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Argentina captain, Lionel Messi, has admitted he is struggling at the 2019 Copa America, ahead of a marquee semi-final clash against hosts Brazil. La Albiceleste beat Venezuela 2-0 to qualify for last four, thanks to goals from Lautaro Martinez and substitute Giovani Lo Celso. Messi himself has only scored once at the tournament, from the penalty spot. “It is not my best Copa America, I am not having the one I had hoped. “The important thing is that we won,” the Barcelona star said after Argentina’s win over Venezuela. The six-time Pichichi Trophy winner added that he knew that Venezuela “were going to shut it down and look for the counter.” “We controlled the game from the beginning, the first goal came and from there we became ourselves. “In the second half, we knew they were going to move forward and leave spaces. We were firm throughout the game, it was a complete game,” Messi said. Argentina will now face eternal rivals Brazil, for the first time in the tournament...

The Nigeria Football Federation has reacted to the plight of former Super Eagles captain, Nwankwo Kanu. The former Inter Milan star had on Tuesday lamented that all the medals he won during his playing days have been taken away from his Lagos property by unknown persons. In a brief statement in reaction to this, Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, President, Amaju Pinnick, confirmed the disappearance of the medals and trophies. Pinnick said Nwankwo was “in intense pain” at their loss. “Kanu worked very hard from a humble beginning to accumulate whatever he has today and to earn those precious valuables,” he said in a statement. “We respectfully call on the Nigeria police and other security agencies to work hard at unravelling the perpetrators of this nefarious act.”

Gabriel Jesus says his confidence has soared after his recent goal glut, vowing that Manchester City will not let up in their pursuit of Premier League leaders Liverpool. Gabriel Jesus The Brazil striker scored another two, taking his tally to seven in three appearances, as City beat Wolves 3-0 on Monday to cut Liverpool’s lead back to four points. The 21-year-old, who has now 14 goals for the season, said: “I am feeling good and my confidence is better for scoring goals. “It’s important to me because I am a striker who plays for a big club with amazing players, management and staff, so I need to score goals — but I helped the team by playing well. The team played very well to win the game. “We believe in every single game and every competition. We are training and working a lot for the moment when they give out the title at the end of the season. “We are second in the Premier League and want to win it. We need to go on to the pitch in every single game and win it.” ...

French midfielder Paul Pogba says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s arrival as interim manager at Manchester United has not only sparked his return to form but also put a smile back on his face. The 26-year-old — an integral figure in France’s World Cup triumph last year — has shown the sort of form that United paid a club record £89 million ($114.5 million) in 2016 since Solskjaer arrived last month to replace the sacked Jose Mourinho. Pogba’s relationship with the volatile Mourinho had been pretty much toxic all season — having already degenerated in the previous campaign — and he found himself relegated to the substitutes bench. “Before the coach (Solskjaer) arrived I was in the shadows, on the bench, and I accepted that,” he said after the impressive 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. “It is a pleasure to play again. Now I am always smiling.” Solskjaer, who The Sun reported on Tuesday is in pole position to get the job permanently as he has impressed the board and has ...

Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi, has revealed his hero and two football stars that helped his career. According to the former Chelsea midfielder, his hero was former Real Madrid coach, Zinedine Zidane, while Super Eagles legends, Austin Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu were the two stars that inspired him as a teenage footballer. The 31-year-old, who missed Nigeria’s last two games against Seychelles and Liberia, expressed his respect for Zidane, Okocha and Kanu. “As a young player, I drew so much inspiration from two of the best stars Nigeria ever produced,” Mikel was quoted by The Nation as saying. “I grew up looking up to (Nwankwo) Kanu and (Austin) Jay Jay Okocha. I enjoyed watching them play for their respective club sides. “More importantly, their exploits in the national team really thrilled me. In their later years, I played in the Super Eagles with them. “They were highly motivating to me. But on the global stage, Zinedine Zidane was my all-time hero.” Mikel curre...

PSG forward Neymar who recently visited his former teammates in Barcelona discussed a move to Real Madrid but refused to speak on Adrien Rabiot. Barcelona sold Neymar to PSG in 2017, despite that transfer being only a year ago, the Brazilian has been linked with a move to Real Madrid. Los Blancos remain in search of a replacement who Cristiano Ronaldo After his exit to Juventus in a £105m deal in July. Barcelona had also been linked with Neymar but the PSG Star is unlikely to return to his old club. And Neymar has now dismissed claims of a transfer to Real. He said: “I have a contract with PSG.” Real’s interest in Neymar goes back to his time in Brazil with Santos. At Santos, Neymar established himself as one of the most promising young players in the World.

