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KANU LAUDS IGHALO’s EPL GOAL FEAT

Moshood Akinleye

Nigeria’s Olympic Champion, Kanu Nwankwo has hailed the brilliancy of Watford and Nigerian International, Odion Ighalo for his consistent scoring form this EPL season.

The Watford striker scored twice in the demolition of Klopp’s Liverpool on Sunday as the Sanchez Florez’s men tore the reds apart at the Vicarage Road. His first goal came in the 15^th minute to complement Chelsea loanee, Nathan Ake’s 3rd minute controversial lead, before he headed in Valon Behrami’s cross in the 85th minute to close another Liverpool bad day in three consecutive EPL games.

Ighalo’s brace at the Vicarage Road on Sunday makes it his 12th EPL goal this season.

Kanu’s enthusiasm saw him explode his mind on his facebook wall thus;

Kanu Papilo Nwankwo wrote:

“Well done and keep banging the goals .goal machine God bless you and we are proud of you #Ighalo “‪

SLAMMING AND DUNKING 2

A CONTINUATION OF LAST WEEK'S TALK ON THE GAME OF BASKETBALL

Rules and regulations

Measurements and time limits discussed in this section often vary among tournaments and organizations; international and NBA rules are used in this section.
The object of the game is to outscore one's opponents by throwing the ball through the opponents' basket from above while preventing the opponents from doing so on their own. An attempt to score in this way is called a shot. A successful shot is worth two points, or three points if it is taken from beyond the three-point arc 6.75 metres (22 ft 2 in) from the basket in international games and 23 feet 9 inches (7.24 m) in NBA games. A one-point shot can be earned when shooting from the foul line after a foul is made.

Playing regulations

Games are played in four quarters of 10 (FIBA) or 12 minutes (NBA). College men's games use two 20-minute halves, college women's games use 10-minute quarters, and United States high school varsity games use 8 minute quarters. 15 minutes are allowed for a half-time break under FIBA, NBA, and NCAA rules and 10 minutes in United States high schools. Overtime periods are five minutes in length except for high school, which is four minutes in length. Teams exchange baskets for the second half. The time allowed is actual playing time; the clock is stopped while the play is not active. Therefore, games generally take much longer to complete than the allotted game time, typically about two hours.
Five players from each team may be on the court at one time. Substitutions are unlimited but can only be done when play is stopped. Teams also have a coach, who oversees the development and strategies of the team, and other team personnel such as assistant coaches, managers, statisticians, doctors and trainers.

For both men's and women's teams, a standard uniform consists of a pair of shorts and a jersey with a clearly visible number, unique within the team, printed on both the front and back. Players wear high-top sneakers that provide extra ankle support. Typically, team names, players' names and, outside of North America, sponsors are printed on the uniforms.
A limited number of time-outs, clock stoppages requested by a coach (or sometimes mandated in the NBA) for a short meeting with the players, are allowed. They generally last no longer than one minute (100 seconds in the NBA) unless, for televised games, a commercial break is needed.
The game is controlled by the officials consisting of the referee (referred to as crew chief in the NBA), one or two umpires (referred to as referees in the NBA) and the table officials. For college, the NBA, and many high schools, there are a total of three referees on the court. The table officials are responsible for keeping track of each teams scoring, timekeeping, individual and team fouls, player substitutions, team possession arrow, and the shot clock.

Equipment

Main articles: Basketball (ball), Basketball court and Backboard (basketball)

Traditional eight-panel basketball

The only essential equipment in a basketball game is the ball and the court: a flat, rectangular surface with baskets at opposite ends. Competitive levels require the use of more equipment such as clocks, score sheets, scoreboard(s), alternating possession arrows, and whistle-operated stop-clock systems.

An outdoor basketball net.

A regulation basketball court in international games is 91.9 feet long (28 meters) and 49.2 (15 meters) feet wide. In the NBA and NCAA the court is 94 feet (28.6 meters) by 50 feet (15.24 meters). Most courts have wood flooring, usually constructed from maple planks running in the same direction as the longer court dimension. The name and logo of the home team is usually painted on or around the center circle.

The basket is a steel rim 18 inches (45.72 cm) diameter with an attached net affixed to a backboard that measures 6 feet (1.82 meters) by 3.5 feet (1.06 meters) and one basket is at each end of the court. The white outlined box on the backboard is 18 inches (45.72 cm) high and 2 feet (60.96 cm) wide. At almost all levels of competition, the top of the rim is exactly 10 feet (3.05 meters) above the court and 4 feet (1.21 meters) inside the baseline. While variation is possible in the dimensions of the court and backboard, it is considered important for the basket to be of the correct height – a rim that is off by just a few inches can have an adverse effect on shooting.

The size of the basketball is also regulated. For men, the official ball is 29.5 inches (74.93 cm) in circumference (size 7, or a "295 ball") and weighs 22 oz (623.69 grams). If women are playing, the official basketball size is 28.5 inches (72.39 cm) in circumference (size 6, or a "285 ball") with a weight of 20 oz (567 grams). In 3x3, a formalized version of the half court 3-on-3 game, a dedicated ball with the circumference of a size 6 ball but the weight of a size 7 ball is used in all competitions (men's, women's, and mixed teams).

Violations

The ball may be advanced toward the basket by being shot, passed between players, thrown, tapped, rolled or dribbled (bouncing the ball while running).
The ball must stay within the court; the last team to touch the ball before it travels out of bounds forfeits possession. The ball is out of bounds if it touches a boundary line, or touches any player or object that is out of bounds.

There are limits placed on the steps a player may take without dribbling, which commonly results in an infraction known as traveling. Nor may a player stop his dribble and then resume dribbling. A dribble that touches both hands is considered stopping the dribble, giving this infraction the name double dribble. Within a dribble, the player cannot carry the ball by placing his hand on the bottom of the ball; doing so is known as carrying the ball. A team, once having established ball control in the front half of their court, may not return the ball to the backcourt and be the first to touch it. A violation of these rules results in loss of possession.

The ball may not be kicked, nor be struck with the fist. For the offense, a violation of these rules results in loss of possession; for the defense, most leagues reset the shot clock and the offensive team is given possession of the ball out of bounds.

There are limits imposed on the time taken before progressing the ball past halfway (8 seconds in FIBA and the NBA; 10 seconds in NCAA and high school for both sexes), before attempting a shot (24 seconds in FIBA, the NBA, and Canadian Interuniversity Sport play for both sexes, and 30 seconds in NCAA play for both sexes), holding the ball while closely guarded (5 seconds), and remaining in the restricted area known as the free-throw lane, (or the "key") (3 seconds). These rules are designed to promote more offense.

