Nigeria Content Online

Bulgarian striker
Dimitar Berbatov would be happy to stay with Manchester United until
the end of his career, the player’s agent said on Saturday.

“I’m almost sure he
(Berbatov) will finish his competitive career with United,” Emil
Danchev told Bulgarian TV +. “He is a very balanced person and he knows
what is best for him.” Berbatov, whose contract with the Old Trafford
side expires in 2012, came under fire for not scoring enough goals in
the first two seasons following his 30.75 million pounds move from
Tottenham Hotspur in 2008.

The former CSKA
Sofia striker was also criticised for being inconsistent and not
working hard enough for the team but the 29-year-old has rediscovered
his killer instinct and is top of this season’s Premier League scoring
charts with 11 goals.

“There are
different characters at United and there’s big competition too.
Berbatov sets an example to everyone in the team,” added Danchev, who
has always represented the player.

Premier League record Last week,

Berbatov became
only the fourth Premier League player to score five times in one match
when he helped destroy Blackburn Rovers in a 7-1 win to follow in the
footsteps of childhood hero Alan Shearer, Andy Cole and Jermain Defoe.

In September, he
became the first United player to score a hat-trick against Liverpool
since Stan Pearson achieved the feat in a 5-0 victory over their
Merseyside rivals in 1946 when the Bulgarian’s goals secured a 3-2
victory at Old Trafford.

However, Danchev held out very little hope that Berbatov would change his mind and return to international football.

Bulgaria’s all-time
leading scorer, with 48 goals, quit the Balkan country’s national team
in May citing fatigue and family commitments for his surprise
announcement.

“He decided to make way for some younger players in the team,” Danchev said.

Olympique Lyon’s
embarrassing 2-2 home draw with Hapoel Tel Aviv in their final
Champions League group game on Tuesday exposed the defensive frailties
the French side will have to eliminate to go further in the competition.

Substitute
Alexandre Lacazette salvaged a point for Lyon with a last-gasp goal but
the home players were booed off their Gerland pitch by an angry crowd.

Goalkeeper Lloris
was forced to make several spectacular saves as centre backs Cris and
Pape Diakhate delivered a dismal performance.

Both were caught
out in the 63rd minute when Shay Abutbul’s defence-splitting pass found
Ben Sahar, who scored a well-deserved equaliser a minute after Lisandro
Lopez opened the scoring for the home side.

Eran Zahavi put Hapoel ahead with a bicycle kick in the 69th minute.

“We enjoyed
possession, we took risks and eventually we conceded a goal on a
counterattack,” said full back Aly Cissokho. “We lacked coordination.”

Lyon, who had
already qualified after winning their opening three Group B games, have
conceded nine goals in their last three outings.

They finished
second in Group B on 10 points, three adrift of Schalke 04, and will
take on a team who finished top of their group in February.

“It is true that we
have been having defensive problems for a while,” Cissokho said. “Nine
goals in our last three European matches, it’s a lot for a team that
has qualified.” Lyon, who reached the semi-finals last season and will
be playing in the knockout phase for the eighth consecutive year, now
have two months to get their act together.

“We still make too many mistakes and we need to correct this,” midfielder Maxime Gonalons added.

Coach Claude Puel, however, refused to panic.

“We lacked aggressiveness but there were no consequences,” he told
French TV Canal Plus. “We worked hard, we have an ambitious squad. You
(the media) can bury us, we will show our worth in 2011.”

The Annual General
Assembly of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) earlier scheduled for
December 14-15 in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital has been postponed.
The General Assembly will now start on December 27 and end the
following day in the same city.

The Acting General
Secretary of the NFF, Musa Amadu yesterday said, “A number of factors
have compelled the change of date, but the event will still hold in
Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State.

“We had talks with
top officials of the Akwa Ibom State government and it was resolved
that the December 27-28 will be best for the programme.”

The General
Assembly is convening again because during the last General Assembly in
Abuja, back in August, only one item on the agenda was treated, which
was the election of Members of the Executive Committee of the NFF.

Representatives of
the various Leagues – the National League, the Women’s League and the
Amateur League – will be elected into the Aminu Maigari led NFF
Executive Committee at the meeting in Uyo. Guidelines for the election
are expected to be made public today with the screening of candidates
due at the weekend.

Other issues to be
discussed at the upcoming General Assembly in Uyo include presentation
of the consolidated and revised balance sheet of the NFF, as well as
the profit and loss statement.

The approval of the NFF’s financial statements, the 2010/2011
budget, votes on amendments to the statutes of the NFF will also be
discussed at the General Assembly.

