Eto'o First Words

Samuel Eto'o completed his transfer to Chelsea on Thursday afternoon, and quickly sat down with the official club website to discuss the move.
The three-time Champions League winner and four-time African Player of the Year is looking forward to getting started in west London…
Welcome to Chelsea, what are your first impressions of being here?
I am very happy to be here but also anxious because I want to get playing as soon as possible.
It wasn't a hard decision. I saw the qualities Chelsea have, and I was very happy with Jose Mourinho before, so when the opportunity came, I was very happy to take it.
Have you spoken to the manager, and what did he say to you?
I've spoken to him quite a few times, but what was said is confidential!
Have you always been keen on a move to England, after playing in other top leagues?
I've had a couple of opportunities to come to England before, including the first time Jose was here, but it didn't work out for one reason or another. Since that time, I have had a career where I have been lucky enough to win a lot of trophies in different countries, but one of my last dreams as a professional is to come and play in England and see if I can have the same success as in my previous clubs. I don't see it as a final challenge, but to have a good time, enjoy my football, and have success with this team.
Can you see it lasting beyond one year if both sides are happy?
This is the thing that least preoccupies me. It's something to talk about later, both sides need to be happy but importantly the club needs to be happy with me before they even ask my opinion on that.
You have a fantastic goalscoring record. What can fans expect from seeing you at Stamford Bridge?
The first thing I need to do is adapt myself as quickly as possible to the team. I want to try and enjoy the football as much as possible and I feel if I am doing that, everybody watching will enjoy watching me.
You've played at Stamford Bridge before for both Barcelona and Inter…
They were always games between two big clubs. They didn't always finish well, but the most important thing is they were spectacular games every time. The atmosphere was incredible, the fans didn't stop shouting, and coming from Spain, where it is not always like that, it was a big surprise.
What can you tell us about your experience in Russia, particularly working with Guus Hiddink and Willian?
Both playing there and working with Hiddink were some of the best experiences of my long career. If I had to relive it again I would gladly do it again no problem, and I think Willian he is one of the best players in modern football.
Today is the Champions League draw. As a multiple winner, you must be excited at that?
No. It doesn't matter what teams you are drawn against, big or small, you have to give them the correct level of respect to achieve the right results.
Not many players have won the Champions League playing for three different teams. Is that an incentive?
I was also with Madrid when they won it, so maybe it could be four, if maybe we can do it with Chelsea. To win is the biggest reason for getting up tomorrow morning. I want to win and win.
And finally, you're the latest in a long line of high-profile African players at Chelsea. How much would you like to emulate the achievements of those who have gone before you?
I know all of them. It's a great honour first of all to know African players have represented the continent so well here, and thanks to their good work previously and now, it is perhaps a reason why Jose thought he could bring me here and have similar success.

Liverpool Suffer Setback As Alderweireld Opts For Atletico

Liverpool look set to miss out on defender target Toby Alderweireld, according to the Daily Mail.
Brendan Rodgers had been keen to bring the 24-year-old stopper to Anfield, and was hopeful of securing the player's signature ahead of the September 2 deadline.
But Atletico Madrid have jumped to the head of the queue, with Alderweireld - who has just one year remaining on his Ajax contract - opting for a move to La Liga over an Anfield switch.

Alderweireld has not been short of admirers this summer, with the likes of Everton, Norwich and Tottenham all linked to the Belgian international.
Ajax have accepted numerous offers for the versatile defender, with Spartak Moscow coming closest to landing the £5 million-rated star, only for Alderweireld to reject a move to Russia.
However, the lure of playing Champions League football with Atletico proved to be too good an opportunity to miss, and Alderweireld is expected to complete his move to the Spanish capital imminently, paving the way for Manchester City to tie up a deal for Martin Demichelis.
Liverpool must now turn their attentions elsewhere, as boss Rodgers continues in his search for defensive reinforcements.
Injuries to summer signing Kolo Toure and Sebastian Coates - as well as persistent rumours linking Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger with an Anfield exit - led the Liverpool chief into stepping up his search for a new defender.
With the Reds' missing out on Alderweireld, Joleon Lescott has been touted as a possible alternative, with a reported £7.5 million bid likely to be enough to prize the England international away from the Etihad stadium.

Arsenal Find Themselves In Tough Champions League Group

North London club Arsenal has found themselves in a tough Champions League group after getting past Fenerbahce in the play-offs.
The Gunners find themselves in a group featuring last season's finalists Borussia Dortmund, Serie A runners-up Napoli, and French giants Marseille.
Having endured a relatively successful week with wins over Fulham and Fenerbahce, the Arsenal fans will now be worried about the Champions League draw due to the lack of transfer activity at the Emirates.

Arsene Wenger came under huge pressure from the fans after a home defeat to Aston Villa.
Arsenal surely have to go into the transfer market when they look at their opponents in the group. Dortmund stands out as they reached the final last season and have made some great signings this summer.
Henrik Mkhitaryan, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sokratis Papasthatopoulos have move to the Signal Iduna Park.
Marseille may be the weakest opponents in the group, but they are very experienced in the Champions League and may be a potential 'banana-skin' for the other three powerhouses in the group.
Mathieu Valbuena, Andre Ayew, Dmitri Payet and Andre-Pierre Gignac are experienced players, and can create lots of problems for their opponents.
Napoli has a new manager in the form of Rafael Benitez who won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005. Benitez knows the competition very well, and has added some quality to his team so far this summer.
Gonzalo Higuain, Jose Callejon, Raul Albiol, Dries Mertens and Pepe Reina all moved to Stadio San Paolo. These players were added to the likes of Marek Hamsik, Lorenzo Insigne, Gokhan Inler and Christian Maggio in a very talented and strong Napoli team.
It will be a tough task for Wenger and his men to get out of this group. On paper, Dortmund and Napoli have the strongest teams, and so they should have enough firepower and depth to get out of this tough group.

Kaka Wants To Leave Real Madrid

Real Madrid midfielder Kaka wants to leave the Bernabeu before the transfer window closes, according to BBC Sport.
The 31-year-old playmaker faces stiff competition for a starting berth, with the likes of Mesut Ozil, Isco and Luka Modric all vying for a first-team role.
With such talent in their midfield, Kaka fears he will not get much game time under new boss Carlo Ancelotti, whom he played under during his time at AC Milan.

And having asked to leave the La Liga giants, Manchester United could launch a renewed attempt to land the 2007 World Player of the Year.
David Moyes' side were heavily linked with Kaka just a few weeks ago, with reports suggesting the Old Trafford outfit were lining up a double bid for Kaka and Madrid teammate, Mesut Ozil.
However, with the latter confirming his intentions to stay at the Bernabeu and fight for a first-team role, Manchester United must focus their attention on Kaka - if they decide to renew their interest.
In an interview with BBC Sport, Kaka said: "The club knows I want to leave and I would like them to help me find a solution for my exit.
"Things are difficult for me here, there is less room in the squad all the time.
"I am ready every day to train and work but that does not mean that I am happy."
Manchester United have been given a boost in their pursuit of Kaka, after he ruled out a return to his native Brazil.
"I cannot go to Brazil because the market is closed, the exit would be within Europe," he said.
"I don't want to talk about clubs because I have none at this stage."
Kaka started his career at Sao Paulo before moving to Milan, where he won the Ballon d'Or and Fifa World Player of the Year award.

