Dolphins will turn things around in Port Harcourt, says Zikiye

 

The Pride of Rivers defender believes they are capable of reversing their deficit when they host Leones Vegetarianos in the Caf Confederation Cup

Dolphins defender Jonathan Zikiye has expressed confidence in his side's ability to overturn their 1-0 first leg deficit when they host Equatorial Guinea's Leones Vegetarianos in the Caf Confederation Cup.

Dolphins will host the Equatoguinean side in the second leg billed for Port Harcourt on February 28.

Zikiye, who made his debut in a continental competition for the first time, admitted responsibility in the lone goal conceded through a defensive error in Malabo as he laid the blame on loss of concentration.

"It was a good experience even though we lost the game. We went there with intentions to win but we lost. We hope to turn it around when they come to Nigeria," Zikiye said.

"It's true. That goal was scored after a little slip from our part as defenders and it started from my side.

"It was a moment of loss of concentration but in every football match there are bound to be mistakes but the important thing is to learn from these mistakes.

"We are working hard for the second leg and we believe we will be able to turn it around," he concluded.

Meanwhile, Dolphins will host top flight returnees Kwara United in their opening fixture of the 2014/15 NPFL season in Port Harcourt on March 7.
 

Figo proposes 48-team World Cup

The Fifa presidential candidate has launched his manifesto which includes a potential expansion of the game's biggest international competition

Luis Figo says the World Cup could be expanded to a 40 or 48-team event if he becomes Fifa president in May.
The Portuguese playing legend is one of three men challenging incumbent Sepp Blatter in this year’s election, and insists he wants Fifa to be more inclusive of countries outside of Europe.
Launching his manifesto at a press conference at Wembley Stadium on Thursday, Figo announced: “I believe we should consider proposals to expand the World Cup from its current 32-team structure to a 40 or even 48-team competition.
“Both these options are feasible with an extra three to four days of tournament play. If this expansion were to take place, I believe that additional teams should come from non-European nations.”
Figo will go up against Blatter, Michael van Praag and Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein in the May 29 poll, and the 42-year-old hopes to redistribute Fifa reserves to national associations if he lands the top job.
Such payments would account for 50 per cent of the organisation’s $2.5 billion revenues, with the aim to fund grassroots football development around the world.
“Fifa belongs to its member associations and it is only natural that Fifa’s revenues and reserves are distributed back to them directly,” he added. “The impact of my proposals would mean between $8-10m being distributed to each member association across a four-year period.”

The former Real Madrid star also noted several other key points to his campaign, including support for goal-line technology and the need for a structured debate regarding further use of technology within the sport.

Figo added his desire to eradicate the 'triple punishment rule' whereby clubs are punished three times for the same incident when a player is sent off after conceding a penalty, before being handed a suspension.

The former midfielder is also an advocate of sin-bins for unsporting behaviour towards referees and keen to reinstate the old offside rule, whereby a player is deemed offside regardless of whether or not he is involved directly in the play.

Messi: I had a lot of problems in 2014

The 27-year-old still managed to score 41 goals in 46 games in all competitions last term, but failed his own incredibly high standards as Barca ended the season without a trophy.
Messi has now acknowledged that injuries and his tax case hurt his form last campaign and he is desperate to show his true self again in 2015.
"The truth is that this year I tried to get to my best form as quickly as possible. I knew I was coming off the back of a not very good year, during which I went through a lot of problems on and off the field," the Argentina international told Mundo Leo.
"It was a challenge to change the image that I had given out last season and to be the player I had been in previous seasons again. That was my objective and that's how I came out at the start of this season, really up for it."
The four-time Ballon d'Or winner then went on to discuss Barcelona's form in 2014-15 and their upcoming Champions League tie with Manchester City, stressing the English champions will not be pushovers.
"The truth is that we're in good shape at the moment. Luckily, after the match against Real Sociedad everything changed. Now there is a different dynamic to the team, everything we do comes off.
"The team has a lot of confidence and we have changed the attitude and drive. That's why we're playing like we are at the moment, but there is still a long way to go.
"Manchester City they are a team made up of great players, so it will be a difficult tie. Their objective is to go through because they haven't done for a while.
"It will be an even match-up and the little details will be what makes the difference. It will be a great game. City have reinforced a lot [since last season]."
The first leg of the round-of-16 tie takes place in Manchester on February 24, with the return at Camp Nou scheduled for March 18.