Nigerians Abroad: Odemwingie, Ogude & Will-John on target

The trio registered their names on the scorers’ sheet as other Nigerian players put up brilliant displays for their respective club sides over the weekend




ENGLAND
Peter Odemwingie scored in his successive game in the English Premier League as Stoke City mauled Aston Villa 4-1 away from home. The former Cardiff forward’s goal in the 22nd minute stirred a comeback win for Mark Hughes’ men after they had gone a goal down in the fifth minute of the five-goal thriller.


He got on the end of Peter Crouch's knock-down before muscling his way through and slotting the ball between the legs of the advancing Brad Guzan. He boasts of four goals from seven games since joining the Potters in January.

Joseph Yobo was at his best as he marshaled Norwich City’s defence in their 2-0 thumping of Sunderland on Saturday. The Super Eagles captain has made seven appearances for the Canaries since his move from Fenerbahce.

Sone Aluko came on as a 61st minute substitute for Hull City in their 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion that paraded Victor Anichebe. It was the former Rangers’ striker's 14th league appearance of the season with a goal to his name. Anichebe failed to add to his goal tally as he was replaced by Saido Berahino in his 20th league appearance of the season with three goals to his name.

Shola Ameobi was on parade for Newcastle United in their 1-0 defeat of Crystal Palace. The lanky Nigerian forward was a 14th minute substitute for the Magpies in his 20th league game of the season. Ameobi is yet to find the back of the net this season.

Mikel Obi played as a second half substitute in Chelsea’s 6-0 drubbing of Arsenal at the Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon. Obi came on as a replacement for David Luiz with 15 minutes left to the end of the cracker to mark his 20th league appearance this season in the EPL.

A brace form Brazilian Oscar plus strikes from Mohammed Salah, Eden Hazard, Andre Schurrle and Samuel Eto’o were all the Blues needed to coast to victory.




GERMANY

Chinedu Obasi was a second half replacement for Maximillian Meyer as Schalke 04 strolled past Eintracht Braunschweig 3-1 in the Bundesliga. Obasi boasts of seven league appearances with a goal for the side that saw their Champions League title winning ambition brought to an end by Real Madrid last week.




FRANCE

Vincent Enyeama was on parade for OSC Lille in their 1-1 draw at Monaco on Sunday. The Super Eagles first choice goalkeeper pulled up some brilliant saves to deny the host of a victory at the Louis Stadium. Enyeama has featured in all games for the third placed Ligue 1 team this term and has conceded 19 goals in 30 games. Elderson Echiejile made his first appearance in the French league and had his debut marked with a 16th minute caution for a rough tackle.

Sunday Mba was sent off in CA Bastia’s 1-0 defeat at Tours in the French Ligue 2. The Super Eagles midfielder was given the marching order in the 34th minute for a serious foul play. Mba has featured in 10 league games since his move from Enugu Rangers with two goals to his name.




ITALY

Ogenyi Onazi featured as a second half substitute for SS Lazio in their 1-1 home draw against Clarence Seedorf’s AC Milan. The hard tackling Super Eagles midfielder came on for Lucas Biglia in the 79th minute to feature in his 24th league game of the season for the Blue and White.

Joel Obi came on for Gianni Munari in the 70th minute as Parma were forced to a 1-1 draw at home by Genoa. The injury prone Inter Milan loanee has played six games in Seria A this season.

Obinna Nsofor was in action for 20 minutes as Chievo Verona bowed at home to the superior firepower of AS Roma in the Italian league. The Super Eagles returnee has tasted action four times since making a loan move from Locomotiv Moscow.




TURKEY

Godfrey Oboabona was on for the entire duration in Rizespor’s goalless draw at home to Eskisehirspor in the Turkish Superliga that featured Raheem Lawal for the visitors. The former Sunshine Stars’ skipper has scored just once from his defending position in 13 league appearance of the season.




SCOTLAND

Efe Ambrose for the first time this season failed to grab a starter’s shirt as Celtic spanked St. Mirren 3-0 in the Scottish Premier League over the weekend. The Hoops maintained their unassailable lead in the SPL and will grab the Scottish League title should they win against Partick Thistle at Firhill on Wednesday night.




AZERBAIJAN
John Oluremi William got his 11th goal of the season as AZAL PFC Baku bowed 1-2 at home to FC Baku in the Azerbaijan Premier League encounter over the weekend.


Jure Travner had put the visitors ahead in the 29th minute before the Nigerian-American midfielder brought the hosts back on level terms with a 39th minute strike before an own goal by Ailton Junior condemned AZAL to their 13th defeat of the season.

The 28-year old player has made 31 appearances for the Baku based outfit this season.

ors. The former Sunshine Stars’ skipper has scored just once from his defending position in 13 league appearance of the season.