Basket interference, or goaltending is a violation charged when a player illegally interferes with a shot. This violation is incurred when a player touches the ball on its downward trajectory to the basket, unless it is obvious that the ball has no chance of entering the basket, if a player touches the ball while it is in the rim, or in the area extended upwards from the basket, or if a player reaches through the basket to interfere with the shot. When a defensive player is charged with goaltending, the basket is awarded. If an offensive player commits the infraction, the basket is cancelled. In either case possession of the ball is turned over to the defensive team.

Fouls

The referee signals that a foul has been committed.

An attempt to unfairly disadvantage an opponent through certain types physical contact is illegal and is called a personal foul. These are most commonly committed by defensive players; however, they can be committed by offensive players as well. Players who are fouled either receive the ball to pass inbounds again, or receive one or more free throws if they are fouled in the act of shooting, depending on whether the shot was successful. One point is awarded for making a free throw, which is attempted from a line 15 feet (4.6 m) from the basket.

The referee is responsible for judging whether contact is illegal, sometimes resulting in controversy. The calling of fouls can vary between games, leagues and referees.
There is a second category of fouls called technical fouls, which may be charged for various rules violations including failure to properly record a player in the scorebook, or for unsportsmanlike conduct. These infractions result in one or two free throws, which may be taken by any of the five players on the court at the time. Repeated incidents can result in disqualification. A blatant foul involving physical contact that is either excessive or unnecessary is called an intentional foul (flagrant foul in the NBA). In FIBA, a foul resulting in ejection is called a disqualifying foul, while in leagues other than the NBA, such a foul is referred to as flagrant.

If a team exceeds a certain limit of team fouls in a given period (quarter or half) – four for NBA, NCAA women's, and international games – the opposing team is awarded one or two free throws on all subsequent non-shooting fouls for that period, the number depending on the league. In the US college men's game and high school games for both sexes, if a team reaches 7 fouls in a half, the opposing team is awarded one free throw, along with a second shot if the first is made. This is called shooting "one-and-one". If a team exceeds 10 fouls in the half, the opposing team is awarded two free throws on all subsequent fouls for the half.

When a team shoots foul shots, the opponents may not interfere with the shooter, nor may they try to regain possession until the last or potentially last free throw is in the air.
After a team has committed a specified number of fouls, the other team is said to be "in the bonus". On scoreboards, this is usually signified with an indicator light reading "Bonus" or "Penalty" with an illuminated directional arrow or dot indicating that team is to receive free throws when fouled by the opposing team. (Some scoreboards also indicate the number of fouls committed.)
If a team misses the first shot of a two-shot situation, the opposing team must wait for the completion of the second shot before attempting to reclaim possession of the ball and continuing play.
If a player is fouled while attempting a shot and the shot is unsuccessful, the player is awarded a number of free throws equal to the value of the attempted shot. A player fouled while attempting a regular two-point shot thus receives two shots. A player fouled while attempting a three-point shot, on the other hand, receives three shots.
If a player is fouled while attempting a shot and the shot is successful, typically the player will be awarded one additional free throw for one point. In combination with a regular shot, this is called a "three-point play" or "four-point play" (or more colloquially, an "and one") because of the basket made at the time of the foul (2 or 3 points) and the additional free throw (1 point).

TO BE CONTINUED

wikipedia


HABEEB AKINFEGBE
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08060532466

2015 FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP: GLORIOUS BARCELONA

Following their success against River Plate in the FIFA Club World Cup 2015 Final, FC Barcelona will have the honour of wearing the FIFA World Champions Badge on their competition jerseys throughout 2016. They were presented with their badges during the official awards ceremony after the match on Sunday evening in Japan.

This will be the third time the Catalan club will display the badge, which recognises them as the World Champion in their competition. FC Barcelona will take over the honour from La Liga rivals Real Madrid, who were presented with the FIFA World Champions Badge after their victory in Morocco in 2014.
 
The FIFA World Champions Badge
A series of FIFA World Champions Badges are awarded to the winners of each major FIFA event, with the FIFA World Champions Badge portraying both the respective tournament trophy and the year of the edition.
The first side to be presented with the FIFA World Champions Badge was the Italian men’s national team, after their victory at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™, followed by Spain in South Africa in 2010 and, most recently, Germany, who earned the right to wear the badge of honour as the winners of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™.


The badge is also worn by the USA women’s national team following their triumph this year at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015™, while FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2015 winners, Portugal, also spot the FIFA World Champions Badge. In the most recent edition of the FIFA Futsal World Cup in 2012, the Brazilian national team clinched the title, along with the first FIFA World Champions Badge to be handed over for that particular competition.

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC: INIESTA RECEIVING THE BADGE

As the final whistle blew to bring the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2015 to a close, Luis Suarez was named player of the tournament by FIFA’s Technical Study Group (TSG). The Barcelona and Uruguay striker was presented with the adidas Golden Ball and the Alibaba E-Auto Award for two outstanding performances in which he scored five goals. FIFA.com brings you a round-up of all the tournament’s awards:

adidas Golden Ball and Alibaba E-Auto Award: Luis Suarez (Barcelona)
The Uruguayan international was the standout performer of this year’s FIFA Club World Cup, dazzling crowds with his finishing prowess, unwavering dedication and boundless enthusiasm. He guided his team to the final almost singlehandedly by scoring three goals against Guangzhou Evergrande before adding a further two strikes in the deciding match. Despite equalling Cesar Delgado as the competition’s all-time leading scorer, Suarez’s vital contribution involved more than just goals. He constantly troubled opposition defenders, posed a threat with practically every move he made and did not shirk from his own defensive duties. Winning the adidas Golden Ball and the Alibaba E-Auto Award crowns a successful year for the 28-year-old, who can now celebrate clinching both the FIFA Club World Cup 2015 title and its most prestigious individual accolade.

AWESOME TRIO: MSI

adidas Silver Ball: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
After being forced to miss the semi-final against Guangzhou Evergrande through illness, the Argentinian superstar returned in time to face his countrymen and show off his considerable skills in the final. The River Plate defence struggled to contain Messi throughout as he led his team’s many attacks with his remarkable pace, underlining the importance of his contribution to the side by scoring the opening goal that set the Spanish club on the road to victory. The 28-year-old also shone as an unselfish provider constantly on the lookout for his team-mates, and received the adidas Silver Ball in recognition of his formidable performance.

adidas Bronze Ball: Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)
As well as providing a vital link between defence and midfield, the Spanish international also set Barcelona’s pace. Iniesta set up his team-mates with an array of clever passes, repeatedly tearing apart the opposition defence with his vision and awareness. By dictating the rhythm of both of the newly crowned FIFA Club World Cup champions’ matches, the 31-year-old earned himself the adidas Bronze Ball.

