Nigeria 2-0 Chad: Keshi's second coming celebrated with three points

The Super Eagles got their 2017 Africa Cup of Nations campaign off to a winning start in Kaduna

Goals from Gbolahan Salami and Odion Ighalo ensured Nigeria began their Africa Cup of Nations 2017 qualifying campaign in winning fashion with a victory over Chad .

After a lethargic, uninspired first half, the Super Eagles improved after the break and took the lead on 69 minutes when Salami finished well after an excellent assist from substitute Ighalo.

The Watford man, who was promoted to the Premier League this season, confirmed the victory with a penalty on 80 minutes after being brought down in the box.

Stephen Keshi’s side played out the final ten minutes with ten men following a red card for Ogenyi Onazi during the pre-penalty melee, but the visitors' man advantage wasn’t enough for Chad to stage an unlikely late comeback.

The match marked Stephen Keshi’s return to the national team top job after being re-appointed by Amaju Pinnick and the Nigeria Football Federation.

The Big Boss opted to include several new faces in his first starting XI back in the hotseat, and understandably, Nigeria were disjointed and lacked cohesion during the opening 45 minutes.

The terrible pitch in Kaduna hardly helped, and the Super Eagles struggled to retain possession in the face of an uneven surface and well-organised Chadian pressure.

Ahmed Musa and Salami both took the opportunity to demonstrate their dribbling ability with the ball at their feet early on, but both—the former in particular—was guilty of poor delivery.

Chad also had their chances, and could have taken the lead on 17 minutes, when Marius Mbaiam's shot flew wide of Vincent Enyeama's post.

Michael Babatunde—returning to the starting lineup for the first time since the World Cup defeat to Argentina last summer—struggled to get a handle on the game from the heart of the park. The midfielder worked tirelessly, but failed to demonstrate the creativity that the Super Eagles were looking for.

After the break—doubtless following some terse words from Keshi—Nigeria began to impose themselves.

Kingsley Madu, one of the debutants, began to show his quality in possession, while his counterpart in the right-back berth, Leon Balogun, was similarly confident with the ball at feet.

It took two changes to break the deadlock, however, with Ibrahim Rabiu replacing Babatunde, and Ighalo coming on for the injured Aaron Samuel.

It was the latter who made the telling contribution, first setting-up Salami for the opener-a powerfully struck shot into the roof of the net-before firing home himself from the spot after winning the penalty.

Onazi’s late red was an unfortunate footnote, with the Lazio midfielder dismissed after shoving a Chad defender in a momentary lapse of discipline.

While the victory ensured that Nigeria got their Group G campaign off to a winning start, Keshi’s return to the side—and the indifferent performance of his chosen team—failed to truly erase memories of the disastrous 2015 qualifying campaign.

There is still much work to be done, both for the Super Eagles to secure a spot in Gabon, and for the Big Boss to mend his tarnished reputation.

BREAKING! Nigerian Player Dies In Malaysia

Nigerian defender David Faramola Oniya died on Saturday after collapsing on the pitch during a friendly match between his Malaysian club T-Team and Kelantan. He was 30.

Local media said the T-Team skipper collapsed three minutes into the match in Kota Bharu and was taken to hospital.

T-Team CEO Syahrizan Mohd Zain said Oniya did not receive medical treatment quick enough.

"He suffered a heart attack but it could have been a different story had the ambulance driver been alert," he told the New Straits Times.

"The driver was at the stands watching the game when Oniya suddenly collapsed and our defender was deprived of oxygen for several minutes."

Syahrizan said the match was called off after 60 minutes after they were informed by the hospital Oniya had died.

"He was pronounced dead at the hospital about 30 minutes later," he told the Star newspaper.

Oniya had only just joined the Malaysian club this season after spells in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.

Ronaldo, Lewandowski Hit Hat-Tricks

Yet another Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick propelled Portugal to a crucial 3-2 win in Armenia in Euro 2016 qualifying on Saturday while Poland's Robert Lewandowski hit one of the quickest triples in the competition's history.

Andre Schuerrle also bagged a hat-trick in Germany's 7-0 thrashing of Gibraltar but former European champions Greece's embarrassing campaign continued as they were beaten 2-1 in the Faroe Islands.

Real Madrid superstar Ronaldo scored his third hat-trick in his last three games for club and country as Portugal held on with 10 men for the final half-hour in Yerevan to claim a crucial win in Group I.

Brazilian-born Marcos Pizzelli gave Armenia the lead but Ronaldo equalised from the penalty spot before adding two more in the space of four second-half minutes.

Fernando Santos' side then had Tiago Mendes, the Atletico Madrid midfielder, sent off and were left to hang on after Hrayr Mkoyan pulled a goal back for the hosts.

Portugal have now won four games in a row since starting their campaign with a 1-0 home defeat to Albania and they top Group I by two points from Denmark, who beat Serbia 2-0 in Copenhagen thanks to a goal in each half from Yussuf Poulsen and Jakob Poulsen.

Poland remain top of Group D ahead of World Cup holders Germany after Lewandowski's late hat-trick sealed a 4-0 win against Georgia in Warsaw.

Arkadiusz Milik put the Poles in front before captain Lewandowski doubled their lead in the 89th minute.

The Bayern Munich striker added another in the 92nd minute and completed a remarkable treble in the third minute of stoppage time to secure a handsome win.

It is the second-fastest hat-trick in the history of European Championship qualifying, bettered only by Arif Erdem, who scored three in three minutes for Turkey against Northern Ireland in the qualifying campaign for Euro 2000.

Poland are a point clear of Germany, who won 7-0 against minnows Gibraltar in Faro, southern Portugal, despite Bastian Schweinsteiger having an early penalty saved.

Schuerrle set them on their way and six more goals followed in the second half, including two more from the Wolfsburg forward, a brace from Max Kruse and one each for Ilkay Gundogan and Karim Bellarabi.

Scotland deny Ireland

Scotland remain third, two points better off than the Republic of Ireland, after coming from behind to draw 1-1 in Dublin, Shaun Maloney's shot deflecting in off home skipper John O'Shea to cancel out Jon Walters' opener for Ireland.

The prospect of seeing all four British sides qualify together for a major tournament for the first time since the 1958 World Cup remains a very real one, with Northern Ireland still second in Group F after a 0-0 draw at home to leaders Romania at Windsor Park.

Michael O'Neill's side are a point behind the Romanians and two better off than third-placed Hungary, who boosted their own chances by winning 1-0 in Finland thanks to a late goal by Zoltan Stieber of Hamburg.

However, Greece's disastrous campaign continued as they were beaten 2-1 by traditional minnows the Faroe Islands in Torshavn.

A goal in each half from Hallur Hansson and Brandur Olsen secured a famous win for the hosts, with Sokratis Papastathopoulos of Borussia Dortmund getting one back in vain for Greece.

It is the second time the Euro 2004 winners have lost to the Faroes in this campaign – coach Claudio Ranieri was sacked after a 1-0 loss at home in November.

There has been no improvement yet under his Uruguayan successor Sergio Markarian, and Greece are rock bottom of the group with just two points from six games.

Germany Coach: How We Stopped Nigeria

Germany coach Frank Wormuth has revealed how his team were able to overcome the Flying Eagles in their round of 16 FIFA U-20 World Cup clash which they won 1-0.

Reacting to the win, Wormuth who spoke highly of the Flying Eagles, however said his players deserved to advance at the expense of Nigeria.

He told fifa.com: “I like Nigeria and they are very good technically, which makes them extremely difficult to play against.

“We were able to keep the ball under pressure and that was our only chance to break through their defence. In the end, I give congratulations to my team for finding the answer to the problems Nigeria posed us. They deserved the win and I am very impressed with them.

“I am especially proud of my team’s defence today. Of course, our aim is to get to the final in Auckland but to get there we must go step to step and our next step is Mali. The German mentality is to always think this way. I expect Mali to play in quite a similar way to what we saw today from Nigeria.”

A 19th minute strike by Levin Öztunali was enough for the European champions to see off a lackluster Flying Eagles side.

'Germany Won't Underestimate Gibraltar'

Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger insists the world champions will not underestimate minnows Gibraltar in Saturday's Euro 2016 away qualifier in their bid to top their group.

The Germans are joint second in Group D, a point behind leaders Poland, as they head to Faro, Portugal, for Saturday's tie against the part-timers who have lost all five qualifiers so far, leaking 27 goals in the process.

Germany coach Joachim Loew has sent several star players, including Bayern Munich pair Thomas Mueller and Manuel Neuer, plus Borussia Dortmund winger Marco Reus, on holiday, but the world champions still expect three points.

A shock defeat in Poland and a home draw against the Republic of Ireland means Germany find themselves in the unusual situation of fighting for first place.

The Germans were beaten 2-1 by the United States on Wednesday in their warm-up friendly when the world champions' finishing was again an issue, as it has been since lifting the World Cup last July.

"We won’t make the mistake of underestimating Gibraltar," said Schweinsteiger.

"Of course we know that we’re better than them and it's clear that we have to pick up a win there, but it doesn’t have to be double-digits.

