FRASER FORSTER JOINS SOUTHAMPTON ON A £10m MOVE.

Fraser Forster will undergo a medical at Southampton before completing a £10 million move from Scottish champions Celtic.
The giant goalkeeper will sign a four-year deal and leaves Celtic two years after joining them from Newcastle United in a £2.2m transfer. He had spent the previous two years on loan at Celtic from Newcastle before the move was made permanent.
The transfer fee represents a stunning profit for Celtic on a goalkeeper who has gone from third choice at Newcastle to one of the Europe's brightest goalkeeper.
He has produced some outstanding performances in Europe over the past three seasons, most notably against Barcelona in the Champions League when he almost single handedly defied Lionel Messi in Celtic's 2-1 win over the Catalan giants.
His form was rewarded with a first England cap against Chile last November, and he was part of the England squad at the World Cup finals in Brazil with the national coach Roy Hodgson a firm admirer of his wares.

SUAREZ GRANNY ACCUSE FIFA FOR THE LONG BAN.

Luis Suarez’s Granny, says FIFA treated his grandson like a dog, and he’s been victimized, which is unfair, after FIFA sanction him to four months without football and absence in nine international matches on thursday.
“Everyone knows what they’ve done to Luis. They wanted him out of the World Cup. Perfect, they did it.
They chucked him out of there like a dog,” a sobbing Lila Piriz Da Rosa told Reuters, from Suarez’s birthtown Salto in north-west Uruguay.
Piriz, who has 22 grand-children, said football authorities had been watching Suarez from the outset.
“This was on purpose,” she said of the sanctions given to the brilliant but volatile Suarez, who has been punished three times now for biting and once for racism.
“They had their eyes on him to see what he does. It’s barbaric what they’ve done to him,” Piriz added.

2014/2015 PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES.....(READ).....

Arsenal v Crystal Palace

Burnley v Chelsea

Leicester City v Everton

Liverpool v Southampton

Manchester United v Swansea City

Newcastle United v Manchester City

Queens Park Rangers v Hull City

Stoke City v Aston Villa

West Bromwich Albion v Sunderland

West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur

SEE FULL LIST OF THE SUPER EAGLES 23 MAN SQUAD FOR WORLD CUP...(LOOK)...

Goalkeepers:
Vincent Enyeama (Lille/FRA),
Chigozie Agbim (Gombe United),
Austin Ejide (/ISR)

Defenders:
Elderson Echiejile (Monaco/FRA),
Efe Ambrose (Celtic FC/SCO),
Godfrey Oboabona (Rizespor/TUR)
Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves),
Kenneth Omeruo (Middlesbrough/ENG),
Juwon Oshaniwa (Ashdod FC/ISR),
Joseph Yobo (Norwich City/ENG)

Midfielders:
Mikel Obi (Chelsea/ENG),
Ogenyi Onazi, (Lazio/ITA)
Ejike Uzoenyi (Enugu Rangers),
Gabriel Reuben (Beveren/BEL),
Nosa Igiebor (Real Betis/SPA),
Sunday Mba (CA Bastia/FRA),
Michael Uchebo (Cercle Brugge/BEL)

Forwards:
Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow/RUS),
Shola Ameobi (Newcastle United/ENG)
Victor Moses (Chelsea/ENG),
Emmanuel Emenike (Fenerbahce/TUR),
Osaze Odemwingie, (Stoke city/ENG)
Nnamdi Oduamadi (Varese/ITA)

SEE BRAZIL WORLD CUP SQUAD...(LOOK)...

Luiz Felipe Scolari has named six Premier League players in his Brazil squad for the upcoming World Cup but there was no room for Philippe Coutinho or Kaka, Ronaldinho and Robinho.
Chelsea stars Ramires, Willian, David Luiz and Oscar make the grade, as does Fernandinho and Paulinho but there is no room for Liverpool’s inform Coutinho.
There was also no room for PSG's Lucas Moura or Lucas Leiva of Liverpool but former Everton and Manchester City man Jo lines up alongside fellow forwards Fred, Neymar and Hulk.

Full squad:

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Toronto FC), Jefferson (Botafogo), Victor (Grêmio)

Defenders: Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Maicon (Internazionale), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Maxwell (Paris Saint-Germain), David Luiz (Chelsea), Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain), Dante (Bayern Munich), Henrique (Napoli)

Midfielders: Paulinho (Tottenham), Ramires (Chelsea), Fernandinho (Manchester City), Oscar (Chelsea), Willian (Chelsea), Luiz Gustavo (Wolfsburg), Hernanes (Internazionale), Bernard (Shakhtar Donetsk)

Attackers: Fred (Fluminense), Neymar (Barcelona), Hulk (Zenit St Petersburg), Jo (Atlético Mineiro)

FIRST FEMALE FOOTBALL COACH OF A MALE TEAM...(PHOTO)...

