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Manchester City Vs Barcelona: UEFA Champions League Live at 10.45pm (Kenyan Time).

Fernandinho is set to return to the Manchester City squad for the Champions League last-16 tie against Spanish champions Barcelona on Tuesday. 

The midfielder has missed City's last three matches with a muscle problem but took part in training on Monday. 

However, striker Sergio Aguero remains out with a hamstring injury. 

"He is not fit. We will see if he can be fit for Saturday [to play Stoke] but maybe that is difficult." said City boss Manuel Pellegrini. 

Aguero has been out since 29 January after picking up a hamstring injury in a 5-1 win over Tottenham. 

The Argentine, who has 26 goals in 25 City appearances so far this season, came off just before half-time against Spurs and was expected to be out for a month. 
 
The 25-year-old had only just returned from an eight-game absence with a calf injury before suffering his latest injury setback. 

Manchester City have never reached the last 16 of the Champions League before and will be facing Barcelona, who are top of the Spanish league, for the first time in a competitive match. 

The return of Fernandinho will help bolster Pellegrini's options in midfield. 

"He has a chance. He is in the squad list," said the Chilean. 

"We will see on Tuesday who can start but he has worked without any problem." 

City have scored 68 goals in 25 league games so far this season, the highest in the English top-flight, and Pellegrini wants his team to continue to show their attacking intent against Barcelona. 

"Of course when you play against Barca you always must consider important things," said Pellegrini. 

"But the most important thing is to continue being the same team you see every week in Premier League, to continue having the same style of play and the personality. 

"We are not just going to think about defending, but what we can do with the ball. That is the most important thing."  ................Source: BBC Sports

Manchester City are Now Better Than Manchester Unied




Manuel Pellegrini believes Manchester City have become the dominant force in the city this season, as his side prepare to take on Barcelona in the last-16 of the Champions League. 

Wayne Rooney Set To Sign A New Contract Deal With Manchester United

Wayne Rooney is this week expected to sign a new contract that would keep the England striker at Manchester United until the end of the 2018-2019 season, local media reported on Monday.

The 28-year-old could seal his Old Trafford future as early as Wednesday or Thursday, the Press Association said.

Wayne Rooney
Media speculation about Rooney's future at the English Premier League giants has swirled since Chelsea attempted to lure him away before the start of the current season.

But despite United's troubles under new manager David Moyes – which sees them in the unfamiliar position of seventh, 15 points off the pace set by Chelsea – Rooney is thought to be settled at Old Trafford.

Earlier this month, Rooney insisted he was "focusing on the football" amid a flurry of rumours about negotiations over his contract, which expires at the end of next season.
However, he conceded it is his ambition to beat Bobby Charlton's goal-scoring record for the club. Charlton amassed 249 goals for United and Rooney currently has 208.

"It is a great aim for myself to try and get Sir Bobby's record, both at club and international level," said Rooney, who trails Charlton's record of 49 England goals by 11.

"It is something which I would like to do. If I can do that, I would be really proud, because it has stood for a long time."

Rooney made his professional debut at the age of 16 at Everton under Moyes and has spoken out in defence of the embattled manager, who has struggled in his first season to emulate the success enjoyed by United legend Alex Ferguson.

"David Moyes is a fantastic manager," Rooney said last week.

"I worked with him at Everton and for a number of months at United. He's done everything he can, but it's the players that have to do better and hopefully we can do that."

Story Courtesy of Supersport.Com

AFC Lepards Maul Ethiopia's Defence


Courtesy of Goal.Com
 
AFC Leopards’ are through to the next round of Caf Confederations Cup after stopping Defence of Ethiopia 2-1 at National a Stadium in Addis Ababa on Sunday.

Lethal striker Allan Wanga, who was coming back from injury, scored both goals to ensure his side goes through on a 4-1 goal aggregate as they had won the first leg 2-0 in Nairobi one week ago.

Allan Wanga: Scored a brace
It was the home team, who scored first when Michael Dessta's free-kick in the 39th minute went in unchallenged. Dessta's well curved free-kick went neatly passed Leopards’ backline and into the top right corner as Wycliffe Kasaya in goal watched.

The goal was always coming as the home side kept up the pressure from the word go. Wycliffe Kasaya was forced to dive and keep out a Solomon Ferew low effort in the 12th minute resulting in the first corner of the match.

