Eagles List For Liberia Match Out On Tuesday

Super Eagles coaches will later today compile the list of players that will be invited to camp in preparation for the February 15 international friendly match against Liberia.

The list will then be forwarded to the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, who are expected to release it latest on Tuesday.

One of the team officials of the Super Eagles told Complete Sports that though head coach of the team, Stephen Keshi, is not around in the country at the moment, the technical crew will on Monday (today), agree on the players to be invited.

“We will compile the list through the phone as the coaches will speak with Keshi through the phone,” the Super Eagles official said.

“After that, the Big Boss himself will forward the list of the players to NFF Technical Committee who will release it by Tuesday or so."

“The camp will however open on Sunday when the coaches are expected to arrive, while the players will join on Monday. We are to start training on Monday evening.”

The official further disclosed that the list of foreign based players that will be invited for the Nations Cup qualifier against Rwanda will be decided when Keshi returns from the Nations Cup on February 6.

“Keshi will return on either February 5 or 6. When he returns, we will discuss on the foreign based players that will be invited for the Rwanda match,” the source said.EAGLES LIST FOR LIBERIA MATCH OUT ON TUESDAY

Super Eagles coaches will later today compile the list of players that will be invited to camp in preparation for the February 15 international friendly match against Liberia.

The list will then be forwarded to the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, who are expected to release it latest on Tuesday.

One of the team officials of the Super Eagles told Complete Sports that though head coach of the team, Stephen Keshi, is not around in the country at the moment, the technical crew will on Monday (today), agree on the players to be invited.

“We will compile the list through the phone as the coaches will speak with Keshi through the phone,” the Super Eagles official said.

“After that, the Big Boss himself will forward the list of the players to NFF Technical Committee who will release it by Tuesday or so."

“The camp will however open on Sunday when the coaches are expected to arrive, while the players will join on Monday. We are to start training on Monday evening.”

The official further disclosed that the list of foreign based players that will be invited for the Nations Cup qualifier against Rwanda will be decided when Keshi returns from the Nations Cup on February 6.

“Keshi will return on either February 5 or 6. When he returns, we will discuss on the foreign based players that will be invited for the Rwanda match,” the source said.

OKOCHA GOES ON ‘SALE’ IN INDIA TODAY!

Former Eagles Captain To Know Club In New Indian Soccer League
Siasia Listed Among Six Coaches For The Money-Spinning League

Former Super Eagles captain, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, and the team’s immediate past head coach, Samson Siasia, return to big time football as they will today find out the teams they will be playing for and coaching in the lucrative Premier League Soccer in India.

The big money Indian competition is planning to attract glamour and awareness to Indian football to bring it close to cricket in the cricket-mad country.

Okocha, who starred for PSG, Fenerbahce and Bolton in a glittering career before retiring a few years ago, is one of six superstar players who will be auctioned off to six newly-formed teams as marquee players today.

The other superstars are former Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo, ex-Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler, former Argentina international Juan Pablo Sorin, former Arsenal midfielder and World Cup winner Robert Pires, former Italy captain and one-time FIFA World Player of the Year Pablo Cannavaro and ex-Portugal idol Fernando Couto.

These players are designated as ‘Icon players’ and each of them will be drafted by the six PLS teams during the auction tomorrow. They are expected to earn up to 600,000 euros each for a few weeks’ work.

Like Okocha, Siasia will also be seriously involved in the inaugural PLS season as he will be one of the head coaches of the six teams. Siasia has kept a low profile since October when he failed to help the Super Eagles qualify for the Nations Cup.

The other coaches are Teitur Thordarson, Marco Etcheverry, Peter Reid, ex-Liverpool and England legend John Barnes and Colin Todd.

Icons, accompanied by a pool of overseas players — mostly from South America and Asia — and a host of Indian national and catchment area players will form 30-member squads each, for six franchises at Kolkata, Siliguri, Barasat, Howrah, Durgapur, and Haldia. Apart from local talent, the rest of the team and its celebrity foreign coaches will be picked through auction.

“We are hopeful of starting the league matches by March. The format will have six franchises carved out from different areas of Bengal,” Mr Bhaswar Goswami, Executive Director, CMG, the organisers of the league, said.

Goswani told Complete Sports that $15m has been raised from franchise rights and the players will know their clubs today.

The six franchise cities are: Kolkata, Howrah, Barasat, Durgapur, Haldia and Siliguri

Badge of champions awarded to FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona today received the FIFA Club World Cup Champions Badge, a physical reminder of the club’s emphatic triumph in FIFA’s annual club event in Japan in December.

Following on from individual awards for Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi at the FIFA Ballon d’Or, the Champions badge is an award for the whole team, serving as a visual acknowledgement of the club’s status as the best club football team in the world.

The badge, featuring an image of the FIFA Club World Cup trophy and the text “FIFA World Champions 2011”, will be seen on the shirts for the first time in Thursday’s Copa del Rey match versus Osasuna. It will remain on the shirts until the final whistle of the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2012.

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter congratulated the FIFA Club World Cup Champions on their performance in Japan, saying “We are pleased to be able to honour FC Barcelona after a truly remarkable year for the club. To have won five top titles in one calendar year is a great achievement. I’m sure the badge will be a great reminder of this success every time the players wear the team’s jersey.”