"It has to be a good game from us. We have to find the breakthrough against a team which will sit back a lot."

The game is being held at Faro's Estadio Algarve, Gibraltar's home ground, even though it lies several hundred kilometres from the British territory.

HUGE GULF

The team from the tiny Iberian peninsula have a Scottish caretaker coach in Dave Wilson after Allen Bula was sacked in March, four games into their campaign, having been in charge for four years.

Bula was boss when Germany trounced Gibraltar 4-0 in Nuremberg last November, which was greeted as something of a triumph by the visitors given the huge gulf in class between the two teams.

Wilson's side lost a friendly to Croatia 4-0 last Sunday and a similar scoreline would be a welcome result for both hosts and visitors alike.

Ireland and Poland have already posted 7-0 wins over Gibraltar, whose striker Lee Casciaro scored their first competitive goal in a 6-1 loss to Scotland in March.

Gibraltar's only win in ten matches as a Uefa member nation was a 1-0 success at home against Malta in a friendly in June last year, although European football's newest members have drawn 0-0 with Slovakia and 1-1 with Estonia.

Lukas Podolski is two goals shy of his 50th for Germany going into the match, in which the Inter Milan forward is set to win his 125th cap.

Germany can finish the weekend top of Group D if results go their way with Ireland hosting Scotland in Dublin and Poland at home to Georgia on Saturday.

"It’s especially important to pick up three points," added Schweinsteiger.

"We can’t influence the other results and at the end of the day, the main priority is to qualify for Euro 2016, everything else is of secondary importance."

Chelsea Sign Manea, Hagi Joins Fio

Romania's young defender Cristian Manea has signed for Premier League champions Chelsea from FC Viitorul Constanta while his teammate Ianis Hagi is joining Serie A side Fiorentina, the club said on Thursday.

"Manea and Hagi deals were completed," Viitorul general director Cristian Bivolaru told local media without giving details of the transfer fees or length of contracts.

Manea, who turns 18 in August, made his Romania debut aged just 16 against Albania in a friendly in May 2014.

The teenager, considered one of the best young players in Romania, also attracted interest from Arsenal, Ajax Amsterdam and Udinese before signing for Chelsea, local media reported.

Botosaru said the versatile Manea, who can play at right back, centre back and as a holding midfielder, will probably be loaned out in the Netherlands for the 2015-2016 season.

Ianis Hagi, 16, is the son of former Romania captain Gheorghe Hagi, who founded and owns the club which is known for nurturing young talent in the Black Sea state.

He is an under-17 international and scored once in seven league appearances for Viitorul last season when they finished 11th in the 18-team Romanian league.

Botosaru said there is a possibility Hagi could be loaned back to Viitorul for a season.

Akpan, Thank God Close To Warriors Debut

There are strong indications that Abia Warriors’ newly signed duo of Ike ThankGod and Bassey Akpan will make their debut against Glo Premier League leaders Sunshine Stars, on Sunday.

The duo joined the Umuahia side as free agents ahead of the resumption of the league, on Sunday.

“Everything depends on what they put up during training on Wednesday and Thursday. Both players are great additions to the team,” Bosso said to supersport.com.

ThankGod joins the club after a stint in Oman, while Akpan is set to play for his second club this term after brief romance with Bayelsa United.

Interestingly, the former youth international played in Vietnam before returning to the country.

Akpan has already been assigned the number 18 shirt.

Germany, Canada Held; Ivorians Lose

Wang Lisi's late winner got China's Women's World Cup campaign back on track as Germany were held 1-1 by Norway and Canada played a goalless draw against New Zealand on Thursday.

China's Group A tie in Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium looked to be heading for frustration before Wang broke through to roll the ball past Sari Van Veenendaal in the Dutch goal one minute into extra time.

It gave the 'Steel Roses' a vital three points after losing their opening match to Canada, who had to settle for a goalless draw against New Zealand.

Canada remain top of Group A with four points from two games, ahead of China and the Netherlands, who have three. New Zealand are bottom of the group with one point.

"I think they did an excellent job today. We could have scored more and been more efficient," said China coach Hao Wei.

"In the beginning I said Group A was very even, all teams are similar in their strengths so I wish we could have scored more," added the Chinese coach.

In Group B ties over in Ottawa, a second half Maren Mjelde equaliser grabbed a 1-1 draw for Norway against top ranked Germany in a clash of former champions.

Anja Mittag had put 2003 and 2007 champions Germany ahead after just six minutes with her fourth goal following her hat-trick in their opening 10-0 whipping of Ivory Coast.

But midfielder Mjelde equalised for 1995 winners Norway with a stunning free kick past former world player of the year Nadine Angerer in the Germany goal after 61 minutes.

THAILAND MAKE HISTORY

The Germans next play Thailand who came from a goal down to keep their hopes of advancing alive with a 3-2 win over fellow newcomers Ivory Coast.

"We are very lucky, because even though we had less attacking chances, we got our first victory in our country's history," said Thailand coach Nuengrutai Srathongvian.

"We are honoured to be playing the best team in the world Germany in our next match and will do our absolute best to win."

Ivorian striker Ange Nguessan had given the African side the lead after four minutes but Thailand hit back with three unanswered goals.

A double from Orathai Srimanee after 26 and 45+3 minutes, and a Thanatta Chawong effort on 75 saw the Asian side bounce back from a 4-0 loss to Norway in their opener.

Josee Nahi got one back for the Ivory Coast two minutes from time, but it was too little for the African side with just one game remaining.

"It's a sad night for us and for the people of Ivory Coast," said Clementine Toure of the the lowest ranked side in the tournament at 67.

Germany coach Silvia Neid admitted her side had nearly paid heavily for letting their guard down after dominating early against the 11th-ranked Scandinavians.

"We just didn't play as well in the second half - and then Norway gained hope," said Neid.

The result leaves Germany and Norway topping Group B with four points. Thailand are third with three points with Ivory Coast bottom with none.

"The end result was fair, but we were lucky - (Germany) could have killed this game in the first half," said Norway coach Even Pellerud.

In the final round of group games on Monday, Germany play Thailand in Winnipeg and Norway take on the Ivory Coast in Moncton.

Champions Japan and the United States will play their second round matches on Friday.

Japan come up against Cameroon in Group C in Vancouver, with group rivals Switzerland up against Ecuador.

The United States play Sweden in Group D in Winnipeg, with Australia up against African champions Nigeria.

Liverpool Reject City's Bid For Sterling

Liverpool have rejected Manchester City's £25 million offer for unsettled England forward Raheem Sterling, according to reports on Thursday.

Sterling has told Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers he wants to leave Anfield to join a club who can offer him Champions League action next season and City have made the first move in what could prove a lengthy saga to settle his future.

According to the Times, City's bid valued Sterling at £25 million, with an additional £5 million to be paid in potential add-ons.

But Liverpool are determined to keep hold of their most gifted youngster and have snubbed the approach for the 20-year-old, who has two years remaining on his current £35 000-a-week contract.

It is believed that only an astronomical offer of at least £50 million could persuade Liverpool to consider letting Sterling leave.

Liverpool remain keen to convince Sterling to sign a new contract, even though he rejected a deal that would have paid him around £100 000-a-week earlier this year.

Sterling's refusal to commit to Liverpool has angered the club's supporters, who jeered him at an end of season awards dinner.

The situation turned even uglier when his agent Aidy Ward last month said there was no chance Sterling would extend his contract no matter how much money Liverpool offered.

Liverpool responded by cancelling a scheduled meeting with Sterling and his representative, while Rodgers left the winger on the bench for the team's 6-1 thrashing at Stoke on the final day of the Premier League season.

City's approach for Sterling is unlikely to be their last since it came just hours after the club's chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak promised "high-quality" signings and admitted Manuel Pellegrini's team failed to meet expectations during their failed defence of the Premier League title.

Speaking in an interview with City TV, Khaldoon said: "We want a squad that is able and has the capability and quality to win the Premier League, compete and win the Champions League, compete and be able to go all the way in two cup competitions in England.

"I think you will see some changes. You will see some players who have served us well and maybe it is time for them to move to their next challenge, and you will see us in the market bringing high-quality individuals that fit within what we are aspiring to coming in this summer.

"I can assure you the squad will be stronger, the team will be more competitive. I am both confident and excited about what is coming next year."

Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are also reported to be interested in Sterling, who is currently on international duty with England ahead of their Euro 2016 qualifier in Slovenia on Sunday.

Diaby On Arsenal Release List

Abou Diaby's injury-scarred nine-year stint at Arsenal is due to finish after he was included on a list of players to be released by the club on Wednesday.

Diaby, 29 and capped 16 times by France, had his ankle broken by Sunderland's Dan Smith shortly after joining Arsenal from Auxerre in January 2006 and has been bedevilled by injury ever since.

The midfielder's Arsenal tenure has been a succession of lengthy absences followed by aborted comebacks, with a cruciate knee ligament injury restricting him to just two appearances over the past two seasons.

