Under20 World Cup Groups DrawnEngland given tough group

England have been handed a tough draw this morning after the Group Stages were drawn for the Under-20 World Cup Finals which is being held this year in Columbia.
England begin their campaign against North Korea but then have to play Mexico and arguably the best team at Under-20 level Argentina.
Brian Eastwicks side haven't covered themselves in glory in the past. The best the U20's have achived was a third place finish, beating Australia in 1993. Argentina on the other hand have won five of the last eight competitions so will no doubt be favourites to lift the trophy this year.
Mexico are five-time quarter finalists so are no mugs but England who could play Jack Wilshere, Jack Rodwell and Danny Welbeck should have enough to get past them and then there's North Korea
In the 2010 World Cup North Korea gave their all but just didn't have the skills or experience to put their stamp on the tournament and that is what is expected from their kids.
We are still waiting for the line-up to be completed. One game has yet to be played. New Zealand play Solomon Island for the final place which will see them in Group B with Portugal, Cameroon and Uruguay.

Do you think we should send in the big guns and go for glory or should the Premier League be the main priotity and let the likes of Wilshere and Rodwell get a pre-season under their belt ready for the new season.
Leave a comment.

Group Stages:

A) Colombia, France, Mali, South Korea
B) Portugal, Uruguay, Cameroon, New Zealand/Solomon Islands
C) Australia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Spain
D) Croatia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Guatemala
E) Brazil, Egypt, Australia, Panama
F) Argentina, Mexico, England, North Korea

Tournament begins July 29th until August 20th

Nigerian International dies in car accident

WorldwideFootball wish to join the rest of the footballing world in passing on their condolenses to the family of Olubayo Adefemi who died yesterday after being involved in a car crash.

The 25 year old, capped 5 times by Nigeria, was driving from Xanthi to Salonika heading home to Nigeria to finalise his wedding details when he lost control of his car, he died at the scene.

The defender had spent most of his career playing in Israel before signing for Skoda Xanthi in 2010. He made 24 appearancse for his club scoring twice.

Adefemi's Zambian team-mate Chris Katongo says Xanthi players were in shock when they heard news of the death of the popular player. He told BBC Sport "It was a good day and all the players were laughing and joking when the manager came in and broke the news. Everyone is in shock. Even as I am speaking I am thinking it is a joke but it is true. I can't believe this"

 Skoda Xanthi are planning a friendly in the close season in aid of the defenders family.

Odemwingie In Baggie Switch Fee: Undisclosed

West Brom have completed the signing of Nigeria forward Peter Odemwingie from Lokomotiv Moscow for an undisclosed fee.
The 29-year-old passed a medical and agreed terms last Friday and the deal was finalised the next day but the player then had to secure a work permit and visa.
Odemwingie, who has signed a two-year deal with the option of a further year, arrived back in England on Friday night and could make his debut against Sunderland on Saturday if the club receive international clearance in time.
Odemwingie, who has dual Russian and Nigerian citizenship, has spent the last four seasons with Lokomotiv, scoring 21 goals in 70 starts.
Baggies boss Roberto Di Matteo told West Brom's website: "I'm delighted to welcome Peter to the club.
"He is an exciting international, has a great CV and I'm sure seeing a player of his calibre coming into the club will give everyone a lift.
"Peter has got great pace, is two-footed, scores goals and has good experience at a very high level. We've brought him in as a striker but he can also play out wide, which gives me options."
Odemwingie is Di Matteo's sixth permanent signing of the summer, following Steven Reid, Gabriel Tamas, Pablo Ibanez, Boaz Myhill and Nicky Shorey to The Hawthorns.


Peter Odemwingie's career:


1999-2001 - Bendel Insurance
2001-2002 - Pandurii Targu Jiu
2002-2005 - La Louviere - 44 apps (9 goals)
2005-2007 - Lille - 75 apps (23 goals)
2007-2010 - Lokomotiv Moscow - 75 apps (21 goals)


Nigeria - 47 apps (9 goals)

Nigeria 2 South Korea 2

Scorers: Uche (Nig), Yakubu (Nig), Jung Soo Lee (SK), Chu Young Park (SK)

Attendance: 61874

Korea Republic recovered from the loss of an early goal to draw 2-2 against Nigeria in a gripping contest at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Tuesday. The result sees the Asians through to the Round of 16 as second-place finishers from Group B behind winners Argentina, and they will meet Group A winners Uruguay in the first stage of knockout play on 26 June in Nelson Mandela Bay. Nigeria, with just one point from their three matches, are heading for home to ponder what might have been.

