2014 WORLD CUP - ARGENTINA - KEY PLAYER - ‪LIONEL MESSI - PROFILE

Lionel Andrés Messi; born 24 June 1987, is an Argentine footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He serves as the captain of his country's national football team.

By the age of 21, Messi had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year, in 2009, he won his first Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. 

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - USA - KEY PLAYER - ‪JERMAINE JONES - PROFILE

Jermaine Junior Jones, born 3 November 1981, is a German-American footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Turkish club Beşiktaş. He has previously played for Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen, Blackburn Rovers and Schalke 04. He was born in Germany and represented them at U21 and senior level.

1 Jul 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - NIGERIA - COACH - STEPHEN KESHI RESIGNS AFTER EXIT

He becomes the sixth manager to leave his job during the World Cup, following the departures of Honduras's Luis Suarez, Iran's Carlos Queiroz, Japan's Alberto Zaccheroni, Italy's Cesare Prandelli and Ivory Coast's Sabri Lamouchi.

Keshi, who captained Nigeria at the 1994 World Cup finals, was previously in charge of Mali and Togo.

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 18 - LAST SIXTEEN - FRANCE vs NIGERIA 2:0

LAST SIXTEEN
30th June 2014

France vs Nigeria 2:0

30 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 18 - LAST SIXTEEN - GERMANY vs ALGERIA 2:1

LAST SIXTEEN
30th June 2014

Germany vs Algeria 2:1

30 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - GERMANY - KEY PLAYER - THOMAS MUELLER‬ - PROFILE

Müller's role can be described as an attacking all-rounder, a player able to play in a variety of forward positions. He can play in any of the attacking midfield roles but usually plays in the center for Bayern Munich, and on the right for Germany.

He has been used as an out-and-out striker on occasion. Müller has been praised for his maturity, pace, technique, awareness and positioning.

30 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - FRANCE - KEY PLAYER - ‪KARIM BENZEMA - PROFILE

He has been named French Player of the Year twice for his performances in 2011 and 2012. Benzema is a former French youth international and has represented his nation from under-17 level onwards. 

Benzema has earned over 65 caps and represented France at three major international tournaments; the 2008 and 2012 editions of the UEFA European Football Championship and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

30 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 17 - LAST SIXTEEN - NETHERLANDS VS MEXICO 2:1

LAST SIXTEEN
29th June 2014

Netherlands vs Mexico 2:1

Lucky dutchmen!

29 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 17 - LAST SIXTEEN - COSTA RICA VS GREECE 5:4 - win on penalties

LAST SIXTEEN
29th June 2014

Costa Rica vs Greece 5:4

Costa Rica through on penalties.

29 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - MEXICO - KEY PLAYER - ‪Giovani dos Santos‬ - PROFILE

Giovani dos Santos‬ was born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Giovani joined FC Barcelona's academy of La Masia at the age of eleven and played for Barcelona's Juvenil A category where he helped his team to make a comeback in the league and win the regional title. 

This title allowed them to participate in the Youth Copa del Rey, where they faced other regional champions, among them their historic arch-rivals, Real Madrid. 

29 Jun 2014

2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - 3RD MATCHES - SIERRA LEONE - SQUAD

AFRICA CUP 2015 QUALIFIERS GROUP D

Sierra Leone are bottom of Group D after losing their first two games to Ivory Coast and Democratic Republic of Congo

Leicester defender Alie Sesay has been invited to play for Sierra Leone in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

It is a first international call-up for the 21-year-old, who is eligible to play for both Sierra Leone and England, the country of his birth.

Newly-appointed Leone stars coach Atto Mensah has included Sesay in his squad to face Cameroon on 11 and 15 October.

"Sesay is a good defender, I believe in him and that's why I have invited him," Mensah told BBC Sport.

"I have spoken to Sesay and his mum and he has accepted to honour my invitation to play for Sierra Leone."

Sesay's selection comes despite the fact he has yet to play in Leicester's first team - he played for the development squad in an Under-21 Premier League match against Chelsea on Monday.

The right-back, who signed a professional contract last year, had a spell on loan at League One side Colchester United at the start of 2014 and made his debut in February but went on to make only two further appearances.

Sesay is one of 20 foreign-based players picked by Mensah for the upcoming matches, which will both be played in Yaounde as a ban remains in place on Sierra Leone hosting matches in their country because of fears over the Ebola outbreak.

"I decided not to invite any home-based players because there's no domestic competition going on in Sierra Leone at the moment because of Ebola," added Mensah.

Former Watford midfielder Alhassan Bangura, who is presently without a club, has been given his second call-up six years after he made his debut.

Bangura's only appearance for the Leone Stars was in October 2008 in a 4:1 defeat to Nigeria's Super Eagles in Abuja in a joint 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations Cup qualifier.

Bangura last played for English non-league side Forest Green Rovers.

Finland-based goalkeeper Partrick Bantamoi, who was a member of the Sierra Leone team that participated in the 2003 CAF and Fifa U-17 championships in Swaziland and Finland, earns his first call-up to the senior squad.


Sierra Leone squad:

Goalkeepers:

Patrick Bantamoi 
(RoPS, Finland)

John Trye 
(ASA Charge, USA)

Solomon Zombo Morris 
(Quivilly, France)


Defenders: 

Alie Sesay 
(Leceister City, England)

Umaru Bangura 
(Dinamo Minsk, Belarus)

David Simbo 
(Al Hilal, Sudan)

Mustapha Dumbuya 
(Notts County, England)

Sheriff Suma 
(IF Syrianska, Sweden)

Gibril Sankoh 
(Henan Jianye, China)


Midfielders: 

Mohamed Kamara 
(Bolton, England)

Mustapha Bangura 
(Nikos & Soratis Ermis, Cyprus)

John Kamara 
(PAS Lamia, Greece)

Alfred Sankoh 
(Khazar Lankaran, Azerbaijan)

Gibrilla Woobay 
(Neftci, Azerbaijan)

Alhassan Bangura 
(Unattached)

Khalifa Jabbie 
(Baliksepor, Turkey)

Ibrahim Soghor Kallay 
(IFK Lulea,Sweden)


Forwards: 

Kei Kamara 
(Unattached)

Alhassan Kamara 
(Orebo, Sweden)

George Kweku Davies 
(Unattached)

2 Oct 2014
(BBC Sport, Freetown by Mohamed Fajah Barrie)

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