Nigeria Content Online

The Nigeria Premier
League has announced that it will be organising a pre-season workshop
for League teams. The workshop will run through September 22 – 24 at
the National Stadium in Abuja.

According to Tunji
Babalola, the Acting Executive Secretary of the league body, the
workshop is meant to address the knotty issue of players’ health and
nutrition and it also relates to Insurance.

“The workshop is meant for Team Managers, Captains and Doctors of all the 20 Premier League clubs.

“This will surely
broaden their knowledge in the particular fields of health Insurance
and player’s nutrition and we know that when the new season eventually
kicks off, all the participants will put into use what they have learnt.

“We are committed
to the welfare of our players and officials and this workshop will set
the tone for what will happen when the season kicks off,” Babalola said.

The Nigeria Premier
League is scheduled to begin on September 25 with the game involving
Federation Cup champions’ Kaduna United and the last season’s runner up
Kano Pillars.

Some reports however suggest that the start date might be shifted as
the League board is yet to get a new sponsor to take over the running
of the League. Former sponsor, Globacom, is reportedly no longer keen
to sponsor the league.

Samuel Eto’o shone
yet again with both goals in Inter Milan’s 2-1 comeback win at Palermo
to send the champions to second place in Serie A on Sunday.

The Cameroonian was
often overshadowed by strike partner Diego Milito in Inter’s staggering
treble triumph last term but their roles have been reversed so far this
season.

While Milito has
struggled, Eto’o has started his second campaign at Inter in supreme
form and again dug Rafael Benitez’s inconsistent side out of a hole.

Slovenian Josip
Ilicic put struggling Palermo ahead in the first half before Eto’o
produced a piece of magic to equalise on 62 minutes following Milito’s
pass and soon finished off a fine move involving Dejan Stankovic and
Maicon to seal victory.

Eto’o scored the
winner in last weekend’s 2-1 win over Udinese and salvaged a 2-2 draw
at Twente Enschede in the Champions League in midweek.

Juve revival

Juventus, whose
poor form last term had continued into the new season, bounced back
with a 4-0 win at pointless Udinese with striker Fabio Quagliarella
scoring against his former club.

Leonardo Bonucci
grabbed the opener before Quagliarella’s crafty backheel, a thunderbolt
from Claudio Marchisio and Vincenzo Iaquinta’s fourth.

Striker Marco
Borriello netted his first league goal for AS Roma as they raced into a
2-0 lead against Bologna but Claudio Ranieri’s faltering side allowed
Marco Di Vaio to score two second-half goals and secure a 2-2 draw for
the visitors.

Roma, runners-up last season, were thumped 5-1 at Cagliari last weekend before losing to Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

Former Roma forward Luca Toni scored his first league goal for Genoa from the penalty spot in a 1-1 draw at Parma.

Chievo had been the
only side with a 100 percent record after two matches but their bubble
burst with a 1-0 home defeat by promoted Brescia while Bari drew 0-0
with Cagliari in the early game.

In Saturday’s matches, AC Milan could only draw 1-1 at home with
Catania and Lazio won 2-1 at woeful Fiorentina to spark protests from
the home fans.

Dimitar Berbatov
scored a brilliant hat-trick to give Manchester United a 3-2 win over
Liverpool and Chelsea maintained their goalrush by thrashing Blackpool
4-0 in the Premier League on Sunday.

United were
dominant for the first hour with two goals for the Bulgarian striker,
but two strikes in six minutes by Steven Gerrard dragged Liverpool
level before Berbatov won it six minutes from time.

Chelsea made it
five wins out of five with 21 goals and one conceded after they ripped
through promoted Blackpool with first-half goals by Salomon Kalou,
Florent Malouda (two) and Didier Drogba.

The champions top the standings on 15 points, four clear of United and Arsenal, who drew 1-1 at Sunderland on Saturday.

Manchester City moved up to fourth on eight points after beating Wigan Athletic 2-0 with goals by Carlos Tevez and Yaya Toure.

