NIGERIA : Tornadoes, Feeders Clash in Cup Final

The Nigeria National League (NNL) Division A side, Niger Tornadoes FC were made to sweat before subduing hard fighting Police Machine FC in the semifinals of Niger State Federation Cup.

Striker, Kayode Agboola scored the match winner from the penalty spot in 67th minute in the hotly contested encounter decided on Friday at the Bako Kontagora Memorial Stadium in Minna.

Tornadoes Feeders dispatched hapless Ciromawam Pawa FC 3-0 in the other semifinal clash to pave the way for an epic final duel against the mainstream side, Niger Tornadoes on Sunday to decide the winners of the state FA trophy.

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE : Rooney doubtful but RVP may return

Wayne Rooney is doubtful for Manchester United's Premier League game against Sunderland on Saturday but Dutch striker Robin van Persie could return, interim manager Ryan Giggs said on Friday.

Rooney is one of several players who have picked up a bug this week.

"Wayne has also got a tight groin so obviously with the bug you have to be careful because his immune system is down," Giggs told reporters.

Nigeria Not Ready For World Cup Says Adokiye Amiesimaka

Former Nigeria international Adokiye Amiesimaka has affirmed that the Super Eagles are not geared up for the World Cup.

In an interview with Goal, the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations winner who is now a lawyer, said the Nigeria Football Federation's eggheads are abandoning pressing issues for irrelevant ones which is a pointer that the country will only be going to make up the numbers in South America.

 “I have said it over and over again that we are not ready for the 2014 World Cup. Everyone is talking about the provisional list, no one seems to be asking, 'what of the technical crew?',” Amiesimaka said

SHOCKING: Barber Stabs Graduate To Death During Chelsea-Atletico Madrid Match

When on Wednesday 29-year-old Saheed Badmus went to a viewing centre on Lamina Street, Egbe, Lagos State, to watch the UEFA Champions League semi-final match between Chelsea Football Club and Atletico Madrid, little did he know that was the last match he would ever watch.

Punch Metro learnt that the graduate of Ekiti State Polytechnic was stabbed to death by a barber identified only as Yemi, during an argument that broke out at the viewing centre.

Our correspondent, who visited the scene on Thursday, observed a large crowd on the street talking about the incident.

David Luiz Labels Chelsea's Season As Shit

David Luiz believes that Chelsea's season will be a "s***" one if they do not win the Premier League.

Wednesday night's 3-1 loss to Atletico Madrid saw Jose Mourinho's side crash out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage, with earlier exits in the FA Cup and Capital One Cup leaving just the league title to claim.

Chelsea are outsiders to win a fifth top-flight crown following recent losses to Sunderland and Crystal Palace but Luiz feels that a trophy is a must if the season is not to be deemed a failure.

Van Gaal Will Be Confirmed As Man United's Manager Next Wednesday (Dailymail)

Here comes the lame pun. According to Friday’s Daily Mail, “It’s Van United – but will Giggs & Co stay under new boss Louis?”

Tucked in behind the headline, Dominic King and Matt Lawton club together to announce the following:
Louis van Gaal is set to be confirmed as Manchester United’s manager on Wednesday and will bring his extensive Dutch backroom staff with him to Old Trafford.

The 62-year-old will be joined at United by former Holland striker Patrick Kluivert, goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek, fitness coach Jos van Dijk and analyst Max Reekers.

Chelsea To Sign Diego Costa For £32m (SUN)

According to The Sun on Friday, Chelsea have signed sign Diego Costa from Atletico Madrid for £32m.
The news is plastered on the front page of the tabloid with the short headline “Jose £32m Costa deal”.

Over on The Sun’s website slightly more details are provided for all those who refuse to pay to get behind the tabloid’s paywall:

WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Diego Costa will sign for Blues in a £32million deal after agreeing his move to Stamford Bridge from the La Liga leaders — ending long chase of hitman, 25, by Jose Mourinho.

SPAIN: Atletico can seal title if duo slip up

Atletico Madrid can crown a superb week and wrap up what would be a remarkable La Liga title triumph if they win at Levante on Sunday and Barcelona and Real Madrid lose at home to Getafe and Valencia.

Diego Simeone's outperforming Atletico side set up a Champions League final clash against Real with a 3-1 comeback win at Chelsea on Wednesday, the latest in a series of brilliant performances that have transformed the club into a genuine force in Spain and Europe.

Victory at Levante (3pm GMT) would put Atletico on 91 points with two games left, while defeat for second-placed Barca against Getafe on Saturday (2pm) would leave them stuck on 84 and end their bid for a fifth title in six years.

NIGERIA : Fifa investigates Super Eagles

Fifa has opened an investigation into allegations by convicted match-fixer Wilson Perumal Raj, that he helped Nigeria qualify for the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

In his book released last Monday, the 48-year-old Singaporean revealed how he met with a Nigeria Football Federation official to try and fix games so that Super Eagles could top their group.

He also stated in his book that he had an agreement with the Nigerian federation that he would organise friendly matches for its men's national team as well as some percentage of whatever Fifa pays the country in lieu of qualifying.

FRANCE : PSG trio shortlisted for top award

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is in the running to win France's player of the year prize for the second year running after being one of three Paris Saint-Germain players shortlisted on Thursday.