While Diaby's contract is due to expire on June 30, the Premier League stresses that its list of released players "should not be seen as definitive for players leaving their club".

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has repeatedly expressed his belief in Diaby, in whom he has shown great patience.

"Diaby is a player that I have an enormous amount of respect for," Wenger said last November.

"Every time he comes back he has to start from zero with another injury. He is not a fragile player. He was the victim of an assassin's tackle that went unpunished."

Japan midfielder Ryo Miyaichi, who has had several spells on loan at other clubs since arriving in January 2011, was also named on Arsenal's release list.

'Tevez Would Fit In Well At Atletico'

Juventus striker Carlos Tevez would be a perfect fit for Atletico Madrid and the La Liga club are in talks with the Argentine's agents, coach Diego Simeone said.

Tevez helped Juve to another Serie A title and the Champions League final this season and Atletico are on the alert with speculation in Italy and Spain that he is looking to leave.

"I know the club is speaking with his agent," Simeone told Spanish newspaper As on Wednesday.

"It is always good to have a player like Tevez. He is hot-blooded, which is a healthy part of this sport, and that is aside from how many goals he is able to score in a season.

"He would be a perfect signing considering the football that Atletico Madrid play."

Atletico are looking to boost their forward line and Tevez would fit into their determined style based on hard work.

They lost Diego Costa to Chelsea last year and while Antoine Griezmann has come in and done well, Atletico were hoping for more from Croatian Mario Mandzukic.

"He (Mandzukic) is a good player and a good guy," said Simeone.

"He himself was unhappy at the way he was unable to continue performing how he had done up to February. I said to him, 'we have to beat the record that you had at Bayern of 28 goals,' but he was unable unfortunately."

Villarreal starlet Luciano Vietto is another target for Simeone who gave him his debut at Argentine side Racing Club.

"We are close and I hope to have him for next season because for me he has extraordinary ability in combining going forward," said the Atletico coach.

"I think that he is very similar to (David) Villa when he started off, without being the goalscorer that was the Spanish forward, but with the movement in the build-up which is very difficult to see in football at the moment.

"He is very tactical and has done very well at Villarreal. As a kid I know him very well because he was with me at Racing and I put him in the first team.

"I hope he comes because he would be an important signing."

Atletico finished third in La Liga last season after winning the title in 2014.

Swansea Sign Ayew On Free Transfer

Ghana forward Andre Ayew has joined Swansea City on a free transfer and signed a four-year contract, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old has joined from French club Olympique Marseille, where his contract expired at the end of last season, having scored 10 league goals in his final campaign.

Ayew, who has 62 caps for Ghana, has played in four African Nations Cups and two World Cups.

"The project that the club has for the future is very exciting, and when I spoke to the chairman and manager I felt this was the right place for me," Ayew said on the club website.

"I felt that my desire to play in the Premier League and wanting to grow as a player meant that Swansea was the best solution for me in every way.

"Seeing the honesty and desire of the club made me feel that they really wanted me to come. They have proved that in all ways."

Ayew made 181 appearances for Marseille, scoring 52 goals and winning two French League Cups as well as playing in the Champions League.

"It was a very difficult decision to leave Marseille. I spent so many years there – I was in the youth team before breaking into the first team and stayed all of my life in Marseille," he said.

"It's true that I had a lot of offers, so I needed to take my time to make the right decision for my future. I didn't want to rush but I feel I have made the right decision.

"Football is all about growing up and becoming a better player and a better person."

Messi Loses Appeal, Trial Nears

Barcelona star Lionel Messi lost his appeal over tax fraud charges on Wednesday, meaning he could face a trial over the allegations which involve an estimated €4.6 million.

The Argentine international and his father Jorge were accused last year of not paying tax on earnings from the player's image rights from 2007-2009.

Both Messi and his father denied wrongdoing and instead pointed the finger instead at a former agent.

But prosecutors in Barcelona on Wednesday decided to press ahead with the case.

"While it is understandable that a player of this magnitude is not aware of all the details of managing a millionaire," they said "there are elements of a fiscal debt".

Messi and his father have been accused of using companies in Belize and Uruguay to sell the player's rights – an allegation the player denies.

Jorge has since admitted that his son knew nothing of the alleged fraud, but the appeals court rejected the defence.

"Messi could have had knowledge of the irregularities of contracts which he was signing," said a statement.

Four-time World Player of the Year Messi is one of the world's richest sportsmen.

Forbes magazine estimated that in 2014 his income was $64.7 million (€47.30 million).

Transfer Rumours And Paper Review - Wednesday, June 10

Manchester United are closing in on Atletico Madrid strike star Mario Mandzukic. The Croatian is Louis van Gaal’s new number one target. (The Sun)

Manchester United have been offered Paris Saint-Germain right back Gregory van der Wiel. The 27-year-old is valued at around £7million and he has one year left on contract. United missed out on Dani Alves after the Brazilian agreed a new deal at Barcelona. (Daily Mail)

Louis van Gaal may look to revive his interest in Southampton right-back Nathaniel Clyne after miss out on 32-year-old Alves. (Daily Express)

West Ham United will follow the appointment of Slaven Bilic as manager by launching a series of ambitious moves in the transfer market and will explore the possibility of prising the Chelsea forward, Loïc Rémy, from Stamford Bridge. (The Guardian)

The Hammers will also announce the signing of midfielder Pedro Obiang from Sampdoria for £4.4million on Wednesday. (Daily Mail)

Paul Clement is ready to pay Hull £6million to make Tom Ince his third signing for Derby. The former Real Madrid assistant manager has already bought Alex Pearce and Darren Bent. (Daily Mirror)

James Chester has reaffirmed his commitment to Hull City despite being continuously linked with a move back to the Premier League. Newcastle, Aston Villa and West Brom are reportedly interested in the Welsh international, who is one of many Tigers stars being linked with a move away from the KC Stadium, including Robbie Brady and Ahmed Elmohamady. (Hull Daily Mail)

James McCarthy has NOT told Everton he wants to leave the club this summer. (Liverpool Echo)

The Toffees have targeted Crystal Palace centre-back Scott Dann in their summer of recruitment. (The Independent)

Tottenham are interested in Stuttgart striker Timo Werner. Spurs, already set for talks with Monaco over £18.2million Anthony Martial, also have Werner, 19, in their sights. (Daily Mirror)

Jurgen Klopp would be interested in a move to the Premier League and would not be restricted to a top four club, his agent has claimed. (Liverpool Echo)

Christian Eriksen has revealed he has no desire to leave Tottenham this summer after admitting he feels "at home" at the north London club. (London Evening Standard)

Manchester City outcast Alvaro Negredo will join Valencia at the end of the month, as part of the agreement which took him to the Mestalla on loan for the entirety of last season. (Manchester Evening News)


Read more at http://talksport.com/football/transfer-rumours-and-paper-review-wednesday-june-10-150610150154#C97ef16Iqy4ZXhyH.99

Colombia Deny Mexico First Win

A late goal from Daniela Montoya allowed Colombia to escape with a 1-1 draw against Mexico in their Group F opener at the Women's World Cup in Moncton on Tuesday.

Taking a back pass from Tatiana Ariza, Montoya drilled home a shot from just outside the penalty area that rang off the crossbar in the 82nd minute to deny Mexico a first World Cup win.

Mexico was the better team dominating possession, grabbing the early lead on a brilliant 36th minute strike from midfielder Veronica Perez.

El Tri thought it had pulled out a miracle finish in injury time when striker Charlyn Corral's shot rolled across the goal line only to have it waved off when teammate Stephany Mayor was called for a foul on Colombia's Angela Clavijo.

Ranked 26th in the world, Mexico will play England in its next game, while number 28 Colombia will face France.

Messi Targets Title Jinx As Copa Kicks Off

Argentina are favourites to end a 22-year trophy drought when the Copa America kicks off on Thursday as a resurgent Brazil chase redemption following their ill-fated campaign at last year's World Cup.

One of the most eagerly anticipated Copas in years gets under way in Santiago, with hosts Chile launching the three-week extravaganza of South American football against Ecuador in Group A at 8.30pm (2330 GMT).

The 12-team tournament is a convention of football's deadliest attacking talents, with a galaxy of Europe-based stars including Lionel Messi, Neymar, James Rodriguez, Alexis Sanchez and Edinson Cavani set to shine.

The competition also comes as a welcome relief to South America's governing body CONMEBOL, which has been battered by corruption allegations in the ongoing scandal which has rocked world football.

Argentina captain Messi and Brazilian counterpart Neymar head to Chile less than a week after inspiring Barcelona to their Champions League triumph in Berlin on Saturday, the final act of a glittering treble-winning season.

Both No 10s are carrying the weight of expectation on their shoulders, with Messi determined to finally taste glory at a major international tournament with Argentina and Neymar aiming to erase the memory of last year's World Cup.

POINT TO PROVE?

While Messi has been the key figure in Barcelona's emergence as the dominant force in club football over the past decade, he has yet to taste victory in an Argentina shirt, a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics aside.