Tottenham Hotspur,
3-1 comeback winners over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, are
fifth on eight points and last season’s top-five finishers now occupy
the first five slots.

In the day’s big
game at Old Trafford, United were in total control after Berbatov
headed in a 42nd-minute corner and added a brilliant second by bringing
down a cross on his thigh with his back to goal and scoring with an
overhead kick.

Rash challenge

Liverpool, who had
offered nothing in attack, then profited from rash defending which
allowed Gerrard to pull one back with a penalty after 64 minutes and
equalise with a free kick six minutes later.

United had shipped
late equalisers against Everton and Fulham in recent weeks but this
time they conjured up a winner as Berbatov headed his seventh goal in
six games this season.

“I was saying to
myself it’s going to be 10 but you end up 2-2; it was a travesty of a
scoreline but a great result in the end,” manager Alex Ferguson told
Sky Sports.

For the second week
running a Drogba corner helped Chelsea into the lead inside two
minutes, this time an unmarked Kalou tucking in at the far post.

Drogba also
provided the second after 13 minutes, crossing low for Malouda, then
the Ivorian striker got on the scoresheet when he swivelled on the edge
of the box to bang in the third via a deflection.

Malouda cracked in his second after a Kalou pull-back four minutes before halftime.

Chelsea’s fans sat
back awaiting more goals but a combination of better Blackpool defence
and a drop in attacking intensity led to a scoreless second period.

“It’s fantastic, through the years we improve and we try to score as many as we can,” Drogba said.

“We scored four in the first half and in the second we had so many
chances so maybe this is something we have to think about even if the
result was great.”

Ahead of the 7th
African Women’s Championship, to be held in South Africa, the Super
Falcons coach Eucharia Uche says she has no fear for any of the
countries featuring in the biennial tourney.

The draw for the
championships takes place Tuesday in South Africa and Uche who is
expected to attend the event believes the Super Falcons are ready for
battle in whichever group they are placed.

“We are ready for
any team, our goal is to regain our position as the best African team
and we must play with the best teams to do that,” she said.

Nigeria’s
domination of African female football was halted at the last edition of
the tournament in 2008, which was hosted and won by Equatorial Guinea.

Before being
displaced at the top, the Super Falcons had always comfortably beaten
their African opponents – winning with wide-margins.

That however is no
longer the case as other African teams seem to have closed the gap with
the Falcons only recording modest wins in their recent outings.

Commenting on the
development, Uche said that it is a good omen for the continent and
Nigeria as it will keep the girls on their toes.

“It is a sign of
development and also a welcomed one. It only means that we should work
harder as we now have tougher teams in the continent,” she said.

Team’s preparation

Eucharia said the
Falcons have been having serious training at their camp in Abuja and
are expecting to play some friendly matches before moving out to South
Africa.

“Some friendly matches have been lined up for us in Sweden where we have more of our foreign-based players.

This has been done
with the assistance of some Nigerians over there whom we contacted,”
she shaid. Already six members of the Falconets team that got to the
final of the recently concluded FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany
have been drafted to shore up the team; they include Rebecca Kalu and
Ebere Orji.

The African Women’s Championship will take place from October 29 to November 14, 2010.

The qualified teams are Guinea Equatorial, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria, Mali, Tanzania and host South Africa.

The teams will be
divided into two groups of four, and to be played in a round robin
system. The top teams from each group will be in the semi final before
the final.

The last competition played in 2008 in Equatorial Guinea was won by the host country.

Mikel Obi played his 27th European game for
Chelsea as they whipped Slovakian side, MSK Zilina 4-1 to record a flying start
to their UEFA Champions League campaign this season. It meant that apart from
goalkeeper Petr Cech, the Nigerian is the only Blues player to have featured in
every single minute of all the club’s five competitive matches in the 2010/2011
season.