FIFA Fair Play Award winners: Barcelona
The UEFA Champions League winners were not only the FIFA Club World Cup 2015’s most successful team but also its fairest. Collecting the FIFA Fair Play Award rounds off an extremely successful trip to Japan for Barcelona.

2015 FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP: BARCELONA, SANFREECE FINISH ON TOP

Curtain fell on Japan 2015 as Barcelona reached a landmark; an unprecedented third world club crown. Sanfreece Hiroshima didn't host for the fun of it as they got the bronze medal.

A brace from Luis Suarez (fifth overall) and a Lionel Messi strike saw Barcelona claim their third FIFA Club World Cup crown with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over River Plate in Yokohama.
There was no doubt that the champions of Europe deserved to win the match and consequently the tournament with an immaculate all-round display. And while the forward line of MSN, Messi, Suarez and Neymar, will rightfully get the plaudits, Claudio Bravo and Gerard Pique, in particular, did their jobs well to keep the clean sheet.

Alarm bells began to ring for River as early as the 12th minute. Andres Iniesta played a great ball to Messi inside the box. He produced a great shot on the turn which forced an equally good stop from Marcelo Barovero who saved low to his left. The keeper was called into action midway through the half when he claimed Dani Alves’ shot comfortably.


The longer the half remained goalless, the more River’s confidence grew and half chances came. Rodrigo Mora fired a shot from 30 yards which was straight at Claudio Bravo and then Lucas Alario’s shot from the edge of the ‘D’ saw the Barça stopper claim it easily to his right.
Missing from the semi-final with abdominal pain, Messi began to have more of an impact of the game. His well-struck free-kick from 35 yards, was expertly turned away for a corner. However, Barovero was powerless to stop the opening goal nine minutes before half-time.
Dani Alves swung in a cross from the right which Neymar headed into the path of Messi. He turned Jonatan Maidana the wrong way before poking the ball home. However, the goal did not silence the River Plate fans who gave tremendous backing to their team throughout the match.
Suarez almost made it 2-0 on the stroke of half time after Messi played a perfect pass through to the Uruguayan. He ran on to it well to split the defence, but when faced with the onrushing Barovero, he fired wide.
However, the forward made amends four minutes after the break when this time he made no mistake after being presented with a one-on-one opportunity. Great credit must go to Sergio Busquets who won possession before playing a perfect ball for the former Liverpool man.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima claimed third place at the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2015 after coming from behind in the all-Asian clash with Guangzhou Evergrande in Yokohama.
A brace from Douglas in the 70th and 83rd minutes changed the complexion of the game as Hajime Moriyasu’s substitutes combined to great effect to turn the game around.

It was the AFC champions who took the lead with the game’s first chance. Li Xuepeng’s cross from the right was headed towards goal by Elkeson, with Takuyo Hayashi parrying the shot away. The ball went straight into the path of Lin Gao whose shot fell to Paulinho. The former Tottenham Hotspur man was left with the simplest of chances to head home.
A good piece of individual skill from Mihael Mikic almost drew his side level. The Croatian cut inside from the right before unleashing a left-footed drive which curled away from Li Shuai and just over the bar. Three minutes later Mikic crossed for Hisato Sato whose diving header forced a good save from Li in the Guangzhou goal.
Guangzhou went close to doubling their advantage when Elkeson’s shot took a deflection off Hiromi Mizumoto and went out for a corner. Sanfrecce then went close twice within the space of a minute with Kohei Shimizu supplying Sato on both occasions. First, a diving header brought a great save from Li – and then his second went agonisingly wide. Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side hit the woodwork when Li Xuepeng’s shot took a deflection and rebounded off the base of the post.
Sanfrecce had a golden opportunity to equalise just before half-time when Takuya Marutani’s goalbound effort was cleared off the line by Mei Fang who was in the right place at the right time.

The second half began with half chances for Goulart and Sato for their respective sides, but the game only burst back into live with 20 minutes to go.
With the game seemingly drifting to its conclusion, a lapse in concentration cost Guangzhou dearly. Mizumoto missed Yusuke Chajima’s corner from the left at the near post which allowed Douglas to sneak in unnoticed and equalise.
After the goal, it was all Sanfrecce. Chajima went agonisingly close to giving the J.League champions the lead after some great work by Yoshifumi Kashiwa. He showed superb balance to keep the ball in play and put a delivery into the box. It was met by Chajima who hit a cross-come-shot into the turf which spun just beyond the upright.
With eight minutes to go, Sanfrecce got the match-winner. Kashiwa’s cross from the right was headed against the bar by Asano and Douglas was on hand to nod home the rebound from close range.
Takuma Asano could have put the game beyond doubt as the Japanese side broke quickly, but missed the target. However, the miss was uncostly as the final whistle blew soon afterwards to put the side from the host country on the podium.

SHAKE UP AT THE BRIDGE

Moshood Akinleye

MOURINHO SACKED! CHELSEA TO ANNOUNCE REPLACEMENT IN THE WEEKEND.  

Chelsea Manager, Jose Mourinho has been sacked today following a decision by the Club Management Board. Jose Mourinho made a remarkable return from Real Madrid to Chelsea and enjoyed a warm reception on his arrival in the 2013/2014 season. However, it took the Manager a second trial before he swept a double title for the Blues, the EPL title he won in May 2015 added to the Capital One Cup victory his team defeated Spurs to claim.

It remains ridiculous how a team that won the EPL title just 6 months ago, apparently with the same team are now languishing in the 16th position on the Premiership table.  Losing 9 games out of the first 16 seems not like an attribute of the Defending Champions. It's an incredible Irony.

Meanwhile, there are so many theories surrounding the dismissal of the Portuguese Manager; two of which are the said excessive tired legs in the team and the tears of a bereaved woman, Eva Caneiro who was unjustly dismissed early in August.

Without prejudices, Chelsea may have been patient enough for Jose before calling it off. After the 3-1 defeat to Southampton, the Management board openly demonstrated their support to help see Jose through the torrid season, a gesture that was happening for the first time of Abrahamovich's reign at Chelsea. Despite the anger of some fans of the Stanford Bridge, i wont be surprised if many of them chant songs of support for Jose when they meet Sunderland this weekend.

Quite Surprisingly, Sunderland Manager, Sam Allardyce has expressed shock over the sacking of Jose, saying that the Premier League would miss him. Jose is rumoured to be replaced by Guus Hiddink after Carlo Ancelloti ruled out a return to the North London club.

