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

AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2015 - DRAW COMPLETED

African Champions League 2015

African champions Entente Setif will begin the defence of their title against Barrack Young Controllers of Liberia or The Gambia's Real de Banjul.

The Algerians, along with six other clubs, were given byes into the first round of the 2015 African Champions League.

Coton Sport of Cameroon, Congo's AC Leopards, Egypt's Al Ahly, TP Mazembe for DR Congo and Tunisian duo of CS Sfaxien and Esperance are the other clubs who are into the first round.

Three former winners are in the preliminary round - Ghana's Asante Kotoko face East End Liond of Sierra Leone, Nigeria's Enyimba will play Buffles from Benin while Raja Casablanca take on Diables Noirs of Congo.

The tournament gets underway with preliminary round fixtures on the weekend of 13-15 February with second leg games scheduled for a fortnight later.


2015 African Champions League preliminary round draw:

Mbabane Swallows (Swaziland) vs ZESCO United (Zambia)

Séwé Sport (Ivory Coast) vs AS Kaloum (Guinea)

USM Alger (Algeria) vs Foullah Edifice (Chad)

AS Pikine (Senegal) vs Étoile Filante (Burkina Faso)

Al Hilal (Sudan) vs KMKM (Zanzibar)

Fomboni Club (Comoros) vs Big Bullets (Malawi)

Recreativo do Libolo (Angola) vs SM Sanga Balende (DR Congo)

KCCA (Uganda) vs Cosmos de Bafia (Cameroon)

Azam (Tanzania) vs Al Merreikh (Sudan)

LLB Académic (Burundi) vs Kabuscorp (Angola)

Sony Elá Nguema (Equatorial Guinea) vs AC Semassi (Togo)

MC El Eulma (Algeria) vs Saint George (Ethiopia)

East End Lions (Sierra Leone) vs Asante Kotoko (Ghana)

Enyimba (Nigeria) vs Buffles du Borgou (Benin)

Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya) vs Smouha (Egypt)

Gor Mahia (Kenya) vs CNaPS Sport (Madagascar)

Liga Muçulmana (Mozambique) vs APR (Rwanda)

CO de Bamako (Mali) vs Moghreb Tétouan (Morocco)

Al Malakia (South Sudan) vs Kano Pillars (Nigeria)

Real Banjul (The Gambia) vs Barrack Young Controllers (Liberia)

Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa) vs Township Rollers (Botswana)

Raja Casablanca (Morocco) vs Diables Noirs (Congo)

St Michel United (Seychelles) vs Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)

AS Mangasport (Gabon) vs Bantu (Lesotho)

• Stade Malien (Mali) vs AS GNN (Niger)

 

24 Dec 2014
(BBC Sport UK)

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