It had been feared that the Super Eagles
midfielder would return to a bit-part role at Stamford Bridge this term with
the return of Michael Essien from a long injury lay-off. The injury kept the
Ghanaian out of action since for most of the 2009/2010 season. But Mikel has
impressively retained his anchor role this season with the Chelsea manager,
Carlo Ancelotti preferring to move Essien to the right side of the midfield.

Since his acrimonious transfer to the West
London outfit in the summer of 2006, Mikel has struggled to convince critics
that he had made the right decision after he was initially paraded by
Manchester United as a new signing barely a year earlier. He had agreed a move
from Norwegian side, Lyn Oslo but later claimed he was forced into the decision
and insisted his choice was to join Jose Mourinho at Chelsea.

Difficult
start

After the London club eventually secured his
signature in a £16 million transfer, Mourinho moulded him into the midfield
anchor role and Mikel soon took over the mantle from legendary Frenchman Claude
Makelele. Having previously starred as a creative midfielder- most famously at
the 2005 U-20 World Youth Championship where he led Nigeria to a runners up
finish, it was no surprise he struggled to adapt to the new position, leading
to a couple of dismissals and suspensions for rash tackles. Yet the Portuguese
tactician kept faith in the youngster.

Successive Chelsea managers including Avram
Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari and Guus Hiddink all made him play crucial parts
during their reigns at the club, so also is the current boss, Ancelotti.

Change

Ancelotti quickly noted when he joined Chelsea
at the start of last season that he would like Mikel to play as a deep-lying
playmaker in the mould of Andrea Pirlo, who played under him at AC Milan.
Despite playing a key role in the team’s Premier League and FA Cup success,
Mikel rarely attracted plaudits from the Blues’ faithful.

That has however changed this season.

Ancelotti now has three options for the
defensive midfield position following the capture this summer of Brazilian
star, Ramires but Obi has continued to blossom. Part of the criticism the
former Plateau United trainee has endured was a supposedly laid-back passing
style but the Chelsea manager has revealed Mikel is working hard on the
training ground to improve his quality, particularly as he now swaps his role
with Essien.

“Last season, he had an average of 18 per cent
forward passes and in the three games this season he has had 38 per cent. He’s
trying to put more balls directly to strikers,” Ancelotti told the Telegraph
recently.

Mikel’s improved performance this season has
seen him claim an assist against Wigan, as well as rattle the post against West
Ham last weekend Chelsea assistant manager, Ray Wilkins also revealed to the
club’s official website that both Essien and Mikel have been working on their
attacking potentials.

“I’ve been telling him for a while that he is
allowed to score, he and John Obi I keep telling. When John hit the bar I told
him that’s only to keep the net up, so he had a little flea in his ear as
well.”

Mikel is expected to make his 115th Chelsea appearance
against Blackpool this afternoon at Stamford Bridge, with only 25 of those
coming as a substitute.

The Director
General of National Sports Commission (NSC), Patrick Ekeji has accused
officials of Nigerian Rugby Federation and Friends of Rugby of double
talk and insincerity.

Ekeji, who was in
Lagos for elections into the executive committee of the National
Olympic Committee (NOC), said the unease in the rugby family in the
country was the result of officials of both bodies refusing to bury the
hatchet.

“All stakeholders
must be honest and sincere. There are a lot of discordant tunes in this
matter. There was a clamour for private sector involvement in sport. As
result, we did what we thought was right and concessions came as a
result of that. The Rugby Federation took up the offer and we did the
concession. Now some of them have told lies and are now saying that
they did not want the concession after it had been done,” Ekeji said.

Ekeji has however
said that the only way out of all the mess in the federation is for all
interested parties to work together and sort out their problems.

Ekeji’s comments
came on the same day Friends of Rugby held a press conference at the
National Stadium in Lagos accusing the NSC of indifference concerning
the case of the ban placed on Rugby by the International Rugby Board.

Spokesperson for
the organisation, Ntiense Williams, said efforts to get the NSC
involved in resolving the issue were unsuccessful.

