Nigerian youth star Simon off to a flyer

Nigeria youth international Moses 'Daddy' Ajala Simon has got off to a great start in the new Corgon Liga season as he helped his Slovakian team AS Trecin beat Dunajská Streda 2-1 on the opening day of the new season.
The diminutive winger, who has been on the radar of a host of European clubs, was on target in the 32nd minute of the game at the Štadión na Sihoti in Trecin before Peter Klešcík made it 2-0 to Trecin. An 88th minute consolation for Dunajská Streda scored by Jakub Brašen was not enough as Trecin began the season on a high.
Simon has started off where he left from last season after scoring seven goals in 14 games for Trecin, a laudable feat considering he joined the team in the second half of the season.
The former Ajax Amsterdam trainee, who was part of the Flying Eagles to the 2013 Under-20 World Cup in Turkey, told supersport.com that he hopes to build on the success of last season and help Trecin do well in the Europa League.
"I'm really ecstatic about my goal in the first game of the 2014/15 season, but most importantly that we won the game and our first three points.
"I'm getting more settled here and enjoying my football. I hope we can do well in the league and in Europe too. I'll also love to surpass my records from last season," he told supersport.com.
AS Trecin finished second on the Corgon Liga log with Simon contributing seven goals and seven assists in 14 matches, as the team went into the qualifying rounds of the Europa League.

Arsenal conclude Debuchy deal

Arsenal completed their swoop for France defender Mathieu Debuchy from Newcastle United on Thursday in a deal reported to be worth around €15 million. Debuchy has been a long-term target for Arsene Wenger and the Gunners' manager finally got his man as the right-back put pen to paper on a long-term contract. The 28-year-old, who was part of the French squad which reached the World Cup quarterfinals, is the ideal replacement for compatriot Bacary Sagna, who left Arsenal to join Premier League Manchester City on a free transfer last month. Debuchy, who is reported to have cost the Gunners around £12 million, becomes Arsenal's second signing since the end of last season following the £30 million arrival of Chile winger Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona. "We are delighted to welcome Mathieu Debuchy to Arsenal," Wenger told the club's website. "He has shown he can perform at the highest level with his club sides and also for France. "He is a quality defender who has good Premier League experience and I'm confident he will fit in very well with us." Debuchy featured 46 times during an 18-month spell at Newcastle after spending the first nine years of his career with French side Lille. He helped Lille to a league and cup double in 2010-11. His performances also earned him his international debut against Albania in October 2011 and he now has 25 caps for France. Debuchy will join up with his new teammates soon for pre-season preparations and is expected to make his debut at the Emirates Cup in the first weekend of August. He admitted playing in the Champions League was a major incentive to join Arsenal. "I'm very proud to be joining a great club like Arsenal and to wear its colours, it's one of the biggest clubs in the whole world," Debuchy said. "I'm looking forward to working with Arsene Wenger and to helping the team build on last season's FA Cup success. "Playing again in the Champions League is a big excitement for me and I will do my best to help Arsenal compete for trophies."

Uefa bans Simeone, Real’s Alonso

European football's governing body Uefa on Thursday banned Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone and Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso for one match for disciplinary offences during the   Champions League final in May.

Simeone was hit with the penalty for having charged onto the pitch at the end of the match during a verbal clash with Real's French defender Raphael Varane.

He will be banned from the bench for Atletico's next European match, which will come at the beginning of the 2014-15 Champions League group stage in September.

Real beat their arch-rivals 4-1 after extra time in the May 24 final in Lisbon, and Uefa opened a disciplinary probe in the wake of the game.

Xabi Alonso was sanctioned for misconduct, and will serve his suspension during the Uefa Super Cup final between Madrid and Europa League winners Sevilla on August 12 in Cardiff, Uefa said.

In addition, Atletico and Real were each fined for improper team conduct – a penalty faced by teams who receive five or more cards during matches.

Real picked up five, thereby receiving a fine of €18 000, while Atletico's seven cards led to a penalty of €21 000.

The fines also sanctioned the behaviour of both clubs' fans, who set off fireworks in the stadium.

