See List Of 25 Man Squad As Nigerian Players Jet Out In Style To London

The Nigerian squad to face England in a friendly before the World Cup is on its way to London via a chartered plane.

Nigerian team to play in the world cup has jetted out in style on a chartered plane ahead of the 2018 World Cup.

Super Eagles skipper Mikel John Obi was joined on the chartered flight from Abuja to London on Wednesday afternoon by deputy skipper Ogenyi Onazi, defender Kenneth Omeruo, pacy winger Ahmed Musa and 21 other players as the team headed for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals. There will be stop-overs in London and Austria.

Mikel, Onazi, Omeruo and Musa all represented Nigeria at the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil, and alongside Chelsea FC wingback Victor Moses (who was also in Brazil and who will join the contingent in London) constitute the spine of a young squad inspired to dazzle the world in Russia.

The Super Eagles will train at the Wembley Stadium (venue of Saturday’sclash with England’s Three Lions) between 5pm-6pm on Friday, after a pre-match press conference scheduled for the stadium’s conference room at 4.15pm.

Saturday’s encounter, the third official match between the two countries with considerable historical affinity, will start at 5.15pm.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria team has confirmed that forward Moses Simon, who was earlier ruled out of the finals due to injury, will undergo further medical checks in the United Kingdom to ascertain the seriousness of his injury.

THE TEAM

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho; Daniel Akpeyi; Ikechukwu Ezenwa

Defenders: Abdullahi Shehu, Olaoluwa Aina, Tyronne Ebuehi, William Ekong, Leon Balogun, Chidozie Awaziem, Elderson Echiejile, Kenneth Omeruo and Bryan Idowu.

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi, Mikel John Obi, Ogenyi Onazi, John Ogu, Mikel Agu, Oghenekaro Etebo and Joel Obi.

Forwards: Odion Ighalo, Simeon Nwankwo, Alex Iwobi, Ahmed Musa, Kelechi Iheanacho, Moses Simon (further checks in the UK) and Victor Moses (to join team in London).

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Robert Lewandowski Wants To Leave Bayern Munich - Agent Pini Zahavi

Robert Lewandowski wants to leave Bayern Munich, according to his agent Pini Zahavi, who told Sport Bild magazine that the Bundesliga’s top scorer “feels that he needs a change and a new challenge in his career”.

Zahavi, the Israeli agent who helped facilitate Neymar’s world-record transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain last year, said Lewandowski’s reasons “are not money or a specific club, as nearly all top clubs would like to have the world’s best striker in their ranks”.

The 29-year-old Poland striker, whose contract with Bayern runs until 2021, has scored 106 goals in 126 Bundesliga games for the club since switching from Borussia Dortmund in 2014. He helped the team win the league each year, chipping in 29 goals this past season.

Bayern’s chairman, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, recently ruled out a transfer. “We know what we have in Robert Lewandowski. Nobody need worry, he will also play football here in Munich next year,” he said.

Lewandowski parted with his previous agent, Cezary Kucharski, in February, when he turned to Zahavi. Sport Bild reported that Real Madrid’s interest has cooled after Lewandowski’s failure to score in the Champions League semi-finals against them, but claimed that PSG, Chelsea and Manchester United are interested.

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Mourinho interested in signing Arnautovic from West Ham

Manchester United Manager, Jose Mourinho, has shown interes in signing West Ham forward, Marko Arnautovic.

Though is not the intention of the Hammers to sell the 29-year-old, but it is believed a bid of around £50m will put the London club in an irresistible position.

Arnautovic who joined West Ham from Stoke for a club-record £25m fee last summer has scored 11 goals during his debut season.

He also has four years left to run on his contract at the London Stadium.

Arnautovic previously worked with United manager, Jose Mourinho, during their time together at Inter Milan in 2009.

And it is believed Mourinho is eager to work with him again.

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C.Ronaldo's goal ranked number one in UEFA Top 10 Goals of 2018 Champions League

Cristiano Ronaldo has beat out competition from his team-mate Gareth Bale to finish top of UEFA's list of the best Champions League goals of the 2018 campaign.

Ronaldo's overhead kick in Real Madrid's quarter-final first leg win at Juventus has been selected first ahead of Bale's similar effort in Saturday's final against Liverpool.

Bale scored with a spectacular acrobatic volley just two minutes after coming off the bench for Madrid, reacting brilliantly to divert Marcelo's cross into Loris Karius' top corner with a flailing left boot.

The goal was described by Gary Neville as 'maybe the best he'd ever seen' but Ronaldo's strike at the Allianz Stadium has been deemed better by UEFA's panel.

Ronaldo's overhead kick from Dani Carjvaval's cross was a similarly acrobatic strike but with a lower trajectory and more power, that sailed past Juventus No 1 Gianluigi Buffon leaving the legendary goalkeeper no chance.

His strike garnered a similar reaction with many hailing it as the greatest Champions League goal of all time ahead of Zinedine Zidane's volley in the 2002 final.

The rankings are determined by a six-man committee of UEFA Technical Observers that include ex-Manchester United boss David Moyes, former Inter Milan defender Christian Chivu and current Latvia manager Mixu Paatelainen.