Leopards should easily have gotten a goal from the counter-attack initiated by Allan Wanga and he did well to play with Jacob Keli. The former KCB man however, opted to pass the ball to Augustine Etemesi though going for goal would have been easier.

Then Martin Imbalambala was forced to come out and stop Mulualem Tilahun, who was rushing for goal but in the ensuing melee earned himself a yellow card which locks him out of the next match.

An unmarked Jacob Keli wasted the first real chance to put Leopards’ ahead in the 15th minute after he was quickly dispossessed when he hesitated to pull the trigger but it was Peter Opiyo, who made the first effort at goal with a well timed shot.

The Leopards’ backline continued to soak the pressure and it was always a matter of time before they cracked. The short passes proved overwhelming and at the half hour mark Leopards’ were forced to defend two corners.

In the 39th minute, Dessta's free-kick separated the two sides.Veteran defender James Situma also ended the first half on a yellow card as he protested a free kick awarded to their opponents.

As the second half kicked off, Leopards’ were on the offensive from the word go resulting in Wanga's equalizer.

The lethal striker was picked out by Bernard Mang’oli and from it he beat the Defence goalkeeper with a powerful shot. The second came from an almost similar situation. With two minutes to go, Abdalla Juma raced down the left flank and found Wanga, who turned and slotted home with the easiest of efforts.

FA Cup Results: Arsenal Thump Liverpool 2 - 1; A Sweet and Bitter Revenge

Lucas Podolski: Image Courtesy
Courtesy of The Guardian.

Arsenal are not supposed to win like this. In fact, Arsenal are not supposed to win at all when the prospect of silverware flashes before their eyes. With plenty of big guns cast from the FA Cup, the winner here knew that the chances of glory would soar, particularly as a home tie awaited in the quarter-finals, albeit a tough one against Everton.

Liverpool will wonder how they lost. They were offensively dynamic, creating a host of chances, and though they were awarded one penalty for a foul on Luis Suárez, they could not believe that they were denied another one shortly afterwards.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, one of the Arsenal heroes, crashed into Suárez inside the area and it was a major surprise that the referee, Howard Webb, who had an extremely busy afternoon, ignored the Liverpool appeals. In the eyes of the club's supporters, it was further evidence that Webb has it in for them. Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool manager, described it as a "blatant" penalty.

Arsenal got the job done. It was a performance that was characterised by grit and defiance, and it was epitomised by the stand-in goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, who made a string of vital saves. At full-time, Fabianski ran from his goal to slide on his knees in front of one of the main stands.

Arsène Wenger had rotated his line-up before Wednesday's Champions League last-16 first-leg tie at home to Bayern Munich and it felt, especially after the 5-1 mauling at Liverpool in the Premier League the previous weekend, that Arsenal were somehow the underdogs.

But they punched their weight and they advanced on the back of two pieces of ruthless finishing, from the excellent Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lukas Podolski. Liverpool laid siege to the Arsenal goal for much of the second half and Rodgers was not exaggerating when he said that Liverpool might have scored five or six.

But, despite the menace of Suárez they suffered a jolt to the momentum that has built behind them in recent weeks. This one really hurt because Liverpool looked good, and Daniel Sturridge took it particularly hard having missed three decent chances. He was disconsolate at full-time. Arsenal could simply savour revenge for the Anfield humbling and a timely boost to morale.

Liverpool had threatened to reprise the blitz that they staged against Arsenal last weekend – when they led 4-0 after 20 minutes – and here Sturridge had two golden chances before the tie was five minutes old. They stemmed from lovely passes from Steven Gerrard and Philippe Coutinho respectively but, on the first occasion, Sturridge's shot was blocked by Fabianski, and on the second he went around the goalkeeper only to shoot into the side netting.

It was Arsenal who forged ahead and the goal owed much to the physical presence of Yaya Sanogo, the full debutant, plus a misjudgment from Martin Skrtel, who leapt for and missed Mesut Özil's cross from the right. Sanogo got the ball down and shot; it struck Gerrard before breaking kindly to Oxlade-Chamberlain, who swept the ball past Brad Jones.

The pace and intensity of the tie was unrelenting and there was much to admire in the technique on show from the creative players. There was also old-fashioned niggle, with Arsenal, unusually, looking to leave a mark on their opponents.

