Africa Cup of Nations Draw - Super Eagles to face champion's

 Group A - South Africa, Cape Verde, Morocco, Angola
 Group B - Ghana, Mali, Niger, DR Congo
 Group C - Zambia, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia
 Group D - Cote d’Ivoire, Tunisia, Algeria, Togo

     more to follow......

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Nigeria 1-1 Brazil: Falconets scrape a draw with Brazil

The Falconets earlier today in Saitama drew their second game 1-1 with Brazil in the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

 Francisca Ordega scored Nigeria’s goal late in the first half while the Brazilians equalised though Giovanna Oliveira in the second half to hold on for their second point in the group.

 The Brazilians had the better of the match and were also better in the second half but the Nigerians held on to take their points haul to four in the group ahead of their last match against the Italians on Saturday.

 The Falconets play was characterised by a lot of misplaced passing and the transition between the defence and midfield was almost non-existent and a lot of kudos has to be given to the Gloria Ofoegbu-led defence that they held on to take the draw.

 Nigeria went ahead in first half stoppage against the run of play when Ordega’s wonderful shot beat the Brazilian goalkeeper all ends up. And it seemed that the goal unshackled the players as they had two more attempts to score before the half ended.

 In the 45th minute, Desire Oparanozie chased down a defender on the left flank, won the ball and her audacious attempt from almost the corner flag just crept over the cross bar.

 A minute later, Esther Sunday took the ball in midfield and drove at the Brazilians who backed off. Sunday turned and shot but it went marginally wide off the right post.

 The Brazilians would have been glad when the referee blew off the first half. The second half started like the first with the Brazilians pushing for an equaliser as a loss would almost have consigned them to leaving the tournament in the first stage.

 They could not create clear cut chances though as the Falconets held firm at the back. But the pendulum finally swung their way when Nigeria’s goalkeeper Ibubeleye Whyte injured her ankle and had to be substituted by Chioma Nwankwo and immediately the Brazilians smelt blood as they camped in Nigeria’s half.

 The Falconets’ resistance finally broke in the 90th minute when a free kick from the right was flicked past Nwankwo by Oliviera to get a deserved equaliser. In five minutes of added time, the Brazilians pushed forward for a winner but could not go ahead. The Falconets also tried to push for a winner but Oparanozie’s free kick went wide.

 The Falconets now need at least a point from their last game against Italy to progress though coach Edwin Okon has work to do on getting his players to possess the ball well and not invite pressure by continuously misplacing passes.

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Obafemi Martins set to quit Rubin Kazan

Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins is very close to parting ways with Russian club, Rubin Kazan, it has been revealed.

 The 27-year-old who still has a year left on his contract with Rubin Kazan, but lacks substantial playing time has made the decide to leave the club before the expiration of his contract.

 Already, Rubin Kazan have signed Venezuela star, Jose Salomon Rondon from Spanish club Malaga for 13 million Euros as a possible replacement for the super eagles striker.

 Martins who is currently in Nigeria since the start of this week has refused to deny or confirm whether he is still at the Russian club.

 “He has been back in Nigeria since Sunday and has refused to talk about his situation at Rubin Kazan, whether he is still at the club or he is on his way out,” a close friend revealed." “He wants to leave now with likely destinations being Turkey or Italy.”

 The Russian club splashed splashed 17 million Euros to sign the Nigerian international in August 2010 from German club Wolfsburg. He was expected to replace Russia international Aleksandr Bukharov, who moved to Zenit Saint Petersburg.

 However, Martins has been linked with several clubs including West Bromwich Albion in the English Premier League. It was reported that his high wages blocked a move to West Brom.

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Nigerians Abroad: Yakubu and Peter Utaka continue scoring form

Yakubu Aiyegbeni scored his third goal in four matches for new club, Guangzhou R&F but he could not prevent a 2-1 loss at home to Tianjin Teda.

 Yakubu scored in the 22nd minute but Teda got their goals in the 34th and 42nd minutes through Cao Yang and Sjoerd Ars respectively.

 That result meant that Guangzhou R&F slipped one place to fifth with 29 points. Peter Utaka scored his 12th goal in 19 matches for Dalian Aerbin in their 1-1 draw at home to Shanghai Shenxin. Utaka got his goal in the 29th minute through a penalty.

 Aerbin remain in 13th position with 21 points. Guangzhou Evergrande FC lead the log with 40 points from 20 matches.

 CSKA Moscow continued a miserable start to the season when they lost at home on Saturday to fierce rivals, Zenit 3-1.

 Ahmed Musa did not start the match but joined the fray in the second half when he replaced Serge Doumbia at the beginning of the second half.

 CSKA are 13th on the log with three points from three matches. Emmanuel Emenike’s Spartak Moscow demolished city rivals, Dynamo Moscow, 4-0 on Sunday at Dynamo’s home ground though Emenike was conspicuously missing.

 The Nigerian forward has scored one goal in two games. Obinna Nsofor was on the losing side as his team; Locomotiv Moscow lost 3-1 to Krasnodar. Nsofor was substituted in the 79th minute by Dmitri Sychev.

 Lucky Idahor helped Zorya win 1-0 away from home over Hoverla-Zakarpattia with Idahor playing all 90 minutes.

 Michael Odibe was on the substitutes' bench for all 90 minutes as Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk drew 1-1 with his former club, Arsenal Kyiv at the Stadion Valery Lobanovsky. Odibe is on a season-long loan deal from Arsenal Kyiv. Forgotten Super Eagles striker, Joseph Akpala came on in the 74th minute to help Club Brugge salvage a draw against København in Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League third round qualifier.