Swedish striker Ibrahimovic is the leading scorer in Ligue 1 this season with 25 goals and has bagged a club record tally of 40 in all competitions, despite not finding the net since the middle of March, with injury keeping him on the sidelines for the past month.

EUROPA LEAGUE : Sevilla, Benfica to meet in Europa final

Benfica and Sevilla reached the Europa League final on Thursday, further cementing an Iberian grip on the continent's game.

In a week which had already seen Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid set up a Champions League title showdown, Europe's second-tier tournament followed a similar script.

Benfica, runners-up to Chelsea in last year's final, weathered a Juventus onslaught in Turin to hold out for a 0-0 draw and a 2-1 semifinal aggregate win.

CHELSEA 1 ATLETICO MADRID 3; Watch The Goals & Highlights

               

NIGERIAN BLOOD!!! Emmanuel Adebayor Draws Attention To The Kidnapping Of More Than 200 Girls In Nigeria By Boko Haram

It’s been almost two weeks since more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls were kidnapped by jihadi group Boko Haram in Nigeria.

According to reports, Boko Haram members abducted the girls from their dormitories, loaded them onto trucks, before setting the boarding school ablaze.

The girls are aged between 16 to 18.

Fall Of The Super Coaches (Mourinho & Guardiola)

So it will be an all-Madrid Champions League final in Lisbon on May 24 as big-name coaches Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho endured semi-finals to forget on home turf this week. Here is what caught our eye from two intriguing semi-finals....

As Madrid celebrates an all-Spanish Champions League final, it was clear that the big decisions did not go the way of the big coaches this week. In Munich, Pep Guardiola needs to win the German Cup final to call his first season a proper success, given that the title was a minimum requirement.

That he has been without Thiago Alcantara for the crucial part of the season has not helped, but his decision to drop Javi Martinez for the start of the second leg looked flawed. His attacking formation left too many gaps for Real Madrid and by the time Sergio Ramos headed Madrid ahead, Bayern already looked physically and emotionally rattled. They were only a goal down after the first leg - why did Guardiola feel the need to rush the response?

Barcelona Set To Sell Cesc Fabregas

Barcelona will listen to offers for Cesc Fabregas this summer. The Barca academy graduate is at a crossroads in his career and enters the final two years of his contract with the Catalan club in July.

Fabregas was jeered by home supporters during Barcelona’s recent 2-1 home victory over Athletic Bilbao and has become a scapegoat for fans during some troubled times for the club on and off the pitch.

Goal has learned the Spanish giants are now open to the possibility of selling the versatile midfielder, who turns 27 on Sunday, at the end of the season.

Can Jose Mourinho Give Roman Abrahimovic The Chelsea He Desires

As Roman Abramovich watched on from his luxury private box in the west stand, he was presented with the kind of vibrant attacking football he has always craved at Stamford Bridge.

Unfortunately, it was the team in red and white stripes playing with the speed, authority and skill that would have reminded the Russian billionaire why he once dreamed of appointing Pep Guardiola as the Chelsea manager.

In the second half, Chelsea surrendered meekly. Jose Mourinho has so often conquered rivals in big matches away from home, but Atletico Madrid beat him at his own game to book a place in the Champions League final on May 24, where they will face Real Madrid.

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE : Giggs can be United's Guardiola

Manchester United interim manager Ryan Giggs has the potential to replicate Pep Guardiola's success as coach of Barcelona, according to goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard.

"It might sound pretty rash and naive, but, in my opinion, we are dealing with a new Guardiola," Lindegaard told BBC Sport on Tuesday.

"What we have seen in the first week has been more than convincing. The similarities with Sir Alex Ferguson are striking and it is evident that Ryan Giggs has learned from one of history's most respected football managers."

UEFA CHAMPIONs LEAGUE : Atletico Madrid's Coach Simeone thanks mothers of his troops

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone thanked his players' mothers for producing such gutsy sons after the La Liga leaders fought back to beat Chelsea 3-1 on Wednesday and secure their place in the Champions League final.

After last week's semifinal, first leg at the Vicente Calderon in Madrid ended 0-0, Atletico fell behind to a strike from former captain Fernando Torres in the 36th minute of the return encounter at Stamford Bridge.

However, they refused to throw in the towel and goals from Adrian, Diego Costa and Arda Turan drove them into the final of Europe's elite club competition for the first time since 1974, setting up a meeting with wealthy city rivals Real Madrid.

UEFA CHAMPION LEAGUE: Atletico, Real to meet in first one-city final

Madrid's 3-1 Champions League win at Chelsea on Wednesday set up a clash with neighbours Real Madrid in the first European final between two clubs from the same city.

Reaching the May 24 showpiece in Lisbon is a remarkable achievement for Diego Simeone's unfancied side, who will be chasing Atletico's debut triumph in Europe's elite club competition.

It will be their second appearance in the final after they were beaten in the only European Cup final to be replayed by Bayern Munich in 1974.

UEFA CHAMPION LEAGUE: Chealse 1 Atletico Madrid 3. Atletico set up an all-Spanish final

Atletico Madrid produced an inspired display of counter-attacking football to beat Chelsea 3-1 in the Champions League semifinal second leg on Wednesday and set up an all-Spanish final against city rivals Real.

Goals from Adrian Lopez, a penalty from Diego Costa and the killer third from Arda Turan 18 minutes from time gave Atletico a 3-1 aggregate victory after last week's goalless draw in Madrid to send them into the final of Europe's elite competition for the first time since 1974.