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Pelé's visit to Nigeria postponed.

Brazilian football legend, Pelé’s visit to Nigeria has been postponed due to ill health, organisers have revealed. 
The Winihin Jemide Series and the Youth Experience Days Africa had planned to bring the soccer icon to the most populous country in Africa for the Legend Edition on August 11-12 but he wouldn’t be able to make it as he is down with an undisclosed ailment.

“The Winihin Jemide Series & Youth Experience Days Africa have both chosen to postpone the 2016 WJS/YEDA LEGEND EDITION with Pelé due to reports of his ill health on Friday 5th, 2016. “We are sorry that we have to disappoint the many Pelé fans and Legend Edition supporters at this time, who were looking forward to this event. As we pray for his speedy and full recovery, we believe that it would be inconsiderate for us to put his health at risk.

“Our ticketing platforms will be offering a full refund on all tickets purchased and new dates for the event will be announced over the course of the next few weeks. We hope the new dates are suitable for everyone.
“The decision to postpone the event did not come easily and we want to express gratitude to sponsors and stakeholders.” read a statement from the organisers.
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Barcelona Vice-President hits out at UEFA over Messi and Suarez award snub

Barcelona
Vice-President, Jordi Mestre has expressed his disappointment at UEFA for
snubbing two of the club’s key players, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in the
2016 European Player of the Year award list. The duo who played key roles in
the Blaugrana’s La Liga an Copa del Rey victories last season were placed
fourth and fifth in the poll. Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Antoine
Griezmann emerged the top three nominees.
Mestre in an
interview on TV3 described the omission as scandalous: “It doesn’t seem the right
decision to me at all. I don’t know what criteria UEFA applied, with all
respect to the chosen winners, but I disagree [with the choices]. That our
players aren’t there, such as Suarez or Messi, is scandalous. The club are very
disappointed and angry.” He said.

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Jose Mourinho proud of Man United's world record transfer fee for Paul Pogba

Newly-signed Manchester United player, Paul Pogba’s world
record transfer fee has raised not a few eyebrows but Jose Mourinho doesn’t
care whose ox is gored. The former Juventus player was reportedly snapped for
around $116 million surpassing the current transfer record of $112.2 million
Real Madrid paid Tottenham for Gareth Bale 3 years ago. The 23 year-old midfielder has flown into
Manchester for his medical and should be unveiled in the coming days.
The former Chelsea manager has however hailed his employers’ spectacular signing.
“No, I don’t think Real Madrid was upset when they broke
the record with Gareth Bale or when they broke the record with Cristiano Ronaldo,
I think that was a world record too. When other people break records, I don’t
think it’s a reason to be sad. I think it’s a reason to be proud with the
dimension of the club that can do that and can attract players of this
dimension.

“If you ask if I think it is a lot of money, I think
football is crazy, the market has become crazy. What you think this season is
crazy, you realise that three years later it’s not crazy any more. And I think
there are players that cost ten million that are super expensive because there
are players who are four hundred or five hundred thousand or one million. What
is expensive and what is not expensive in football, I don’t know any more. I
just know that he’s a big player that is going for sure to be important for a
big club like Man United. And I’m sure that every Man United fan around the
world will be proud to belong to such a big club.”
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Sports

Thomas Vermaelen joins Roma

Roma have completed the signing of defender, Thommas Vermaelen on a season-long loan from Barcelona. The injury-plagued Belgian centre back who left Arsenal for Spain in the summer of 2014, made 21 appearances for the Spanish giants and netted once in the process.  

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Rio 2016 : Nigerian footballers' plane too small, to arrive Japan late.

