fiorentina 1-1 Sporting Lisbon (Champions League)

Aug 22 Bologna 1-1 Fiorentina (Serie A)

Aug 18 Sporting Lisbon 2-2 Fiorentina (Champions League)


TEAM NEWS

Lyon

Jean-Alain Boumsong will be forced to watch, as he finds himself sidelined for four weeks after picking up a groin injury during training. Boumsong's injury leaves Lyon with only two centre-backs, Cris and Mathieu Bodmer. Anderson is also still out with a leg injury, while Lisandro Lopez is questionable after a taking a knock on international duty with Argentina.

Probable Starting XI: H. Lloris - Cris, A. Réveillère, A. Cissokho, M. Bodmer - M. Bastos, J. Makoun, M. Pjanic, M. Gonalons - B. Gomis, Lisandro Lopez.

Fiorentina

Former Chelsea player Adrian Mutu failed to feature in Fiorentina's 1-0 win over Cagliari at the weekend due to fitness issues, but the Romanian star is hopeful of getting the nod for the clash against Lyon. Additionally, an air of uncertainty remains around the fitness of Danish defender Per Klodrup.

Probable Starting XI: S. Frey, A. Gamberini, D. Dainelli, M. Pasqual, G. Comotto, J. Vargas, R. Montolivo, C. Zanetti, M. Marchionni - S. Jovetic, A. Gilardino.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Lyon

The signing of Michel Bastos has proved a masterstroke on the part of Claude Puel, the young Brazilian already scoring in three of his seven starts for OL since his arrival. Bastos has been running riot in the midfield area of late and will look to continue doing so against his side's Italian opponents.

Fiorentina

At the tender age of only 19, Montenegrin star Stevan Jovetic is really coming into his own this season - and at such an early stage in his career. Jovetic has been knocking at Pradelli's door for a starting XI place for a while now, and has been asking questions of the players who are being chosen ahead of him.
Team news
• Lyon
Out: Anderson (knee), Ederson (ankle), Jean-Alain Boumsong (groin)
Doubtful: Lisandro (groin)
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: none

• Fiorentina
Out: José Ignacio Castillo (knee), Lorenzo De Silvestri (knee), Per Krøldrup (gastroenteritis)
Doubtful: Adrian Mutu (thigh)
Suspended: Cristiano Zanetti
Misses next match if booked: none

Weekend results
12/09/09 Lyon 1-0 FC Lorient
(Bastos 72)

13/09/09 Fiorentina 1-0 Cagliari Calcio
(Gilardino 55)

Did you know?
Gilardino was in the AC Milan team that beat Lyon in the 2005/06 quarter-finals.