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Clattenburg to ref first Chelsea game since Mikel accusation

April 22, 2013 14:01
LONDON (Reuters) - Referee Mark Clattenburg will take charge of a Chelsea game on Sunday for the first time since being cleared of using racist language towards their midfielder John Obi Mikel. Chelsea play Swansea City at Stamford Bridge, the scene of their 3-2 home defeat to Manchester United in October when Clattenburg was accused of using "inappropriate language" towards Mikel. The referee was cleared after investigations by both London's Metropolitan Police and the English FA found there was no case to answer.

Football: Clattenburg to ref Chelsea after Mikel row

Agence France-PresseApril 22, 2013 12:01
Mark Clattenburg will take charge of a Chelsea match for the first time since the John Obi Mikel racism row when he referees the Blues' Premier League clash against Swansea City on Sunday. Chelsea, acting on claims by the club's Brazil star Ramires, had accused Clattenburg of using "inappropriate language" towards Nigeria midfielder Mikel during Manchester United's stormy 3-2 win at Stamford Bridge on October 28. Ramires was reported to have claimed he heard Clattenburg say "shut up you monkey" to his team-mate.

Football: Broke African champions slash win bonuses

April 10, 2013 12:15
African champions Nigeria will slash win bonuses as well as their coaches' salaries because the national Football Federation (NFF) is broke, officials said. The NFF technical committee has recommended the Super Eagles' win bonus of $10,000 be reviewed downwards along with the salaries and allowances of the various national team coaches. Officials have suggested that the win bonus will now be pegged at $5,000. The backroom staff will also be pruned to a more manageable level.

Football: Mikel struggling for Europa League motivation

April 9, 2013 09:46
Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi says he finds it hard to motivate himself for his side's Europa League matches and is desperate to return to the Champions League next season. The west London club take a 3-1 lead to Russian club Rubin Kazan in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday, having seen their Champions League title defence ended in the group phase. The Blues are also on track to successfully defend the FA Cup title they won last season, with a semi-final tie against Manchester City at Wembley Stadium awaiting on Sunday.

Football: Nigeria coach keeps out skipper Yobo again

April 4, 2013 15:30
Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has again axed skipper Joseph Yobo from a series of matches that include crucial 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Kenya and Namibia in June. Keshi, unveiling his selection Thursday, again kept out the Fenerbahce defender from a busy schedule between the end of May and mid-July during which the African champions could well play as many as 10 matches. Yobo was overlooked for last month's World Cup qualifying match at home to Kenya leading to a huge row with coach Stephen Keshi this week.

Soccer-Benitez abuse affects players, says Chelsea's Mikel

March 11, 2013 11:15
LONDON, March 11 (Reuters) - Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel believes fan negativity is affecting the players at the Premier League club. Interim manager Rafael Benitez has come in for a barrage of criticism from Chelsea supporters since he was parachuted into the manager's job following the sacking of terrace favourite Roberto Di Matteo in November, prompting angry words from the Spaniard himself last month.

Soccer-Martins gets Nigeria recall for World Cup tie

March 8, 2013 08:15
ABUJA, March 8 (Reuters) - Nigeria have recalled striker Obafemi Martins for their World Cup soccer qualifier against Kenya after leaving him out of their successful African Nations Cup campaign. There is no place in the squad for 32-year-old central defender Joseph Yobo, Nigeria's most capped international with 95 appearances, who started one game at the Nations Cup in South Africa before being dropped by coach Stephen Keshi.

Football: Injured Emenike out of Nigeria World Cup qualifier

March 7, 2013 15:00
Injured Spartak Moscow striker Emmanuel Emenike has been left out of Nigeria's squad for the World Cup qualifier against Kenya on March 23. Emenike, who was top scorer in the recent Africa Cup of Nations winning campaign, is nursing a long-term hamstring injury which he suffered during the continental competition in South Africa. However, Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has recalled Levante striker Obafemi Martins, who was not picked for the Nations Cup.

UPDATE 2-Soccer-Dutch championship summaries

February 17, 2013 09:45
Feb 17 (Infostrada Sports) - Summaries from the Dutch championship matches on Sunday Sunday, February 17 RKC Waalwijk 0 Missed penalty: Robert Braber 60 Ajax Amsterdam 2 Niklas Moisander 22, Christian Eriksen 40 Halftime: 0-2; Attendance: 6,000 - - - PEC Zwolle 3 Graziano Pelle 2og, Darryl Lachman 6, Denni Avdic 75 Feyenoord 2 Graziano Pelle 33,34 Halftime: 2-2; Attendance: 11,324 - - - ADO Den Haag 2 Danny Holla 24, Santi Kolk 36

CORRECTED-Soccer-Nigeria heroes Mikel and Moses can lift Chelsea - Benitez

February 15, 2013 16:00
(Changes quarter-finals to fifth round in last para) LONDON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - The return of African Nations Cup heroes John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses will add an extra dimension to Chelsea's squad for the last three months of the season, interim manager Rafael Benitez said on Friday. The Nigerian pair, who helped their country beat Burkina Faso 1-0 in last weekend's Nations Cup final in Johannesburg, could be recalled by the European champions for Sunday's FA Cup fourth-round replay at home to third tier Brentford.
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