Lovely day

Former Barcelona player Thierry Henry has revealed the standout moment during his time at the Spanish club that he realised his team-mate Lionel Messi was extraordinary. The pair spent three years together at Barcelona, but it was one game where Messi managed to control a lofty ball and dodge three defenders that Henry realised there was something special about him. The pair had great success with the La Liga giantS; winning the treble in 2009 and scoring 100 goals in one season between themselves and Samuel Eto’o. But Henry downplays his involvement in the club’s success, instead hailing Messi‘s style of play as ‘not normal’. In a new film ‘Take the Ball, Pass the Ball’ which celebrates Pep Guardiola‘s reign at the Nou Camp, the Frenchman said: “The best goal I’ve seen him score was against Malaga at home because that defied logic what he did. “Diagonal ball, he controls it on his chest, runs full speed. First player goes, second player is just behind. He takes another step, th...

The Super Eagles this morning arrived South Africa around 3:00am ahead of the 2019 AFCON qualifier match. The players were full of smiles as they arrived the Airport. Super Eagles are to take on the South Africa by 2pm tomorrow. See photos below....

Former Bolton Wanderers manager, Sam Allardyce has rated Nigerian football legend, Jay Jay Okocha, above Cristiano Ronaldo. Jay Jay joined Bolton on a free transfer from PSG in 2002 with Allardyce in charge of the English club and helped steer the team away from relegation. In his new book titled Big Sam’s Autobiography, Allardyce said he could watch the ex-Super Eagles star play all day as he states there is no player like him. He wrote, “I love Jay-Jay’s tricks on the ball, I could watch him all day… He could do drag-backs, flick-overs, double step-overs, there’s been no else like him, not even Cristiano Ronaldo.”

Argentina Legend Diego Maradona has claimed that Manchester United Coach Jose Mourinho is the best football manager in the world. Mourinho and his team have not been impressive this season and are out of a place for the Champions League next season. The Red Devils are currently eight on the Premier League table after conceding 21 goals in their first 12 matches. However, Maradona has insisted Jose Mourinho is the best in football management. “For me yes, Mou is the best. “I would give Pep the merit of taking advantage of the launch that Johan Cruyff gave him. “I have said on more than one occasion that tiki-taka was not invented by Guardiola. It was ‘Flaco’ Cruyff. “At the moment Pep is able to choose any player in the world that he wants. That way tiki-taka is easier,” Maradona told Marca.

Roja ran out easy winners in the corresponding fixture back in September, but their coach has warned his charges to be on their guard Luis Enrique does not expect Spain's 6-0 thrashing of Croatia in September to have any impact on Thursday's Nations League meeting in Zagreb. Spain destroyed the World Cup finalists in Elche on September 11 and will reach the finals of the competition if they win the reverse match this week. Croatia, though, need to beat both La Roja and England in order to go through, and Luis Enrique therefore predicts a difficult encounter. "I think this game is totally different to the one we played in Elche," he told a news conference on Wednesday. "It's key for both, and decisive, because they still have chances to go through. "It's the first game that will be everything or nothing. If we win, we qualify, and if not, there will be chances for the others. It's a vital game for us. "You can't take the Elche gam...

Arsenal’s Premier League title credentials will be given another examination when they welcome Liverpool to the Emirates. The Gunners failed their first tests of the season against Manchester City and Chelsea but a run of form that saw them win 11 of their next 12 games has seen talk of a title challenge re-emerge. But that progress could be undone if they fail to send a message against Liverpool on Saturday.

United leave it Late at the vitality stadium. Two of the Premier League's candidates for the October Player of the Month award were on target but Marcus Rashford netted the winner. Marcus Rashford scored a stoppage-time winner as Manchester United came from behind to triumph 2-1 at Bournemouth in the Premier League. Rashford had already missed a golden opportunity on the rebound when Ashley Young's free-kick hit the crossbar, but he came up trumps for Jose Mourinho's men at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.