RUSSIA

Fegor Ogude registered his name on the scorer’s sheet for Amkar Perm in Friday’s away game at FC Rostov. The Super Eagles player boasts of three goals from three games since his move from Valerenga this season. He was replaced in the 47th minute by Maxim Kanunninkov.




GREECE

Abduljeleel Ajagun was on parade for Panathinaikos in their 3-1 victory over Apollon Smirnis. The former Flying Eagles captain who has scored four times in 18 games for the Greek league outfit was replaced by Daniel Pranjic in the 76th minute.

Mourinho to appeal FA charge of improper conduct

The Portuguese was taken to task for encroaching onto the field of play to confront referee Chris Foy following a red card for Blues midfielder Ramires

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho will appeal the Football Association's (FA) charge of improper conduct following the defeat at Aston Villa.

The Portuguese was sent to the stands last Saturday at Villa Park following an enraged response to Ramires' late red card, after which he encroached onto the field of play to confront referee Chris Foy.

Ramires' dismissal was Chelsea's second of the match after Willian was given his marching orders for two yellow cards earlier in the Premier League encounter.

Mourinho had until Monday to lodge an appeal and announced his intention to do so on Friday.

"Yes, I have decided. I don't accept the charges," the two-time Champions League winner told reporters.

"I will do it [make his defence] privately, but for obvious reasons I don't accept the charges."

Mourinho's Chelsea side host Arsenal on Saturday in what will be Arsene Wenger's 1000th game in charge of the Gunners.

Real Madrid meet Dortmund, Bayern take on Manchester United - Champions League draw in full

  The titleholders have been paired with the English champions, Real Madrid take on last year's finalists Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona will meet Atletico, while PSG take on ChelseaBayern Munich will take on Manchester United in the standout tie of the Champions League quarter-finals.

Pep Guardiola's men are keen to become the first club to successfully defend the title, but will have to deal with the champions of England first, with the first leg scheduled to take place at Old Trafford.

Elsewhere, Real Madrid will be gunning for revenge against Borussia Dortmund after last year's elimination in the semi-finals, while Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain meet the Premier League's table-toppers, Chelsea, as the French outfit aim to improve on last year's run to the last eight.

Finally, Barcelona have been paired with Atletico Madrid, which will be a particularly interesting fixture given Diego Simeone's men caused the Catalans all kinds of trouble in their domestic dust-ups in the Supercopa de Espana and La Liga earlier this season.

The first legs will take place on April 1 and 2, with the second legs scheduled for April 8 and 9.

The draw for the semi-finals will be held on April 11, while the tournament concludes at Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica on May 24.


QUARTER-FINAL DRAW


BARCELONA VS ATLETICO MADRID
REAL MADRID VS BORUSSIA DORTMUND
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN VS CHELSEA
MANCHESTER UNITED VS BAYERN MUNICH

                          

Wenger confirms intention to extend Arsenal reign

  The  Frenchman says he is "extremely motivated" to stay at the Emirates Stadium and adds that he hopes he has made the club bigger than it was when he arrived

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has confirmed he intends to extend his stay at the club saying he wants to remain with the Gunners for as long as possible.

Goal exclusively revealed on Friday that the Frenchman had turned down a £1 million-a-year pay hikebefore agreeing to extend his current deal.

Speaking ahead of his 1000th game in charge of Arsenal, against Chelsea on Saturday, Wenger admitted he has no desire to leave.

"I'm extremely motivated to stay for as long as possible but I accept that the next 1000 will be difficult," he told reporters.

"It's a privilege and an honour to manage 1000 games at this club. The club has always supported me. Time will tell if I managed to make this club bigger than it was when I arrived but I hope so.

"This club has given me a chance and I've turned many things down and shown my loyalty. Tomorrow I represent my club, I don't represent myself and I keep my personal feelings away from that.

"Today we can fight with the top clubs financially. I have to live with opinions from other people and accept them.

"The next period for us is to deliver trophies and competing with everyone at the top level. We have great players so I'm confident we can win trophies."

The Gunners travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday for a top-of-the-table clash with Chelsea and Wenger is feeling confident ahead of the game.

"It's the game of the season for us because it will be against a direct opponent," he added.

“The result will be linked with the performance on the day. We are on a good run.

"We have a doubt over Rosicky - he will have a test [on Friday] - but everyone else should be available."

Totti open to World Cup selection

The 37-year-old lifted the famous trophy with the Azzurri in 2006 and could come out of retirement to feature in Brazil

Roma veteran Francesco Totti has revealed he would be "proud" to receive the call to represent Italy at the World Cup this summer.

The 37-year-old is enjoying yet another fine campaign for the Giallorossi, who sit second in Serie A, leading to talk of a return to the international fold.