Perhaps it was the return of Mathieu Flamini, the club's all talking, all snarling midfielder, or maybe it was Sanogo's presence. All that the France youth centre-forward missed was a pair of boxing gloves. The crowd loved it when he closed down Daniel Agger on 28 minutes to make a blocking challenge. A serious back problem has undermined his first season at Arsenal but he bristled with a determination to make up for lost time. When he was substituted late on, he departed to a great ovation.

Webb showed five yellow cards in the first half and he let a couple of other challenges go, including Podolski's lunge at Jon Flanagan. Podolski had been caught moments earlier by Gerrard, who was spared. The Liverpool captain, though, went into the book for a cynical foul on Oxlade-Chamberlain and he was fortunate to escape a second yellow for a late tackle on the same player in the 75th minute. Flamini, obviously, was booked, for fouling Gerrard, and Nacho Monreal's rake on Joe Allen looked painful.

Suárez showed yet again that it is impossible to keep him quiet. He simmered in the first half and he came to the boil in the second. He had just worked Fabianski when Arsenal sprang forward to extend their lead. After Carl Jenkinson had won the ball, Oxlade-Chamberlain swapped passes with Özil before cutting it back for Podolski and the German's shot beat Jones.

Suárez and Liverpool merely intensified their efforts and they came to dominate, although Özil did force Jones into one low save. Suárez and Sturridge had sightings before the tie swung again on the penalty. Podolski's hack at Suárez was needless and a clear penalty; Gerrard scored without fuss.

Arsenal were fortunate that Webb did not whistle for the second one. After Suárez's free-kick had been blocked, the Uruguayan sought to work another opening inside the area only for Oxlade-Chamberlain to barge into him. The visiting fans howled.

Moments earlier, Sturridge had gone through only for Fabianski to thrust out a hand to thwart him, and although Suárez kept going, Liverpool knew it would not be their day when Agger headed wide from a Gerrard free-kick.

Gor Mahia's Goal Keeper; Jerim Onyango Pushes K'ogalo To The Next Round Of Continental Championship

Courtesy of futaa.com

Kenyan representatives in the CAF Champions League, Gor Mahia bundled out a stubborn US Bitam with a 4-2 win in the post match shootouts after a 0-1 outcome in the regular time in the second round of the preliminary CAF Champions League tie played on Sunday 16 February 2014 at the Gaston Peyrille Stadium, Gabon.

Jerim Onyango: Image Courtesy
Tied 1-1 on aggregate, the game went straight to post match penalties where Gor emerged 3-1 winners to book a place in the first round. 

Gor Mahia scored through Godfrey Walusimbi, Rama Salim, former Kakamega Homeboyz youngster Haron Shakava and Innocent Mutiso with man of the match Jerim Onyango saving Bitam’s penalty, the third in the match.

From the opening whistle, Bitam launched attack after another in order to restore parity with their efforts paying off in the 12th minute.

Yellow carded
Gor almost bagged an away goal but Jared Obwoge splashed an obvious chance in the 20th minute after US Bitam keeper had spilt the oncoming shot.

The Kenyan champions then had skipper Jerim Onyango to thank after the reigning goal keeper of the year saved a US Bitam spot kick at the half hour mark.

The match had for the break with Gor Mahia’s three players of Dan Sserunkuma, David Owino and Musa Mohammed already yellow carded.

Resumption
On resumption, Jared Obwoge thought to have given his side an away goal only to see his header tipped over the bar by Bitam keeper after ever impressing Godfrey Walusimbi’s cross from the flank.

Four minutes later, Eric Ochieng’ was pulled out for Shaban Kenga with Innocent Mutiso coming on for Daniel Onyango.

Sent off
In the 73rd minute, Team Manager Frank Ouna was sent off by centre referee, a few minutes later, David Calabar Owino received his matching orders for a second bookable offence in what was termed to be protesting to the centre referee.

The hosts were gifted another penalty in the 85th minute but an outstanding Jerim saved Gor blushes by blocking the spot kick.

Post match shootouts
With four minutes of added time, ten-men Gor Mahia could not allow Bitam’s threat hence sending the game to post match shootouts.

Gor Mahia lineup: Jerim Onyango (GK), Musa Mohammed, Godfrey Walusimbi, Haron Shakava, David Owino, Anthony Teddy Akumu, Eric Ochieng’, Daniel Onyango, Geoffrey Kizito, Dan Sserunkuma, Jared Obwoge.