“Our discussions
with them (NSC) and the Sports Ministry have all proved abortive. Do
they want the federation to spend four years before they take charge?
Two years is still long way to go and we need to salvage what we can
right now before it is too late,” he said.

The call for action
by Friends of Rugby is coming on the heels of last week’s protest by
Rugby players under the aegis of All Rugby Football Players staged at
the National Stadium.

Independence tourney

Friends of Rugby
also unveiled their programme for Nigeria’s 50th independence
anniversary at the briefing. Olatunji Fasimoye, a member of Friends of
Rugby, explained the reason behind the tournament. “It is a way the
Rugby family celebrate independence but this year’s would be special
because of the golden jubilee. It is going to be 7’s tournament between
16 teams made up of men and women clubs in Nigeria. We are also hoping
to bring in some African countries to join us as we celebrate Nigeria.
The tournament would hold on the first and second of October. Winners
in the men and women category would be awarded trophies and a cash
prize,” he said.

Last year’s men’s tournament was won by Cowrie RFC while the Edo
team won the women’s category. The finals of the Lagos Rugby Union
League that was scheduled to hold this weekend has been postponed till
the 16th of October.

Barcelona’s recent
trips to play Atletico Madrid in La Liga have been end-to-end thrillers
that have usually ended up with a victory for the home team.

The Calderon has
witnessed 25 goals in the last five league clashes between the teams,
with Atletico stringing together 2-1, 4-3 and 4-2 victories in the last
three years.

The champions
suffered their only defeat of last season there and midfielder Andres
Iniesta has warned his team mates to heed the lessons from those
matches when they return on Sunday (1700 GMT).

“Sometimes these
games are mad, and I can remember in some of them they have scored
twice against us in five minutes,” the scorer of Spain’s winner in the
World Cup final told daily Sport.

“We have to try and
play our own game and above all else to be very focused. We can’t
afford to give them any chances because they have dangerous players,
especially up front.”

Atletico strikers
Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan have been in devastating form over the
last month, helping their side build on last season’s Europa League
triumph by winning the European Super Cup and their opening two league
games.

They travel to play
Greek side Aris in the Europa League on Thursday and hope Aguero
recovers from a bruised leg in time for Sunday.

Shock defeat

Barca recovered
from their shock 2-0 home defeat to promoted Hercules last weekend with
a midweek pummelling of Panathinaikos in the Champions League, when
Lionel Messi led them to a 5-1 victory.

Pep Guardiola
perhaps paid for resting a number of first-team regulars against
Hercules but will no doubt field his strongest side against Atletico,
as he did on Tuesday.

Real Madrid travel
north to play promoted Real Sociedad on Saturday (2000), battling to
win over their demanding fans after some uninspired opening
performances.

New coach Jose
Mourinho is still fishing for his best side but will have been lifted
by the energetic display they put on to defeat Ajax Amsterdam 2-0 in
their Champions League opener on Wednesday.

New boys Mesut Ozil
and Angel Di Maria impressed against Ajax and it was only profligate
finishing from the likes of Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo that
denied them a more flattering scoreline.

Defender Sergio Ramos dropped out of the squad on Wednesday with a suspected calf injury and is doubtful.

Second division champions Sociedad have the same record as Real from their first two games — a win and a draw.

As I learned of
France’s home defeat against Belarus, I wondered if this was the lowest
ever point for French football, and more importantly, how are they
going to turn their fortunes around?

The loss was Les
Bleus’ fourth in a row and there seems to be no light at the end of the
tunnel for a team that lacks confidence, personality and experience. I
was in South Africa when France’s players decided to strike in protest
of the French Football Federation’s (FFF) decision to send Nicolas
Anelka home following an altercation with Raymond Domenech. I couldn’t
believe that professional athletes would actually refuse to work during
a tournament which should represent one of the highlights of their
careers. It would have to take a lot of anger and frustration for a
group of players to take such a decision. Some of those feelings are
surely still present now in the French squad even if some World Cup
squad members are no longer part of the national team set-up.