Everton Demand £50m For Baines & Fellaini

Everton want £50 million from Manchester United for star duo Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini, according to the Mirror.
The Goodison Park club are reluctant to lose their key players so close to the end of the transfer window, and Toffees chairman Bill Kenwright is doing his utmost to fend off United, who seem intent on landing the Everton duo.
However, Kenwright is playing hardball and is attempting to price Baines and Fellaini out of a move to Old Trafford - though the club are willing to negotiate a deal for the latter.

Fellaini has told boss Roberto Martinez of his intentions to secure a move away from the club within the next three days, while Manchester United remain keen to tie up a deal before the transfer deadline.
If United submit a renewed bid which comes close to matching Everton's £25 million price tag, the Toffees are reportedly set to back down and grant Fellaini his exit desire.
However, Everton remain keen to hold onto Baines, despite the 29-year-old wanting to make the move to Manchester United too, and are hopeful that the Red Devils will end their pursuit of the England left-back having been informed of his revised asking price.
David Moyes' attempts to land two of his former charges has riled Everton officials, and interest from the Old Trafford club has forced Martinez to plan for the worst-case scenario - losing Baines and Fellaini to Manchester United before September 2.
Those plans involve a possible reunion with Wigan's James McCarthy, as well as bids for Manchester City's Gareth Barry and Blackpool's Tom Ince.

Mourinho Launches Cartoon Series Titled 'Jose And The Special Ones'

Jose Mourinho is known for being fairly eccentric, but launching his own cartoon series seems a bit far even for him.
However that hasn't stopped him. The Metro reports that Mourinho gave the thumbs up for the cartoon named 'Jose and the Special Ones' to be officially launched in Portugal this weekend.
The show, which features graphics similar to the classic children's series Pokemon, depicts the story of a young footballer who is scouted whilst playing in a local game.

Mourinho himself then attempts to turn the boy into a global superstar.
"I believe the series Mourinho and the Special Ones truly combine education and entertainment. I am proud to be part of this project," said the Portuguese manager himself.
The show is expected to be a hit in Portugal, and the company behind the production, Sports Stars Media, are already planing a card game and mobile phone app to follow.

Eto'o Arrives In Stanford Bridge In Blues Colors Of Chelsea

Chelsea have confirm the signing of Samuel Eto'o from Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala on a one-year deal.
Jose Mourinho had been in the hunt for a new striker and moved quickly to snap up the former Inter Milan and Barcelona star after giving up on the signing of Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.
Chelsea had two bids rejected for the England international this summer and so Mourinho has turned to his former charge from his days with Inter in Serie A.

Eto'o was an integral part of the Mourinho side that won all four trophies they competed in during the 2011 season and the Cameroonian claimed his former boss was a big part of his decision to make the Stamford Bridge switch.
"It wasn't a hard decision. I saw the qualities Chelsea have, and I was very happy with Jose Mourinho before, so when the opportunity came, I was very happy to take it.," he told the official Chelsea website.
The 32-year-old striker is the second signing Chelsea have made from Anzhi, after confirming a deal for Brazilian playmaker Willian on Wednesday.
The previously big-spending Russian Premier League club have scaled down their operation and are selling off a significant number of their big earners.
Eto'o has a pedigree for prolific scoring at the highest level and will provide the likes of Fernando Torres and Romelu Lukaku with serious competition for the starting striker role.

David James Talks Liverpool, Goalkeepers & Suarez

This weekend finally sees the return of the Premier League, and David James has given his thoughts on the curtain-raising lunchtime kick-off between Liverpool and Stoke.
The former England international will be heading to Merseyside tomorrow - as part of the BT Sport team - where he will be talking to players from both sides.
“I’m up to Anfield, I’m going to do an interview with (Simon) Mignolet and Asmir (Begovic) hopefully as they come off the bus. Just a quick chat with them and then do some stuff pitch-side," the goalkeeper revealed in an exclusive interview with GiveMeSport.

Even at the age of 43, James continues to play and coach for IBV in Iceland. And getting back to the Westman Islands is another top priority that he will be juggling over the next few days.
He added: “I will travel down to Heathrow after the match and fly back out to Iceland because we’ve got a big game against Vikingur on Sunday.”
But before returning his focus to the Icelandic Premier League, the stopper had his say on the men that we will see between the sticks at Anfield, notably Liverpool debutant Simon Mignolet, who signed from Sunderland this summer.
“I’m interested in seeing Mignolet. I'm a little bit concerned actually, not in him himself, but with the way Liverpool have done things.
"They bought him for a big price - £9m is a lot of money in any era for a goalkeeper.
"But essentially they’ve taken away his competition in allowing Pepe Reina to go on loan," argued the FA Cup winner.
“As a young goalkeeper, one of the things you do is you’re fighting against everybody just to get your foot in the door, your hand in the door, what analogy do you want to use?
“He’s had a big move where he’d expect to have competition again and to progress again, and essentially the competition has been taken away from him.
"All of a sudden he’s been left on his own a little bit, so it will be interesting to see how he develops because what he did for Sunderland was obviously very good, hence the £9m price tag, and being an ex-Liverpool goalkeeper there is of course a bit of interest."
As a co-analyst for BT Sport, James will be able to use the knowledge and experience gained throughout his 26 year playing career to expertly assess Premier League goalkeepers this season.
Another of these he will focus on is Jack Butland, assuming that the new Stoke man plays that is.
The pundit added: “Also I’m just trying to think of English keepers who have been bought. (Jack Butland?) Oh yes but I question whether that is to play or to develop. Because I mean Asmir (Begovic) is a very talented goalkeeper.
“Again it is a testament to what is happening in the Premier League at the moment. Our next best goalkeeper in Jack Butland – after his Olympic heroics – goes and signs as a number two for someone.”
James also had the time to discuss the ongoing transfer sagas surrounding Luis Suarez, Wayne Rooney and Gareth Bale.
All three have been continually linked with a move away from their respective clubs this summer. But the keeper doesn't see players holding their teams at ransom as a new concept in football.
“I think it was Jimmy Hill back in the 70s who changed the contract laws with regards to players being able to move from club to club, and obviously the Bosman ruling in the late 90s added a little bit more freedom to players, but essentially it’s always been the same," explained the former Portsmouth goalie.
“If a player doesn’t want to play for a club he downs tools and gets a move, because as a manager or as a coach, you don’t need bad influences around the changing room.
“I’m not saying that any of the three players you mentioned there are going to down tools, but in a sense, the player has always had that amount of power. The more talented you are, the more power you’ve got arguably.
“It depends on the strength of the manager of course, and I think with Suarez for sure, Brendan Rodgers seems like a strong enough manager that if Suarez does stay then he’ll get Suarez participating in whatever Liverpool want to achieve.
“I think he’s a fantastic player Suarez, but I also think that Liverpool could be a strong side without him, or with him, but playing in a different way. It’s down to the manager more than anything.”
Suarez is still in the process of serving a 10 match ban that was handed to him for biting Branislav Ivanovic towards the end of last season, so he won't be able to help Liverpool get off to a flying start in the opening weeks of this campaign, which starts at home to Stoke City tomorrow.

FiFa Launches Three New Facebook Pages

Three new Facebook pages were launched by FIFA yesterday as they look to enhance their social media presence.

The announcement is sure to be well received by users of the social networking site, as the pages will give them the means to improve their communication with others regarding FIFA related topics.
One of the pages, '2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™', is dedicated to covering the build up to the World Cup and then providing coverage of the action during the tournament.