"Our aim is to win this year," said Messi, who fell agonisingly short of ending Argentina's jinx in an extra-time defeat to Germany in last year's World Cup final. "It's great to play with the national team, to wear the shirt and to be captain," Messi added. "But getting a title would be the ultimate for me."

Messi may feel he has a point to prove, four years after being jeered by his home fans during Argentina's quarterfinal exit to eventual winners Uruguay.

Argentina open their campaign against Paraguay on Saturday, and should comfortably progress from a Group B which also includes Uruguay and Jamaica, one of two teams from the CONCACAF region invited to bolster the tournament.

The biggest threat to Argentina's hopes of topping the group is likely to come from defending champions Uruguay, who are bullish about their chances despite the absence of suspended talisman Luis Suarez. The holders will instead look to Paris Saint-Germain striker Cavani to provide the cutting edge in attack.

Cavani heads into the tournament after notching 31 goals in all competitions for the French giants this season, a haul which has reportedly made him a transfer target for Manchester United this summer.

BRAZIL ON TRACK

Brazil and Neymar meanwhile begin their campaign against Peru in Group C on Sunday.

Brazil's biggest challenge of the first round comes three days later when they face Colombia on June 17, a rematch of the two sides' bruising World Cup quarterfinal last year.

That stormy encounter was notable for a series of rugged Brazilian challenges on Colombia star James, although Brazil's 2-1 win came at a price, with Neymar suffering a broken vertebra that ended his World Cup.

Brazil's World Cup dream was ultimately demolished by Germany in the next round, when the hosts were humiliated 7-1 in the semifinals, before losing 3-0 to the Netherlands in an abject third place play-off display.

Fast forward a year however and Brazil, under the guidance of former coach and 1994 World Cup-winning captain Dunga, are back on track.

Dunga's men have reeled off nine straight victories since the World Cup and will feel confident of reaching the Copa final in Santiago on July 4.

Dunga, who coached Brazil to their last Copa America win in 2007, believes the form of striker Neymar has been key to the revival.

One of Dunga's first acts last year was to hand the captain's armband to the Barcelona forward, and the 23-year-old has thrived on the added responsibility.

"It is not a surprise, but the statistics are there to show that when Neymar puts on the captain's armband, he takes a step forward," Dunga said in March.

"He is a player who likes challenges. The more responsibility he has, the more he will develop."

Fifa To Elect Blatter Successor On Dec 16

Scandal-hit Fifa is likely to elect a new president at a Dec. 16 emergency meeting in Zurich, the BBC reported on Wednesday.

"The BBC has learned that is the likely date for an emergency meeting in Zurich to decide his successor," the report said without citing sources.

"Representatives from all 209 member associations will be invited to the Swiss city to vote in a new presidential election," it added.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter tendered his resignation last Tuesday, less than a week after Swiss police staged a dawn raid on a luxury hotel in Zurich and arrested several officials on corruption charges filed by U.S. prosecutors in New York.

However, Blatter is intent on staying in office until his successor is appointed.

"A final decision on the date for a presidential election is not expected to be made until July, but it is believed holding an emergency congress in mid-December is Blatter's preferred option," the BBC added.

Fifa confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that its executive committee would meet in July to pick a date for the full presidential vote, with various options set to be discussed.

Jordan's Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, who lost out to Blatter in election, is tipped as a possible candidate while Chung Mong-joon, the billionaire scion of South Korea's Hyundai conglomerate, is also weighing up his bid to replace Blatter.

Enrique Extends Barcelona Contract

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique, who led the Catalan giants to the treble in his first campaign in charge, has agreed to extend his contract with the Spanish side until June 2017.

"We have sealed the renewal of Luis Enrique's contract until 2017, so we will have Luis Enrique for two more years," Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu told a news conference.

Enrique capped his first season as Barcelona's head coach by matching Pep Guardiola's feat from the 2008/09 season when the Catalans captured the European, Spanish league and Cup titles.

"We are very happy, it could not be any other way. After a year in which we faced many difficulties but also had great results , we are more than excited and hope to win new titles," he said in a statement.

Despite being under contract with Barcelona until June 2016, Enrique had consistently refused to tie his future to the club.

"The truth is I don't know if I will continue (next season). The season isn't over yet, we have a long night ahead of us," he said on Saturday before Barcelona's 3-1 Champions League final win over Juventus in Berlin.

After the final Enrique said Barcelona's hunger for silverware is insatiable and they want to make more history by becoming the first team to win back-to-back Champions League titles.

Cedric Paquette's Late Goal Buries Blackhawks, Gives Lightning 2-1 Series Lead

The Tampa Bay Lightning have held an answer to all the tests the Chicago Blackhawks have thrown their way in the Stanley Cup Final.

Most goals have been met with a response. Chicago’s championship mettle has been countered by Tampa’s own steely-like persona.

The Lightning quickly overcame a Chicago third period lead and poured it on to pick up a 3-2 Game 3 win at United Center.

The victory put Tampa up 2-1 in their best-of-7 series with the Blackhawks. Game 4 is Wednesday evening at United Center.

Tampa forward Cedric Paquette fired the game-winner with 3:11 left in the third period, deflecting a pass by defenseman Victor Hedman.

Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop started after some coy mind games by Tampa as to who would play in the contest. He exited Game 2 in the third period, re-entered and left again. No explanation was given why.

"We're not going to put anybody in a game that is going to be in harm's way of hurting himself," Tampa coach Jon Cooper said. "We talked long and hard if he could play tonight. There wasn't a doubt in his eyes. You can read when guys are sitting there saying, 'Coach, I'll go for you'. Or you can say, give me the net. That kid said, give me the net. I knew we were going to be okay."

The third period saw two quick goals by both teams. At the 4:14 mark of the frame, Brandon Saad put the game at 2-1 in favor of Chicago. Then 13 seconds later the Lightning responded when Ondrej Palat knotted it at 2-2.

"It's a great play, a great goal," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "All of a sudden you get momentum. Two games we had the lead, but short-lived both times. Two tough losses in a row

Oh, The Triplets -- You can’t keep them down for too long.

The second period was tilted toward Tampa with the shots on goal at 17-7 in favor of the Lightning.

In that frame, Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford stopped a Nikita Kucherov breakaway and a protracted Tampa 5-on-3 that lasted 1:26.

Chicago outshot Tampa 19-7 in the first period.

At the 14:22 mark of the first period Brad Richards fired a shot that Bishop just flubbed with his glove. It was one of those 'sure he'd love to have that one back' type plays. Still, it was the only mis-step for Bishop, who stopped 36 of 38 Chicago shots on goal.

"I felt good. The first period, probably a few too many rebounds there. As the game went on, the guys did a great job of clearing those out," Bishop said. "As the game went on, I felt better, more comfortable. Some big blocked shots there at the end. Just a good team win all around. Obviously probably wasn't our best first, but I thought we got better as the game went on."

Lightning forward Ryan Callahan opened the scoring 5:09 into the game after pumping a blast past Crawford:

Callahan was led perfectly by a Hedman pass and fired the puck over Crawford’s glove.

Hedman was absolutely electric in the contest, notching two assists in over 26 minutes of action. His last two games he has four points and is a plus-2 for Tampa.

"Victor Hedman, what he's doing, I mean, this is clearly his coming-out party," Cooper said. "He sets that one up and then makes a big-time play on the winner."

Hope Solo's Heroics Show Why U.S. Soccer Decided To Stick With her

A day before the United States women's national team was to kick off its World Cup on Monday, hoping to end a drought at that tournament dating back to the last millennium, the talk was back to star goalkeeper and controversy-monopolist Hope Solo. And as is usual, in her case, it wasn't exactly a positive discourse.

An ESPN report dug deeper into Solo's June 2014 arrest on domestic violence charges. The case had been dropped – because of the witnesses' failure to show up to give depositions – and Solo had since then portrayed herself as the victim of the incident. However, according to ESPN, which reconstructed that night and fateful fight through conversations with the accusers, 911 calls and police reports, Solo very much appeared to be the aggressor.

As Solo was set to backstop the Americans in yet another campaign to conquer the women's soccer world, we were talking about an ugly incident that was rearing its head yet again. We were talking about domestic violence and the place of its alleged perpetrators in our sports. And then, like so very often, Solo walked onto the Winnipeg Stadium pitch and demonstrated why she gets away with things few others could.

Because she is a magnet for shots from opposing forwards as much as she is for drama.

Without Solo, it's doubtful that the USA would have walked away from its Group of Death opener against Australia with a 3-1 win. The Matildas, so nicknamed, a team that had never once beaten the Americans in 24 attempts, made an aggressive start, clearly unsettling their favored opponents. But just five minutes in, Solo parried an Emily van Egmond shot off her own crossbar. Then, after Megan Rapinoe's deflected effort through traffic had sailed past Melissa Barbieri to put the Americans ahead, Solo denied Sam Kerr on a volley from close range.