Healing the wounds

So how is Laurent
Blanc going to heal these wounds and create the team spirit and unity
necessary to get results? Well to be fair, he already tried a bold
motivational approach, inviting his friend and fellow 1998 World Cup
champion Zinedine Zidane to a training session in a bid to inspire the
squad. He also handed out sheets of paper containing the words to La
Marseillaise to players, encouraging them to sing the national anthem
before the game. I guess the Belarus result showed both of those
tactics didn’t work and it will take a lot more work on the training
pitch and in the dressing room to raise the morale of these players. We
should also remember this is a very young team that doesn’t really have
many role models on the pitch. There is not a Zidane, a (Patrick)
Vieira or a (Didier) Deschamps, who can lead by example. Still, it’s my
belief that this team will improve quickly under the guidance of Blanc
and qualify for Euro 2012. The talent is there with young players such
as Lamine Sakho, Yoann Gourcuff and Karim Benzema and the spirit will
eventually return.

Of course France is not the only national team with an identity
crisis. Italy is clearly in a transitional period with a new coach and
new set of players. They struggled to beat Estonia and will also take a
while to gel with Cesare Prandelli and without the leadership skills of
the retired Fabio Cannavaro and injured Gigi Buffon. Last but not
least, I have to admit that I am very worried about my beloved
Portugal. With coach Carlos Queiroz suspended for six months by the
national football federation for his role in disrupting an anti-doping
test, and with Cristiano Ronaldo injured, they could struggle to make
the European Championship.

The players looked lost, especially in
defence, during a 4-4 draw with Cyprus on Friday. There was no
leadership, no direction, no clear game plan. By the time Queiroz comes
back, the qualifying campaign could be in tatters. As with any identity
crisis, each of the three sides need some urgent self-analysis and
rehabilitation, if they are to regain the team psyche that saw each
side compete for top honours in recent times.

How does anyone explain the shame experienced by millions of
sports loving Nigerians between Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th 2010?

Samuel Peter was given a battering I am sure, he never expected.
Samson Siasia’s Heartland football team was kicked out of the CAF Champions
league by Ahly of Egypt and Congo DR made sure that our U-17 men – oh, so
sorry, boys – will not be in Rwanda in 2011.

The implications are varied and several. For instance, while
Wladimir Klitschko, his trainers and fans are basking in the euphoria of a well
deserved victory, what we are experiencing here in Nigeria is a horrible
nightmare.

While there is celebration in Egypt, the opposite is happening
here in Nigeria, especially amongst those, who are either mischievously or
ignorantly advocating for the installation of Siasia as the Super Eagles’
technical adviser or coach.

As regards the U-17 football match, I am absolutely unperturbed.
As long as we refuse to establish a culture of excellent football development –
with integrity, as the foundation, the systemic evolution of genuine age-grade
footballers, will never be actualised in this massively blessed nation, endowed
with the potentials to rule the world of football. It is as simple but as
serious as that.

Add the above to the disgraceful situation our football
administrators have put us in the global setting and then ask why this should
be happening.

Various perspectives

Remember the case of three blind men who were told that an
elephant has been killed? They requested to be given an opportunity to touch
the dead elephant, in order to ascertain the veracity of the story. Their
request was granted. The first man touched the ear of the elephant and said it felt
so smooth like the cocoa yam leaf. The second touched one of the legs and said
it was like the mahogany tree, while the third touch the elephant’s tusk and
exclaimed that it was an iron. Check our newspapers, listen to the radio, watch
the TV, and you will be amazed at the various perspectives from which current
football issues are being discussed.

One angle that is of paramount interest to me is the issue of
divine intervention and the call on Nigerians to pray. I agree absolutely. I am
however aware of the sensitive nature of my position and approach to the
quagmire in which our football has been enmeshed, but make bold to declare
unreservedly, that this is the “drawing board” we must return to, in order to
have God-fearing people manage and administer football in this nation.