Juventus striker, Mario Mandzukic rejected a summer move to join Manchester United this season. According to Calciomercato, United failed in a summer bid to sign the 32-year-old from the Italian champions. The report also claimed that the Red Devils boss, Jose Mourinho was ready to offer Mandzukic a salary of €5 million-per-season, but Juventus manager, Massimiliano Allegri persuaded the Croatian star to remain in Turin. Mandzukic recently announced his retirement from international football. He was a key member of the Croatia side that made history at Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup by finishing second position after they were defeated 4-2 by France in the final. The striker netted three goals for Zlatko Dalic’s side in Russia, including an extra-time winner against England in the semi-finals, as well as a consolation goal in the final. He is Croatia’s joint-second top goal scorer after Croatia legend, Davor Suker.

Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr has released a list of 24 Nigeria senior players who will do battle for the three points in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Seychelles in Victoria on Friday, 7th September. At a world press conference in Lagos on Friday, Rohr, flanked by NFF 1st Vice President Seyi Akinwunmi and Executive Board Member Aisha Falode, unveiled a list of three goalkeepers, eight defenders, six midfielders and seven forwards. He also put four other players, including former U17 World Cup –winning captain Musa Muhammed, on standby. The three goalkeepers are those who made the final cut for the FIFA World Cup finals in Russia in the summer, but the defence has two new boys in England –based Semi Ajayi and Germany –based Jamilu Collins, while Olaoluwa Aina, overlooked for the World Cup, has been recalled. Another former U-17 World Cup –winning captain, Kelechi Nwakali, is the new face in the middle, just as France –based Samuel Kalu is the new man upfront. Henr...

Chelsea boss, Maurizio Sarri has insisted that he will not play the style of game introduced at the Stamford by his predicessor, Antonio Conte. Conte played three at the back which favoured him in his first season at the Stamford Bridge. But Sarri said he was not worried about Chelsea’s defensive performances this season and stated that he will not return to a back three. Chelsea have collected maximum points from their opening two Premier League games of the season, but they struggled to contain Arsenal ’s attack last weekend. The Blues face Newcastle at St James’ Park on Sunday where they haven’t won in their previous five visits. Sarri admitted it will take his players time to adapt to his defensive instructions. Speaking at his press conference ahead of this weekend’s game, he said, “I work on it every week. I am not worried about the defensive phase. “Usually when I arrive at a new club, I have problems for two-three months, I think it is normal.” When asked whether he w...

Head coach of the Super Eagles, Gernot Rohr, has dropped his assistant coach, Yusuf Salisu, from his team setup for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Seychelles. This was confirmed by the former media officer of the team, Colin Udoh, via his Twitter account on Friday. “Rohr confirms Salisu Yusuf, who is under investigations for bribery, will not be part of the team,” Udoh wrote. Yusuf was recently implicated in a sting operation by controversial Ghana journalist. He was caught him on tape, accepting bribe to fix a player in his team during the last African Nations Championship in Morocco.

Tottenham Hostspur striker, Harry Kane has revealed why his side must beat Manchester United in Monday’s Premier League fixture at Old Trafford. According to Kane, Spurs must defeat United in front of their home fans to prove that they can really compete for this season’s EPL title. United head to the game following a 3-2 loss to Brighton last weekend, while Spurs defeated Fulham 3-1 at home. “We’ve got to beat these teams if we want to win the league,” Kane was quoted by 101greatgoals as saying ahead of Spurs’ clash with United. “Whether it’s early in the season or late in the season, these are the big games that you have to make a difference in.” He added, “We’re going to be up for it. I’m sure United will be up for it as well. “The top six are so strong now, you have to get off to a good start. “In recent years, we’ve picked up around Christmas time, carried it on for the rest of the season and we’ve ended up finishing second and third. “So it’s important we don’t get too ...

Juventus manager, Max Allegri has sent out a warning to forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, ahead of his side’s clash with Lazio on Saturday evening in Serie A fixture. Allegri said he’s not afraid to bench the Portuguese international when they face Lazio this weekend at the Allianz Stadium. He, however, praised the 33-year-old for always putting himself into contention with his fellow teammates. “Yes. There will only be a few changes before the international break,” Allegri was quoted by Football Italia as replying to a question during Friday’s press conference on whether Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic could play with the Ronaldo. “There will also be a very hot atmosphere tomorrow so everyone will be needed, even those who enter during the game. “For example, the wing is more covered with Douglas Costa, but we also know what can happen with CR7 there. “I have to make a decision on Matuidi today. He’s in good shape and he always runs. He came in late l...

Paris Saint-Germain may be forced into selling either Neymar Jr. or Kylian Mbappe, to avoid financial fair play sanctions. UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body are due to confirm, whether PSG are guilty of breaching FFP regulations this week. If the ruling go against them, the Ligue 1 champions might be forced into either selling Neymar or forfeiting their deal to sign Mbappe, according to Spanish radio station, Onda Cero. The French club may also get a big fine or even a transfer ban as punishment. Real Madrid are monitoring developments at the Parc des Princes and would be perfectly happy to take Neymar off PSG’s hands, should they suddenly need to balance the books in a multi-million-euro swoop.