There is also a page named 'FIFA World Cup' which will allow fans to view the history of the competition, as well as providing viewers with a platform on which to share World Cup memories and interact with each other about issues and talking points surrounding the tournament.
The third page, simply entitled 'FIFA', will focus much more on the governing body itself. It aims to give fans an insight into the ins and outs of FIFA, including it's dealings in football development, and will allow it's audience to get an inside look at the organisation, whilst also providing them with the opportunity to engage in FIFA events such as the Ballon D'Or.
Walter De Gregorio, FIFA Director of Communications and Public Affairs, told the official website: “Since FIFA took its first social media steps on Twitter in the build-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, more than 4.5 million football fans have been actively engaging with us in six different languages, primarily @fifacom and @fifaworldcup. As a governing body, this is something we’re very proud of."

Five Potential Scholes Replacements At Man United

It's hard to replace a player who has made over 700 appearances and scored over 150 goals for Manchester United.
It's a task that has been bestowed upon David Moyes, and thus far, he has failed to find a suitable replacement for the legendary midfielder.
Here I have compiled a list of five players who could fill the void left behind by the 'Ginger Prince', and could possibly be better (and easier to get) options for the new Manchester United manager.

Shinji Kagawa (Manchester United)
United may have to look no further than their own training ground to find a suitable candidate to cure their midfield woes. After being signed from Dortmund the Japanese playmaker's first season in English football was plagued by injuries and a lack of playing time. However, after a disappointing debut campaign, Kagawa is more determined than ever to come back strong and ready to play.
He is hungry to cement himself into the centre of Moyes' plans and become an important figure in any success that the Red Devils have moving forward. He's a quick-witted player who can create chances for teammates as well as score some goals himself. Alongside Michael Carrick, playing slightly behind Robin van Persie, Kagawa could be the answer to Manchester United's midfield problems.
Nemanja Matic (Benfica)
The Serbian playmaker came into his own after a very successful season at Benfica. He has an excellent ability to dictate the tempo of a game and disrupt opposition attacks. Last season the defensive midfielder scored four goals for the Portuguese club, but after attracting interest from Chelsea he could be a difficult player for Moyes to get.
The £45 million price tag might be a problem too, but the money would be spent on a player who would stabilise Manchester United's midfield for the next decade. There is no reward without an element of risk.
Hernanes (Lazio)
The Brazilian midfielder has also caught the eye of Manchester City, which could make the talented playmaker more difficult to get. However, the 28-year-old midfielder has an exceptional ability to keep the midfield ticking over, a trait which has been sorely missed in the absence of Paul Scholes. Also similar to the former Red Devil, Hernanes has a rocket in his leg that can be unleashed at any time.
Sven Bender (Dortmund)
Last season the German defensive midfielder was instrumental in Dortmund's fantastic run to the Champions League final. Bender is a ball-winning midfielder who stops opposition advances and keeps possession of the ball with short, simple passes to more creative players.
He would fix United's problem of allowing opponents to pass through them too easily, often times having so many holes in the midfield that cheesy Swiss cheese comparisons were almost deemed necessary. Bender would become an anchor in the center of the park, and provide much needed stability for a shaky and weak Manchester United midfield.
Michael Bradley (Roma)
The 26-year-old has become an integral part of the American national team and has managed to impose himself in a Roma midfield where he has had to compete with Daniele De Rossi for a starting position.
Bradley started 24 times and came off the bench six times in Serie A play last season as he helped guide Roma to a sixth place finish. The American international has a wide spectrum of passes he can make, from short simple passes to long, driven cross field switches. He can dictate the tempo of a match, and on the defensive side he positions himself well on the pitch to impede opposition counter attacks. He's an all-around solid midfielder who should be an option for David Moyes to consider.

So those are five possible options to fill the void in the Manchester United midfield. With a variety of options at his disposal, Moyes could look within United or to the transfer market in search of a replacement for Paul Scholes. He'll have to act soon, as the new season dawns upon us, and a quality midfielder will be imperative for the Red Devils title defence.

Manchester United Won't Sell Rooney To Chelsea - Di Matteo

The Italian, who won the Champions League as Blues manager, argues that the Premier League champions are not the types to sanction sales of their best players to rivals

Former Chelsea coach Roberto Di Matteo does not believe that Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will complete a transfer to Stamford Bridge.

The 43-year-old argues that it would be impossible for the England striker, for whom the Blues have had two bids rejected, to end up at the London club because "United never sell their best players to rivals".

"Rooney is a top-class striker and a fantastic player, who can play for any team in the world, but I don't think Manchester United will allow him to join Chelsea. United are well known for not allowing their top players to join rival teams, especially in England," Di Matteo told Goal.

"He would definitely perform very well at the Bridge if he ends up moving but it would be one of the most shocking transfers should he join Chelsea."

United manager David Moyes has continually stressed that Rooney will stay at Old Trafford but Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has declared that their pursuit will continue until the end of the transfer window.

Di Matteo, who was in Kenya to launch a new fantasy game dubbed Guinness Football Manager, insists that he does not hold any grudge against Blues owner Roman Abramovich, who sacked him despite winning the Champions League and FA Cup titles in 2012.

"Most successful managers have been sacked, so I have great company there," he joked. "It's part of the experience. I'm now looking forward to winning many more things ahead.

"It was a fantastic experience working under him. Abramovich had his own opinion so sometimes we had to agree and sometimes disagree but, at the end of the day, we had to move on. He gave me the opportunity to serve the club and did my best and I am now looking to the future."

The Italian says that he is not looking to make an immediate comeback to the dugout, despite several clubs making contact with him.

"I'm going to take this year off," Di Matteo confirmed. "I've received many offers but I have to take a rest, regain all my energies before I return to coaching. I want to travel across Central Africa with my new role as the ambassador for Guinness and I will think about coaching after one year."

How Nigeria's Super Eagles Can Be Better Motivated - Jide Ayegbusi

Prolonged crises in the national teams due to failure of administrators to fulfill financial obligations can be resolved in better ways