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'MESSI-LESS' BARCA THRASH GUANGZHOU

Luis Suarez who looked hungry and eager to impress from kick-off scored all of Barcelona’s three goals in their 3-0 win over Guangzhou Evergrande, which set up a Europe v South America showdown with River Plate in Sunday’s final.

Even without two thirds of ‘MSN’, with Neymar not fit enough to start and left on the bench, the UEFA Champions League winners were rarely troubled by their counterparts from Asia.
In the opening exchanges, Guangzhou goalkeeper Li Shuai looked to have carried the excellent form he showed against Club America into this semi-final encounter. Two excellent balls from Andres Iniesta were on their way to Munir El Haddadi and Dani Alves respectively as the Spanish side threatened, but the 33-year-old was off his line smartly on both occasions to avert the danger.

Barcelona came close to scoring just after the half hour mark when another excellent ball from Iniesta was headed just wide by El Haddadi.

The game suffered an unfortunate incident a minute later when Zheng Zou fell awkwardly following an aerial duel with Dani Alves and had to be stretchered off after suffering what appeared to be a nasty injury.

Barcelona took the lead in the 39th minute when Li Shuai could only parry Ivan Rakitic’s powerful strike from distance into the path of Suarez, who was on hand to poke home the rebound.
Rather than be deterred by the goal, Guangzhou were spurred into action and caused Barcelona a few headaches due to the excellent delivery of their crosses from Long Zheng. They almost found an equaliser before the break from his free-kick when Elkeson’s flick header forced Claudio Bravo into a scrambling save low to his right.

Suarez got his and Barça’s second of the evening five minutes after the restart. It was Iniesta who supplied the assist, putting through a sublime through-ball which the former Liverpool forward chested down before producing a fine finish.
After providing the ammunition for Suarez, Iniesta tried a speculative shot from distance which whistled just over the bar as Barcelona began to stroll.

Suarez completed his hat-trick from the spot in the 67th minute after El Haddadi had been fouled in the box by Huang Bowen. Li Shuai dived the right way, but the Uruguayan’s penalty had too much power and precision for him to stop.

As the game petered out Suarez went close twice more as two left-footed shots were curled narrowly wide. The desire for goals from Barcelona’s No9 and the support shown by the Guangzhou Evergrande fans did not diminish during the course of the match.
The fans of the AFC Champions League winners will be back in three days’ time for the third place, which will be an all-Asian encounter against Japan's Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

ALL PNG 2016 CONTENDERS

FIFA WOMEN'S U-20 TROPHY

The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup (PNG) Papua New Guinea 2016 will be the 8th edition of the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, the biennial international women's youth football championship contested by the under-20 national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament will be held in Papua New Guinea from 13 November to 3 December 2016. It could have been the first FIFA female tournament on African soil when South Africa were awarded the hosting rights by FIFA Executive Committee at their meeting on 5 December 2013. However, they later withdrew, giving its notice at FIFA's Executive committee meeting prior to the 2014 FIFA World Cup.



After South Africa's withdrawal, the following countries announced they would be interested in hosting:

•  Papua New Guinea
•  Sweden

Papua New Guinea were awarded the hosting rights of the tournament by the FIFA Executive Committee on 20 March 2015.

When the 16 best under-20 women's teams gather in Papua New Guinea next year to contest the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, Ghana and Nigeria will represent Africa – as they have for the last three tournaments.

As seeded teams, Nigeria and Ghana skipped the preliminary round and both largely proved themselves the class of the continent. In the first round, the Falconets of Nigeria enjoyed a comfortable victory against Liberia, winning the first leg 7-1 away in Monrovia - team captain Yetunde Adeboyejo completing a hat-trick - and adding another seven for luck at home. In the eight-team second round, Nigeria faced much tougher opposition in the form of Congo DR, who are the only other African country to have qualified for the World Cup. This time Chinwendu Ihezuo was the hero for her side as she scored once in Kinshasa in a 2-1 victory, and then two in the return leg when the west African team won 2-0.

FALCONETS

Nigeria faced their toughest opposition in the third round and had to work hard for a 2-1 victory in Abuja against South Africa. Again Ihezuo got her name on the score sheet, with Nigeria's other coming from an own goal. In the return leg in Johannesburg, Basetsana had more of the game, but Ihezuo scored the only goal of the match. “We did our home work ahead of the match against South Africa. We corrected the shortcomings that saw us miss chances in the first leg in Abuja. It was a tough encounter, but we were confident to nip the World Cup ticket at their expense,” said Falconets coach Peter Dedevbo.


Ghana had a similarly straightforward ride, starting their journey with a resounding 6-0 victory at home against Senegal and adding a 2-0 win in Dakar to comfortably overcome the first hurdle. In the second round, they faced a far stiffer Equatorial Guinea side, yet the Black Princesses advanced 3-0 on aggregate after a 2-0 win at home in the return leg.

Pitted against Ethiopia in the final round, Mas-ud Didi Dramani's team were overwhelming favourites to qualify for Papua New Guinea, but they did not have it all their own way as they needed a late goal by Kate Addo to snatch a 2-2 draw in Addis Ababa. The return leg in Kumasi saw a very different Ghana team, with the hosts running out 4-0 winners to book their fourth consecutive place at the finals. Sandra Owuso-Ansah top-scored for the Ghanaians, for whom eight different players (plus an own goal) scored the 17 goals their scored during the qualification.


Though the two qualifiers know what they are heading into next year, the previous appearances at the World Cup finals between the two teams could not be more different. The Falconets are one of four teams (Germany, USA and Brazil being the others) who have appeared at all seven previous finals. Apart from their first appearance in 2002, the west Africans have escaped the group stage every time and are on a run of three consecutive semi-finals. They played in the 2010 and 2014 final – both times losing to Germany and finished fourth in 2012, after being beaten by the USA in the semi-finals and then losing the play-off to Japan. In 2014, Nigeria's Asisat Oshoala was the tournament's outstanding player, winning not only the adidas Golden Ball but also the Golden Boot award with seven goals.

On the other hand, Ghana have failed to escape the group phase all three times they have appeared at the finals, though they showed considerable progress in Canada last year, winning two of their group matches (against Canada and Finland) and being eliminated only on goal difference.

Japan and Korea DPR became the first and second Asian sides respectively to reach the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Papua New Guinea next year, with Japan edging Korea Republic 1-0 and Korea DPR beating China PR 2-0 in the semi-finals of the AFC U-19 Asian Nations Cup, held in Nanjing, China.

After a fierce battle, the Japanese finally capitalised on their domination in the final ten minutes. Positive wing play down their left led to a low cross by Meika Nishida who found Rikako Kobayashi to fire home with the aid of the post.