Enyeama To Retire From Super Eagles After AFCON 2017

Super Eagles Goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, has said he would retire from super eagles after AFCON 2017. According to the goalkeeper, he had wanted to retire after the team failed to qualify for 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), but the then Governor of Akwa Ibom, Godswill Akpabio, his wife and Pastor all discouraged him from retiring. Below is what Enyema said about his planned 2017 retirement. Continue…


 “I actually wanted to stop, it wasn’t a rumour. Nigeria is blessed with great goalkeepers, just that we need to give them confidence.

“Nobody gave me a chance when I started, I was a rookie also; I belt it up, I worked hard for it and became the big person that nobody wants to lose.

“What changed my mind was the passion of Nigerians; I had a lot of calls, my governor, Akpabio.

“A lot of people talked with me. These things, you don’t just ignore and my wife also talked with me.

“My wife didn’t want me to leave yet. I talked to my pastor and he said if everybody said stay, why not; so I decided to continue, but then, there is going to be a time to call it quit.”

“I can’t keep doing the same thing forever; there is going to be a time I have to stop and give it up to some other person.


“I am the only face here since 2002, but 2017 Nations Cup finals will be my last game; I just said my target, anything can happen after.”

I’m Also Studing Law - Super Eagles Player, Ukoh

Super Eagles player, Steven Ukoh has said aside playing football for the National team and playing in Switzerland he is also studying law at one of the universities in the country. According to him, footballers get a lot of free time so he has decided to use his to study law at a university which he has already started. Ukoh who is presently in Abuja, Nigeria said;


“Actually beside football which is my number one priority I’m studying Law at the university. I saw that as a footballer you have a lot of leisure time and I just wanted to use it wisely. So, I took up study. But I’m not quite sure if I will be a lawyer after my (football) career who knows,” he said.

Cleveland Stuns On The Road Behind LeBron James, Ties The NBA Finals At 1-1

The Cleveland Cavaliers stunned just about anyone who had been paying a whiff of attention to these NBA Finals, downing the 67-win Golden State Warriors in overtime to take a 1-1 series tie back to Cleveland. These NBA Finals were expected to be a one-sided affair with Cleveland working without the injured Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, and yet the Cavs rallied behind LeBron James and the indefatigable Matthew Dellavedova in order to pull out the 95-93 win.

The Warriors had to overcome an 11-point deficit with 3:13 left in the contest in order to force that overtime, with a series of calls going their way on both ends. James wowed all onlookers with a 39-point, 16-rebound and 11-assist night, but he also missed 23 of 34 shots from the field and clanged a potential game-winner in regulation. Warriors guard and NBA MVP Stephen Curry missed 18 of 23 shots while turning the ball over six times, airballing a possible go-ahead jumper in the waning seconds of overtime.

Meanwhile, Irving’s replacement – the tireless Dellavedova – clinched the game with two clutch free throws in the final seconds after securing an offensive rebound off a James Jones miss.

Jones was the seventh in a seven-man rotation as Cleveland threw all that it competently had against Golden State in the win. The team made fewer than a third of its shots overall and shot exactly 33 1/3 percent from three-point land, but it also crashed toward the free-throw line and took care of the ball – the Cavs turned the ball over just 13 times in 53 minutes.

James, Dellavedova, and forward Tristan Thompson were absolute workhorses. Thompson scored just two points (after the 64 percent free-throw shooter was hacked twice intentionally, making 2 of 4 from the line), but he also expertly switched on several Warriors after screen-and-roll plays while pulling 14 rebounds – with seven coming on offense. Dellavedova, only starting because of Kyrie Irving’s kneecap fracture, missed seven of ten shots and turned the ball over six times, but he also played fantastic defense on Curry while helping to clear James for endless isolation sets on the other end.

In return, the sweet-shooting Warriors just couldn’t buy one.

Credit should go to Cleveland’s active defense, but the Warriors did clang on an unending series of jump shots and made a series of poor offensive decisions from stem to bloody stern. Klay Thompson impressed by hitting four of his first five shots while working toward 34 points in 45 minutes, but the W’s turned the ball over more times than they assisted (17 to 16) and missed 27 of 35 three-pointers.

GSW coach Steve Kerr limited his bench options as well, working only seven players double-figure minutes in a 53-minute contest, waiting out Curry’s bad luck streak in dancing school from long range – the MVP missed 13 of 15 from behind the arc.

“Nobody is immune from a tough night,” Kerr offered following the loss, and he wouldn’t be wrong in that regard. What he would be wrong with, and he’s certain to agree, would be putting Curry in a position to succeed. The league’s MVP was forced by the Cavalier into working as an afterthought offensively, showcasing little of the derring-do that marked his team’s 80-18 start to the season.

As it ran, his helpers acted as standbys rather than colleagues. Draymond Green played a good floor game defensively with four blocks, but it took until overtime for him to hit a field goal. Harrison Barnes worked a hesitant run, needing 10 shots to score 11 points, missing a makeable 17-footer late in overtime that could have sealed the deal for his team. Andre Iguodala, charged with chasing LeBron James up and down the court, could not replicate his Game 1 heroics offensively.

This was Cleveland’s win, though, and not Golden State’s loss. The Warriors had their chances, to be sure, but only because a determined Cavalier squad dared them into taking them.

The Cavs always seemed in control; and not for the usual, get-the-ball-to-LeBron-and-get-out-da-way, reasons. There was more movement and more action in Game 2 than in Game 1’s overtime loss, with James diving into his sets earlier in the shot clock and with screen-and-roll action clouding Golden State’s defensive approach. Somehow, 11 of Cleveland’s total of 14 assists came from James, as he lowered his shoulder and drove the Cavaliers toward the win – sitting for just 160 seconds of time in his team’s 98th game of the season.

“You'd be hard pressed," Cavs coach David Blatt said following the contest,“to find a guy anywhere, anytime ‑‑ I can think of a name or two, but that's the whole history of basketball ‑‑ that can give you the kind of all‑around performance and all‑around leadership that LeBron does for his group.”

Kerr concluded that “both teams defended like crazy out there,” and, again, he isn’t wrong in that summation. What seems to trick his Warriors, though, is the idea of playing from ahead.

James, for all his aspirations to surround himself with fellow stars and trusted role players, relishes the idea of playing from behind, and his Cavaliers clearly thrive on the challenge. Whether it’s taking on a full-strength Bulls squad while down a starter and a half, working against a top-seeded Atlanta Hawks club, or spitting into the wind while flying out to face the NBA’s best and healthiest team in its own arena, James and limited Co. continually rise to the challenge despite those abysmal shooting marks.

The Warriors get to play the same routine on the road soon, though, acting as the accidental martyr. LeBron’s Cavs have the home-court advantage in a best-of five series, now, with the pressure off of Golden State and the uniforms turning from blues and whites to yellow and yellow. Somehow, out of nowhere, the most important game of the NBA’s 223-day (and counting) season was tipped off on Matthew Dellavedova gathering an offensive rebound and James Jones working as a stretch four off of the bench. Things have gotten out of hand, and Golden State’s task is to restore order.

LeBron James, the guy who just played the game of his life while still missing 23 shots, doesn’t want order to return. Orthodoxy is his enemy, and that’s what makes him so compelling.

He plays best on the edge, with nary a call to go his way, with Timofey Mozgov as his second-leading scorer. It’s clear that he’s ready to do whatever it takes to extend his franchise’s season, and it’s hard to counter that sort of determination with a few fluttery three-pointers. Golden State might win out to end these Finals, but it won’t be easy.

Juve Still Have Bright Future - Morata

Juventus's disappointment after losing 3-1 to Barcelona in the Champions League final was plain to see but once the dust settles on one of the great European showpiece matches there will be lots of positives to reflect on.

The scorer of their only goal, Alvaro Morata, believes the Italian club can build on their double domestic success of this season and challenge for the Champions League title again soon.

"This is a great squad, a great family and we must continue working hard. This team has no limits, it can win the Champions League, and the directors are working to build an even stronger side," said former Real Madrid striker Morata.

"I want to thank the fans who came out here, as we are honoured to wear the jersey for them," he added.

Although veterans like goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and playmaker Andrea Pirlo may not get too many more chances to win the greatest club prize in European soccer, this has still been a remarkably successful season for Juve.

Winners of a fourth successive Serie A title and the Coppa Italia and victors over outgoing Champions League holders Real Madrid in the semifinals last month, Juve are again reaching, or at least coming close, to their former heights.

"The spirit is back after everything that happened to Juve in the past. The club can hold its head high again and this defeat will not stop us moving forward," defender Andrea Barzagli told reporters.

"Yes it is a bitter pill to swallow, but we played very well against probably the best team in the world. This was no disgrace."

CALCIOPOLI SCANDAL

Almost a decade ago, the grand "Old Lady" of Italian football was demoted to Serie B in the wake of the Calciopoli betting scandal but they have rejuvenated themselves since.

Players like Carlos Tevez, Paul Pogba, Patrice Evra and Morata, who played a bit-part in Real Madrid's Champions League success last season, have restored the club's sense of pride.

Buffon is the last playing link with the past before the nightmare of the Calciopoli affair struck in 2006 and he in a way symbolised their battling spirit on Saturday.