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has spoken about the possibility of handing Totti a call-up for the tournament in Brazil, despite him retiring from international duty in 2007 after lifting the World Cup a year earlier.

"If Prandelli were to call me then I would be proud," Totti told Sky Sports Italia.

"I'd be happy, because the World Cup at Brazil would not come around again for me.

"But, I've always said that I will have to see how I am physically, if I would be alright or not. That's the main thing."

Totti believes that Italy can repeat their Euro 2012 efforts, where they reached the final before losing to Spain, and has backed team-mates Mattia Destro and Alessandro Florenzi for selection.

"I hope that the national team can get to the final," he added. "They have the ability to do well, then Italy have increasingly come close to the semi-finals, so we hope it bodes well.

"To the World Cup I would call Destro and Florenzi - they are two players that are good for the group, that make the difference when playing.

"So, I think that they are players that absolutely should be called up. But, it is not for me to decide."

'We're praying' - Sherwood & Tottenham seek Europa League miracle v Benfica

The Premier League side have been crippled by injuries and have a mountain to climb in Lisbon as they trail Benfica by a two-goal margin following the 3-1 first-leg loss at home

Tim Sherwood's final three words in his press conference on Wednesday evening summed up the attitude in the Tottenham camp.

"We're praying tonight," said the Spurs boss without the cheeky glint in the eye that sometimes accompanies his more flippant comments.

Tottenham take on Benfica in the second-leg of their Europa League tie on Thursday not only having to turn around a 3-1 deficit from the first game at White Hart Lane, but needing to do so without a single available central defender in the first-team squad.

Jan Vertonghen is suspended while Michael Dawson, Younes Kaboul and Vlad Chiriches are all sidelined through injury. Further up the pitch, injury has forced Emmanuel Adebayor to stay in London along with summer signings Erik Lamela and Paulinho.

It means Sherwood will have to play men out of position at the Estadio da Luz and the Londoners have travelled with an army of youth team players as young as 16 to make up the numbers.

"The kids won't play unless there's a need to," said Sherwood. "There's a time and a place to blood young talent. Unless we need to they won't be thrown into the lion's den because you could end up killing someone's career before it's even started.

"Some of these boys are apprentices. They're nowhere near ready to play in Tottenham’s first-team. We've got a crippling injury list back at home. It really is severe. It's needs must.

"We need players playing out of position. I'm going to have to try and find out who's best suited to switching into those positions and doing the job for Tottenham."

Tottenham's exit from the Europa League would virtually end their season, with Sherwood having already given up on any chance of finishing in the top four of the Premier League and clinching a place in next season's Champions League.

In this historic stadium, he will again come up against Benfica coach Jorge Jesus, with whom he clashed on the touchline last week at White Hart Lane after the Portuguese celebrated his side's third goal by holding three fingers in the air.

Sherwood insists his spat with Jesus is 'over' and the 45-year-old is now focused on preventing a fourth successive defeat for his team in all competitions.

For many, recent results have proved that Sherwood is not up to the job and should be replaced in the summer by someone like Louis Van Gaal, who this week reiterated his desire to manage in the Premier League after the World Cup.

While many Spurs fans are ready to give up on the rest of the season, Sherwood and many of the Tottenham players will be fighting for their futures over the next two months.

"The season's still alive," Sherwood insisted. "The season's never dead. We've got to win every game possible. We're Tottenham Hotspur. Everyone sets out their season to try and win something but not every team achieves that, not even Tottenham."

And his expectations of his players for Thursday?

"To do themselves justice," he added. "That's all we can do. I think the players owe it to the 3,000 fans and those at home to give their utmost.

"We're praying tonight."

Jese successfully undergoes surgery

The Spain Under-21 international went under the knife in Germany on Thursday and will return to the Spanish capital shortly

Real Madrid have announced on their official website that Jese Rodriguez has successfully undergone surgery on his cruciate ligament injury in a clinic in Augsburg, Germany.

The promising attacker, 21, sustained the injury in the opening minutes of Madrid's 3-1 Champions League win over Schalke on Tuesday and will consequently be out of action for the remainder of the 2013-14 campaign.

"Jese Rodriguez has Thursday undergone surgery at the Hessingpark-Clinic in Augsburg at the hands of doctor Ulrich Boenisch, with Real Madrid club doctors Jesus Olmo and Francisco Morate supervising the operation," a statement on the club's official website reads.

"The successful surgery consisted of repairing the anterior cruciate ligament and the lateral meniscus of the player's right knee.

"The player will return to Madrid after he is dismissed from the hospital, which is expected in the upcoming days."

Jese had been one of the revelations of the 2013-14 campaign, scoring eight goals in 31 appearances in all competitions.