Argentina defend Latin pride v Germany

Germany battle to become the first European side to win a World Cup on Latin American soil in Sunday's final against Argentina whose captain Lionel Messi is out to emulate the great Diego Maradona.
Germany are favourites after their ruthlessly efficient 7-1 demolition of hosts Brazil in the semifinal.
Yet in Messi, Argentina have one of the world's greatest current players who can turn a big game in a flash and would dearly love to bring home the World Cup for the first time since 1986 when the team was captained by Maradona.
In a mortifying twist for Brazilians whose rivalry with their South American neighbours runs deep, some 100 000 Argentines have invaded Rio de Janeiro for the final.
Some have paid $10 000 for an airline and hotel package, while others drove the 2 000 kilometres from Buenos Aires.
Argentine flags, tents and cars were dotted all around the famous Copacabana and Ipanema beaches in Rio. Many climbed up to the Christ statue, draping blue-and-white colours at the bottom.
Brazilian fans have largely thrown their lot in with Germany, hoping they can stop an Argentine win that would give them bragging rights for years. Some locals, with tickets to a game where they had dreamed of seeing Brazil lift a sixth World Cup, were instead donning Germany colours for the occasion.
"We have forgiven Germany what they did to us. In fact, we admire them because they played theBrazil way," said Rio resident Bruno Perreira, outside the 74 738-capacity Maracana wearing a Germany replica top and joking with Argentina fans.
THIRD GERMANY V ARGENTINA FINAL
It is the third World Cup final between Germany and Argentina. Argentina won 3-2 in a 1986 thriller in Mexico City, while Germany won 1-0 four years later in Rome in an awful game.
And the history does not stop there: Germany have kicked Argentina out of the last two World Cups in the quarterfinals, humiliatingly so by a 4-0 scoreline in 2010 when they cruelly exposed then coach Maradona's tactical naivety.
After an exciting tournament where attack has prevailed and goals have been flowing, the final is likely to be a more cagey affair with Germany employing numbers to annul Messi and Argentina wary of leaving the sorts of spaces that Brazil did.
Both goalkeepers, Manuel Neuer of Germany and Sergio Romero of Argentina, are in the form of their lives, while Messi, on four goals, and Thomas Mueller, on five, are both chasing the "Golden Boot" award for the leading scorer.
Colombia's James Rodriguez is ahead at the moment on six goals. All three are also among the 10 players short-listed for Fifa's "Golden Ball" award to the tournament's best player.
The prizes are to be announced after Sunday's final.
A goal-laden tournament has already produce 170 goals and could beat the all-time record of 171 set in France in 1998.
Brazil's agony at losing the semifinal so disastrously was compounded by another poor defensive display in Saturday's 3-0 defeat by the Netherlands in the third-place playoff match.
Having not lost a competitive home game since 1975, Brazil have now suffered two defeats in five days: a sad end to a tournament they entered with such confidence and high hopes.
An Argentina win on Sunday would complete their misery

word cup Third place

 Third place play-off July 12
20:00     Brazil     ? - ?     Netherlands
   
half-time
   
(? - ?)
   

Michael Babatunde could be playing his football in England next season

 Nigeria international midfielder, Michael Babatunde could be playing his football in England next season after English Premier League club, Sunderland expressed their interest.

Babatunde made impressive inroads with Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the 2014 Fifa World Cup where he played in two matches.

A broken arm in the game against Argentina subsequently ruled him out of Nigeria’s round of 16 clash with France but not before he suitably impressed representatives of the Premier League club.

Babatunde, who plays his club football in Ukraine with Volyn Lutsk, was quoted by authoritative British newspaper, the Daily Mail saying Sunderland have expressed interest in his services.

“I have received several offers from different places, but I'm interested in the one from Sunderland.

“They have contacted my agent, and we will see how it goes from there,” he said.

The 21-year-old also spoke about interest from clubs in Turkey as he looks set to reap from an impressive World Cup debut.

“There are about two offers from clubs in Turkey as well, which are both under consideration and will be discussed at the right time,” he said.

Babatunde scored twice in 23 league appearances for Volyn in the 2013/14 season.