The second semi-final of the day saw Korea DPR take down China 2-0 to book another ticket for the U-20 Women's World Cup. Ri Un Sim opened the scoring for the Koreans 15 minutes before the break, and Ri Kyong Hyang secured the victory on the hour mark.

THE JAPANESE

China PR will face Korea Republic this coming Saturday in the match for third place, the winner of which will take the final Asian place at Papua New Guinea 2016. Meanwhile, Japan and Korea DPR will face each other in the final of the AFC U-19 Asian Nations Cup the same day.
Aside from the hosts, the Japanese and Koreans join the European quartet on the world stage (France, Germany, Sweden and Spain) who qualified in July.

STINA BLACKSTENIUS

The 2015 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship was the 14th edition of the UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship (18th edition if the Under-18 era is included), the annual European youth football competition contested by the women's under-19 national teams of the member associations of UEFA. Israel hosted the tournament and a certain Swede, Stina Blackstenius was in fine form with 6 goals (three braces against Isreal, Germany and Spain to help Sweden win the championship.



Players born on or after 1 January 1996 were eligible to participate in this competition. Same as previous editions held in odd-numbered years, the tournament acted as the UEFA qualifiers for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. The four semi-finalists Sweden 9eventual champions), Spain, Frnce and Germany qualified for the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Papua New Guinea as the UEFA representatives.

Mexico will be CONCACAF’s third and final representative at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup next year in Papua New Guinea after winning their play-off against Honduras on Sunday.
El Tri dominated against the home side but only had a goal in each half from Kiana Palacios and Jacqueline Crowther to show for their efforts.

Mexico narrowly missed securing passage in the tournament semi-final after losing on penalties against 2014 hosts Canada on Friday. USA qualified in far easier fashion with a 7-0 win over Honduras. Mexico are the final team across the globe to qualify for the 16-team event, and are set to feature in their seventh tournament, only missing out in 2004.
USA won the continental title with a tough 1-0 win over Canada, thanks to Ashley Sanchez's lone goal 18 minutes from full time.







The following is the line up of all qualified teams for the tournament:

Ghana Nigeria Canada Mexico United States Brazil Venezuela Papua New Guinea New Zealand France Germany Spain Sweden Japan North Korea South Korea

MESSI MISING AS BARCA LEAD GUANGZHOU

Lionel Messi is among the substitutes as Barcelona continue to have the upper hand in the ongoing semi-final match of the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup against Guangzhou Evergrande.
The European champions earlier confirmed that
the Argentinian was suffering from renal colic, a type of abdominal pain commonly attributed to kidney stones, and joins Douglas on the sidelines for the meeting with Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side.

Messi’s future involvement will “depend on the outcome of further medical tests”, according to a club statement.

“It’s a really nice competition, one of my favourites,” said Messi. “Both because of its importance and due to what it signifies: having won the Champions League [to qualify]. And it gives you the opportunity to round off the year in the best possible way. So, I’m very happy to be with all my team-mates, preparing for it. Our aim is to be able to lift that cup and then enjoy the holiday season with our families, with the championship in the bag.”

Barcelona lead 3-0 with a Luis Suarez's hattrick on 39, 50 and 67 minutes as the game gradually reaches its end.

FIFA/FIFPro World XI 2015

 

 

2014 WINNERS

In 2009, FIFA and FIFPro joined forces to honour the best 11 players of the year with the FIFA FIFPro World XI award, which was presented for the first time at the 2009 FIFA World Player Gala.

The FIFA FIFPro World XI is chosen by professional football players from all over the world, who have voted for the best player in each position. The FIFA FIFPro World XI for 2015 will be announced at the FIFA Ballon d’Or award ceremony in Zurich on 11 January 2016.

The 55 candidates shortlisted for the FIFA FIFPro World XI were announced on 26 November. The candidates are:  

Goalkeepers (5): Gianluigi Buffon (Italy/Juventus), Iker Casillas (Spain/FC Porto), David De Gea (Spain/Manchester United), Keylor Navas (Costa Rica/Real Madrid) and Manuel Neuer (Germany/FC Bayern Munich).

Defenders (20): David Alaba (Austria/FC Bayern Munich), Jordi Alba (Spain/FC Barcelona), Jérôme Boateng (Germany/FC Bayern Munich), Daniel Carvajal (Spain/Real Madrid), Giorgio Chiellini (Italy/Juventus), Dani Alves (Brazil/FC Barcelona), David Luiz (Brazil/Paris Saint-Germain), Diego Godín (Uruguay/Atletico Madrid), Mats Hummels (Germany/Borussia Dortmund), Branislav Ivanović (Serbia/Chelsea), Vincent Kompany (Belgium/Manchester City), Philipp Lahm (Germany/FC Bayern Munich), Marcelo (Brazil/Real Madrid), Javier Mascherano (Argentina/FC Barcelona), Pepe (Portugal/Real Madrid), Gerard Piqué (Spain/FC Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Spain/Real Madrid), John Terry (England/Chelsea), Thiago Silva (Brazil/Paris Saint-Germain) and Raphaël Varane (France/Real Madrid).
 
Midfielders (15): Thiago Alcântara (Spain/FC Bayern Munich), Xabi Alonso (Spain/FC Bayern Munich), Sergio Busquets (Spain/FC Barcelona), Eden Hazard (Belgium/Chelsea), Andrés Iniesta (Spain/FC Barcelona), Toni Kroos (Germany/Real Madrid), Luka Modrić (Croatia/Real Madrid), Andrea Pirlo (Italy/New York City FC), Paul Pogba (France/Juventus), Ivan Rakitić (Croatia/FC Barcelona), James Rodríguez (Colombia/Real Madrid), David Silva (Spain/Manchester City), Yaya Touré (Ivory Coast/Manchester City), Marco Verratti (Italy/Paris Saint-Germain) and Arturo Vidal (Chile/FC Bayern Munich).

Strikers (15): Sergio Agüero (Argentina/Manchester City), Gareth Bale (Wales/Real Madrid), Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid), Douglas Costa (Brazil/FC Bayern Munich), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid), Zlatan Ibrahimović (Sweden/Paris Saint-Germain), Robert Lewandowski (Poland/FC Bayern Munich), Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC Barcelona), Thomas Müller (Germany/FC Bayern Munich), Neymar (Brazil/FC Barcelona), Arjen Robben (Netherlands/FC Bayern Munich), Wayne Rooney (England/Manchester United), Alexis Sánchez (Chile/Arsenal), Luis Suárez (Uruguay/FC Barcelona) and Carlos Tevez (Argentina/Boca Juniors).