It is no longer news that the NFF has abridged the Super Eagles match bonus to a sustainable level. A development that is pleasingly laudable though belated. Notably, this is not the first time the NFF would slash the Eagles’ match bonuses. The Glass House out of reprehensible performances of the Super Eagles, under Samson Siasia, ingenuously announced a cut in their match bonuses. After so much hurly-burly, the Nigerian football body rescinded its decision and returned the bonus to $10,000. We hope the decision will stay this time. Even though the match bonus bedlam seems to be going abysmal, it is necessary to put up a piece like this so that the abyss key can be irrecoverably thrown into the deepest part of the deep blue sea. Victor Ikpeba, former African footballer of the year, recently frowned at the Super Eagles’ action when the team ignominiously embarrassed the nation with their plan to boycott the Confederations Cup in the name of bonus slashing. The veteran further illuminated on how they won gold medal in the glorious Atlanta 1996 Olympics with little or no resources, and I asked myself - do we still possess individual players who would be brought from a humble background to represent the most populous black nation and still maintain that humility in character?
Squandering winning bonuses have often been bountifully promised by the NFF and most sports bodies in Nigeria whenever they are anticipating must-win competitions. In fact, money has been seen as a viable element to fuel desired performance in Nigerian sports circles. This must stop.
In as much as it will be sappy and maudlin for one to say money plays insignificant role in morale boosting, it will not be out of hand to say money as a guerdon is not motivation. To this end, psychologists have identified a thousand and one non-financial factors that egg on individuals and in this context, footballers. As in other sporting activities, we play football for a variety of reasons. Most of us learn our sporting skills in school as part of a compulsory curriculum. As we get older we can choose to increase our sporting activity if we so wish. Our reasons for playing may change over time as we grow older or develop other interests.
Consequently, for us to continue taking part in sports we need to get something in return. Initial enjoyment of the activity for its own sake might be sufficient, but as we take it more seriously, playing well and winning also become important. If we do not enjoy the activities or are unsuccessful we are unlikely to want to carry on. Whether we want to continue in sport or not depends upon the strength of the drive within us. This drive or desire we call motivation. We all vary in our drive to succeed in soccer or life in general; that is we all have different levels of motivation.
Majority are intrinsically motivated. That is their motivation comes from own inner drives. Examples include playing for fun and enjoyment, improving fitness and losing weight, the physical pleasure of the activity, performing skillfully and being successful and the pleasure gained from being with others.
At the other side of the coin are those that are extrinsically motivated. Their spur comes from rewards and outside pressures. Examples include winning competitions, being praised for their achievements, to satisfy the expectations of parents, teachers and coaches and to fulfill their commitment to their team.
Moreover, most players are motivated by a mixture of different reasons, some internal, some external. As they get older, it is the intrinsic motivation that keeps them taking part in sport when the extrinsic motivators are reduced. Most of players are likely to continue with soccer if they enjoy the experience and gain some success. The more skillful a footballer is, the more likely he would want to be successful, and this success will increase his motivation.
The non-financial motivator gives personal satisfaction to an individual footballer. It is a reward which gives inner joy to an individual but cannot be measured and quantified in terms of money. Lionel Messi, one of the most incredibly brilliant footballers the world has ever seen, once underscored this fact. “Money allows you to have a better life, but it is not what inspires me. I’d play for nothing to be a professional player; I live for the game, not for economic benefits, and play for the team not me. Individual awards are fine, but the success of Barcelona and Argentina are what is really important,” said the well-paid super star.
Having said all these, it is high time our sports administrators began to look at subtle but crucial factors that motivate Nigerian footballers.
Take the issue of ticket refund and players’ choice of flying status for example. Most players want to fly in first class when returning home to honour national calls and they feel insulted when asked to receive money for economy class. This may rub on the performances of the players particularly when the game is very important.
In the same vein, the mode of transportation to competitions’ venues is not to be toyed with. We have often witnessed situations where decrepit aircrafts were used to move players and officials to competition venues. Emmanuel Adebayor once refused to go along with his Togolese team mates to a match venue because of the dreadful condition of the aircraft that was to be used. There was even a time when the team was attacked by terrorists while traveling by land to a match venue. All these are enough to kill players’ morale.
 It is high time the NFF focused on several other factors that motivate our soccer teams. National awards and recognitions, insurance covers, good health care system for the sick and injured players, team selection devoid of sentiments, good welfare package for a deceased player’s family and so on may be all that are needed to adequately motivate our players.
Lastly, our players too should realize that national team is not a business entity like their clubs. Whatever peanuts provided should be received as honorariums for values well added to the team.

Exodus Begins At Russia's Anzhi Makhachkala

The exodus at Anzhi Makhachkala has begun with three Russian internationals in the form of Igor Denisov,Alexandr Kokorin and Yuri Zhirkov.
The Russian big spenders are offloading their star players in order to cut costs at the club.
Other stars such as Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o and Brazilian playmaker Willian are also available.

Club owner Suleiman Kerimov has implemented an immediate cost-cutting effect and so he has elected to sell a number of their important players.

The Russian trio that have left Dagestan have moved to Dinamo Moscow who wasted no time in capitalising on the clear out implemented by Kerimov.
The fee paid for the Russian trio is undisclosed but Dinamo have secured three very good players who will no doubt improve their squad.
Denisov is a proven player from his time at Zenit St Petersburg and also for the Russian national team. Yuri Zhirkov is a former Chelsea player and has also featured heavily for the Russian national team. Young Kokorin is seen as a star of the future and is already making a name for himself in the Russian national team.
There will be other stars leaving the Dagestan in the coming weeks as the clear out is set to continue. Eto'o is linked with a move to Chelsea, Manchester United and Inter Milan while Willian is said to be a target for Tottenham Hotspur,Chelsea and Liverpool.

Cavani's Rise To Stardom

The Uruguay international has come a long way from his humble beginnings to become one of football's most expensive players of all-time

He's the second most expensive footballer of all-time after completing a €64 million move from Napoli to Paris Saint-Germain this summer, but Edinson Cavani's rise to stardom is every inch a roots to riches tale.

The explosive forward is set to make his full debut for Laurent Blanc's side in front of a partisan Parisian support against Ajaccio on Sunday, despite missing Uruguay's international friendly against Japan with a minor injury.

But way before Cavani first laced up a pair of boots or became the subject of a transfer saga that threatened to run longer than his shoulder length hair, it was very much a case of green fingers for the Salto-born star.

The Uruguay international was at one with nature from an early age and would earn extra money by helping neighbours with their gardening.

“Since he was little we went fishing together and camping in the mountains, and there he always felt happy fishing, hunting and sleeping on the floor," his father Luis remembers.

“He asked me to lend him the tools and he had his customers. Although there weren’t so many customers, it was enough to enable him to make some money and feel comfortable.”

CAVANI'S RISE TO STARDOM
NAPOLI COME CALLING
	After three goal-filled years with Palermo, Napoli splashed out €17 million on the striker as Cavani became Serie A's hottest property.
COPA AMERICA GLORY
	Cavani's success continued on the international stage. In 2011 he was part of the Uruguay side that lifted the Copa America.
€64 MILLION MAN
	After topping the Serie A scoring charts in 2012-13 with 29 goals, PSG paid Napoli €64 million to partner Ibrahimovic at Parc des Princes.

As a former professional footballer and coach, football has played as big a part in Luis' life as his son's, but as he approaches his retirement he still loves to be close to nature. Every day he drives a tractor and helps to get rid of weeds near to the Salto Grande hydroelectric dam for the company which employs him.

It was Luis’ influence that first saw Edinson set out on the path to becoming a footballer, while Edinson’s elder half-brother, Walter Guglielmone, also plays the game in China for Beijing BIT.

Luis, who was known as “El Gringo” because of his Italian surname, played for Nacional and Salto Uruguay and later coached both teams. Edinson first played the game at the age of three and soon began playing for various junior teams in his native city of Salto, where he quickly began to show his talent.

Luis recalls: “Edinson always wanted to play with a ball on any ground near home with other kids and they’d set up a goal and have fun with it as long as they could.

“He joined Salto Uruguay at the age of 12 and when he was 13 I took over coaching the team and put him in the youth first team, not because he was my son but because he had the ability and I saw him as a footballer.

“With him being a kid when I was in charge of the Salto team, he accompanied me and with his thin little legs he’d practise shooting at goalkeepers and in warm-ups and the same when I coached a Colonias Agrarias team, he’d get involved and play.”

But Edinson was not allowed to neglect his studies because of football.

Luis, who is the father to two sons and three daughters, explained: “We’ve always tried to give the children the best for their education and I’ve always told them, especially Edinson, that before playing football they would have to develop as people to succeed in life and he’s clear about that, because otherwise there’s no point being a star on the pitch and an example of nothing away from it.

“An example of his devotion to football is the fact that as an adolescent he wasn’t bothered about night parties and always wanted to go to bed early so that the next morning he could have all his energy to give to the ball. Football was his life," he added.

When Edinson moved to the capital Montevideo to join Uruguayan outfit Liverpool at the age of 17, he missed his native Salto and didn’t enjoy the atmosphere with his team-mates.

He asked Walter for advice. Walter, who has the same mother but a different father, was a player with Danubio at the time and told him to try his luck with the side.