Chelsea threw out a £25million bid from Tottenham Hotspur for Nigerian-born striker, Tammy Abraham, on deadline day, Goal reports. Abraham, who was identified by Mauricio Pochettino as an understudy for Harry Kane, was keen on a switch across London, but Chelsea had no interest in selling him to their fiercest local rival. Spurs eventually failed to sign anyone during the summer transfer window. Abraham, 20, has impressed at international level, making his senior debut for England last year, but he has found himself behind both Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge. He could yet seal a move to the Championship, with EFL clubs being allowed to loan players until the end of the month.

La Liga giants, Real Madrid have finally struck an agreement to sign Celta Vigo forward Iago Aspas as Cristiano Ronaldo’s replacement. Real Madrid have struggled to sign a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Juventus earlier this summer. But finally reinforcements could be on the horizon. Spanish sports outlet, El Chiringuito de Jugones, claims Real Madrid have reached an agreement to sign Aspas should they fail to bring Valencia’s Rodrigo to the Bernabeu. According to the report, the 31-year-old Aspas has agreed terms but negotiations with Celta Vigo will still need to take place. Rodrigo, who was part of the squad Lopetegui named for the World Cup before being sacked, scored 16 goals in 37 league appearances for Valencia last season. But Valencia President, Anil Murthy says Real Madrid will have to trigger his €120million (£107m) release clause

Lionel Messi would decide if Barcelona will retain or sell Ousmane Dembele this summer. Spanish sports newspaper, Marca reports that Dembele, who endured a mixed first season at the Nou Camp, could still leave the club. The France youngster arrived Barcelona last summer on a £138m deal from Borussia Dortmund, scoring just three goals. The 21-year-old suffered a serious hamstring injury that hampered his early days in Spain. Now back fit and ready for the new season, Dembele will be hoping to impress manager Ernesto Valverde only if Messi wants him to stay. And he may well have to hit the ground running alongside Lionel Messi if he is to remain at the club. Marca claim there is still a chance of Dembele leaving Barcelona. PSG would be the most likely destination for the France international were he to leave on a permanent deal. But loan moves could also be an option. Arsenal were heavily linked with the player before the Premier League’s transfer window closed two weeks ago.

Fred thinks Manchester United need to beat Spurs in just their third game of the season to show they can win the Premier League title. United suffered a surprise defeat against Brighton last weekend, an early setback for Jose Mourinho’s side, especially as rivals Manchester City, Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea all have 100 per cent records. Spurs travel to Old Trafford on Monday night, live on Sky Sports Premier League, and a victory is key for Fred, who joined the club in the summer, as United look to prove they can compete for top spot in the league. “It’s a very important game,” Fred told Sky Sports News in an exclusive interview. “This week we’ve been working, focusing on this game, we want to go out and get the win in front of our home fans. “We know Tottenham are a great team but we need to get the win if we are to aspire to win the league.”

Cristiano Ronaldo has left Real Madrid but he is not waning. He debuted in Serie A in a 3-2 thrashing of Chievo by Juventus to prove he is still a massive draw. The game itself broke records. Sky Italia's coverage show a 68 per cent increase on the numbers for last season's opening game between Juventus and Cagliari. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, via Football Italia, 2,330,234 unique viewers tuned in to see the £105million man in action. That makes Ronaldo's debut the fourth-highest viewed programme on the channel ever. Only two Juventus vs Inter Milan match - and Roma's visit to the Old Lady - have ever beaten it. Los Blancos and Barcelona's attendances hit a worrying low last weekend for the opening round of La Liga fixtures. Without Ronaldo the Bernabeu pulled in just 48,446 spectators (total capacity: 81,044) in the win over Getafe, while the Nou Camp attracted 52,356 (total capacity 99,354) to watch their side take on Alaves. Los Blancos' poo...

Luka Modric, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah are the final nominees to be the Uefa men’s Player of the Year. Real Madrid midfielder Modric , new Juventus striker Ronaldo and Liverpool forward Salah were chosen by a panel of 80 coaches and 55 journalists. The award will be presented during the Champions League group stage draw in Monaco on 30 August . Now The Question Are: * Who Deserves To Win The Award?? *Why Do You Think Your Choice Deserves The Award?? Comment Below:

Cristiano Ronaldo says his dream is for Cristiano Jr to become a footballer just like him, as he has inherited his competitive nature. The 8-year-old has impressed with his freekick and tricks, which Ronaldo posts on his social media. And the Juventus star believes his eldest child will continue to follow in his example as he has the same motivation. “He’s very competitive, like me when I was young, and he doesn’t like to lose,” Ronaldo said on his unveiling as DAZN’s Global Ambassador. “He will be like me I am sure, 100 percent. I hope that with my experience with my motivation, my goals, I can teach him some stuff, but you know he is going to be whatever he wants. “I’m always going to support him, but of course I want Cristiano to be a football player because I think he has that drive. “He has a good body, he’s fast, he has skills, he can shoot, but as you know he’s going to make his decision and he’s so young, I’m not going to pressure him. But that is, of course, a dream, t...