INAUGURAL FIFA/FIFPro

INIESTA SPEAKS AHEAD GUANGZHOU TIE

If there is one club with a special relationship with the FIFA Club World Cup, it is Barcelona. Two-time winners of the competition, Los Blaugrana have been responsible for some of its most memorable moments since the current format was adopted in 2005.

Who could forget their spectacular comeback in the 2009 final against Estudiantes or their ruthless display against Santos two years later, not to mention their unexpected defeat to Internacional in 2006, a setback that spelled the end of the glorious era inspired by Frank Rijkaard and Ronaldinho?

Absent through injury from the first of those triumphs and central to the second, Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta embodies the club’s desire to win an unprecedented third title. With just a few hours to go before his side steps out against Guangzhou Evergrande in the semi-finals, the stylish midfielder tells FIFA.com: “We’re demanding the very best of ourselves.”

History in the making
Barça are about to make their bid to enter the competition’s record books. One of only two sides to have won the FIFA Club World Cup twice, Corinthians of Brazil being the other, they are aiming to strike out on their own as the most successful team in its history.

We want to win another title and round off a spectacular year.

Andres Iniesta, Barcelona midfielder.

The winner of 28 trophies for club and country to date, Iniesta is aware of the importance of registering another era-defining triumph: “It’s a great opportunity. We came to Japan to win another title and we’re absolutely determined to do so. We’re very excited. We know that we’re the favourites, and that’s making us take the tournament even more seriously.”
Now 31, the midfielder has experienced every emotion with his beloved Barça, from his debut under Louis van Gaal in 2002, a difficult time for the club, to the glorious tenures of Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola. Few are better qualified than him, therefore, to assess the Barcelona of today: “I think we have a fantastic squad. We all know the kind of football we want to play and we’re all pulling in the same direction. We’ve had a fantastic year in which we’ve won the lot, deservedly so. And we want to do it again.”

A special challenge
Aside from its potentially historic significance to the club, the trip to Japan also gives Iniesta the chance to lift his first trophy as Blaugrana skipper. Only too happy to shoulder his responsibilities, he said: “It definitely motivates and excites me. The fact that we’ve got such a good dressing room and players with so much character does make things a whole lot easier though.”

Barcelona have arrived in Japan in fine fettle, although two recent draws in the league have taken some of the gloss from their memorable clásico win over Real Madrid. Despite the blip, Iniesta is not overly concerned and expects the team to be at their best in the Club World Cup.
“We’re the league leaders and we’re through to the next round of the Champions League,” he said, displaying the same calm authority that he shows in controlling matches from the midfield: “The team’s riding high and we hope to keep that positive feeling going for the whole year. We know there are going to be times when not everything will work out and that’s when the team has to know how to respond.”

BARCELONA'S ARRIVAL IN JAPAN

Forever probing on the pitch, Iniesta is similarly analytical in discussing form and how to maintain it: “You can always improve, and in football you have to improve from one day to the next. What works perfectly today might not do so tomorrow, because when you draw or lose all these doubts can start entering your head. We need to keep doing things well because everything can change in football in the space of a week. We’ll be trying hard to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Thoughtful, measured and ambitious, Iniesta signed off by setting out Barcelona’s objectives at Japan 2015: “We’re demanding the very best of ourselves, just as we always do at this club. Every time we’ve come here we’ve always been very impressed, and we want to create the very best impression on the fans. We couldn’t be more excited. We want to win another title and round off a spectacular year.”

Culled from fifa.com

COUNT DOWN TO 2015 BALLON D'OR

FIFA BALLON D'OR 2015 NOMINEES

France Football triggered the trend. The esteemed magazine established the Ballon d’Or in 1956, an award for the best European, playing in his native continent, during each calendar year. Thirty-five years on FIFA, realising the desire to reward the finest individual performer from anywhere on the planet, launched the FIFA World Player of the Year gong (non-Europeans playing in the Old Continent became eligible for the Ballon d’Or award from 1995). Two then became one in 2010, with a merger giving birth to the FIFA Ballon d’Or. Lionel Messi happened to be the first recipient of the new award, in the process of defending his FIFA World Player of the Year gong as well as the Ballon d'Or which he equally won in 2009.

Today marks exactly four weeks until the footballing world eagerly turns its attention to Zurich’s Kongresshaus as the curtain rises on the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala. Here is a statistical look at the award's star-studded history.

FIFA GONG

75per cent of the FIFA World Player/FIFA Ballon d’Or’s winners and runners-up in FIFA World Cup™ years played in that competition’s Final. Only Hristo Stoichkov, who inspired Bulgaria to unexpectedly reach the USA 1994 semis and duly finished second; 2010 recipient Lionel Messi, whose Argentina side were eliminated in the quarter-finals in South Africa; and Cristiano Ronaldo, who suffered group-stage elimination with Portugal last year, broke the sequence. Only once did the recipient of any of the three awards, during a World Cup year, fail to appear in that year’s competition. That player was Englishman Kevin Keegan, who was honoured despite not playing at Argentina 1978 or winning silverware with Hamburg during those 12 months.

50per cent of the top three finishers in the Ballon d’Or voting between 1972 and ’81 came from clubs from just one country: West Germany. During that period, the podium featured Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich, four times), Kevin Keegan (Hamburg, three), Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Bayern, three), Gerd Muller (Bayern, two), Gunter Netzer (Borussia Monchengladbach, one), Allan Simonsen (Borussia Monchengladbach, one) and Paul Breitner (Bayern, one). West German teams seized a record six successive Ballon d’Ors between 1976 and ’81. Spanish clubs have currently captured six successive FIFA World Player of the Year/FIFA Ballon d’Ors thanks to Messrs Messi and Ronaldo.

41is the age that makes Stanley Matthews the oldest recipient of any of the three awards. ‘The Wizard of the Dribble’ pipped Alfredo Di Stefano to the inaugural Ballon d’Or in 1956 after helping unfashionable Blackpool finish runners-up to Manchester United in the English top tier. Lev Yashin is the next-oldest, having seized the prize as a 34-year-old in 1963.

20is the age that established Brazil’s Ronaldo the youngest recipient of any of the three awards. The year was 1996 and though O Fenômeno failed to win a domestic league or continental title during it, he did lift the Dutch Cup, Dutch Super Cup and Spanish Super Cup trophies and averaged almost a goal per game for both PSV and Barcelona.

8successive years on the FIFA World Player/FIFA Ballon d’Or podium is what Lionel Messi achieved in 2014 – four more than his nearest challengers. La Pulga has finished first and second four times apiece since 2007. Cristiano Ronaldo claimed his fourth consecutive top-three finish last year, while Raymond Kopa did so in the Ballon d’Or initial’s four years, winning it once, finishing runner-up once and taking bronze twice.