Former Danubio head Anibal Rey recalls: “At Danubio we received Edinson Cavani with open arms. Besides, he came recommended by his half-brother Walter Guglielmone and he adapted quickly.

“In February 2006, we went with Danubio youth team to play in the Coppa Carnevale in Viareggio (Italy) and he was in the team. He put in two great performances, and it led to (Italian team) Chievo de Verona setting eyes on him and they invited him to stay for a week, training, but then the transfer didn’t happen.”

Edinson was promoted to Danubio’s first team and scored his first goal for the side in May 2006, ironically against Liverpool.

To begin with, Cavani was far from a prolific goalscorer and tended to miss a lot of chances, but intensive work with his coach, Matosas, helped to transform him into one of Europe's most feared hitmen.

He joined Italian club Palermo in a €4.4 million deal back in 2007 before moving to Napoli three years later, where he found the back of the net 104 times in 138 games in all competitions, including an incredible 38 goals last season.

Such is his popularity in Naples, they even named a pizza and a brand of biscuits after him. Cavani subsequently attracted attention from Europe's biggest clubs, with Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City all credited with an interest in the player, but in the end it was PSG - with the backing of their mega-rich owners - who were able to secure the deal.

Throughout the saga, he endured a painful split from his wife, Soldead Cabris. The pair separated in March this year, with Cavani's father Luis keen for the matter to remain a private one.

“I won’t talk about Edinson’s marital split with Soledad because there are two beautiful grandchildren involved," he added. "The parents are grown-up enough and all I’ve asked them is to think about the children so that they don’t suffer with this separation.”

His life away from football may well be far from perfect, but as he prepares to pull on a Paris Saint-Germain jersey and begin a new chapter in his career on Sunday, the shoots of success show no signs of slowing anytime soon.

I Am Not Afraid Of The Competition Gotze Will Bring - Robben

Bayern Munich's Dutch international winger Arjen Robben is keen on playing alongside summer acquisition Mario Gotze despite the competition for places.
The 29-year-old Dutch man has stated that he is not afraid of the competition Gotze will bring as it will be good for the team.
Bayern Munich opted to sign the 21-year-old playmaker from their arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund which has not gone down well with the Dortmund fans.

Gotze is just back in training after suffering a hamstring injury in last season's Champions League semi-final second leg match against Real Madrid.
The 21-year-old German marked his debut outing with a brace in 30 minutes but Robben is not worried by the threat Gotze brings in terms of playing time.
The Dutchman spoke with German newspaper Bild and expressed his desire to play alongside the former Dortmund star man.
He said: "Gotze's arrival? You have to believe yourself and don't fear competition for places. I am really looking forward to playing alongside Mario.
"He is a great player. One of our biggest strengths last year was that the absence of a key player didn't really weaken us.
"And it can be a positive thing as well when you occasionally miss a game in a season followed by a World Cup."
Robben is well aware that it will be a very long and hard season and everyone will have a role to play.
The 29-year-old is off to a good start so far this season as he scored twice in the German Super Cup clash against Dortmund and he also scored in Bayern's Bundesliga opener against Borussia Monchengladbach.

Nigeria's Babatunde Michael Joins Ukrainian Premier Side Volyn FC

The Nigeria international has put pen to paper for another Ukrainian side and will be there for the next four seasons for an undisclosed fee

Super Eagles' midfielder, Michael Babatunde has signed for Ukrainian Premier League side Volyn FC for four years and an undisclosed fee, his close confidant has told Goal.
Babatunde left FC Kryvbas another club in Ukraine after the club was declared bankrupt.
He featured for Nigeria at the Fifa Confederation Cup where he came from the bench twice against Tahiti and Uruguay.
Over five clubs notably from Ukraine made enquiries about the young Nigerian that will turn 21 on December 24 before he finally settled for Volyn whose contract offer and play time agreement was okay with Babatunde.
The former FC Ebiede and Heartland of Owerri player joined Kryvbas in 2011 before he left the club at the end of last season. The club owed him and his former team mates several months’ salaries and other entitlements.
He has since resumed training sessions with his new club towards featuring for them in the league that is already into its sixth round of matches this weekend.
Volyn are 14th with four points from five games on the log and they play at home to Karpaty on Monday August 19 in one of the day six matches.

Mourinho Not Worth Talking About - CR7

The forward is still refusing to talk about the former Real Madrid coach, but had words of praise for new Bernabeu boss Carlo Ancelotti

The new Chelsea manager struck a nerve with the forward when he said he was not the 'real' Ronaldo earlier in August, with the Santiago Bernabeu star subsequently ruffled but wanting to stay out of a public slinging match.

Although Mourinho has since sought to clarify the issue, saying his initial quotes were blown out of proportion, Ronaldo is still refusing to answer questions regarding his fellow Portuguese.
"I will not mention the name of that person [Mourinho]," he said to reporters following Portugal's 1-1 draw with Netherlands, in which he scored a late equaliser. "He's not worth it."
Ronaldo did, however, laud his current Blancos coach Carlo Ancelotti and says he is hoping that Madrid can complete La Decima and win back the Primera Division title from Barcelona this season.
"Ancelotti is a great coach, a great man and I am very happy to work with him," he added.
"We will try to win La Liga and the Champions League. It is difficult but this team is good, we have a great coach and we will try to make it happen."

Manchester City Chase Liverpool's Agger

Liverpool defender Daniel Agger is being linked with a shock move to Manchester City.
The Daily Star claims the Citizens are ready to make their own advances for the player, after Barcelona tabled a £15million bid last week.
New Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has also tried to bring Pepe to the Etihad Stadium, but had a £20million offer rejected by Madrid.

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The paper claims last season’s Premier League runners-up are ready to abandon their pursuit of the Portuguese international however, and turn their attentions to the Dane.
Manchester City aren’t flush with players in the centre back position, and will be without Matija Nastasic for the start of the campaign after he got injured during pre-season.
However, Liverpool have even fewer options, after Jamie Carragher called time on his career this summer.
Kolo Toure has replaced the Reds legend, but the Ivorian veteran is likely to play back-up behind Agger and Martin Skrtel at Anfield this term.
Brendan Rodgers will be desperate to keep the aforementioned duo on Merseyside over the coming fortnight, and the Liverpool boss would also be wise to avoid selling to a domestic rival on the eve of the new season.
Whether the lure of Champions League football proves too much for Agger, only time will tell, but the Reds will be eager to avoid a saga similar to the one currently surrounding Luis Suarez.

Moyes Desperately Wants A Central Midfielder

Manchester United manager David Moyes has made signing a central midfielder a priority this summer as seen with his alleged pursuit of Cesc Fabregas, Luka Modric and Marouane Fellaini.
The new United boss is right in trying to sign a world class deep-lying playmaker given the fact that his predecessor Sir Alex Ferguson's last senior centre-midfield signing was Anderson and Owen Hargreaves - who both joined the club in 2007.
Moyes has made Fabregas his main summer target, but I believe he is wasting his time in trying to sign the former Arsenal captain due to the Barcelona midfielder's desire to stay at his beloved local club.