Courage is often something which others recognise rather than
behaviour that anyone ever deliberately sets out to display. I am also aware of
the fact that an idea, such as this issue of restitution, has to go through
three clear stages: the stages of it being ridiculed, aggressively opposed and
of course being finally accepted as self-evident.

The power of prayers Restitution, we are made to believe is the
act of, returning something to its rightful owner, or compensation for a loss,
damage or injury, or the return of something to the condition it was in before
it was changed.

Let me remind fellow Nigerians of the price paid by some God-fearing South
Africans between the years 2000 and 2002. I was not told. I participated in it
and was officially mandated to organise such programmes here in Nigeria, in
order to stand in the gap for our South African brethren. What was the price?

Thousands of football administrators, stake holders, footballers,
supporters/friends of football, would gather at various stadiums all around
South Africa, to confess the atrocities going on in South African sports,
especially football. Not only that, they set some days aside during which all
they did was to fast and pray to God for forgiveness. Did it work? Yes. The
2010 FIFA World Cup finals is a testimony. Can we pay the price to bring about
the desired changes Nigerians are clamouring for? Yes, we can!

The good news however is that whether we are ready or not the One who
created sports for His own pleasure, is already at work. Nigeria is blessed
with people, who pursue their dreams, regardless of the threats, dangers and
what is said or thought; and people, who have made sacrifices and displayed
incredible persistence – in short, people who are M.A.D. (making a difference).

One of such is our own Olajide Fashiku. Happy birthday, Jide. As you
celebrate today, we pray that your ideas to ensure that sports returns to its
rightful place in Nigeria do not run dry. Your efforts and sacrifice will not
be in vain. FIFA, CAF and the NFA may not recognise you, but on behalf of
millions of sports loving Nigerians, we say thank you. It will be well with
you. We love you Baba JID.

Today, a lot of
teams with history on their side will be trying to take new strides in
the 2010 version of the UEFA Champions League. Real Madrid, with a new
coach and lots of young players will resume a quest for a 10th title.
Five-time champions Bayern Munich, who fell at the last hurdle in the
2009 finals will be hoping to better their last performance. Ajax come
into their match against the Bavarians with their own share of European
glory combined with the deadly aim of Luis Suarez and are gunning for a
fifth title. The Uruguayan striker has scored nine goals in the last 11
matches.

The elusive 10th title

Real Madrid had
great expectations last season when the final match was scheduled for
the Santiago Bernebeu – what a way to actualise a tenth title than in
your home stadium before adoring fans…

But it remained a
mirage as the European giants were sent packing in the 2nd round by
French club, Olympique Lyon. That made it the fifth year consecutively
that Madrid had not made it beyond the round of 16.

Enter Jose Mourinho
– the self styled ‘Special One’. After winning the competition with
Inter Milan, the Portuguese tactician’s main brief is to win the
Champions League; as well as the small matter of dethroning Barcelona
as Spain’s best team.

“This is the
competition of competitions,” he said on UEFA.com. “Not only the most
important but the grandest competition in football. Only a few coaches
have won it with two different clubs, so my great ambition is to become
the first to do so with three different clubs.” Though Mourinho is
known for his ability to build winning sides, whether he will achieve
that in his first year at Madrid is another mather. He will start the
campaign against four-time winners, Ajax. The Dutch coach of the
Amsterdamers, Martin Jol also spoke to UEFA.com on the history and the
will to replicate the past.

“At Ajax, the first
thing they do is invite you to the museum to see all of the cups; there
aren’t many clubs with more trophies,” Jol said, but the last time they
won was 16 years ago with the Nigerian duo of Nwankwo Kanu and Finidi
George.

“We won our last
UEFA Champions League in 1995 and it’s probably impossible to win it
again. But because of our history, it’s very important to us. The home
games are already sold out, which shows what it means to our fans.
Hopefully we can bring the old times back”.