5

STARMAN OF THE 2015 EDITION

players have finished FIFA World Player/FIFA Ballon d’Or runner-up on multiple occasions. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – the Argentinian came second in 2007, 2008, 2013 and 2014, while the Portuguese did in 2009, 2011 and 2012 – at least got their hands of the prize more than once, but the other three never had that satisfaction. Hristo Stoichkov lost out to Van Basten in 1992 and his Barcelona strike partner Romario two years later, David Beckham missed out against Rivaldo and Luis Figo in 1999 and 2001 respectively, and Thierry Henry was runner-up to Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldinho in back-to-back years. The only other men to have finished on the podium more than once but never won the award are Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Dennis Bergkamp, who was third in 1993 and 1997.

4years had different Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year recipients from 1995, when France Football made non-European players eligible, until 2009. They were Matthias Sammer and Ronaldo (1996), Michael Owen and Luis Figo (2001), Pavel Neved and Zinedine Zidane (2003) and Andriy Shevchenko and Ronaldinho (2004).

4 Getting to the very top is difficult enough, but staying there is even harder. Four men have managed to defend their title for at least one year since the FIFA World Player of the Year accolade was introduced in 1991 (before continuing as the FIFA Ballon d’Or from 2010 onwards). The first player to complete this remarkable achievement was Brazilian legend Ronaldo, winning the award in 1996 and 1997. His compatriot Ronaldinho repeated the feat in 2004 and 2005, with Argentina’s Lionel Messi collecting the prize every year from 2009 to 2012. Last year, Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo became the fourth man to join this exclusive club thanks to his victories in 2013 and 2014.

BACK TO BACK WINNER (2009-2012)

The aforementioned quartet of gifted attacking maestros has already collected a staggering 12 awards between them, and with Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo joining Brazil’s Neymar on the 2015 shortlist, it seems highly likely that this figure will rise in four weeks' time.

3is the number of times the Ballon d’Or’s top three have hailed from the same country. Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller and Guntar Netzer seized West Germany a clean sweep in 1972, Karl-Heinz Rumminigge, Paul Breitner and Bernd Schuster followed suit for the same country nine years later, and Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard did it for the Netherlands in 1988. The latter occasion was the only in the history of the three awards when the top three came from the same club (AC Milan).

1vote is all that Bobby Charlton and Matthias Sammer pipped Eusebio in 1966 and Ronaldo in 1996 to the Ballon d’Or by – the closest margins in the history of the former France Football award. The next-tightest came in 1972, when Franz Beckenbauer beat two of his West Germany team-mates, Gerd Muller and Gunter Netzer, by two votes.

MAZEMBE FINISH SIXTH AS RIVER NARROWLY SLIP INTO FINAL

First half goals from forwards Dario Benedetto and Martin Zuniga helped Club America to a 2-1 win over TP Mazembe at Osaka Nagai Stadium’s penultimate game at the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2015.

Ignacio Ambriz's side came into the match hurting following their last-minute loss against Guangzhou Evergrande in the quarter-finals, while Patrice Carteron was looking for a vast improvement from the CAF Champions League winners who were well below par in their 3-0 loss to Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

While both coaches witnessed improvements, it will be Ambriz going home the happier, with the result a fair reflection of proceedings. The game took some time to get going with Daniel Adjei’s deflected shot in the 12th minute heralding the start of a flurry of chances. Then a minute later, Oribe Peralta had two excellent chances to score within a matter of seconds. First, Sylvain Gbohouo blocked his initial attempt from close range and then he headed over Benedetto’s inch-perfect cross from the rebound.

It was Benedetto who opened the scoring in the 19th minute, producing a trademark downward header from a right-wing cross from Paul Aguilar. However, it proved to be the No9’s last action of the match as he was stretchered off with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
Zuniga, his replacement, made an almost instant impact. After Peralta saw his initial shot saved, the TP Mazembe defence then failed to clear their lines and the 22-year-old was on hand to poke the ball home.

However, the Crows failed to give up and almost pulled one back ten minutes before half-time when Patient Mwepu rattled the crossbar with a fine left-footed drive from 30 yards. Both keepers made fine saves as the half drew to a close. The Africans were grateful to Gbohouo again as he showed great agility to turn away Osvaldo Martinez’s cheeky chip, while Club America captain Moises Munoz was at full stretch to tip Mbwana Samatta’s free-kick over the bar.

Two minutes before the interval, Patrice Carteron’s side forced their way back into the encounter. Munoz spilled Samatta’s strike and Rainford Kalaba was on hand to sidefoot home.

In the first semi final, River Plate booked their place in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2015 thanks to a 1-0 win over Sanfrecce Hiroshima in what was a keenly contested and close encounter from first minute to last.

Lucas Alario’s 72nd-minute goal was the difference between the two sides and the Argentinians will now face the winners of the second semi-final between Barcelona and Guanzghou Evergrande, the losers of which will battle for third against the J.League champions.

River Plate started the match on the front foot, dominating play and possession and pressing Sanfrecce whenever they had the ball. It forced the Japanese side into a number of uncharacteristic mistakes. All too often they gave the ball away cheaply, handing the initiative to the South Americans.

However, the Argentinians were limited to just a few half chances, with Leonardo Ponzio’s drive from distance their only noteworthy effort in the opening 45 minutes. It was the Japanese who created the first half’s better chances.

Sanfrecce’s initial opportunity came through a mistake when Eder Balanta’s missed header presented Yusuke Minagawa with a one-on-one opportunity. River Plate No1 Marcelo Barovero was fearless in rushing off his line, narrowing the angle and blocking the attempt. Striker and keeper collided heavily, but both were able to continue after treatment.

The longer it remained goalless, the more Sanfrecce grew in confidence and only another fine save from Barovero kept the scoreline blank. Kazuyuki Morisaki played the ball to Minagawa who held it up beautifully before laying it off to Yusuke Chajima. The pacey midfielder cut inside and hit a dipping shot which the 30-year-old turned over the bar.

Hajime Moriaysu’s side were becoming bolder with every minute and once again Barovero had to be in fine form to deny Minagawa, reacting superbly to turn his shot from close distance away for a corner.

The second half began with a golden chance for River Plate and Rodrigo Mora. The Uruguayan forward blasted the ball over the bar from ten yards after good work from Carlos Sanchez, who was constantly looking to get forward.

Both managers made changes to try to find the opening goal and it came thanks to the intervention of a substitute in the 72nd minute. Tabare Viudez, who had replaced Leonardo Pisculichi just eight minutes earlier, sent a free-kick into the box. Takuto Hayashi, under pressure from Jonatan Maidana, couldn’t claim it and Lucas Alario was on hand to turn the ball home. It was the first goal Sanfrecce had conceded in 252 minutes at this FIFA Club World Cup.