French second division side Clermont Foot have named Helena Costa as their new coach, the first time a team in the top two divisions of one of Europe’s big five leagues has appointed a female manager.
Iran women’s coach Costa, 39, has previously managed the Qatar and Benfica women’s sides. The Portuguese has also worked in men’s football, most notably as a scout for Scottish champions Celtic.
“Costa has come through the ranks of Benfica’s coaching staff, although she has also managed the women’s teams of Qatar, Iran and Odivelas (a Portuguese women’s side). In addition she worked as a scout for Celtic,” Clermont said.
Olivier Chavanon, a former player with Clermont, will join her as a sporting director.

INTER MILAN SET TO SIGN MIKEL FOR £12m.

John Obi Mikel’s agent has confirmed “Inter are interested and it’s a possibility, but right now he is a Chelsea player.”
There have been repeated links with the Nigeria international since Walter Mazzarri took over and it seems likely there will be a summer offer for the midfielder.
“Inter? What I can tell you is that I met with my client and the directors and they are interested in him,” agent John Shittu told FcInterNews.it.
“He is a great player who won the Champions League and the Africa Cup of Nations, so he is suited to the Nerazzurri’s standards.
“Inter are a possibility, but right now Mikel is a Chelsea player.”
The representative was asked if he had met with Inter director Piero Ausilio, but refused to answer.
“I cannot tell you anything more on the negotiations. The fact remains that Mikel now has a contract with the Blues.”
Inter would prefer to take Mikel on loan from Chelsea, otherwise the price tag is £12m.

DIEGO COSTA AGREES TO CHELSEA £32M BID.

Diego Costa will sign for Chelsea in a £32 million deal this summer, claims The Sun with some conviction. The paper reports that a deal for the Atletico Madrid hitman, who scored against the Blues at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, has already been done. A top Stamford Bridge source confirmed: “Diego Costa will be a Chelsea player next season. It’s a done deal.” The Brazil-born striker only signed a new deal with the Champions League finalists last year but the figure Chelsea have offered will trigger a release clause in his contract.
Chelsea have been linked with Costa for some time but this report is the furthest the story has gone so far. It seems like a deal will happen, but why would Costa want to leave a club that could yet be European champions at the end of the season, in a country to which he has just pledged his international allegiances? If money were not a big part of it, his motives would be difficult to understand. But money is clearly a big part of it, and at Chelsea, there's plenty of it.

REAL MADRID SET TO BID £70m FOR LIVERPOOL'S SUAREZ.

Real Madrid are set to make a move for Luis Suarez; Liverpool may have won the race for Adam Lallana.
Madrid plan to nick Suarez off Liverpool: Liverpool are bracing themselves for a £70 million raid from Real Madrid for striker Luis Suarez, according to a report in The Sun. The paper reports that the bid will trigger a get-out clause in his new Anfield contract, with an offer to be tabled at the end of the season and before the World Cup starts.
Assuming the report is accurate, the Reds would be powerless to stop Suarez leaving.
Real have yet to decide whether to offer Karim Benzema or highly-rated youngster Alvaro Morata as part-exchange.

ADNAN JANUZAJ SET TO PLAY FOR BELGIUM.

Manchester United midfielder Adnan Januzaj has declared his allegiance to Belgium, according to coach Marc Wilmots.

Januzaj - who is also eligible for Kosovo, Albania and Serbia and was linked with an eventual switch to England - could now be selected for the World Cup finals in Brazil this summer.

The 19-year-old, born in Belgium to Kosovan parents, has been in England since he was 16 but was reportedly being encouraged by his Albanian-Kosovar father to play for Kosovo.

Serbia - and Croatia and Turkey, who were also named as possibles - was never a realistic option for Januzaj though.

And it seems he has opted for the land of his birth, with coach Wilmots tweeting the news in French and Flemish.

Januzaj has scored four goals in 24 league appearances since making his debut in the Community Shield in August.

FIFA SUSPEND BARCELONA FC TRANSFER BAN.

