SPORTS UPDATE

Keshi Ready For Any Opponent In The Playoffs As Eagles Accuse Mikel Of False Injury Claims. Super Eagles head coach Stephen Keshi has disclosed that his team is ready to face any of the other nine teams through to the playoff round of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. After the 2-0 victory over the Flames of Malawi on Saturday, Keshi said his team will lock horns with any other African side in the next round of the scuttle for Brazil 2014, which starts October and ends November. Nigeria will wait to know their pairing next Monday, but the results of Thursday’s Fifa Ranking will determine the 5 seeded teams for the draw which comes up in Cairo, Egypt. “I don’t have any preference for any of the teams left, whoever we are paired to face, we are ready to face them. The target is to be in Brazil 2014 and that is what we are pursuing as a team,” said Keshi. Meanwhile some members of the team have been left disgruntled by the coach’s decision to exclude John Obi Mikel from today’s friendly against the Burkinabe, sitting injury. Ahead of the friendly game, which could be pivotal to Super Eagles’ performance in the Fifa Rankings due for Thursday, Mikel and Victor Moses were permitted to return to their club base in Europe. According to Thisday, the Eagles players, notably Vincent Enyeama, were not happy with the technical crew’s decision. They argued that Mikel was being allowed to select the matches he would play; stressing that the injury claim was a mere hoax. Enyeama objected that the team only got to know about Mikel’s injury and the decision to exempt him from the trip to Kaduna (venue of the friendly game) on the day the team was departing Calabar. Keshi had also granted permission to Moses because the forward needed time to settle down with Liverpool which he joined on loan on transfer deadline day. The Super Eagles hosts Afcon 2013 runners up Burkina Faso at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium Kaduna later on Tuesday in a friendly encounter. “Rather Sell Peanuts Than To Play For Chelsea”- The Shocking Quote Of Samuel Eto’o About His New Team. Samuel Eto’o was not really a fan of Chelsea in 2005. At that time, the Cameroonian star evolved in Barcelona and had to face Chelsea in the knockout stages of the Champions League. Winning 2-1 in the first leg, the Blaugrana moved to Stamford Bridge to challenge the team coached by Jose Mourinho. Questioned before the game, Eto’o did not mince words: “I’d rather sell peanuts in my village of birth, rather than playing in a club as pathetic as Chelsea”. The continuation is a nightmarish for Barcelona. The Spanish club bowed 4-2 in England and is eliminated from the competition. 8 years later, Eto’o whose transfer was formalised Thursday will wear the colors of Chelsea. Wenger on signing Benzema, Ozil and Di Maria: “It’s not as if we can buy two and get one free” Wenger has seemingly poured cold water on speculations he could swoop for Real Madrid’s trio of Karim Benzema, Mesut Ozil and Angel Di Maria, before the transfer window closes. The Spanish giants are expected to offload some of their attacking talents, after they confirm Gareth Bale’s arrival and the Gunners have been linked with moves, but when Wenger was asked about the possibility of signing the three players, he replied: “I don’t know, it’s not like a supermarket where if you buy two you get one free.” The French manager is still hopeful of making a big-name signing that will pacify angry Arsenal fans, by moving for German wonderkid Julian Draxler. On Friday, chief executive Ivan Gazidis was busy trying to tie up a deal for the Schalke player, at the club’s training ground. Although Wenger has reservations about the price, the Gunners have already contacted the Bundesliga side and expressed their willingness to pay around £40m. It has also emerged that Real Madrid have offered Brazilian midfielder Kaka to Arsenal, especially with the former AC Milan man stating that this was the right time to leave the Santiago Bernabeu. Wenger has also ended his interest in Newcastle’s Yohan Cabaye, after he re-signed Mathieu Flamini this week on a free transfer, but is eager to bring in a striker.Boston Herald  “The referee killed the Super Cup match by sending off Ramires” – Mourinho Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, has blamed referee Jonas Erikkson for their loss in the UEFA Super Cup to Bayern Munich, insisting that he shouldn’t have sent off Ramires for a second bookable offence. The Brazilian midfielder was given his marching orders in the 88th minute, forcing Chelsea to play the last five minutes of normal time with 10 menMourinho said: “I’m disappointed because the best team lost. The team that most deserved to win, lost. But that happens in football. “People who earn their living in football always feel there’s a very important rule: the passion for football. If you are in love with football, you don’t kill a final with a second yellow like this. “If you ask me in pure terms, rule by rule, yes it was a second yellow card. But you don’t do every action in that way. “A good English referee stops the game and tells Ramires, “Look,  you’ve not hurt anyone, but you mustn’t do that again”. He tells the Bayern players,  “Don’t dive. Don’t try to provoke. Play a fair game”.”