"The players can be very proud to wear this badge for the next year,” said FC Barcelona coach and FIFA World Coach of the Year Pep Guardiola. “Our victory at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan concluded a fantastic year for our club. It is an honour to receive this mark of recognition from FIFA.”

This is the second time that FC Barcelona have had the honour of wearing the badge, following their victory at the FIFA Club World Cup in 2009. First introduced for the FIFA Club World Cup in 2007, the badge has also featured on the playing kits of AC Milan, Manchester United and F.C. Internazionale Milano.

The FIFA Club World Cup Champions badge is just one in a series of FIFA World Champions Badges which are awarded to the winners of selected FIFA events. The first team to be presented with the FIFA World Cup™ Champions badge was the Italian men’s national team, champions of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™, with the Spanish national team recently taking over this honour after their success in South Africa. Germany’s women’s national team also wore a Champions badge in recognition of its success in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2007™, an honour which was then bestowed upon the Japanese women’s national team following their triumph in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011

Fabulous Crown

Fabio lines up with the Crown Academy squad this morning

Phnom Penh Crown were the focus on Fabio Cannavaro's third day in the capital. With the Crown president Rithy Samnang being the person who invited the ex-Italian World Cup-winning captain in the first place, it was only right and proper that he should show off his own youth football Academy, the only one in the country, to the world superstar. Fabio arrived on time at the club's Tuol Kork headquarters and quickly donned his football boots to join the U-13s on the pitch. He took part in shooting and ball control practice and then watched them at close quarters as they played a 20-minute match between themselves. He then took questions from the youngsters, the best in the country at their age group, and gave his answers in English. Both the Academy and the Crown first-team, who'd just completed their early morning training session under coach David Booth as Fabio arrived, posed for team group photos before Fabio once again, as he has everywhere, made sure he signed every autograph or picture that was requested of him. His willingness to oblige the football fans he's encountered has been a key feature of his visit. And his time spent at the PPCFC Academy will certainly be an inspiration to the Crown youngsters, who shared the spotlight with him this morning. Handing over a playing kit and footballs to the charity Friends International will be the last official tour event with Fabio due to leave early tomorrow morning.

The Crown first-team and Academy boys join Fabio for a group pose

Academy coach Bouy Dary translates the questions to Fabio from his young players

Fabio meets the Crown head coach David Booth

Fabio volleys a pass to Chhuot Senteang

Paying close attention to a shot by Theang Chhaya

Fabio meets the Academy youngsters on arrival this morning

In Sodavid gets an autographed photo from the former Italy captain

Who do we have here?

Fabio Cannavaro lifting up world cup trophy in 2006

It's Fabio Cannavaro coming to Phnon Penh this weekend, can you believe this? It's been confirmed that the 2006 FIFA World Player of the year and Italy's world cup winning captain will be live in captain city to show his handsome face, promote Cambodia football and sports and probably engage in few activities off the pitch such as fashion. Fabio has won most sexiest footballer award! This will be great for Cambodia football and brighter opportunity for the world to know more about football in the kingdom and all credits goes to the football federation of Cambodia.

Cannavaro with award 

According to reliable sources, Fabio will be popping in 8th and 9th of January and we can't wait to see Cambodians having a feel of real  world class football star for first time ever.

FIFA APPOINTS MAIGARI COMMITTEE MEMBER

Posted: Jan 04, 2012

World football –governing body, Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has appointed the President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari as a member of its Players’ Status Committee.

In the appointment letter forwarded to the NFF and dated 30th December, 2011, FIFA Secretary General, Mr. Jerome Valcke wrote: “Following the announcement by the FIFA President at the 61st FIFA Congress in Zurich on 31 May and 1 June, 2011, the composition of the FIFA standing committees has been revised and completely restructured.

“In this connection, we are very pleased to inform you that you have been appointed as a member of our Players’ Status Committee. Please accept our sincere congratulations on this nomination.
“We will inform you about the date of the next meeting in due course”.

Maigari, a member of the NFF Executive Committee between 2006 and 2010, has been President of the Nigeria Football Federation since August 2010.

The Players’ Status Committee is one of the most powerful committees in FIFA

Yobo hails Yak, Osaze, Anichebe returns

Super Eagles captain Joseph Yobo is happy that the national team's strikers are doing well in the English Premier League.

The Fenerbahce defender feels that the return of trio of Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Osaze Odemwingie and Victor Anichebe to scoring form will further boost the team's chances during the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Rwanda next month.

"They are all in good shape now and that will also help us to do well when the qualifiers begin."

Meanwhile, Yobo has stated that the Super Eagles are focused on returning to winning ways as the team prepares for the 2013 Africa Nations Cup qualifier against Rwanda in Kigali.

The Fenerbache defender, who resumed training yesterday with his Turkish outfit after recovering from an injury, is unfazed by comments from certain quarters that the team will continue to struggle in the new year, adding that good team work and adequate preparation will steer the side to victory in all their games in 2012.

"We just have to be optimistic in the new year," began the former Olympique Marseille defender.
"We know what we went through in the past and we are prepared to banish the memories of 2011 this new year."

He added that the two-time African champions are ready to face any opposition in their bid to qualify for major tournaments.

"We have the personnel to achieve our set targets and we won't be complacent in our approach to every game this year, because we also felt the agony of not playing at the Nations Cup. Hopefully, we'll do well this year," he said..