It's been largely a season of gloom for Barcelona, but the Spanish champions received a rare ray of light Wednesday following the suspension of the club's transfer ban.
The suspension of the ban --  imposed for breaking rules relating to the "international transfer of minors" -- allows Barca to potentially overhaul its squad this summer while appealing its punishment.
"The chairman of the FIFA  Appeal Committee considered that the appeal lodged by the club is to be granted suspensive effect," said a FIFA statement, a decision welcomed by Barca on its website.
The Catalan side have suffered a miserable time of late -- crashing out of the Champions League, losing the Spanish Copa del Rey final to rivals Real Madrid and losing ground in the race for the Spanish La Liga title.
And their hopes of signing sign the likes of a new goalkeeper and center-back -- replacing departing and aging stars alike -- looked to have been scuppered by FIFA;s decision earlier this month to ban the club from buying players in the next two transfer windows.
The April 2 ruling from football's world governing body came after an investigation found Barcelona had broken regulations regarding the transfer of young players from outside Spain between 2009 and 2013.
Under FIFA laws, clubs are not allowed to sign international players under the age of 18 unless the player is moving within the European Union, is aged between 16 and 18 and moving with their parents or the club and the player both live within 50 kilometers of a shared national border.
However, following Barcelona's decision to lodge an appeal and the threat of taking its case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, FIFA has given the club something of a reprieve.
German goalkeeper Andre Ter Stegen has reportedly been linked with a move to Barca from Borussia Monchengladbach this summer, while highly-rated 17-year-old Alen Halilovic was set to arrive at the Camp Nou from Dinamo Zagreb.
Those moves seemed to have been jeopardized by the ban, but the Halilovic deal will now go ahead, while Ter Stegen looks likely to follow given that Victor Valdes has confirmed he will leave the club this summer.
There has also been speculation that a new coach could arrive before the start of the next campaign as Gerardo Martino -- appointed last summer -- has failed to completely win over the club's supporters and could finish the season without a major trophy.
Barca's mixed form as well as the transfer ban are not the only negative stories that have threatened to derail Barca's season.
President Sandro Rosell resigned in January after a judge ordered a hearing to investigate the misappropriation of funds during the signing of Brazil star Neymar in 2013.
The next transfer window is set to open on July 1.

CHELSEA'S PETR CECH OUT OF SEASON.

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a shoulder dislocation in the goalless draw with Atletico Madrid.
The Czech shot-stopper picked up the injury early in the Champions League semi-final first leg clash at the Vicente Calderon, after colliding with Raul Garcia.
After the match Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho told Sky Italia that Cech would not return this season.
Blues captain and defender John Terry was also carried off with an ankle injury, but the extent of his problem is not yet known.
He is expected to miss the Liverpool game and the second leg against Atletico.
Chelsea face Liverpool at the weekend, knowing anything but a win at the leaders would end their Premier League hopes.

BREAKING NEWS: DAVID MOYES SET TO BE SACKED.

Manchester United have refused to deny the rumours according to local newspaper the Manchester Evening News.
Many of the reports also suggest that Ryan Giggs would be given the job on a temporary basis until the summer if Moyes was sacked.
Moyes backroom staff of Steve Round, Jimmy Lumsden and Phil Neville are all likely be sacked if Moyes is let go.
However, there may still be a place at the club for Chris Woods who has impressed as goalkeeping coach since arriving in the summer - David De Gea has been United's best player this season, albeit amid limited competition.
Moyes' Manchester United side were outwitted by former club Everton in a 2-0 defeat on Sunday and that appears to have been the final straw for United's board.
United are seventh in the Premier League table and that result ended their slim hopes of Champions League football next season.
After that match Moyes has challenged his players to restore some pride by winning their four remaining matches but he may not even get the chance to do that.
Moyes continues to paint a positive picture about the future, but he cannot hide from the statistics that show just how badly his first season at United has gone. United will end the season with their worst points total in Premier League history. They have failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in two decades.
And they will only guarantee Europa League football at Old Trafford next term if they overhaul the six-point gap that separates them from Tottenham.
All those facts make uneasy reading for Moyes and the United faithful, so the Scot wants to ease some of the pressure on his shoulders by taking maximum points from the final four games against Norwich, Sunderland, Hull and Southampton.

ARSENE WENGER TO EXTEND CONTRACT WITH ARSENAL.

Arsene Wenger has given Arsenal’s hierarchy his word
that he will sign a new contract.
There has been mounting speculation about Wenger’s
future because of his failure to pen a deal, which has
been on offer since the end of last year.
Wenger told the board that he had given his word and
insisted: “I never go back on it.”
He also has the total support of American millionaire
Stan Kroenke, the biggest shareholder at the Emirates.
The delay in sealing his new deal has been noted at
Paris Saint-Germain and their Qatari owners know
Wenger well.
They used him as an adviser when they took over and
were very impressed with him. If Wenger doesn’t renew
his Arsenal contract, PSG look certain to move in.
Current coach Laurent Blanc’s contract expires this
summer and he is unpopular with several senior
players.
Wenger has turned down the chance to leave Arsenal in
the past and the Gunners remain confident Wenger will
extend his stay.

YAYA TOURE TO MISS REST OF SEASON.