The 37-year-old, back in the Olympic Stadium where Italy won the World Cup in 2006, made two important saves in the first 15 minutes and pulled off two blinding stops in the second half.

Buffon is one of the great keepers of this or any other era and was the first to console a tearful Pirlo at the end.

Although he was beaten by Ivan Rakitic's early opener, Buffon was the foundation for an excellent performance.

He wanted nothing more than to eradicate the memory of his previous Champions League final experience – a loss to AC Milan in 2003 – with a victory but he was philosophical afterwards.

Buffon has six Serie A titles in his locker and told Sky Italia: "This is one of the disappointments sport gives you, but before that we shared many great moments of joy with our fans.

"It was a shame not to have the final to really finish off this journey, but at one point I really did believe."

Although this was their fourth straight Champions League final defeat since the second of their two titles in 1996, the fact they got there speaks volumes for their durability.

Barcelona were the deserved winners but beaten Juve's immediate prospects look far from being down and out.

Allegri Casts Doubt On Pirlo Future Amid MLS Rumours

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri refused to say whether Andrea Pirlo will return to the club next season.

Pirlo, 36, joined the Bianconeri from AC Milan on a free transfer in the summer of 2011 and has since won seven trophies, including four consecutive Italian Serie A titles, with Juve.

Recent reports have suggested Pirlo will end his 20-year stint in the Serie A and move to the MLS, but Allegri failed to comment on the future of the 36-year-old midfielder.

“As far as Pirlo is concerned, I can’t give you an answer I’m afraid,” Allegri said.

“As for Juventus, I think we can improve still. Not necessarily results because that would mean winning all three trophies.

“What we can improve is the quality of our game. We can consolidate and strengthen our way of playing and stay among the top eight teams in Europe on a regular basis.

“This is the most important objective for the club.”

Pirlo tallied four goals and five assists in 20 league appearances for the Italian champions in 2014/15.

Adebayor happy at Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur striker Emmanuel Adebayor has insisted he is looking forward to next season with the North Londoners despite rumours linking him with a summer move to Turkey.

This week, reports in Turkey quoted Mehdi Isik, a man claiming to be Adebayor’s new agent, as saying the former Arsenal striker was interested in joining the Turkish Süper Lig.

“For the record, I have seen some articles regarding a transfer to teams in Turkey,” Adebayor tweeted.

“I can confirm I have never heard of Mehdi Isik who has said he is my agent and have never discussed any move to Turkey.

“I am very happy with Tottenham and look forward to the next season with them.”

It seems rather surprising that Adebayor, 31, is ‘very happy’ at White Hart Lane after starting just nine English Premier League matches under Mauricio Pochettino last season, but apparently he is.

Hazard hoping Chelsea sign Benteke

Chelsea F.C. star Eden Hazard has revealed he would be the ‘happiest man in the world’ if the club were to sign Christian Benteke this summer.

Benteke, 24, is expected to leave Aston Villa when the transfer window re-opens in July, with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United competing for his signature.

“If Christian signs with us, I would be the happiest man in the world,” Hazard told reporters in Belgium.

“I have a great relationship with him and would like nothing better than to play with him. Christian is 25. He is at an age where he has to make a good career choice.

“Not that Aston Villa is a small club but he has already played many great games and can now play in the Champions League.”

Benteke scored 13 goals in 29 league appearances for Villa last season.

Iniesta Out Of Spain Training Camp

The Barcelona midfielder has been excused from joining up with the national squad on Monday due to muscle problems

Andres Iniesta will not take part in the start of Spain's training camp ahead of their upcoming internationals due to "muscular discomfort".

Spain face Costa Rica in a friendly on Thursday before taking on Belarus in a Euro 2016 qualifier three days later.

Iniesta had been a doubt for Barcelona's Champions League final with Juventus because of a calf injury sustained in the Copa del Rey win over Athletic Bilbao, but the midfielder recovered in time to deliver an instrumental performance in the 3-1 victory in Berlin on Saturday, earning the man of the match award as Barca secured the treble.

However, a statement on the Spain national team's official website read: "The FC Barcelona and Juventus players who took part in the Champions League final had permission to join the Spain squad on Monday 8th [June] at 6pm.

"Jordi Alba, [Marc] Bartra, [Sergio] Busquets, Pedro and [Gerard] Pique, as well as [Alvaro] Morata will arrive to Las Rozas where they look to take part in practice at 7:30pm.

"Midfielder Andres Iniesta will no take part on Monday 8th June.

"The Medical Services of the Spanish National Team have taken the decision that the muscular discomfort suffered by the player throughout the past week are sufficient for him to miss practice."

Adebayor Removed From Togo Squad

The Tottenham striker, along with Kossi Agassa and Floyd Ayite, will not feature for the start the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign versus Liberia next weekend

Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor has been removed from the Togo squad after failing to join up with the team on time.

Togo start their qualification campaign for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations against Liberia next Sunday.

But they will do so without Adebayor, Reims goalkeeper Kossi Agassa and Bastia attacking midfielder Floyd Ayite, who also showed up late.

"I have no problem with the players as individuals," coach Tom Saintfiet told BBC Sport.

"It's their choice not to come to the hotel, not to be part of the group, and that makes the choice for me very easy to say these players are now not able to be part of the national team.

"We ask only to be as one team together, to prepare us for these important game."

Saintfiet added that the trio had been missing for most of the past week as Togo prepare for Monday's friendly with Ghana.

He said: "Floyd Ayite and [Kossi] Agassa were only one time in training and Emmanuel [Adebayor] came twice, but for the rest of the time I never saw him.

"So I'm very sad about that because these three players were in my squad of 23, they are important players for the country and I was looking forward to working with them."

Michael Babatunde Quits Volyn Lutsk

Babatunde Michael has quit his Ukrainian Club Volyn Lutsk last Wednesday, the player disclosed to Goal in Abuja on Sunday.

“I have quit my Ukrainian club Volyn Lutsk because we had some issues of salary payment. They owe me about seven months salaries which made me to terminate my contract with the club,” Babatunde told Goal.

The player's contract was due to end this summer.

“I have cancelled my contract with them and I am looking forward to joining a new club now.

“Right now I have many offers coming from clubs from Spain, Germany, Belgium and other two clubs also in Ukraine.

“I just keep on praying to God to show me the right club that I will go that I will have playing time.

“I need playing time because after I came back from injury I started playing. So I need playing time so that all my fans in Nigeria and abroad will be happy that I am playing regularly with a club and the Chief Coach of the national team will be happy too,” he said.

The midfielder also expressed optimism that the Super Eagles will beat the visiting Chad national team on Saturday in Kaduna.

“Yes, I believe we will win the match because we have a lot of quality players that are capable of making Nigeria proud in any match they play,” he said.

“The players the coach invited for this game are super ready to give their very best against Chad because you don’t get this kind of opportunity to play in the national team always,” Babatunde concluded. 

Football | Champions League

Lionel Messi © Action Images

Video Highlights Win with PS4

Big Match Feature: Juve v Barca

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06 June 2015, 12:16

Two of European football's great names meet in the 2014/15 Uefa Champions League final as Juventus and FC Barcelona face off at Berlin's Olympiastadion on Saturday.

Juventus, appearing in their first final in 12 years, are seeking a third European crown at the expense of a Barcelona side with their sights set on a fifth title – and fourth in the past decade.

For both coaches, victory in Berlin would be the icing on the cake of an already impressive debut season, Massimiliano Allegri having led his Juventus team to the Serie A title, with Luis Enrique achieving the same feat in Spain with Barça.

Indeed, having both also triumphed in their domestic cup finals, Barcelona or Juventus would complete a treble with victory in Berlin. In Barça's case, it would be a record second after their success in 2008/09. In addition to that Barcelona side, previous treble winners are Celtic FC (1967), AFC Ajax (1972), PSV Eindhoven (1988), Manchester United FC (1999), FC Internazionale Milano (2010) and FC Bayern München (2013).

Final pedigree

Juventus

• For Juventus this is their eighth European Cup final. Their record is W2 L5:

1972/73 0-1 v AFC Ajax

1982/83 0-1 v Hamburger SV

1984/85 1-0 v Liverpool FC

1995/96 1-1 v AFC Ajax (4-2 pens)

1996/97 1-3 v Borussia Dortmund*

1997/98 0-1 v Real Madrid CF

2002/03 0-0 v AC Milan (2-3 pens)

*played at Munich's Olympiastadion

Juve, SL Benfica and Bayern have all lost five European Cup finals; no side has suffered six defeats.

Juventus have also played in four Uefa Cup finals – winning three (1977, 1990, 1993) and losing one (1995) – as well as the 1984 European Cup Winners' Cup final, which they won.

The Turin club's squad features four players with Uefa Champions League final-winning experience: Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan 2003, 2007); Patrice Evra and Carlos Tévez (Manchester United FC 2008); Álvaro Morata (Real Madrid CF 2014).