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It also seems unlikely that the former Everton manager will be able to tempt Modric away from La Liga - given the fact that Carlo Ancelotti has already said he is part of his plans.
That leaves Everton's powerhouse Fellaini - who would add strength, height and more importantly goals to Moyes' midfield.
United haven't had a midfielder who can really boss a game since Roy Keane departed the club in 2005.
Ferguson's midfielders since Keane's sudden exit from the club have all provided something different to the team - but none of them are able to really dictate a full game.
Michael Carrick - who is currently the best of the bunch - gives the Premier League champions balance and composure, while Tom Cleverley is usually chosen to get among the opposition.
Ryan Giggs will be used sparingly this season as he begins his coaching duties, Anderson has frankly failed to live up to his potential and Darren Fletcher is still recovering from a bowel condition.
That leaves the aforementioned Carrick as the only player in United's engine room who is anywhere near Keane's level.
United have been crying out for a Yaya Toure-esque player - who can take the game by the scruff of the neck, get in the faces of the opposition and help ease the pressure off the strikers by scoring goals.
Fellaini ticks all those boxes as he proved last season under the guidance of Moyes.
He was an absolute menace against Manchester United in the opening game of last season by bullying Carrick - who was the Red Devils' makeshift central defender that day.
The 25-year-old Belgian international bagged 12 goals in the league last season - albeit from an attacking midfield position.
Fellaini has since stated that he prefers playing in a deeper role - which would make him an ideal signing for United.
It seems surprising that Moyes failed to activate Fellaini's £22million release clause before the start of August - but with a large budget at Moyes' disposal - a move to Old Trafford is still not out of the question for Everton's key man.

The Fears For Eto'o

Towards the end of last season, many people believed that Chelsea HAD to get in a new striker (who would score consistently) in the summer in order to mount a title challenge for the upcoming Premier League season.
Many big names like Radamel Falcao (departed to Monaco), Edinson Cavani (departed to PSG) and Robert Lewandowski (stayed at Borussia Dortmund - certain to join Bayern Munich next summer) were all linked, even certain to join Chelsea according to many reports.
For the last month or so, Wayne Rooney has been constantly linked with the Blues and he too looked set for a move to Stamford Bridge before the season started.

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Over the last week though, Chelsea's chase for the England striker has faded due to United's reluctance to sell their star man to a direct title rival in Chelsea.
In the last few days, the name of Samuel Eto'o has come up as a cheap alternative to the Blues' pursuit of Wayne Rooney. Is Eto'o the right option though?
The Cameroonian has proven himself at some of the biggest clubs in the world like Barcelona and Inter Milan where he used to strike fear into the heart of any opposition defence.
Eto'o also has valuable Champions League experience. His age and wages though are something which could worry Chelsea fans.
At current club Anzhi, Eto'o earns a whopping £250,000 per week. Chelsea might be able to match that wage but would that really be worth? At 32, Eto'o doesn't have too much to offer anymore.
He may still have the ability to find the back of the net, but how regularly he can do it remains the question. He might have got of to a great scoring start in the Russian league, but is that league really has competitive as the Premier League? I don't think so.
Being a Chelsea fan myself, I'm in two minds about Eto'o's potential move to Stamford Bridge, as much as he may be a great goalscorer, his wage and age are something to be worried about and should he sign, it will most probably be for the short term. All we can do is just wait and watch.

Benitez Wants Mikel In Napoli

Napoli are preparing a bid for Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel, according to the Daily Express. 
Mikel could be surplus to requirements following the return of Jose Mourinho, and Chelsea have been linked with moves for Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira, who could both take Mikel's place in the team.
The Nigerian international has been at Chelsea for seven seasons, scoring just two goals in 277 appearances for the West London club.

Mikel was recently part of the Nigeria squad at the Confederations Cup. He has scored 4 goals in 51 caps for his country.
New Napoli coach Rafael Benitez has identified Mikel as part of his recruitment drive for the Italian club. Benitez is building a side capable of challenging Juventus for the Scudetto next season.
Benitez worked with Mikel during his short tenure as caretaker manager at the second half of last season.
Mikel was primarily used as a substitute last season, and was behind the pecking order with Frank Lampard, Ramires and David Luiz ahead of him.
Napoli are thought to want a loan deal with a view to a permanent deal at the end of next season.
Mikel, who has won the Champions League and Europa League during his time at Chelsea could be open to move.
The 26-year-old could be open a move to Napoli as a frest start in a different league in Italy. With the World Cup on the horizon, Mikel will want regular first team football.

Chelsea Can Look To Demba Ba For Goals This Season

When Chelsea purchased Demba Ba from Newcastle for an undisclosed fee believed to be in the region of ‬£‪7million back in January, it was a buy that was necessary, yet it had panic written all over it. ‬

‪Entering the 2012/2013 season, Chelsea had parted ways with club icon Didier Drogba and the capable‬,‪ but frustratingly inconsistent‬,‪ Salomon Kalou. They lost veteran striker Nicolas Anelka to Shanghai Shenhua and shipped the promising Romelu Lukaku out on loan to West Bromwich Albion‬.

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This left‪ Chelsea's strike force paper thin‬,‪ with Fernando Torres the only recogni‬s‪ed striker in the team ‬and‪ only winger‬-‪cum‬-‪forward Daniel Sturridge offering support in the Blues' first team.‬

‪Roberto Di Matteo and the coaching staff had a big decision to make as they were torn between entrusting club record signing Fernando Torres with delivering the goals necessary to fire the club to trophies, or breaking the bank once again to land a world class striker. ‬

‪Ultimately, the decision to go through with the former proved rather costly, to the extent Chelsea's title challenge was virtually over by Christmas. ‬

‪The general, hopeful feeling, was that with Didier Drogba vacating the centre forward position, Torres could finally repay the club with the sort of form that once gave the Spaniard legitimate claims to be recogni‬s‪ed as the world‬'‪s most lethal striker. ‬

‪Torres would know that he would start week in week out and would be shown the faith to lead the line in the biggest games. This show of faith was only fleetingly rewarded as Torres blew hot and cold and was largely ineffective and uninspiring for the crucial first half of the season as Di Matteo went on to lose his job and Chelsea's season went into freefall.‬

‪The arrival of Rafa Benitez in November was met with vehement disapproval from the Stamford Bridge faithful where home games brought about a toxic atmosphere that exacerbated the team’s poor performances. ‬

‪The winter transfer window couldn't come quickly enough as reinforcements were in desperate need as Chelsea were forced to reassess their season objectives as their season crumbled before their eyes with another failed title challenge‬,‪ to go with the ignominy of a group stage exit in the ‬C‪hampions ‬L‪eague.‬

‪Long time targets Radamel Falcao and Edinson Cavani were courted, but‬ ‪any plans to bring them to West London were held until the summer which led to the arrival of Demba Ba. Another striker was an absolute necessity to add extra firepower to a front line that had been plagued by profligacy. ‬

‪Demba Ba was a viable and solid acquisition, but it was curious in nature given that it was not the forecasted big name signing.‬

‪In Chelsea's strong finish to the season, which yielded a top three finish in the league, their highest finish in two years and a Europa League triumph, Demba Ba was decisive in key games such as against Manchester United in the FA Cup where he scored a spectacular winner in the quarter finals. ‬

‪However, the Senegalese powerhouse was disappointing on the whole in terms of his goal return, but must be lauded for the impact he made to the squad in terms of depth, performance and variation.‬

‪His future at Stamford Bridge came under question as Jose Mourinho's second coming got into full swing, but it seems he will be fighting it out with a somewhat improved Fernando Torres and Romelu Lukaku, who is returning from a successful loan spell in which he bagged 17 league goals.‬

‪It is still unclear what system and style Mourinho will be implementing however‬ -‪ pre season fixtures have shown that Romelu Lukaku and a 4-2-3-1 system will be preferred. ‬