The Nigerians, in dire need of a win to stay alive, dodged a bullet in only the second minute, when big Danny Shittu's horrid clearance fell to the feet of Park Chu-Young in a dangerous position on the right. The Monaco man’s low cross was picked out well by the sliding Lee Chung-Yong, who sacrificed his body in a collision with Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama only to stroke wide of the near post.

After that early scare, Nigeria began to boss the play with their best moments of these finals. Coach Lars Lagerback opted for four attacking players in his starting XI, including Nwankwo Kanu, used for the first time in South Africa. The positive approach paid off, the Super Eagles taking a lead in the 12th minute. Chidi Odiah wriggled his way up the right side with a classy piece of approach work and his low cross was nailed into the corner by Kalu Uchu, who had snuck around his marker. The goal was met with a roar from the home crowd, in need of a boost after their beloved Bafana Bafana were eliminated earlier in the day.

Nigeria continued to push forward as the half wore on, with Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi going close and Kanu and Yakubu Ayegbeni combining well in the advanced positions. The Koreans – who looked so organised in their first match – were getting pushed around and losing their shape as the half wound down. Uche nearly doubled his tally in the 36th minute, only to see his shot from distance slam off the upright to a groan from the crowd. The Asians, against the run of play, took full advantage and drew level with their first shot on goal, Lee Jung-Soo heading home while unmarked at the back post after a free-kick delivered by Ki Sung-Yueng seven minutes from the interval.

The Koreans came out in the second half looking lively. After Lee Young-Pyo tested Enyeama in the opening seconds, danger man Park Chu-Young curled his direct free-kick around the wall and inside the back post from the corner of the penalty area to put the Taeguk Warriors on top 2-1 with just minutes gone. Pockets of lively Korean fans were growing in confidence and voice, singing the anthems that propelled their men to the semi-finals as hosts in 2002, but they were nearly silenced when Yakubu was clear in on goal in the 59th minute. Only a last-ditch tackle from Cho Yong-Hyung kept the big Everton man from a certain equaliser.

'Yak' was at the heart of the action again shortly after, missing a sitter from six yards in the 66th minute, before showing the guts to step up to the spot three minutes later and draw his side level after Obasi was felled in the area. A frenzied half-hour followed, with both sides going agonisingly close to tipping the balance and substitute Obafemi Martins missing a golden breakaway chance. But it was the Korean players celebrating at the final whistle while Nigeria became the third of six African participants to fall at the first hurdle.

Greece 2 Nigeria 1

Scorers: Salpingidis (Gre), Torosidis (Gre), Uche (Nig)

Attendance: 31593

Greece edged ten-man Nigeria 2-1 in a pulsating contest in Mangaung/Bloemfontein to revive their chances of reaching the Round of 16.

It all looked like being so different for the Super Eagles, who opened the scoring in the 16th minute through Kalu Uche, but a straight red card for Sani Kaita just after the half-hour swung the balance in the favour of the Europeans, who duly secured their first-ever victory in a FIFA World Cup™ match thanks to goals from Dimitrios Salpingidis and Vasileios Torosidis. The result left Greece third in Group B, level on points with second-placed Korea Republic. Nigeria remain pointless and will now have to beat the South Koreans in their final first-phase outing to have any chance of advancing.

Uche's goal was the first in the tournament to come direct from a free-kick, though his 35-yard effort from the left flank was intended centre.  Greece goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas was distracted by the run of Peter Odemwingie, though, and let the ball go past him untouched. The game changed in the 33rd minute, though, with Kaita's sending-off for kicking out at Torosidis after the ball had run out on the sideline. Sensing the opportunity, Greece coach Otto Rehhagel brought on Georgios Samaras to increase their attacking options. The Europeans duly began to dominate the proceedings and split open the Nigeria defence soon after, but goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who impressed in their 1-0 loss to Argentina, denied an unmarked Salpingidis from ten yards.

Six minutes later, Enyeama was beaten, but midfielder Lukman Haruna saved Samaras's flicked, close-range shot from crossing the line. However, Haruna was not so fortunate in the 44th minute as Konstantinos Katsouranis laid the ball off to Salpingidis, whose blast from 20 yards deflected off the young Monaco midfielder and into the back of the net.