Chelsea in need of relevance

Carlo Ancelotti has
been telling anyone who cares to hear that Chelsea’s benefactor, Roman
Abramovitch has not put the team under undue pressure to win a first
Champions League trophy. But last season’s loss to Inter Milan in the
quarter-finals under Jose Mourinho must have hurt a bit. There is also
the added incentive of playing the finals in England, which could help
or mar the club.

“For Chelsea,
winning the UEFA Champions League is as important as winning the
Premier League. Last season, we won domestically and it would be nice
to be crowned European champions in London,” Ancelotti said on uefa.com.

Club stalwarts like
John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba will want to ride into the
sunset of their careers basking in the knowledge of helping the club to
the highest club honour ever. Terry will still be having nightmares of
the penalty loss to Manchester United in the 2008 finals; maybe he will
have the chance to remedy that history come May 2011.

Milan needs to find right combination

No club in Europe or the world can currently boast of the forwards that AC Milan possess.

Zlatan Ibrahimović
and Robinho have joined Ronaldinho, Pato and Fillipo Inzaghi. The
challenge is how to place these parts to make an effective unit. The
2-0 loss to Cesena at the weekend showed obvious frailties and European
matches can be very cruel in exposing these flaws.

Newly installed
coach, Massimiliano Allegri is not oblivious to the enormity of the
task before him. It will be a battle for the Rossoneri to progress from
a group that has other European heavyweights but younger squads.

“These are
fascinating matches,” the former Cagliari Calcio coach told UEFA.com.
“Such ties immediately give you the right focus for the UEFA Champions
League. It’s my third year in Serie A and to coach Milan in this
prestigious competition is fantastic.”

Arsene Wenger confident of his side

Maybe, just maybe,
Arsenal are about ready to win a maiden European Cup. Manager Arsene
Wenger, who has spent four years at the club, believes that these set
of players have both the experience and the youth needed to win the
only trophy missing in Wenger’s collection.

Wenger believes his side are stronger and better equipped to overcome mental hurdles.

“We have to show
that last year was an accident. Unfortunately we went out against
Barcelona who were better than us over two legs.

“We have to come back and show we can compete with them. Overall I think it was an accident but we will see.”

On the added
incentive of the final being played at Wembley, Wenger said, “It is
only six miles, but unfortunately it is a long way,” Wenger concluded.

Arsenal’s
Portuguese opponents SC Braga are also known as Minho’s Arsenalistas
after the Portuguese club took Arsenal’s colours in 1921. And Nigerian
left-back, Uwa Echiejile is expected to make an appearance for the team
against the Gunners.

Abou Diaby has an
ankle problem suffered in last weekend’s league win over Bolton while
Thomas Vermaelen has been ruled out with an Achilles injury. They join
Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott, Nicklas Bendtner and Aaron Ramsey, all
ruled out with various injuries.

UEFA largesse

There is a cash
bonanza for teams that have qualified for the UEFA Champions League
group stage this season as they will receive about €7.2m according to
the revenue distribution system in place for the 2010/11 campaign.

Each of the 32
clubs taking part in the UEFA Champions League group stage will receive
a participation bonus of €3.9m, plus a match bonus of €550,000 per
group game played. On top of that, the following performance bonuses
will be paid: €800,000 for every win, and €400,000 for every draw in
the group stage.

There will be
additional payments made to the teams that progress in the competition
with €3m the reward for advancing to the round of 16, €3.3m for
reaching the quarter-finals and €4.2m for a semi-final place. The
winners of the final at Wembley Stadium on 28 May will collect a
further €9m, with €5.6m going to the runners-up.

The teams are also
entitled to a share of the commercial value of their domestic
television market, the number of UEFA Champions League matches they
play this season and their final position in the domestic league table
last term. They will also keep their UEFA Champions League gate
receipts.

Each of the 20 teams that contested the play-offs received €2.1m.