‪Whilst incredibly talented and maturing as a player with every game, Lukaku is still somewhat a rough diamond and at 20 years of age, Mourinho will be asking a lot of the Belgian star if he is to take centre stage during the upcoming season. ‬

‪As the former Anderlecht prodigy grows and develops into the fully fledged world class striker that many predict he will become, Demba Ba remains Chelsea's most reliable and trusted option upfront, even if Fernando Torres‬'‪ reputation and Romelu Lukaku's burgeoning talent suggests otherwise.‬

‪Demba Ba provides Mourinho the option to play both ways as a striker in that Ba's physique and strength allows him to play comfortably with his back to goal as a classic target man or as a forward playing off the shoulder of the last defender who is constantly looking to get in behind defences thanks to his impressive athletic attributes. ‬

‪The former Newcastle man is in the prime of his career at 28 years of age, and given how impressively Ba exhibited a rare blend of consistent, clinical finishing‬ ‪and a penchant for the spectacular at St James' Park, who is to say he cannot repeat or even elevate his game with classier players around him in the blue of Chelsea? ‬

‪If Mourinho shows Ba faith by playing him in a healthy percentage of games in a centre forward position that will no doubt be in dispute and rotated during the initial stages of the season, he is more than capable of repaying Mourinho with goals. ‬

‪With a full pre‬ ‪season under his belt with Chelsea and healthy competition, a fit Demba Ba can be the main ‬figure‪ instead of becoming the forgotten man who was bought on a whim. ‬

‪With so many similar attributes to former talisman Didier Drogba, Demba Ba could prove to be the perfect man who successfully links together the Drogba era with the emerging Romelu Lukaku era. ‬

‪In the ‬P‪remier ‬L‪eague Mourinho will no doubt be after a strong physical forward who can play upfront on his own and, therefore a Demba Ba at his prime should not be wasted when the best of him is ready to explode for Chelsea.‬

‪It would seem remarkably foolish if Demba Ba ended up being under-utilised where a man at the peak of his powers has his talents going to waste. ‬

‪There are several teams such as Arsenal, Liverpool, Inter Milan and Roma who could do with a quality target‬ ‪man such as Ba, so at the price Chelsea have got him and the potential he possesses, Ba is Mouinho's hidden gem that has not cost the club a fortune. ‬

‪His prominence in the first team would carry on a proud tradition of powerful and domineering strikers where Chelsea's reputation as a powerful unit is restored under Mourinho as the club has yearned for a more flamboyant and passing style in recent times.‬

‪Some will say that Torres should be given another chance to justify his enormous price tag. After all in ‬two‪ and a half years at the club he will have played under a staggering ‬five different‪ managers when the new season kicks off, so therefore he warrants another opportunity under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho. ‬

‪Some will say that Lukaku is ready to ‬fulfil‪ what almost seems like his destiny, in succeeding childhood hero Didier Drogba at the club he supported during his ‬youth‪. His impressive loan spell at West Brom last season coupled with his excellent pre season form, have many believing the Belgian prodigy is the man to be entrusted with firing the club to trophies next season. ‬

‪Demba Ba may not have forged a name as‬ famed as‪ Fernando Torres‬,‪ nor ‬has he ‪been earmarked since his teens as the game‬'‪s next big thing, but what he is at present is a fit and healthy striker at his physical, mental and professional peak. ‬

‪This means if his ever going to achieve any career defining feats such as winning the golden boot, it is now or never‬.‪ ‬T‪herefore Mourinho must give him his fair share of chances. Nobody is asking Mourinho to play Ba every week. ‬

‪As all three strik‬ing‪ candidates jostle for a starting ‬place‪, all that ‬i‪s being asked is that Ba be given a fair opportunity to stake his claims as too often reputations and hype overshadow and blind people. ‬

‪It would be a tragedy if Ba withered away on the bench when he could be making a significant impact ‬at‪ so many clubs, including Chelsea

I Need More Youth For Bafana Bafana - Igesund

Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund emphasised the need to continue bringing in youngsters to the national team to widen the pool and strengthen the squad after seeing his side succumb to a 2-0 defeat against Nigeria in the Nelson Mandela Challenge on Wednesday.
The first half was evenly balanced with Bafana giving as much as they got but they were punished in the second half following the introduction of Victor Moses and Uche Nwafor. Moses seemed to trouble Bafana with his tricky moves as he played a hand in the two goals scored by Nwafor.
The defensive combination of Eric Mathoho, making his seventh appearance, Thabo Nthete (11th appearance), Thulani Hlatshwayo (fourth appearance) and Tsepo Masilela (47th appearance) was often caught off and to add to their troubles, possession was easily given away.
Igesund said he needed to have a closer look at some of the locally-based players as he continues to build his squad. He said he did not want to ignore local talent for international friendly matches.

Indiscipline Rocking The Camp Of Flames Of Malawi

All is not well in the camp of Flames of Malawi as they prepare for what is most likely their last match in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying series. As they look forward to the game against Nigeria in Calabar next month, Malawian newspapers are agog with tales of Flames being rocked by indiscipline which had seen seven players dropped.

Among them are Simplex Nthala, midfielders Fischer Kandawe, Frank Banda, Young Chimodzi Junior as well as strikers Atusaye Nyondo and Gastin Simkanda. Nyasa Times reported that some of the players were involved in uncontrollable drinking spree, while others were sneaking women into the camp and were also openly smoking marijuana. The incidents took place while the team was featuring in regional Cosafa Cup which they also failed to win.

The Nyasa Times of Malawi named the boozing and womanizing players as Joseph Kamwendo, Chiukepo Msowoya, Frank Banda and Dagarous Chirambo. The newspaper gave the details of a night out incident involving the players who returned to their hotels drunk and in company of prostitutes.

When the security guards stopped the prostitutes, fearing they could rob or even harm the players, the latter resorted to violence that attracted their coach. According to the news report, Coach Tom Saintfiet demanded that the concerned players pay a fine of US$200 each and recommended to the football association further punishment. But the players refused to pay the fine, thus making FAM to deduct the fine from their game bonuses.

It was further reported that two other players even smuggled Zambian prostitutes into the team’s bus on their way to play against Angola. The prostitutes were given jerseys number 10 and 19. President of the football association, Walter Nyamilandu, reportedly described the players’ conduct as embarrassing, shameful and unacceptable.

“Allowances were deducted from the players that were involved and we proceeded to write them warning letters,” said Nyamilandu.

Saintfeit told the local media on Tuesday that meanwhile, the matter concerning some of the players’ behaviour in Zambia had been taken up by FAM and Sports Council.

Mikel Shuns The Super Eagles For Chelsea

It is no longer news that Chelsea of England and Nigeria's midfielder, John Obi Mikel was not involved in the encounter between the Super Eagles and South Africa's Bafana Bafana.

Following reports that Mikel pulled out of the Nelson Mandela challenge as a result of stomach upset, it has been gathered that the AFCON 2013 winner prefers to cement his place in the premiership giants team to coming for the match slated for the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban, South Africa.

In the light of interests from top European clubs such as Monaco, Galatasaray and Trabzonspor, Mikel has been rumoured to be on the brink of leaving the London club.

Sensing fears that the arrival of Anders Schurlle and Marco Van Ginkel may hinder his chances of commanding a first team jersey, Mikel decided to fight his way through and concentrate on club engagements rather than answering national call.

Again, the caliber of players Michael Essien, Franks Lampard, Ramires, Kevin de Bruyne and the earlier mentioned duo- in Chelsea's midfield is enough to make Mikel work his socks off.