 He replaced Mohammed Tchite. In a friendly match on Saturday, Super Eagles striker Peter Odemwingie salvaged a draw for West Brom when he equalised in the 88th minute away to Sheffield Wednesday, a Championship side.

 Odemwingie beat Wednesday's goalkeeper with a thunderous strike from about 25 yards to give new West Brom coach, Steve Clarke some joy.

 Meanwhile Chelsea lost their third game in a row at Brighton & Hove Albion.

 John Mikel Obi was introduced for Raul Meireles in the second half but the championship side ran away 3-1 victors over the European champions.

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Nigerian Footballer, Henry Chononso Dies While Playing In Romania

A 21 year old Nigeria footballer Henry Chinonso Ihelewere playing football in Romania died yesterday (Sunday) while on the pitch.

 Ihelewere plays for CS Delta Tulcea,Romania second division club.

 His team was playing against a local team known as FC Balotești when the incident happened.

  We gathered that Chinoso was already active on the pitch but after about 15 minutes, he collapsed and an ambulance had to be called in.

 He could not be resucicated for close to an hour.The medical team later pronounced him dead.

 The actual cause of the death is still unknown as at the time of going to the press.

 Just few months back, Fabrice Muamba a midfielder for Bolton Wanderers in UK collapsed on the football pitch in a match against Tottenham.

 Muamba stopped breathing and many thought he death his heart ‘re-started’ again after 78 minutes at the London Chest Hospital.

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Taiwo, Lukman, Ayila and Ideye star in Dynamo Kiev's 1-0 away win

A record of sorts was created on Friday when Dynamo Kiev played all their Nigerian stars though only three appeared together. 

 All four Nigerian players on the books of Ukrainian club side, Dynamo Kiev were on show on Friday in their 1-0 away win over Kryvbas. The match was played on Friday to allow the team enough time to prepare for their return leg third round qualifying Champions League tie against Feyenoord next Tuesday.

 Boris Ignatiev, the assistant coach of Dynamo had revealed on the club's website on Wednesday that Taiwo was in good physical shape and could start their next league match which he did on a winning note.

 “But this player has a different physical strength. I think the problem with physical conditioning will not arise. Maybe he will make his debut in the match with Kryvbas.”

 Taye Taiwo, who just made a loan switch from AC Milan on Tuesday, played all 90 minutes sporting the number 33 jersey. His compatriots, Ayila Yussuf and Lukman Haruna also started though goals king, Brown Ideye was rested from the start. Ideye came on in the 63rd minute for Haruna, but could not add to his tally of four goals scored in the league.

 Little-known Michael Babatunde was in the line-up of Kryvbas and he played the whole duration of the match.

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Nigeria 2-0 Rwanda

Nigeria super Eagles this evening defeated the Amavubi stars of Rwanda 2-0.

 Thanks to goals from IK.Uche and Ahmed musa in each half of play in calabar.

 Ensuring the super Eagles qualify for the next phase of qualifier for the 2013 Africa cup of nations in South Africa.

 More to follow

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Rwanda coach Milutin Sredojevic: We will attack Super Eagles from the start

Rwanda coach Milutin Sredojevic has told us that his team will play total football when they confront Nigeria on Saturday.

 The Wasps are in Calabar for a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match and Mitcho says it will be suicidal to come and defend against the Nigerian side.

 "All over the world Nigeria is known for their potent strike force. Their strikers have always been world class and the case is not any different here. "We will be planning to be slaughtered if we adopt a defensive formation against the Eagles so we will not do that," the coach said.

 In their one hour session at the U.J Esuene Stadium on Friday, the Rwandans practiced shooting at sight, flick headers from short crosses and finally penalty shoot-outs yet Sredojevic says training on penalties does not mean they will play for a stalemate.

 "All over Africa, Nigeria has the highest level of fire power and we will do whatever we can to stop that firepower from consuming us. "We are going to attack them and we will defend against them.

 I believe in my boys and at the end of the game fans all over the world who watch it will be happy to have seen two fine playing sides." He added that he will capitalize on the existing pressure on the Eagles.

 "You people call yourselves super powers and having missed out on the last Nations Cup you don't want to miss out on the second in a row.

 "We will capitalize on that pressure to show that your players are indeed human beings and not super men." When both sides met in February in Rwanda, the encounter ended 0-0 and a score draw would be enough for the Amavubis to edge out the Super Eagles.

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Christian Obodo's abductors demand 150,000 Euros

Nigeria midfielder Christian Obodo has been abducted by unknown gunmen in Warri, Delta State.

The footballer was taken on Saturday morning according to reports on SuperSport.com.

 Obodo, who played at Lecce in Italy during the just concluded season on loan from Udinese, was reported to have gone to a night club on Friday night in his car with registration number “Obodo 5” but was picked up on Saturday morning in front of a church in Effurun, a suburb of Warri.

 "Yes he has been kidnapped," an unnamed Delta State government official told SuperSport.com. "The details are still sketchy but I was told he was on his way to church this (Saturday) morning with his car that has registration number 'Obodo 5.

'" "Apparently his car's registration may have attracted his kidnappers because he went clubbing last (Friday) night in the same car.

" It is the first time a footballer is being kidnapped in Nigeria. However, footballers’ family members had been kidnapped in the past. "The kidnappers called this morning at the home of the mother of Christian asking a ransom of about 150, 000 euros," Obidike Okechukwu, husband of the sister of Christian Obodo, told ANSA. "Christian was going to church, he was alone, around four o'clock in the morning Italian time, when some people took it and carried away."

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