Manchester City’s boss Manuel Pellegrini said on
Monday that his side’s Ivorian forward Yaya Toure
could miss the rest of the season after he sustained a
knee injury during the Citizen’s 3-2 loss to Liverpool
in the Premier League on Sunday.
The international forward left the pitch after 19
minutes and Pellegrini is waiting to discover the full
extent of Toure’s injury.
“It’s difficult for Yaya to be in the next game. We will
see tomorrow, I don’t know how serious he is
injured,” Pellegrini was quoted as saying by Sky
Sports on Monday.
“I think it will be difficult for him to finish playing this
season.”
The 28-year-old has produced a string of strong
displays with City this season, scoring 22 goals in 42
appearances.

CHELSEA FC AGREE £50m BID FOR DIEGO COSTA.

Chelsea have agreed a whopping £50 million deal to sign Atletico Madrid forward Diego Costa in the summer; Christian Eriksen hints at a Tottenham exit; and Ben Foster could be heading to White Hart Lane.

Chelsea ‘agree deal to sign Atletico ace’: Chelsea have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa for a whopping £50 million, according to the Metro. The paper suggests Brazilian-born Spaniard will link up with the Blues on June 30, just weeks after the two sides meet in the Champions League semi-finals. The reported fee will

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL DRAWS DONE.

Chelsea will face Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League, with Real Madrid hosting Bayern Munich in the other tie.

Jose Mourinho's side face a tricky task as they travel to Spain to take on Atletico, who knocked out Barcelona in the quarter-finals.

Chelsea advanced to the semi-final stage with an impressive victory over Paris Saint-Germain – coming through on away goals – and will be looking to reach their second final in three years.

In the competition's other fixture, Real Madrid take on reigning European champions Bayern Munich.

The first legs of the semi-finals are to be played on April 22-23 and the second legs on April 29-30.

VETTEL PROGRESS IN MELBOURNE AS HAMILTON AND ROSBERG CRASH OUT...

Nico Rosberg led from start to finish to win while Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel failed to finish the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Mercedes star Rosberg got a perfect start to claim the lead from team-mate and pole-sitter Hamilton, and never looked troubled thereafter, while Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo claimed second place and McLaren's Kevin Magnussen a stunning third place on his F1 debut.
The shock of the race were the early retirements for Hamilton and Vettel, however, both of whom suffered misfiring cyclinders that saw them missing pace from the start.
Jenson Button finished fourth and Fernando Alons fifth, but one of the performances of the day came from Vallteri Bottas, who came sixth after twice scything through almost the entire field - once at the start of the race, and then again after hitting a wall, losing his right rear tyre and limping into the pits.
The winner's joy was evident after as easy a win as could be imagined.
"Fantastic! What a car you've given me! What a car!" Rosberg yelled down the radio to his team after taking the chequered flag.
Hamilton had a very different opening race, however, though he remained philosophical.
"I was driving on five cylinders - it's a bit unfortunate, but that's racing," he said.
"It's just a hiccup. There's a long way to go... I'm not concerned about anything."
Vettel tried to stay cool despite his clear frustration at the retirement after a rotten weekend that saw him qualify down in 13th.
"We lost power. We didn't understand why - cars kept passing me... At one stage I thought there was a slight improvement but then it was clear there was a big problem with the engine," said Vettel.
Hamilton and Vettel both added that they are confident the issues could be solved quickly - and given the excellent pace of their team-mates, that seems more than likely.

TRANSFER: Chelsea re-sign Matic for €25m

 

The Serbian international has signed a five-and-a-half year contract at Stamford Bridge following his spell at Benfica, only three years after he left west London

Chelsea have confirmed they have re-signed midfielder Nemanja Matic from Benfica.
The Blues were on the brink of agreeing a deal worth €25 million for the Serb on Monday after holding talks with the Portuguese giants in Lisbon.

Matic travelled to London on Tuesday to undergo a medical, and has now signed a five-and-a-half year contract at Stamford Bridge.

"I am very happy for this opportunity to be back at this club," Matic told the club's official website. "I feel very good because of that and just want to say I will give my best to help the team and make the Chelsea fans happy."

Nigeria 4-2 Mozambique: Rabiu Ali's brace inspires Eagles victory

 

The Super Eagles secured their first win in the African Nations Championship after beating their southern Africans opponents in a six-goal thriller.

Nigeria continued their quest for a debut CHAN trophy with a 4-2 defeat of Mozambique at the Cape Town Stadium in South Africa on Wednesday night.
A brace from Rabiu Ali and one goal each from Ifeanyi Ede and substitute Barnabas Imenger were all  Stephen Keshi's men needed to brush aside Joao Chisano’s team on a night of exciting football artistry.

The much talked about game between the two debutants kicked off on a bright note as both sides who were still fresh from their opening defeats contested for every ball to gain possession.
However, it was the Mozambicans that got the curtain raiser through captain Dário Khan in the 10^th minute. Khan shot a free kick from almost half way that sailed above and beyond Chigozie Agbim who was still arranging his wall.