Sports Briefs
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IT WAS no doubt a big blow for Nigeria as Babatunde Michael, one of the Nigerian new talented football player, was been ruled out of the remaining matches of the World Cup because of injury.
Babatunde’s hand inadvertently blocked the ferocious shot of Ogenyi Onazi which was goal-bound and it twisted his arm.
Stephen Keshi, coach of the Nigerian team, confirmed in a post-match that the player was going for surgery and would not feature in Nigeria’s remaining matches of the Brazil World Cup.
“It is sad that we may not see him play again in the World Cup. He is going for surgery. It is bad,” Keshi said, agonisingly.
Suarez Banned for Four Months
LUIS Suarez, Uruguayan footballer, has been suspended from all football-related activities for four months after being found guilty of biting Giorgio Chiellini, an Italian defender, in Tuesday’s World Cup clash in Natal, Brazil. Suarez was also given a nine-match international ban and a fine of 82,000 euros.
The ban which took an immediate effect means Suarez will miss the rest of the World Cup and the start of the new Barclays Premier League season with Liverpool.
A FIFA statement read in part: “The player Luis Suarez is to be suspended for nine official matches. The first match of this suspension is to be served in the upcoming FIFA World Cup fixture between Colombia and Uruguay on June 28, 2014. The remaining match suspensions shall be served in Uruguay’s next FIFA World Cup match(es), as long as the team (remains in the competition), and/or in the representative team’s subsequent official matches.
“The player Luis Suarez is banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) for a period of four months. A stadium ban is pronounced against the player Luis Suarez in accordance with article 21 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code as follows: The player Luis Suarez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium during the period of the ban. The player Luis Suarez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium in which the representative team of Uruguay is playing while he has to serve the nine-match suspension. The player Luis Suarez is ordered to pay a fine in the amount of 100,000 Swiss Francs.”
The ban is the biggest in World Cup history, beating the eight games given to Italy’s Mauro Tassotti for elbowing Luis Enrique in 1994.
The Uruguayan FA and Suarez himself can appeal the sanction within three days, but the ban will stand until that process has been completed.
However, Claudio Sulser, the chairman of the FIFA disciplinary committee, said the panel had taken into account all the factors in the case.
The 27-year-old has now been found guilty of biting three opponents in his football career.
Manchester City Signs Fernando
MANCHESTER City Football Club has completed the signing of Fernando, a Brazilian midfielder from FC Porto, a Portuguese football club. Porto announced the deal on the Lisbon Stock Exchange on Wednesday, June 25, after agreeing a fee with Manchester City in the region of £12m. While confirming the deal on Thursday, City refused to say the length of the 26-year-old’s contract with club. Nevertheless, Fernando was happy with the deal. He said: “I will give my all every time I play and I’m looking forward to many happy years in Manchester. It is a very exciting time to be part of this football club and I cannot wait to play in the Premier League”
Fernando was first linked with City in January and became the Premier League champions’ second summer signing after the recruitment of Bacary Sagna, Arsenal’s former right-back.
“I’m looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and helping City to defend the title. It is a very exciting time to be part of this football club and I cannot wait to play in the Premier League,” he said further.
Fernando joined Porto in 2007, where he won four league titles and the Europa League in 2011.
The defensive midfielder – who has never been capped by his country – will wear the number six shirt recently vacated by Joleon Lescott.
Keshi Hails Messi
STEPHEN Keshi, Nigerian coach of Super Eagles, could hardly contained his admiration for Lionel Messi, captain of Argentine football team that palyed against Nigeria on Wednesday, June 25, describing him as someone from another planet. Keshi said he “is from Jupiter,” after the Argentine forward scored twice in their 3-2 win over Nigeria.
The 27-year-old scored a half-volley and a free-kick as Argentina recorded a third win to finish top of Group F. “Messi is one of heck of a player. He’s blessed. You can’t take it away from him,” Keshi said. Although Nigeria still qualified for the next round after the defeat, it was no doubt the outstanding performance of Messi that earned Argentina its win.
“There are good calibre players in the team but Messi is from Jupiter.” Messi is now joint top scorer at the 2014 tournament with four goals, alongside Brazil’s Neymar. Prior to Brazil 2014, he had scored just once in eight World Cup matches.
The Barcelona star paid tribute to Nigeria, who equalised twice through Ahmed Musa before Marcos Roja scored a second-half winner for the two-time champions. “We played against a team that wanted to play,” Messi said. “I think we saw a good Argentina. We need to continue on this path.”
— Jul. 7, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT
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