A substitute in Madrid's final victory 12 months ago, Morata could become the fourth player to appear in Uefa Champions League final victories in successive seasons for different clubs, after Marcel Desailly (Olympique de Marseille 1993, Milan 1994), Paulo Sousa (Juventus 1996, Dortmund 1997) and Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona 2009, Inter 2010).

A member of AS Monaco FC's beaten finalists in 2004, Evra tasted defeat against Barcelona with United in both the 2009 and 2011 finals, with Tévez featuring in the 2009 game too.

Buffon is the sole survivor of Juventus's last final appearance in 2003, when Pirlo was on the opposing side.

Barcelona

This is also Barcelona's eighth European Cup final and their record is W4 L3:

1960/61 2-3 v SL Benfica

1985/86 0-0 v FC Steaua Bucuresti (0-2 pens)

1991/92 1-0 v UC Sampdoria (aet)

1993/94 0-4 v AC Milan

2005/06 2-1 v Arsenal FC

2008/09 2-0 v Manchester United FC

2010/11 3-1 v Manchester United FC

A scorer in Barcelona's 2009 and 2011 victories, Lionel Messi could become the first player to find the net in three Uefa Champions League finals.

As well as facing Italy's Sampdoria and Milan in European Cup finals, Barcelona also beat Samp 2-0 in the 1989 European Cup Winners' Cup final.

In total Barcelona played in six Uefa Cup Winners' Cup finals, winning in 1979, 1982, 1989 and 1997 and losing in 1969 and 1991. Luis Enrique was a member of their victorious 1997 side against Paris Saint-Germain.

Barcelona have eight survivors of their 2011 Uefa Champions League final team in their squad: Daniel Alves, Gerard Piqué, Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta, Javier Mascherano, Sergio Busquets, Pedro Rodríguez and Lionel Messi. Adriano was an unused substitute.

Ivan Rakitic was man of the match for Sevilla FC in last season's Uefa Europa League final.

Previous meetings

Juventus edged past Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate when the clubs met in the 2002/03 Uefa Champions League quarterfinals. After a 1-1 draw in Turin, Marcelo Zalayeta's 114th-minute goal secured victory for Juve at the Camp Nou after Xavi had equalised a Pavel Nedved strike.

Luis Enrique played alongside Xavi in both of those ties, captaining Barcelona in the second leg. Buffon was in goal for Juventus.

Barcelona ended Juventus's European Cup defence in the 1985/86 quarterfinals, winning 1-0 in Spain before a 1-1 draw in Turin where Michel Platini got the Bianconeri's goal.

Five years later Barcelona came out on top in the sides' 1990/91 European Cup Winners' Cup semifinal, winning 3-1 at home before a 1-0 defeat in Italy.

Match Background

Juventus

Juventus reached the final by deposing holders Real Madrid CF with a 3-2 aggregate success in the last four. They are now looking to mark the 30th anniversary of their first European Cup triumph by reclaiming the trophy at the expense of another Spanish giant.

Allegri's men are on a nine-game unbeaten run in the competition, keeping five clean sheets.

Barcelona are the third Spanish opponents for Juve in this campaign. In the group stage, they lost 1-0 at Club Atlético de Madrid before a 0-0 home draw.

The Italian side's overall record against Spanish clubs is P44 W15 D11 L18.

Juve's shoot-out record in Uefa competition is W3 L3:

2-3 v AC Milan, 2002/03 Uefa Champions League final

4-2 v AFC Ajax, 1995/96 Uefa Champions League final

1-3 v Real Madrid CF, 1986/87 European Cup second round

4-2 v Argentinos Juniors, 1985 European/South American Cup final

1-4 v Widzew Lódz, 1980/81 Uefa Cup second round

3-0 v AFC Ajax, 1977/78 European Cup quarterfinal

Barcelona

Barcelona are back in the final after a four-year absence, and booked their ticket to Berlin by beating FC Bayern München 5-3 on aggregate in the semifinals. Prior to their second-leg loss in Munich, they were on a nine-match winning streak in the competition.

Barcelona last faced Italian opponents in last term's group stage, overcoming a Milan side coached by Allegri 3-1 at home after a 1-1 away draw.

The Spanish champions' record against teams from Italy is P43 W22 D13 L8.

Messi has scored seven goals in his last five appearances against Serie A sides.

Barcelona's shoot-out record in Uefa competition is W5 L1:

5-4 v KKS Lech Poznan, 1988/89 European Cup Winners' Cup second round

0-2 v FC Steaua Bucuresti, 1985/86 European Cup final

5-4 v IFK Göteborg, 1985/86 European Cup semifinal

4-1 v RSC Anderlecht, 1978/79 European Cup Winners' Cup second round

3-1 v Ipswich Town FC, 1977/78 Uefa Cup third round

5-4 v AZ Alkmaar, 1977/78 Uefa Cup second round

Coach and player links

As coach of Milan (2010–14), Allegri suffered Uefa Champions League elimination against Barcelona in two successive seasons, losing in the 2011/12 quarterfinals (1-3 agg) and the 2012/13 round of 16 (2-4 agg). His full record in eight games against the Blaugrana is W1 D3 L4.

As a player Luis Enrique was twice eliminated in the Uefa Champions League quarterfinals by Juventus, with Barcelona in 2002/03 and Real Madrid in 1995/96.

• As AS Roma coach in 2011/12, Luis Enrique faced Juventus three times. In Serie A he oversaw a 1-1 home draw – Giorgio Chiellini scoring for the Bianconeri – and a 4-0 away loss where Arturo Vidal (2), Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio scored. Roma also lost 3-0 in a Coppa Italia quarterfinal in Turin.

Luis Enrique also lost both meetings with Allegri's Milan that season, going down 3-2 at home and 2-1 at San Siro.

Vidal helped eliminate holders Spain from the 2014 Fifa World Cup when his Chile team – also including Claudio Bravo – earned a 2-0 win over a Spanish side containing Jordi Alba, Pedro, Busquets and Iniesta.

Uruguay knocked out Italy at last year's World Cup with a 1-0 victory in Natal; Luis Suárez, Cristian Rodríguez and Martín Cáceres (Uruguay); Buffon, Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli, Pirlo and the red-carded Claudio Marchisio (Italy) all featured.

Xavi, Iniesta, Piqué and Busquets converted spot kicks past Buffon as Spain beat Italy 7-6 on penalties in the 2013 Fifa Confederations Cup semifinal. Pirlo scored for Italy, but Bonucci missed. Neymar also scored past Buffon in Brazil's 4-2 group win over Italy earlier in the tournament.

Alba scored past Buffon in Spain's 4-0 victory over Italy in the Uefa EURO 2012 final. Piqué, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta and Pedro were also in the Spain team – Fernando Llorente on the bench – while the Azzurri side included Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini, Pirlo and Marchisio.

Stephan Lichtsteiner scored past Marc-André ter Stegen on the goalkeeper's Germany debut in a 5-3 defeat by Switzerland in May 2012.

Piqué played with Evra and Tévez at Manchester United in 2007/08, while Tévez was a club-mate of Javier Mascherano with SC Corinthians Paulista (2005–06) and West Ham United FC (2006/07).

Cáceres played 13 Liga games for Barcelona in 2008/09. He made two Uefa Champions League appearances and was on the bench for that season's final victory over Manchester United.

Cáceres and Rakitic were teammates at Sevilla between 2011 and 2012.

• Morata started one 'Clásico' against Barcelona – Madrid's 2-1 home win in March 2013 – and also appeared as a substitute in Madrid's 4-3 home loss the following season.

Llorente won just once in 20 meetings with Barcelona as an Athletic player, scoring three times.

Venue notes

• Pirlo and Buffon won the 2006 World Cup at the Olympiastadion, the former scoring the opening penalty in Italy's 5-3 shoot-out triumph over France. Andrea Barzagli was an unused substitute for Italy.

• Berlin is the fourth German city to have hosted the European Cup final after Munich (1980, 1993, 1997, 2012), Gelsenkircken (2004) and Stuttgart (1959, 1988). A Spanish club, Real Madrid, won the first final staged in Germany, beating Stade de Reims 2-0 in Stuttgart in 1958/59.

Match facts

Juventus

Juventus clinched a fourth successive Italian title three days before their semifinal first leg against Real Madrid. Since the return match in Spain on 13 May, the Bianconeri have beaten Inter (2-1) and SSC Napoli (3-1) in Serie A and drawn with last-day opponents Hellas Verona FC (2-2).

For the second consecutive season, Juventus ended the campaign 17 points clear of runners-up Roma. Allegri's men had the most prolific attack (72 goals scored) and the meanest defence (24 conceded).

Juventus are nine games unbeaten in all competitions.

Chiellini's first club goal since 2 February 2014 drew Juventus level against SS Lazio in the Coppa Italia final on 20 May. Alessandro Matri's extra-time winner sealed a 2-1 victory as the Turin side ended a two-decade wait for domestic cup glory.

The triumph was the Old Lady's 10th in the competition, a record, and rubber-stamped the club's third double.