Another factor is Mikel's national team commitments in the off season and his joining up with teammates after observing extra days rest as result of the congested month of June when Nigeria played matches in FIFA World cup qualifiers and the Confederations Cup held in Brazil.

It could be recalled that Chelsea's Jose Mourinho converted the Nigerian to a defensive midfielder possibly with the aim of replacing Claude Makelele. Mikel did well in the position but recent indications point to the fact that the player is on the verge of departing Roman Abrahamovich's clubside.

 With the 2013/2014 English premiership league season set to commence this weekend, Mikel would aim to be listed in the team expected to confront newly promoted and renamed Hull City Tigers,hence the need to shun the Super Eagles international friendly this evening.

I Knew We Would Win - Keshi

After beating Bafana 2-0 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi told said that he expected the victory

Although the African champions Nigeria started at a slow pace, stepping up in the second half, Keshi said that he knew they would beat South Africa.

“The win was not a surprise to us at all. I knew that my boys were going to win from the start, and so I was not surprised by the result," said Keshi.

Despite his confidence, the coach also reminded us that he respects South African players, but feels that there is a long road ahead for Bafana Bafana to improve.

“They (Bafana) were a good side, but I feel that they can still improve on their standards,” said Keshi.

The Nigerian said the Nelson Mandela Challenge was about giving his players a chance to practice with each other.

“Our main goal is to play well against Malawi, and that is what we are worried about more than anything. The Bafana game was good, but it did not really challenge us that much,” he said.

Five Vital Lessons Super Eagles Learnt From South Africa's Bafana Bafana Encounter

With about 21 days to the final 2014 World Cup group qualifier against Malawi, Stephen Keshi had some positives to take from Durban in Wednesday's game against Bafana

They coped - and that is about the most apt word to use to describe the performance of the Super Eagles as they confronted and beat the Bafana Bafana of South Africa 2-0 on Wednesday at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. The technical crew led by Stephen Keshi would have picked up the positives and also the lapses that showed forth in the game.
Goal analysed the match and came up with these key insights.

NWOFOR'S POACHING IS TO BE COMMENDED AND HARNESSED

It was a delight to see a Nigerian striker be at the right place at the right time and also to do the right thing – put the ball in the back of the net. The two goals scored by VVV Venlo striker, Uche Nwofor, showed all this.
His back-heeled goal showed a composed striker who can improvise and the second goal – the tap-in showed a striker always on the move in the box; two very good characteristics to have.
Though he may not be able to start games with the likes of Emmanuel Emenike and even Brown Ideye still ahead in the pecking order, Nwofor showed that he will be a good alternative on the bench.

OBOABONA NEEDS TO MOVE ABROAD NOW

All that can be said about Godfrey Oboabona has been said – all that is now left is for the ever-present Super Eagles defender is to move to a more technical and tactical arena where the remaining obtuseness can be chiseled away.
The Sunshine Stars captain has all the inherent attributes to become a big star for Nigeria at whichever club he goes to abroad and he will only get better when he plays against better strikers on a weekly basis.
We hear that he is now off to Turkey – the new El Dorado for Nigerian players, and all we can hope for is that he settles in fast and learns fast.

THERE IS A GAP FOR A LEFT-FOOTED ATTACKER

All the supposed outlets that the Eagles currently possess are all right footers and that has made the team a bit unbalanced tactically and technically.
Of the 11 players that started against South Africa on Wednesday in Durban, only Elderson Echiejile and John Ogu are predominantly left-footed. And one thing that was quite noticeable especially in the first half was that Echiejile had the freedom to overlap but his combination play with Obinna Nsofor, who occupied that wing, was not decisive.
Though that assertion has to be balanced with the pool in which Keshi can choose from, there are still players like Sone Aluko, who can be invited and looked at to see whether they can fit into the system.

JOHN OGU HAS TO GET HIS POSITIONING RIGHT

Even though ‘big’ John Ogu got most things right offensively, his defending left much to be desired. If the Wednesday encounter had been a fully competitive game, most probably he would have had to go for an early shower.
Maybe the fact that it was a friendly played on his mind but practice they say makes perfect. He was caught on the back foot on more than two occasions when he then resorted to pulling his opponents. As a screen for the midfield, the tactical nous is being able to cut out the danger before it blossoms.
Ogu has the physique and tactical know-how apparently to translate offense into attack but the technical crew must help him fine-tune his defensive positioning.

NSOFOR AND OKWUOSA DID NOT SHOW ANYTHING EXTRA

It is always a good thing to give a lot of players the chance to stake a claim to a shirt in the national team but the contributions of former U-23 captain, Obinna Nsofor did not show anything on Wednesday to merit another call.

This judgment could be termed hasty but we cannot continue to test when Malawi is just around the corner – three weeks away to be precise. His low contribution could have been because he was coming back to the team after a two-year absence and the newness of his relationship with the team members but there was no ‘wow’ moment for all the 45 minutes he played.

However, he may need another chance to show Keshi what he can do. For Okwuosa, who got his debut, he is still all brawn though he had so little time to show if the rough edges had been smoothened.

Eto'o Eyes Chelsea As Mourinho Ponders

The 32-year-old forward recently admitted he was keen to work under the Portuguese once again, while the Chelsea boss has refused to rule out a move for the Cameroon international
Jose Mourinho is buoyed after learning that Anzhi Makhachkala striker Samuel Eto'o is keen to join Chelsea.
Reports have suggested the big-spending Russian side are looking to cut costs, with the 32-year-old forward among the players who could be offloaded this summer.

Eto'o claimed he would relish the chance to work with Mourinho once again after winning the Champions League and Serie A under the Portuguese at Inter, while the Chelsea manager refused to rule out a move for the Cameroon international.

"I am always happy that somebody that worked with me previously is happy to be back and work with me again," Mourinho told BT Sport.

"That is a good feeling that I have, when I read something that Samuel is keen.

"It is fantastic for us, but we are going to see what happens."

Nigeria Will Win The 2014 Fifa World Cup For Africa - Kanu

 Former Arsenal and Nigeria legend Nwankwo Kanu spoke exclusively to Goal about Nigerian football and the future of the game in Africa

Goal: How highly do you rate the current Nigeria squad?
Kanu: We have a good squad that is competent enough to take us to the World Cup and make us shine on the world map.
Goal: What is your take on the coach Stephen Keshi?
Kanu: When he came in to the squad many people were very negative about him but he has proved that he is the best coach we ever had. He is a great guy and what is important is that he knows what he is doing with the players, as he is a former player as well.
Goal: How do you think he is coping with being a local coach, compared to Europeans who normally coach Africa's top nations?
Kanu: Fortunately, the players love and respect him a lot. As you know that he is a straight talker so the players know what is expected from them.

Kanu watches the Super Eagles
Goal: Speaking about players respecting him, it seems like Nigeria are trying out many new faces, and how are they shaping the squad going ahead?
Kanu: We want players that are hungry for success and players who will play for the country with pride and dignity. That is the main reason we have such a squad. Although we can still have experienced players, nobody owns a space, they all need to work hard.
Goal: What is your expectation for Nigeria's upcoming match against Malawi and qualifying for the World Cup?
Kanu: We are definitely going to the World Cup next year, and we want to win the Cup for Africa. About the Malawi match - we are ready for it and we will do our best.
Goal: Most critics argue that the current Nigeria team is not as good as your generation. Yet, they won the 2013 Afcon. What do you think has brought back the passion in the squad?

Kanu: We have a great coaching team behind them. And, that is what makes us the best in Africa.