The second half began where the first left off, and Georgios Karagounis found himself with a free header near the penalty spot, but the captain could not keep his attempt down. The two goalkeepers took turns playing hero then, with Tzorvas tipping over Uche's delicate cross from the left side of the box when it seemed like it might sneak under his bar. Enyeama spared Joseph Yobo's blushes after a poor clearance, with a diving save from Theofanis Gekas's header in the 59th minute.

From that chance, the west Africans broke back the other way immediately, and Yakubu Ayegbeni saw his shot denied spectacularly by the outstretched left hand of the Greece keeper. Half-time substitute Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi missed the rebound with the goal at his mercy. Enyeama again showed all of his ability in denying Samaras's header from a short corner after a stretched dive to his left, but the Hapoel Tel-Aviv man would have to take the blame for the Greek winner after he spilled Alexandros Tziolis's long-range shot into the path of Torosidis, who buried the chance in the 71st minute.

The game, however, remained wide open and Enyeama, who has arguably been the goalkeeper of the tournament thus far and was named Budweiser Man of the Match today, made another top-drawer save from Karagounis six minutes after his mistake. For Nigeria, this was their seventh FIFA World Cup match without victory, and they must now beat Korea Republic on Tuesday in Durban and hope Argentina can beat a Greece side right back in the running in Group B's other remaining game.

Argentina 1 Nigeria 0

Scorers: Heinze (Arg)

Attendance: 50389

Argentina joined Saturday's earlier winners Korea Republic on three points in Group B with a 1-0 victory over Nigeria at Johannesburg's packed Ellis Park. Gabriel Heinze scored the game's only goal with a diving header from a corner in just the sixth minute, although the two-time FIFA World Cup™ winners would have added more if not for the heroics of Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama and their own wasteful finishing.

As early as the fourth minute, FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi burst through the Super Eagles' defence and set up Gonzalo Higuain in front of goal, but the Real Madrid man blazed wide of the target. Two minutes later Messi tested Enyeama from 20 yards out, but the Israel-based goalkeeper saved well with a dive to his right. However, from the resulting corner, Heinze ran free of his marker and made no mistake with his header from the penalty spot. The early goal sent coach Diego Maradona into raptures on the sideline, and surely he must have thought there was more to come.

Messi was a constant thorn in the side of the Nigeria defence, and in the 18th minute he cut inside and curled a left-footed shot towards goal from 25 yards out. But Enyeama was up to the task with a fine save at his post. Three minutes later, the Albiceleste threatened again but Higuain blasted his point-blank shot right into the goalkeeper. Enyeama was the Nigerian hero another time shortly after, denying Messi with his fingertips when it seemed like his curling shot would sneak in.

The introduction of Obafemi Martins early in the second period sparked Nigeria into life. The Wolfsburg forward showed his pace on the hour to latch onto a through-ball and play in Sani Kaita but he blasted over from 25 yards out. As the match opened up, Argentina found more room in the attacking third. In the 65th minute, they counter-attacked quickly to find themselves four-on-two and bearing down on the Nigeria defence. Carlos Tevez slid the ball dangerously into the middle, Angel Di Maria let the ball carry on to Messi, but the Barcelona superstar hit his shot agonisingly wide. Messi then set up Higuain for another opening, but Enyeama was again the victor in that head-to-head duel.

In the 71st minute, Nigeria left-back Taye Taiwo blasted a shot just wide of the post from the edge of the area, injuring himself in the process. His replacement, Kalu Uche, had the best chance of the night for the Super Eagles in the 83rd minute, but he failed to keep down an effort from 12 yards out despite being left unmarked. Nigeria next face Greece on 17 June in Manguang/Bloemfontein, when Argentina and Korea Republic will battle it out for top spot in the group at Johannesburg’s Soccer City

Argentina: 22. Romero, 2. Demichelis, 06. Heinze, 7. Di Maria, 8. Veron, 9. Higuain, 10. Messi, 11. Tevez, 13. Samuel, 14. Mascherano, 17. Gutierrez

Subs Used: 4. Burdisso, 19. Milito, 20. Maxi

Nigeria: 1. Enyeama, 2. Yobo, 3. Taiwo, 6. Shittu, 8. Yakubu. 14, Kaita, 15. Haruna, 17. Odiah, 18. Obinna, 19. Obasi Ogbuke, 20. Etuhu

Subs Used: 9. Martins, 11. Odemwingie, 12. Uche