Ronaldo and Bale finished first and second respectively ahead of Gonzalo Higuain's volley from a free-kick for Juventus against Tottenham in the round of 16.

Antoine Griezmann's bicycle kick for Atletico Madrid against Roma in the group stage is fourth while Edin Dzeko's powerful volley for Roma at Chelsea at the same stage comes fifth in the list.

Ronaldo and Bale both have a second goal included in the list. Bale's side-footed volley away at Borussia Dortmund comes sixth while Ronaldo's curling effort in the home game against the Germans is 10th.

Elsewhere in the top 10, Fred's free-kick for Shakhtar Donetsk against Roma in the last 16 is seventh while Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne earns eighth spot for a long-range strike against the Ukrainians Shakhtar.

TOP 10 GOALS OF 2018 Champions League

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) vs Juventus - quarter-final first leg

2. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) vs Liverpool - final

3. Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus) vs Tottenham - last 16 first leg

4. Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid) vs Roma - group stage

5. Edin Dzeko (Roma) vs Chelsea - group stage

6. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) vs Borussia Dortmund - group stage

7. Fred (Shakhtar Donetsk) vs Roma - last 16 first leg

8. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) vs Shakhtar Donetsk - group stage

9. Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli) vs Shakhtar Donetsk - group stage

10. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) vs Borussia Dortmund - group stage

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Xavi Hernandez signs on for two more years in Qatar

Xavi Hernandez could play on until the age of 40 after it was announced on Thursday he has signed a two-year extension to his contract with Qatari club Al Sadd.

The legendary former Barcelona and Spain midfielder will stay with the Doha-based club until the end of the 2020 season, according to a statement released by Al Sadd on social media.

“I am happy to keep on being a part of the Al-Sadd family for two more years,” said Xavi.

“I am delighted to be at the club and with its fans.

“Everyone here is one big family and I am satisfied and thrilled to continue.”

Xavi joined Al Sadd in 2015, originally on a two-year contract, after making more than 700 appearances for the Catalan giants.

He extended that by 12 months but the 38-year-old was widely expected to retire at the end of the Qatari domestic season.

However, he said earlier this month he would continue playing play until the end of this year at least and has now changed his mind again.

Since being in the Gulf he has been named as a global ambassador for the 2022 World Cup, which will be hosted by Qatar, and has been widely tipped to coach the host side during the tournament.

World Cup winner Xavi won 133 caps for Spain, and was also in a Barcelona side which took eight La Liga titles.

The announcement comes on the same day as former Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta officially announced he was moving to play in Japan’s J-League.

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Manchester City Star, Yaya Toure Could Join Man United

Outgoing Manchester City midfielder, Yaya Toure, says he is not ruling out a move to Manchester United as he looks towards the next move of his career.

The 35-year-old announced earlier this month that he would be leaving the Etihad after eight years with the club, but does want to keep playing elsewhere.

In an interview with the Manchester Evening News, Toure has not ruled out a move to local rivals United, who are looking to replace the experience of Michael Carrick in the middle of the park.

When asked about the retiring midfielder, Toure said: “Yeah he just left. Let’s see, let’s see. I don’t rule big teams out. The big teams are very important for me. What they want to achieve, the way they want to go, for me is very important.

“I want to go somewhere I can win and achieve. It’s going to be hard one day to play against City, but I have to do that. It is part of my job.

“I’ve been playing football for such a long time, I’m no good in the office or something else. I am good in football.

“To see myself at a different club is going to be difficult. I have been such a big part of City for such a long time now. I just want to say that definitely I will continue to play at a high level – Champions League or Europa League.

“I want to play two more years. They have to be in the higher level and then I can do something else”.

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Prove your money is clean – UK tells Chelsea owner, Abramovich

British government has told Russian billionaire and Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich that he will need to prove his wealth is legitimate if he wants to get back into the UK.

Following the Sergei Skripal poisoning case in Salisbury, the UK government has launched a war on Russian oligarchs entering the UK.

And one of the first casualties of this is believed to be Abramovich, who was forced to watch his club’s FA cup final at Wembley on Saturday from Russia.

He is now believed to be classed as a new applicant for a UK visa.

Worth £9.3bn, Abramovich will have to prove at least £2m of investment in the UK is from legal sources.

He had held a UK visa for years but has not been seen in the country since early April.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said, “Work is under way in terms of reviewing Tier 1 investor visas.

“In 2014-15 we took action to tighten up the Tier 1 investor route, including the introduction of new powers to refuse applications where there are reasonable grounds to believe funds have been obtained unlawfully.

“As a result of these reforms applications reduced by 84 per cent.

“We are currently taking another look at how the route operates and are undertaking further checks on investors who came to the UK through this route before the reforms were introduced.”

Britain’s tough stance has sparked a furious reaction from the Kremlin, who have labelled the approach as “unfair and unfriendly”.

But MPs have accused Putin and his allies of using London to hide and launder corrupt assets.

here is no indication that Abramovich has made or invested any money illegally in the UK.

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