River went close again through Mora in the final stages as his shot, which had Hayashi beaten trickled just wide. Morisaki had a drive from the edge from the edge of the box in the final minute, but Barovero, as he had done so often during the match, held firm to send his side through.

They await the winner of the other semi final tie between Barcelona and Guangzhou.

2015 CLUB WORLD CUP: WARM WELCOME FOR BARCA

It was gathered that Barcelona landed at Tokyo’s Narita Airport at 8.00am on Monday morning following a flight lasting precisely 13 hours and 16 minutes, according to the club’s official Twitter feed in English.

Hundreds of local fans were there to welcome the European champions at the airport and then at their Yokohama hotel, where Lionel Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez and the rest of the Barça squad were scheduled to take a pre-breakfast nap to help them adjust to the eight-hour time gap between Spain and Japan.


The Barcelona delegation will make their FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2015 debut in Yokohama at 19:30 (local time) on Thursday, when they take on China’s Guangzhou Evergrande, who beat CF America 2-1 on Sunday.

Despite only getting in on Monday morning, they held a training session in the Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium in Yokohama that same evening. As well as the throng of journalists in attendance, about 200 students from a school that Barcelona opened in Tokyo were also invited to the session by the club.

Before the team bus had even arrived at the stadium, Barcelona club officials and stadium staff in the ground were besieged by a mass of children asking where Lionel Messi was and whether he had arrived or not. As soon as the team came onto the pitch, the cheers from the children echoed in the night air.

When the training started, one young boy, eight-year-old Koshiro Yamashita, who is learning football at Barcelona’s FCB Escola in Katsushika in Tokyo, jumped up and started to sing a song in fluent Catalan. It was El Cant del Barça, the club’s official anthem. When he sang with a clear and pure voice, “We have a name that everyone knows”, the Barcelona officials and other people packed into the stadium responded in unison with “Barça! Barça! Barça!". Thanks to the voice of one schoolboy, Yokohama was suddenly enveloped with the sort of passionate togetherness that normally fills the Camp Nou.

2015 FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP: 100% PERFORMANCE FOR ASIA

At the end of the quarter final matches, it was confirmed that all Asian representative had made it to the semi final stage. In the first quarter final between Club America and Guangzhou, it ended 2-1 while the second encounter saw Host and local league champions, Sanfreece Hiroshima thrashing African Champions, TP Mazembe 3-0



When Paulinho headed Guangzhou Evergrande into the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2015 in stoppage time of their encounter with Club America, the stadium erupted in cheers. Shortly after, as the Brazilian was again buried under a pile of his ecstatic team-mates when the whistle blew to confirm the Chinese side’s 2-1 win, the secret hero of the evening was beginning his own celebrations in the AFC Champions League winners’ penalty area.
Over the preceding 90 minutes, goalkeeper Li Shuai had ensured that Guangzhou stayed in the game. By making a string of impressive saves, the Chinese shot-stopper prevented the Mexicans from adding a second goal to their 55th-minute opener, thus helping Evergrande to emerge victorious from a dramatic encounter at the Osaka Nagai Stadium.
“He’s our No1 and possesses all the qualities you need in a top-quality goalkeeper,” Guangzhou coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said in tribute to the imposing 1.93-metre figure between the posts. “Li is a great keeper with tremendous experience and he proved that in front of the world this evening.”
While clearly flattered by this considerable compliment, the Asian champions’ modest custodian instead preferred to pass the praise on to this team-mates. “I’m obviously very happy; it’s a great feeling,” Li Shuai explained in an interview with FIFA.com, “but the entire side played their part in this success. I can only thank the lads in front of me for the way they performed.” Guangzhou turned the match decisively in their favour in the closing stages of the game through a combination of limitless energy and irrepressible desire, equalising through Zheng Long after 80 minutes before Paulinho wrapped things up for the Chinese side late on.

As a result, it is now the Chinese rather than the Mexicans who face a semi-final clash with Barcelona and their array of international superstars, headed by Lionel Messi. Li Shuai is looking ahead to his latest challenge with confidence rather than fear. “I can’t wait for this game and I’ll just enjoy it,” he said, before adding: “Now we want to go all the way to the final.”
The self-confessed Peter Schmeichel fan is well aware that he may play a key role in pulling off another shock, explaining: “As a goalkeeper, you have the chance to become a hero.” There is no doubt that Evergrande’s upcoming showdown with the European treble-winners will provide him with just such an opportunity.

As the captain of TP Mazembe, Joel Kimwaki is not accustomed to losing. The fact that victory has become a habit for the African club is something the towering defender learned quickly upon his arrival in 2010.

The consistent level of success he has experienced since then runs counter to the comprehensive nature of the 3-0 defeat he and his team-mates suffered at the hands of Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2015.

Despite having every right to be annoyed or aggrieved, it was a disappointed yet philosophical and smiling Kimwaki who spoke to FIFA.com outside the changing rooms of Osaka Nagai Stadium.
“These things happen. Losing is part of the game,” he said calmly and lucidly. “We were a little careless. And yet our coach had stressed two key points before the match: we were to stay focused and pay attention. But we didn’t manage to do either of those things.”
It was certainly a fair summary by the tough-tackling centre-back. The first two Sanfrecce goals both stemmed from corners where the Congolese side’s marking left a lot to be desired, with the second one conceded by goalkeeper Richard Boateng demonstrating a particular lack of defensive pressure.

The third goal, which came from a counter-attack, only served to confirm that Mazembe had suffered a rather bad day at the office.
The result was difficult to accept for Kimwaki in particular, who was part of the team that made history by reaching the final in 2010. Paradoxically, that feat – a first for a club from outside Europe or South America – may have played a role in the Africans’ undoing, such was the high level of expectation among their loyal support.

A model professional, the 29-year-old, who was part of the Congo DR squad that finished third at the 2015 CAF Africa Cup of Nations and who recently won the CAF Champions League for the second time, has the necessary experience and common sense to step back and judge his and his team’s general performances without dwelling on one bad result.
“We’ve achieved some great things this year, and it’s important to bear that in mind,” he said. “I’ve performed well all season and I need to maintain that form. I’m still ready to serve Mazembe and my national team.”
The Kinshasa native, who is the only Congo DR representative in Mazembe coach Patrice Carteron’s starting XI, was also recently appointed captain of said national team. “That came down to my hard work and discipline,” he said. And while those two ingredients may have been lacking in the club’s loss to Sanfrecce, Kimwaki’s leadership qualities should ensure that they come bouncing back in style.

Sanfreece Hiroshima hereby face River plate of Argentina in the other semi final.

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