Nigeria’s Olympic football team will arrive in Japan hours before the opening Rio 2016 match owing to flight hiccups. The players complained about the size of the plane which was meant to convey them to the venue. Arrangements have however been made for them to leave on a bigger plane and arrive in time for kick-off against Japan.
“The players were uncomfortable with the size of the plane. The Government had to step in. The players have been assured of adequate medical care on the plane. It’s been challenging but most importantly we will be ready for the first game.” Team media officer Timi Ebikagboro told BBC Sport.
This embarrassing development is coming few days after players were stranded in Atlantic over flight payment.
“The money paid by the sports ministry for the charter flight did not hit airline’s account on Tuesday so they refused to fly the team to Brazil,” a source close to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) revealed.
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Ahmed Musa scores twice as Leicester City lose to Barcelona

Nigeria international, Ahmed Musa came off the bench at half time to score a brace as Spanish Champions, Barcelona beat Leicester City 4-2 at the 2016 International Champions Cup match held last night in Stockholm. The 23 year-old was the star of the match and his sterling display during the match didn’t only earn him accolades but also dominated discourse on social media yesterday. The Super Eagles player joined the Foxes from CSKA Moscow in the summer.
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Barcelona legend, Xavi donates yacht to NGO

Barcelona legend, Xavi Hernández has donated his yacht to Proactiva Open Arms (POA), a Spanish NGO dedicated to saving lives in the sea. Funds from the yacht which will be sold at a public auction will be used to help the refugees escaping from their native countries by boat.

“The Soccer Player Xavi Hernández Collaborates with Proactiva Open Arms with the donation of a recreational craft to be auctioned in the near future. Hew as introduced to our work a while ago and decided to donate his yacht to obtain more resources in order to ensure the permanence of the mission.
Thank you, Xavi, gestures like yours, will save many lives” POA wrote on Facebook.
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Amaju Pinnick defends absence at Keshi's burial

NFF President, Amaju Pinnick has come in for harsh criticism for missing the funeral of the late Super Eagles coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi few days ago. Even though he attended the lying-in-state ceremony which preceded the burial, a lot of Nigerians expressed disappointment at his absence at the funeral service which took place at his home town, Illah, Delta State on Friday.

Responding to criticisms on social media, Amaju said “It’s really sad the way we just use extreme languages. Right from the moment he passed, I have been actively involved greatly,” 

“I followed the motorcade from the morgue to the church in Benin. I was at the service throughout. I followed the motorcade to the stadium. I was there again throughout again.
“I did a two and half hour journey to Asaba. I did the entire programme with them. I had a private meeting with the family to reappraise plans.
“I woke the next morning unwell, threw up. On my way to Illah, I was struggling but had to reverse immediately, I got a member to leave Port Harcourt to attend which he did.
“You people should kindly find out the role I and the NFF played from his death to date.”
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Photos : Stephen Keshi buried

The remains of former coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria Stephen Keshi was interred at his home town of Illah in Delta State. The former player died  of a heart related ailment on June 8, 2016 in Benin State at the age of 54.
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Mikel denies donating $30,000 to Nigerian Olympic squad

Photo published for Chelsea’s Mikel denies donating $30,000 to Nigeria Olympic squad
Super Eagles midfielder, John Mikel Obi has rubbished reports which gained traction today that he gave $30,000 dollars to his teammates in the U-23 football team. The Chelsea player who was recently made captain of Team Nigeria to the Rio Olympics debunked the claim at the team’s camp at the Hyatt Place in Atlanta, USA.
“I was first told of this unfortunate story by a friend who called me from Nigeria. I thought he was joking until he sent me the link. “I don’t know the source of this story which to me is all out to divide us as a team. I would have thought that stories that should be coming out in the media are stories that will unite the team instead of dividing us. Our target in Rio is to excel, but if they continue like this, then I wonder how we can be united.”

He added “Tell me the players who are in this team that are so hungry that will be looking up to me for survival? Is it (William) Ekong, (Oghenekaro) Etebo, (Shehu) Abdulahi, (Daniel) Akpeyi, (Kingsley) Madu, (Okechukwu) Azubuike or (Stanley) Amuzie, who are my team mates in the Super Eagles, that I will be donating to, or other players who are plying their trade abroad and are doing well for themselves? To me, this is just mere distraction that won’t help this team going into a major tournament like the Olympics.” He said
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