Gor Mahia Vs Gabonese side US Bitam Game at 4.00pm at Nyayo National Stadium

courtesy of the Nation

Francois Omam Biyik once famously left Diego Maradona in tears, and the former striker now fears Ugandan forward Dan Sserunkuma has the potential to seek revenge for the former Argentinian national.

The former Cameroon international, who scored the lone goal to enable the Indomitable
Lions defeat Argentina 1-0 in the opening match of the 1990 World Cup staged in Italy, arrived in the country on Wednesday evening, hoping to lead Gabon outfit US Bitam to victory against Gor Mahia.

The two teams lock horns in the first leg of the preliminary round of the African Champions League competition at the Nyayo Stadium starting 4pm Saturday.

“That stocky, dreadlocked striker is the pulse (of that team),” the bullish Bitam coach, who scored more than a century of goals during a 14-year professional stint that saw him turn out for Olympic Marseille, Rennes and Cannes in the French top flight said yesterday soon after arriving in Nairobi.

Meanwhile full match videos of US Bitam are available on youtube. Hopefully Gor Mahia have studied them and know what to expect.

Security in Place

Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards have put in place elaborate security measures ahead of this weekend’s continental fixtures.

Gor will be up against Gabonese side US Bitam in an African Champions League preliminary round tie tomorrow at 4pm at Nyayo National Stadium while AFC Leopards will entertain Ethiopia’s FC Defence at the same venue on Sunday.

In an interview with the Daily Nation Sport, Gor Mahia’s deputy secretary general Ronald Ngala said that more than 200 policemen on horseback from the regular and administrative wings have been mobilized for the match.

Tickets for the match will retail Sh1000 for the VIP stand while the terraces tickets will go for Sh300. The Gabonese, who are putting up at the tranquil Hill Park Hotel, held their first training session at City Stadium Thursday.

Gor Mahia's Oppenents Are In Nairobi For Maximum Points, Nothing Less

courtesy of goal.com

Coach Oman Biyik tells Goal that they are in Nairobi to get maximum points against the Kenyan league champions in Saturday’s Champions League fixture.

Oman Biyik
Former Cameroonian international Oman Biyik, who handles US Bitam, Gor Mahia’s opponents in Champions League on Saturday, has warned the Kenyan champions to score early goals or they will be in trouble.

Biyik predicted that Gor Mahia fans will turn against their own team if there will be no goals in the first 20 minutes of the match.

“I understand the mind set of most home fans. They normally expect an early goal and if it does not come, they get frustrated and turn against their own team. I ask Gor to get an early goal or forget about winning this match,” he told Goal hours after his side jetted into Nairobi.

“It will not be easy though because our opponents have a home advantage to protect. It will be a meeting of two good teams and we should expect an exciting match.”

Biyik’s squad is boasted by the presence of three players, who have just featured in the Africa Nations Championships (Chan) held in South Africa. They include defenders Fredy Kogbe, Reeckangue Roosvelte as well as forward Phylipe Ebonde.

Gor Mahia Has Learned The Relevant Lessons: Bobby Ogola Asserts

courtesy of futaa.com

Gor Mahia Assistant Coach Bobby Ogola believes the team will do well in its Saturday CAF Champions League first leg tie against Gabonese side U.S Bitam despite the shocking early exit from this year’s edition of Kenya Power Charity Cup.

Ogola says the team has learnt its lessons and has been working on sealing the loopholes.
-It was a bitter lesson as well as a blessing in disguise. We thought the team was in tip top condition only to be humbled, Ogola said,

-We have been working on the issues we noticed and I believe we will do well against Bitam, he added.

Gor hosts US Bitam on Saturday at the Nyayo National Stadium.

 Matches to be aired live

Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards weekend CAF assignment matches will be live on Supersport as confirmed by DStv Kenya on their official twitter handle.

Gor will take on US Bitam of Gabon in the CAF Champions League preliminary stage while AFC Leopards will host Ethiopia’s Defence in the CAF confederations Cup.

Live
There had been fears that the games will not be live after Supersport quit broadcasting the Kenya Power Charity Cup due to crowd trouble but they calmed the fears.

-SuperSport will broadcast LIVE the continental matches pitting Gor Mahia v US Bitam and AFC Leopards v Defence this weekend, DSTV Kenya tweeted.

Gor’s match will be on Saturday 8 February, while Ingwe’s match will be on Sunday 9 February. Both matches will be at the Nyayo National Stadium