UEFA Champions League draw could bring out explosive matches

Spanish Marca has been looking at the UEFA Champions League draw and assessing top-notch clashes that could be juicy for the tournament in the quarterfinals. It has been confirmed that former AC Milan and Chelsea forward, Andrey Shevchenko will be the one to reveal the balls for the draw on Friday. Only 5 of the 8 teams left have won this competition before with Real Madrid leading the rest with 12 titles. Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Liverpool have all lifted the trophy on 5 different occasions. Juventus have only two. It is important to note that AS Roma, Manchester City and Sevilla have not yet enjoyed much success in this European competition but some of these teams have reached the semis and final of this tournament before. Some of the potential ties after the draw could be an El Classico which is Real Madrid vs Barcelona. This fixture is the biggest rivalry in the world and would be ideal to be reserved for the latter part of the competition like the semifinals. Next up could be Real Madrid vs Manchester City. Pep Guardiola has undeniably set up a fierce team that is capable of beating anyone on their day and it would be nice to see how they fare against the defending champions. Visit the link to see the rest of the potential fixtures.

Messi plat du jour yet again

“We are all so blessed to get to watch Lionel Messi play every week”. This is a statement that I am almost forced to repeat week in and week out. It’s very similar to that of a LeBron James. For writers, it is a pleasure to talk about these generational talents. Every week is a new chance to attempt to describe the almost extraterrestrial- like skill we get to witness every single time they both lace up their shoes. Tonight was merely another example that Messi is playing a different game than the rest of us, as he lit up the Camp Nou with another vintage Champions League performance.“

Messi is now the fastest to 100 UEFA Champions League goals after a two-goal display against Chelsea in the second leg of their Round of 16 fixture. The Argentinian forward scored his 99th goal within the first three minutes of the competition; a nearly impossible goal with his right foot through the legs of Courtois. No manners from Lionel, as he seems to keep inventing new ways to disgrace goalkeepers. Even though it may have appeared a fortunate goal, I have believed for a while now that Messi is so inhuman, that the concept of luck is foreign to him. I remember the exact date when he convinced me that even his most fortunate looking piece of skill was executed intentionally, almost as if to prove he could do it. It was 16 January 2014, where, after dribbling around a set of defenders, then passed it forward into the box in front of him. I could have sworn he was giving a through ball to Cristian Tello. Rather it was to himself, before rounding the keeper and slotting it home, giving Barcelona its second goal of the game that evening, which you can relive for yourself here.

I think that his best and most vintage moment during the second leg against Chelsea came 19 minutes and 29 seconds in when Messi jumped on a mistake from Fabregas in midfield before quickly exing out two Chelsea defenders then continuing on to set up Barcelona’s second of the night through Dembele. That burst that he showed to shift the ball once around Christiansen, and then a second time around Azpilicueta, before he found himself in Chelsea’s eighteen-yard box assisting Dembele. I honestly haven’t seen this burst every week in La Liga this season. Not because he is declining physically, but rather it seems most of the time, his game is now at a level where he doesn’t need to hit top gear to impose his will on matches. 

Ray Hudson’s muse rounded out the goals, with another vintage left-footed finish, yet again megging the Belgian shot-stopper and scoring his 100th goal in Europe’s top competition. He now joins Cristiano Ronaldo as the only other player to achieve this feat. Chelsea never stood a chance tonight, and I’m sure Conte found his own way to communicate that to his men post-match.

Russia 2018: Nigeria Goes For Gold

Nigeria’s head coach, Gernot Rohr has mentioned that the Super Eagles have their eyes set on winning the world cup title come June 2018 in Russia. No African team has ever won the cup nor has any team ever made it to the semi-finals in world cup history. However, when the FIFA World Cup Trophy arrived in Lagos for the tour, the German was bold to send a statement to the other 31 finalists.