With Barcelona already through to the Champions League last 16 as Group D winners, Pep Guardiola gave several young players from the club’s academy a chance against Rubin Kazan on Tuesday and they did not disappoint.
Andreu Fontas (21) and Victor Vazquez (23) scored in a 2-0 success at the Nou Camp, and fine performances from fellow B team players Thiago Alcantara (19), Marc Bartra (19) and Jonathan dos Santos (20) also caught the eye.
Barca’s Ballon d’Or nominees Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi honed their skills at the club’s “La Masia” academy, known in Spanish as the “cantera”, or “quarry”, and Tuesday was further proof that it continues to churn out exciting talent.
“As an outsider I see things differently but Barca’s cantera is historic,” Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano, who joined from Liverpool in the close season, told reporters.
Defender Fontas struck in the 51st minute when his left-foot shot was deflected into the net and forward Vazquez, who had replaced the injured Jeffren, added a second with a fine curled effort in the 83rd.
Vazquez came through the academy at the same time as Messi, Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique, who captained the side for the first time on Tuesday, but has been held back by a number of injuries.
“I played with Pique and Messi a while ago and I was very excited to be with them tonight,” Vazquez said.
“I was only thinking about playing well during the match and above all I am pleased with the goal.
“Guardiola said he was very happy for me and that I was very good on the pitch.”
New responsibility
Pique added: “It’s a pleasure to see Victor in the first team as we have been playing in the same side since we were very little and he deserves this chance.” Ten players from the youth academy featured against Rubin and the success of the club’s policy contrasts that of their great rivals Real Madrid.
Goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas is the only representative of their youth school in Jose Mourinho’s first-choice starting 11, the club opting instead to buy in most of its talent at massive cost.
Josep Maria Bartomeu, a Barca vice president, said the fact that all three players on the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or were products of “La Masia” was recognition of the work that had been done there over the years.
“We have a new responsibility,” he said. “We have to work harder to improve the Masia.”

Super Eagles
goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama’s days with Hapoel Tel Aviv are definitely
numbered following his performance for the Israeli side in the UEFA
Champions League.

This was the
opinion of former Nigerian goalkeeper, Emmanuel Okala, who can’t just
see a reason why the former Enyimba and Heartland shot stopper
continues to be ignored by Europe’s top club sides despite proving
himself overtime at the top level.

Enyeama emerged as
one of the stars of the last World Cup in South Africa where he saved
the Super Eagles from embarrassing losses, especially against Argentina.

But despite being linked with a host of club sides both during and after the World Cup,

Enyeama remained stuck with the Israeli league champions.

“At the World Cup he was outstanding,” said Okala, who is regarded as one of the best Nigerian goalkeepers of all-time.

“He made some
wonderful saves and displayed maturity that is not so common with
goalkeepers of today, so it came as a surprise to me that he is still
playing in Israel even after all he did at the World Cup.”

From World Cup to Champions League

Enyeama has since
followed up on his World Cup heroics with even more splendid displays
in the UEFA Champions League where his modest Israeli side came up
against the likes of French side Lyon and former European champions,
Portuguese side Benfica.

This past Tuesday,
the 28-year-old had a night to remember as he kept out the French
side’s lauded attack time and again in a game in a game that ended in a
two-all draw.

“He was very good
in that match,” continued the Rangers legend. “He single-handedly
prevented their opponents from winning that match.

“And with that kind of performance, along with his performance in
other matches, I see him leaving Israel as early as January,” added
Okala referring to the transfer window which reopens in January.

The Nigeria Premier
League (NPL) has moved all Week 8 matches of the Nigerian top flight
division, originally scheduled for December 25 and 26, to Wednesday,
January 5, 2011.

According to a
statement issued on Wednesday by the acting Executive Secretary of the
NPL, Tunji Babalola, the matches were moved to the first Wednesday of
2011 in order to make room for the Christmas and Boxing Day festivities.

Top of the bill of
matches that would have taken place during the period is the Eastern
derby between league champions, Enyimba and Rangers scheduled for
Boxing Day at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba.

New homes for Kwara and Bukola Babe

Meanwhile, Kwara
United and Bukola Babes have secured new venues for their home matches
after the NPL ordered them away from the Offa Township Stadium.

Both clubs
previously shared the stadium but the facility, especially the playing
surface, is incapable of withstanding the pressure that comes from the
rigours of hosting Premier League matches week in, week out.

The NPL, following
last Saturday’s encounter between Kwara United and Heartland, issued a
72 hour ultimatum to both clubs to provide alternative venues to host
their home games.

As a result, Kwara
United will now play their home matches at the Gateway International
Stadium in Ogun State, while Bukola Babes will play their home matches
at the Bako Kotangora Stadium, Minna, home ground of Niger Tornadoes.

There is however
the possibility that both sides will return to their home state of
Kwara, especially if rehabilitation work at the Ilorin International
Sports Complex is completed at some point during the course of the
season.

Both sides have had mixed fortunes in the five-week-old season with
Kwara United perched on the 11th spot while Bukola Babes, playing in
the Premier League for the first time, are one spot away from the
bottom of the table.