Stefano Sturaro scored his first goal for Juventus in the defeat of Napoli on 23 May. Simone Pepe, who has struggled with injuries for two and a half years, rounded things off from the spot – his first goal since 11 April 2012.

Rested for the Coppa Italia decider, Buffon made the 900th competitive appearance of his career during the Napoli game, stopping a penalty from Lorenzo Insigne.

Tévez, who had a late spot kick saved against Verona, finished as Juve's 20-goal top scorer in Serie A, two behind leading marksmen Luca Toni and Mauro Icardi.

On 25 May, Allegri received the Enzo Bearzot Award, the fifth edition of an accolade named in honour of Italy's 1982 World Cup-winning coach.

Cáceres (out since 5 March, ankle) is still sidelined. Barzagli suffered a thigh strain against Napoli and is a doubt for the final.

Chiellini has been ruled out of the Berlin final having suffered a calf injury in training on 3 June.

On 4 June, Juve signed 21-year-old forward Paulo Dybala from US Città di Palermo for a fee that could rise as high as €40m.

Barcelona

Xavi became the first player to make 150 Uefa Champions League appearances when he featured as a substitute in the semifinal second leg against Bayern.

Five days after that 3-2 loss in Germany, Barcelona wrapped up their 23rd Liga title by winning 1-0 at Atlético.

The Azulgrana surrendered a two-goal lead when drawing 2-2 against visitors RC Deportivo La Coruña on the last day of the Liga season. Having recovered from a hamstring injury that had sidelined him since the 2014 World Cup, Thomas Vermaelen made his Barcelona debut, playing 61 minutes.

Barça won a record-extending 27th Copa del Rey on 30 May, completing the club's sixth domestic double, by beating Athletic 3-1 at the Camp Nou. Messi opened and rounded off the scoring, while Neymar was also on target.

Messi, Neymar and Suárez have scored 120 goals between them in all competitions this term, surpassing the 118 Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuaín managed for Real Madrid in 2011/12.

Messi has scored 58 goals this season – 43 in the Liga, 10 in the Uefa Champions League and five in the Copa del Rey.

Barcelona announced on 2 June that they had reached an agreement with Alba to extend the left-back's contract until summer 2020.

Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus coach

We started the season with an important objective – to get to the quarterfinals. Now we've got to the final and we have to be winners. We need to take the last step; that's always hard, especially in a Champions League final.

Messi, Neymar, Suárez, it's the usual question since the semifinal – how do you stop them, how do you stop them? We need to be very skilled but we need to recognise we're not going to draw; we need to score. How do you stop Barcelona? We need to think how to score. We need to be strong technically because they're a technical team and attack is their best weapon so we need to be very, very aware of that.

We need to stay focused for 90 minutes, right until the end. We need to be mentally strong and turn things around because we're second favourites to Barcelona. It's a one-off match, no chance to play again, so we need to be fit. We are physically fine and the same goes for our mental strength. We need to be good against a great team but, like all teams, they do have faults and weaknesses.

One of the two teams will win a treble, either Juventus or Barcelona – hopefully us. We need to recognise this isn't easy. It's not easy to manage great teams, despite how it seems from the outside. Luis Enrique was a great manager at Roma; this is a new league and a new situation but even back then it was clear he was right in his ideas. My role as manager is trying to add value to a team who were already capable, improving them even more.

It should be a great game. As with all Champions League finals, we'll need some luck and we'll need to work for that.

We're very sorry for what happened to Chiellini but I guess it was meant to be. We lost a player who had been great for us from the start of the season. Barzagli and Ogbonna are both fit; if Barzagli feels OK he's going to play, otherwise it's Ogbonna.

It's important that we have an Italian team in the final. The last time was five years ago, in 2010 when Inter won. We can see the enthusiasm; most Italians are looking forward to seeing Juventus lift the cup. This is going to be something positive for our game.

Irrespective of the outcome, we've had an extraordinary season. Apart from the league title and the 10th Coppa Italia, which had been missing for 20 years, we have to consider the consolidation of the team in Europe, getting back among the top eight teams. That's important for building momentum.

Luis Enrique, Barcelona coach

[Getting better] is a normal process throughout a season, especially bearing in mind this is my first season in charge. The team is now where it wants to be – with two trophies and the possibility of a third. We're entering this game with great excitement and hopes of playing a great match so we can be better than our opponents.

Midfield is where the game takes shape, whether that's attack or defence. We have to dominate both the offensive and the defensive side of things. We want to play our game – have the ball, create danger and minimise any opportunities for our opponents.

There is some euphoria among the fans and we're delighted to see that – that feeling has been there for several months. As players and coaches, we're focusing on this match with a great sense of seriousness and responsibility. We have to handle the occasion properly and make sure we have a good day so we can deal with such powerful opponents.

I imagine we'll have more possession, we hope to spend more time in their half. We'll have to play at a high level, it's going to be a difficult match. Juve have a very similar style to ours, they also need the ball. They're very good in defence, they're very resourceful and that's why they're in the same position as us – they can win the treble too. We know Juve will want and they're going to pressure us. Who will win depends on who adapts better to those situations.

We've scored lots of goals in the Champions League but we know finals are very different; there's a lot of tension so we'll have to block that out. The strikers have got all the headlines and that's natural. To be here today, having already won those two trophies in Spain, the players know you need a squad – we wouldn't have got here without our defenders too.

We have a unique set of players, a unique generation given the number of trophies Barcelona have won. I hope we see a great final, an open, exciting game – that would be great for football, and the better side would win. This is going to be one of the best matches you can watch – the champions of Italy and Spain. It's going to be spectacular.

Possible line-ups

Juventus (ITA) : Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Barzagli, Evra; Marchisio, Pirlo, Pogba; Vidal; Tévez, Morata.

Doubtful: Barzagli (thigh)

Out: Chiellini (calf), Cáceres (ankle), Asamoah* (knee), Rômulo* (thigh)

*Removed from the list in January

Full 22-man squad for Berlin (named Thursday)

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon, Marco Storari, Rubinho

Defenders: Angelo Ogbonna, Andrea Barzagli, Paolo De Ceglie, Leonardo Bonucci, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Patrice Evra

Midfielders: Paul Pogba, Simone Pepe, Claudio Marchisio, Simone Padoin, Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal, Stefano Sturaro, Roberto Pereyra

Forwards: Álvaro Morata, Carlos Tévez, Kingsley Coman, Fernando Llorente, Alessandro Matri

Team news

Giorgio Chiellini

The centre-back has been ruled out due to a calf injury sustained in training on Wednesday. The 30-year-old underwent a scan on Thursday which showed up a first-grade tear.

Andrea Barzagli

Barzagli has not played since suffering a thigh strain against SSC Napoli on 23 May but returned to regular training on Wednesday and was named in the squad on Thursday. He remains doubtful, though Chiellini's absence means he is very likely to start if fit and he did train on Friday at the Olympiastadion.

Paul Pogba

Injured his ankle on 18 March and only returned on 9 May. He has since played a total of 255 minutes in Serie A and 89 in the Uefa Champions League. "Hopefully he will be at his peak in Berlin," said Allegri.

Martín Cáceres

The versatile defender has been out since fracturing his ankle in March, at which point he was ruled out for the season.

Álvaro Morata

A second-half substitute in last season's final, when he helped Real Madrid CF overcome Club Atlético de Madrid, the young forward is expected to start this time around. "I feel in great form physically," he said.

Roberto Pereyra

He is not expected to start in Berlin, but attacking midfielder Pereyra is certainly among those hitting form. After scoring in Juve's last two Serie A matches of the season, he will probably be involved.

FC Barcelona (ESP): Ter Stegen; Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Suárez, Neymar.

Doubtful: none

Out: none

Team news

Andres Iniesta

The midfielder was taken off in the second half of Saturday's Copa del Rey final against Athletic Club, but although he missed training on Tuesday, he insisted: "Not playing on Saturday has never crossed my mind." Should Barcelona triumph, the 31-year-old will join Clarence Seedorf as the only player to have won the Uefa Champions League four times.

Luis Suárez

The Uruguayan missed Barcelona's final two league matches with a hamstring problem but returned to the starting line-up for the Copa del Rey final and played 78 minutes before being replaced by Pedro Rodríguez, providing the assist for Neymar's goal. He is in line to play in his first European final.

Xavi Hernández

After 17 years, the midfield metronome is hoping his final outing for Barcelona before he joins al-Sadd SC in Qatar will bring him a 25th piece of silverware with the club. "This one is special because it's my last game for Barcelona," he said. "I want to lift that trophy and dedicate it to all of Barcelona."

Ivan Rakitic

Man of the match as Sevilla FC won the 2014 Uefa Europa League final, this is the Croatian's first Uefa Champions League decider. "I played in a European final last year, but this is different," he said. "I will try to not think too much about it and try to prepare as well as possible."

Lionel Messi

The Argentinian has played all but 23 minutes of Barcelona's Uefa Champions League campaign and if he scores in Berlin he will become the first player to find the net in three Uefa Champions League finals, having registered in the 2009 and 2011 wins against Manchester United FC.