“Every team going to the World Cup in Russia has a dream of winning it, but to be realistic, we believe in our dream and we are working so hard to achieve it." - Gernot Rohr

February Awards: Victor Wanyama and Jordan Ayew Star

Kenyan international, Victor Wanyama’s goal grabbed the Premier League goal of the month award while Swansea’s Jordan Ayew was named the Welsh club’s player of the month. Wanyama came off the bench, scored a stunner from 40 yards against for Tottenham Hotspur and helped the North Londoners force a draw against Liverpool at Anfield. It was also the night of great goals, in which Salah mesmerized on-lookers by getting the better of two Spurs defenders and finishing off in emphatic style.

"The ball was bouncing and I didn’t want to think too much so I just let it fly. It was a good goal and I’m happy to win Goal of the Month.” - Victor Wanyama

Though he was red-carded this weekend for a rash challenge on Huddersfield man, Jordan Ayew is enjoying glory days at Swansea. He has been phenomenal in their recent revival, raising the club’s EPL survival hopes and progressing in the English FA Cup. It’s only fair to give him such an accolade. We might actually enjoy more of the Ayew brothers as Jordan was recently united with his brother Andre at the Swans.

Is Ligue 1 Enough Of A Challenge For Neymar?

Spanish football expert Guillem Balague of SkySports gave his views on the rumors surrounding Neymar after his team was eliminated from the UEFA Champions League by Real Madrid. It is said that the Brazilian star is disappointed by his team’s lack of hunger to be competitive in the tournament which he hoped to win again in different colors to those of Barcelona. The player was in red hot form before his latest injury as he had scored 29 goals and provided 19 assists in just 30 matches across all competitions. It is believed that someone close to the player is the one who is being used as a spokesman to attract the attention of Real Madrid who have already tried to sign the player three times in the past. If that is to happen, Madrid would have to fork out something around €400m to lure him from PSG. Whether the club would actually allow him to leave is another story. What is to expect is an increase in the number of articles published between now and the end of season about Neymar and his possible transfer to different clubs in Europe.

PSG Behavior Under Scrutiny

To add salt to the Real Madrid-inflicted wound, the Parisians have now gotten the attention of the UEFA board who are looking to investigate on their compliance with the Financial Fair Play rules and the behavior of their ultras. The cash-rich club have invested a lot in their squad as they spent hundreds of millions to find talent in each position in the pitch and possibly a substitute for each bar those two players in the picture, Rabiot and Kimpembe who have come through their academy. UEFA has made a conscious decision to intervene and analyze their books especially because of their recent deals of Neymar and Mbappe whom they bought in a collective $380 million deal in the summer of 2017. The other issue is about the behavior of their fans who used flares and lasers, blocked the stairways and were terribly organized in their match against Real Madrid. The club has already received penalties before with a section of their ground being closed due to indiscretions. Could they be banned from making any purchases in the coming two transfer windows? Anything is possible in the game of football.

Messi: Looking Back

It has been 17 years since Lionel Messi started playing in the Infantil B in the Barcelona academy. The club have been celebrating this milestone on social by sharing his old videos when the player was learning how to master the art of football before becoming arguably the best player in football history in present day. The 30-year-old’s arrival at Barcelona from Argentina can never be forgotten as he was signed on a napkin. Many clubs like Arsenal came asking for his services during his youth years because they knew the boy had something special. However, this was not common to the eye that watched the first team which had amazing players like Ronaldinho and Eto’o at the time. It did not take time for him to make a statement when he was eventually handed the opportunity in the first team by Frank Rijkaard who was the coach at the time. He has not looked back ever since. The player has gone on to win a record 5 Ballon d’Ors only matched by goal machine Cristiano Ronaldo. Visit the link to read more on the story. 

CAF: Liberia’s First Lady, Clar Weah, Named CAF Ambassador for Women Football

"It is a task that I am ready to do because I know the importance of football right from what it did for my husband and now my family." - Clar Weah

It has been quite the week for the Weahs. George Weah’s son, Timothy recently made his debut for PSG in their 2-0 win against Troyes. This was 23 years after his father made his debut for the same club. Now, Clar Weah, the mother of the Liberian first family has been ordained with the task of promoting women’s football at the first CAF symposium for women football in Marrakech, Morocco.